20 Questions-Chantell Renee

I’ve always loved talking with other writers about their process, and I love reading their work.  Thus I can only hope that my readers agree with me.  In the vein of James Lipton I’ve come up with 20 questions that I want to ask my fellow writers-half the fun will be how each of them interprets the questions themselves.

Each month I’ll feature another talented author-the first of which is Chantell Renee author The Shifter Series including ‘Belonging’ and ‘Consumed’ as well as the HWG NaNoWritMo winner of 2014.  Without this author I wouldn’t have joined the Houston Writers Guild, thus never would have written ‘Blood On The Potomac’ or any of the other stories that I’ve published.  So thank you for that, Chantell, and also for being the debut author to answer my 20 Questions…

1. Every writer has that one book that made him or her want to be a writer, what’s yours?

For me that was the book “The Darkangel” by Meredith Ann Pierce. This was the first time I picked out a book to read on my own. The power of the words to capture me and take me far away, discovering love and fear and romance, it was amazing. Not to mention the sexual undertones that I soooo didn’t get at the age of nine!

2. How old where you when you started writing?

This would have been my freshman year. I was a poet in the making. It wasn’t until way later. like six years ago, that I started to write novels!

3. Name four authors that you’d love to have lunch with.

Really, this would be hard for anyone. Okay I’m going with dead or alive. Edgar Allen Poe, Kahlil Gibran, P.C. Cast and Stephen King. They are all very different but similar in the way that they are deep thinkers with an amazing knack to push boundaries. Though I’m sure it would turn into dinner and breakfast, very long conversations at that table!

4. What would you eat?

Roast Beast! and if someone is a vegetarian, they get carrots. LOL

5. How do you plot out your work?

I see a blurry ending, and I build towards it until it solidifies. Usually I write the scenes that are most vivid and that is never in order! I have tried going straight through, and it’s not the same. Everyone has a different process and whatever it is, do that. As long as you keep writing.

6. Do you write in the morning or evening?

Both. If I haven’t written in a while I will sit down and write until one in the morning. But I always get loads done in the morning as well.

8. What inspired your last story?

A cat eating pizza in outer space shirt. I needed something about outer space and I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if one of the things that survives once we move out into the stars, was those crazy shirts?

9. Name three books so good you wish you wrote them.

Witching Hour!!!!! One of my all time favs by Anne Rice.  Last book of the Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead. And Harry Potter!! I want a mansion.

10. What television shows, movies, or albums do you believe are written well?

Supernatural, Penny Dreadful, Walking Dead,  Home for the Holidays, Portishead self titled album, Practical Magic…too much really!

11. Which actor would you cast in the protagonist role of your most recent work?

I am currently writing book three of my Shifter Series. I’ve thought about this many times…Adelaide Kane from Reign. Not sure why really, that character isn’t anything like Vivian, but that’s who I’ve picked.

12. Which of your pieces was the hardest to write?

I’d say the current novel I am on! Mostly as it’s probably the last in the series and I want to make sure I tie up all loose ends. Plus, saying goodbye is hard!

13. Which was the easiest?

Second book. I didn’t want to make it long and drawn out, and I had a few twists to put in, and it worked perfectly!

14. Which of your pieces did readers ‘get’ when they told you their thoughts on your work?

This would probably be the short story I wrote for Tides of Impossibilities. This was a short story about one of the characters in another project I have yet to embark on, Effa. It’s titled ‘Effa on Fire’. Many who read it felt her surprise in surviving her trials. It’s a fun one.

15. What are you working on now?

I find myself writing a few things for my next series in between the third book of the Shifter Series. Though honeslty, I am not sure what series will come next….

16. What story do you have to write before you die?

I am strangely fascinated by the Dean Correll case. Not sure if I will ever get the opportunity to do that one, but it does interest me. I also love my Punk in Space story line.

17. What’s your best fan story?

Let you know when it happens! For now, it’s just getting people who walk up and say, my friend has your book, let me get one. 🙂

18. What sentence have you written that you feel encapsulates your style?

“With her stick figure and giant curls, she’s like Side Show Bob, but less attractive.”

19. Have you ever based characters off of real people?

No, not exactly. I ‘ve pictured the things about people and set off to write it, but the character changes a bit once I get them out.

20. Who’s your favorite character?

For me it’s my ladies, The Aunts. They are wise, silly, genuine, and selfless. They are just fun to write and may not be completely done telling their stories after the last novel….

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You can find out more about the author on their blog achantellreneeblog.wordpress.com and purchase their work from Amazon.com, Belonging Shifter Series.