Author Andrea Buginsky
WEBSITE OR BLOG ADDRESS: http://www.andreabuginsky.com/
TWITTER HANDLE: @andreabuginsky
Let's get started. . .
So you thought you’d be a writer – how’s that
workin’ out for ya?
Pretty good! I now have
four books published. I love creating the stories and the characters,
world-building, and coming up with new story ideas. I have also enjoyed
watching my writing improve over the years.
Let’s say you’re thinking about going on once in a
life time vacation…how exciting! What are some of the places you’d consider,
and what would you do while you’re there?
Oh, there are so many
places I’d love to visit! I want to buy or rent a camper and travel all over
the U.S. Europe . My top vacation destination is Hawaii
The phone just rang – it’s a movie deal for your
book! Holy cow – they’ve left it up to you as to where you want them to film on
location, and who will play the starring role…we can’t stand the suspense.
Where and who is it?
Wow! A movie…I never
imagined – oh, this is just make believe, for now. I’d love to shoot the film somewhere
on the coast of England, where there are lots of trees and mountains, and the
ocean is right there, so that it looks like the location in my book. The
starring role belongs to Vanessa Marano from “Switched at Birth.” She would
make a great Elena!
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What book or books are you currently working on?
Can we expect a new release soon?
I’m currently working on
the second book in the New Avalon series. I plan to release it next year.
Time for dinner! No, no, no, we’re not cooking –
we’re going out. So…where’s your favorite place to throw down some good food
with friends and family? And even more so, what do you recommend from the menu?
Red Lobster! I love seafood. The best time to go is
during Shrimp Fest, when you can get all the shrimp you want! My favorite meal
from there is the shrimp pasta. Pasta and shrimp all-in-one. Yummy! When do we
leave?
Time for adventure! Your friends are heading out to
go skydiving for the first time…are you going to join them or suggest a
different adventure? If you go skydiving please elaborate, or if you suggest
something else what would your favorite adventure be?
Oh, I would love to go
skydiving! Unfortunately, do to medical issues, I’m not allowed to L I think I would go with them to watch and get what
I can out of it, even if it’s just the plane ride and the chance to watch them
all jump. For an alternative adventure, I’d love to go SCUBA diving.
Forget about make-believe super powers…we’ll never
have them – bummer, I know right? But good news…TRUE super powers come in
different forms such as a great attitude, a wonderful personality, loving
kindness, and other cool traits like those. Who’s the one super hero in your
life, and what is their TRUE super power?
My mom. She is one of the
strongest people I know. Growing up with heart disease was tough on me, but now
that I’m an adult, I can see it from my parents point of view. I can’t imagine
sitting there with your child all those years, dealing with everything that’s
involved with a heart problem. As much as I hated what I went through, I’ve
always said I wouldn’t have wanted to be the one on the other side of the
fence. My entire family was there, of course, and I have my wonderful husband now, too. But mom was my rock. She
was there with me through everything, and got me through some very tough times.
Do you prefer writing the good guy’s dialogue or
the villain’s? Give us an example of your amazing talent…give us a line of
dialogue from your favorite good guy or villain.
I prefer to write my
hero’s dialogue. I cringe when I write the villain’s.
Elena: “I’m trying so hard
to grasp all of this. I feel like everything’s been thrown at me at once. I
need time to process it all. Some of it
just doesn’t seem fair… I never asked for this. But, I have to admit, most of
it sounds pretty cool.”
The family wants to go camping. Are you going to
join them or stay behind? If you stay behind what are you going to do? Are you
going to go shopping and to the spa? Read a book? Sleep in a hammock? Please tell
us…we’re curious and want to know just what you’re thinking about doing.
I am going camping! I love
it. I love sleeping in the tent in the outdoors, enjoying the fresh air, cooking
over the fire, and looking up at the brilliant night sky. It’s amazing how
different it looks without the lights of the city to block it.
Creativity. Where does yours come from? This is
something writers are asked about much of the time. Would you be so kind as to elaborate on where
you get your ideas and what sparks your creativity?
I honestly don’t know. I
love to read, and watch television and movies, so I guess it comes from being
exposed to a lot of different stories. My ideas tend to come to me from out of
the blue, although sometimes a certain book, movie, or TV episode will spark an
idea. Then, I just have to grab on to that idea and run with it.
Love and romance, paranormal, epic fantasy, sci-fi,
mystery, thriller, drama, and the list goes on. Where do your books fall as far
as genre and reading audience?
I write YA fantasy. My
books tend to have a bit of romance to them sometimes, but they mostly have the
magical aspects of fantasy.
What are your favorite genres of books to read, and
what are your favorite genres of books to write?
I love to read YA fantasy
and romance novels. I love to write YA fantasy.
Time to go to the movies! Out of all the ones
you’ve seen, what’s your fav? And be sure to tell us why in case we haven’t
seen it and would like to check it out.
Dirty Dancing! I was 12
when I saw it, and fell instantly in love with it and Patrick Swayze. I think
what drew me to it was seeing how much these two characters from such different
worlds found each other and fell in love. They also took risks for one another.
There was such chemistry between them! And I love the music and dancing.
Social media has become a part of being an author.
What are your 3 best tips of the trade for upcoming authors when it comes to
building their social media platform?
Set up a website or blog
before you even start writing your book. Make sure you post to your blog a few
times a week. The idea is to introduce yourself to readers as a person. Once
they get to know you, you can tell them you’re writing a book. When you release
the book, they’ll be ready to check it out! I also think a Facebook and Twitter
account are a must to keep up with all of the social media frenzy. Post things
to your page that interest you to draw in more followers.
For the first time in your writing career someone
recognizes you as their favorite author, in public. Would you panic? Smile and
bask in the moment? Blush and walk away? Invite them for coffee and cupcakes?
Scream? Run? Faint?
Oh, wow… I would be so
thrilled! I would grin from ear-to-ear and definitely bask in the moment. I’d
spend as much time talking to them as I could.
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! You rush to grab
the special edition only to find the headline describes your life from day 1
till now. Don’t leave us hanging…what is the headline?
Local Author Overcomes Health
Issues, Blossoms into Brilliant Writer
How much time do you devote to writing? Daily –
weekly – monthly – whenever the urge strikes?
Whenever the urge strikes.
I try to set up a daily schedule, but don’t always have the inclination to work
on my current story. I do a lot of marketing, which I’m still learning how to
do. I also stay active on my social media sites, mostly Facebook and Twitter,
and keep my blog up-to-date.
Did you ever study writing? Feel free to elaborate
– we’d love to hear about your education.
Yes, I have a B.A. in Mass
Communications – Journalism.
What kind of animals, birds, or fish do you like best? Do you have any pets - how many do you have – and what are their names?
I love dogs! I have two of my own, and they are my babies. Wickett is a Peek-a-Poo and Max is a Shih Tzu.
If you could personally thank one person, or
several (living or not) for giving you the strength, determination, and
perseverance to continue in your writing who would you thank?
My family. Everyone has
been very supportive of my writing career from day one. It was my sister who
first suggested it as a career for me, and I’m so grateful to her for that.
Who is your favorite character that you have
created? Tell us about him or her and why you are so fond of them.
Elena, perhaps because she
is the newest. But the one trait my main characters have in common is they are
the unlikely heroine. I like this role because it’s how I see myself. I was
never very popular in school. I had my friends and my own interests, but I
never felt like I was in the spotlight like some of the other kids. Elena is
the shy, quiet girl that nobody sees in the hall, unless it’s to make fun of
her. I love her “I’m not going to let it bother me” attitude, and the
underlying hurt feelings you know she’s experiencing from it. She just needs a
little push to discover her inner heroine and become a strong, independent
person.
What is your favorite make-believe place you’ve
ever created in a story? Is it a town? A hide-out? A futuristic city? The
possibilities are endless! Please tell us all about your fav as we’d all love
to escape with you!
My favorite is Phantasma,
the world I created for my first series, The
Chosen. I developed a whole new world that has a feel of the dark ages with
a lot of fantasy mixed in. There are areas that are green and beautiful, areas
that are dark and scary, and in the middle is a kingdom with a beautiful castle
that brings the world together.
If you could choose where you wanted to live on a
fantasy world would you choose living in the tree tops, living on the water,
living under the water, living beneath the trees underground, or living on a
sky ship? Perhaps you have your own idea of the perfect fantasy dwelling. Be
sure to fill us in on what and why.
Under the sea, definitely!
I love the water. I wish I could be a mermaid and live there. I’d want to be
one that had legs out of the water, though, so I could come to the shore and
lie on the sand. But I would love to live in the sea surrounded by the
beautiful scenery and wildlife that lives there.
SPEED ROUND!
Soup or stew?
Soup
Chocolate or vanilla?
Chocolate!
Dogs or cats?
Dogs
Horses or cows?
Horses
Insects or reptiles?
Reptiles, but only certain
ones. No snakes!
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How do you deal with rejection when you submit an
MS?
I get a little upset at
first, mostly disappointed, but then I shake it off and rethink where to send
the piece to next.
As an author we all know we get those “stink-o”
reviews that come through now and again. How do you handle a bad review when it
hits?
The same as a rejection.
Upset and disappointed at first. Then, I shake it off. Not everyone is going to
like my books, and if someone has the desire to write a bad review, well, who
am I to stop them. And hey, they read the book, right? Who knows, maybe they’ll
give my future work a try and like it.
If you could cure something in this world, what
would it be?
Too many to choose from…
From a strictly personal point of view, heart disease.
What are your pet peeves – you know those little
things that just drive you nuts?
Being interrupted when I’m
reading, writing, or watching TV.
Listening to someone talk
around and around a subject, rather than get to the point.
People with bad attitudes.
There’s no need for it.
What is your favorite cake? Are you an icing freak?
White cake with chocolate
frosting, but no, not too much frosting. And sprinkles!
Of all the professions in this world you opted to
be a writer. What brought you to it?
I was heading into my last
semester at junior college when I realized the field I planned to go into was
not a good match for me. Suddenly, I had to decide what I was going to be when
I grew up. My sister said, “You love to write. Why not do that?” And the rest
is history.
Do you create and design your own book covers?
No. I’m all thumbs when it
comes to that kind of creativity.
As a self-published author do you recommend having
your novels professionally edited? Please give us some cool thoughts of why you
chose the answer you did.
It depends on what you
mean by “professionally.” If you can afford a “professional” editor, then I
suppose so. But if you can’t, find someone you trust who knows a lot about
words, writing and the English language to edit your books for you. I
definitely recommend having someone
edit them for you.
As a self-published author do you think that the
ebook phenomenon helps or hinders your sales? Please let us know why you chose
the answer you chose.
I think they help. It’s
very easy to shop around Amazon and find a book you are interested in, then
just hit the “buy” link. With the way the world works today, online shopping is
definitely the way to go.
Do you find it annoying that people spend hundreds
of dollars on ereading devices, yet complain about spending 99 cents and/or
demand ebooks for free? Share your thoughts – don’t worry, we all know we can’t
please all of the people all of the time, but we can always please some of the
people some of the time. J
LOL Absolutely! Why pay so
much for the device if you are not willing to spend the few dollars an eBook
costs? Yes, less expensive or free books are great, but when you are shopping
for the books you want, why complain about the $2.99 price tag? I love it!
To ebook or not to ebook – that is the question.
What’s your take?
All of my books are
eBooks, so…
If you could spend a day with an author, who would
it be? And of course we’ve got to know why.
J.K. Rowling. I would love
to meet her and talk to her about books and writing.
Where can we find your book(s)?
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RE-CAP of JLBC Upcoming Events and Publications:
Plans are being made to present a Business After Hours in conjunction with Lakeside Inn in beautiful downtown Mt. Dora, FL on September 26, 2013 from 5:00p - 7:00p. There will be tours, book readings, and mini presentations regarding how Lakeside Inn and JLB Creatives are working together for the community.
The JLBC Executive Team is also gearing up for the St. Augustine Florida Heritage Book Festival fast approaching September 28, 2013. They will have an exhibit promoting Authors in the Park Events, JLB Creatives publications, and the executive team's novels, and more! If you're going to be at the festival be sure to look us up and say hello.
October 5, 2013 2:00p - 5:00p JLB Creatives unleashes the next Authors in the Park Event: BOOKTOBERFEST! A unique, interactive event showcasing nearly 20 authors. It will be taking place at the Lakeside Inn in Mt. Dora, FL CLICK HERE for details on the Authors in the Park upcoming event where the authors will be dressed as characters from their own novels, and guests are encouraged to pick one of the participating author's characters and come in costume to be entered into the contest.
And as if that's not enough - JLB Creatives is nearing the release of their next publication...Volume 2 in the Hidden Earth Series! Planet Land - The Adventures of Cub and Nash is slated to debut at BOOKTOBERFEST! We are currently taking pre-orders through October 1, 2013. To save $5 plus get a FREE necklace with every pre-ordered autographed print copy of Planet Land, and read an excerpt from the new novel, CLICK HERE
Join the Hidden Earth Series News Letter to keep up to date on all the new releases and news. It's the easiest form on the web! We only ask for 2 things...your first name and your email address. To sign up and read our privacy statement CLICK HERE
In addtion to Planet Land, be sure to look for the JLB Creatives publication that has just released - The Tinfoil Girl by 10 year old author, Olivia Miller. A wonderful fantasy story about a young girl made of tinfoil who experiences many things in her walk through life. Some happy, some scary - this 34 page book will keep you glued to the pages not only with its story, but also it's amazing illustrations modeled after Olivia's own, real tinfoil girl figurine. Look for it on Amazon! CLICK HERE
We certainly hope you enjoyed this week - be sure to share the JLB Creatives Blog with your friends and family so they too, can keep up with all the wonderful news and artists we present each week.
Until next time - stay casual, live life to the fullest, and have a piece of chocolate for me!
Your blog host,
Author Janet Beasley
