Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Hi there! My name is Dixie Painter, and I am *covers mouth with hand* mmpphsshd years old. (Which translates to 40.)

 Fiona: Where are you from?

I grew up on a dairy farm in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and I currently live in the same area, in a small steel town.

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

My husband and I have been married fifteen years. He’s an over-the-road truck driver, and in my non-author life, I work as an inventory coordinator for a lumber company. I’ve got two degrees in history and anthropology, my first loves. Grizz, my hubby, and I have two cats; a rambunctious tuxedo named Leo, who we also call Captain Chaos, and a ‘tude-full tortoiseshell named Cammie. We’re both very close to our families.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Well, my second book, Ignite With Me, is in the hands of my very capable editor, and I am about a quarter of the way into writing my third book, Remember With Me.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing as a child. Poems, short stories, and the like. My grandmother greatly encouraged me, presenting me with a typewriter, and then a word processor. It’s only recently that I’ve gathered the courage to write my first novel.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I think the day that I sold my first copy of Fly Away With Me.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

A friend and fellow author had invited me to join a Facebook group run by a woman who sold pre-made covers. I was looking for a cover for the story I had in my head, and instead saw the cover for Fly Away With Me. I was hooked, and a story sprung to life in my head.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Fly Away With Me was the title the cover designer had assigned to the premade, and I felt that it fit so well with the story, and was so perfect that I asked her if I could keep it, and she was gracious enough to say yes.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I don’t truly have a specific style; at least, I don’t think I do. I prefer to write in alternating first person, and I do enjoy applying alliterations when I write. I was the reader to see the story unfold in their head as they read, the same way I see it unfold in my head when I write. As for challenging, my genre is paranormal/fantasy romance, and what I find challenging is getting my stories out there for people to see, because there are so many other authors in the genre. What I love about the genre is that there are no rules. I’ve made my own world, and I can give my characters any traits at all that I want them to have, because it is my own world. Vampires can walk in the sunlight and have daylight jobs; warlocks are impermeable protectors; an man can straddle both the living world and the dead.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Some of the characters are loosely based on people I know; a minor character introduced in my first book becomes a main character in my second book, and is very much a combination of two friends of mine. Each character embodies something that is ME. Each character carries a part of me, of my personality, with them. As for events, there will be events in a future book that exactly mirror events that have occurred in mine. I try to put an experience of mine in each book.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

I travel in my mind, mainly. Maryvell, the town where my series is set, is based upon a small town I spent much time in when I was growing up. So, not much travelling is required for me. I choose places I know, places that are very real and organic to me. So much of the stories are centered in the small towns, mountains, countryside that surround Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, because that is where I grew up, and where I am comfortable. Someone once told me to write what I knew, and this is what I know.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

The AMAZING Susan Garwood of Wicked Women Designs.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

To never be afraid to be yourself. To not be afraid to love. To live life with abandon, embracing every crazy moment that is your life.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you? Oohh, Favorite author. That’s tough, because there are many. P. Jameson, Faith Gibson, Karen Rose, Lyndsey McKenna, Pepper Winters to name just a few. Their works pull me in because they are visceral, they tug at your heart, and open your mind. New authors that have grasped my interest … hmm. BreAnna Mansfield. Desiree LaFawn. Victoria Flynn. Danae Little. Dearest readers, these ladies are awesome and truly pour their hearts into their books.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author. 

Only one? My #authorsister, BreAnna Mansfield.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I am truly happy in the career I have, but I would love to see my writing explode into a career for me.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

No. There are things that I would like to change, but readers are loving my book as it is, and so I will leave it as it is. I will learn from what I wanted to change and go forward.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Yes. That I am stronger than I thought possible. That I can truly have fun with writing.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

I think Brenda Song would make a great Quinn!

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Yes. Don’t give up. Don’t listen to the haters. Don’t listen to that voice inside you that tells you you’re not good enough. Write relentlessly.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

I would hope that my books make you laugh, make you think, and maybe, just maybe, make you fall in love with the characters.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Well, I have a tendency to read more than one book at a time; so I have Pucked by Helena Hunting on my Kindle, and Air Bound by Christine Feehan on my couch.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

The earliest book I can remember is Scarlett the Cat to the Rescue. The first novel I remember reading was Gone With the Wind; I received a copy from my grandmother for my 8th birthday.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Laugh: funny situations, Monty Python, any Mel Brooks movie, my cats, my goofball friends. Cry: missing my gram, missing ym husband when he’s on the road, being frustrated, being angry.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

Hmm. Alexander Hamilton. The man was a genius.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I love to read. I’m not a particularly crafty person, so I don’t enjoy crafts, and I don’t watch a lot of TV. I’m pretty much crap at gardening, and I am lilly-white and burn the moment I step into the sun. So, reading, writing, spending time with my husband and friends are my main hobbies.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

I like historical shows, and documentaries.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Foods: pizza, ice cream. Colors: purple, silver. Music: weeellll …. My musical choices range between “you have to listen to this” and “don’t judge me”. I listen to everything except for rap.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

I don’t know. I’ve fallen in love so much with writing.

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

“She was never on time a day in her life.”

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordixiepainter/

BoobBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/dixie-painter

Book+Main: @dixiepainter

Instagram: @dixiepainterauthor

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0764NS2W7

https://www.amazon.com/Dixie-Painter/e/B076562LD5/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1512592804&sr=8-1