Author interview: E.A. West, The Key to Charlotte

Today I get to welcome. E.A. west to my blog. E.A. is a multipublished author, but she's here today to talk about her newest release with White Rose Publishing, The Key to Charlotte. Isn't the cover beautiful!

Hello, E.A. Please tell us about your latest release.

The Key to Charlotte is an inspirational romance that tells the story of Charlotte Harris and Zakaria Rush. Charlotte is mute because of autism, but she longs to hold a conversation in her own voice. Zakaria is the new director of children’s ministries at Charlotte’s church, and he would love to help her dream of being able to speak come true. Can he help her find the key to unlocking her voice, or will his attempts lock away their chance of love forever?

Do you have any other books?

Yes, I do.  Dreams Do Come True is my first inspirational romance. Aspiring author Cassie Teague is on the verge of giving up her dream of getting published when she meets acquisitions editor David Jameson. Can he help her dream come true or will office politics destroy both of their hopes for the future?

Riley’s Mission is a sweet romantic suspense. Former Israeli operative Jade Rosen is in hiding and never expects to see Indiana National Guardsman Riley Jackson in a flooded hospital. With a terrorist on the loose and seeking revenge, will Jade and Riley find their happy ending or pay the ultimate price?

I also have another inspirational romance, Healing in Haven Falls. Autumn Reger has trust issues due to bad choices in her past, and Keith Burke has physical and emotional scars from a roadside bomb that ended his service in Afghanistan. Can two wounded hearts heal the scars of the past to find the future God has planned for them?

Where can readers purchase copies of your books?

The Key to Charlotte, Healing in Haven Falls, and Dreams Do Come True are all available from White Rose Publishing (http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec). Riley’s Mission is available from The Wild Rose Press (http://www.thewildrosepress.com). Copies of my books can also be purchased through Amazon.com’s Kindle Store.

Were books a big part of your life growing up? If so, what books would you say influenced you most as a child?

Yes! Reading has always been one of my favorite activities. I started reading at age three, and I’ve been a voracious reader ever since. A lot of the books I read as a child were series: the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Babysitters Club, Saddle Club, etc. I’m not sure which books influenced me the most, but one of my favorite authors when I was a teen was Will Hobbs. His books took me on amazing adventures and gave me a look at how teens from all kinds of backgrounds dealt with trials in the wilderness.

Do you have a preference to print or eBooks and if so, why?

I like both of them for different reasons. Ebooks are great for short stories and for instant gratification, not to mention the tiny amount of space needed to store dozens of them. On the other hand, I love the feel of a print book, plus it’s nice to get away from a screen for a while to read.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers out there?

Be patient and flexible, and learn from each and every rejection. Even form rejections can be useful. If you receive several of them on the same manuscript, take another look at the manuscript and the query. Is there something you can improve? Anything that could benefit from a little tweaking? Don’t be afraid to rewrite. It can be difficult to completely change what you think is a great scene, but sometimes that rewritten scene is better than the original. Also, have someone you trust read your manuscript and give you honest feedback. Getting told your story is amazing and perfect may be good for the ego, but it seldom helps get the story published. Critique partners are great for pointing out all the things that will cause an editor to reject a story, while also offering suggestions on how to fix and improve the story so an editor will fall in love with the manuscript.

Where can readers learn more about you and your books?

You can learn more on my website http://eawest.mcphitty.com and my blog http://thewestcorner.wordpress.com. If you’re on Facebook, please “like” my author page for periodic updates and thoughts from my writing life http://www.facebook.com/pages/EA-West/34280264617. I’m also on Twitter http://twitter.com/eawest and ShoutLife http://www.shoutlife.com/eawest.

Thank you, Shawna, for having me on your blog today! It’s always fun spending time with other authors and readers. I hope you all enjoyed this interview as much as I did!

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