I’m 1,097 weeks old.
I have a massive amount of trivia stored in my brain that is utterly useless for anything but pwning at trivial pursuit.
In my spare time I play tennis, write, go on long walks, do photography, make book covers for my fellow inkies, and slay dragons.
“I spent 16 years living the Air Force life. During that time span I’ve lived in Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Iceland, New Mexico, Turkey, Missouri again, and finally Illinois. I have also been to places like Canada, Germany, Ireland, and nearly every state in the U.S.
“During my time on inkpop I’ve founded the Storyteller’s Society, tied with Tom W for the bronze medal in the Summer 2010 Best inkpop Reviewer Awards, become a member of the inkpop Historical Society and my beloved Teakettle Clan. I’m also a sub for the Insomniacs sometimes, without which my nights would be a lot more boring.”
★HC EDITOR: Your project Legend of the Lightbringer is currently ranked as # 43 on inkpop.com. How does it feel to be so close to making it into the Top 5? What is currently going through your mind?
DEENA: Honestly, my goal was never the top five. I feel like I have gotten everything I can out of inkpop for that story, now I’m just letting it find its own way.
The book I’m excited about is my newest one,The Letter Box. It’s the first Historical Fiction/Mystery I’ve ever taken on. I’ve gotten a much more enthusiastic response to that than I ever got from Legend and I’m very excited to get the rest up for people to read.
★HC EDITOR: What are your crazy writing quirks? What do you need in order to get inspired and kick yourself into the mood to write?
DEENA: Typically I have to isolate myself from the internet, music, and all human beings. I have a tendency to get very, very sidetracked otherwise. I have to go out of my way to make sure I don’t have anything to focus on but my writing.
When I was younger, I actually used to take a reading lamp into my closet and write there. Trust me; no one ever bothers you there. (Probably because normal people wouldn’t think to look there…) Other crazy places I’ve been known to write are under my bed and on the roof.
★HC EDITOR: What would you say is your favorite genre to write and why?
DEENA: I try to use a different genre in every book I write, it really helps one grow as a writer. However, Adventure is always a key element in my books. I feel it allows me to use my imagination.
I also love Fantasy. Books about reality have boundaries, and after a while I find myself getting bored with them.
★HC EDITOR: What is your favorite place for thinking and why?
DEENA: A closet, the underside of a bed, or roof is an excellent quiet place.
I also tend to walk around work obsessing over my newest projects. Not being able to write it down really helps at first because I am able to think it through so much more thoroughly. (A trick I learned from J.K. Rowling.)
★HC EDITOR: Who is your favorite character(s) in any of your work and why?
DEENA: I don’t have favorites. I love all my characters the same. As silly as it sounds they are like my children. However, I do tend to sympathize with the supporting characters more. For some reason, I always find them much more enjoyable than the main characters.
★HC EDITOR: Do you hope to make writing a career; or do you have other aspirations?
DEENA: I hope to be a published author someday, but if that falls through there’s always my dream of being Wonder Woman when I grow up…
★HC EDITOR: What’s on your fall/winter reading list?
DEENA: I’m in the middle of re-reading The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling for the hundredth time. I am also desperately trying to get my hands on Ted Dekker’s newest book, Emmanuel’s Veins. Apparently it’s his best work yet, which to me is mind boggling since two of his previous books are some of the best I’ve ever read.
★HC EDITOR: What made you fall in love with writing?
DEENA: I don’t really know. I suppose my grandma used to tell us these wildly ridiculous bedtime stories, and they were always so good. I adored them. Because of them I wanted to be a bedtime storyteller. When I realized there was no such thing, I started writing.
My English teacher, senior year, really got me started thinking about writing professionally. Before that, I really only wrote for myself.
★HC EDITOR: What do you think makes good writing?
DEENA: Write a story that you are genuinely interested in. The more you crave to know about the story the better you are going to be at writing it. People who have written my favorite books have all said just that.
Pop, Pop, Pop! Rapid Fire Questions:
★ Favorite quote? “I want to do something splendid. Something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead. I think I shall write books.” -Louisa May Alcott ;“Don’t tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon.” – Paul Brandt
★ What’s on your iPod? What is this thing called an iPod? I have a Zune, and on it I probably have a song for just about every musical taste… my most listened to are the Disney original classic soundtracks (Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Snow White, etc.) country, 80’s rock, Elvis, and contemporary Christian.
★ London or Paris? I’ve never been to either and would love to visit both.
★ Favorite pizza topping? Olives, pepperoni, & tomatoes.
★ If you were granted three wishes from a genie what would you ask for? I don’t know really, I suppose I have everything I ever wanted, and the rest will fall into place when the time is right. If I absolutely must wish, I would probably wish for a DQ ice cream cake, a stack of free spiral notebooks, and lots of inkpens.
