Hey girls,
I have been so blessed to have gotten in touch with one of my review sponsors Ann-Margret Hovsepian. Not only did she send me a copy of her book Truth or Dare devotionals to review she linked me on her Twitter and Facebook and agreed to do a blog interview. I emailed her all the questions and she directly emailed me back with her answers. She has been amazing to work with: always emails back soon and follows through with all her promises. Thank you so much Ann-Margret!!!!
Here is our interview:
1. What are your hobbies besides writing?
I have always enjoyed doing all kinds of crafts: making cards, sewing, drawing, etc. In the last couple of years I've really gotten into art journalling and learning calligraphy.
I also enjoy gardening (even though right now that just means the seven house plants I'm taking care of), reading, shopping (especially for craft supplies and vintage, antique little treasures), and spending time with my friends.
2. When did you know you wanted to be a Christian author?
I didn't! When I was finishing up high school, my goal was to be a lab technician. I thought my skills and knowledge pointed toward a career in chemistry but God obviously had other plans. To make a very long story short (which is a writer's biggest challenge), after studying chemistry for a few years and then going through a year of confusion and doubts, I got a job at a magazine. That's when I knew I wanted to work in the publishing industry, but I still didn't think I wanted to be a writer. That was about 20 years ago. Since then, I had many opportunities to work as a proofreader, editor, writer and similar jobs and all those experiences -- along with my own spiritual growth -- eventually led me to write my first book.
3. Who or what has inspired you to be an author?
God brought several key people in my life who helped me to see my gifts and talents and who encouraged me and even mentored and helped me on my way to becoming an author. Again, I never really set out to become an author -- that wasn't a specific goal, though I supposed I dreamed about how cool it would be -- but it happened through a series of doors opening and God leading me through them.
4. How do you come up with 365 devotions?
Ha! Not easy. :) I really had to dig into my Bible, first of all, to find the verses for each day. That was tough because I was looking specifically for verses that challenge us as Christians to do hard things for God. If I had just been looking for "nice" verses, there are plenty more of those. Then I had to prayerfully come up with interesting stories that helped explain the verses. I asked around a lot -- at church, among my friends, etc. -- for people to share stories with me. That helped a little, too.
5. How long does it take you to write a book?
Well, it really depends on the book... and how much time I'm given! With my first book (Designer Genes), I only had about four months to write all the devotionals. With Truth & Dare, I had more time; I think it was about eight or nine months.
6. What is your typical day as an author like?
Since I'm not yet in a position to focus only on writing books, I'm only a part-time author. The rest of the time I'm a freelance writer and editor. My routine changes a lot depending on the projects I'm working on so I don't really have a typical day in terms of a set schedule. However, there are a few patterns: I am usually up between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. (just depending on how I feel or how much work I know I have that day) and start working by 9:00 a.m. I spend the first bit of time checking and answering e-mails and even popping into Facebook to see if there's anything interesting happening with my friends. Then I get to work, and that can involve any of the following tasks: calling people I have to interview for an article, proofreading pages for a client, researching or writing articles for a newsletter I work on, etc. I also have to do boring business-y stuff such as send invoices to clients and pay bills but I don't mind that too much!
7. What do you hope girls will get out of your devotions?
My main goal is that they will discover how incredibly exciting the Bible is and how it relates to their everyday lives, even at the age of 9 or 12 or 15! By daring the girls to dig a little deeper into God's Word and then put what they learn into action, I hope that they will grow in their relationship with Jesus and start to become bolder in obeying and following Him.
8. What are your favorite books/ authors you look up to?
My absolutely favourite author has always been C.S. Lewis, and not only because of the Chronicles of Narnia. His more "grown up" books about faith and Christianity have really helped me, too. I'm also a big fan of Jane Austen and, growing up, I loved all the books by L.M. Montgomery (the Anne of Green Gables books) and Louisa May Alcott (Little Women). My favourite children's book is The Velveteen Rabbit.
9. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors/ young girls in general?
Yup! First of all: Read, read, read. The best way to become a good writer is to READ good writers. Without realizing it, your vocabulary and grammar and composition will improve.
Second: Write, write, write. Just like piano or swimming or sewing, you won't get better at writing unless you practice a lot. Write about anything. Write in a journal. Write funny stories or true stories or poems or whatever comes naturally to you.
Third: Be open to criticism and direction. The WORST mistake a writer can make is reject comments about her writing that she feels are negative. Even if you don't agree with someone's suggestions or corrections, accept them gratefully and then think about them. If you keep yourself humble, you will learn a lot more than if you think your work is always fantastic. It doesn't matter if the criticism is from an editor, a teacher, a parent, or your seven-year-old brother. Just listen to it. After all, if your readers don't like your work, what's the point?
Fourth: Don't give up! Unless EVERYONE tells you that you absolutely have no talent in writing and that you should pursue basketball instead, don't get discouraged. Most successful writers have had their work rejected by editors and publishers many times, usually just because it's not what the editor needed at the time and not because the writing was terrible. If you're really passionate about writing and the people you trust (such as your parents) are encouraging you to continue, do it.
So here it is!! Hope you enjoyed my very first direct author interview. If you are interested in letting me interview you there is more information on my "Interviews" page!!
With Love,
Ashley and Ann-Margret!
