Interview with Angie Merriam

What are your five favorite books, and why?
1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
2. Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
3. Gone with the Wind: Margaret Mitchell
4. Paradise by Toni Morrison
5. Silent Honor by Danielle Steel
What do you read for pleasure?
What is your e-reading device of choice?
I prefer to actually hold a book in my hands and turn the pages myself. There is just something about the smell of the pages and seeing my favorite books on my self. I do however have a Kindle and I love it too. I like being able to discover books that I might not buy from a book store or find at a thrift shop.
I grew up in a small town called Klamath Falls in Southern Oregon but currently live in the PacNW. The two places are so shockingly different as far as scenery goes. Where I grew up we had long summers and crazy snow fall in the winter. I loved it. When I moved to the PacNW I fell in love with all the green and trees. When I wrote my first series I used both my hometown and my new town as back drops. Nature and scenery feed my imagination so growing up in the understated beauty of Klamath Falls and then the breathtaking scenery of the PacNw I applied both kinds of beauty in my writing.
When did you first start writing?
I started writing poetry in high school but life happened and I stopped writing for a long time. My brain is always working and imagining though and about 3 years ago, after my husband encouraging me to do something I liked to do, I decided it was time to try writing again. The Neveah series was born, I discovered self publishing, and haven't looked back.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
Well, when I started to write the first Neveah book I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I read a book by Colleen Houck, Tigers Curse and discovered that she self published. I didn't have a kindle at that point and really didn't know much about the process so I did some research and jumped in feet first. I have made my share of mistakes along the way but self publishing has come so far in the past few years. I am happy and proud to be a part of the indie movement.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Writing is a release for me. For me, there is nothing better than getting lost in a story and being able to create those stories is an awesome thing. I find stories in every day things and I am always thinking about my next story. Sometimes those things get written down, sometimes not. The escape and creating something new and giving readers something to love is the best part for me.
What do your fans mean to you?
Fans mean everything to me! While I write because I love it, I strive to write stories that readers will love as much as I do. Without readers and fans I couldn't do what I'm doing. It's awesome when a fan contacts me on Facebook or Twitter.. I love hearing from them and getting to know them.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I spend a lot of time reading, watching movies with my family, running errands, cleaning the house and of course perusing my social networking sites.. I have 3 kids and a hubby and a dog as well as a large extended family so I am always busy. I really enjoy entertaining. Every year we throw a 4th of July party that is so much fun. Last year I threw my first Ugly Sweater Christmas party and I am so excited to do it again this year. It was a blast! I feel lucky to have a wonderful family and fantastic friends that I enjoy spending time with.
What's the story behind your latest book?
I was sitting in the car while my husband ran in the story and saw some kids playing outside of a run down motel. It was one of those single story motels that people can rent by the week. The kids were playing in the gravel parking lot and I saw the mom come out a few times to check on them but it was obvious they had been there a while and they were not living in the best circumstances. I thought about how they got there, where could they go from there, and about their parents. So, from that came Pyper and her drug addicted mother who was really just a sad woman that loved her daughter very much. That's where Pyper's story begins but she is going on a journey she is going to have a hard time believing. It's in the early stages still but I am excited about it!
Who are your favorite authors?
Again, so many! Okay....
1. Diana Gabaldon
2. Stephenie Meyer
3. Toni Morrison
4. Nora Roberts
5. J.K. Rowling
Published 2013-09-16.

Books by This Author
