Welcome Everyone!
Today, I have a special guest visiting my blog. Sylvia Stein is here, she's the author of Closure and Chasing Clarity. She stopped by to talk more about her books, her upcoming projects, and shares a few of her favorite things.
So please give a warm welcome to Sylvia Stein.
Sylvia, thank you so much for joining us today. To start off,
tell us a little about yourself and how your writing journey started?
Thank you for having me Carol.
I really appreciate it. Yes,
well my name is Sylvia Stein and I am an indie author who resides in Fuquay
Varina North Carolina with my amazing and supportive family. My wonderful husband Jeremy and our three
beautiful children Paul 11, Michael 9, and Consuelo (Connie) 6. I have always wanted to write since I was a
kid. However, I began on my path back in
2011 when I joined a Writer’s Group on Linked in called the Writer’s 750 and
then enrolled at Southern New Hampshire University Online in September 2012 and
obtained my Masters of English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Fiction
in August of 2015. It was then that I
joined another Writer’s group while at SNHU that I began developing my own
books after working on several anthologies.
Your second book Chasing Clarity was just released, what was the
inspiration behind the story?
Yes, my second book my first YA was published in October 8,
2015. The inspiration behind the story
happened when I woke up to the news that a beloved actor and character from a
show I loved had died due to an accidental overdose. I was so shocked and I could not believe it
had happened. I mean it was like I had
lost someone I knew and very close to me.
I then began thinking about all the family and friends that loved
him. Then in November of 2013 during
Nano Chasing Clarity was born. I called
it Clarity at first and it later changed to Chasing Clarity.
Do you find that it easier writing the second book or do you feel
pressure for it to live up to the first?
Yes, I felt more pressure on the second than the first one. Since Closure was more of New Adult and
Chasing Clarity was my first YA with the subject of Grief. I also wrote in first person.
Closure is your first book and like Chasing Clarity it's an
emotionally charged story, do you find it hard writing these types of stories?
Actually, yes I do find it hard to write these stories but the
main motivation behind them is to bring out a message of hope when all is lost
or as in Sara’s case with her father she is trying to pick up the pieces of
what he put her through and finds new life with her Aunt and Uncle. As with Mia in Chasing Clarity and her being
a young woman who has lost her love and then trying to see if she can bounce
back and move forward. At times it has
hard to write these stories but it is also very rewarding to be able to create
hope and a message that in the end my characters are going to be okay.
Out of all the characters in your books, which one do you connect
with the most?
I love them all but I
connected so much with Mia. I love her
and Sara so much. However, Mia
challenged me by making me feel all the stages of grief and all that she
lost. I cried as I wrote almost all the
book. Not that I did not cry with
Closure I did but Mia really drained my emotions and the scenes with her at the
funeral and saying goodbye to Leo brought me to when my Dad passed away in 2005
and I sat in the hospital bed as he took his last breaths and then passed. It was quite emotional as I am telling you
this I can’t help but cry.
What has the responses been to your books, do you have a review
that's your favorite?
Oh the response to my books have been wonderful I have many
reviews for Closure and I have a few for Chasing Clarity but I think for me all
of the reviews are wonderful. However, I
do enjoy when a reader will specifically state how they loved both Sara and Mia
and how they went through something similar as is the case for Sara in Closure
and the abuse by her father and how reading the book really helped them. For Mia I love how they rooted for all she
went through and how her faith and family helped in the end. I feel very fortunate and blessed because
Faith is key for me as well and I always try to add that in my stories.
How supportive has your family been in your writing career?
My family has been the best.
I have the most amazing husband he is my rock and is always my biggest
fan. Also my children my mother in law
and father in law as well as family back home in Texas and our family in
Michigan.
Can you tell us what projects you're working on at the moment?
Yes, I can. Well my next
novel will be out in the summer June and it is the Prequel to Closure and this
is taken from Garrison’s point of View.
Also in 2017 late by October I will be releasing my first
Thriller New Adult. I will give more
details on it later.
Last question, what advice would you give new authors?
I would tell them not to give up.
To work hard and write everyday set up a schedule and outline and never
stop. No matter how hard it gets just
push forward and work towards publishing whether it be self publishing which
has worked out for me or they can also go the traditional route. Never give up just do your research and
make sure to write everyday.
Just for fun:
Favorite Movie: Wow that
is tough one I have many but my one favorite of all time is My Big Fat Greek
Wedding.
Favorite Food: That’s easy
Southern Fried Chicken
Favorite Book: To Kill a
Mockingbird Harper Lee changed my
life.
Special Memento: Wow
well the birth of my children, getting married and publishing my first
books. I know that is more than one.
Thank you Carol!
Author Bio:
Sylvia
Stein is a published author with several anthologies with her Writer’s group
750 on linked
in. Stein obtained a Master’s Degree in Creative
Writing and English from Southern New
Hampshire
University this past July 2015. She is
a mother of three beautiful children Paul 10,
Michael
9 and Consuelo 6. She resides in the
city of Fuquay Varina with her amazing husband
Jeremy. Stein has also published two solo books one
was her first novella Closure which she
worked
on while attending SNHU and published in July of 2014 and the other her first
YA
Chasing
Clarity was published this past October 2015 and it was created during National
Novel
Month
(Nano) in 2013. She is currently
working on her prequel to Closure which is due out in
April
2016. When she is not writing she
enjoys time with her children and husband.
Her latest
work
will be out this summer 2016. A Prequel
to Closure entitled, “ The Diary of a Broken
Father.”
Sylvia's Links
Website
Facebook
Twitter:
@sylvia_stein07
Amazon
Smashwords
Kobo
email: sylstein07@gmail.com
thank you for having me. You are the best!
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