Interview: Nancy Straight

For today's Indie Revolution post, it is an interview with Nancy Straight!!! It's awesome and I hope you all love it! Don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway at the bottom of the post! 

Tess – Thank you for allowing me to be your first interview on the Indie Revolution!  I am truly honored.  For any indie authors out there that need help – I’m no superstar but we need to stick together; tell me how I can help you and I’ll do my best.  For the avid readers – you have no idea how powerful your thoughtful comments are to an indie author.  If you find a story that moves you, contact the author and tell them, I cannot tell you what an incredible impact readers’ comments have had on me.

What inspired you to write the Destiny Series?

I’m a hopeless romantic, believing that there really is someone out there for everyone.  If by some chance you don’t connect with them the first time, fate will find a way to reintroduce you until you click.  I liked this idea and took it a step further, that a couple truly devoted to one another could share multiple lifetimes together.

Was there a certain moment when you had the idea for the story or was it more ideas over time? 

Chapter 1 of Meeting Destiny and the final chapter of Destiny’s Wrath were vivid ideas in my head for a long time.  As I started writing, the rest of the story unfolded before my eyes.

Was there an event that triggered the idea for the Destiny Series?

I quit a job that I hated and started a job that I loved.  I found that I had more free time when I was only working 40 hours per week and decided I’d do something for me.

Tell us about you. Did you always know you wanted to write?

I’ve always loved to read and one morning I woke up and decided I was going to write a book.  At the time I didn’t really have aspirations of publishing Meeting Destiny, I really just wanted to write a book – something on my bucket list.  After it was done, I shared it with a friend and she loved it.  She encouraged me to publish Meeting Destiny.  I scoured the internet for agents and sent exactly four query letters.  I received four polite rejections and decided I didn’t need an agent.  The more I read the more I believed the traditional publishing process was antiquated.  I knew people would love Meeting Destiny, so I scoured blogs for “how to” self-publish.

Any interesting or unusual facts about you that you want to share? 

 I LOVE Starbucks’ White Mocha Latte and Mountain Dew, (but not together).  I have a lead foot so I set cruise control when I drive, even in 25 MPH zones.  I almost never win when I play Angry Birds, but have my 7 year old close, so he can clear the hard levels for me.  I grew up on a farm and am opposed to eating fresh chicken.  I am a huge fan of the show, Big Bang Theory, on CBS.  I have a stray cat that I feed every night and morning but she’s never let me get closer than within 3 feet of her – I keep thinking eventually I’ll wear her down and she’ll let me pet her.  I share my life with two fantastic sons, three rotten dogs and a husband that I adore.

Are any of your characters based on real life people? 

No.  Lauren’s way tougher than anybody I know.  In the second book, Destiny’s Revenge, Lauren has a Doberman Pincher named “Peanut.” His was the only character in any of the books that was based in reality.  Several years ago I had a Doberman named Peanut who died from cancer, I wrote him into the story – because he was an AWESOME dog. 

How did you come up with the characters' names?

 Lauren, the heroine, and Rewsna, a clairvoyant, are both Anagrams for other words that were relevant to the plot for the whole series.  Larry Phillips is a friend of mine who was super excited when I told him I was writing a novel, I gave one of the characters his name (a policeman) just because I thought he’d be excited to see his name in Meeting Destiny.  The other names I chose were just names that I really liked.

Did any of the characters surprise you while writing?

 I loved the Physical Therapist, Gretchen.  I’ve always been a little mouthy and I could completely relate to her motivational tactics with Lauren.

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