Hi everyone. It's been a couple of months but one author cancelled and the other postponed. So, for the rest of March and beginning of April, I am happy to introduce you to a new author you will love.
Welcome Wendy Blanton!
I met Wendy during a Zoom writing group and I started reading her fantasy dragon series that will capture you immediately.
INTERVIEW WITH WENDY BLANTON
Where were you born and where do you live now?
I was born in Flint, Michigan. I live near St. Louis, Missouri now.
Who or what influenced you to begin writing?
I've been telling myself stories my whole life. I was your typical daydreaming kid. I excelled at creative writing in school, but I didn't decide to be an author until after I separated from the USAF and was finishing college.
Besides writing, do you have any occupation? Do you have any hobbies?
I work at our church as the pastor's assistant, which I love. I like to read and cook, and I dabble in different things. My little ADHD brain likes to try new things, and I go all in, and then I get bored and move on. I tend to circle back to crocheting and knitting every few years, but I haven't done anything advanced.
What made you decide to go into the Air Force?
I enlisted for GI Bill education benefits. I spent the first 5 years as an Aerospace Ground Equipment mechanic, and then transferred to an admin position in the jet engine shop.
Wow,my father did the same thing during the war.
Did you see any combat and how did it affect you?
No, I served stateside.
Have you put any of your personal experiences into your writing?
Not really. Real life military doesn't translate well into dragons and magic. The mindset was helpful, but that's about it.
Please describe a typical day of writing for you.
I don't usually have typical days. I write in short spurts between other things--before work, at work when it's slow, sometimes in the evening.
How did you get interested in writing about dragons?
I was writing short stories for one of the Blackbirds anthologies, and I asked for ideas on Facebook. My friend posted something like, "Fire streaked across the sky. The dragons were back." That became a short story, and then another. I'm up to three books, and am working on both a prequel and a sequel.
What was the path to publication of your first book?
I went to a Realm Makers conference and met the publisher. We corresponded for several months when he offered me a three-book contract, which I happily signed. A book and a half in, the honeymoon was over. He was trying to get me to write the book in his head, not mine. I got my rights back and formed Coffee With Dragons to publish independently.
You were lucky to have found that out before you got too involved in publishing. There are a lot of dangers out there for writers.
How did you come up with that name? I didn't, actually. Stephen Bagley gave me the idea. Dragons represent the challenges in our lives. We all have them. You can try to kill them, but they don't die. It's easier to learn the lessons they are trying to teach. Sitting with your dragon with a cup of coffee is more pleasant than trying to kill it.
I never thought of dragons in that way but I will read your books with a different mindset now. And Stephen comes up with a lot of great ideas to help writers.
Do you feel it’s more important to build your world first or to develop your characters when you are writing a fantasy?
I do them simultaneously. It's pretty messy, but it's a thing of beauty when it all pulls together.
· Have you written about other things besides dragons?
I have several short stories in anthologies.
How can our readers reach you?
Facebook: Coffee With Dragons
Finally, the last question I ask all my guests: Are you a plotter or a pantser? In other words, do you plot out your stories or do you just write? I'm a plotter, working toward plantser (the hybrid between the two). Writing is the only area of my life I can't plan well, so I'm working to find ways to streamline my messy process.
