I was super excited to be asked by Emily of Lalone Marketing to take part in an ‘Author Speed Dating’ event right before the signing. Basically, each blogger that participated would get 5 minutes to talk to all 10 authors – hello! Yes, please! I was so excited because I’ve done interviews before but never in person – this was both amazing and scary at the same time, but it was an absolutely wonderful experience.
So, each day for the next two weeks, I’ll be spotlighting one of the authors that I got to sit down and chat with last Saturday – in case you missed it, last week we had S.C. Stephens, J. Sterling, Amanda Bennett, Jillian Dodd and Rebecca Donovan. Today we have the awesome and hilarious Carey Heywood. I had kinda/sorta met Carey at the Authors in the City signing last month in March – she was wearing these super cute tights with bows going up the back, but this was the first time I was actually able to have a conversation with her – I could probably talk to her all day and never run out of things to say. She’s very easy to talk to, so freaking funny and she’s got a hot husband (if you get a chance – tell her to make him a like page – trust me 🙂 )
We asked last week on our Facebook page for some questions for the authors – so I tried to incorporate as many of them as I could into the interview…I added the name of whoever ‘asked’ the question! Now…let’s get to the interview… 🙂
Lisa: We asked our followers to give us some questions – so I’ll start with those, what are some of your favorite books you’ve read? (question from Kristen Kocher)
Carey: I love all different kinds of books, so umm…paranormal right now, I’m LOVING The Black Dagger Brotherhood…
Lisa: I’ve only read the first one! (Dark Lover)
Carey: Holy sh-moly…umm I…Dearest Scribe Virgin I would like a Brother.
Lisa: I know right?!
Carey: Okay…and let’s see – funny books…like I think the funniest book I’ve ever read was Neanderthal Seeks Human and angsty books…ummm…The Fault in Our Stars…
Lisa: I haven’t read that yet…I have to before the movie comes out.
Carey: Ohhh…you have to prep…
Lisa: Oh yeah – Brooke, my co-blogger, has (read it) and she’s like ‘you’re not ready’ and I’m like…I’m like I know I’m not ready!
Carey: One of my friends wants to go see the movie together and I was like I don’t want to subject theater goers to my mess. Ya know I put the ugly in ugly cry. Like…woah! For real.
Lisa: We’re supposed to go see the movie at Book Bash. Cause Brooke and I are going to be together and I’m nervous. I’m really nervous. We went to see Superman and she has this insane fascination with Henry Cavill, she hardcore broke down when the movie was over – like she couldn’t control herself.
(This got us off on a tangent about Henry Cavill…finally we got back on track!)
Lisa: If you weren’t a writer what other profession would you be working in? (question from Deborah Favorito)
Carey: Well, I still have a day job, I work in finance so I read other peoples emails and make sure that they aren’t doing bad bad things like sending porn…
Lisa: Oh nice!
Carey: Or like non secure information…
Lisa: Non work approved?
Carey: Yeah, exactly.
Lisa: How long from concept to completion of your first book? (question from Tanya Gaunt)
Carey: My first book? Probably a year…just under a year because I…with being self published I had no idea what I was doing so I started writing that book in November of 2012. I am must faster these days! At, at least the publishing side of it.
Lisa: Right.
Carey: Well and then when I first started writing that book, I started hand writing that book! In a spiral notebook and then when I filled that spiral notebook, front and back of every single page then I, ya know…I consider myself an intelligent individual so I’m kind of embarrassed by how long it took me to figure this out because as soon as I finished it, I was like holy fucking shit I have to type this out now! And I seriously was like – ARGH! It was not a happy moment!
Lisa: Yeah, no – I can imagine.
Carey: And there are parts that are probably not the same as what I wrote because going back – because I would write in bed. I don’t have the best handwriting – I could not read what I wrote.
Lisa: That’s amazing. What is your go-to snack food when writing? (question from Nicole Montgomery)
Carey: Swedish fish!
Lisa: Oh cool! Which of your characters will you always hold a certain soft spot in your heart? (question from Andie Lea)
Carey: Of mine? That I’ve written? Umm…Will and Sarah (from Him/Her)
Lisa: Which character can you relate to the most? (question from Andie Lea)
Carey: Uhh…Sawyer. (from Sawyer Says)
Lisa: What do you think is the most difficult…beginning or ending a storyline? (question from Andie Lea)
Carey: The book that I’m writing right now, that I’m gonna put out in July I had the hardest time ending it! And…so I have an author spouse – and my author spouse is Melissa Collins, so I basically ended up having like a plot pow-wow with her because I…just…for me it’s important that there’s a journey and I didn’t want the journey to end with just getting the guy.
Lisa: Yeah.
Carey: Ya know? I don’t feel like that is…
Lisa: Complete.
Carey: Yeah! And so I like the idea of a personal epiphany or a change, growth, stuff like that – and I was really struggling with this character – but no, I figured it out! So we’re all good!
Lisa: Yay! How often are you thinking and jotting notes down about the characters and storyline that come into your head? (question from Andie Lea)
Carey: Randomly during the day – and well, I have – I’ll show it to you…
She proceeds to pull out the cutest purse.
Lisa: Ooh, I love your puse!
Carey: Thank you – I love grey!
(It was obviously a grey purse!) She pulled out a small spiral notepad – fits in the palm of your hand almost.
Lisa: Oh nice – so you graduated down!
Carey: Yeah! So I have…(as she starts flipping through pages of notes)…and I have got names that I like and songs that inspire me and I’ve got like book ideas and yeah so I’ve got six different book ideas sort of jotted down – so if I ever loose this, I’m screwed!
(Anyone want to form a plot to steal Carey’s notepad? 🙂 )
Check out all of Carey’s awesome books!
The Him Series
Add Him to your GoodReads ♦ Add Her to your GoodReads
Add Uninvolved to your GoodReads
Add Stage of Grace to your GoodReads
Add A Bridge of Her Own to your GoodReads
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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with six books out and many more to come. She was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. Ever the mild-mannered citizen, Carey spends her days working in the world of finance, and at night, she retreats into the lives of her fictional characters. Supporting her all the way are her husband, three sometimes-adorable children, and their nine-pound attack Yorkie.
I would love to meet Holli Anderson, love her book “Five- Out Of The Dark”
I would love to meet Colleen Hoover 🙂
I would love to meet any author.
Oh, there are so many authors I want to me. I think on top of my list right now is A.L. Jackson. Thanks for the giveaway!
I would so love to meet, the authors from Masters of Menage Shayla Black and Lexi Blake!!!
I really liked the interplay in the author interviews