An Author Q&A Addison Towne Suburban Task Force


Where did the story idea come from/how did it come about?

One night the alarm went off in our house.  I was so scared I couldn’t move.  The police showed up and the back door downstairs had been busted open.  The very first chapter of the book is similar to that scene.  It was an eye opener and a wake up call that we can’t just expect others to take care of us.  We have to learn to take care of ourselves.  A couple of months after the break in had happened (we weren’t hurt and nothing was stolen) we were out to dinner with friends sharing the story.  Said out loud it was actually pretty amusing.  The story just developed from there.   

One thing you want the reader to walk away with after reading this book.

The desire to buy the sequel.   I jest.  I want people to walk away feeling accomplished.  Like, ‘I could have done that too.’  I want them to feel as though they know the characters like their own friends, and had a good time laughing and saving the day with them.

 

Why did you choose your genre?

They say to write what you know.  I took half of that to heart when writing Suburban Task Force.  I know women.  I know Suburbia.  I did not, however, know too much about self-defense and firearms.  I had fun researching the topics and then incorporating that into a ‘what would I do’ scenario.

 

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

Grammar and punctuation.  I’m laughing while writing that, but I like to write the way I speak.  That often ends up with a lot of unnecessary commas and pauses.  I am at the mercy of my editors.

 

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Have fun.  Keep everything you write.  Never delete.  You would be surprised how often an idea works well for another project in the future.

 

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

My immediate answer to that would be that I don’t have my series of 10 yet so, YES!  I do, and sometimes it’s not just writers block so much as life block.   I am not a full time writer and have to learn to juggle my other projects, a family and ‘life’ just like everyone else.  That seems to be my biggest obstacle.  I have a million ideas scrambled in my head just waiting to be written.

 

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

Aside from a computer and a go to editor? A love of reading.  A supportive friend or family member who believes in you for the days you don’t. 

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