Ten Things about ... Autumn Winchester - An Author Interview

Welcome to another Ten Things about Author Interview - this time we have Autumn Winchester in the Hot Seat!  Thanks for joining us!  Let's jump right in...


Indie or Traditionally published? - Tell us how this works for you… 

I am indie published. I like having control over what I write and put out to readers. Having the freedom to put my books where I want is always a plus. 


Plot or Pants?  Do you pre-plot your books, use an outline, fly by the seat of your pants or some combination of things?  How do you keep track of characters in a series?  Do you keep a journal of your characters statistics, such as hair and eye color, relatives, hometown, etc.

My writing style is flying by the seat of my pants. Outlining has never worked for me, because almost every time, my characters take on a life of their own. 

I keep track of my characters in my books by writing down the details in a notebook. I make notes of eye and hair color. Personalities. What books they are in, and ages, hometown. Everything, really. That way, I can always go back to make sure details are the same throughout a series. And something, my characters pop up in other books that will come along.


Tell us about your first… published gay fiction/romance  

My first published gay romance is Precious Salvation. While the series started out being MF, I had created Sage and Zevon. I thought they needed their own story. When I began to write it, I never intended for them to become lovers, but they had their own plans all along. Sage is still my favorite character.

 and then your most recent one.. 

I have two different gay romance books coming out in the next year. One is MM, dark and twisted. Tethered Pains is about two trafficked men who get saved, but have a tough time dealing with living without the other. By a chance meeting, they find one another once again and have to go through obstacles to figure out that they can be better off together then apart. 

The second one is Unchained Forgiveness. It’s an MMM dark romance. Another forced slavery story that is filled with heartache and soul crushing pain. Emery is lost without the love of his life, and has no clue how to deal with being saved. He doesn’t plan to live longer than the jury date of not only his kidnapper, but his abuser. When an ex-cop, now a self-employed accountant, is asked to keep an eye on Emery, things change. Emery can’t help being drawn to him, when his heart is, and will forever be, broken. 


Do you write full time or part-time?  

I write part-time. My kids always come first. As a stay-at-home-mom, my kids are used to being able to be demanding (mostly in good ways!) I write when they are at school, so I average a couple of books a year. 


Something people would be surprised to know about you 

I’m shy and quiet. Not many people who read my books would ever think I’d have such dark thoughts to write about. 


Which character still pops into your mind to visit from time to time? 

I have two characters that pop up a lot, which means their stories arn’t done yet. Sage, from Precious Salvation, and Silas, from Precious Serenity. These two have similar backgrounds, but they are so tortured, they don’t fare well in the normal world. That’s because of the hellish life they lived. Both survivors of human trafficking, they come from different places in life. Silas was also forced into a conventional spirit camp to change his “thoughts and desires” and that backfired in ways he, and his parents, never dreamed off. 


Where do you write?  Do you have a routine? 

I write wherever I can. Outside, in the living room, or my office room. With being a mom to 4 kids, and 3 dogs, writing wherever I can fit it in works best for me. As long as I can have headphones and music, I can write. 


What made you decide gay romance was the genre you wanted to write? 

I wanted to write something I had yet to try. I figured gay romance was a good place to start, and I ended up loving it. 


Where do you find inspiration? 

I find inspiration by listening to music and reading. When I can’t find what I want to read, then I create it. 


What do you do if you hit a wall while writing?  

How do you combat writer’s block? When i hit a wall, or have writers block, I go back to some of my favorite books and read them again. That usually helps me get back to what I was working on. And sometimes, authors just need a break, and what better way than reading and listening to music?


What do your friends and family think of what you write; do they know? 

They know I write, but no one in my family has read any of my gay romances. I am fine with it staying that way, as my family tends to not care for that genre. A few family members know I write MM, but they have already said they won’t read it. They are supportive anyways, because I enjoy writing.


How can we connect with you? 

I’m not the most social person out there, but I’m trying to post a bit more often. You can connect with me on FB at these links - FB Page -  https://www.facebook.com/autumnwinchchester/ 

FB Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/AutumnButterflyLives/ 

FB Profile - https://www.facebook.com/Winchester07


Thanks so much for joining us!  Please consider visiting Autumn's group, page or profile and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below! 

 

 

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