Author Mary Ting

Author Joann Buchanan Giveaway and Interview

a Rafflecopter giveaway 1. When did you start writing?

I started writing when I was 12. I remember because that was the year I was grounded to my room with nothing to do but read, do homework or write. I soon ran out of things to read and homework was done so I started to write. I found I loved the stories I created. I also found out I could do whatever I wanted to in them. I think it’s always been part of me
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2. Did you always wanted to be an author or did it just happen?

 I’ve always wanted to be an author. I just didn’t know what to do with anything I wrote. A few years back we had a house fire and lost everything. Sitting on my desk next to the charred computer was a paper copy of a story I was working on and a stack of disks. None of it was touched by the fire. It was like an angel put her hand on them and kept them safe. That was a wake-up call for me. John saved up some money and purchased my first laptop. I didn’t have a clue as to where to start so I started a blog and then began joining groups and worked from there. I practice writing every day to hone my skill. I think I already had my voice, I just didn’t know what to do with it.

3. What else do you do beside write?

I put together log tours through Totes and Notes for writers. I love to help other writers out. I also co-host a radio show on Sunday night at 10 pm EST on The Shark Radio Network called Just Roll With It. Erik Shaltis, AKA Big EZ is the best person to work with. I have a blast doing the show with him. I like to watch movies…lol. I also run my children around to where they need to go. I think as a mom I spend a lot of time doing things they want to do then what I want to do…lol. The other thing I do is swim. I love to swim laps in the pool. It takes me out of my own mind and I can focus on other things.

4. How did you come up with I Am Wolf?

It all started with a line I put on my FB wall one day as just messing around. Then I was reading a site with some amazing Native American folklore. I love the stories they have. I found one that was about a warrior with a wolf sprit and a human spirit trapped. In the story, the wolf spirit was evil. It made me think what if the wolf was a blessing, a gift. And the story just grew from there.

5. Why did you pick YA?

I don’t know that I actually picked YA. I think it just happens to be where I landed. I didn’t intentionally choose this genre. In fact I thought it was horror I was writing. When it comes down to it, I just write whatever the story tells me to. If it ends up in YA cool, if it’s fantasy or romance or any other genre out there, that’s ok too. It wasn’t and isn’t a conscious choice.

6. Who is your favorite character?

In I AM WOLF, it’s a toss-up between Utah and Ralph. Ralph was so much fun to write because I pushed him as far as I could take him. He was fun because he did things I wouldn’t and couldn’t do. He was an exploration of another side of life. I love Utah because he makes me laugh. He loves to laugh and loves to make others laugh. In The Kiss, I love Sharron. She is so strong and I love that about her. I also love Cara. Her world is full of magic and fantasy. She allows me to become a child again.

7. Are any of your characters based on people you know?


I would have to say that Cara is based on my daughter. She is a child with a vivid imagination. She has fairies in her closet and has adventures all the time as Princess Starfire. She is an amazing child with enough compassion for the entire world.

8. How many will there be in a series?

I think Dance of Fireflies is going to be the last book in the series. I won’t know until I finish it.

9. Are you working on another project?

I’m working on a fantasy romance called Dragon’s Eyes and two other projects I’m not ready to talk about. One of them is with a partner. We aren’t ready to tell anyone about it though.

10. If you could make any one of your character be a real person, who would it be?

Tiokisan. He has a lot of wisdom and makes you see things in a different light.

11. What authors have inspired you?

I have been inspired by David B. Coe, Mary Ting, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Frank Herbert and a slew of others. All of them have taught me something different in writing. All of them have taken me out of my own world and given me a place for my imagination to play. Just for fun What's your favoirte color? I love the colors pink and teal. What's your favorite movie? Wow there are so many, I could watch and have watched The Lord of The Ring trilogy over and over. I also have watched Dune and Children of Dune. I lost those two in the fire though and miss them. I can’t seem to find them anywhere. They were from the old scifi channel and haven’t been on since the fire. I can’t even find them in disk. 

Just For Fun.....


Dog or cat?
I have both…lol. They are part of my family and couldn’t choose between them.

What TV shows do you watch?
Falling Skies, Sons of Anarchy, Criminal Minds, The Walking Dead and last but omg I can’t wait for the next season, Game of Thrones.

What's your favorite candy bar?
M&M with peanuts.

Thank you so much for the amazing interview!