Barbara Watkins resides in
Missouri with her husband and loyal boxweiler, Hooch.
Ms. Watkins loves to evoke a
false sense of security and expectations as she leads her reader into a world
of the unknown. Her articles on various subjects, short stories, and poetry are
listed in the 2008 New York Skyline Review, and several on-line
publications.
In 2010, Watkins
collaborated with New Zealand director, Dimi Nakov, on a screenplay for a short
movie entitled, BlindSide. Her name appears in the films end credits for
voice-over monologue. Her haunting novella, Thorns of an Innocent Soul, has
been optioned to the New Zealand Film Production Company (Zodiac Entertainment)
for screenplay adaptation to film.
Barbara Watkins |
Her charitable contributions include
supporting the Partner in Hope program through St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital.
1.What do you write?
I primarily
write, paranormal suspense/psychological thrillers/horror, but have been known
to dabble in romance – with a touch of paranormal of course…
2. Why do you
write?
Writing is a form of
stress relief for me. I’ve always enjoyed the art of storytelling – breathing
life into a character, for me, is as thrilling as taking that first plunge on a
roller coaster ride.
3. For whom do
you write?
I write for
all who love to be entertained, for those who hunger to read a thrilling
suspense with a surprising twist – for those who want to take a break from the
usual to venture into a world of the unknown while never having to leave the
safety of their reading chair.
4. By whom are you inspired?
I have had my work compared to, M.P. McDonald, Andrew E.
Kaufman and Alfred Hitchcock – an honor indeed. The world around me, the
wonderful, and not so wonderful people that occupy its space inspire me.
5 Your Future plan About writing?
At the
moment I’m working on a paranormal/suspense novel entitled, ‘Fruit of the Dead’
- A young mother happily expecting
the birth of her first child is viciously murdered and the killer is never
brought to justice. The infant baby girl miraculously survives, only later to
be plagued with premonitions of her mother’s killer.
6. Give
five pieces of advice to a new writer?
1.
Read,
read, and then read some more.
2. If at all possible write a little every
day.
3. Write and worry about the errors later.
4. Don’t over think what you write – write in
the moment.
5. Put pen to paper, or fingertips to keys,
and never look back.
6.
Give
five pieces of advice to a reader?
1.
Don’t
make the mistake of ignoring the work by an unknown author – even the greats
had to start somewhere.
2.
Don’t
shut down a book just because of a few minor errors – minor errors can be found
in almost every book written.
3.
When
reading, set aside a time when you can give the book your full attention.
4.
By
all means give praise where praise is due. If you loved the book shout it out
to the world – if not, be honest about your opinions but do so without malice.
5.
Try
stepping out of your comfort zone and read a genre that you ordinarily wouldn’t
choose – you just might be pleasantly surprised!
Website: http://www.barbarawatkins.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/watkinsfanpage
Twitter: @paranormawriter
Books: Publications: Thorns of an Innocent
Soul - Mortal Abomination – Awaken Spirit – Hollowing Screams – Six-Pack
of Blood (co-author, Betty Dravis) Six-Pack of Fear (co-author, Betty Dravis)
Anthologies include, Hope Whispers (compiled by Lynn C. Johnston) Live Life:
The Daydreamer’s Journal (compiled by Sir Ricky McGentleman) Satan’s Holiday,
an anthology of scary stories (compiled by Yvonne Mason) Welcome to Your
Nightmare (compiled by Yvonne Mason) Tales by The Tree, an anthology of Holiday
Flash Fiction, and Writing Tips From Authors (compiled by Patti Roberts.) Her
article on SUDC (Sudden Unexplainable Death in Children) ‘Levi’s Story’ appears
in the second edition of MJ Magazine (editor and creator, Fran Lewis) fall of
2013.
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Watkins/e/B002FZQ5B6/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1400556964&sr=1-2-ent
Some great advice to both writers and readers. I've enjoyed reading out of my comfort zone and especially finding new talented writers...you can find some real gems out there by trying something new!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice! I always try to *not* overthink my writing but I somehow always do anyway. I definitely need to practice writing in the moment :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome blog, Barbara and a lot of great tips, too!
ReplyDeleteWell said!. I read almost more than I write.
ReplyDelete