New Adult Book Club discussion

Hi All

The next Q&A is with Elizabeth Corva who worked in the music industry for 14 years before moving to the relatively sane and stable world of defense contracting. She has collected a road case full of stories that she uses as inspiration for her novels.

The Angel Interceptor series was conceived as the sun was setting on Hair Metal, born during the early days of fictionpress, and came of age in 2013 when the author finally worked up the nerve to try self-publishing. All of Elizabeth's works are dedicated to the men who play Metal and the women who love them, even though they should know better.

Hi guys! Feel free to ask me anything about writing or the music business!

If you could go back and change anything in any of your books, would you? Why if so?

When choosing names for characters in your book, do you pull out a big baby name book or how do you pick them?

Is there any advice you have for future and aspiring authors? Any tips you wish you knew before hand?

Are there any traditions you have in your writing process after you finish a novel?

Great questions! Let's see...

The only thing I'd change with my books would be to combine the first two into a longer one. It's been difficult trying to explain the series to people ("It starts off as kind of YA/NA and turns into a Romance in Book 2"). Many people don't seem to mind, but there have been a few who didn't like it.

Most of my character's names either come from my head or from real people I know. I grew up a few houses down from two gorgeous brothers named Chris and Jonathan, so that's where my male MCs got their names. I picked Jasmine because it's pretty. Caroline's name was inspired by a character in one of my favorite YA books (Sooner or Later by Bruce and Carole Hart).

My best advice for aspiring authors is to write something every single day. Even if it's just 100 words. Make daily progress toward your goals. Also, be open to criticism even if it's harsh. If nobody gave a crap about your work then they wouldn't comment at all. And last, keep a notebook handy to write down those random ideas that always come when you're not in front of your computer. I do all my best thinking in the shower, so I have a waterproof notepad stuck to the wall. Seriously!

When I finish a novel and send it out to the beta readers, I might take a week off from writing, but no more. There are so many unwritten novels living in my head that I have to keep writing.

Thank you so much, Megan!

Thanks for answering! Whenever I imagine an author finishing a book I think of Paul Sheldon lighting one up in Misery lol.