Authors To Watch: Kathleen Stone Author WHISPERS ON A STRING #authorstowatch

Kathleen Stone has been a freelance writer since 1999 and now writes full time. Her work has appeared in Doll World Magazine, Apolloslyre.com, The Lake County Journals, Trails.com; USA Today (travel), Livestrong.com (lifestyle), Essortment, eHow, Answerbag, Examiner.com, Suite101 and YahooVoices. She is the author of Whispers On A String and the Head Case Rock Novel Series, which includes Head Case and its sequels, Whiplash and Haven. She also has short stories published in the Secrets: Fact or Fiction I & II anthologies.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website:  http://www.kathleenstone.org
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/kstonewriter
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/kathleenstonewriter

 

What happens when your soul is bound to another before you were ever born? Lonny and Roo have

been best friends since they met in high school in 1975 at the age of fourteen. Same last name, same birthdate, they were attached at the hip; rarely was one seen without the other. Together they navigate through their emotional high school years, but nothing prepares the naive teenagers for the real world ahead of them. Now on the cusp of their fiftieth birthday, Lonny finds Roo broke and alone and convinces her to leave with him on a cross country road trip from New York to Las Vegas, hoping to set her on a new path in life. Told exclusively by Roo, follow the friends back and forth through their unique relationship — experience the loss of innocence, career and life choices that separate and unite them, and unspeakable events that nearly destroy them. It’s a love only they understand, as well as the unbreakable bond that forever ties them together. Is it possible they are only capable of loving each other?

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Can you tell us how you got started writing fiction?

I remember writing picture books as a child, and then as I got older I wrote stories for my friends. It seems that my brain has always processed fictional scenarios in my head and being a fiction writer was what I always dreamed to be.

Describe your writing process. Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants?  When and where do you write?

I have never been a plotter, or someone who outlines. I definitely write by the seat of my pants!  It’s the only way I can create, and I feel it’s what works best for me. I tried outlining once and it just threw me off. I became a full-time writer three years ago so I write from home every day, sometimes seven days a week. I have a schedule and make sure to write at least eight hours a day, then stop when it’s time to make dinner and I spend the evenings with my boyfriend. I could write all day and night if I wanted to, but then it begins to affect relationships, and you need a balance in your life as a full-time writer. It can be a lonely profession, so it’s extremely important to nurture the relationships in your life.

Can you tell us about your most recent release?

Whispers On A String is about two best friends who met at the age of fourteen, whose souls were bound together before they ever met, and it takes you through their lives together through their fiftieth year. It’s about love and the lengths people will go to protect it, no matter what the relationship. It’s also about how we should never be afraid to tell people we love them, because you could spend your life never knowing that the other person actually feels the same way.

How did you get the idea for the book?

The first line of Whispers On A String came to me in a dream, and I thought it was intriguing so I wrote it down, having no idea what I would use it for, or what it might become. The premise of the story came to me in a dream next and once I began writing it just exploded out of me.

Of all your characters, which one is your favorite?  Why?

I’d have to say that Lonny is my favorite character in Whispers On A String. He starts out as an awkward, shy, teenage boy with long hair and a guitar that he only plays in the safety of his bedroom. He somehow manages to maneuver through life even though unspeakable acts by adults affect every aspect of his being, and a career-ending accident plunges him into the darkest days he’s ever experienced. He comes out of it a calm, level-headed adult whose love for his best friend is immeasurable, and he will do whatever it takes to bring her back from the brink of despair.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing your book?

This was the first time I’d written in first person, which was a bit of a challenge for me, but the biggest challenge was setting up each chapter to go back and forth from the present to the past. I wasn’t sure how that style of writing was going to go over with readers, but I’ve been told it’s one of the reasons people couldn’t put the book down.

What projects are you currently working on?

I am currently working on the companion book to Whispers On A String. I say companion as opposed to sequel because it will be told from the point of view of Lonny, where Whispers was told from the point of view of main character, Roo. Each book will be able to be enjoyed by readers without having to read the other first. I also have three other fiction novels in progress that are in various forms of completion.

What advice would you offer to new or aspiring fiction authors?

The best advice I can give is to never give up; never stop writing. If anyone tells you you’re not a real writer because you’re not published, don’t listen to them. If you’ve put words to paper (or on a computer), you’re a writer. Rejections will be part of the process, but don’t let them discourage you. Keep writing, keep perfecting your skill, and don’t be afraid to put your work out there. It will be difficult at first to open yourself up to criticism, leaving you raw and naked, but in the end it’s all worth it.