Please give a warm welcome to Author Carma Haley Shoemaker

Carma was nice enough to take some time out of her schedule to answer a few questions and share a bit about herself, her writing process, and her projects. You can connect with Carma via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Bookbub, Amazon, and of course, her website (where you an sign up for her awesome twice-monthly newsletter).

VP: What is your inspiration? What helps you get through writer's block?

Carma: My writing inspiration comes from many places – my family, friends, my writing group, my job, my experience. I take inspiration from what I know, what I’ve experienced, and things I’m passionate about.

To be honest, I don’t believe in “writer’s block,” in the traditional sense. Instead, I call it more of a literary dehydration. And if I find myself in that situation, I simply change things up and the words will flow freely again. Something as simple as moving from my office to the dining room to write, or writing at night instead of in the morning.

VP: Do you listen to music when you write? Have a completely silent space?

Carma: Again, it all depends on what type of writing I’m doing. However, the only time I write in silence is when I am either overstimulated, suffering from a migraine, or way behind on a major deadline. Other than that, I write with music and have several playlists from which I choose. My secret weapon? Harry Potter. No seriously. When I want to write and just want the words to flow, I turn on a Harry Potter movie and let it play (Goblet of Fire is playing right now! Harry is about to choose his dragon from the bag.)

VP: Who inspires you? What authors do you look up to? Why?

Carma: I am inspired by those who don’t give up, those who have overcome obstacles, or those who were told, “You’ll never make it,” and proved everyone wrong. One of the authors I look up to is Shirley Jump. She’s a mom, she’s had personal issues, and she went from being an ‘inactive’ writer to participating in Marathons and Triathlons. She doesn’t give up on anything. She even threw her first manuscript away only to have it published after it fished out of the trash and submitted. Another author I love and look up to is Judy Blume. She was one of my favorite authors when I was younger, and I had a personal connection with a few of her stories. The first book I ever bought with my own money was by Judy Blume.

VP: When did you first start writing? What genre do you prefer?

Carma: I think there are scratches on the inside of my mother’s uterus from my first novel brainstorming session. But I can’t confirm it. I’ve been writing stories since I was in grade school – little silly stories of course, but they had their own characters and worlds and (kind of) a plot. My poetry started in middle school and that still happens almost daily. I started writing nonfiction magazine articles in 1997 (it pays the bills and lets me work on my fiction).

As far as what genre I prefer, if I had to choose, I’d probably say paranormal. However, I dabble in several genres, including fantasy, sci fi, time travel, and various types of romance. Most of my works have some type of romance component – although the heat scale ranges from clean reads to erotica.

VP: If you had to choose another genre to write, what would it be? Why?

Carma: I’ve always wanted to try to write horror. I’ve never written anything truly, honestly, straightforward horror. I think that is going to go on my Writer’s Bucket List.

VP: What is your favorite book (or who is your favorite author) and why?

Carma: How does any author answer this question? I have many favorite books, and many favorite authors. And to be honest, I may give you different answers if you asked me at different times.

Favorite books include The Hobbit, Summer Sisters, Carrie, Feed ... I could go on forever. Favorite authors include Judy Blume, Janet Evanovich, JRR Martin, Maya Angelou, Shakespeare, Whitman ... again, I could go on.

VP: Do you have another job and if so what is it?

Carma: I am a licensed practical nurse with several certifications. I’ve worked in the medical field in some aspect since the age of sixteen, starting as a nursing assistant. While I no longer work as a nurse, I do keep my credentials current and use my knowledge and experiences as writing material. As I mentioned, my ‘job’ is as a non-fiction magazine writer. I’m lucky enough to do what I love for a living. 

VP: Tell about your first book and how long it took you to write the first draft?

My first published book was released in December 2015 and was titled Sheltered. It is a sweet and clean romance about a girl who is caught between two worlds – a world of wealth that she was born into, and a world of charity and love that she wants to be a part of, just as her mother was. Sheltered is getting a facelift later this year and will be re-released with a new cover and will be available in both print and eBook.   

VP: List all of your titles with a one-sentence synopsis of each.

Carma: Sheltered – When the world Lizbeth has tried to escape collides with the world she longs to embrace, who will pay the highest price?

Family Recipe – When Piper Mathis left home to join the New York City Symphony Orchestra, she left behind not only her mother, but also Ken, the man who had promised to love her forever.

Masque of Deceit – In a riveting tale of hope and deception, can Tessa find the man of her dreams, or will one deceptive act prove too much and drive her from men all together?

VP: Who is your favorite character? Why?

Carma: My favorite character is Piper Mathis. I can relate to her very much. She is a musician, and had to leave behind someone she loved in order to follow her passion. She is very independent, fun loving, and isn’t worried about what others think about her.

VP: Who is your least favorite character? Why?

Carma; I love all of my characters, but if I had to choose a least favorite, I would have to say Lizbeth. While I don’t want to give away too much of the story, Lizbeth knew what she wanted, but allowed others to place obstacles and roadblocks in her way. I wished I could have found a way for her to be more independent and still given the story the same impact.

VP: Which character was most difficult to write?

Carma: Piper was the most difficult to write. The things she had to endure were so heartbreaking. It was hard to cause her such pain, even knowing she was strong enough to shoulder it.

VP: What scenes are most difficult to write?

Carma: For me, I seem to have a hard time with the “wrap up” scenes. I’m one of those writers who likes to offer cliffhangers and surprise endings and leave the readers with those “WTH” moments. However, I can’t always do that, especially in romance. There needs to be a wrap up where everyone know what happens, loose ends are tied off, and fans know the “happily ever after” or “happy for now” details. It’s not always easy.

VP: Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

Carma: Yes. Honestly, there is a little bit of me in every one of my main characters. I’m not going to tell you which part of the character, but something about each one of them is a trait we share.

VP: Indie pub or trad pub?

Carma: Both. Sheltered and Family Recipe are traditionally published through Trifecta Books. Masque of Deceit is Indie published.

I have several other books coming out later this year that will also be Indie published. The next two are due out in April 2017, with others in May, July, August, and September. I also have a book that will be included in a collection that will be published by Trifecta Books, scheduled for release in October 2017.

VP: If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Carma: Whenever I answer this question, it gets harder because so many of the people I love are dying. My answer used to be John Lennon, or Janis Joplin. However, since David Bowie – and all the other inspiring creative minds – passed away in 2016, I’m not sure anymore.

VP: If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do?

Carma: This one is easy. I would vacation in Ireland. I would walk the countryside, take pictures, find local restaurants and cafés, and write for hours. I would talk to the locals and take in every second of every conversations. And I would attend every celebration, concert, event, wedding, or other social gathering I could get myself invited to.

VP: What is your favorite TV show/movie from your childhood? What is it now?

Carma: I don’t really have a favorite show from my childhood. But now, I have several. Top of the list includes Big Bang Theory, The Walking Dead, Grimm, Sleepy Hollow, Vikings, and the Magicians.  

Now you KNOW you're interested, right? Check out Carma's published works here:



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