Meet Carson Buckingham

I met Carson through email, but have been lucky enough to become friends. I was delighted when she asked me to read and review her novella, Home. You can read my review over at See Spot Read. If you haven't- you really should. Then you should scramble to purchase your copy of Home.

Carson is a very interesting lady. She not only writes horror, she writes humorous fiction as well, and I can certainly attest that it is humorous. I frequently giggle-snort (my highest form of compliment) over her blogs. So without further ado, the interview:


1. How long have you been writing?
Since age five, when I created picture books with homemade construction paper covers and sold them to discerning family members as “great literature.”

2. Do you write full time? If not, what is your day job?
I do not yet write full time, though this is what I am striving for.  I decline to discuss my “day” job.

3. Is this your first published novel?
Yes it is, though it was the second long work that I created.  I have been in a handful of anthologies, am I am presently shopping the first novel I wrote, entitled, GOTHIC REVIVAL.

4. What do you find is the hardest thing about writing a novel?
Absolutely nothing.  The hard part, for me, is promoting it.

5.What scares you personally? Do you have any silly phobias?
No phobia is “silly.”  To those unfortunates plagued with phobias, they are very real, and I have nothing but sympathy for the sufferers.  Though I do not have phobias, Alzheimer’s and blindness do worry me.

6. What is your writing routine?
Sit down, turn on the computer and write.

7. Have you always been a fan of horror?
Actually, as a child, I was unable to read horror stories or view horror films because I found them deeply disturbing—even “Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein.”  I was easily frightened as a child---even the Wicked Witch of the West scared the crap out of me!  But now I find that I am very difficult to frighten by books or movies.  F. Paul Wilson’s THE KEEP was the first horror novel I ever read, so that got me started.  Ray Bradbury’s work made me want to become a writer—the beautiful and terrible things he could do with the mere arrangement of words.  Such intelligent power truly inspired awe in me, and a strong desire toward emulation.

8. What other authors inspire you?
Bradbury, Poe, T.M.Wright, Charles L. Grant, Bentley Little, and Maeve Binchy.

9. I know you had a hard road with Home. After your experience, what advice would you give to other writers when looking for a publisher?
Do a little research.  Find out how long your prospective publisher has been around.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  If the publisher is reticent to answer them, run!   Ask for a list of authors they have published, and contact them to find out if they had a good experience working with the publisher you're considering.  Make use of the Preditors & Editors site—you can save yourself some heartache that way, too.

10. What advice would you give to newbie writers out there?
Just stay with it. Find time to write every day. Read every book about the craft of writing that you can find.  Read voraciously in general.  You cannot become a writer if you are not first a reader. Be observant and cultivate your memory.  A writer is someone who knows a little about a lot.

Bio:

Carson Buckingham knew from childhood that she wanted to be a writer, and began, at age six, by writing books of her own, hand-drawing covers, and selling them to any family member
who would pay (usually a dime) for what she referred to as “classic literature.” When she ran out of relatives, she came to the conclusion that there was no real money to be made in self publishing,
so she studied writing and read voraciously for the next eighteen years, while simultaneously collecting enough rejection slips to re-paper her living room…twice.
When her landlord chucked her out for, in his words, “making the apartment into one hell of a downer,” she redoubled her efforts, and collected four times the rejection slips in half the
time, single-handedly causing the first paper shortage in U.S. history. But she persevered, improved greatly over the years, and here we are.

Carson Buckingham has been a professional proofreader, editor, newspaper reporter, copywriter, technical writer, and comedy writer. Besides writing, she loves to read, garden, and collect
autographed photographs of comedians she loves, as well as life masks of horror movie icons. She lives in Arizona with her wonderful husband in a house full of books, orchid plants, and pets.

Carson Buckingham--Author of HOMESample or purchase HOME (EBOOK): http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97889
Sample or purchase HOME (PAPERBACK): http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=home++by+carson+buckingham
Carson Buckingham's Smashwords Author Profile: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/carsonbuckingham
Blog: http://carsonbuckingham.blogspot.com/


♥Stacey