Ask Me Anything: Random Q&A with Natalie

Hello friends! You asked for it! And here it is. Haha.

Thank you SO much for the questions you submitted to the Q & A bank. I think I've got them all answered below. If I missed you, give a shout in the comments and I'll answer it there!

Side note: when submitting some of the questions for this Q&A, some of you may have thought you were asking questions of one of my guest bloggers. Sorry about that! I'll clarify better next time, and in the meanwhile, I'll just answer all of them the best I can.

Lisa Medeiros asked, Are you working on another book?
Multiple, actually. One non-fiction book for single ladies and a fiction series, about which I'm keeping very quiet until the idea is fully developed. :)

*Stay tuned for some possibly very exciting news soon. Sorry I can't tell you more, but I have to keep quiet until things are finalized!

Lientjie Human asked, At what age did you decide to become an author?
I was around 12 when I attempted my first manuscript, but I started writing seriously to pursue publication at around age 22.

Caryl Kane asked, If you could have a pet, real or imagined, what would it be and why?
I'd LOVE a bunny rabbit. Or one of those pink miniature pigs. Puppies are fun, too, especially the miniature variety. I love small, cute things. :)

Lynda E. asked, What inspires your story ideas?
My stories are usually the result of daydreaming, wondering "what if?" Many times real-life situations and old movie classics I love get twisted up and turned on their heads, then *voila* I have a new story idea. :) Also, watching/reading a story I don't like helps me think of ways to rewrite it in another setting to my satisfaction.

Rose Milligan asked, What do your book shelves look like...very organized or overflowing with books?
Mine are fairly organized at this point, thank goodness. One drawer in my dresser is actually full of books, too, but they are orderly and in a row. :) You can take a look at photos of my bookshelves which I uploaded in a previous post HERE.

Melody asked, I read then pass my books on. Do you or just keep them?
Most of the hard copies I read, I giveaway here on the blog. Sometimes I keep my very favorites and give away a duplicate copy. Also, there are several local ladies with whom I swap books.

Ohiohomeschool asked, Do you have any input on the cover of your books?
Since I don't have firsthand experience on the topic of book covers as of yet, I'm linking to THIS ARTICLE  on the Bethany House blog for more info. I believe authors generally do have input as to the main idea of the scene/character/feeling of the cover, then final negotiations are between an author, their agent, and the publisher.

Rachael Koppendrayer asked, Do you like to reread books? If so, what are some favorites?
I do like to reread books every once in a while. But when I re-read, I usually skim my favorite parts to save time. :) I recently re-read A Man Called Peter by Catherine Marshall. I have a "To Read Again" shelf on Goodreads.com you can check out HERE. Some at the top of that list (which may not be on the Goodreads list--I need to update it!) are Lori Wick's Californians and A Place Called Home series, Francine Rivers' The Mark of the Lion trilogy, Redeeming Love, and all Karen Witemeyer's books!

Amber Schamel asked, What does your writing schedule look like? Do you write every day, or just once a week?
Yikes. My writing schedule and I have a love-hate relationship. When I'm drafting, on a good day I usually get 3-5 hours a day. On the other hand, I'm a one-thing-at-a-time kind of person, so I'm eager to try a one-whole-day-for-writing approach with maybe two solid days of writing per week.

Thanks so much for all your questions! Y'all are great! If you'd like more elaboration, let me know in the comments!

Winner of Brandy Vallance's Within the Veil is Lisa Madieros. *Winner randomly drawn using the random number selector on Random.org.