Crew Member Introduction: Q & A with @writingbeth
Q & A with Beth Sorensen
How long have you been a book reviewer?
According to my mother, since I could talk. I knew at an early age what I did and didn’t like about books and wasn’t afraid to tell anyone who would listen. However, I didn’t start putting reviews in print, or online, until about a year and a half ago.Tell everyone a little bit about yourself.
I’m a forty-something wife and mother of three from Hampton, Virginia, who currently resides in Newark, Delaware. I have a degree in geography from Old Dominion University.When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
I’m not sure I ever knew I wanted to be an author. I knew I wanted to write a book someday (Doesn’t everybody?) and on April 15, 2009 I started writing what would become by first published novel.What makes you passionate about writing?
My characters. The characters in my novels take on such a life of their own that they won’t shut up until I write their thoughts down!Who are some of your favorite authors? Books?
That’s a tough one. I’m sure I’ll leave someone out but Agatha Christie, Charlaine Harris, Janet Evanovich, Shakespeare, JK Rowling, Suzanne Collins. The list goes on and on. There’s a lot of great indie authors out there right now too. Lia Fairchild, Ashley Knight, Smoky Zeidel, and Malcolm Campbell are putting out great work.What is your writing schedule like?
As for my favorite book of all times, it would have to be TEN LITTLE INDIANS by Agatha Christie. Everything from the characters to the plot to the writing is simply brilliant.
It used to be three hours each night after I put the kids to bed, so approximately 9pm to midnight. However, since I’ve been published that time gets split now between the business end of being an author and the actual art of writing. And when I say each day I mean every single day, seven days a week.What do you hope readers will get from your books?
A good time. I love a good beach read. Not too long or too short, and not so deep that you have to decipher what the writer is trying to convey. At the same time though, I want to create stories that captivate the readers attention, turning pages until way past bedtime. Learn more about what I read at http://bethsorensen.com.What kinds of inspiration do you use during your story creation periods?
Inspiration tends to creep up on me. A magazine article I read about winery rivalry in France inspired the mystery portion of plot in my next novel. A television news program about a man that faked his death and his wife had no clue was the start of my second release, DIVORCING A DEAD MAN.Besides writing what other talents or hobbies do you have?
Music is a big one for me too. A song, Kiss me Through the Phone, inspired how to handle a romance in my first novel. I tend to listen to a lot of Hip Hop, R & B, and Top 40 music while I write about wineries and old southern locations. It’s an odd pairing, but it works for me.
I love to cook, when I have time. However, my daughters keep me busy. (My son is away at college.) I love to read and play a mean game of Scrabble. I travel as much as humanly possible with everyone’s schedules (at least five times a year). There’s never a dull moment at my house.How excited are you to be a part of the Masquerade Crew?
I am thrilled to be a part of the Masquerade Crew! It will give me the opportunity to read books I might not have ever known about and share my opinion of them with others.
