Sabrina Sumsion

Welcome to Jagged Edge!

Would you like to tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a ninja disguised as a homeschooling mom, former literary publicist, craft-aholic and all around reading diva. Really, I kick down doors –no, wait, that was my husband when I locked us out of the house . . . Well, I engage in combat on a regular basis –online when I play MMORPGs with my children . . . OK, maybe I’m not a real ninja but my husband says I stole his heart. Does that count? No?

Shoot. Well, I love reading and I love writing. I think imagination is the biggest advantage a child can get in life and I try to allow my children many opportunities to expand theirs every day.

I love teaching authors how to avoid publishing traps and scams as well as how to market themselves and their works. There is nothing better in life than giving someone information that helps them become successful.

I also take a few hours each week and create jewelry, make lotions or paint something. I have little creation stations scattered through the house. My daughter gets into it a lot and scatters things which drives my husband crazy but remember how I mentioned that he says I stole his heart? Yeah. I’m not giving it back. He’s stuck with me forever. Bwah ha ha ha!

What inspired you to write?

I started writing about 5 years ago. I worked as a literary publicist and met many authors who were scammed out of thousands of dollars by unscrupulous publishing service providers. The gut wrenching stories of people losing their homes in pursuit of a dream broke my heart so I wrote a white paper to help authors navigate the traps and scams of the industry. That white paper evolved into Produce, Publish, Publicize, a guide for writing, publishing and marketing books.

What authors influenced you as a writer?

This is a hard one. Most recently Brandon Sanderson, Victorine Lieske, C.K. Volnek, Gina Barlean and my mom. I met Brandon through my husband. They were role playing buddies back in the day. I was privileged to spend time with him at a convention and learned a lot in a short amount of time. Victorine, C.K. and my mom are in a writer’s group together. Victorine -whose first book, Not What She Seems, hit the NYT best selling list -is a wealth of information and support.

What is your favorite quote?

“Wise woman say, never look at watch while holding cup of hot cocoa.” It makes me smile. 

If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world, which would it be?

That’s a toughie. I want magic and adventure so I’d say most any Brandon Sanderson novel like Elantris or Mistborne or the first generation Dragon Lance series world.

What is at least one thing that every writer needs to have or do?

The most important thing a writer can do is learn their craft. I’m still learning by attending conferences, taking classes, participating in critiques and listening to advice. This is an ongoing process and I’m not sure anyone can perfect the craft –just get really good at it.

Are your books different than your personal favorite books by other authors?

Yes and no. I attended a class where it talked about the basic 48 plot lines that exist. Every story is based around these common themes. It’s only the details that tell everyone apart. I think I have unique twists that haven’t been done by my favorite authors. Then again, my favorite authors are mostly fantasy authors so the fact that I’m not writing in the genre sets me apart.

What led you to writing in this genre?

Jasmine: Energy Book 1 is my first novel. I wrote it as Young Adult Romance/ Science Fiction because it stemmed from a dream. In the dream I was in one of my high schools thus earning the YA slant. It wasn’t meant to be romance but then Jasmine yelled at me for not letting her fall in love. (Jasmine is the protagonist, btw.) It’s science fiction because, well, if you have aliens, everyone calls it science fiction.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

My favorite part is when a scene materializes in my head and I can see my characters progress the plot. Bonus points if I’m in front of a computer and I can write it as it’s happening!

Least favorite part of the writing process?

Editing! Editing, Editing, Editing! I’m not saying it’s evil *cough* it’s evil! *cough* but it’s difficult for me. I’m very glad I bit the bullet and read the book a hundred times because I realized I needed to change the point of view as well as add some interesting elements like Malika’s chapter.

What are you currently working on?

I have a few plot lines in the process. Right now I’m working on Book 2 in the Energy Series. (Not sure what the title will be, yet.) In the next book, Jasmine is excited that Yumi’s friends are tolerating her but Honorio starts to cause problems between her and Mark, her love interest. She survives an explosion and discovers what the aliens were plotting. That’s about 75% done but it’s on hold a bit as I market book 1. I also have a dystopian novel and an urban fantasy that I add to every once in a while when I’m in the right mood. I also have several other plots that are only outlines on random pieces of paper in my writing file. So, I don’t have a shortage of ideas, merely a shortage of time.

Where readers can find you?

My personal website is www.sabrinasumsion.com. I post book reviews, author interviews, writing tips, marketing tips and other random thoughts. To buy my book, readers can go to www.amazon.com/Energy-Book-1-Jasmine-ebook/dp/B006SMPUNG/.

LAST QUESTION:

If I were to interview one or two of the characters from your novel what do you thing he/she would say about the role you put him/her in? Do you think they would like the book?

Honorio would be annoyed with me for exposing his group to the public. He’s very concerned with the government discovering them. Jasmine would have a panic attack from being the center of attention for half of the book. She has debilitating stage fright. Crud! She read over my shoulder. I’m going to run to the kitchen and get her a bag to breathe in.