Thursday, July 24, 2014

Interview with Author Julia Mills



Julia Mills
Orlando, FL


Good morning, Julia!  Welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors.  Can you tell us what have you written?    
Dragon Guard Series – Her Dragon to Slay, Her Dragon’s Fire, Haunted by Her Dragon, For the Love of Her Dragon

What is your favorite genre to write?  
Paranormal Romance                        

Favorite food.  
Tex-Mex of any kind!

Tea or coffee? 
Coffee

Pizza or ice cream? 
No Way! Cannot choose!

No one said you can't have both!  Where would you like to visit?
Greek Isles

Favorite musical artist.  Do you listen to music when you write?  What? 
I do listen to music when I write. What I listen to varies. Some days it is Popular Country, or Boy Bands. I also need hard rock some days like Disturbed or Saliva and then there are days that I listen to the Jason Mraz channel on Pandora all day.



What makes you laugh?   
I love slap stick comedy, anything silly or goofy. I still watch Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis movies on TMC or the old I Love Lucy or Dick Van Dyke shows.

Favorite work of art.  
One of my favorite works of art is a photo…Jeffry Pine by Ansel Adams. I also love landscapes in any medium. My grandmother was an artist and she and her painting group did so many beautiful pictures in acrylic, oil and watercolor.

How old were you when you started writing?
For as long as I can remember I have been writing, whether just journaling or a short story. I have always gravitated towards paranormal or fantasy. I think it is freeing to create a totally different place and all the characters in it.

Describe your perfect evening.
I am a super laid back person and my perfect night is hanging out with family or friends, good food, and great conversation.

Where do you get your inspiration?    
From the world around me. I love just people watching or hanging out in the park just soaking in whatever is happening. It is so cool when a butterfly flitting from flower to flower can become a mighty Dragon Guard warrior barrel-rolling through the sky after victory in battle.

What do you do when you get a writer's block?
Get up and leave it alone for a bit. Go do something totally unrelated to writing. Hangout with my kids, go see an action flick, anything that lets the write art of my brain take a break.

Who is your favorite author?
OH WOW!! I have so many! I am really in love with indie authors…Emma Edwards, JD Nelson, Darlene Kuncytes, OL Ramos, Linda Boulanger, Sandra Love, Kym Grosso, Kelley Grealis and so many, many more.

Best book you ever read.
Oh The Places You Will Go by Dr. Suess.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why? 
My dad. He was intelligent, witty, funny, and a straight-shooter with an incredible sense of family and integrity. He was always there for us and willing to do whatever it took for those he cared about. He never lost sight of what was important and was a true role model to everyone he met. He will always be my hero.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
  God. I want to know what inspired Him to create the world. What were and are His hopes and dreams for the human race. Is there anything He would do differently? And what would those things be? To actually get to speak to the Being responsible for everything around us, even the air we breathe would be incredible.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? 
Follow your dream. Write as often as you can. Have fun with it. Remember your first draft is just that…a draft and some of it will end up in the recycle bin on your desktop. Write what you know or what you love. Do not go into thinking, “I’m gonna be rich and famous” or I’m gonna be on the New York Time Bestseller list”. Do it because it is something you love and something you are willing to do just for YOU. There will be SUPER GREAT reviews and there will be REALLY AWFUL ones but if you believe in what you wrote and are happy with it, then you have to let it all roll off your back.

My dad’s favorite saying used to be ‘Opinions are like a**holes, everybody has one.’ And it is so true, although very direct and very southern LOL but still true. Do not let others opinions color your view of YOU. Just do it. It will be one of the best, most rewarding things you ever do.


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1 comment:

  1. Thank you, Julia, for being with us this morning. I have added a few of these books to my reading list. We at Vision and Verse wish you continued success in all your writing endeavors.
    Hugs,
    Carol

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