Interview with Rosa Sophia

I would like to welcome Rosa Sophia to my blog today. She has a new book out called Check Out Time.

Rosa, tell us about yourself:

I am a freelance editor, author, and mechanic. I also work in a library. Naturally, I love cars, and my favorite scent is the commingling of engine grease and coffee in the morning. I am far from conventional, or I suppose I would have been an English major. I’m a country girl from Pennsylvania, currently living in Palm Beach County, Florida, and I work for three small publishers. I am twenty-six years old, my favorite actor is Humphrey Bogart, and until it broke, I preferred writing on my typewriter. Please visit me on my website, http://www.rosasophia.com/ and “like” my Facebook page at, http://www.facebook.com/authorrosasophia

Do you prefer

Milk chocolate or Dark?  Dark.

Coffee or tea?  It depends on my mood, and the time of day.

Vodka or tequila?  Tequila.

Romance or a Thriller?  A combination of both is always nice.

Mystery or Horror?  Again, I like a combination of genres—I love things that don’t fit into a mold!

Did you always want to be an author? 

As a child, I knew I was a writer.  As a pre-teen, I knew I was a novelist.  As a teenager, I decided that I would be published by the time I was twenty.  And I was.

What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult?

Piers Anthony had a huge influence on me when I was growing up. I found one of his books, Letters to Jenny, at the thrift store, and I fell in love with his writing. From then on, I wanted to be just as successful as he was. As an adult, I was inspired by Jeff Markowitz, author of A Minor Case of Murder. I interviewed him for Wild River Review, and was finally able to meet him last year when I set up a book talk and signing at the North Palm Beach Library. I’ve always admired him because of how dedicated he is—his first book was self-published, and then he was picked up by a Mystery publisher. Whenever someone says something negative about self-publishing, I cite Jeff’s success.

  

Did anyone in your life influence you or encouraged you to be a writer? 

My grandmother—growing up, I was surrounded by all of her books, and she encouraged me to write things down. I love my Grandma Polly!

What is your writing atmosphere like?

It depends on where I am writing. Lately, my atmosphere has been too chaotic to get any substantial writing done. But as long as I have coffee, a desk, and a comfortable chair, I’m good! Oh, yeah, and a computer, although I would prefer the typewriter.

What is your favorite aspect of writing? Your Least Favorite?

Writing helps me deal with my inner demons. I have a lot of troubling things in my mind, and a lot of psychological baggage that I try to work through every day. Writing is a way of easing my anxiousness, and it’s a way to take negative thoughts and emotions and turn them into something positive. I don’t think there’s anything I don’t like about writing—unless you count the occasional bout of writer’s block.

Your current book you’re promoting is:  Check Out Time

Blurb:

Naomi Vogler blames herself for her mother's tragic death, continually reliving the accident in her nightmares.  When she reconnects with her estranged father, he invites her to live with him in a little town called Witchfire.  A simple job stocking shelves overnight at a local grocery store seems a perfect distraction.  But when the manager of the store is found dead in the boiler room, Naomi's boring job becomes something much more complicated.  No matter how she looks at it, one thing is certain: retail is murder.

How did you come up with your story line?

I worked in a grocery store for three years, stocking shelves from ten at night until six-thirty in the morning (sometimes later). I was also working a day job at the time. I had some strange experiences, ranging from odd customers, to falling asleep on my feet, to falling asleep at the wheel on the way home, and much more. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation that made it so strange, but at least I got a great novel out of it.

How do you choose your characters names?

It’s usually completely random. One of the lesser characters in Check Out Time is named Cory Pleco. When I named that character, I was writing near my fish tank in Pennsylvania. At the time, I had a Cory catfish, and a few Pleco fish. I’ve also been known to name characters according to the words I find on the backs of pasta boxes. I imagine the letters moving and mixing up, and then forming names. It works well for me.