The Story is About   +  novel

Today I have an interview with author Carolyn MacCullough. Carolyn has written various Young Adult novels, Once a Witch is her recent release.

I don't know why it took me so long to write a fantasy novel considering it's my favorite genre to read! I enjoyed having the freedom to have surreal things happen in the novel and have it be perfectly acceptable. Plus, I think as a kid and teenager I spent my time wishing there was magic in the world so it's nice to have that be true for my characters.
Is there a genre that you’d like to write? Is there a genre you’ll probably stay away from and why?

So far, I love writing fantasy. I'd also like to try straight up historical fiction. I don't know if there's a genre that I'd absolutely stay away from--if the idea was there, why not try it? Okay, I probably wouldn't try memoir. I much prefer making up stories.

You have really distinct character names. How do you pick the character’s names?

Tamsin's family has a thing for somewhat old fashioned or unusual names. I love brainstorming them and then looking up their meaning on the internet. It's fun naming characters since most of us only get to go through life with one first name for ourselves.

Describe your writing in three words.

Can I write a haiku instead? Okay, three words; Hopefully, it's compelling!

Do you have a specific time or place that you write?

I used to write at night--being something of a night owl. Then I changed it to the mornings. Now that I have a baby daughter, it's anytime she takes a nap!

What’s the most interesting comment you have received about your books?

One reviewer called one of my books "plainspoken." I liked that--I suddenly had a mental image of me wearing a cowboy hat and speaking out of the side of my mouth or something as I typed.

What's next for you?

Currently, I'm working on the sequel to Once a Witch. It's called (yes, you guessed it) Always a Witch--and it contains more Talents, time travel, suspense, and romance, of course!