Describe yourself in five words

Busy, serious, creative, caring, interesting.

What fact about yourself would really surprise people? 

I’m an extrovert (Just a quieter one).

How do you work through self-doubts and fear? 

I just go for it and hope for the best (and feel anxious the entire time lol). 

What scares you the most? 

Turning into my mother.

What makes you happiest? 

Thinking about my children.

Why do you write? 

It just comes out sometimes. It’s like I can’t not write.

Have you always enjoyed writing? 

As long as it was a topic that I was interested in. 

What motivates you to write? 

Random urges of inspiration.

What writing are you most proud of? 

The poems that I wrote for my children.

What are you most proud of in your personal life? 

Not to sound like a broken record, but I’m most proud of the six amazing people that I made.

What books did you love growing up? 

Just fiction or non-fiction stories about everyday people living everyday lives.

What do you hope your obituary will say about you? 

That my children love me.

Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live? 

I grew up all over, but mostly near Los Angeles, CA. I currently live in Phoenix, AZ.

How did you develop your writing?

Taking affordable courses (like on Udemy) and practicing.

What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing? 

Marketing for sure. I have no skills there lol.

What marketing works for you? 

I’m still trying to figure that all out.

Do you find it hard to share your work? 

Oh my goodness yes.

Is your family supportive? Do your friends support you?

They are incredibly supportive. It’s very sweet.

What else do you do, other than write?

Volunteer, go to school, hang out with my 17-year-old daughter.

What other jobs have you had in your life?

Aerobics instructor, pet groomer, hotel maid, etc.

If you could study any subject at university what would you pick? 

American Sign Language, (I’m hard of hearing).

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? 

Norway. Or North Carolina if I’m being more practical.

Tell us about your family? 

I have the most amazing little sister in the world. She does so much for me and I wouldn’t be where I am without her and all of her support.

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk? 

Laptop. So many open tabs lol.

How much sleep do you need to be your best? 

8 hours? I’m a big insomniac though.

Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge and thank for their support? 

The Facebook friends who read my poetry and gave me their honest feedback.

Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you? 

I suppose just some popularity? I don’t expect to make writing a full-time job. But I’d like my work to get seen by some people.

It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing, tell us about your marketing campaign? 

Ugh. This is reminding me that I need to be better about this lol.

Tell us about your new book? Why did you write it?  

Pretty Dysfunctional by Veianya Hansen. I just had a lot of thoughts and feelings about some intense topics that I felt like sharing with others. Especially when it comes to the adult industry.

If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask? 

Chester Bennington.

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax? 

Walking, cleaning, or playing on the internet.

What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?

I just hope that they might see something from a perspective that maybe they hadn’t before.