Author Interview: Annalise Grey

Please welcome to A Three Way Tie, the wonderful author, Annalise Grey!

Pennsylvania native, dreamer, explorer.

I write because I like talking to the voices in my head. They are (usually) good company. I love to travel (when I have the $ for it). My family is everything to me.


When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve been writing (mostly poetry) since I was a kid. My first “novel” was a crime drama called Silent Witness. The main character was a mute woman who witnessed a murder. I was 10 when I wrote it. But even when I wasn’t putting words to paper, I was running around the woods pretending to be an Indian Princess and creating storylines in my head.


What was the hardest part of writing your book? What was the easiest?

The hardest part has been the editing. Rereading your own work over and over gets a little tiring because you already know what happens. There isn’t a build-up —an emotional investment — like there is when you read a book for the first time. It’s hard to sit back and view your work as a new reader would.

    

Interestingly, the easiest part was writing the most tragic events. I found that it was a smoother, easier process writing about all the bad stuff that happens to Sophie and her family. Raw emotion just flowed into the pages as I wrote. These scenes affected me deeply but they were the ones that I felt happened without me having to force them. 

What music do you listen to while you write?

I have several Pandora Internet Radio stations that I listen to depending on the scene I’m writing. Each station is built around the following songs: “Dietro Casa” by Ludovico Einaud, “Meteor Shower” by Owl City, “Three Cheers For Five Years (Acoustic)” by Mayday Parade, and “Where I Stood” by Missy Higgins. When I’m rereading and/or editing, I always listen to classical music. I have to have some piano music playing in the background in order to write. Otherwise I can’t concentrate.


What inspires you?

My family, first and foremost! I have two older sisters, a step-sister, and a sister-in-law who counts as a fourth sister. I also have two younger brothers. Most of us live within a mile of each other (my one brother is my next-door neighbor). Our family is a tight-knit unit. My Pappy and Grandma are the quintessential Patriarch & Matriarch. They helped raise me and my siblings as their second set of kids. In fact, the Matthews pack from my book Howl is directly based on my own family and our relationships.


Do you have any hidden talents?

I can bend my pinky fingers all the way back – does that count? LOL! Actually, I’m an avid crocheter. I create my own patterns for hats, scarves, ponchos, etc.


What are your current projects?

 I finished a manuscript called Gettysburg After Dark which is about ghost experiences I have had during my seven years as a ghost tour guide in Gettysburg, Pa. I’m in discussion with a publisher so keep your fingers crossed for me!!


What book are you reading now?

Right now I am reading The Matchmaker’s Mark by Regan Black.


Quick: Vampires or Shapeshifter? Why?

Shapeshifters. Because I love the idea of changing your being without it being permanent. Once you’re a vamp, you’re always a vamp. No fun. J


Do you have any advice for other writers?

Just keep writing, no matter what. I write because I like getting to live other people’s lives along with them. Same reason I’m a reader. It’s escapism at its simplest form. And it’s mine. Let it be whatever it is for you just don’t stop.


Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I hope you enjoy reading my work as much as I have enjoyed writing it!