For those readers who missed our first segment of our interview with Meg Mims, you will want to head over to www.morethanareview.com to see how Meg started her career and some of the early influences in her life that led her to where she is today.
For those of you who are eagerly awaiting part two, wait no more!!
MTAR: Do you see writing as a career?
Meg; ABSOLUTELY. I write non-fiction as well as fiction and consider it my “job” like any other I’ve had – and I’ve had several! Pharmacy tech, payroll clerk, secretary, folklore archivist, documentation librarian, artist, child care specialist, craft teacher, tutor, elementary substitute teacher, writing workshop instructor, and now published author. Once you put your mind to something, give it all you have and you will be successful. I start early in the morning, take breaks, and usually meet my weekly goals because writing is fun and usually never boring.
MTAR: What books/authors have influenced your writing?
Meg: I read across genres – mystery, straight historical, romance, horror, fantasy, YA, sci/fi, and anything that’s like mine, a blend of multiple genres. Some of my favorite authors are JRR Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, Ursula LeGuin, Sharon Kay Penman, Judith Merkle Riley, J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, LaVyrle Spencer, Agatha Christie, Will Thomas, Cleo Coyle, Charles Todd, and I’m getting into several western authors as well now, such as Louis L’Amour, Johnny Boggs and Troy Smith.
MTAR: What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
Meg: I’ve gotten some great criticism before I published – and that helped push me to work harder. I take any criticism, good or bad, with a grain of salt. I’m a watercolor and acrylic artist, so everyone is entitled to their “opinion” of a certain style, whether of writing or visual artwork. If someone gives me an unfair review without any explanation, that bugs me – but I have pretty thick skin now.
MTAR: What has been the best compliment?
Meg: One 85+-year-old reader sent me a delightful email about her own memory of the trains in the early 1900s and said I got the “wash rooms” right. She remembered lifting the “commode” seat and seeing the tracks flashing by below the hole. And how cold it was in the winter! LOL No wonder my grandmother told her kids to never play on the RR tracks! Ugh. Modern toilets came well after the turn of the century if you were rich enough to afford the cost, in homes and on trains.
MTAR: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Meg: The Seton Hill Writing Popular Fiction “family” where I earned my Master’s degree. There’s nothing quite like a low-residency writing program, where you can meet, learn from, help and support other writers both published and unpublished.
MTAR: Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Meg: Learn your strength and weaknesses as a writer. Persevere. Keep learning even after publication, and celebrate every success, big or small.
MTAR: Which book do you recommend for a reader that is new to your writing?
Meg: Start with DOUBLE CROSSING before reading the coming sequel, Double or Nothing! I’m hoping to get it finished and published before the end of September. You can read The Key to Love at any point, since it’s a stand-alone.
MTAR: What book are YOU currently reading?
Meg: Terry Pratchett’s Thief of Time, and I just finished Shelley Adina’s second Victorian steampunk, Her Own Devices, and Jonathan Maberry’s Dead of Night with zombies. I have an eclectic reading taste!
MTAR: Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
Meg: I’m hoping to finish Double or Nothing this year and get it out to readers as soon as possible! It will have a bit more romance than Double Crossing, which should please some of the readers who expected more in the first book – but with the same intrigue, mystery and murder blended in with historical details. I can’t tell you more about it since it’s not ready to “debut” the beginning quite yet. I did share a brief snippet on my blog a while back.
MTAR hopes you have enjoyed your time delving into the mind of versatile author and artist, Meg Mims. Keep your eye peeled for more information and possible sneak peeks of her new project, Double or Nothing in the coming weeks and months. This much anticipated sequel to Double Crossing is due out later this year.