• Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

 

I’ve lived in eight states, because my father was in the military and he was transferred around a lot. I went to college at UCLA and majored in the Literary Arts. Then I became a stewardess and flew transoceanic to exotic locations on 4 continents. I finally settled down, had a family, retired, and now I live by the shore in Florida and write full time.

 

• You have a Female villain, what was your inspiration for her?

 

I’m a reader, always have been. Rarely have I read anything featuring a female villain. I’ve actually meet a few in my lifetime and when I got the idea to write my sci-fi novel, knew it had to have a female villain—1.) to make it stand out in a unique way, AND 2.) to reincarnate the essence of these women and make the book memorable. (P.S. Don’t make an author angry, or they just might make you a villain in their next book!)

 

• Which writers inspire you?

 

Harlan Coben, David Baldacci, James Patterson, Robert Ludlum, James S. A. Corey, Ryk Brown

 

• Have you ever thought about writing a novel in collaboration with other writers?

 

Not yet. Possibly later on, when I’m more established.

 

• When did you decide to become a writer, or did it just sort of happened?

 

Actually, I started a novel years ago, but wasn’t driven enough to finish it. It’s like drawing or painting, you have to be in the zone to do it with any conviction.

 

• Do you write full-time or part-time?

 

Full-time. I wake up, feed the cats, make coffee and write until I’m hungry, eat, then write some more.

 

• Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

 

I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but I’m a “pantser” I write by the seat of my pants, without the benefit of an outline—for the first 2 novels, anyway. For the 3rd one, I’m considering outlining, just to make sure all the loose ends are tied up nice and tight, so I don’t leave anything out.

 

• Do you have a strategy for finding reviewers?

 

No, they just more or less happen. I believe it’s called “synchronicity” certain events are “meaningful coincidences” you just have to be in the right place at the right time.

 

• What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

 

Reading a book is like looking at a painting. Everybody’s opinion is their own. What I see, you may not, and vice versa, reading is the same. Indie authors have to have reviews or they don’t sell books. It’s that simple. Good reviews make your heart sing! Then—someone left a review saying my book isn’t true science fiction. I write about space travel, cyborgs, clones, soldiers in armor wielding pulse rifles, people with neural implants, etc. So, it certainly wasn’t a Western.

Being a writer means putting on a coat of thick skin when reading your reviews. Even James Patterson get one-star reviews on Amazon, check it out.

Amazon has a “Look Inside” feature for you to read up to the first 3 chapters sometimes, so you can judge if the book is right for you. If you fall out of love with it, don’t finish it and don’t leave a review. That’s a statement in itself.

 

• How can readers discover more about you and you work?

 

My debut novel, Edge Of The Future, is on Amazon, with the second installment due out soon.

I also have a webite https://www.AndriatoneNovel.com,

facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndriaStoneNovels

twitter @andria_mavrek