Interview with Blair Burden.

1) Who is your favorite author? 
Since I was younger Stephan King has always been a huge inspiration of mine. I don't know, there is just something so amazing about his twisted stories...in a good way of course. But, I just don't like to stick to one author, if a book sounds good I just read it.

2) If you had to be a character from one of  your books who would you want to be? 

Hmm...that is a hard one since none of my characters are really sane. But, if I had to choose I would pick Cassie fromReasons for Recovery. Mainly just to know what it's like in her shoes and how to deal with life like that. I wouldn't want to hear voices in my head like her though. I would like to keep my sanity. But, her life gets better later on. 

3) I really like no scratch that ,love your covers for Reasons for Recovery and Simon Death High. Did you make them?? 

Thank you. I'm such a dork when it comes to graphic design. I used adobe photoshop CS4. I took a multimedia class in high school and learned most of my skills there. I'm never satisfied with my covers and tend to change them a lot. You're not supposed to judge a book by their covers, but most people do. So, I like mine to catch your eye.

4) How long did it take you to write Reasons for Recovery? 

Ooh wow. Back in last April I believe is when I began writing this in my multimedia class when I was done with my projects. Back then, it was known as Reasons on My Wrist and I had no idea how powerful it would have turned out. I can't tell you exactly how long, but darn it took a while. It still isn't even 100% how I want it. Stories usually don't take me long to write, it's the editing that's a monster.

5) Could you tell us why you did your books for free  instead of charging money?

Honestly, I'm not sure. Some think you should get paid for what you love, but  writing is a hobby and passion. I'm not willing to charge because I want as many people to read my work now. Someday I might charge for a novel, but as of now I won't. Your name gets out there more when you build a fan base off of free books.

6) Do you have a favorite fan?or a most dedicated fan? 

I don't have a specific person. However, I get so many emails giving me feedback on Reasons for Recovery. Some have asked to do book reports on it, or a comic strip. I think it's cute. I don't have much work out yet, so I don't think I have a outrageous fan yet. I like to keep a good relationship with my fans. At the end of each story, I always ask for feedback. It may take a while, but I email them back.

7) If you had to stay immortal for the rest of eternity what age would you like to be? 

Believe it or not but death scares me. Ironically, many people die in my stories. However, I would want to be immortal. I would want to be like twenty-five even though I haven't reached that age quite yet. At that age, your life is pretty much at your own hands. You either have everything you want, or you're getting what you want out of life.

8) If there was one person from the past you wish was alive during your lifetime, who would that be?

I would choose Rod Sterling. He was the creator of the old thriller show Twilight Zone. I just love his work. I also would like to mesmerize Freddie Mercury on my TV. There is something just so intriguing about him.

9) Do you write with Pencil/pen and paper or type on your computer/laptop, when writing ?

I wrote my first novel (which hasn't been released) in three spiral notebooks and I would never recommend that to anyone. I transferred it to my laptop and it took forever. Ugh, never again. So, now I type my work and make various copies. If I get a random plot idea, I either jot it down or type it on my Blackberry.

10) What is your writing Tip for the writers of the world? (This is for my archive I am making... I ask every author this in their interview :)  

Do NOT plan your story. I tend to plan my stories and then they turn out horrible. It's okay to know your ending and how the story will end up, but planning is a big no-no for me. The best writing comes when you surprise yourself.

11) Are you currently working on any book at the moment 

Yes!! I just finished Simon Death High. Now, I'm working on kind of like a sequel to Reasons for Recovery. It will be titledTeenage Dream. It's two years later in Cassie's life. Once she thinks everything is perfect, she realizes that her life is in a terrible place when Jordan (her man) enlists in the army. So, while leading to his departure date, Cassie learns that maybe Jordan isn't really the one for her when she meets his cousin Dylan, and them two take a road trip throughout the west coast. It's very sketchy right now as you can see. I have a good 10,000 words down. I'm just going with the flow. It will be a little different, because this book will feature images of Facebook statuses. It sounds odd, but I will photoshop Cassie's Facebook status at the end of each chapter. It will be interesting.

12 ) If you only had time to grab one book when your house is on fire, which would you grab and hop out the window with?

That's a hard one because I don't own many books, I usually go to the library. But, it would have to be "A Child Called It" by Dave Pelzer. Ironically, I can't even find that book in my house. I cried reading that story but it had such a strong impact on me. I would probably grab my laptop instead though. You can read many great books online. 

13) What inspired you to write? 

I believe films inspired me to write more than books in general. I love how some books come to life like in films and that is how I imagine my books--as movies. Someday I wouldn't mind having one of my stories on TV. That would be awesome. As a child, I just loved writing. I honestly don't know what inspired me to write back then. Maybe because I was lonely and wanted to escape my life. Now, that just sounds sad.

14) If you had to write a book with any author of your choice, Who would it be? 

Stephen King!! Both me and him would create haunting terror in words.

You can purchase Blair's book Reasons for Recovery at Smashwords , Barnes and Nobles , Itunes , Diesel , or Her website. 

You can also purchase Simon Death High at Smashwords and Feedbooks. 

Check out her website which I must say is GREAT . http://wisforwriting.blogspot.com/  ...

Please support this author by purchasing her books for free on the websites listed above and reviewing them for her :) .... I know she would appreciate it