Rebecca, it is very nice to finally have our interview. My first question for you is:

Why did you first start writing? Was there a book that you read or a film that you saw which pushed you towards it? Have you stuck with the genre you began in?

I am very happy we finally got together too! To answer your first question:

I didn't have a happy childhood. Therefore, I started reading lots of fiction at a young age. When I read a book that amazed me I thought to myself, I think I'll write something brilliant like this one day. While reading a good story I would write the next scene in my head. I started to believe I could write fiction just as well as those famous authors. I've never stopped believing in myself. Well, I'm not famous, but as Ernest Hemmingway said, "We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master." I feel that the more fiction I read, the better my writing will get.

The first book I self-published was Messages from Henry. It was written for young adults, but many adults love it just as much as my younger readers. I haven't stuck with writing young adult fiction. My second book, a short story called Rag Doll, is a popular psychological thriller written for adults. It's a bit steamy with a twist in the end many are saying is worthy of O'Henry. My third book was an illustrated children's book for age four up called Jumper. My fourth book was a romance novel called Where Love Takes You (sequel to Messages from Henry). That novel was written and published in collaboration with multi published author, Francis Potts from England. It currently has seventeen 5 star reviews. Since so many children loved Jumper, the friendly talking red ball, I went on to self-publish three more. I've written the script for one episode of Jumper for television. I've sent the script to PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) in hopes one of their producers will make it into an animated cartoon series. This is a very tough business to break into and I don't have high hopes.

You own one of ePrintedBooks
"Author Promo Pages." Since your page went live, have you noticed an increase in downloads?

Yes, two weeks after promoting my author page on Twitter and many other sites, downloads for most of my books doubled. This resulted in many more rave reviews.

Every author gets writers block at some point. How do you cope with this?

This has rarely happened to me, but when it did I deleted part of the last I'd written and I took the story in a whole new direction. Sometimes I added a new character.

What are the most important attributes to give to a lead character, in your opinion?

Henry on the left is the main character in my first book "Messages from Henry".

A lead character has to be believable and entertaining. If a reader can't relate to your protagonist and entertained by this character, they won't enjoy the story.

What, outside of writing, do you consider your biggest success?

My artwork. I supplemented my income a great deal in the 80's and 90's by selling my scrimshaw (an ancient art form from the early 1900's where sailors carved images into ivory). I've often felt like going back to this ancient art. I felt this way after I realized that just because I was a good storyteller, putting my stories on paper wasn't quite as easy as I thought it would be. And selling my books is twice as hard. I never expected that I'd need a degree in marketing until I self-published my first book.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not writing?

I'm basically a 'homebody' living on a very secluded farm in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas. I take long walks by my creek and waterfall when the weather is nice. I'm very fond of animals. I often sit outside watching the raccoon, wild turkey, groundhogs, and armadillo. And of course I spend a lot of time petting and brushing my four cats. Twice a week I go to local casinos with my husband. Often times, while he's gambling; I'm handing out my book marker and chatting with people there. I've met so many wonderful people this way. They smile, thank me for the book marker, and promise to check out my books.

What is your opinion of authors paying for rave reviews?

Rebecca Scarberry age 18

Rebecca, you are a very fascinating person. I truly enjoyed our time together on this interview and I do look forward to working with you on your new novel that you are working on at this time. I really do love your ivory scrimshaw art.

Thank you, Steve. I've enjoyed answering your interesting questions, and I look forward to your help with the publication of my next novel. I've basically just begun writing the crime drama. Thank you for supporting so many of us indie authors. And I look forward to reading and reviewing more of your books.