I've been so wrapped up with writing the last couple months I haven't been introducing you to authors. For those of you who have missed the introductions, I've found a real GEM for you today. Paulina Ulrich is a fabulous indie author. I read her Flightless Bird and LOVED it!!
Nancy! Thank you for having me on your blog today! It’s such a great honor to be here chatting with you!
The pleasure is truly mine, Paulina! So, what do you look for in the books you read?
Well I read A LOT of books…that is when I actually have time. Lately these days my to-do list never seems to end! But when I am reading a really good book that I’m enjoying, I tend to look for two important things: realness and humor. Okay so you might be thinking, ‘Uh you know you read YA paranormal stuff don’t you?’ Well yes! So let me clarify by what I mean when I look for realness when I read. I want to be able to see that the character(s) in a story are seemingly real to me or that they stand out. I love reading about characters who come off the page and leave a lasting impression that I will talk about for days. I’m not exactly jumping for joy while reading about a character who seems flat and it’s hard to relate to. Sometimes I read stuff and I feel like the main character is practically a robot hence why I like a little humor too. I don’t read too many humor books so that’s why I like when author’s throw in a joke or a sarcastic saying sometimes in their story just to make the reader smile.
I couldn't agree more, I love it when an author's humor takes me by surprise. Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?
My favorite author?! Do I have to pick just one because I have a lot of favorites. I guess that makes me really terrible at picking favorites because my favorites can change over time depending on how much I love the book. I really enjoy Jennifer L Armentrout’s work with her Lux series, pretty much anything by Tiffany King although I have to say that Miss Me Not by her is my favorite of her novels right now. But Centuar Legacy is definitely reaching the top of my To-Be-Read list. Eeep! I can’t wait!
Tiffany King is a total rock star! I got to meet her in Sep and now I'm one of her biggest stalkers, um, I mean fans. What's the best part about being an author?
The best part about being an author…I would have to say…is the writing itself. I mean, I love, live, and breathe to pretty much write stories and getting to tell stories of all these fictional people that are near and dear to my heart feels so awesome. According to my parents and pretty much everyone else I know, I’ve always been a story teller. Especially when it came to detailed and epic storytelling. I once had a teacher who told me I should be an actress because I was so great with the theatrics. Clearly my acting career has yet to take off. Haha! But the fact that I get to share all these imaginative journeys is so fun for me as the writer. Not to mention it’s a great excuse to constantly have my iced tea all the time. I can’t write without it!
Doritos and Mt Dew are my writing fuel, it's funny how caffeine make creative thoughts flow! What's the worst part about being an author?
Is there really one? That’s like asking what’s the worst part about eating your favorite dessert. Not possible. But! If I had to say anything, it would probably be the time consumption. I love to sit and write but I always find myself getting into trouble when I know my laundry has been sitting in the washer for awhile or I haven’t come out of my writing cave for what feels like days and I realize that dinner is badly burned. I think I need to have a louder kitchen timer! You know what else is the worst? Running out of iced tea while in the middle of a great scene. That’s my biggest downfall when I have to get up, make a quick dash to the fridge and refill my glass. Momentary inspiration may have been sacrificed to get more of my favorite tea.
LOL!! Great answer! What do you want others to know about you?
Well, everyone knows I love my cat to death, I have a bad habit of buying wayyyy too many cute shoes, and I love my iced tea but what else do I want them to know? Okay, so growing up I adored books. Makes sense right? Not only did I adore books but I’m pretty sure I had an obsession because my room was like a mini library. I used to have this hope chest at the foot of my bed and inside of it, I kept my extra special books that were in tiptop condition. But…they weren’t just any tiptop books. I had all 56 original hardcover bright yellow classic Nancy Drew books. I had the ENTIRE Nancy Drew collection and I read every single one of them. No worries, I still have the classic collection. No way am I ever getting rid of those books! I’m a Nancy Drew fan for life! I was also the kid who never let people borrow my books because if they came back with even the slightest dog ear, crinkle, dent, or smudge…I was not a happy camper.
What's the last book you read?
The last awesome book I read was ‘Miss Me Not’ by Tiffany King. It was such a great and wonderful read! That one was a page-turning emotional roller coaster and I thought it was such a great realistic read of the darker side of what happens during the teenage years for some people. It was so heartfelt and just a really wholesome story.
She is an amazing storyteller and a genuinely sweet lady! So, where do you see yourself in 1, 5 and 10 years?
Alright, give me a second while I look into my crystal ball to see my future. This is kind of a hard question actually! In 1 year I see myself, still writing but definitely having the Flightless Bird series wrapped up and hopefully have a couple more books in my newest series, the Fighting Fate series, out. In 5 years…do I have to answer this question? I really don’t know! I know I will still be writing of course and by then hopefully have a ton of books out. I have so many stories to tell it’s ridiculous. Skydiving though, I really want to go skydiving even though I am terrified of heights. I think its worth the experience. But hopefully my cat will still be alive because I would like to keep him around too. I mean, his cute factor is like an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. I mean, just look at his picture, he is a fluff monster! He also loves to cuddle on my face when I’m trying to sleep. How convenient. Either that or lay on my laptop as I’m trying to write. In 10 years…that sounds so far off into the future! Hopefully, once again, my cat will still be alive! Although he’d be extremely ancient by that time. Naturally I still see myself writing and living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I was born and raised here so I can’t imagine living anywhere else it’s so beautiful and green. In 10 years I also hope to have traveled to all the places I want to go in the world. Not to mention my best friend Adrienne and I are planning to do an epic roadtrip to every state in the United States so hopefully we’ll have that accomplished by then. I have so many things I want to do!
Nice crystal ball! Who's your favorite Book Blogger?
Author Rebecca Rynecki hands down. Her blog is hilarious! Not only is she a fellow writer and author of The Secret World of Alaina Downs but she also writes reviews of books she’s read and she always gives a good opinion and insight about the books. Almost all of her posts weave some humor in there too and I love her wit! I always go creeping on her blog when I am in search of a review, a laugh, or updates on the novels she’s writing! She’s really into the Hunger Games so she’ll definitely post some hilarious memes or GIFs which always make me laugh.
I've become one of Rebecca's stalkers in the last couple months, you're right - she's hysterical! Tell us about the projects you're working on now.
Ooh I love when I get asked this. So in my non-existent spare time I am working on two WIPs. The first being my new series titled the Fighting Fate series and the second project I’m working on is the final book in my Flightless Bird series which is already out! The first novel in the Fighting Fate series is titled Chosen and man oh man is this book a piece of work. I’ve been writing my brains out and not to mention this series will be a little darker than the Flightless Bird series. I hope to have Chosen out in February of 2013. As for the final book in the Flightless Bird series, that one is titled Timeless Sky and I hope that one will be out in Spring of 2013.
Last question, if you could meet anyone (alive or dead) at Starbucks for a cup of White Mocha Latte, who would it be?
A White Mocha Latte actually sounds pretty freaking delicious right now. Don’t mind me if I go fetch one at the moment. Though if I had to meet anyone, alive or dead, at Starbucks…(which don’t worry, there is a Starbucks LITERALLY on EVERY corner in Seattle) I would have to say my Great Grandma. She passed away when I was 11. I did get to meet her and I have memories of spending time with her but she had a stroke a year or two before she died and she lost her ability to speak. She was an English teacher and I knew she loved to write so I definitely would have loved to sit down with her and just talk about writing and see if she ever wrote any stories or if she had a favorite kind of writing. She had such a passion for books as well and I have her 1940 copy of Little Women. The pages are all yellowed and old but it sits on the shelf with all the other books of mine. I would have also liked to know what her favorite book was. Maybe then I’d have her read my books and see what she thought. Everyone tells me I’m just like her when it comes to a passion for writing and reading, which I take a wonderful compliment because my Great Grandma was such a unique and interesting person.
Paulina, I'm so glad you stopped by for a chat today!!
You are a tremendously talented author and I hope more people discover your books, SOON!!
You can find Paulina:
Twitter ID: @PaulinaUlrich
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5142171.Paulina_Ulrich
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorpaulinaulrich
Her book on B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/paulina-ulrich
Her book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Flightless-Bird-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B0055O07FE
Her Blog: www.paulinaulrich.blogspot.com
great post!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Mandy! Paulina has such an amazing sense of humor and it totally comes through in her writing!
DeleteNice interview -- Paulina is the sweetest!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by JC! I agree!!
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