Author Spotlight Week with S.M. Soto | Day 2. | Interview

Hey Lovelies!

This is the second day of "Author Spotlight Week" with S.M. Soto. If you want to know what inspired her to starts writing and how does her select the names of her characters, you have to read this interview! I bet you will enjoy it ;)

XoXo

Genevieve

What inspired you to start writing?

After I had my son, I spent a lot of time at home reading, and one thing led to another then I started writing. 

What is the first book that made you cry?

It’s hard to say. I think my first ugly cry was Carnage by Lesley Jones.

What was your dream job when you were younger?

I wanted to be an actress or a pediatrician. 

If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

I wouldn’t do anything differently. The path I’m on is exactly where I’m supposed to be. 

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

An early experience for me was when I finally had the courage to publish Ache. It was a story that I sat on for so long, too afraid to do anything with it. When I finally did hit publish, the response was INSANE. I did not expect my inbox to be flooded with so many messages. Most of those messages from survivors telling me their stories, and saying the book helped them get through some of their toughest moments. I think that’s when it really hit me, that the power of my words, and the power of language, can have such an impact. It was beautiful. 

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Over twenty. 

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

It really depends on the type of book. Typically I’ll spend the first month figuring out who the characters are and doing my research on their backgrounds/careers. It could be longer if the book or the characters need to be more in depth, or require more extensive research. 

How many hours a day do you write?

If I’m on a deadline, it’s pretty much all day. I’m usually chilling on a caffeine drip. But if it’s a regular day, maybe four to five hours tops. 

How do you select the names of your characters?

Typically I use names I’ve always liked. Or for villains, I use names of people I don’t like. 

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

 I used to read all reviews, but it sort of took a toll on me and my writing. It made me second guess a lot of projects I was working on. Now, I just focus on the good ones. I tend to take things to heart, so ignorance is bliss in my case. I think constructive criticism is good, but to a certain extent. 

What was your hardest scene to write?

I would say most, if not all, of the scenes in Ache. 

Do you have a favourite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

That’s a tough one. I love all my characters, BUT I will say Selene from Chasing
the Moon holds a special place in my heart. Her character traits are a lot like me. I would even go as far as saying her character is loosely based off of me, so I can get a bit protective of her when people say she’s too naive. 

How do you come up with the titles to your books?

I usually come up with the titles after the book itself is written. Sometimes it comes to me easily, like Hate Thy Neighbor, Chasing the Moon, Ache, and Scoring the Quarterback. Other times, I have to take a step back and let the title come to me when it’s ready. 

When you’re writing an emotionally draining (or sexy, or sad, etc) scene, how do you get in the mood?

I throw on some sad or sexy music, bust out the snacks, then get to writing. 

When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I think finding a good balance is the best way to do that. I try to tie up lose ends, and let the readers live in this world that they obviously enjoy being in, but not make each book so repetitive. It should feel like a new experience with each book, not like they’re reading the same recycled story and nothing ever gets solved. 

If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

I’ve actually never thought of this, but I think for the Chaos Series, if it was ever turned into a film, I’d like Henry Cavill and Phoebe Tonkin to be the leads. 

Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers about?

I’m currently finishing up a fake fiancé sports romance that will be releasing next spring, then I plan to dive back into the continuation of the chaos series. 

Do you have any new series planned?

I do have quite a few planned, but announcements won’t be made until 2021. 

Do you have a message for your readers?

Just a huge, huge thank you for reading my stories. It means the absolute world to me. I appreciate every single one of you.