Please give a warm welcome to Tamala Callaway, author of the SuperNatural Novel Series & Hostile Series
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
I am a wife and mother of two. I work for the Coweta County school system transporting children to and from school, aka “Bus Driver.” Currently, I am working on part two of my Second Generation series which is a spin-off of my SuperNatural novel series. All together, the entire series is 7 novels long.
Who or what inspires you?
Initially I was inspired by my oldest daughter to write the SuperNatural series. As a storyteller to my children, they would always want me to revisit my made up stories over and over again. By suggestion, my daughter asked me to write a story so that she could read it over and over again whenever the mood hit. When a few pages weren’t enough for her, and the request to continue the story was becoming an everyday plea, I ended up a year later with five full novel length books in one complete series. Even when I said enough was enough, she and others who had been brought into the trap of SuperNatural begged for more. That then inspired me to do a similar story but focus on the offspring of the original characters, thus begetting “The Second Generation series, part 1 & 2.”
What genre is your book? SuperNatural is YA/Adult. It fits into the paranormal, fantasy, romance genre. Do you write in other genres as well? Yes. I have also written a suspense, thriller, romance series called the “Hostile Series.” Hostile Contact & Hostile Vengeance.
Do you have an agent and/or publisher or are you self-published? I am self-published. If self-published, do you use a professional editor? I do not. I would love to, however, it can be quite expensive for the amount of books I’ve written in a short period of time and not to mention the page/word count. Like I said before, I am a school bus driver with limited funds outside of family necessities.
What advice do you have for writer’s just starting out?
If you or someone you know has a story to tell whether fiction or non-fiction, just start writing. Don’t worry about editing, embellishing, or critiquing while you’re writing. It distracts you and can be daunting. Besides, you can always come back to clean and polish later.
Do you set writing goals and if so, what are they?
Sometimes. If I find myself procrastinating on writing, I will give myself a week to write a chapter. Usually, I will start when I only have 2 or 3 days to do so, then suddenly I am tapping away on the keys to my laptop and will have written 4 or 5 chapters within a few days. I believe I work well under pressure. But that’s just me as far as I know.
What does your writing space look like?
I have a spare bedroom that I have set up as a professional office. Book shelves, desk, lamps, curtains and wall décor. I have a desk top computer that sits unused because I prefer to write on my laptop, but change up the screen saver to keep the look fresh. My office must be clean for me to concentrate, so when the family infiltrates my space, I have to reorganize in order to get back to work.
What project are you currently working on?
The final book in my SuperNatural “The Second Generation” series. It will make the 7th book and I’m looking forward to the bitter/sweet end of an era. It is where it all began for me as a writer, but I have taken on other genres and look forward to expanding my horizons as an Author.
Is being an author your dream job? Yes. If I could financially support my family as an Author, I would be in heaven. I didn’t know that I would love writing so much if I hadn’t been challenged by my daughter and preview readers. If so, how long have you been chasing the dream? 4 years – 8 novels later.
What book are you currently reading?
I recently finished “The Ex Wife” for a book club. However, I am doing the re-read thing on “The Second Generation book 1” as I am anxious to complete book 2, already 111 pages written so far.
What has been your best moment as a writer?
I have two: A book signing event that I wasn’t expecting to do so well, and sold out of the 45 copies of my books, wishing I had brought more; and walking up on a group of teenagers in Barnes and noble reading my books and discussing them, and asking… “Hey, how are you enjoying SuperNatural?” The looks on their faces that they actually recognized me was priceless and euphoric.
Is there a message in your book(s) that you want readers to grasp?
In SuperNatural, yes. Not judging a person for their exterior or what you think you may know about them, and recognizing the differences in others as a useful resource rather than a hindrance, and loving unconditionally between you and one other individual proves more fulfilling than mindless courtship with many.
Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
Quite a few. Some have my mentality, some my aggression, some my ability to love hard, & others have my habits (bad and good).
Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
Yes, Ramone has always been one of my favorites. He is a male version of me in my younger years. (Hardworking, resourceful, loving, caring, supportive, & extremely protective of the ones he loves. Not to mention, people tend to be drawn to him for whatever reasons.)
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Decorating, rearranging, cleaning, or spending time with my family. Working is a must, but not my favorite pastime.
How much time a day do you spend on social media?
More than I need to. Approximately 2 hours daily. It used to be much more, but I’m embarrassed to say truthfully.
If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?
Living in the fast lane, beware of dangerous turns.
I have found the writer’s community to be very supportive and welcoming. Please share three writers that you recommend for us to check out. Here is what Tamala had to say:
I chose these people as they have been a force in helping others create platforms and fan bases as Authors. Wherever you see either of them, you will find positivity, motivation and growth.
- Jeff Todd
- Scarlett Dawn
- Savannah Mae
You can find Tamala on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Amazon.
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Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting — I’m A.L. Kessler. I’m a stay at home mom and wife to a giant geek. I write primarily paranormal romance and I live in Colorado Springs, CO. I have two black cats who think they own the house. I’m addicted to chocolate and coffee. My current project is The Dark War Chronicles (DWC), a paranormal romance series that has all sorts of creatures fight a war against each other. It has adventure, romance (of course!) and amazing characters. Continue reading 
