Romance is in the air with Virginia Martin

BIO:

Virginia Martin has been passionate about writing since the age of 11 and loves to express herself through the written word. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is currently seeking her Master’s in Business with a concentration in Human Resources. A Human Resources professional for the past 20 years, she loves helping people in any way she can. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and Florida Romance Writers and is an avid reader of romance novels. Apart from reading, writing, and basking in the South Florida sun, Virginia enjoys photography, listening to Christian music and playing Scrabble.

To contact Virginia Martin, or to be placed on a mailing list to receive updates about new releases, click the “Contact Me” page on her author blog: www.virginiamartinauthor.net or send her an email at virginiamartinauthor@gmail.com.

AUTHOR Q&A:

1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? VM: I have been writing since the age of 10, and I don’t even think I realized I was a writer at that time. My first type of writing was lyrics to made up songs. The first song I wrote was titled: Roses For My Love. I remember just a few words from it: “Roses for my love, without you I don’t know who I am”. Then I started writing poetry, I liked rhyming words. Writing became an emotional outlet in times of loneliness, sadness, love, happy moments, and loss.
2. How long does it take to write your book(s)? VM: The length of time it takes to write a book, depends on the type of book it is. My debut book, Faith Without Borders Devotional (the first book in the Without Borders Inspirational Series) took me a year to write. I wrote things throughout the year and then put it together for the book. This book is very personal to me because it is my personal testimony in receiving God’s grace during some very dark times in my life. On the other hand, the journals in my Journals To Remember Series took one to two months to write, the same for my inspirational quotes book, In My Thoughts.
3. What is your work schedule like when writing a book? VM: My work schedule when writing a book is a bit sporadic. I start writing non-stop, then I take a break, sometimes a week or two, then I pick up writing again. I put everything on paper first, then type it. I do most of my typing in the morning to early afternoon. I am not much use after 4 pm. Since I work, I do most of the writing on the weekend.
4. Where do you get your ideas or information for your book? VM: I am a Christian author, so most of my books are faith based, and I feel they are inspired by God. I read a lot of devotional type books and have read the Bible three times. I also draw from my own experience and reading romance books. I love journal writing, so I decided to start the Journals To Remember Series based on that. Most of my poems are faith, life and love related.
5. When did you write your first book? VM: The first book I wrote, and which I am very proud of, is the Faith Without Borders Devotional. I self-published it in November 2015. It has personal accounts of my spiritual journey, with points for reflection and biblical references. For someone starting on their walk of faith, this book is a good place to start.
6. What do you do when you’re not writing? VM: When I am not writing I am reading, teaching myself the keyboard, and learning how to do hand lettering. I also enjoy listening to Christian music and playing Scrabble.
7. What does your family think of your writing? VM: My family, which are my two daughters, are very proud of my writing. I give them a copy of each book I write. I encourage them to write as well. One of them, my favorite author, Cristina Isabel, is a writer in her own right.
8. What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating your books? VM: The most surprising thing I learned in creating my books is how much fun it can be to them, from start to finish. It is a lot of work, of course, but you are a part of the whole process, and it feels good to see the finished product. I enjoy doing the book cover first, I am a visual person, and to me, having the book cover first, makes the book come alive.
9. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? VM: I have written six books so far: 1 devotional, 1 poetry book, 1 quotes book, and three journals. My favorite is the poetry book because I love writing poems. They express a lot of what is in my thoughts, and the way I feel about things.
10. Any tips/suggestions on getting started? VM: My tip on getting started is to just write. I believe anyone can write, it is just putting the time and effort to do so. We all have a story to tell, so I encourage everyone to write theirs and share it with the world.
11. What do you think makes a good story? VM: A good story must be genuine, heart-felt, and relatable, in order to connect with the reader. I believe writing stories with a theme, interesting characters, and plot is the best way to engage the reader and keep them coming back for more.
12. As a child, What did you want to do when you grew up? VM: As a child, I wanted to be a ballet dancer and a singer. Perhaps in another life I can still do it. For now, my calling is in writing to touch hearts.