Interview with Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
The Blog Ring of Power Presents...
An Interview with Author Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
Today, I am super excited to bring you an interview with author Sandra Ulbrich Almazan who is here to talk about her latest novel, Twinned Universes. As you know, Sandra is a fellow BRoP member, so it makes my heart glad to pull her out of the background and into the limelight! :-)
This is part two of a four-part interview. Be sure to check out the other BRoP sites for the rest of the interview:
Part 1 @ Dean's site - Tuesday, April 23
Part 3 @ Teresa's site - Thursday, April 25
Part 4 @ Emily's site - Friday, April 26
BRoP: What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine? Do you use pen and paper or computer?
Sandra: Work at home or at the library/Starbucks, etc.—I try to follow a routine. I bring my laptop to work and write on my lunch hour. I also write at home in my office after my son goes to bed. Sometimes on the weekend, I’ll go somewhere to write while my husband looks after our son.
BRoP: How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life?
Sandra: Not as well as I’d like. My son isn’t six yet, so he still needs a lot of attention. He has to come first, at least while he’s awake. I can generally keep up with cooking and laundry, but the housework sometimes gets ignored so I can write. You can’t do everything at once, but sometimes priorities have to shift.
BRoP: When do you write?
Sandra: On my lunch hour at work and after my son goes to bed.
BRoP: How much time per day do you spend on your writing?
Sandra: I probably average between a half hour to an hour. Most days the word count is less than 1000, but since I keep at it, the words accumulate over time.
BRoP: Other than your family, what has been your greatest source of support?
Sandra: Other writers, especially crit partners.
BRoP: How do you deal with rejection and/or negative reviews?
Sandra: Rejection and negative reviews do sting, but I remind myself you can’t please everyone and focus on the story at hand.
BRoP: What are the most important elements of good writing?
Sandra: The writing shouldn’t get in the way of the story; it shouldn’t be distracting or confusing. Emotions are key to writing a story that will resonate with readers.
BRoP: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Sandra: Read a lot and keep writing.
BRoP: What format is your book available in (print, e-book, audio book, etc.)?
Sandra: both
Where can readers can stalk you:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Smashwords
SANDRA ULBRICH ALMAZAN started reading at the age of three and only stops when absolutely required to. Although she hasn’t been writing quite that long, she did compose a very simple play in German during middle school. Her science fiction novella Move Over Ms. L. (an early version of Lyon’s Legacy) earned an Honorable Mention in the 2001 UPC Science Fiction Awards, and her short story “A Reptile at the Reunion” was published in the anthology Firestorm of Dragons. She is a founding member of BroadUniverse and a long-time member of the Online Writing Workshop for Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror. Her undergraduate degree is in molecular biology/English, and she has a Master of Technical and Scientific Communication degree. Her current day job is in the laboratory of an enzyme company; she’s also been a technical writer and a part-time copyeditor for a local newspaper. Some of her other accomplishments are losing on Jeopardy! and taking a stuffed orca to three continents. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, Eugene; and son, Alex. In her rare moments of free time, she enjoys crocheting, listening to classic rock (particularly the Beatles), and watching improv comedy.
TWINNED UNIVERSES (CATALYST CHRONICLES #2): Paul Harrison always wanted to play Hamlet, but he never expected he’d live the role first.In the aftermath of a family tragedy on 21st century Earth, Paul discovers he’s the clone of Sean Lyon, his great-great-grandfather and a famous TwenCen musician. Suspecting his mother’s death was no accident, Paul comes up with a plan to trick the answers out of the great-uncle who had him cloned. But in order to make his plan work, Paul needs help from Sean himself—and Sean’s time is running out in the TwenCen universe next door. Although Paul’s family lives on the spaceship that travels between the universes, he’s never been allowed on TwenCen Earth. Now, with the help of his friends, his disguise-creating holoprojectors, and a quantum quirk, Paul must make his way to Sean while evading other time travelers who fear he’ll change the history of the TwenCen universe. If Paul is to achieve justice, he must not only risk his own life, but the wormhole connecting the universes. “To be or not to be” was a simple question in comparison....
The Blog Ring of Power (BRoP) is a consortium of five speculative fiction writers who have banded together to bring you highlights from the current speculative fiction market--news, reviews, and interviews with speculative fiction authors--with an emphasis on small-press and self-published authors. So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and relax. Have we got a story for you...
Comments
Great interview - I found it totally fascinating that you only write for a short time each day and yet manage to produce such a large body of work (way more than me, anyway!) - slow and steady clearly does win the race! I have to get better at making sure I block out some writing time every single day.