Interview with Poppy Minnix
How did you become a writer? I’ve always been highly creative and daydreamed scenarios about people and places. A couple of years ago I received a tablet from my awesome hubby and started writing a scene that had been rolling through my head for years. The scene became a chapter that became a book, then became two books, which snowballed into a nine book series with companion novellas and an origin duology.
Tell me about your protagonist. What's your favorite trait and/or weakness?
In my duology, Duet of the Gods, siren Lula and demigod Alexiares share the protagonist spotlight. Lula can control anyone with her voice, but an unfortunate side effect of that ability is that she cannot form a real relationship with anyone. They lose their free will under her thrall. What I love about her is she has this incredible power but doesn’t want it. She’s charmed by humans and the idea of a normal life. Alex is on a mission of his own; trying to overthrow the Council of archaic gods in Olympus. He’s resolute and focused, but then Lu shows up, and his plans take a backseat. I adore his passion for making things right in the realm as well as his loss of control when it comes to Lula. However, though thousands-of-years-old, he’s impatient. He makes decisions on his own instead of bringing those he cares about most into the process, and it doesn’t always end up okay.
What are your current/future projects? I have several projects in the editing process; a cyberpunk novel called Gamed, and the first two books in my urban fantasy series, Daughters of Muse, as well as their companion novellas. I'm currently writing the second book in the Duet of the Gods series, My Song's Gift, and after that's complete, I'm hoping to write a holiday romance I have outlined before completing the third and fourth Muse novels.
If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be?
Be brave and write the real stuff. I didn't begin this path for a long time because I was afraid of it. Writing pain and heartache and sex is difficult because emotionally, it's overwhelming. It would be easy to never take it out of the comfort zone, but if I hold back, I'm not making my work genuine—I'm not immersing my readers into my world. I want people to get lost in my books. If my characters can make someone laugh out loud, gasp, or cry, then I accomplished what I needed to. I was brave. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Find other writers. Join a writing community, whether it be online or in person, and make friends in your genre. When I need to brainstorm because an idea just isn’t adding up, I have others to lean on. We talk it out, share our successes, critique each other's work, and vent when we need it. Writing can be lonely and being part of a team can make those tough days much more manageable.
What is your preferred method for readers to get in touch with you?
They can keep up with me on various social media platforms, and check out my website for news, or if they want to say hello, email or tweet me!
