Author Interview

Today I am interviewing Stephanie Haefner author of A Bitch Named Karma.
 If you have any questions for the author please place them in the comments section.

 Stephanie's Bio:
Stephanie Haefner is a wife, mother of two and novelist from Buffalo, NY. Her debut, A Bitch Named Karma, is available from Lyrical Press. Her shorter works have been published in Nickel City Nights: Erotic Writing in Western New York, Flash Me Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Voices from the Herd. She is a member of the Buffalo Writers Meetup Group and when not writing, she enjoys dance, scrapbooking, and Disney World. Visit her at www.stephaniehaefnerthewriter.com.





Summer:  Many people find writers to be "Odd" or "eccentric"- are you? If so how?

Stephanie: I honestly don't think I'm eccentric, but I guess you'd have to ask my family and friends! I think everyone has their quirks and mine happen to be that I am anally organized and I like things to be in their exact right spot! But other than that, I'm kinda boring!
 
Summer: How do you juggle your family life and writing?

Stephanie: My daughter is in school, so with only one child home during the day, I can usually get some work done. But on the weekends, no so much! One of my New Year's resolutions was to find more time to write and one major change we've made is Tuesdays. That is my work day and when hubby comes home, the kids are his for the rest of the evening. He makes dinner and gives them their baths, then gets them into bed. It's only one day, but I can usually get some decent work done.
 
Summer: When you created A Bitch Named Karma what kind of feedback did you expect, what kind did you get, and what was your honest reaction to them?

Stephanie: The story has gone through many changes, and for the most part, everyone's reactions were positive. Lexi, my main character, is very sassy and says what's on her mind. Some of her thoughts and actions, the sex scenes and language, was a little shocking to people. The reaction that bothered me the most was my mom's. She had a hard time accepting that "her daughter" wrote such descriptive sex scenes and used such language. It hurt me that my mom could not separate the book and the writing from me as her daughter. I wished she could just read it and enjoy it and not think of me as she read it. But in the end, mostly everyone loved Lexi.  It was a real struggle to find a home for the story, and many of my friends and writers group members just could not understand why no one wanted to publish it.
 
Summer: Has this experience changed how you will write future books?

Stephanie: No. I write what I feel and I have to stay true to myself. I'm not going to change my style for anybody.
 
 Summer: What can we expect from you next?

I actually have two short novels releasing this year from Lyrical Press. The first is Paradise Cove in March, and then Soap Dreams in June! I am also hard at work on the sequel to A Bitch Named Karma, titled Karma Kameleon. It's finished, I'm just perfecting it before I submit it to my editor!
 
 Summer: Finally do you any advice for aspiring authors?

Just keep writing. Practice really does make perfect! And find a supportive critique group. I would be no where without my writer's group!

Thanks so much for interviewing me! It was lots of fun!

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And thank you Stephanie for being such a good sport with my questions. It was really great to see your view point on your book and family life.

If you are interested in A Bitch Named Karma you can check it out HERE
Stephanie also has her blog which you can take a look at HERE