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1. Who are you (i.e. brief bio)?
My name is Kerry Freeman, and I write gay romance. When I have to be pithy, I usually say I'm an author, a geek, and a Southerner.
I began seriously writing a few years ago (unless you count that stint writing software manuals). Sometimes I still wonder if I'm a writer or an author or if there's really any difference. I didn't begin consistently calling myself an author until my short story was published.
Geek-wise, I've got cred, lots of it. I've been a web developer for over fifteen years, and I'm self taught. I go through laptops, cell phones, and gadgets faster than most people go through shoes. My husband is still beside himself that he managed to find a female who watches Diggnation with him.
I was born and raised and still live in Alabama. I used to dream about leaving for the big city, but now just visiting one gives me hives. My stories are always set in the South, and I use research as an excuse to go on road trips.
2. What are some of your publications or works in progress?
My short story "Realize," a contemporary gay romance, was published by Torquere Press in April, and I recently contracted with Loose Id to publish my first novel, a gay contemporary menage romance. It's scheduled for release in October.
3. Is there one of which you are most proud? Why?
The one of which I'm most proud will probably never be published. It was the first thing I wrote that made people tell me I should write professionally. I usually chalked that kind of talk up to politeness or too much alcohol, but people kept bringing it up as an example of what I could do if I wanted.
4. Which genre/style do you prefer and what attracted you to it?
My preferred genre is gay romance. My first exposure to it was through slash fan fiction, and I sought out original gay fiction after that. I prefer romance because I'm a sucker for the HEA/HFN. I don't mind the characters going through some hell, but I want something warm and fuzzy at the end.
5. If we were to observe you in the act of writing, what would we see?
Me, curled up in my recliner, barefooted, my Macbook on my lap. I'm usually trying to make myself ignore Twitter or Tumblr, and sometimes (like now) I've got iTunes playing something. My year-end goal is to turn one of the spare bedrooms into a proper office.
6. When you get writer's block, how do you respond?
I listen to music. Music is always my savior. I get more ideas listening to music than anything else. My current project started out as a thought I had listening to a song on the radio on the way to lunch. The resulting plot has nothing to do with the song, but I'll always remember the song playing when the first idea came to me.
7. From the inception of writing to publishable work, typically how long do you spend?
I began planning my upcoming Loose Id release last October, and I began writing it as my NaNoWriMo 2010 project. I finished writing it in December, and made edits in February and June 2011. I pitched it to Loose Id at the end of June, and the rest is history.
8. Is there any advice you would like to share with other authors?
The best piece of advice I got when I began is the same advice I pass on to everyone starting out: if you want to be a published author, you need to act like a published author. Begin blogging. Interact with others, especially published authors in your genre. Treat it like a profession you love and not a hobby.
And, for God's sake, have fun. Life's too short to write stuff just 'cause you think someone will buy it. Write what makes you happy. You will find that it makes someone somewhere happy, too. (I still have to remind myself of this.)
Links:
"Realize" on Torquere Press
kerryfreeman.com
kerry-freeman.blogspot.com
Critique Group blog
Goodreads profile
Google+
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