How could I resist a fellow author who was also into photography and gardening? Please welcome Dee Ann Waite to No Wasted Ink.
Welcome to No Wasted Ink, Dee Ann. Could you tell the readers a little about yourself?
Okay, so the first question on your list is already a stumper. You’d like to know about who I am as a person. I can tell you what I like to do: spending time with my daughter and grandkids tops the list. I love photography and spend many hours in the Everglades snapping wildlife and scenery. I have a pet photography business, and get some of my greatest joy from animals and the flowers in my garden. My interests are eclectic from baby-anythings (who doesn’t love a baby something – puppy, kitty, baby-baby, elephant, etc) to political issues. In fact, one issue in particular is the cause of my book The Consequential Element. I love wine and chocolate (big surprise there, huh?), and I love tea kettles. I’ll whisper this because I don’t want to offend anyone, but another interest of mine is guns. I like them. I used to be a private investigator and had to carry, therefore I had to know how to shoot. Spending time at the firing range became my way of relaxing – my meditation, if you will.
When and why did you begin writing?
I’ve been writing for many years, but only over the past two years have I decided to work toward publishing something. Why did I begin writing? To remove the darkness from my soul. I’m not trying to sound poetic; it’s just the way it was back then.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve always thought of myself as a writer; I’m just now beginning to see myself as an author.
Can you share a little about your current book with us?
The Consequential Element is the story of a young woman by the name of Danielle Montgomery who must make a decision. Settle the rage and hatred that encase her heart by exacting the revenge she’s dreamed of for the past fifteen years, or forgive that which has caused her pain and agony, and robbed her of a normal life. Her uncle disappears deep within the Congo jungle – a place she knows all too well – after a remarkable discovery. She must return to save him, but in doing so she will come face to face with the demon of her dreams. Obasanji; the rebel soldier who murdered her mother and stole Danielle’s soul so many years ago. The handsome Kayden Moreau, a former Special Ops soldier turned mercenary, has been hired to protect her. Only Danielle doesn’t want his protection and fights him every step of the way. Will Danielle learn the secret to free her heart from its black tomb and discover love and happiness, or has her years of hatred doomed her soul forever?
What inspired you to write this book?
I was inspired to write this story after coming across an article about China and rare earth elements. Did you know that China holds 97% of the market on REEs? And that they supply the U.S. with our requirements? Or that they have been slowly decreasing the amounts of REEs that they import to the U.S., thus decreasing our military’s capabilities to operate at 100% efficiency? Many people are not aware. I decided to write a book around this issue to bring it to light, but placed this non-fiction in the center of a fast, action-packed, thriller of fiction. The overall response thus far from my readers has been that many of them have gone on to research the issue and have become more the wiser for it. What can we do about it? Know about it. Be aware.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Not sure about a specific writing style. I’ve been compared to Michael Crichton and Ernest Hemingway (go figure).
How did you come up with the title of this book?
Ah, the title. The Consequential Element. What exactly is the element the book speaks of? There is the tangible element – Promethium – that is discovered, but there is also another element hidden in the pages of the book. I plan on holding a contest for a 100.00 gift card in the future for someone who can tell me what that hidden element is.
Are experiences in this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Some of the experiences in this book are based on people I know, events, and my life. Danielle’s inner struggles are similar to my own. We both had to learn a vital lesson of life, and we’ve both had to learn to remove our armor from life in order to let people in.
What authors have most influenced your life?
I have been influenced by many authors. Authors of children’s books, horror, thrillers, adventures, and everything in between. Some that stand out most in impacting my life are Edgar Allen Poe, Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Ernest Hemingway, Lisa Gardner, Patricia Cornwell, Charles Dickens, and Ray Bradbury.
If I had to choose a writer to be my mentor I would choose Stephen King. It isn’t because of his genre, it’s because, in my opinion, he has such a great grasp on making me see and feel his stories. His characters live in my mind long after I read one of his books. His stories appear real no matter how farfetched they are. I want to be able to make my readers feel the same way.
Who designed the cover of your book?
I designed the book cover for The Consequential Element. I used to be a graphic designer and know my way around Photoshop pretty well.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
My only advice for other writers is not to give up on your dreams. If your dream is to write, do it. But if you’re going to do it, do it to the best of your ability. Learn the craft and become a professional. Don’t put anything out there in the world with your brand on it unless it reflects you in the best possible light. If you choose to indie publish, treat it like you would through a traditional process. Have your work copyedited, proofread, and fine-tuned to the best it can be. Be an author, not just a writer. Only then will your dream come true.
Dee Ann Waite
Central East Coast, Florida
No Wasted Ink 
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for sharing Dee Ann’s story with us. I don’t write a book but looking forward to publish my second eBook (first was free and novice).
I think the hardest part is to trying to explain our knowledge to the minds of the readers. I get it (at times) where readers doesn’t really understand what I am trying to say. Possibly, thinking too far before writing.
Nonetheless, thanks for sharing this once again. Have a great day.
I’m glad you liked Dee Ann’s interview. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by the blog.
Great interview Wendy. I think she speaks for all of us when she says she has written all of her life, but has only begun seeking publication over the past couple of years.
Isn’t that the truth! I believe that most of us begin as writers in this manner. Nice to hear from you again, Renee. 🙂
Thank you for a lovely interview, ladies. I enjoyed it very much.
I have to say, I have never read anything written by Stephen King, but I’m beginning to feel I must. I have read and appreciated a lot of his advice to other writers and you are not the first to have said you would choose him to mentor you if you had to choose just one writer.
Thanks for sharing, Dee Ann.
Christine
cicampbellblog.wordpress.com
Christine, I am not a Stephen King fan myself, but he wrote a book on writing that is constantly being referred to by writers of all genre. If you get a chance, you should check it out, even if you don’t read any of his novels.
Hi Christine! Thanks for the comments. I’m not a horror writer, nor do I read much of it, but I do enjoy his style of writing. I also bought his book, Stephen King: On Writing and it really is full of good advice. He is a bit opinionated, but then I guess that comes with the enormous amount of success he has achieved. 🙂 Thanks again for stopping by.