I wrote my first story in 2001. It was a romance between a professional photographer and his research assistant. It was not particularly good, but it got me hooked. After another year or two, I submitted another story, this time I gathered my courage but it was rejected by a publisher with great feedback. Although disappointed, it did not stop me from writing. Eventually, I came across the online writing course from UCT and it looked like the perfect opportunity to formally learn the craft and test my wings once more. After another rejection, with wonderful feedback yet again, I decided to self-publish. While I continue to learn and hopefully improve as a writer, I have not looked back on my choice to become an indie author.

How did you decide on the names for your stories in STORM?

This is the hardest thing for me to explain – I just know. reGENESIS is the prequel to an existing sci-fi romance series. While it is a narrative, the story behind the stories of the Third Gender Series, there is no romance in this story. The Cutting Horizon was exactly the same. The title just came to me just as I sat down to start writing the first draft. Since the thunder storms in the story impact directly on the main characters, I felt that the title worked.

What was your favourite part of the writing process for your STORM stories?

The writing. I loved to sit down and get to know my characters as I wrote their stories. As a pantser, I never quite know what they were going to do next. The stories turned out better than my original ideas for both of them.

What was the most difficult part of the writing process for your STORM stories?

I don’t like editing, maybe because I am not good at it, but I do edit my stories at least three times to fix plot gaps and cut excess words where necessary. Then I print it out and tackle it once more. I don’t write “fluff” but sometimes a scene is superfluous or in a wrong place, those I delete or move without a second thought – my three sets of coloured pens have become my best friends. I am a firm believer in getting another person to edit my work; it polishes the end product in a way that I cannot.

What other projects are you working on?

I have made a list to help me to keep focus this year, and so far I am not doing too badly. I need to finish the editing on OBSESSION, the third book in the Third Gender Series. I am also in the process of finishing the first draft of my third novel, MICHAEL’S MYSTERY (Camp NaNoWriMo in April is earmarked for that) as well as finishing a bundle of erotic romance short stories. Only two more stories need to be finished before the editing process can begin.

Contact Linzé

Blog: http://www.linzebrandon.blogspot.com
Twitter: @LinzeBrandon
Facebook: http://mrkt.ms/MGHWXK
Books: http://buff.ly/18mCCBe