Interview with Pepper D. Basham

About the Author

​Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of 5 great kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus, and proud AlleyCat over at a group writing blog, The Writer’s Alley. Her debut historical romance novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in May 2015, with the second arriving in February 2016. Her first contemporary romance debuts in spring 2016

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Pepper Basham Author Promo from Dan Phillips on Vimeo.

The Interview

1. How long does it typically take you to write a book?
Well this is an interesting question because the answer has drastically change since I've had deadlines added to my life :-) I have a very busy life apart from writing (work full-time as a speech-language path, mom of 5), so it usually took 6-12 months for me to finish a novel. I'd write when the muse hit and when I Had time. Historicals usually take a lot longer for me to write than contemporaries. Anyway, I had to write The Thorn Keeper, book 2 in the Penned in Time series, in 3 MONTHS! ahHHH!!! So - I guess I CAN write a book in 3 months, but I prefer 6.
 
2. When did you write your first book and how old were you?
I've been writing my whole life, but I still have the copy of my first 'book' that I wrote when I was 10 years old. A mystery about two kids. I have my next long story too...a mystery too. I was a BIG Nancy Drew fan at the time :-)
 
3. What suggestions would you give potential author to help them become a better writer?
WRITE. It's easy to have a great plan but no follow-through - writing is the only way to get a story written :-) I also strongly encourage getting involved with a writing group to have support from other aspiring/published authors. It also adds inspiration and accountability...in that order.
 
4. How frequently do you hear from your fans?
Well, I'm fairly new to having fans :-) I hear more from fans on FB than any other way. I've only received personal emails or letters a handful of times. But I probably hear from a 'new' fan about once every few weeks or so on FB.
 
5. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?  Did becoming a writer ever cross your mind?
I'd never considered 'writing' as a profession until my granny bought me a typewriter when I was 11. She said "Because a writer needs one". That was the first time anyone ever called me a writer, but I still had other aspirations. I wanted to be a pediatrician so I could be called Dr. Pepper :-) As I grew older, my interests in literature, teaching, and medicine converged in the profession - speech-language pathologist. It's a good match, AND I can be a writer too :-)
 
6. What hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing?
I love walking in the mountains, reading, playing the piano, and hanging out with my kids. They're some of my favorite people in the whole world!!!

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Check out my review of
​THE THORN BEARER