Q. Hey Xtina! Thanks so much for being able to join me today to discuss your newest release Where The Dirt Road Leads. As you know I've had the pleasure of obtaining an advanced reader copy compliments of Hell Bound Books and I can't say enough how wonderful this collection is. Can you tell me a little about your inspiration to write this and what your favorite poems were to write?
A. Hi, Sam! Good to talk to you outside of working on the show! Let’s see… Poetry is something I discovered as an angst-ridden teen experiencing my first heartbreak. Good thing I didn’t know witchcraft, or he would have been turned into a toad! Anyway, I learned that I could get the hurt out onto paper and after that, I would feel better. It became an outlet for me. That was a lifetime ago, and I’ve been writing ever since.
My inspirations for this collection were life. The things that make me feel- anything. I find inspiration all around me. Favorite poems. That’s an interesting thing to think of and I love learning what other people liked best, they hardly ever match up with my favorites. I think I love my dark pieces more. They definitely make me feel. And that is the key ingredient I look for when I read or when I am writing. I want to make you feel. So, I loved Infected, …and Again for those reasons. Tourist and Ashes were also a lot of fun to write.
Q. That cover is absolutely STUNNING! Luke Spooner does a fantastic job when it comes to his designs and delivery. I see you've used him as your cover artist for all of your collections, what about his work speaks to you? Do you give Luke an idea of what you're wanting for your covers or do you let him have free reign to create his own piece for you?
A. I just love Luke Spooner’s work! Dark Musings and Lights Musings previously had different covers and it was very important to me to get them redone in Spooner’s style. There is just something dark and whimsical about his art that really calls to me. I hope he will continue to draw my covers for years to come.
Q. As an avid fan of your writing I'm aware this new release of yours isn't your first publication. Could you tell us about your other collections and which piece of your own work you are most proud of?
A. This is a great question! Dark Musings will always be a favorite of mine. I was going through a very dark time in my life when I wrote it and anytime I pick it up, I am reminded of just how far I have come in my journey. As soon as I release a book, it becomes my favorite! I wrote 3 collections that were rhyming poetry, and then I decided to try my hand at free verse, so when I released Without the Confines I was over the moon. This poetry was so different from what I had written before and I was so in love with it. And with every collection since then I have felt such a growth in my writing that I am very proud of. But right at this moment, I think I will say that I love Where the Dirt Road Leads just a little bit more than the others. But promise you won’t let them know!
Q. It's no secret to those that know you that you do so much more than writing. You've created your own press and podcast show as well. Can you tell us a little bit about your press Hell Bound Books and The Panic Room Radio Show? Where did the inspiration for them come from?
A. That’s a fun story! James Longmore and I were both signed with the same publisher. His book The Erotic Odyssey of Colton Forshay and Dark Musings were both published by a small horror company in 2016. The owner of that press decided to also do a podcast with author interviews and I was one of the hosts. The show was just a mess! It was truly dreadful. James Longmore was a guest on our third episode, and him and I just clicked. We had real chemistry. He became a co-host on the show and it wasn’t long before the other host expressed her displeasure at the changes and improvements James and I were wanting to make. I have to say, I am so glad those first few months of shows are lost somewhere out there on the interwebs. So embarrassing!
As for HellBound, James and I were not happy with a lot of things that had happened to us at the small press we were published with, and after we learned that the company was really nothing more than a scam, we put our heads together and decided to open a publishing house where our authors were the focus. Where we give our authors the treatment we had wished we’d received. And I do believe we have accomplished that!
Q. What's your favorite book that you've published through Hell Bound Books? Who was your favorite guest on The Panic Room Radio Show?
A. You know that’s like picking a favorite child, right? One of the first books I was tasked with editing and then managing the audiobook for, was Blood in the Woods by J.P. Willie, and it will always be a favorite of mine. But I have been blessed to be able to work on so many great books it’s hard to pick favorites. Some of the ones that come to mind that I enjoyed the most are: Tenebrion, by James Longmore, A Touch of Happy by Andrew Kanago, Skin Dreams by Bret McCormick, The Amityville Murder House by Andy Rausch, South of the Mason Dixon by Sam Kench, Highway Twenty by Michael J. Moore and The Children of Hydesville by Jeff C. Stevenson. Not to mention the amazing anthologies we have published over the years!
Q. Do you prefer writing to publishing or do you enjoy the life of publishing more?
A. It’s interesting you ask that. When I stop to think about it, the answer is surprising. While I do miss writing, the publishing side of the spectrum is so rewarding. I get to be a part of every aspect of a novel- from reading through submissions, to editing and talking to the authors about cover art. And then there is the audiobook. I get to help pick out the perfect voice and be privy to adjustments and listening in as the project is being created. By the time the book is published, it feels like my book baby as well, and when I get to hold the paperback in my hand, I feel such pride. So I would say that in no way at all have I sacrificed my own dream for other writers, but the dream shifted into something I never expected, but get just as much satisfaction from.
Q. Last but not least Xtina, we often discuss on The Panic Room Radio show how there just never seems to be enough hours in the day. How do you balance all of your obligations in your life while being a writer and also running your press/podcast?
A. Well, if you ask my business partner, James Longmore, I don’t. LOL. Every single year so far, I say I want to become a little more organized, but so far, it hasn’t happened. I procrastinate dangerously, but for the most part, am able to get everything completed on time. Thank goodness. Maybe this year will be my year!
Q. Thank you so much for your time and joining me today Xtina! If you wouldn't mind before we sign off, can you let us know where people can find your work?
A. Sure! I am addicted to Facebook, unfortunately, so that is a sure place to find me.
My profile:
https://www.facebook.com/darkpoetprincess/
My author page:
https://www.facebook.com/XtinaMarie4031
The Panic Room page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087068418644
Also, if you're interested in publishing with Hell Bound Books or being a welcomed guest on The Panic Room Radio Show you can find that information located below:
The HellBound website:
https://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/
The Panic Room website:
http://www.panicroomradio.com/
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