Seven minutes with Jennifer: Interview of Merita King

Welcome, Merita King, to my virtual couch.

Thank you Jennifer, it’s a privilege to be here.

Tell us a something about yourself?

I’ve loved the science fiction and fantasy genre in both books and movies since I was a young child.  I have been greatly inspired by years of watching movies and reading books and have wanted to make a contribution to this genre for many years.  My stories all contain a strong spiritual thread as I believe that spirituality is universal and crosses all boundaries.  I believe that the creative process is largely intuitive and can be very effectively blocked by too much pre-planning.  Plot lines, characters and events all come to me intuitively, and this makes the act of writing a constant pleasure.  I am a psychic medium and live alone in Hampshire, UK.

When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing my first novel in June 2011.  It started as a silly bit of fan fiction but as I sat down to write, that first evening, something came to life within me.  I could feel it happening; it was like a floodgate was suddenly opened after years of being locked.  I sat down to write that evening and finally dragged myself from the pc at 4am after writing continuously.  My first book was born that night and I haven’t stopped since.

Wow! You wrote a book in one night! That must’ve been exhausting and yet amazing. I can only imagine the feeling! When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I got my first paperback in my hand.  That was the moment I knew I was a writer.  To see my own work in my hands like that was the most surreal moment of my life.  It was like all moments had led to that one.  I’d finally arrived at where I was supposed to be.  It was like coming home.

Where do you get ideas for your stories?

Mostly they just sort of, ‘drop in’ but sometimes I get them from something I see on tv or a snatch of conversation.  Anything can be the catalyst that sparks an idea.  It’s a great moment when that happens and you know instantly that your next book has just been given to you.

What was the hardest part of writing your books?

I don’t find any part of writing, hard.  The bit that is hard for me is selling and marketing them after publication.  That’s a nightmare.  The writing is the easy bit, it’s everything else that’s hard.

Marketing…oh, we don’t want to go there…it’s my nightmare too! Have you ever had a writer’s block and if yes, how did you make it go away?

I’ve never experienced it.  I just sit down and start to write and it flows.  If I don’t feel in the mood to write one day, then I don’t write that day.  I don’t fight it or try to control it.  It’s a blessing to be chosen by these characters to tell their stories and I firmly believe that they are in the pilot’s seat.  I’m just the tool they use to get their story out there.

Indie or traditional publishing?

Indie.  I did at first try to find an agent but it’s such a corrupt business that I quickly decided to go indie and I can honestly say that now I probably wouldn’t want to go trad if it was offered.  There are no benefits to it anymore.

Agreed! What is the force behind your writing?

Interesting question.  For me it’s the knowledge that my characters want their stories told and that they’ve chosen me to accomplish that.  I always say that I don’t write my books, I just take dictation from my characters.

Do you have any weird writing habits?

I don’t think so, apart from plenty of coffee and cigarettes.

What is your favorite cartoon character?

I haven’t watched cartoons since I was a kid.  If I had to choose one it would be Diego from Ice Age.

Yes! Diego is cool! Your favorite author? Book?Movie? TV-series?

My favourite author is James Herbert, the horror writer who sadly passed away just weeks ago.  His book, Nobody True, is my favourite.  My favourite movie it Pitch Black and my favourite TV series is supernatural.

What do you do in your spare time?

I make Native American beaded pow wow fans.  I also do digital artwork sometimes inspired by my two favourite people, Riddick and Dwayne Johnson.

Sounds interesting and something I definitely want to know more! Maybe, I’ll lure you to do another post for me… Any current projects you’d like to share?

At this moment I’m in the process of getting my next novel ready for a June publication.  It’s called Acts Of Life and I wrote it in 20 days during last year’s NaNoWriMo.  It’s about a famous but arrogant megalomaniac movie star who spends 3 months on an intergalactic freighter as research for his latest role but then gets caught up in a desperate race for survival.  Along the way he learns a lot about himself as a man and battles with many personal demons.

Tell us something unique about yourself you’d like the readers to know…

I’m autistic and find communication difficult.  Through writing, I’ve finally found a way for my inner voice to be heard.  I can write in a way that I’d never be able to speak and I feel as if I’ve been silent all these years until I began to write.

Well, I’m happy you did start to write. Your stories sounds quite interesting. And I’m also happy for you for overpowering your disorder. I have an epileptic daughter and I wish nothing more for her than happiness and that she’ll find a purpose for her life just like you did. I heart  you ❤ If you could meet one ‘celebrity’ author who would it be?

I really don’t have a strong desire to meet any ‘celebrity’ author.  I find most other authors to be a little competitive for my taste and they seldom have much in the way of true help to give.  I admire some writers for their work but meeting them wouldn’t be of any help to me as a writer.

Do you have any words of wisdom for the other writers?

Get the story out of your head and onto the paper.  It doesn’t matter about spelling or grammar at first, just get it out.  You can tidy it up later but if you never get it out of your head, it will rot away and die in there.

Favorite quote?

Live the journey, for every destination is but a doorway, to another.

I like that! Where can people find out more about you and your books?

My website has all the information about my books with all the links to buy.  www.meritaking.com

Do you want to tell us something about your book? Maybe share a short synopsis? 

This is the blurb for the first in my new space opera series, The Sinclair V-Logs.

Floxham Island – Sinclair V-Log AZ267/M

Sam Sinclair thought this was just another run of the mill job. As a freelance law enforcement operative, his job is to find the target and deliver them into the hands of the Law Enforcement Agency. When his law enforcement contacts asked him to find Professor Nembier who they believed had murdered nine of his co workers out on a secluded archaeological dig on Agrillia 3, he fully expected to have the job done quickly. Finding the Professor was the easy part and was to become the beginning of a terrible nightmare for Sam and his companions.

Delivering his prisoner to Floxham Island Prison should spell the end of the job for Sam and some much needed time off but once he and his companions find themselves stranded upon the strangely deserted prison planet and discover the horror that has recently taken place there, it soon becomes his worst nightmare. Facing the horrors that lurk in the dark whilst avoiding those that dwell in the light, Sam discovers that a new killer is amongst them.  As their numbers dwindle, Sam races to find the killer and secure the lives of those still surviving amidst the terror that is Floxham.

Thank you so much for being here! It’s been a pleasure to getting to know you.

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