Q&A

1. What made you decide to become a writer?

I grew up in a small town, and my siblings and I were one of a handful of minorities that weren't foreign exchange students. I wasn't thin, pretty, or rich, so I was pretty much excluded from a lot of social groups and activities. I relied on reading first, then I began to write. Poetry first, then stories.

2. What was the first story you ever wrote?
It was about a knight, his page, and a young damsel in distress taken by a were-dragon. As it turned out, the damsel didn't need saving from the dragon as she fell in love with the creature, and the knight and page were sent packing. I think I was in junior high when I wrote it.

3. What was the first novel you ever wrote?
My first novel length work is "Moonlight and Madness", 77,000 words. It's still in the process of revision and editing.

4. When did you first become published?
I was a junior in high school, one of my poems was published in an anthology. A couple of other poems were published in following anthologies, but I'm still an aspiring author.

5. Why your pen name?
I want to keep my writing life separate from my family life.

6. What does it mean or where did it come from?

Isobael was my first online role-playing character name. She became so popular that everyone requested I play her in various chronicles. She was a human that came into the World of Darkness and she tried very hard to retain her innocence and mortality despite the creatures around her. You either hated her immensely, or you loved her immensely. There was no middle ground with her. Since everyone knew me as Isobael, the name just stuck after all these years. It’s also a nod to my Scottish ancestors on my father's side of the family. Liu is actually my middle name and a nod to my Taiwanese ancestors, from my mother's side. For the record, I am NOT related to Marjorie M. Liu, the famous author.

7. What are you currently reading?

Yasmine Galenorn's Otherworld series and Christine Feehan's Carpathian series. When I can get my hands on them, Amanda Quick's books.

8. What inspires you to write?
My own fantasies have to be the biggest inspiration. Loneliness and boredom come in a close second.

9. What is your all time favorite paranormal character in your own works?
Hmm. Thorin, in my first paranormal novella, "Untamed", but they all are my favorites. I guess it depends on what I'm working on. Right now, "Dead of Night", it has to be the alpha male character, Alyx.

10. What is the worst story you've ever read?
LOL. It would have to be my first story. I was so embarrassed of it, I burned it. =)

11. What is the most memorable story you've ever read?
Wow. Hmm. I can't remember the title of it. It was a historical romance, I believe, but I do know I FELT the heroine's emotional pain and just cried through the book because I felt her isolation and wanting to be loved, to be a part of something.

12. If you could meet any author in the world who would it be and why?
Christine Feehan, because I haven't met her yet and one shelf of my bookcase is just her Carpathian series. LOL.

13. Which authors have you met?
I've met Yasmine Galenorn and Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz). I consider Yasmine to be a friend, am honored she considers me as a friend, and she's so open and honest about her experiences as a writer and becoming an author. Ms. Krentz is awesome to listen to at book signings and listening to her talks, well, I can't WRITE notes fast enough to catch everything she says. I've met Cherry Adair, who is a KICK IN THE PANTS to listen to at book signings and author discussions. She is so in your face funny.

14. Where do you see your writing career headed?
I'm hoping to be published within the next five to ten years. I'd like to see it happen before I'm 40, but we'll see.

15. Do you aspire to hit the New York Best Seller List?
I don't know. My main goal is to be published. I've never considered hitting it "big time". Stranger things have happened, I guess. LOL.

16. What advice would you give to another fellow writer/aspiring author?
Write, even if you think it sucks because it can always be revised and edited. Just keep writing, because how else are you going to learn? READ everything about writing, and listen to authors who've been there. If you're lucky to know any authors, LISTEN to the gems they give you.