T. M. Winters

My name is T. M. Winters. I was born in Columbus, Ohio. I am the third oldest of six siblings and a mother of three, a blooming artist, an author and a very young comedian. I come from a hard past but I fight to bring happiness; hope and positivity to my future every single day of my life.

When I was in high school, I was given my very first typewriter to work on since I was always writing short stories, songs, and poetry. To say I fell in love with it would be an understatement. It was around this time that I began writing the poetry section on the school newspaper. After high school I wrote poetry for family and friends until the year 2012 when I collaborated with a poetry group and wrote a book of poetry called “Emotional Breakthrough: A Book of Hope” to bring awareness to Sickle Cell Disease.

Sometimes it’s hard to get my words to say exactly what I’m feeling, when that happens, I pray and then take a good look at my children and gain newfound strength to keep going. It is because of my babies and the lives I might touch that I know I have to keep going.

 

FAVOITE QUOTE:

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. (James 1:5-6)

 

Here are some interview questions that I was asked for a blog a person was doing in regards to authors, just so you can get to know me a little better.


1)How long have you been writing?

I've been writing since I was 7 years old. I used
to use reading and writing as an escape or a way of coping. They soon
became a love that I couldn't separate myself from. I saw a story in
everything from children playing on the street to a slip of conversation
accidentally overheard while standing in line waiting. I would wake up in
the middle of the with poetry and short stories begging to be put on
paper.
At the age of 16, I received my first typewriter and of course, my love
for writing grew considerably. I dreamed of getting my words out for other
people to be able to read and experience. I wanted to give other people
the escape and comfort that reading had given me throughout my life.  As I
began to share my work, I found that there were a lot of people that my
writing actually helped and I think I loved that more than I did reading
and writing.

2)      What inspired you to write your novel?

About a year ago, I was talking to my niece Mynika Winters who suffers from Sickle Cell Disease, and she asked me why her disease was not common knowledge. So a friend of mine and myself, gathered up some people and we wrote a book of poetry called Emotional Breakthrough: A Book of Hope.
So many people told us how that book helped their lives and how they could relate to the poets that I decided to try my hand at writing and (now that I know how to self-publish) publish book on my own. A year later Book one to my series, The Clandestine Family: Secrets Revealed was born; and a year after that gave birth to Book Two The Clandestine Family: A New Point of View

3)    What did you find most difficult in writing the story?

 

The most stressful part of writing the book was trying to keep the timeline and character information straight and trying to make sure the story I am telling will be clear to my audience. There has been so many times in this story alone that I have gone back, read my book, and confused myself. I’ve also had to remember that when fixing one chapter you have to make sure you didn’t end up messing up something you had your characters say or do in a previous chapter.

The writing process is something that is very time consuming if you’re really trying to do it correctly but it’s all worth it to see your work in print and to be able to hold the book in your hand and say this is the work that you created.

4)      What did you learn about yourself as writer, in writing your book?

 

In writing this book, I learned that I have a much more active imagination than I ever gave myself credit for. The short stories I wrote when I was younger were dramas that reflected and magnified the situations that I had lived through and watched other people I knew go through. The write The Clandestine Family: Secrets Revealed, I had to pull ideas from the depths of my imagination.

I also realized I tend to disappear into the scene of what I’m writing and become one with the characters and that helps me get on paper what I would like my readers to experience.

5)      Can you tell us a little bit about your book?

 

Whisper, Rajah and Serene Clandestine are all at different stages in their young lives when they receive a call saying they need to get to the hospital as soon as possible. While there, they learn that their mother has been withholding a huge secret from them, a secret that will change their lives forever.

Their world of blissful ignorance has come crashing down at their feet in just a few short hours. While trying to cope with their new life situation, they encounter members of an organization of Seekers that have come together to hunt them and people that hold the same secret as them. These people will stop at nothing short of death to obtain the secrets that have only recently, been revealed to the Clandestine Siblings.

Danger hides behind every corner and fear behind every closed door. Who will help them? Who can they trust?

6)      Can you tell us three things each, about your characters Whisper, Rajah and Serene Clandestine that we do not learn from the blurb?

 

Whisper Clandestine is the eldest of the three. She was one of the highest-ranking detectives at the precinct where she worked. She’s a no-nonsense woman that has never met a case she couldn’t solve and today, Whisper is on her way to fulfill her dream of working with the District Attorney of Sacramento, California.

Rajah Clandestine has dreams of one day becoming a well-known architect. He’s has always thought of himself as a playboy and the man of the family, both things that he takes very seriously. He’s charming and sweet to all that know him. Always ready to offer a helping hand to anyone in need.

Serene Clandestine is the baby girl and a major Diva. She often finds herself trying to prove her independence, while her family still sees her as the baby. When she sets her mind to something there is nothing that will stop her from accomplishing her goals. To calm herself when she’s stressed she writes poetry in her journal.  

7)      Do you have a favorite part of your book that you would like share with readers?

 

That makes me laugh. One of my favorite parts of this book is when Serene is finishing up her lunch at the restaurant and something peculiar begins to happen. I love her reaction and the irony of the situation.

8)      How many books do you have planned for your series?

 

As of right now, I hope to have at least 6 books in this series.

9)      Do you have a writing routine, or writing ritual, before you sit down to write?

 

Before I sit down to write I turn on whatever music, movie or tv show I want to use as background noise. Grab a caffeinated beverage and a snack to nibble on such as popcorn, chips, etc. (nothing that will mess up my keyboard or paper), close my door. Then I either write out notes and ideas of what I want to happen in my book or read over the ones I already have. I read over the last few paragraphs I’ve already written so in can sink into the character I’m working with and take off from there.

10)     Do you have any advice for a first time novelist, or someone Indie publishing?

 

I will recycle some advice that was given to me, when you decide to write your first book, write it because you love to write, not because you expect to get rich. Do not expect to make a lot of money off of your first book, if you do GREAT! But if you don’t make any money, DO NOT get discouraged. Take some time and bask in the knowledge that you have accomplished something that many people wish they could but still have yet to do.

11)     How long has this whole process taken for you from the writing to the publishing of your novel?

 

It has taken me every bit of a year to write my first book.

12)   Before we go, tell us what your personal goals are, and something you would like to share about yourself with your readers.

 

My personal goals are to get my name out and write as many books as I possibly can. I dream of one day buying a house big enough so that if ever my children or future grandchildren need a place to stay, I will have space to actually be able to help without everyone getting in each other’s way.

I want to help my kids accomplish their dreams and it wouldn’t hurt to one day see my book being turned into a movies either.

 

13)     What is your e-reading device of choice?

 

The Kindle is the only reading device I've actually ever tried to use.

 

14)     Describe your desk

 

When I'm really into my work my desk becomes a mess, an organized mess but still a mess. Other than that, it's pretty organized.

Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?

I grew up in Columbus, Ohio. My childhood was not one that most, if any would envy. My way of getting through life was throwing myself as deep as I could into a book, writing poetry and short stories. As I got older the stories I began writing got longer and longer and I found myself embedding myself into the stories I wrote and becoming part of the characters I was writing about.

 

15)     When did you first start writing?

 

I started writing when I was about 7 years old. Everyday my teacher told me to write in my class journal I tried as hard as I could to make it an entry in poetry form. I would try to make it as interesting as I could; I thought I was really doing something big. Then one day my teacher came up to me and told me she wanted to take my entries and published a book of my work. It made me feel great and I have continued to write ever since then.

 

16)     What's the story behind your latest book?

 

Lately I've been watching a lot of shows with magic; good deeds; outrageous deception; family relationships (whether bonded or dysfunctional) and detective work. The books that seemed to be grabbing my attention were books that went along the same line. As I really started paying attention to my choices of reading and viewing pleasures, I began to see things that I thought would go together in one story. Add that to a little bit of my own personal experiences and you've got The Clandestine Family book series.

 

17)     What motivated you to become an indie author?

 

The thing that motivated me to become an indie author was my niece and a friend of mine. My niece suffers from Sickle Cell Disease. She is constantly in and out of the hospital. In the year 2012 I noticed she had been having to go to the hospital more and more often. She came to me one day really depressed and said she understood that there were other diseases out there but she didn't understand why Sickle Cell was hardly ever mentioned. She was upset about this because she has spent most of her life in the hospital fighting through pain crisis.
Needless to say I walked away from her completely heartbroken. A friend of mine and I put our heads together to try to find a way to help bring more awareness to her issue. He suggested getting a poetry group together and writing a book. I thought this was an excellent idea. We wrote the book and I got it published through a self-publishing site. We incorporated information about Sickle Cell Disease within the book and all proceeds went to my niece as a supplemented income.
After publishing the first book, I was ecstatic and decided until I could get myself together financially this would be the way I shared my work with the world.

What is the greatest joy of writing for you?

I absolutely love when I let people read my work and they give me honest feedback. I love it even more when they read my work and ask for more.

 

18)     What do your fans mean to you?

 

My fans mean the world to me. Without them, I'm just a writer without a cause or a storyteller without a listening ear. My fans give my work a reason to be.

 

19)     What are you working on next?

 

I am now working on Book 3 of the Clandestine Family and another story about a girl that has been through a lot in life that finds herself still having to deal with things that she hoped was left behind in her past.

 

20)     Who are your favorite authors?

 

I have a lot of favorite authors: V.C. Andrews; P. C. Cast; Carl Weber; Mary B. Morrison; James Patterson; Rachel Caine; L. J. Smith; Stephanie Meyer; Richelle Mead; Charlaine Harris; Christopher Pike; Tami Hoag; Mary Higgins Clark; Dean Koontz...

These are just a few of my favorite authors

 

21)     What inspires you to get out of bed each day?

 

My three children are my reason for getting out of bed each day. They are my reason for living and trying to make my way in this world. I strive to help them succeed in every dream they reach for.

 

22)     When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?

 

When I'm not writing I spend my time cooking; clowning around with my children, family or friends; reading; watching television; and just living.

 

23)      Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?

 

The first story I ever wrote was called The Girl in the Crystal Blue Dress. It was about a little girl that was kidnapped at the age of 10 and raised by a witch that wanted to raise her to do her bidding. The girl escaped at the age of 18 and the witch went on a killing spree to get the girl back. Unfortunately that book was written on a typewriter when I was about 16 years old. I had nothing else to do with the book and just left it lying around, eventually pages started disappearing and getting messed up and the book was eventually forgotten until today.

 

24)     How do you discover the ebooks you read?

 

When choosing a book that I would like to read on the ebook, I first look to see if there is anything new by any of the authors I like. After I've gone through them then I go through and look at the titles and covers of different books, of the ones that catch my attention I read the descriptions. It's a long process but I'm rarely disappointed.