Meet Elena Bowman

WOW! had the privilege of chatting with Elena Bowman about writing and her book coming out. Kick back, put your feet up and join us.

WOW: Let's start with the basics... tell us a little about yourself.

Elena: I am a published author who writes in several genres including science fiction, mystery, romance and the paranormal. I have been writing for over thirty years. I actually started writing when I was a teen-ager, although I didn't submit any of it for publication. I started to write in earnest as a challenge to myself. I really wanted to see if I could write a full-length novel, not just short stories or the technical papers that was my profession in the aerospace industry. Publication finally came after many years of perseverance.

WOW: Perseverance is an important quality for every writer. What made you put that first story/poem down on paper?

Elena: Going to the movies and not liking the ending of some inspired me to write my own endings to these movies. I have been writing ever since.

WOW: Oh I know what you mean about those movie endings. What do your family/friends thing about your writing? Are they supportive?

Elena: My family and friends are very supportive of my writing. At first they wondered what I was doing, especially my husband, but after reading my first novel, they really thought it was great. My older brother actually handed my manuscript to a publisher in Florida. But that publisher wasn't publishing science fiction. At least he tried.

WOW: You must have a very cool brother. For you, what is most frustrating about writing? Most rewarding?

Elena: Not having the time for myself to write without interruption, is the most frustrating. The most rewarding is to see the story finished, published and with my name on the cover.

WOW: Seeing your name on the cover or byline is just so wonderful. Do you read much? What kinds of books inspire you to write – if any? Favorite authors?

Elena: I read various types of books, magazines, Internet news. I'm not sure if any one type of book inspires me to write. The inspiration can come from anywhere. I have many favorite authors, too many to mention.

WOW: Speaking of inspiration, do you take most of your ideas from life? Or your imagination? A mix?

Elena: I sometimes wonder myself. I would have to say, mostly my imagination. But I suppose snippets of life do filter in sub-consciously.

WOW: As a writer do you have days when the words won't flow? What do you do?

Elena: Not really. But what does happen if I'm out, ideas enter my head, and I don't have a notebook, paper or pen with me, I try to remember what it was that I was thinking of. Naturally, it all fades away as soon as something interrupts. What I try to do is remember a word or a phrase, and write it down as soon as possible, in the hope that what I was thinking of will come back…sometimes it does and other times a new avenue opens up.

WOW: What is the best piece of advice you've been given as a writer? What's the worst?

Elena: The best piece of writing advice I received is: Believe in yourself, your work and persevere. Never give up. The worst: Never use contractions, no matter what.

WOW: That's some great advice. Especially in the writing world. As we close, did we forget anything? What would you like to add? Any upcoming publications or links for our readers? Current projects we should watch for?

Elena: Yes, I would like to add that the Gatekeeper's Realm is the second book in the Legacy Series. Both the first book and the second book are now in print and available on Amazon. I have written another series, a science fiction one entitled: The Sarah's Landing Series and Time-Rift, a stand alone novel. All of my books are available as ebooks with ebooksonthenet, Fictionwise, and mobipocket. My print books are also available from my publisher, Write Words, Inc.'s imprint Cambridgebooks

My website address is: here. You can read excerpts and reviews of all my novels.

My other website address is: http://www.sarahslanding.com. The last book in the Legacy Series will be in print in the coming months. Meanwhile, the first book in the Sarah's Landing Series-Contact will be in print soon.

I have recently started a blog that I am experimenting with: http://elenabowman-scifimysteryromanceauthor.blogspot.com. I have joined http://www.ning.com and some of their various groups. And, of course, there is my space: http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor

Thanks so much for chatting with WOW! I want to take encourage everyone to stop by Elena's website and get to know her better.