1. Day: What literary pilgrimages have you gone on? For Example, Hemingway’s house.
Miranda: I haven’t had the privilege to be able to do one of these, but I would love to take my kids on a Laura Ingles Wilder trip.
2. Day: If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?
Miranda: Australia. I would love to visit the down under, and I feel like there are so many adventure stories that could start there as one of the last really wild places on earth.
3. Day: Picture this: You feel uninspired while you have sat at the computer for an hour without conquering any words. How do you get your creativity flowing?
Miranda: I only have small snippets of time to work on my writing between the other things going on in my life. If I can’t write for whatever reason, I have a long list of other things I work on, such as marketing, newsletters, social media posts, etc.. When I come back later, I can usually write unless I’m super tired and just need the day off. Then I just take a day off.
4. Day: Are you a plotter or a Pantser?
Miranda: Plotter! I like to have an idea where I’m going, and it really stressed me out when I tried to start a Vella that I didn’t know the ending to until I got there.
5. Day: What is your most unusual writing quirk?
Miranda: I try to keep my readers on their toes while still following the characters personality. It makes for some interesting twists.
6. Day: What is your favorite genre to read, and why?
Miranda: I read all kinds of things depending on my mood at the time- mystery, romance, and fantasy are probably the ones I gravitate to most.
7. Day: Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
Miranda: I try to be original, but am working on trying to deliver what readers want while still being original. We will see if I succeed!
8. Day: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Miranda: I’m still not that advanced of a writer, but I can already see improvements in my work, so I would probably just suggest to keep going!
9. Day: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Miranda: Developmental edit. I learned a ton that I can use for my future writing.
10. Day: As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Miranda: Ocelot. I like having a pen name. It feels like I have a whole secret identity and lets me hide in plain sight like the Ocelot.
11. Day: How many published and finished books/Vellas do you have?
Miranda: I have two nonfiction books self-published under a different name that I wrote years ago. More recently, I started writing fiction books. I currently have one Vella that I wrote in a serial fashion that is almost complete, Loves Cats, Anonymous. I also have four other books that are almost complete but are currently at different stages in the editing process. So keep an eye out for my Riddling through Romance Series and Smitten Scientists Series that are coming soon.
12. Day: What does literary success look like to you?
Miranda: Having my book on the shelves of people I never met.
13. Day: What’s the best way to market your books?
Miranda: Still working on that one. I have a newsletter and have begun tinkering with Facebook ads, but I have a long journey ahead of me.
14. Day: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Miranda: I usually do internet research and mix in some of the more interesting aspects of my own personal experience.
15. Day: How many hours a day do you write?
Miranda: Roughly two- three. I am homeschooling my four kids under nine for a good portion of the day and can only squeeze out a few hours here and there.
16. Day: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Miranda: I do! I love those little easter eggs, and even if no one else figures them out, they make me smile.
17. Day: What was your most harrowing scene to write?
Miranda: My first makeout scene. I just kept picturing my dad reading it.
18. Day: What is your favorite time to write, and why?
Miranda: I get most of my writing done after the kids go to bed. Otherwise, I have the two-year-old interrupting me every few minutes looking for snacks and my nine-year-old looking over my shoulder while I’m trying to write more intimate scenes.
19. Day: Do you feel like it’s most important to have A) Strong characters B) Mind-blowing Plot twists, or C) Epic settings?
Miranda: I’m shooting for all 3! Although I think it’s the characters that make people really connect with a story.
20. Day: Can you give a shout-out to a fellow author?
Miranda: I really am enjoying the Honoria Porter series by Stephanie K. Clemens. Her main character is really fantastic.
Miranda’s current Vella’s are:
The werewolf cat has gone viral! Cat loving Katrina has become an active member of the Loves Cats online forum. It’s all fun and memes until member Catman007 begins sending her mysterious messages. Curiosity getting the best of her, Kat works to uncover the cryptic puzzles and realizes more is at stake than her precious cats. When she discovers more about the mystery, she begins to fear she’s the one who will need nine lives to survive.
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Outwitting Paradise: Available Any Day Now!
Day Parker 