Please help me welcome Chantal Mer to the author spotlight stage! Chantal is from outside of Philadelphia, PA.
Describe your books/your writing for the readers.
Sports, Low-Angst, MM
What is something that makes you unique (personally or within your writing)?
I never considered writing fiction until I was in my 40s. So, writing novels came as a bit of a surprise.
Tell us about your writing process. Where do your ideas come from? Do you plan/plot or totally wing it?
My ideas come from everywhere… someone I see, something I read or have experienced, something I’ve heard. I started out totally winging it, but now I do a loose plot.
What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
I was a very shy and quiet kid, When I was in 9th grade a boy sitting in front of me on English class made a racist remark. I grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him back and told him I found his remark offensive. I then told him what I would do to him if I ever heard him say anything like that again. Mind you, I was about 5 feet tall and 85-90 lbs. Not very intimidating. For the remainder of high school, that kid never spoke like that in my presence and would yell at people if they even swore in front of me.
What is your favorite childhood book?
Pippi Longstocking and Charlotte’s Web
What is one of the best feelings in the world?
Reading a good book while snuggled under a blanket with my dog on one side and my cat on the other. Bonus points if I have a glass of wine or a cup of tea.
If animals could talk, which would be the rudest?
I’m getting very specific, but my cat Gracie. Sadly, she is deceased, but no doubt she would have been the rudest animal ever!
What’s a sound you absolutely love?
Cicadas in the summer. The purr of a cat.
Favorite snack while writing?
I don’t really snack when I write, but I usually need a snack around 3:00pm, and Wegmans Mountain Trail mix is my go to snack.
Favorite drink when writing?
Hot tea and water.
Favorite scent?
Warm chocolate chip cookies.
If someone is new to your writing, which book would you suggest they start with?
I think Absolving Ash. It was the first book I wrote in first person, and I wrote it that way because that’s how the characters spoke to me.
Where can readers find your books?
Big thanks to Chantal Mer for stepping into the spotlight today! Check out her books; you may find a new favorite author to read.
