A Day in the Life of an Author by Bianca Sloane

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5:00 a.m. – The alarm goes off.  “I Gotta Feeling,” by the Black Eyed Peas is playing.  I gotta feeling I may have been smoking crack when I set the alarm last night.

5:30 a.m. – The alarm goes off again.  Was I really serious when I said I would get up early and work out today?  “Bust a Move,” by Young MC is playing. Ugh.  Now the DJis trying to motivate me?

6:00 a.m. – Okay, I’ll do a hard stop at 5:00 p.m. and get my workout in.  “Dead or Alive,” by Bon Jovi is playing.  Start singing along in my head.

6:45 a.m.  – Well, now I’m hungry, so I maybe I will get up.  The DJ is talking, which quickly brings my hand down on the snooze button.  

7:15 a.m. – Alright, I really DO need to get up now.

7:20 a.m. – The morning ritual (sans workout) commences: brush teeth, get on the scale (ugh – why?), drink a glass of water to quell hunger, scroll through the BlackBerry to look at all the emails that came in overnight, mess around on Facebook, glance at Twitter, check sales, look at GoodReads.

8:00 a.m. – Still haven’t eaten.  Make scrambled eggs, toast and tea.  Watch “Frasier” reruns on Lifetime while eating.  Frasier and his new girlfriend, Charlotte, are trapped in the country with some extras from “Deliverance,” while Niles interviews the physical therapist that he thinks is the stripper and Daphne interviews the stripper she thinks is the nanny.  Hilarity ensues.

8:30 a.m. – Shower and dress.  Even when you work from home, the rule is, you always shower. ALWAYS.

9:00 a.m. – At my desk, which faces a corner in my living room.  Make out my to-do list for the day.

9:15 a.m. – Actually start working; answering emails, working on blog posts, check Amazon, muse on what to post on Facebook.  Check BN.com.

10:15 a.m. – Open up WIP to go over it with a fine tooth comb to start assessing the massive plot holes.  Write down my findings in my trusty notebook.  Gosh these pages are filling up fast.

11:30 a.m. – Mess around on Facebook.  Just for 15 minutes.

12:00 p.m. – Boy, did I go down a rabbit hole.  Resume p(l)ot hole assessment.

12:30 p.m. – Hunger strikes.  Grab an apple. Mess around on Twitter.  Just for 15 minutes. 

1:00 p.m. – And yet another rabbit hole.  Get back to the holes that matter and resume work on WIP.

2:00 p.m. – Realize I’m starving.  Lunch awaits.  Salmon and salad. Vain attempt to make the scale like me tomorrow.  Watch the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” episode that’s been on my DVR for almost a week.  

2:15 p.m. – My head hurts. 

3:00 p.m. – Back to work.  

3:40 p.m. – Work, work, work, work.  Oh, wait, I haven’t been on Pinterest yet today…

4:15 p.m. – Okay, really, I should get back to work.  Right after I check out PEOPLE.com and EW.com…

4:30 p.m. – Back to work.

5:30 p.m. – Oh, who am I kidding – I’m not going to work out today.  Like Scarlett O’Hara says, tomorrow is another day.  Besides, I’m on a roll—I’m figuring out the problems with my WIP.  Whew!

6:00 p.m. – Think about what to have for dinner.  Start texting with best friend, start finalizing weekend plans with some other girlfriends.  

6:30 p.m. – Still haven’t eaten.  Decisions: leftover pepperoni pizza or salmon?

6:32 p.m. – Pizza.  Duh.

6:45 p.m. – Watch today’s “General Hospital,” and fast-forward through half of it.  Do they have to put all the storylines I don’t like in one episode?

7:30 p.m.  – Can’t stop thinking about WIP.  Open it back up and start combing through it again.

9:30 p.m. – Oooh – “Frasier!”

10:30 p.m. – Stick a fork in me.  

10:45 p.m. – Wait…what time am I setting the alarm for tomorrow?

Q & A with Author Bianca Sloane

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Remember this name, Bianca Sloane. This upcoming novelist truly embodies the genre of suspense thriller. With two published novels that have been well received, she is definitely carving her own path to becoming a household name. After her latest release, Sweet Little Lies, I am pleased to have her come by and chat.

What inspired you to become an author?

I was always that kid who was pecking out something on my ancient little typewriter.  I loved doing fan fiction, short stories—anything and everything.  I was a bit of an introvert with an active imagination.  I don't think I could have been anything but a writer!  

What would you say are pros and cons of self-publishing against being traditionally published?

I would say one of the pros of being in Indie author is the freedom you have.  You can tell the types of stories you want to tell, you can do it on your own timetable and you have complete control over the creative process.  The cons are that you're a one-man band, responsible not only for writing the books, but also finding a cover artist, editors and proofreaders and formatters.  And that's all before you market the books.  Sometimes, it can be tough to find enough hours in the day to fit it all in. 

In your books, you have such addictive and amazing characters. Where do you find the inspiration to create them?

Oh wow – thank you!  One of the best compliments a writer can hear.  

I pull inspiration for my characters from a variety of places.  My characters talk to me (yes, I'm one of those authors) and they tell me who they are.  That's what comes out on the page.  I don't do character bios or anything like that.  It's all free-form and just comes to me as I'm writing and during the revision process, I'll make tweaks as I need to. 

I also strive to make them strong and smart.  They may have moments when they falter, but that makes them human.  I put little bits of myself and people I know into the characters.  When I'm out and about, I observe people and  listen to conversations.  Reality TV is also great for studying human nature.  Yes, that's it...reality TV in the name of research...

It's also important to know who your characters are apart from what's on the page – where they were born, any siblings, past romantic relationships, relationships with their parents, etc.  That helps to make them more real and more relatable.  

Your latest release, Sweet Little Lies, is definitely one of those books that should be on the movie screen. Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead?

Ha ha!  How much fun would that be to see this turned into a movie?  I actually have a Pinterest board for the book where I envisioned who would play the roles.  I like Carmen Ejogo (she played opposite Whitney Houston in Sparkle) as my main character, Kelly. I've also thought Paula Patton would be good. I'd love to see Boris Kodjoe as Kelly's husband, Mark.  Talk about a McHottie.

What are the challenges that an author in your genre has when trying to create “the story”? Is it easier to build up the story with a huge ending that may be predictable or build up to the unexpected?

I think for a suspense writer, the challenge is to come up with a new way to tell the same old story. As the saying goes, there are no new ideas.  You have to ask yourself what can you do that hasn't been done before?  For example, in Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn took the story of the missing wife that we've all come to know so well and completely turned it on its head with explosion after explosion.   

I think it's certainly easier to build up to the predictable ending.  Formulas exist for a reason, which is why we see them over and over again. For me personally, I love twisty, unpredictable endings, because they're more fun and certainly more thought-provoking. Harder to develop, yes, but ultimately much more fun and satisfying. 

Is there an author or book that has inspired your career as a writer?

Mary Higgins Clark was an author who I read in high school and college whose books I couldn't read fast enough. The first book of hers that I read was The Cradle Will Fall and it remains a favorite. One of the most unsettling books I've ever read.

What are you currently working on?

I'm in the throes of my next release, Every Breath You Take, which is about a love affair gone horribly wrong. There is of course murder and some twists along the way. That will be released in 2014. 

What advice can you offer upcoming authors?

Read, read, read. Read the good stuff. Read the bad stuff. Read everything in between. Read different genres. While I love to read suspense books and this is mostly what I read, sometimes, I want to get lost in some chick lit or a good old-fashioned family saga. As Stephen King says, if you don't have time to read, you don't have time to be a writer.