Author Interview: Leigh Ann Kopans

Today, Typelings, I have the pleasure of introducing you to an amazing author, Leigh Ann Kopans.

Leigh Ann has been a good friend and constant support to me for about a year. There were some days I don't know if I'd have kept writing if it hadn't been for her.



Oh, I almost forgot to mention, our dear mutual friend Jeremy Renner has agreed to sit in on the interview and give his thoughts. Thanks for being here, Jeremy.



First, Leigh Ann, I can't start the interview without saying -again- how much I adore you. It's a lot. You're amazing.

Darci! I adore you too! You're absolutely wonderful! And hey, remember that time I invited myself over to your house for lunch on zero notice? Yeah. And you even still talk to me?

Hahaha! You were IN ARIZONA. How could I pass up the opportunity to meet you in person? Second, thank you thank you thank you for doing this.

You're welcome! Honestly, it's the least I could do.



Question number one on my mind is one I've talked to you about multiple times, but I think readers would like to hear. How do you balance your writing with a family of six, working , and all the many responsibilities required of you otherwise?

Oh, my gosh. I'm not sure "balance" is a word I would use to describe my life - everything's usually teetering pretty close to toppling over, you know? And the thing is, the negotiation of responsibilities feels like it's constantly in flux. Sometimes, my  husband's work schedule allows me to spend many hours a weekend writing - most weekends, I'm doing childcare or housework the whole time and literally don't sit in front of a computer. Most of my writing, reading, and critiquing time happens in stolen hours in the mornings I can manage to drop the children off at preschool early or keep my eyes open after they've gone to bed.

And I'm ALWAYS reading something - my Kindle is indispensable for holding a bottle or cuddling a child with one hand and reading with the other.

There are also lots of shortcuts and sacrifices - I hardly ever cook anymore, only fold laundry once a week (if we're lucky,) and don't sleep or exercise nearly as much as I would like. Until I get a hold of a time turner, that will have to be how it gets done!



Jeremy, you have no idea. That sounds about the same as my life. Speaking of family, you have a pretty open online presence. Do you or your family ever worry about internet creepers? Are there precautions you take to avoid that kind of thing, while still taking the opportunity to build your platform?

The openness of my online presence is actually sort of an inevitability - if you know I'm a campus rabbi, it's pretty easy to figure out which campus I'm on, and hence the general area where I live. I've always known that, because of my job, if someone really wanted to track me down, they could. But I think that's true of a lot of jobs.

As for the kids - I interact with so many people on a yearly basis that it would be pretty impossible to keep my kids' names under wraps.

However, I never talk openly about the suburb where we live, and when I tweet pictures of the kids in public places I only do so after we've left. Plus I check OUT on Foursquare instead of checking in. And that's about the best I can do!



It's a pretty scary thing sometimes, that's for sure. Now, you have an agent, and you've written several novels. Obviously you're pursuing the traditional publishing model, but how do you feel about the whole trad. vs self-publishing debate?

I think a book is defined by the level of skill, effort and professionalism put into creating it. And I think think that a high level of skill, professionalism, and effort can go into creating any book, no matter how it's published. As a reader, those are the only factors I really care about - is it a good story, and has it been honed into a fundamentally good product? If so, I want to buy it.



So, I support writers publishing in any way that best helps them meet their goals for their own books. Obviously, some dreams - like having a big display in Barnes and Noble and being endorsed by a publisher's imprint - demand  being picked up by a publisher. Others don't.

Along those same lines, do you see a difference in going with a small press publisher versus a larger house? Do you see advantages or disadvantages to either?

Sure! A small press probably won't offer as wide of distribution, but may offer higher royalties and a more personal experience. A large house may be able to offer a bigger advance and larger distribution. Of course, each house will have different editors, and you may feel you "click" better with one over another. A small publisher may invest in a "riskier" book, because they might be losing less up front.

I  think choosing the publishing method - large publisher, small publisher, or independently assembled team - all depends on what's best for the book and the goals its author has for it.



My thoughts exactly, Jeremy. Writers pursue different goals with different books. Every one is different, and takes, as Leigh Ann has said before, "a village" to make it. So, when you go to someone, or vice versa, and ask to be CP's, what does that mean to you? And how many CPs do you officially have?

Well, I almost never ask to be CPs - I ask if a person would let me read their book. I normally approach someone new because I'm DYING to read what they've written, for one reason or another - usually I've seen a sample of their work, and the voice, the subject matter, or something similar jumps out at me.

Then, I ask what that person needs from me, feedback-wise - which could be anything from overall light notes to deep in-line edits. Then I do that, no more, no less. I'm always honest, kind, and discrete. I try to be as gentle as possible while giving the criticism *I* think the book needs to be the best it can be. And I open and end every critique with praise and a thank-you for allowing me to read the work, along with an invitation to brainstorm and answer any questions that may arise from my critique.

I don't expect anything in return. Ever. And I'm honored if that person agrees to read my work.

My "official" list of CPs is....nonexistent. Just because critiquing a project takes, on average, several hours, and because my critiquers always are working on their own projects, I NEVER want to assume that anyone has the time, energy, or inclination to read my stories. I have critique partners on a project-by-project basis. Sometimes, one of them will be the main point person, and will agreed to work on every revision with me in depth. Others will agree to do a quick read with overall notes. It all just depends.



I've had the same experience with it depending on the project, it can go so many ways, as Jeremy has so eloquently shown. You've written a number of novels, Leigh Ann. I've been *privileged* enough to read two of them, and they're amazing. Where do you get the ideas/inspiration for your books?

Hahah thanks! Well, I've always been obsessed with superheroes, and I wondered what would happen if someone only had one or two of the components to make a superpower. That's how the hero and heroine of ONE and TWO were born - each only has a fraction of a superpower. For example, Merrin can float, but she can't fly.

My other books are retellings of old stories - either Austen or Bible. Those are stories that are important to me, and I want everyone to have the chance to experience them on a level that speaks to them, so I thought I'd try my hand at a different take. Plus, fitting all the symbolism of, say, the Exodus from Egypt into a Young Adult Science Fiction story is a fun challenge!

Since ONE is the book you have on sub right now, can you tell us a little about it? We're pretty excited...



ONE


When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.

It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly, or even slowly drift through the air – too bad all she can do is hover.

If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other. It also doesn’t hurt that Elias is as good at kissing as he is at helping her fly.

Best yet, her mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub’s internship short list. 

But when the Hub kidnaps Elias, Merrin must decide if standing up to them is worth losing her chance to become more than a One. Because The Hub's sick experiments don't heal Ones as she thought – they kill them. And if she breaks into the Hub to rescue Elias, she’ll also destroy her chances that the Hub will ever find a way for her to fly solo – her only chance of being more than a One.


Nice! I LOVE your query. It's what made me want to read it it the first place.



Haha, yes, it is AWESOME. I can't wait! Now, even though it's asked very often, what advice would you give to writers out there, whether agented, un-agented, or just getting started on their first novel?

Oh, goodness. this is so cliched. But I would say to keep writing, keep learning and getting better at it, find a community of people who love you, support you, and help you grow, and, eventually, don't be afraid of sending your work out into the world. We want to see it!



Again, thank you so much for taking the time to do this! You're an awesome writer, and friend, and I'm sure an incredible mother, wife, and everything else you are! You're inspiring. <3 Any last words? Haha!

Thank YOU! I always love the chance to say hello to new folks! When I'm on Twitter, I'm usually up for a good chat, so if you're so inclined, follow me (@leighannkopans) and we'll talk more.
And, Darci - you are INCREDIBLE. Always an unfailing support, and looking for opportunities to help others. I'm so lucky to have you in my life!

Awww, YOU'RE incredible. One of my best and favorite cheerleaders! Thank you again! And now, Jeremy would like to close out the interview with a little  dance.



He's been dying to do that the whole time.

Thanks for reading! Now go find a way to follow Leigh Ann!

Blog: leighannkopans.blogspot.com
Twitter: @LeighannKopans

*****
Leigh Ann also took a minute to answer the Typelings-get-to-know-you questions. Here's a little bit more about her ;-)

1. What is your favorite thing to do besides read or write?
Eat.

2. What is your favorite genre of literature, if you have one?
I really like almost anything Young Adult - really!

3. Do you have a favorite book or series of books? If so what?
Not really. And all my faves are really all over the map, genre-wise!

4. Which do you prefer, reading or writing?
Writing. Wow, that feels weird to admit.

5. What do you love most about literature?
I really think it's magic - the way something technically not real can capture your attention and focus so much. And the way things that people essentially made up can inspire you to do and be something real - it's incredible.

6. What is your favorite color?
These days I'm partial to blue-green. And purple. See: my hair. :D

7. What is your favorite food?
Cake. Mmmm.

8. What is your favorite type of music?
I feel like such a jerk saying this, but I don't even know how to start answering that. ;-/

9. Chocolate or chips? (Sweet or salty?)
Both, together.

10. How do you eat an Oreo?
Dunked in milk, savored, times twenty.