Erin Danielle is a plucky young bookseller in the suburbs of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis–Saint Paul. She has a penchant for pigtails and daydreaming at night while her cat begs for attention. She has always had a love of Sharpies and never leaves the house without one in her bag. She graduated a few years ago with a Bachelors in Psychology. Her life is filled with work while she tries to figure out what more she wants out of life. But ever since middle school it has been her dream to see her name in print. So the chance to combine something she loved with something she’s dreamt about was too good of an opportunity  to pass up.

1. Your profile says you live in MN. Were you an above average child?

I’d say I was. In fifth grade I was in an advanced math class, but they also slapped me with a special ed label because of a very minor lisp. In middle school the only advance classes they had were math classes, and I missed the cut off for those classes by five points on a stupid standardized test I took in third grade. I was so bored in my classes, I was one of those kids that asked for more homework. In high school I got to choose my classes without needing a certain test score (except math, that I still couldn’t get in to. Stupid five points.). They didn’t allow freshmen to take AP classes but they had honors classes that were between AP and normal. So, I took all of the honors classes I could, while still being a special ed student because of a lisp my braces had made disappear. I would have taken AP U.S. History in tenth grade but I absolutely suck at the name and date thing. In eleventh and twelfth grade I just the choice to participate in a program called Post Secondary Enrollment Option, basically I go to a community college full time, for free, and any credits I earn will transfer back to my high school to count towards my graduation as well as count toward my college degree. I loved it. I was no longer bored, I was officially rid of special ed case manager, and I escaped the bullying I had to go through. Also I saved 10K in student loans.

2.     Team Edward or Team Jacob

Team Edward. But MY Edward, not that creep they got to play him in the movies. No MY Edward is a whole lot less creepy and emo-y. See, my ability to create my own version of characters is why books will always be better than movies to me.

3.     What is the most memorable (or disturbing) thing Tiffany Reisz has ever tweeted?

I’m not sure. Whenever she complements my writing I feel special. She is such a good writer that it’s amazing to think that she thinks I might have talent. And she has yet to really disturbed me while tweeting, but her Seven Day Loan story did make me uncomfortable. It’s why I haven’t read The Siren yet, and why I can’t promise to get through it when it comes out in paperback. But Tiffany and I have chatted about it, and as far as I know, she’s not taking it personally.

4.     When you first heard of Felt Tips, did you immediately have a story idea?

When I actually first heard about Felt Tips I thought it was just some random title idea Tiffany had, not something that was going to turn into something. If you follow Tiffany for any amount of time she’ll tweet a random plot idea and punny title. But when I saw the blog post and that this was turning into an actual thing then ideas started popping into my head. My first one was too hard to do in such a restricted word count, but the one I chose to go with turned out well. And I’ll let you in on a secret, All Marked Up is based on a true and personal story.

5.     Why did you decide to use a pseudonym for your Felt Tips story?

The evolution of my pen name is kind of interesting. I’m too big of a blabber mouth to use a pen name to keep secret, but who hasn’t wanted a different name at some point in their life? Up until recently if you would have asked me, I would have said it was because I had academic work published under my real name and I didn’t want to have them confused if I decided to go back to school. But that is a load of baloney and I know this. The history behind Erin Danielle is actually that my mom loved the name, even though she named my older brother Aaron Daniel, she wanted to name me Erin Danielle. My dad didn’t like this idea and vetoed it. So, I ended up as Rebecca Lynn Stine. Yes, my initials really are R. L. Stine. Anyway, when the opportunity came up to use a pen name I jumped at it. If I ever have a book published then we’ll see what I decide.

6.     Do you keep your real name private?

Not really, I started out on Twitter using my real name. But when I got a job I decided to be a little more private with it. Just to make my twitter hard to find to my co-workers. I love them, they make my job so much more fun, but I have a facebook for them and family.

7.     Where did the nickname “Stormy” come from?

I’m a geek for Doctor Who. Have to be honest. And in the episode “Closing Time” the Doctor went to visit a friend, Craig, and Craig was taking care his son, Alfie, for the weekend. Well, the Doctor can speak baby and is told by Alfie that he hates the name Alfie and would rather be called Stormaggedon, Dark Lord of All. I died! I loved it so flippin’ much! So, I changed my display name on twitter to Stormy. See, told you I’m a geek!

8.     Have you always considered yourself a writer?

No, not at all. Even know I don’t feel like a writer. I feel like writer is this special title you earn, that I haven’t. It’s the same with novel. I don’t say I’m writing a novel or a book, I yI write stories. But that’s because I don’t feel like they are that impressive. I’m strange like this.

9.     What is the next writing project you have in mind?

While I feel like I’m hopelessly locked on it, I’d love to get back into my NaNoWriMo project. I started it long before November 2011, but once I started working again (November 21) the ideas just stopped. I was so busy that I think the ideas just got jealous. It needs some work, and hopefully I’ll be able to give it some attention soon.

10.     What are your feelings regarding the self-publishing vs traditional publishing debate?

I really have no idea. I mean I’m all for getting books out there and getting people  reading, but some self-published books kill it for them all. All books need to be well edited, and to me I don’t care who published what, as long as it’s well edited. I mean there are hugely popular books out there (published by a big sixer) who, in my opinion, should have their editor smacked, because they are just riddled with horrible grammar.

11.     Would you rather be known for writing that one perfect bestseller that turns into a living classic, or a long series of only mildly-successful novels?

Hm, I’m not sure. I might have to go with the bestseller. Because I’ll always write, whether it sells or not, and it’d be cool to have something I wrote be an American classic.

12.     Do you have a blog? How do you use it?

I do have a blog, Thoughts Too Long For Twitter.  I use it sort of like a public diary. I’ve only just recently started it and I might change what it’s about, but for now it’s really just my thoughts, stuff that keep me up at night, stuff that might be bugging me.

13.      What social media do you use? Do you combine your personal and professional or keep them separate?

I use Facebook and Twitter. Facebook is for my family and friends I know in real life, and Twitter is just for me to be me. I have a lot of family that don’t live near me so Facebook is a nice way to keep in touch with them (how else would I see my grandma feeding tigers), but I feel like I hide a lot from them. My friends and family in real life know I tweet, but none of them follow me, or even know my twitter handle. So, Facebook is just personal, and I guess you can say Twitter is a combination. But I don’t see myself as a professional in anyway. It goes back to that whole writer thing. But who knows, come December, and the release of Felt Tips, that might change.

Stormy’s Grandmother feeding a tiger

14.      What is your ideal writing environment? Have you ever been able to create it?

Wow, getting to the hard questions now. I really have no idea. Most of the time I write at my desk, late at night with either music or the TV going (or both sometimes). No idea if it’s my ideal, but it’s what I do. I guess I’ve just never really thought about much.

15.     Do you have rules for how steamy you write your sex scenes?

Yeah, no, not really. I’m a pantser. I just write what pops into my head. In all reality I get really nervous writing sex scenes. I’m a virgin, so I have no idea if what I’m writing is actually realistic. That being the case I try not to limit myself, I mean if I’m going to write something completely new to me then I feel like I should just go all out and see what happens.

16.     What genres do you write? Would you consider trying other?

I usually stick to paranormal or suspense romance. Oh, and Fan Fiction. I’d be open to something different, but I’d have to have a really solid idea, or else it’ll probably turn into a romance piece.

17.     What is your favorite electronic or digital writing tool?

That’d have to be my MacBook. Her name is Lappy and is has wonderful today as she was when I first got her. I originally got her as an early high school graduation gift from my mommy. I’d never go back to a PC.

18.     What is your favorite non-electronic writing tool?

I’d have to say my Peanuts journal. I use it a lot when I’m working or babysitting. I love it because I can just jot down scene ideas and don’t have to worry about starting a new Pages document and then coming up with a name to save it under. I suck at names. I have a WIP currently saved under the name ‘I have no idea’.

Sandy

19.     What is your most persistent distraction from writing?

That’d have to be work. I prefer writing at night, so whenever I close I feel like it’s a throw away writing day. I mean I have a few hours to myself in the morning, but I just can’t seem to force myself to write anything. And then by the time I get home at night I just want to go to bed. It’s better when I open, because then the words flow a little easier at night.

Second most distracting thing in my life? My baby Sandy!

20. Who shot first, Han or Greedo?

I’d have to say neither. One of Han’s jealous ex-one-night-stands shot at Han first and then Han, thinking that it was Greedo who fired at him, shot back. Poor Greedo, wrong place, wrong time.

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