Tell us a little about yourself.

I am one half of a writing team that also includes my wife Christine. We live in the Austin area along with our three dogs and Shadow the cat. I have a life long love of reading and fantasy in particular ever since reading “The Hobbit” at the age of eight.

Our first young adult fantasy “Rowan of the Wood” was released last November. The sequel is in the polishing stages at the moment.
What got you started writing? What brought you to YA?
I knew I wanted to be a writer by the age of 10. I’ve been writing ever since. It is a compulsion. I find young adult enjoyable to both read and write because the young are more intelligent than older adults. Their imaginations are more active. They may not be as wise as their elders but tend to take a greater interest in learning about life.
Tell us about your most recent/ upcoming release?
“Rowan of the Wood” is about an ancient wizard who possesses a modern boy after a millennium of imprisonment in a magic wand. He emerges from the child in the face of danger and discovers Fiana, his bride from the past, has somehow survived time and has become something evil.

Do you plot out in advance, or just start writing and see where things go from there?
We do a lot of plotting, research, outlines and timelines. Since there are two of us writing we have many discussions about where we want our books to go and take copious notes. However, once the characters come to life they often take us in new directions on their own.
Many authors have told me their characters talk to them, and sometimes even have different ideas of where the story should go than the author. Do you hear your characters?
Definitely. Especially when writing dialog. Often when writing down what one character said the responses from other characters just seem to appear automatically.
Who is your favorite character (of your own)?
I would have to say Fiana because she is the darkest and most complex. She is also the one who goes through the most changes.
What hobbies do you have when you’re not writing?
I do a lot of woodworking. Christine and I have a booth that we take to Renaissance Faires and Celtic festivals where we sell our own crafts and artwork. I also enjoy traveling and hiking.
If you had not become a writer what would you have done instead?
Being a writer was inevitable for me. But I also supported myself for many years as a contractor.
Where can readers find you online?
Christineandethanrose.com
Your turn. What question do you have for readers of Want My YA?
How important is genre to readers? Do you prefer to stay within your favorite or will you read anything as long as it’s good.
Thanks so much for visiting with me today Ethan. Personally, I’m more of a fan of paranormal stories, but if I’m given a good reason to read a book and it has a good story then I’m willing to cross over to a new genre.
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