She’s an average teenager who doesn’t like coffee. Yep, hot chocolates for her! She loved writing ever since she was little and have dreamed for so long to make writing a career for her.
Anyway, I’ve got to leave this short as I am currently craving Cookies & Cream ice cream, and in the mood to binge-watch some movies! -Talesha
Get to know more awesome stuff about her:
Do you have any amazing stories about your fans? Any favorite fan stories?
No, not really.
What’s your favorite thing about being a writer?
My favorite thing about being a writer is sending a message through my books. From what I have read over a few years, not many people write books about dealing with issues in the world, such as bullying, discrimination, and racism. This inspired me to write my own, seeing as I didn’t find any books that weren’t based around relationships and coffee shops. That was how Saving Gracie was born. I related it to numerous topics, but the main one was bullying and how it leads to suicide. As some people are still unaware of how bullying can actually affect someone on the inside, I made Grace Parkinson as a girl that many people can relate to. And when Grace was made, I carried on with the secret message about bullying and suicide: no matter how bad things may seem, there is always a light under the tunnel but to find the light, you must stand up for yourself and not be afraid.
Who is your favorite character that you wrote?
My favorite character that I wrote has to be my handsome Alec from Living With The Anderson Boys. As this was my first ever book on my new account on Wattpad, I knew that other than all of the danger in the book, there had to be some humor and that is how Alec Anderson came to be. He is the youngest out of the Anderson’s and is also probably the funniest. He makes jokes, loves to make others laugh and be himself, basically. And because of that, I knew that Alec would forever be in my heart.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I first realized that I wanted to be a writer was when I was starting at a new school. We were learning narratives and creative writing and the whole concept of it all intrigued me and I wanted to be a part of that. I’m pretty sure I was 10 at the time, and this was when I started to have a passion for writing. I would write about anything that came to mind, whether it was about my friends or the fact that I was hungry. Whatever entered my mind was definitely going down onto that paper and that’s when it started.
Do you have any fun facts about your book?
The book Saving Gracie was inspired by the book griEVE by Lizzie Wilcock. The protagonist in the book, Eve, stayed in my head long after I finished reading the book. No matter how many times I tried, she would never leave my head. That’s when I decided I should write a new book, a book where a girl, just like Eve, was dealing with her own struggles – completely different to Grace’s, of course – and the story about how she deals with it all. Also, Saving Gracie was finished after 3 months of writing the first chapter and has over 50+ chapters in the whole book!
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
The only thing that exhausts me is my computer screen. When writing up chapters, especially late at night when the inspiration comes, the only thing I can see is the screen of my computer shinning on my keyboard to help me write. And when looking up at the screen and down at the keyboard, it makes me a little
What is your favorite quote?
You only have 3 choices in life: give up, give in or give it all you’ve got.
Who do you say has inspired you the most?
In all honesty, the person who has inspired me the most has to be my friends. They always tell me never to give up and always have supported me ever since I started writing. I love them endlessly.
What advice do you have for aspiring authors out there?
Never stop chasing your dreams. If you hit a roadblock, there is always another way around. And never say you can’t do something because you can – don’t doubt yourself.
What’s your favorite part of your own book?
The climax has to be my favorite part because when things start to get complicated, it’s like you set a little challenge for your characters, even though you’re the author. And it’s also cool to experience yourself in a situation where everything goes the way you want it to go because when do you ever get to control someone’s life? You have to take advantage of it.
Do you have a writing routine? If yes, what is it?
Sadly, no, I don’t have a writing routine. With school and work going on, I try to write whenever I can, for as long as I can. I tried to make a schedule to help me with updates but my life is just a never-ending cycle of coincidences that stop me from writing.
Who is your favorite author and why?
My favorite author has to be Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games and every other book forward. Ever since I first started to read The Hunger Games, which was in my English class, I was probably the most intrigued student there. I wanted to read every word for hours as it was so captivating. Suzanne Collins has such a unique style of writing that keeps people on their toes – well, I guess that only was directed at me in those English classes…
What are you writing now?
Right now, I am writing numerous books but am more focused on one of the drafts that I have never written before. But of course, that has to be a secret until I publish it on Wattpad… but what I can tell you is that it is related to supernatural themes.
What inspires you to write?
What inspires me to write is three things: movies/TV shows, songs, and rain. Only some will understand the rain part.
It’s a wrap!
Make sure to grab Talesha Mitchell’s Saving Gracie on Amazon (don’t forget to leave a review 😉), or sign up for her newsletter for updates and freebies! You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Goodreads. 🙂