In the world of indie authors, it can be difficult sometimes to stand out and truly make a name for yourself, but in the case of Trisha McKee, she has done just that. With all her many pursuits and very popular writings that are devoured by her fantastic readers, she has made a splash on the scene that has set her apart in a few different genres. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview this celebrated writer, and it is my honor to share our virtual chat with you today.

RH: Please tell us a little about your story and how you decided to become an author.

TM: So I do not remember when I was not writing. I had a turbulent childhood with an angry, ill parent that left my childhood chaotic and filled with violence. In the darkness of it all, I would create stories. I would escape into other worlds. Even before I could write, I was writing stories in my head. It is how I survived.

What was the first thing you had published and how was it received?

While I have written all my life, I never dared send anything out to be judged. At first, writing was a very private thing, a way to survive, and then a way to heal. So it was mine to keep close. But as I got older, and I no longer needed writing to survive; I wrote because I loved to write. It shifted. And in April 2019, I decided I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and risk the judgment. I sent out a short story that got picked up right away. It was called Red Dress, and it is a dark story about a woman whose best friend was kidnapped when they were young.

It got great reaction, and it prompted me to continue sending out my work. To this day, I’ve sold over sixty short stories and still going strong.

Please tell us a little about the books you have written and published thus far.

Well, in May, my novel Beyond the Surface was published. It is my debut novel. It centers around Ella, a middle-aged woman whose life is turned upside down when her husband leaves her for another woman. She has to continue life, parenting a moody teenage daughter and working at a job she hates. Realizing her life is nothing as she pictured or wanted, she sets out on rediscovering her joy. She takes up fishing and starts dating, and in the process, she meets Dennis, who ends up saving her life one day. But Dennis has a past, and she realizes she might be in for the biggest heartbreak of her life unless she gains control and faces her own past demons.

How do you describe your style or genre of writing?

My short stories are sci-fi and horror. But my novels – I used to say romance, but they are more. They deal with love and family and conflict. I’d say women’s fiction, but I have a lot of male readers who have enjoyed Beyond the Surface. My books are about relationships. About emotions. About the past.

What kind of schedule do you keep when writing?

I work full-time at Penn State, so when I get home in the evenings, I get stuff done around the house, talk to my family about their day, play with the bulldogs. And then I settle in and write. Weekends are for reading, running errands, meeting up with friends, and writing. I find a way to make it work. When you have a passion, you find the time and energy to make it work. Or you’re going to be stressed and miserable and maybe not realize the reason.

Tell us about any upcoming works or opportunities that you are able to mention.

So the sequel for Beyond the Surface is due to release in the fall 2020. It is titled Beyond the Dreams, and I’m so excited to continue the story of Ella. There is a bit more focus on her daughter Lila, which is exciting as she starts a new journey in college.

I have a lot of short stories coming out, and you can see which are out and where through my website www.trishamckee.com.

I have a podcast Vox Vomitus that I co-host with Allison Hubbard and Jennifer Gordon (both amazing authors with fantastic books). We are a branch of Authors On the Air Global Networking. We discuss writing gone bad, those projects and words that just are not fit to be read or written. We have a great lineup of guests, including James Rollins, Russel Nohelty, and Wendy Webb.

If you could turn one of your books into a movie, which would it be and what would be your vision for it?

I have one manuscript I’m polishing up to send out that is about a woman who survived a horrific past. She has a young daughter that is a genius and a bit of a handful, and she works hard at keeping everyone out of their world. I love this story because of how she is forced to rethink how she lives and thinks, and that is a battle with her fear, her past, and the possibility of love. I’d love to see how it plays out in a movie.

When not working on writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

So many things. I love love love hobbies. I read a lot. I love to go fishing and swimming. I love having friends over for a dinner party. I love gardening (I have the best sunflowers). There is so much to do that I never understand when people say they are bored.

I applaud Trisha for the way in which she took what could have been a debilitating experience as a child and transformed it into a positive passion that assisted her in coping with pain and suffering. While she has only recently begun her career as a writer, there is no doubt that if she continues on her current path, her readership will only increase, and the sky could very well be the limit. Moreover, her movie idea is not as far out of the realm of possibilities as one might think, so fingers crossed for her there as well. I invite everyone to visit Trisha’s links below and consider following her where applicable. In fact, if you are looking for a new book to read, you might even check out her debut novel (link below). I wish her nothing but success in all her future endeavors. 

FOLLOW TRISHA

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Beyond the Surface is available on Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Surface-Trisha-McKee-ebook/dp/B08C4SZGK3/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

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