Meet Andrea L. Staum


Andrea L. Staum is the author of Blood of the Sire Book 1 of the Dragonchild Lore series and contributed to several best selling anthologies. She's a trained motorcycle technician with an Associates in Supervisory Management, is an amateur home renovator, and somehow manages to find time to write. She lives in south central Wisconsin with her husband, three 'unique' cats.


What is your name and/or pen name?
Andrea L. Staum

How long have you been writing? 
Since I was able to hold a pen and put together words. Heck, probably even before then, but I can’t read my infant gibberish. Seriously though, I’ve pursued it more diligently the past four years. I took a break to go back to school and get my Associates.

What is your favorite book/piece you have written? 
That’s not a loaded question of anything… I don’t have a piece that I can pick and say: this is my best/favorite, this encapsulates me because they’re all so different. Each piece I put out there is just a bit better than the last because I’m improving my craft and evolving my voice. I love the pieces I’ve done for charity works like RRSMS because it means I’m using my talents for a cause. I love my fantasy novels (adventure & urban) because they tell the characters’ stories well. That is a really lengthy way of saying: don’t make me choose one.

What are you working on currently? 
Daughters of Kalahtaya Book 2 of Dragonchild Lore (editing process!)

Who is your favorite writer/author?
Anne McCaffrey got me hooked on dragons and fantasy/sci fi

What is your favorite book/book series?
As a teen I was obsessed with Dragonriders of Pern. As an adult it varies, but I really can’t wait for Diamant’s next offering!

What made you decide to be a writer?  And who or what inspires you the most to be a writer?
I have these stories/ideas going through my head that need to get out. They’re entire histories of people that my mind wants to get out and on the page. I am incredibly fortunate to have a strong support system in family and friends that I wouldn’t have made it this far without. 

What kind of music do you listen to when you write, if any? Favorite singer/band?
It really depends on what I’m writing. I use a couple different apps on my phone to play while I’m working, Songza & Slacker, and they have compiled playlists that I can choose my mood, genre, activity, and what not. Not that far off from Pandora really.
Caroline’s Spine is my go to band, but it really depends on mood. If I want old school, it’s Buddy Holly.

What is your favorite genre to write and read?
Fantasy and Science Fiction are my favorites because the possibilities are so endless. Fantasy is my escape.

If you could meet any writer, living or dead, who would it be?
Anne McCaffrey! I got really close once when my sister and I were in Ireland, we found her favorite restaurant. It was closed.

What do you most want to accomplish as a writer?
You’re making me think. Um. To mentor/inspire. I didn’t realize this until I started a Writing Group in my town. I couldn’t find anything like it and wanted somewhere to bounce ideas around and get critiques. I had been a part of a group years ago and never thought it was something I could just do. Well, I did it. There were months that it was just me, but in a weird Fields of Dreams scenario, people came eventually. It’s a safe haven for writer’s to come and get the encouragement they need to get the pen to the page or fingers to keyboard. Strange side effect is that I have my younger cousins asking me for advice and it baffles me that I’ve become a source of information. It also thrills me that they are interested in writing and that I can help them as best I can.

What was it like working with Rock & Roll Saved My Soul?  Would you recommend them to someone else?
It was wonderful and I appreciate being a part of it. I would definitely recommend it.


For more information about Andrea L. Staum, please visit:  

Facebook
Twitter
Wordpress
Amazon

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Drug Use in High School and College

Image
Drug use and experimentation tend to proliferate on college campuses. For those who can afford this experience, campuses are often a sanctuary for drug use. In high school, drinking alcohol was my only experience with substance use. Right before college, I was required to partake in an online program about alcohol – one that demonstrated how to minimize harms associated with drinking, such as not drinking if you are planning on driving, staying well hydrated, eating before you drink, knowing how many alcoholic beverages you’ve had, or spacing out the drinks you are already consuming. These strategies help to keep people safe and prevent deaths, and are referred to as harm reduction. In my freshman year, I found myself in a position where drugs of all kinds were almost literally falling into my lap. How did this happen? I was encountering drugs I had never even heard of left and right, and with the emergence of online drug markets, it could be as easy as shopping on Amazon. I
Read more

Mental Health Resources

Image
All of these are for the United States. If you are somewhere else and are in need of help, please reach out and we'll do our best to put you in contact with the right place. Transportation Easterseals Project Action Services Animals Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals Treatment/Research The Mental Health Research Association (NARSAD) Psychiatric Information  American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) American Psychiatric Association- Practice Guidelines American Psychiatric Association – Healthy Minds Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation National Organizations on Children’s and Adult Mental Health Anxiety Disorders Association of America Borderline Personality Disorder Resource Center Bulimia Resource Guide Center for Mental Health Services Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Recovery International  SAFE Alternatives Schizophrenia.com Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc. National Organizations on Children’s Mental Health Attention De
Read more

National Aunt and Uncle Day

Image
National Aunt and Uncle’s Day on July 26th honors a special set of relatives we look up to throughout our lives. During holidays, family events and sometimes sleepovers, aunts and uncles often hold an extraordinary place in our hearts. They fill our lives with fun, laughter, love and incredible memories.   This holiday provides an opportunity to spend time with our parents’ siblings we trusted and leaned on growing up.  It would be an excellent time to get out the old photo albums. Look through the pictures, and relive the memories of earlier days around the Christmas tree or at the 4th of July picnic or maybe at the beach vacation that included those special aunts and uncles in your life. Get together with your relatives and create new memories. Remind them of all the reasons you enjoy having them in your life. Celebrate the lessons they’ve taught you and share them with the next generation.  Another way to celebrate the day is by documenting family memories and history.
Read more