I recently had the opportunity to interview writer, illustrator, and editor McKelle George on her writing (among other things). She is a writer of YA, as well as mysteries with her upcoming novel Until Proven coming out January 2015 from Pandamoon Publishing.

Q: I read that you are an illustrator as well as an author. Tell me, how do you approach a book from a visual art perspective as opposed to a writer's perspective?
  I'm more a wannabe illustrator. But I actually think the approach is similar, if expressed in different ways. In art, you have to capture so much in one moment. You have to convey emotion and tension with only superficial, visual cues. Writing is the same way, only reversed, trying to convey an entire visual scene in fifty word paragraph, with only language to help you.
 
Q: Your novel  Until Proven is a speculative mystery. When you write a book like this, do you have every twist and turn planned out before you start? How do you approach plotting this out?
  Yes and no. When I start, I definitely need to know at least where I'm going. So I think I have it mostly figured out, but then as I'm writing, I discover new ways of how the story could turn out, and new layers that move me in the right direction. Though I will say that my character, like me, is fumbling her way around and relies sometimes on luck. Those people who can plot out elaborate Sherlock-esque mysteries are much smarter than me.
 
Q: Until Proven isn't the first book you've written. Tell us a bit about the others, and where you got the ideas for them.
The trouble is all of my ideas are really polarizing from each other.  The first book I ever wrote was this bizarre, quirky young adult story about Nightmares and Dreams being actual creatures. I was so in love with this world I'd created, I think I got hung up on that first idea for too long. I still have it available online, but it's not my best work, and the greatest advice I got about it was at a writing conference when someone said, "Move on from you first project." That's when I wrote Until Proven. Right now I'm working on a series of YA Shakespeare adaptions. I'm a hardcore Shakespeare fangirl, and it's been a total pleasure reimagining my favorite plays. One is retelling of Much Ado About Nothing set in a 1920s speakeasy, and the other is a retelling of the Tempest, set in a contemporary highschool.
 
Q: Like you, I'm a big fan of small press publishing. You work for Jolly Fish Press in their editorial department. Tell me why you are such a fan of the small houses.
  Yes! I love small presses. The thing I love the most, as an author and as an editor, is the sense of community and closeness involved in traditional publishing on a smaller scale. This interview, for example, is an example of that. You feel like you're part of a small family. You get more attention. And it's not as competitive and intense, and you don't usually feel like you're getting ignored for a more prominent book, because in a small press, every single title matters.
 
Q:  As an editor as well as an author, do you find it easier to hand your books off to someone else to edit?
  Oh, yes. I NEED good editing. I'm the kind of writer who can shoot off fast drafts, but I need about twelve of those fast drafts to arrive at a satisfactory place. As an editor, it makes me crazy when an author is completely unwilling to take a second look at their book and change things. Anyone can write a book, but it takes a village to write a quality book. When I'm editing, I know that the only thing I'm trying to do is help polish the book to its highest potential, so when someone edits my book, I assume they're doing the same, so I take each critique seriously--even if I end up ignoring it or finding a different solution to the problem.
 
Q: What is the strangest daydream you have ever had?
  Ha ha! I love this question, first of all. And I'm also laughing because we could be here forever talking about my weird daydreams. I daydream all the time. But okay: here's my most recent one, to save on time. On the drive over to the library, this guy cut me off, and I thought (a bit vindictively), "Well you're lucky I'M paying attention, pal," and then I entertained a full-length daydream about a guy whose job was to get into minor accidents on purpose to teach bad drivers a lesson.
 
Q: Let my readers know about your books, where to find them, and where to find you. (Links please!)
Here's my website, which also has links to all of my social media outlets: http://mckellegeorge.com. Until Proven won't be available until January 2015 (whew!), but you can read that first Nightmare/Dream book for free, if you want, on FictionPress: http://fictionpress.com/~mckellegeorge 

This is not going to be a writing entry. Why is that? Well, we are now in the month I like to think of as "Birthdaypalooza"! This is the month that pretty much everyone in the house has their birthday. (And all in the span of 9 days. Oy.) Birthdaypalooza kicks off tomorrow as the triplets have their birthday.

Tomorrow, Joseph, Phillip, and Hailey turn three years old. I can't believe that it's already been three years since they were born. They say that time flies, and I am seeing that to be 100% true. Three years ago tomorrow I was lying in bed planning to finally watch the BBC 6 hour miniseries of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. However, my plans to do so were tossed aside when Joseph's water broke at 4:00 in the morning. A few hours later, my children were born via C-section seven weeks premature.

Everyone who wants to be a parent has dreams of what it will be like when their children are born. They dream of holding them as soon as they were delivered. They dream of having them in the room with them, and of how perfect everything will be. I'm fairly certain that no one dreams of having their babies taken to a sterile room, and then whisked away to the NICU while they (the mother) are taken to a completely different hospital ward for surgical recovery. I remember driving myself absolutely crazy with worry over what was happening with them, how they were, would they know me when I was finally permitted to see them.

I don't know how much time passed before I was wheeled in on a stretcher to where my babies were lying in their incubators. I knew they would be small, but I had no clue just how small they would be. Joseph, who was biggest, was just over four pounds, and I was told that this was a good size for a premie multiple. I remember seeing him, Phillip, and Hailey lying there, and I became determined to get as strong as possible, as quickly as possible so I could spend as much time as possible at their side, and I did just that.

Let me tell you, you haven't experienced a weird birthday, until you have your parents bring you restaurant food and make a buffet dinner at the hospital cafeteria. That was my 29th birthday that year. 

Going home was extremely difficult. Being in the hospital sucked on so many levels, however it enabled me to see the kids as often as I wanted. I couldn't do that from home, especially since I couldn't drive yet. Thank god for Brian, and his taking me wherever I wanted, and for his help with everything baby. He was a total rock. That plus our wonderful families got us through it all, and soon, one by one the babies came home. 

Now the triplets run around the house like crazy. They love music, singing, art, and dance class. They have distinct, wonderful personalities. They are growing and learning new skills at an astonishing rate, and Brian and I couldn't be prouder.

Happy birthday babies! I hope you like your cake on which the Avengers are fighting Princess Sophia, Captain Hook, Nemo and Dori. We love you guys!