As seen in the January issue of Uncaged Book Reviews.
Uncaged: You are a lawyer by day, does the office you work in know you are also an author?
–Yes, my coworkers all know. I use my real name, not a pen name.
Uncaged: Can you give readers some information about your Law School Heretic series?
–The series is about a law student who feels like a fish out of water. She doesn’t behave how people expect; she doesn’t like the things that most of her peers do. I enjoy taking flawed characters and putting them in situations that make them extremely uncomfortable. It leads to conflict, bad decisions, and sometimes redemption, which I think make for good stories.
Uncaged: There are two books available now in the series, how many do you have planned?
I plan to write at least one more book in the series, possibly more. I’ll see where the third book takes me.
Uncaged: As a reviewer, I’m always curious as to what authors can take away from the reviews, do you read them and what do you take away from the reviews?
I read most of the reviews my books receive. Some reviewers have included constructive criticism that I have taken into account in future writing endeavors. That was extremely helpful. My books have resonated with a lot of people. It makes me feel incredible knowing that others have gone through similar experiences as I have since, after all, there is something of myself in all my main characters.
Uncaged: Can you tell us what you have coming up next?
I’m currently working on rewrites of Thunderstruck, a contemporary romance set during a fictionalized political campaign (to be published in March 2018). I’m also working on a nonfiction book, Your Scorpio Child, which is a sort of handbook for parents of Scorpio children. In addition to being a lawyer and author, I’m also an astrologer.
I’m also writing Chaos Theory, a contemporary action/romance in which the main character is a reclusive author who is also psychic.
Uncaged: How long on average does it take you to write a full book? What is your writing process?
It takes about a year from start to finish, since I schedule writing time around my day job and family time. I outline and then fill in scenes. I have a general idea of the plot and fill in details as I write. I constantly take notes on ideas, wherever I am, and work them into the main book outline when I get home.
Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?
I love having total creative freedom; I write what I want, not what I think people want to read. I love creating something. My least favorite thing is not having the time I would like to devote to writing. But that’s life.
Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?
I’m an introvert shut-in most of the time. When I’m not working at my day job or writing, I’m spending quality time with my family and traveling. I’ve lived overseas and have traveled extensively, and want to see as much of the world as possible.
Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write? What is the easiest?
For me personally, I love writing dialogue. I could write scenes involving dialogue all day long. The most difficult part for me is usually working on character development. I want to delve right into the action, but it’s important to the reader to know why characters behave the way they do.
Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?
I can’t thank my fans enough for all the support they’ve given me. There is no better feeling than when a fan contacts me out of the blue to tell me how much he/she enjoyed my books. Taking the time to contact an author to tell them this means a lot.
I’m on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lawschoolheretic , Twitter at @RieggerM, and LinkedIn. I also blog on writing, reviewing, legal history, and constitutional law issues at www.lawschoolheretic.com
[symple_box color=”black” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]Maria Riegger is a banking/corporate attorney in Washington, DC by day (please don’t hold thatagainst her), and a fiction author by night. She is a Gemini whose head has always been in the clouds. Indeed, from a young age, her mother scolded her for not paying attention. An irreverent Gen X’er, she writes gritty contemporary romance, with plenty of sarcasm.[/symple_box]
