5 Questions with Cameo MacPherson, author of Dead in Bed

1. Tell me about yourself and how you first became interested in writing?

I think a lot of  my interest in writing stems from growing up wanting to be an actor. Even from a young age, I loved inhabiting other worlds and other personalities. I had the privilege of being able to do quite a bit of amateur and semi-professional theater, and even though I never hit it big, I was very grateful for those those opportunities. I still am.

Eventually, my goals began to shift. I fell in love, got married, and had three children - who for some strange reason demanded to be fed and cared for... every day. Shortly thereafter, my mother became sick and I helped with her care. There was no way I could find time to perform, but my mind wouldn't let me stop thinking about other worlds. They haunted me, nagging in my ear until I wrote them down.

After that, I was hooked. Writing the story out bit by bit and seeing it unfold was even better than acting. I could explore the worlds in depth. I could be all the characters. 

I eventually did find my way back to the theater, but by then it was too late. I was a writer. 

(Oh, I should probably mention, Cameo MacPherson is the name I use for my romances. Not because I don't want people to know who I am, just because I love the name. For anyone interested, I can be found on Twitter as Cathy Greco@cameomacpherson, or on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/cathy.greco.5   Shameless self-promotion done now.)

2. What was the inspiration behind your book Dead in Bed?

A little over a year ago, a publisher I had been hoping to work with notified me of a special call. They were doing an anthology of classic fairy tales with a zombie twist. She had read a flash fiction story I had written and thought I might like to take a chance on submitting something. 

Since my best friend is absolutely terrified of zombies but refuses to stop watching shows and reading about them, I knew I had to do it. I took a little used fairy tale (the princess and the pea) and put my admittedly strange twist on it. Unfortunately, the book wasn't ready by the deadline for the special call, but I kept working on it, and it eventually turned into Dead in Bed. 

3. What's next on your plate?

I'm polishing up another zombie-related romance novel. It's set in a different world than Dead in Bed, but I think if you enjoyed Dead in Bed, you'll really enjoy Dead Sexy. It's a full length novel, and I have to admit I love the characters and the world they inhabit. It's a little bit mystery, a little bit silly, and hopefully a whole lot of romantic. I'm also working on a young adult fantasy novel, but I don't want to give away too much. Mainly because it changes with every sentence I write.

4. Is there any particular writer or book that inspired you, either while growing up or as an adult?

 I devour books, so listing everyone who has inspired me would take forever. At the risk of offending the books and authors I don't name, I will say Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers series, and C.S. Lewis' Narnia series were life changing. Terry Pratchett's Discworld, too.

5. What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

I'm an aspiring author myself. I think all writers are, even if they've published countless times before. The only advice I can give is to be a little crazy, cause if you're not when you start writing, you probably will be by halfway through the journey.

Oh, and maybe have a best friend who is scared of zombies.