Hello friends! Today I’m happy to introduce you to Erica Cameron, author of the Laguna Tides series, the Dream Wars Saga, and The Ryogan Chronicles – the second book of which, Sea of Strangers, came out last week!

I’m bringing this to you today, courtesy of Chapter by Chapter tours!

Let’s learn a little bit about Erica!

If you had a free day with nothing to do, what would you do?

Free days have been so rare recently, but when I have them I tend to be as lazy as possible. Sleeping in, a meal out, and lots of Netflix in between. I’m an introvert and a homebody, honestly, and spending the day relaxing on a couch is just about perfect for a true day off.

If you could spend a day with someone you admire (alive, dead or fictional) who would it be?

Most of the people I look up to are authors, but there are so many it’s hard to choose! Tamora Pierce has been a life-long favorite, though. I have had the chance to meet her at conventions (and have more than once made a fool of myself more than once by babble-gushing like the star-struck fan I am), but it would be amazing to get the chance to sit down and have a real conversation with her. Maybe one that lasted long enough for me to figure out how to ignore the giddy fangirl side f myself who’s too busy jumping up and down and squeeing to make any kind of sense.

What do you like best about yourself?

Although I have certain exceptions to this rule, most of the time it takes a lot to upset me. It’s a learned skill and not an inherent one, but I tend to be pretty good at letting little things roll off.

What do you like the least about yourself?

The opposite side of the same trait. I end up being passive sometimes when I shouldn’t be, or I end up realizing after a while that I’ve let people get away with things I shouldn’t have. Pushing myself to fix that isn’t easy, either, since I abhor confrontation and am almost pathologically driven to avoid it.

What part of your life are you willing to spend more money on for quality?

Food. Also, mattresses, pillows, and sheets, because sleep is amazing. Oh! Bookshelves, too. It is absolutely imperative to have shelves that can withstand the weight of my library.

When do you consider it an appropriate time to lie?

To save a life, definitely. Other times, it depends on the circumstances. While the truth is the better option in a vast majority of cases, lies have their uses. For example, authors use lies to tell the truth. There are shades of truth, too. Sometimes, I think Emily Dickinson’s said it best in her poem about approaching the truth.

Tell all the truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind —

How do you measure success?

This is something I’m still trying to figure out, mostly because the bar keeps moving. In publishing especially. At first, success is finding an agent. Then, it’s selling a novel. After that, the goal becomes attached to certain awards, an advance of a certain size, or a specific number of letters from readers. The definition of success shifts, and that’s okay. What’s important is keeping myself from shifting the bar too far away

Where would you live, if you could live anywhere in the world?

In an apartment onboard The World, a private cruise ship that constantly circumnavigates the globe. It’s true, but it’s an answer that still feels a little like cheating. So my second answer is in the mountains of New Zealand. It is such a stunning country. I want to visit one day! Part of me is afraid I won’t ever come back home if I do, though.

What do you always keep on you?

Mostly, my phone. It’s pretty much always nearby—to the detriment of my focus. Other than that, I’m almost always wearing a particular necklace as a bracelet. It’s a simple silver chain with a heart pendant, and it was part of the prize package for the first writing award I ever won. It’s a reminder of a lot of different things now, and the only times I’m not wearing it somewhere on my body are the days I forgot to put it back on.

If you were in need of comforting, what would be the best thing that someone could do for you?

A meal, whether it’s home-cooked or out at a restaurant, is a solid place to begin. Steps two through five will probably involve re-watching favorite movies and a lot of hugs. Hugs are wonderful.

~*~

You can get a copy of Erica Cameron’s Sea of Strangers on Amazon or Indiebound right now! I personally can’t wait to read it!