Interview with Debbie Alferio - Author of A Forever Kind of Love and Waiting for Tomorrow

Today I wanted to feature another friend and fellow writer, Debbie Alferio. She's the author of A Forever Kind of Love and Waiting For Tomorrow. She's decided to sit down for a quick interview and to share a bit about her books.

Welcome Debbie!

1. How long have you been writing?

I have been writing for almost five years.

2. Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Absolutely! In fact, I have suffered so much that I actually had a t-shirt made that says, "Writer's Block: What happens when your imaginary friends stop talking to you!" LOL Seriously, I think this is something every writer faces at one point or another. The best strategy that I have found to overcome the problem is to take a break from my work and engage in anything that isn't related to writing. This gives my brain a chance to rest. When I am not forcing myself to think about it, my muse generally returns stronger than ever, and I am able to move on.

3. What comes first: the plot or the characters?

Can I say both? To clarify: With my first novel, A Forever Kind of Love, the dream that inspired it was about Mitch, my hero. So, in that case, it was the characters. The plot unfolded as I wrote, and new characters were added as I went along. Since I am a series writer, obviously the characters were already in place when I began to write Waiting for Tomorrow; therefore, the plot came before my newest character, Casey, (the villianess) was introduced.

4. What are you reading now?

I'm currently engrossed in a wonderful book by a good friend of mine, Sandra Valencia, entitled Song of Turand. The books I have found most intriguing over the past few years are those written by authors I either know personally or have met during various events we have done together. There is a lot of wonderful, undiscovered talent out there, and I feel that people need to give these authors more of the credit they deserve.

5. How do you come up with the titles for your books?

Since I don't work with any sort of outline, nothing is really premeditated, so to speak. A Forever Kind of Love was taken from a phrase of dialogue toward the end of the book. I just liked the way it sounded and thought, "Why not?" As for Waiting for Tomorrow, I wanted something that depicted the theme of the story itself, and after much thought, this title is what came to mind. It seemed to fit very well.

6. What inspired you to write your first book?

First, let me say that I have no formal training in writing and never aspired to be an author as I was growing up. I also had little interest in writing after I hit about age 13. In September, 2004, I had a dream one night in which I was sitting on a couch in what appeared to be an office, talking to a man that I didn't recognize. I don't recall what the conversation was about, but I turned to him and said, "Okay, Mitch," just before waking up. The strange part of all that is, I have never known anyone named Mitch or Mitchell, so I have no idea why I addressed him that way! A story began to form in my head from this remnant of a dream, and I felt a strong need to get it on paper. When I sat down at the computer, it flowed from me as though it had always been there. Five-and-a-half months later, A Forever Kind of Love was born, and Mitch became Mitch Tarrington, my hero. I chalk the whole experience up to "Divine Intervention" and now view writing as my passion.


Debbie Alferio is a native of northern Ohio and the author of the Forever Love series of moral and tasteful fictional romance. Inspired by an actual dream, her debut novel, A Forever Kind of Love, was a ForeWord Magazine ‘Book of the Year’ Award Finalist and an Authorhouse Publishing bestseller. The sequel, Waiting for Tomorrow, is a ForeWord Magazine ‘Book of the Year’ Silver Award Winner and a Long and Short Reviews ‘Best Book’. Her refreshing and realistic approach to writing has earned her a multitude of prestigious speaking appearances, rave reviews, and the title of Ohio Representative for Authors Across America. She is listed in the online editions of both Empire’s and Biltmore’s Who’s Who Among American Business and Professional Women and is a member of the International Writer’s Association and Sauna Friends Literary Group. You can visit her at her website: http://www.freewebs.com/debsbooks