Meet P.D. Workman

Hello everybody today on Paws4Thought I welcome YA author P.D. Workman. P.D. is a prolific writer and her name title, Chloe is releasing this month.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I write riveting young adult/suspense fiction about mental illness, addiction, abuse, and other tough subjects. I am a wife, a mother of one, born and raised in Alberta, Canada. I love to read books in all formats and am a technology geek with a love for all kinds of gadgets and tools. For as long as I can remember, the blank page has held an incredible allure, leading me to write my first complete novel at the age of twelve. I kept writing, but did not start publishing until three years ago. With Chloe, I have now published 23 titles.

2. When did you first start writing?

I have little construction paper books that my mother kept from when I was very young. Even before I could draw or write, I was making scribbles and stapling them together into books. I guess it was inevitable!

3. Who are your favorite authors?

I have so many of them! S.E. Hinton, J.R.R. Tolkien, L.M. Montgomery, Jay Bennett, Kristen D. Randle…

4. Tell us a bit about Chloe and the Between the Cracks series.

The Between the Cracks series begins with the award-winning book Ruby, Between the Cracks. Ruby is a tough-as-nails street kid, doing whatever she has to to survive and proud of her independence. She blocked out a lot of her past history rather than dealing with it. Ruby is a hard-hitting, conflict-filled journey of discovery as Ruby is forced to face her past and decide what she really wants out of life.

The other books in the series follow other members of Ruby’s family as each of them strives to overcome their toxic histories in order to survive and move on in their lives.

Chloe is book four of the series, and is my favorite. In books 1-3, the reader has only seen Chloe from the perspectives of her siblings—the polar opposite of Ruby, June and Justin’s bossy big sister, the only one of the children who stayed by their mother’s side through everything. Now it’s time to hear Chloe’s story. Take a deep breath and buckle your seat belts, because it’s going to be a tough ride.

Pick up your copy of Chloe to meet this handsome fellow!

5. What attracts you to writing young adult literature?

The genre sort of picked me. Because I started writing so young, the young adult genre was a natural fit for me to begin with. And while I’ve written non-young-adult books as well, I never really grew out of YA and it is still my preferred genre. I still see, as I did when I was a teen, so much unfairness and heartbreak in this age group. I want to reach out to those who are hurting, and this is my way of doing it.

6. Your books deal with some tough subjects how do you prepare yourself mentally for writing?

It can be hard, especially with a story like Chloe’s. My heart breaks for everything that she is going through, but I have to write my truth. Because it is happening to kids all over the world. It isn’t just something I have made up, but an attempt to capture their stories and the pain and struggle of their lives. I need to take breaks, and I need to make an effort to pull myself out of the story to deal with my own family and life.

7. Do you have a favorite character you have written?

I love all my kids. J

Chloe is amazing because she is so strong after everything she goes through. She doesn’t see herself that way, but she is something special. She also gains a special friend along the way, one who understands better than anyone else could what she has gone through. But I don’t want to give any spoilers!

8. What was your favorite book you read this year?

Tough call! I usually prefer fiction, but I think I’m going to have to go with I am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai. There is one strong young lady!

(That one’s on my TBR list too – DMK)

9. If you could choose a superpower what would you choose?

I think it would have to be super speed. I am always trying to squeeze so much into my day!

10. So what’s next? What are you currently working on?

I just put out a new series of YA thrillers called  The Medical Kidnap Files, and I’ve been working on a sequel to Tattooed Teardrops and some private eye stuff. I’m kicking off the New Year writing a cozy mystery series. So, something a little lighter, but you can bet that I will still work my passions into the story!

(I admire how prolific you are J – DMK)

11. How can readers and parents connect with you?

You can find me at http://pdworkman.com and on most social media platforms as pdworkmanauthor. I love to hear from readers and can also be reached directly at pdworkman.author@gmail.com

Check out P.D. Workman’s books on Amazon!