JUNE 07 FEATURED AUTHIOR: Brittney Holmes

SORMAG: Please give the readers a brief bio on you the person and the writer.

Brittney Holmes: Well, as a person, I'm a rising senior at Redan High School. I'm very involved in my school and other extracurricular activities. When I'm not attending a meeting or doing community service for a particular organization, I'm usually at home, reading, writing, or something dealing with the two. Aside from writing, I like to sing, dance, and just hang out with my friends. Depending on my surroundings, I can be loud and crazy with my friends or very reserved in an unfamiliar environment. As a writer, I'm pretty much focused and professional when the situation calls for it. I try to meet deadlines as early as possible and I am very open-minded when it comes to meeting and dealing with people I've never worked with before.

SORMAG: Tell us about your current book?

HOLMES:

"Living Consequences" was released in February 2007 and it is about a group of teenagers who face real-life dilemmas and must use their faith to deliver themselves out of their situations. Nevaeh Madison and Ronald McAfee have been dating for three years and had made a promise to each other that they wouldn't bring sexual intimacy into their relationship until marriage. Now their relationship will be put to the ultimate test when Ronald begins to change his views concerning the issue. Nevaeh's best friend, Shimone Johnson wholeheartedly believes in sex before marriage...as long as she's in a monogamous relationship with her partner. But when she finds out that she's pregnant, her views change and her biggest fear is revealing her secret to her mother, who has struggled through a very similar situation, and her boyfriend, who doesn't have a reputation for being the most faithful guy. Meanwhile, Sierra Monroe, who lost her mother at age two and is continuously neglected by her father, finds pleasure and comfort in all the wrong places and must deal with the consequences of her actions just as they come.

SORMAG: What would you like your readers to take away from your book?

HOLMES: The message I would like to portray to my readers, the young and the young at heart, is that no matter what you are going through--no matter the situation, problem, or setback--God is always there to bring you out victorious.

SORMAG: What led you to the idea of writing this book, and then to the actual writing of it?

HOLMES: When I first thought of writing, what would become "Living Consequences," I never intended for the end result to be as big as it became. My intention was to write, what I called, a journal of some things that I was going through at a time in my life. When I sat down at the computer, I typed in the words "Living Consequences" and a whole different story and message began to unfold before me. Even though I never planned to write this book, I allowed God to use me because I knew that it would be beneficial to someone else.

SORMAG: Do you ever have a hard time letting go of a character after the novel is finished?

HOLMES: Oh yes! I will let my readers know now that Nevaeh and Ronald appear in two other stories I've written, the sequel to "Living Consequences," entitled "Testing Relationships," which will be released in the summer of 2008, and in a third book that will be released at a later date. It was very hard to let them go because it's almost like having a child and watching that child grow and when the child goes off on it's own, you want to hold onto them for as long as you can. But you have to let go eventually, so I did and I've learned not to keep tight grips on my characters.

SORMAG: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

HOLMES: One of the most surprising things I've learned is that my characters may be fictional, but their stories are very real. These are stories that people of all ages can relate to now or have related to in the past. And most times it may not be the story that the reader relates to, but they relate more so to the messages of love, faith, forgiveness, and hope. It surprised me the first few times when I was told how my readers could really relate to my characters. It made me feel like I was really living out God's purpose for me.

SORMAG: What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?

HOLMES: I wish non-writers would understand that writing one book doesn't not make you a millionaire--unless your name is Oprah. People ask me all the time if I am rich or they want to know if I'm making a lot of money off of my books. I make money, but not nearly enough for me to claim being rich. So I wish they would realize that some writers make a lot of money and others have to work a regular corporate job just to keep a steady paycheck coming in.

SORMAG: What advice would you offer to a teenager interested in writing a book?

HOLMES: Just do it! If it is really something that he/she wants to do then go for it. Don't let anyone or anything stop you from making your dream a reality. If you know that it's your calling and that nothing else is going to make you happy then do what you know is going to satisfy your soul. Once you know you want to write a book, write about what you know. It's a good selling point. Teens who write about teenage situations or a teen who writes about something he/she has been through. When the book is complete, sell yourself to publishers. Search the web, ask someone with experience in the area to help you, and get the journey underway.

SORMAG: What was the last book to keep you up at night reading it?

HOLMES: Right now, I'm reading "Rain Storm" by Vanessa Miller and it has kept me up as late as one o'clock in the morning. It is a very good book, which is not surprising since I've read the other books in the "Rain Series" and they've had the same effect on me.

SORMAG: What do you do to make time for yourself?

HOLMES: Other than school and extracurricular activities, I don't get out much. So making time for myself simply means finding time to read a book that I've been trying to finish for the past three weeks or getting on the computer for the sole purpose of relaxation or just trying to get to bed early so that I can for once have the recommended eight-hour sleep. It's harder than it seems, especially when I'm in school. But right now I'm on summer break and I'm spending time with my family and loving the time I have without the pressures of school or excessive work.

SORMAG: How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)

HOLMES: I love hearing from my readers and they can contact me through my website at www.brittneyholmes.com or they can email me at brittholmes2008@yahoo.com.