Thursday, October 18, 2018 | By: The Write Way Cafe

Q & A with Zari Reede

The Write Way Café welcomes writing team Zari Reede, two authors who bring different perspectives together to create one satisfying read. 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Zoe – Ever since I could read, I’ve dreamed of being a published author and dabbled at writing my whole life.

Minette – I wrote a play in the second grade about the love of Seth and Beth. I thought I would become famous and guess that was the beginning, but I didn’t get serious about writing a novel until I was twenty-two, before that it was just poetry and scribbles.


What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

Zoe – I try to spend at least six days a week writing, but the hours I write and the times vary greatly.

Minette – Before losing our home in Hurricane Harvey last year, I would wake up Monday through Friday by seven am and attack the social media dragon that I have a love/hate relationship with. I would sip hot tea while I posted silly pics of my dogs. Since the hurricane, I’ve acquired three parrots and now take silly videos as well. I consider all this a writing warm-up, a prelude to my creative day job. Then I would settle down to my laptop by the pool and work until lunch, take a break and plod on. Now, I have days filled with contractors, laundry, doctor’s appointments, errands, etc. During crunch times, I may be in bed until three in the morning, trying to polish off a script. I’ve managed to hang on, but this last year has really thrown my personal life into chaos. I’ve tried to jump back on the wagon by joining my local chapter of Romance Writers of America and attending the national conference. Mystery Writers of America and Sister’s in Crime are some of the other organizations that fill the creative well.


How did you start writing together? 

Zoe – In hopes of both of us becoming more committed to setting aside time to write on a regular basis, Minette sent me a paragraph and asked me to add to it. This work eventually became our first book.

Minette – I was sitting next to my sister’s hospital bed for months, working on an old manuscript. I asked Zoe to join me in a quick writing exercise. The rules were no edits–just write and send. I sent a couple paragraphs to her in a matter of minutes. I had to bug Zoe for three days until she added on to the story. The rest is history.


Is it hard for two authors to write a book together?

Zoe – Maybe for some, but writing with Minette is much easier for me than writing alone.

Minette – I love having a co-writer. If we get a bad review, I can blame Zoe–just kidding. It’s like playing literary chess. I can’t have Zoe writing all the best scenes, so I have to be quick on the quill. I try to leave a surprise lying in wait every time she opens her laptop.


How did you choose Zari Reede?

Zoe – I play World of Warcraft and have one character named Zarielle, which was shortened to Zari, and one named Reede.

Minette – Zoe had a book, that I liked the character name, so I asked if she minded using it. Freed was a name my sister said she wanted to use when she became published. She passed away the day after we received our first acceptance letter for Daisy Dukes ‘n Cowboy Boots. I never got a chance to tell her our book was accepted. Reading is something we love, so read/Reede.


Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Zoe – Inspiration is everywhere, but research can be challenging. For instance, I haven’t been to west Texas before and I worried about getting the facts right.

Minette - I get my ideas from life, sitting in the dentist office, talking to an old man outside of the carwash, sometimes during a painful life lesson, like trusting someone you shouldn’t–those are my wicked characters. Mostly, I just open my laptop and start writing. It’s how Zoe and I wrote our first book. Not one thought about what I was going to write before tapping away. I just narrate the images I see in my mind.


What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

Zoe – I read pretty much nonstop and enjoy spending time with my friends, family, and pets. Fitness is important to me, so, I work out on a regular basis. I love attending ballets, plays, and operas, and have a major girly streak that shows in my ever-growing collection of shoes.

Minette – I love to travel, so if you look at my social media, you will usually see castles or beaches somewhere in the world. I love to be a tourist and learn about other exotic culture’s past or present. I love living in Texas with my six dogs, three turtles, three parrots and possible kitten I rescued a few days ago. It’s hard for me to pass up an animal in need. I enjoy every moment spent with my amazing hubby, who cheers on my writing and accepts my ever-growing zoo. I like to escape riding my Harley through the hill country, and during the winter, my favorite sport in the world is skiing.


Pantser or plotter?

Zoe – I was a pantser for years, but kept writing myself into corners. Plotting has helped me become more productive. However, as Zari Reede, we tend to write by the seat of our pants until we get about half way through the book. Then we meet to discuss where we’re going with the story and how to proceed.

Minette – Definitely a pantser. It’s so much more fun to be surprised. I’m a "live in the present" person. Planning is hard for me.


Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Zoe – I try to be more original. I like to challenge the reader and have a playful approach to writing.

Minette – I like to give readers what they want. There are certain rules in genres for a reason, but we often write outside of the box. I like that our publisher doesn’t hold us to any one set of rules. I want publishers to publish our stories, and more important, for people to look forward to reading what we write next. I think we can balance and deliver both.


What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

Zoe – I found writing from a male perspective fun and had a blast writing Lenny.

Minette –Writing the male characters in our stories seemed easy but writing the psycho-killer in book three was a bit challenging. I don’t naturally think of ways to hurt people. I sometimes shock myself by what I write. “Hmmm…how do you feel about that?” my mom would say. She was a social worker for the state of Louisiana until she retired.


What are the hardest kinds of scenes for you to write?

Zoe – Love and sex scenes are difficult because I’m always afraid it comes off as purple prose and laughable.

Minette - Zombies, I hate zombie scenes. I’m not good with vampire or zombie fantasy. I don’t read it, so it is very hard to write. How do I know this? Blinked had a few undead characters and book five is full of surprises.


What is the hardest thing about having a co-author?

Zoe – Once in a while, we’ll have a tricky, creative conflict to solve, then there’s editing…

Minette – Editing! Sometimes it’s difficult to resolve a plot issue or agree on cover design, but we usually find a happy point on most decisions, especially if there is champagne involved–yes, all our writer’s meetings include bubbly. Do you think we can write that off on our taxes?


How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Zoe – My goal is to write at least 3,000 words a day, six days a week on my personal projects. When we write together, we try to limit ourselves to around 1,000 words before sending it off to the other person, so we write about 2,000 words a day. Most books are around 90,000 words.

Minette – It took four months for our first two books to be written in rough draft completion. It takes a month or two to edit, if we aren’t working on multiple projects. Submitting, contracts and professional edits can take a year and a half to produce a completed book with glossy cover. Traditional publishing isn’t fast. I can’t remember how long the other novels have taken. We get so involved in the blog, social media, second edits, cover design…the list goes on. I can’t wait until we really hit it out of the park and then hire an assistant. Then we can focus on what we really love–writing!


What books have you written and what are you currently writing on?

Author: Zari ReedeAuthor: Zari Reede
ZoeDaisy Dukes ‛n Cowboy Boots is our West Texas, humorous romance. As a writing team. Minette and I have also written, a funny, frothy fantasy, Blinked and a psychological thriller, Sins of the Sister. We have two more novels in different genres awaiting editing, and I have a book of my own coming out in November.

Minette ─ We have completed five novels as Zari Reede and are under several more contracts for our individual books as Minette Lauren and Zoe Tasia. Hurricane Harvey put a kink in my writing schedule, but two titles under Minette Lauren should debut this year.


COMING SOON!!!


by Zari Reede

Lana Madison is a twenty-three-year-old, unconventional private investigator, who is searching for the men who abducted her identical twin. Lana and Dania are complete opposites, but their bond from birth allows them to share emotions. These brief moments of connection prove to Lana that her twin is still very much alive. Lana suffers flashbacks of past events, which she believes are her sister’s memories and realizes there are gaps in her own timeline from the day of her sister’s disappearance. She has given up on believing that the police will ever find Dania and is determined to find her sister on her own. But as she gets closer to finding her twin, the barriers that haunt Lana’s façade steadily melt away, and now her own life—as well as her sanity—is on the line…



Author: Minette Lauren

Soledad, an old soul, confronts the failures of her last life, having committed suicide when things became too difficult. As she moves forward into the soul-watcher’s phase of the afterworld, she picks from a list of struggling souls to guide and guard. Ally, a popular artist and her niece from her former life, is among Soledad’s choices. Trapped in a soul-watching state, Soledad follows Ally, throughout parts of her daily routine, trying to surmise her embodied ward’s purpose. Once she can master the meaning of Ally’s reality, Soledad hopes to be granted another life with her own soulmate. Journey with these very real characters to find what lessons are learned in the passing of time and the rewards their love brings. Race for the Sun is a lesson on life and loving for all.


Zari Reede is a writing team consisting of Zoe Tasia and Minette Lauren. Both have an addiction to collaborative writing that rivals Oreo Double Stuffed cookies with fine champagne. Writing solo for years, they decided to engage in a writing exercise to strengthen their skills and enlighten their creative minds. It turned out to be a great venture and is still going strong today.

http://zarireede.com/

38 comments:

Lynn said...

Thank you so much for being on our blog! Your creative minds and fresh approaches manifest great reads!

HiDee said...

It's always interesting to learn how writers collaborate. Thank you for sharing your story with us!

Saralyn said...

I learned some things I didn't know about Zari Reede, two of my favorite authors. I'm looking forward to Sins of the Sister. It sounds intriguing.

Zari Reede said...

Thank you for having us. It’s been an Amazing journey and we are so thankful to be here on the Write Way Cafe!

Zari Reede said...

Thank you HiDee! We have managed to write through all the turbulent times of flooding in Houston and now in Austin. I apologize for the delay in my response. I’m in Austin, where my writing sanctuary sits Judy’s above flood waters. As you know, Minette Lauren/Zari Reede lost ( my ) home last year in Houston and it’s been PTSD ever since. I’m currently stashed away finishing another book at my cabin just above Lake Travis and mixed my days up with all the despair of the flooding. I’m here now and ready for questions:)

Zari Reede said...

Saralyn, thank you for stopping in! We love talking about collaborative writing and are happy to share the experience!

GeoV said...

I find it so very interesting that you switch genre in what seems just about any of the books; West Texas romance, to fantasy, to what looks like mystery coming up, to reincarnation and soulmates ... maybe it all has to do with the fact that it is two of you; however, reading the two books I have read, I can't tell who wrote what so you seem to have managed to blend your writing styles incredibly well; looking forward to all that comes next

chirping cricket said...

I read just about every Urban Fantasy book I come across. I loved Blinked. Once I find a great writer I tend to read all the books by that writer. I can't wait to read all the rest. Keep the good books coming!

Lica Maidana said...

I loved the way Zari Reede connecting their words and thoughts together! My favorite part is trying to guess who is writing... cannot wait for the next book!

Zari Reede said...

Thank you so much! We love collaborative writing and sometimes we forget who wrote what. It truly is a 50/50 venture. Thank you for you wonderful comment!

Zari Reede said...

Such wonderful words to hear from a reader. Thank you and we hope this next book will please you just as much. Sins of the Sister will be released 12/15 and Race for the sun is out 12/08. They will both be up for Pre order soon!

Zari Reede said...

Thank you so much for your comment! We aim to please ;) we hope you enjoy our next book being released 12/15. Pre order is coming soon!

Unknown said...

Awesome interview! As an author myself, I love hearing what works for other writers. I've already read both Zari Reede books and I'm looking forward to the next two!

Zari Reede said...

Thank you so much for stopping in to leave a comment! We are happy to hear that you have read both stories. We hope that you will enjoy Sins of the Sister when it is released 12/15! Race for the Sun is scheduled for 12/08. Both stories are set in Austin, TX.

T. Green said...

I read Daisy Dukes and enjoyed it very much! I look forward to finishing Blinked. I appreciate the light, conversational tones of your writing. It connects me quickly to your characters! I’m a fan!

Unknown said...

Love hearing it! We try hard to make our characters believable, even when they are ORBs (Other World Beings). I like to read different genres, so we have written six books in six different genres. I hope this doesn't lose too many readers. Though Daisy Dukes was a romance, many men enjoyed it. Blinked is a Fantasy, but also a cozy read that most anyone can enjoy. Because it's set in New Orleans, Mardi Gras, it has a few blue words or costume descriptions that make it PG. Next up, we hope you enjoy the mystery-thriller. Thank you for stoppng by!

kk said...

I love the collaboration of these two writers and look forward to trying to see if I can spot which writer has developed what part of the story. Their writing always has humor and enough twists and plot surprises to keep the reader interested. Go girls!

Unknown said...

Thank you very much KK!n Sometimes we surprise ourselves and can't remember who wrote what. I think that shows that we have blended our work well. It's amazing in some ways because we are very different on what we write. I saw Ferina with strawberry-blonde hair when I (Minette Lauren) introduced her. Zoe described her as a brunette with Native American and Irish heritage. I rolled with it, and the character developed nicely. I thought Wayne was her brother, but since I didn't say right off, he became her no-good boyfriend that quickly finds the boot. So much fun! thank you for your comment. Best!

Anonymous said...

Such an engaging interview. The depth of Minette and Zoe's friendship and writing partnership comes through as sincere and authentic, which is probably one of the many reasons their stories are so layered.
Best wishes,
Cardyn

Unknown said...

Cardyn,
Thank you for stopping in. You said it right! Our friendship is the key here, and I think it's one of the reason we have come so far. We both root for the other's success and together we create fun, beautiful stories. We feel like we know those characters, and really miss them after a book is finished.

authorlindathorne said...

Thanks for giving me information about writing with another person. It's something I had very little knowledge about. The Sins of the Sister sound good. The title alone is a hook.

Anonymous said...

Great Q&A, always neat to get to know the author(s). I can’t wait to start reading Sins of the Sister!

Zari Reede said...

Thank you so much! Your opinion means a lot. I always enjoy your blog posts. Best!

Zari Reede said...

We can’t wait for it to come out. Thank you for stopping in. Glad you enjoyed the Q&A. We really appreciate it.

Daniella Bernett said...

What a great interview. It provides terrific insight into both you and how you each bring something unique to your collaboration. I wish you both continued success.

Zari Reede said...

Thank you so much for stopping in and commenting. We love collaborative writing, and we love sharing our experience. We hope you enjoy our books. We love yours!

Unknown said...

First off, I am totally envious of your writing proficiency - a first draft in four months? Incredible discipline and creative energy (not to mention your talent in working collaboratively - a connection that I can feel in this post). My only humble request - please try not to embarrass those writers that painfully labor over years to find the right words (no name mentioned)! Great work both of you!

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Zoe and Minette,

I think it's great that the two of you work so well together. I also agree the sex scenes are the most difficult to write.

Zari Reede said...

Remember there were two of us! It takes me (Minette) much longer to write. Collaborative writing is addictive and fun. Admittedly, nothing else got done around the house during those four months. Every book has its time and its definitely not a race, so don’t fret. Currently, we are back logged in edits for those books we wrote so quickly and our own novels. Zoe is a much faster writer than I. She is more focused and organized. I am a mess! Thanks for commenting. And Best wishes for your books.

Zari Reede said...

I spoke to a romance writer at a festival who said she had to drink a lot of wine to write sex scenes. I wondered why she forced herself? I’m sure it was because people think sex sells, but I think you should only write what your characters show you. I write what I see on my head. Oops! I guess I’m admitting I have a naughty mind. Point is, sex isn’t really needed to make a good book. Just write what you feel, right. Thank you for stopping in. Always great to see other writers commenting.

Roman Empire Mystery Lover said...

Like Paul, I envy you, Zari Reede, being a pantser. I am slow, always have been. But I so enjoy what you do so my envy is tempered with smiles of pleasure! June Trop

Zari Reede said...

Thanks for your kind words and support. We love what we do and hope we can keep up with all the edits! Best wishes.

Kathleen Kaska said...

It was a pleasure reading your interview, Zoe and Minette. You two work so well together. I'm so happy I had the please of meeting you in Houston last year.

Zari Reede said...

Thank you, Kathleen! We enjoyed meeting you too! Hope to see you on another author panel again soon! Best:)

Unknown said...

Awesome interview. Can't wait for the individual books to come out, so I can finally figure out who is who in the joint ones.

Zari Reede said...

Well, Race for the Sun is on pre-order now:) and Sins of the Sister should be on pre-order this week! Zoe’s fantasy novel should be out by January, so there will be lots to read. Thanks for your interest! Best,

Keith Steinbaum said...

Well done, you two. An interesting expose of three things - Zoe, Minette, and Zari Reede. Easy flowing interview opening up an understanding of the minds behind the storylines. Minette, I'm sorry to read about your tragedies but respect how you brought us in to something personal. As writers everything we put into words through our characters is somehow personal to some degree anyway, so thank you for sharing and making it real beyond the fiction.

Zari Reede said...

Thank you for that, Keith. It was a tough year and just after the flood, when we couldn’t be in our home, I was editing Blinked for publication with a almost hard to meet deadline. I could have asked for an extension, but in truth it helped to ground me and remind me all was not lost! Thank you for stopping by. Best.