Yes, I think where I lived does influence what I write and how I write.
I grew up in the country and developed a strong love of nature, something that often shows in my stories.
Also, our house was miles from anywhere and, since this was in the days before the internet, private phone lines or even very many television channels, it could be lonely. I had to rely on my imagination for entertainment. I created invisible friends and went on amazing adventures with them. I didn’t know it at the time, but this was laying the foundation for my current career.

I started writing as a very young child and always excelled at the subject in school, but I put it on the back burner for many years. It wasn’t until many years later when I discovered fanfiction that I finally tried my hand at writing again. It was as if a floodgate had been opened and I haven’t stopped since!

It was Jan Gordon, my friend, fellow author, and editor who gets the credit for this. Not only did her book, Black Silk, inspire me to write my first book, Forever in Time, she also introduced me to ebooks and the concept of indie publishing.
I’d never considered publishing a book. Up to that point, I’d always viewed such a thing as unattainable, a goal only a select few individuals could ever achieve. I planned on continuing to write for my own enjoyment, but Jan nudged and prodded me until I finally uploaded my book and the rest, as they say, is history.
I’m eternally grateful to Jan for her faith in me, and to Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords, the company that helped pave the way for indie authors.

Being an indie author/publisher means you do almost everything yourself. You have a dozen balls in the air at all times. Not only are you writing, you need to be thinking about editing, formatting, cover designs, pricing, publicity, publication dates, book trailers, release parties, swag, ISBNs, retail channels…every decision is yours to make. That is both the best and worst part of it.
The best part is that I can write what I want when I want. Publishers have the mythical ‘average reader’ in mind and want authors to write to suit that vision. As an indie, there are no constraints. I can write any kind of plot, any length of story, any genre. I publish when I want. I pick my own cover and title. I set my own price. No one tells me what to do. It’s very freeing in that respect.
It is also very difficult because you have to do all the jobs a publisher would do on top of writing. You have to find your own editor at a price you can afford, hire a graphic artist who can produce your vision of the cover, get someone to do graphics for pimp posts and swag, make video trailers, learn how to format for ebook and paperbacks. You have to research when a good release date would be, read all the fine print on the stock image contracts, arrange your own promotion... It’s fun but overwhelming, especially at first when you are learning the ropes.
I'm extremely lucky in that, over the years, I've gathered a team around me to help with all the work. Of course, Jan Gordon is my right hand but there are also many others. Kalia and Carmen run my fan page, there's a small but tight-knit street team that helps promote my books. I have a cover designer, a proof-reader... Each and every one of them is important in keeping the 'Nicky Charles' machine running smoothly.

I think that would be knowing my stories are read and enjoyed by others. I love being told the world I’ve created seems real, and hearing that people are passionate about the characters and their storylines.

I have two!

First of all, I’m easily distracted by nice weather, LOL! I love to be outside and, living in Canada, our warm season is so short that I hate to spend those days inside. I’ll be trying to write but when I look up and see the sun is shining, it is a real struggle to stay at the computer. More often than not I end up in my garden. (*hangs head in shame*)

The second is the joints in my arms. I often suffer from pain in my shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers. When I become involved in a story, I’ll work for hours without stopping which can lead to inflammation and hinders productivity. I keep saying I’m going to remember to take breaks and develop good typing habits…but I don’t!

Well, the actual ‘desk’ in my office is usually covered with bills and notes to myself, USB cables, books to be read, pens and pencils, ink for the printer…you name it. It’s a drop-off station that seems to fill up no matter how often I clear it off. (The rest of my house is quite neat, please believe me! In fact, I have difficulty focusing on writing if the house is in disarray. It’s just my office that is allowed to live on the wild side!)
Now, as for the spot where I write, that’s usually in my recliner in the living room or my lounger on the sun-porch and sometimes the island in the kitchen. It’s wherever I happen to be when inspiration strikes and what comfortable chair is nearby.

My favourite author is Elizabeth Peters, especially her Amelia Peabody series. Set near the end of the 1800’s, it focuses on Amelia, an unconventional archeologist and amateur sleuth. The earlier stories are written with a nod to the Victorian-era adventures such as those by H. Rider Haggard. All the books are a mixture of romance, mystery and comedy and I think that is why I often try to include those three elements in my own stories.

That would be Collision Course by S. C. Stephens, another of my favourite authors. I love her books but this title in particular. There is so much raw emotion in the story. It’s one of the few books that ever made me ‘ugly cry’.

Downtime seldom happens but when it does, I love to get outside either gardening or walking in the woods. That refreshes my soul and also inspires me. I also like to read but there never seems to be the time!

Well, I have lots of possible plots dancing around in my imagination, characters that keep nudging me, wanting their stories told but, in truth, it’s the readers who keep me going.
Writing is hard work and producing a quality book can leave little time for anything else. Some days, especially around publishing time, when I’m really tired, I start thinking of what it would be like to have free time to read or garden without feeling guilty that I should be writing. But then I get a message on Facebook or a letter from a fan stating how much they love my stories, how the books helped them through hard times or that they can’t wait for the next novel. Then I think, ‘okay I guess I can write one more’ which then leads to another and another and…well, you get the idea! I really don’t want to disappoint my readers.

They say that everyone has at least one book in them. Obviously, I had more, but anyone can follow that dream and publish with the aid of companies like Smashwords.