Welcome Music lovers to our first interview of the profile! Today are honored to have a chit-chat with the author of the famed book Arrows and Anchors, Maria Crawford also known as ReeReverie on Wattpad.

Thank you, Maria, for joining us and agreeing to do this interview for Wattpad Music Profile. Before we get into all things music and books, please tell us more about yourself.

Maria Crawford: Thank you so much for having me! Well, I'm an author and poet at heart, but I started off as a journalist/columnist in New York. Those are my writing roots. The rigidity of journalism led me toward Wattpad, because I craved being able to express myself more vividly. I've found a home here over the last decade or so. Every single night, I volunteer with stray cats around my city (in North Texas). And I'm a huge music fanatic, so it's very cool to be interviewed by the Wattpad Music profile!

An extra cymbal beat for you for helping the stray cats. That is awesome and inspiring!

Maria Crawford: They deserve it. Animals are truly innocent. I really love them.

Drumroll... let's talk about the characters forever engrained in your reader's minds; Brooke and Julien, from Arrows and Anchors. What inspired you to come up with their story or rather create these characters and their journey?

Maria Crawford: Ultimately, I wanted to honor my real-life relationship (long distance, musician, and writer). Since my husband's a touring musician, I felt I could give a more realistic glimpse behind the concert curtains--the exhilaration *and* the ugliness.

At the time I joined Wattpad (and even today), so many "bad boy" books were circulating. I wanted a good guy to have his moment to shine. Julian looks like a bad boy, but he's soft as tapioca on the inside.

And Brooke, while soft-spoken, is fierce and protective as the true heroine of the story. Instead of being a damsel in distress, waiting to be saved, Brooke saves the life of the person she loves.

I don't want to bring this interview down too much, but I'm very sick with an incurable and degenerative illness. None of us ever really know how many years we have left to live--which is what makes life so precious--but it's particularly scary when your mobility diminishes day by day. So, I was driven to create something that would live longer than I will.

And hearing "If It Means A Lot To You" by A Day to Remember gave me the final nudge I needed to begin writing Chapter 1 of Arrows & Anchors.

Firstly, Maria, you would never bring this interview down; your books are heart and soul in every line, and as you said, there are parts of you in the story. This interview is to get to know more about you. So give us all the feels as you give us in your books- We are here for that! Secondly, a lot of readers and writers are inspired by your stories and are always cheering you on.

Maria Crawford: I appreciate that so very much. My readers mean the world to me. They're a constant source of hope and inspiration. <3

You did an original song (the video above) for Arrows and Anchors. And, it is beautiful, and delightful to listen to. The lyrics echo a soul-mate kind of love –Just like Brooke and Julian. What prompted you to do that? How was the creative process?

Maria Crawford: I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I feel "Ever After" really reflects Julian's love for Brooke, too. "Ever After" was actually a reader-inspired project.

While I was writing the sequel to A&A (The Darkest Target) I wanted to do something fun with my readers, because The Darkest Target is an emotionally taxing book.

So, I asked my readers to participate by writing poetry/lyrics as if they were Julian singing to Brooke. I took everyone's submissions, melded them together, filled in the blank spaces, and made everything fit and rhyme.

The lyrics you're hearing in "Ever After" were collaboratively written by several fans and myself. Getting readers involved and being able to show them the final product was such an awesome, fun moment for me. We turned words on a page into music they could hear, representing these characters that I love so much.

Shameless little plug: Fans of Arrows & Anchors can also find another original song by searching for "Ascend the Stars" on Spotify or iTunes. :)

There you go again Maria, a high E string moment for you! Melding poetry and lyrics from readers and weaving it into an original song befitting the characters and the books couldn't have been an easy feat, but you surprise us again with your creativity and wit. We are honored to be your audience and experience your remarkableness.

Maria Crawford: You're making me really, truly smile. Thank you for the incredible flatteries.

Congratulations and thank you for being one of the Bootcamp Mentors of 2022. How was this experience for you?

Maria Crawford: Oh, yes! The Bootcamp Mentors program is an invaluable resource. Mentors often learn as much as the mentees do. The team behind the Bootcamp Mentors profile are soldiers, working so hard to keep the process running smoothly. Big shoutout to them!

I'm an older sister, so the role of mentor feels very natural to me. Being able to impart advice to other writers is especially fulfilling. I do question my own validity as a mentor sometimes, like maybe I'm not wise enough to be guiding anyone else. Hopefully some of the things I say make sense though, haha.

Although time got away from us this year (cut short due to the Wattys submission deadline coming sooner than anticipated), I hope my mentee Dann found the experience worthwhile.

She's a very talented young author who deserves more visibility. I hope she finds success--in whichever way she defines it. It was an honor to get to know her, her story Booked, and her characters.

It sounds like it was a great experience for you and your mentee. We wish all the best of luck to everyone who applied for Watty's this year.

Maria Crawford: Absolutely! I've got my virtual ticket for WattCon 2022, so I'll be watching closely to cheer on the winners as they're announced!

Today is the first of October 2022, Happy New month to all, and on this day, your book Arrows and Anchors holds five number-one spots on Wattpad; Music, bands, addiction, rockstar, longdistancerelationship. A hearty congratulations, from us to you.

Maria Crawford: What a way to kick off October. That is simply surreal to me. It's all thanks to the readers for keeping Arrows & Anchors alive and kicking!

Hopefully, everyone has a stellar October. After a brutally hot summer in Texas, I am personally welcoming these cooler autumn temperatures with open arms. :)

Tell us about your other works. Novels, Poetry, or anything you are currently working on.

Maria Crawford: Sure! I'm always writing poetry here and there. Actually, thank you for the reminder, because I need to post some new pieces that have been sitting in my drafts.

As for other works in progress, I'm currently planning a paranormal romance novel for 2023. It's tentatively titled In My Bones. I'm really excited about this one and hope it's well received. It'll be a little different than what my readers are used to from me, but it'll still have all of the undying love they've come to expect between my characters.

In your novel, A Thousand Butterflies, if you were to describe it in ten words, what would it be?

Maria Crawford: A journey of healing by absolving pains of the past.

Is there anything else you wish to share with your fans or emerging writers? Any acknowledgments? The stage is yours, Maria.

Maria Crawford: If anyone has read this far into my interview, it means you truly care. Thank you for taking an interest in anything I have to say.

For my steadfast fans, I cannot properly express how grateful I am to have you in my corner. You inspire me constantly and bring me so much happiness. You have unknowingly healed so much of my pain. I'll always do my best for you.

For emerging writers looking for hope or guidance, please just write from your heart. Tell your story with passion. Write with your senses--what do you hear, smell, feel? Invest yourself. Readers can tell the difference between a story written for clout and a story written with great care. Take it chapter by chapter, or even word by word, if you're prone to feeling overwhelmed. Try not to get discouraged by the grind of it all. And ultimately, write to make *yourself* happy and proud. I believe in you. Message me if you ever need words of encouragement.

And for my lovely interviewer, thank you for making me feel so welcome. You've allowed me to speak uninhibitedly. I appreciate your time, as I know it's late where you live. Thank you for this opportunity to share some thoughts. It's been a joy to reminisce and converse with you. You're a true gem.

There you have it Music fans... Until next time.