-
What inspired you to start writing?
Well, I have lived a "soap opera" style life, my first book was based on a true story, that of my cousins' lives mixed together and I added myself to the beginning and ending to give it a hopeful vibe, then I realized that this is what I was meant to do. That first book just showed me that I needed to be bold enough to do it.
-
Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
My most current book is about Cora and Herbie, an unassuming couple. It follows Cora throughout her journey to take the reigns from her husband who was arrested for being a serial killer. She punishes everyone who had a hand in taking him from her.
-
How do you create your characters?
Most of my characters come to me in the quietness of my dreams, some are versions of people I know, most of them are actually. I have always tried to keep one character true to someone I know. All of my love interests are my husband and the version of him that fits best with that particular book. I have written stories that, hopefully, resonate with people. I try to make them as real as I can.
-
What does your typical writing day look like?
Oh it varies. A lot of things come to me when I am sleeping, when I am driving and when I am doing other things, thank goodness for a phone that has the notes app in it! But a day in the life of me... I write daily, a minimum of 5 minutes, but that usually snowballs into a few hours. Once I get going, it's hard to stop though. I don't believe in writers block, I believe it's another story's way of saying "Hey I need some attention, come work on me for a while!", I have 84 other stories working at the moment, I try to keep my ADHD brain in check by giving it the freedom to explore more than one thing at a time.
-
What has been the most rewarding part of being an indie author?
I think the coolest thing I have experienced to date is when my husband's cousin read the book and gushed to me about how great she thought it was. Then there's my friend M. He told me how easy it was for him to connect with my character, Arthur. It brings me great joy to know that people are able to connect with my stories.
-
What’s one challenge you’ve faced in your writing journey?
When people say, "oh she must be so traumatized to be able to write those things." It's called FICTION, not self reflection. Yes, I write what I know, but that doesn't mean that it's my life I am writing about. Ok, maybe some aspects are my life, but the core of it is fiction. People have funny ways of making things "acceptable" when you write dark stuff.
-
Do you have any favorite writing tools or apps?
Yes! Omg, I love Reedsy! I love connecting with other authors and being able to bounce ideas off of each other. Having a solid core community is very helpful for me, I learn so much from people I surround myself with.
-
What advice would you give to new or aspiring indie authors?
Don't believe the lie that the market is saturated, everyone has a story to tell, it might be the same old story but you can put your own spin on it and make it something amazing, just don't give up!
-
How do you handle book promotion as an indie author?
That's one of the things I stink at, I hate the pushy sales aspect, I post on social media pretty consistently, well a few of them anyway. Some I just can't get into. I tell everyone I talk to about my books, I also have a full time career where I am on the phone a lot with people all over the country, so I tell every one of them about my books, even if they don't want to hear it.
-
What’s next for you? Are you working on a new book?
As I mentioned, I have 84 books in various stages of chaos right now, so there will be more books coming, my current work in progress is due to release at the end of September, on my granddaughter's birthday, I try to schedule my releases on special dates, thank goodness I have 10 grands so I can schedule one release on each of their birthdays over the next few years!
