Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a prolific writer and publisher. I ran a small press and published 20 anthologies and six chapbooks. I have written four novels, a collection of short stories, and five chapbooks. Publishing excites me as much as storytelling. It is exhilarating to assist others in achieving their dreams. I sent out a quarterly magazine that listed mail art opportunities for five years.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Recently I finished the Gnome Stories series that took over a decade to complete. I was a single mom working full time and didn’t write consistently. Creative writing gave me an outlet to escape to another world. While working in IT, I often had long sessions installing software or some other tedious activity, and my mind would spin with fantasies.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I work in software quality assurance, and my workday can be hectic or slow depending on a process flow out of my control. I take every opportunity to use my time in front of multiple laptops to create, write, and publish. I am also a prolific, award-winning artist.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have a wide range of interests and have always been a prolific reader. I prefer literary, fantasy, and ancient texts like Rumi and Sun Tzu.
What are you working on now?
My goal for next year is to explore genres other than fantasy. I am currently working on a techno-thriller, a magical realism story about lycanthropes, a science fiction novel, and a poetry book about my dad, who passed away last year.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m hesitant to opine about the best way to promote books because I don’t seem to do it well. Without hard data, I would not know where the clicks came from if I was successful. I have tried Twitter and Facebook campaigns, author profiles on Amazon and Goodreads, my website, book promotions (free giveaways and .99 deals), editorial reviews, and social media posts. I haven’t had a lot of luck encouraging readers to opt-in to an email list.
Awesome Gang, N. N. Light Book Heaven, and BGSauthors are useful author promotion websites. Getting book reviews is my marketing pet peeve.
My latest out-of-the-box idea is to cross-promote cryptocurrency, a novel, and a comic book.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do not edit during the writing process. Concentrate on getting words on the paper, so you have something to edit. I marinate ideas to let the concepts and symbolism percolate in the deep recesses of my brain.
I used to write out everything longhand but finally switched over to typing on a laptop, which has made the writing and editing process quicker. Computer programs like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, and SmartEdit Pro can help you make quick gains when editing.
Everyone should use beta readers, developmental, copy, and line editors. Hire a proofreader. I have found a lot of inexpensive help on Fiverr. I have belonged to writers groups in the past but found they are more trouble than worth.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Set up a work schedule and stick with it. I usually work 3-8 hours a day, including weekends. I spend quite a bit of time promoting, editing, and thinking. Creating ebooks and audiobooks is also time-consuming.
Write what you want, and don’t worry about whether people will like it.
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading technical spec manuals for audiobook production. The last fiction novels I read were N. K. Jemisin’s The City We Became and Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have been exploring a cross-promotion idea between a techno-thriller novel and cryptocurrency. I didn’t know much about it but successfully set up my own coin and NFTs. I don’t know if my idea will pan out, but it was essential information to learn for my novel about a series of murders on a data-mining farm in the arctic.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami
The Kraken, China Miéville
Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
The Essential Rumi
Author Websites and Profiles
Ashley Parker Owens Amazon Profile
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