Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Oh, jeez. I’ve been writing for 25 years. I’ve written (and rewritten) 15 books. However, I’ve written three books since I changed my genre from adult romance to YA romance and YA paranormal, so I’ll leave it at three. INNOCENT and STUDENT BODYGUARD FOR HIRE are both upper young adult romance books. Both are contemporary and quite different.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My current/latest project is one I wrote years ago. DEATHRIGHT is the first of a YA paranormal trilogy. I intend to publish all three books in 2015. The initial idea for DEATHRIGHT was inspired by a co-worker who insisted she wanted to be turned into a diamond when she died. Of course, I had to ask, which then led me to research a company that turns animal and/or human remains (ashes) into diamonds. The company then makes jewelry out of it. Naturally I saw a story there and realized the best audience for that unique premise would be young adult. That’s when I decided to try writing for teens. I had so much fun I never went back.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I’m very uninteresting, unless you consider OCD and an insatiable editing neurosis interesting.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I don’t know that specific authors inspire or influence me. I’d say all authors inspire and influence me. This is a tough business and most non-writers seem to think authors hammer out words easily, quickly, and that we all make mounds of money and don’t need or have a day job. I know it sounds strange but I hear this all the time. Unfortunately, it’s rarely true. To keep writing often takes serious grit.
Specific books do inspire me. Anything that really hits home, I guess. Very often what hits home for me isn’t the big seller. These are a few exceptions (some old, some new): Little Witch by Anna Elizabeth Bennett, Forever by Judy Blume, The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols, Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare, Divergent by Veronica Roth …among the most recent. There are just too many to count. My tastes are eclectic, which makes it difficult to keep up. So many good stories. So little time.
What are you working on now?
I’ve been working on my young adult paranormal, DEATHRIGHT. I finished it years ago, but for the last several months I’ve wanted to do a complete rewrite, so I’m doing that now, along with starting books two and three of the trilogy, which I intend to publish in 2015.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I made my first book, STUDENT BODYGUARD FOR HIRE, “free” for a few days, which I think is important to do with your first book if you’re self-published and don’t have several thousand to put into a massive marketing campaign to reach new readers. I made #1 on the teen non-paid list for a couple of days. I think I made #2 for multicultural. That was a lovely experience. Much of what I think works best is just getting another really good book out as soon as you can. But don’t rush.
With the second book, INNOCENT, I will be doing a Kindle Countdown on the week of 8/25/14. I’m announcing it in different forums, such as Awesomegang, Kindle Sponsorship, Riffle, ENT, eBooklister and quite a few others (many free). If an author has the book in print, holding a Goodreads Giveaway is a great way to get exposure and costs very little. I’m doing that as well.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
#1 piece of advice: WRITE FOR YOU AND WRITE WHAT YOU LOVE.
Don’t give up when the biz gets hard or reviewers get mean. Keep learning and honing your craft. And above all else, keep writing. With every book, you will get better.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you can quit writing, do it. If you can’t, you know you’re a writer.
What are you reading now?
Ink by Amanda Sun.
What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish the current trilogy.
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?
Oh no way. I’m not stopping at 3-4. I know exactly what I’d bring–the entire Dresden series by Jim Butcher. I’m waiting for him to finish so I can marathon read the entire arc. He has enough characters that I kept forgetting between books, so I stopped reading after the first three books and decided to wait until he finished the series. I know. Crazy.
Meanwhile, my husband has been avidly collecting the series and likes to flaunt his time to read them as I write my next book.
Being a writer is so fun.
Author Websites and Profiles
Callie James Website
Callie James Amazon Profile
Callie James’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account