Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been actively writing since 2001 and my first novel was published in 2004. To date, I have 20 published books@amazon.com, including for adult coloring books.
I suspect I’m a genre conflicted, since I’ve published in the romance, mystery, memoir, and nonfiction categories. I just have a lot of interests.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest publication is “99 Writing Prompts for Memoir and Journal Writers Who Are Stuck.”
Since I have published three memoirs, I have developed a career coaching aspiring memoir writers. This latest book is the fourth in a series of nonfiction books aim to help memoir writers.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I prefer to dictate my stories rather than type them. I love the voice-to-text option in Microsoft word and I also use the website otter.ai.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite nonfiction authors are Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen. I love their quirky characters and surprising plots.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a series of online courses for memoir writers, and I have two more book ideas for them. Then I would really like to get back to fiction writing. I have had a series of female detective stories in mind for several years, and it’s time to get serious about them!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Whether you love them or hate them, Amazon does a great job of helping authors promote their books. I’m always amazed when I hear someone say they don’t want to do business with Amazon for some kind of personal belief. Why don’t you just shoot yourself in your writing hand?
Almost all of my paid advertising is at Amazon.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I always advise new authors to read as many books as possible in the genre in which you want to write. This is the only way to absorb and learn what is selling that is similar to what you want to write. Once I met a woman who was writing a romance novel, and when I asked her, “Who is your favorite romance author?” she replied, “Oh I don’t read romance. I read sci-fi.” Duh!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever heard was, “Keep writing and don’t quit your day job.”
What are you reading now?
Right now I am reading just about every book that’s on Amazon about Amazon advertising. I am determined to master this, and create the best ROI I can.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Next for me as a writer? Simply more of the same on a step-by-step basis.
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?
All Carl Hiaasen novels.
Author Websites and Profiles
Carolyn V. Hamilton Website
Carolyn V. Hamilton Amazon Profile
Carolyn V. Hamilton’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account