Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a free spirited person who is full of life, giggles, and love. My everyday life, from past to present, inspires the out of the box imagination driven creative stories. Every plot twist and turn has a meaning and a message behind it. I am the most outgoing introvert that I know, which tends to make me sociably awkward. A lot of the time, my goofiness saves me a lot of face haha. So far, I have three stories that are published, and one that is unpublished and finished. My stories range from Urban Street Lit, Romance Drama, Paranormal, Christian Fiction, etc.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest complete book is called Changing Faces: No Limit To Her Hustle. My own battles with insecurities and my knowledge of the love of money is what inspired the story.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, haha. My mind is so abstract with thoughts that you never know the direction that my stories will take. Since I am so new to the writing industry, I feel, you have to keep an open mind when it comes to me. Sometimes my book my be categorized as one thing, but include something completely different twisted inside of the storyline.
Also, sometimes I write from ending to beginning, or middle to top, then middle to bottom. As crazy as it sounds, it works for me.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
A lot of the authors that influenced me were from Wattpad.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on three stories at once. An Urban Paranormal and two Urban Christian Fiction. Which I am not exactly sure the genre of the Christian Fiction because of the views that I fear to receive. The storyline is realistic to the urban life, and it goes to show you that you can always return to Christ no matter how far from the path that you stray.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion and marketing is actually my weak points at the moment. So far, I have tried with social media.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing! Don’t give up. It’s not going to always be easy, and sometimes you are going to feel stupid or like you’re doing it all wrong. Write anyways! You always have time to go back and revisit your work to edit it. Someone out there needs YOUR STORY! Regardless of if it’s what’s popular, or popping. Don’t write a story that you think someone wants to read, write a story that you would love to read that you don’t see. Stay encouraged! You can do it, but you can’t expect anyone to believe in you more than you believe in yourself.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t worry about the editing process, the readers, the small this and thats, just WRITE THE DAMN BOOK. Stop overthinking. Also, writing and trying to edit at the same time is the same as trying to drive a car with your foot on the gas and brake pedal.
What are you reading now?
When It’s Too Late to Tell by J. Evan Johnson
Identity by T.D. Jakes
What’s next for you as a writer?
To find a comfortable balance of writing as a love, promoting my stories, succeeding and becoming a more polished author. What’s more important to me, though, is the people that I am eager to meet on the way. To be a light in someone’s life, and to gain a bond with my readers means more to me than the sales.
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?
The Bible
Something Worth Fighting For by Heaven J. Fox
Broken Crayons Still Color 1&2 by David Weaver
Author Websites and Profiles
Courtney Monya Amazon Profile
Courtney Monya Author Profile on Smashwords
Courtney Monya’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account