Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written a lot of books in my lifetime, but so far only two are in the process of being published. The first one, The Blood Moon, will be out on August 1, 2015 and the second will be out in February 2016. I’m currently writing the third one now.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Blood Moon was really inspired by my love of magic and witches back when I was a teenager. At the time, I really loved watching the TV show Charmed and I loved the situations the characters were put in and the mythologies that were created and I wanted to do that myself. So I started my own book. Last year I really tore into the edits and now, nine years after I started it, it’s about to be published.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing too unusual. I’ve kind of written in every environment, so I think I’m pretty flexible. I have my own ritual, I get my glass of water (and take frequent breaks to refill), pull up my word counter, put Scrivener on distraction-free mode and get to it. It’s pretty simple. Now, finding the two-three hours to actually write a chapter is another thing in general…
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, JK Rowling, Suzanne Collins – the usuals. But I’m also influenced by more midlist authors such as Cinda Williams Chima, Sally Green, and Pierce Brown.
As for books, I really love a great story, so anything that completely captures me. Stephen King’s 11/22/63 was like that as was JK Rowling as Robert Galbraith with The Cuckoo’s Calling and The Silkworm. The books that really inspired me as a writer and especially as a self-publisher are Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott, Write. Publish. Repeat. by Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant, and David Wright, Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran, and On Writing by Stephen King.
What are you working on now?
I just finished editing my second book, due out in February 2016, and I’m working on the first draft for my third novel. I wrote The Blood Moon as a teenager and edited as an adult whereas the second and third books I’m writing as an adult and I can really see a difference in the ease of editing with the later books. I have more of a direction and more of an understanding of the characters so I’m really excited to see these published.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Anywhere that’s free! I’m a new indie author with a tight budget and I just can’t justify spending money on promotions for one book when I could wait until I have a few books out and potentially sell more books in one ad campaign. Simple marketing, really.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Seeing how I’m a new author, I suppose I’d say what I keep telling myself: Do it right now, so you don’t have to rebuild your credibility later. I think self-publishing still gets a bad rap because many self-publishers are still delivering poor products. I want to produce books that look like they were traditionally published. I’ve read books by other indie authors like that and that’s what I’m striving for.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write drunk. Edit sober.
I like it because you need to write without a care in the world and come by in the editing process and sort through the pieces.
What are you reading now?
I’m actually in the middle of Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran and I love it. I try to switch between fiction and non-fiction books, so the last fiction book I read was Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. Very dark, but very good.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan on publishing a holiday short story at the end of the year and then I’ll publish my second novel. Hopefully by then I’ll already be through my second draft of my third book, but we’ll see how the rest of the year goes.
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?
That’s hard because I don’t typically reread books. From my TBR pile, I’d probably take Jason Gurley’s Eleanor, Pierce Brown’s Red Rising, and Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs.
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