Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I worked for over twenty years in marketing, developing ad campaigns, catalogs, product launches, and promotional literature. I had spent my career writing creatively about products but had never tried to write books or even short stories. It was encouragement from a friend, who wrote fan fiction that got me interested in trying to write. I currently live in Virginia, but my job had provided the opportunity for extensive travel, both foreign and domestic, to create the backdrop for my characters to play out their story. I feel like the experience of having spent time in the locales I use in the books give a degree of authenticity. I also have a passion for ancestry research and was inspired by how I saw certain traits passed down from one generation to another. I drew on that experience as well when I was writing.
I have written six very large books, each over 700 pages, called The Medici Warrior Series, in the genre of paranormal romance and urban fantasy.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The first book of the series, which releases April 22, is called The Blood Covenant. My fanfiction writing friend was seriously into vampires and wanted me to write a vampire story. I was reluctant because I felt like it had been done by so many. But once I decided to try, it was under the caveat of creating a “different vampire”. I did not want to stick to the stake through the heart, silver bullet, can’t see yourself in a mirror vampire. I wanted to create my own mythology about who they were, and where they came from, and that became my inspiration.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think if you’re a writer, you already fall into the “unusual” category. We are typically introverts, who live in our heads. When I write, I am totally immersed in the process. I won’t answer the phone or a knock at the door. I resent any intrusion when I’m in the zone.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always loved Anne Rice, and while I have read all of her vampire chronicle novels, my most favorite book from her is The Witching Hour. She wrote that book with such detail I felt like I was standing in the corner of the room with her characters. I love books with detail, and I love writing with detail, which explains why my books are all so large.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I am not writing but promoting. Book one of the Medici Warrior Series is getting ready to release and I am swamped with all the promotional aspects of selling books. I can’t write and promote at the same time. For that reason, I wrote all six books in the series before I started looking for a publisher, and beginning the process of promoting and selling. I do have ideas swirling in my head for the next series, however.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t think a writer can use one method. I use Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter accounts, to do paid boosts on select posts, as well as placing paid ads on those sites. I also place ads on Amazon. I use book bloggers and advance reader sites, and I hired a PA who has experience in book promotion to help me gain traction.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you think you are going to get rich writing books, and that is your motivation, then stop. You’re going to be sadly disappointed. Your book may be a hit, or it may just appeal to a small niche market, or it may not sell at all (except those pity purchases from family and friends). You have to write for yourself. You have to enjoy the process. If you like the story, then write it, put it out there and see what happens.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I follow Anne Rice on Facebook, and she said if you like your story, then odds are there is someone else out there who will like it as well. Write for yourself. Write the story you want to read.
What are you reading now?
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am playing around with several concepts for another series. I like complex stories that can’t be wrapped up in a neat little bow, so it will definitely be another series and not a stand-alone book.
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?
If I am limited, then I will definitely select really big books. I am a fan of big books anyway. My first choice would be The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien (yes, this may be cheating because it’s already 3 books, but if you have read them, you know they were written as one big book.) I love this complex fantasy that allows you to escape into another world.
Next, I would pick Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour. I love all of Anne Rice’s books, but she wrote this book with such detail I felt like I could stand in the characters shoes and see what they were seeing, hear what they were hearing, and feel what they were feeling. I love visual writers who can place me in the scene.
Picking a final book is hard, because I love so many, but it would probably be Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club. This book struck a personal emotional cord with me as it speaks to the complex relationships between mother and daughter.
Author Websites and Profiles
Emily Bex Website
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