Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I lead a double life. During the day I’m training young women (and occasionally young men) to become speech therapists. I have spent the past several years working as a university instructor. My students are young adult females so I’m constantly running plot lines and book covers by them. They make a great beta team!
St. Martin Family Saga
1. Score
2. Shameless
3. Shatter
4. Suited
5. Smolder
Follow the St. Martin brothers as they wreak havoc on the hearts of women in Whiskey Cove.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ultimately I began writing to give life to the beautiful characters that wanted to exist in a place other than my mind. It’s nice when I finally get them on paper and they have a home. The answer to this question would not be complete without mentioning fan fiction. I was very active across a few platforms and a marvelous thing happened . . . I acquired hundreds of dedicated followers. Fans are everything. They motivate and drive more stories. It was because of the strong positive responses I received writing on fan fiction that I was inspired to move foreword and write series books and have them published. My latest book series started as fan fiction and morphed into a fictional small town world of Whiskey Cove outside of New Orleans. Each book tells the story of another sibling.
St. Martin Family Saga consists of five books.
1. Score
2. Shameless
3. Shatter
4. Suited
5. Smolder
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
This is going to sound extremely crazy so get ready. I have periods where I write en masse. What does that mean? Basically, I sit down for let’s say two weeks and write the entire series. I’m writing upwards of 4000 words per day when I do that. Average is around 5000 but I have been known to crank out 8000. It’s crazy I know but that process doesn’t take me long. I sit and focus to just get it on paper. The real work comes with the editing process. It’s long and tedious. I couldn’t do what I do without an awesome editor.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
1. His lady mistress by Elizabeth Rolls – my goodness when I read this book she pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped all over it before putting it back in place.
2. This man trilogy by Jodi Ellen Malpas – well who doesn’t love a Lord. Jessie Ward is hot as frack and is just yummy and his arrogance and intensity made me want to eat him with a spoon!
3. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – she was a master at using everything at her disposal in her writing. I read this book every winter and the first pages that detail the landscape and the blizzard chill me to the bone. The way she uses the landscape to provide insight into the characters is genius.
4. Twilight – I know, I know, but to say I was obsessed would be the understatement of the decade. No, it wasn’t scholarly prose, but the intensity evoked between the characters made up for it in spades!
5. Sweet Valley High: Alone in the Crowd – this is my favorite of the Sweet Valley gang. Probably because in high school I wore glasses and never wore my hair in a popular style. As a preadolescent teen I swooned over Guy Chesney.
What are you working on now?
Since I live in the gulf region and have had the luxury of riding out three hurricanes in the past eight years, I was inspired to write a little series I’m calling the Emergency Responders. There will be a sexy fireman, a hunky sheriff, and a sweet talking paramedic. The fireman is the eldest St. Martin brother and let me just say that, Clara, the only female St. Martin sibling, may have a strong lead in the paramedic’s book.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think it is important to have a home for your brand (i.e. author name and creations). I have a website with a webmaster who manages email lists and promotions. The giveaways help build the email list. I’ve been told the people that join your mailing list are guaranteed buyers. Word of mouth has worked for me. I think I have a unique situation because I teach at a university. My students are all females aged 18 to 22 (it is a graduate program). Since I write contemporary romance most of them buy my books and post about them on various social media.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
NEVER STOP WRITING! I waited until I had five completed and edited manuscripts before I even thought about publishing. In an ideal world, one would release something every month, even if it is just a box set of existing works. Be creative!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing! Spend money on a professional looking book cover. Get an editor. Make sure your book doesn’t look homemade.
What are you reading now?
After Dead: What Came Next in the World of Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am a speech therapist by trade. I have written a series about an eccentric man who has autism. He finds love and there are of course various ups and downs. Since I work with this population it is close to my heart. I would love to publish it.
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 Easter Parade by Richard Yates
The Collected Works of John Cheever
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Show and Tell by Jim Daniels
Sam the Cat: and Other Stories by Matthew Klam
Author Websites and Profiles
Gina Watson Website
Gina Watson Amazon Profile
Gina Watson Author Profile on Smashwords
Gina Watson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account