Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a mom of three boys (one of which is my husband, and I tell him he’s my biggest “problem child”). I’ve been married twenty-four years November 2015, and I love him more now than I did the day I married him. I’m a mom to 3 dogs, a dachshund, chihuahua, and great dane. My oldest son says I’m a “freak”, which I take as a compliment. And I collect skulls, as well as crosses.
I’ve published 10 books and have 3 more that’ll never see the light of day! They’re awful and would require too much editing to get them polished enough to publish. My editor might quit if I asked her to do this. I write a paranormal series (horromance as I’ve dubbed it because it’s a mix of horror and romance) called the Road to Hell series. I also write paranormal erotic romances, dark gothic romances, contemporary rock star romances (Hot Wired series), and I just completed my first dystopian romance.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Lie to Me is the book I just finished writing. One thing didn’t inspire it, but it was a story that’d been simmering in my mind for years. After publishing my last book in August, I turned to this book and wrote Lie to Me with ease, loving every minute of the journey. These characters are so real to me, alive in a way other characters haven’t been. That makes for an exciting journey.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so. I write when I can, but mostly during the day. I have a problem pulling myself out of the book world and rejoining reality. When I’m in my head, it’s hard to grab my attention and I can’t tell you how many times my boys have asked if I’m listening to them or if I’m talking to my characters. My family thinks it’s weird that I have a muse–Dom–who I emphatically argue is real and not imaginary. I joke Dom and I are spending the day together or we’re pausing from writing to eat lunch. My oldest son says I make it sound like I have a boyfriend. I enjoy teasing my family on with my “freakiness”. lol
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The first romance I read was The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. If my grandmother hadn’t given me that book to read, I don’t know when I would’ve fallen in love with romance. I also read a lot of horror books growing up, and watched a lot of supernatural shows, so mixing the two seemed natural. But mostly I just looooove writing romance because I love to fall in love. And no two characters fall in love the same way, the experience is different for each of them.
What are you working on now?
Bama Girl Blues, which is book 3 in the Hot Wired series. It’s my contemporary rock star romance series and is my best seller. Who hasn’t fallen in love with a rock star at some point in their life? As a teen my wall was covered with posters of rock stars. There’s something alluring about the rebellious rock star that makes them fun to write.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote on a lot of blogs, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I have a big group of readers that help promote too, but the best promotion is word of mouth. If readers aren’t telling others to read you, then no amount of marketing helps a whole lot.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you love, write with passion, and write scared. Some of the best stories I’ve written I wrote scared because the characters made choices I wasn’t comfortable with, but it was their story to tell not mine. Also, if you can’t take criticism, then get out of the writing industry while you’re ahead. Not everyone is going to like what you write. A social media rant on how the reviewer was wrong is only going to hurt your career rather than help it. I also recommend engaging with readers on social media. I’m shy and an introvert, but readers love to get to know the author that writes the books they love. And I love the feedback I get from them, while getting to know them. Some of my favorite readers have become social-media friends, who I hope to meet someday.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best marketing advice I received when I published my first book was to write more books. It’s true. If you have a backlog of books and someone loves the first book they pick up by you, they’ll run to grab the rest.
What are you reading now?
Nothing at the moment. I’m writing and when I write, I rarely read because I don’t have time to write, read, and micromanage family and housework. So I guess you could say I’m reading my own book Lie to Me because it’s in the edits phase.
What’s next for you as a writer?
More in the Hot Wired series, as I have 3 more books slated for the series. I have another series that’s simmering in my mind that I’ll probably breathe some life into it in 2016.
I’ll be signing books and hanging out with readers at TNEE in April 2016 and AAD in August 2016, so if you’re planning on going there, look me up! I’d love to meet you. At TNEE I’ll be hosting a Speakeasy party with a group of authors, so it’ll be a fun trip.
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 a tough question. I have so many authors I love. I’m gonna pick one psy book by Nalini Singh, an MC book by Joanna Wylde, and any book by Ann Mayburn or Lexi Blake. Otherwise, I’ll probably spend most of the time conjuring up my own daydreams.
Author Websites and Profiles
Gracen Miller Website
Gracen Miller Amazon Profile
Gracen Miller’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account