Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I became a writer because I had a story I wanted to tell.
‘Camouflage’ is my first book. I am now working on a fantasy set in the medieval period.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I live in a small town in Connecticut. The beauty of the landscape inspired me to write. I would drive by the lakes and look into the forests and wonder what’s out there that we haven’t discovered. That thought would not leave me and I started to write ‘Camouflage’.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have some tricks I use when I write. The first is to know the story I want to tell. I’ve already thought out where the action will go next. The second trick is to remind myself before I start that I just need to write the next paragraph. I don’t get caught up in what it will take to complete the book. I know the story and I focus on just the next step.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Bram Stoker’s, Dracula and Mary Shelly’s, Frankenstein. I love the ideas behind them.
What are you working on now?
‘Sarana and the Dark King’ is a fantasy novel for adults, about a ruthless king who controls a magic creature who has the power to cause instant death. Only one thing could stop his reign of terror, a commoner with a secret past and a power of her own.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Finding the right promotional site has worked best for me. I advertise on Goodreads, Facebook, Bargain Booksy, and I hope readers from Awesome Gang will like my work.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
The first thing I would say is to learn to love criticism. Praise will not help you improve your work as much as criticism will.
Another piece of advice is to write with sincerity. Never have a character do something because you like the way it sounds. All actions and motives in a story must make sense. Readers will know if something does not fit in.
Also, learn the rules for writing a novel. There is more to it then telling a great story. For me, staying with a character’s point of view was sometimes a challenge.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I don’t know where I heard it-but I never give up and I don’t let anyone tell me I can’t do something.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading ‘Traitor Knight’, by Keith Willis.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am in the process of editing my next book, ‘Sarana and the Dark King’.
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?
I’d bring ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker and ‘Jurassic Park’, by Michael Crichton. After that I may want to gamble on something new.
Author Websites and Profiles
Ivy Keating Website
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