Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a sensitive and goofy lady who loves people and art and music and writing with an authenticity to it – however that may look. I have written a lot, yet only published one book – so far! (stay tuned!)
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Making Ends Meet with a Popcorn Popper’ was just published at the beginning of this year and it’s a collection of tips I put together from a particularly difficult time in my life.
A few years ago, my life had unexpectedly turned inside out and upside down and I was left with very little – money wise – and two small children. The husband I had known, wasn’t what I had known at all and I was left to overcome an uphill battle in order to keep us fed, warm, and safe.
This book puts together the resources I learned to use, plus some tricks I figured out, and the mindsets I had to adapt to get to the other side of my devastation. This guide is told from a girlish perspective with a bit of humor and anecdotal pieces throughout – and that is where the ‘popcorn popper’ part comes from. It’s one of the stories woven in the book that helped me get through my difficult time.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know. I like to sprawl out on the couch with a blanket and just GO. That’s it, really. I guess the blanket is kind of odd. I’m temperature-sensitive.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Neil Hilborn, the poet. I admire his raw truth – it’s so brave. Anyone who can bare their truth not only frees themselves but helps open countless doors for others.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a novel about a woman’s journey through devastation upon the discovery of her husband’s financial infidelities and abuse.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Currently I am trying out several methods – so the jury is out on this one!
I have been interviewed, I may soon be on Podcasts, I use Amazon’s marketing programs as well as other social media marketing including Facebook and Pinterest. I also use traditional advertising like Google.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Even when you don’t want to. Just write.
Writers are artists and aren’t always the greatest at making schedules for themselves and that’s where the trouble can start. Make a habit of writing a paragraph every day – no matter what. Or 10 words. Or something really easy. I heard that once – and it really shifted my perspective.
The other advice I have is that you are going to have to edit it a gazillion times. I STILL find errors. And it drives me NUTS. Get a second or a THIRD pair of eyes – or hire a proofreader. The point is – you’re going to have typos and errors. It’s not the end of the world. Just know it will happen and be prepared to correct them – a gazillion times. No one is perfect. 😉
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Oh, man…I hate picking ONE thing. There’s so much great advice out there. You’ve GOT to LOVE YOURSELF. I know, I know…so trite….everyone says it…but it’s true. You really do. Because you need to be true to yourself.
Which leads me to my next advice I love – you’ve got to be YOU – because everyone else is already taken. And that comes across in your art – your writing, your everything. You must be YOU. Love yourself enough to be YOU. Be authentically YOU.
What are you reading now?
I am a constant consumer of editorials and blog posts and opinion articles. I like bite size snippets lately, so that’s what I’m reading. But I have some short stories on my to-do that I want to read soon – the next by Hemingway.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am in the early stages of my novel and am deciding on point of view and will be putting together my outline. I have pieces of draft written that I want to lay out as well and experiment with different points of view and see where it may fit within my outline; again, I’m mapping things out.
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 would take ‘The Norton Anthology of American Literature’, ‘The Phophet’ by Kahlil Gibran and some sort of survival book, of course!
Author Websites and Profiles
Jacqueline Lucia Website
Jacqueline Lucia Amazon Profile
Jacqueline Lucia’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account