Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am first and foremost a loving (and sometimes nagging) wife and a mom of a beautiful little boy, but when I’m not wrangling my toddler or covered in messes, I write and try to manage a career as an indie author.
Quitting my job and leaving the world of adults was a life-changing decision for our family, and although it came with its own difficulties, I would make the decision again in a heartbeat. Being home with my son was precious, but being the person that I am, I still felt like I needed something more. Writing became the “more” I was looking for and I was pleased to discover that I had at least one book in me. About six months after I set out to write my first book, Mended was completed and I’d discovered a whole new part of myself I didn’t know was there.
For me, writing is a way to escape the everyday stresses of life and it creates a welcome challenge on a daily basis. I hope to make a career out of it, but even if I don’t succeed, I can be grateful that I’ve pushed myself to achieve my dream to publish my first book.
I’m currently working on the second book in my Sweet Home Dixie Series, Survivor, and it’s scheduled to be released later this year. My Sweet Home Dixie series is made up of standalone contemporary romance novels set in a small, charming town in southern Alabama. All of my books have deep-rooted emotions, realistic and relatable characters full of flaws and personal struggles, and happy endings. I want to show readers that it’s okay not to be perfect and that everyone falls down at some point in their lives. But with love and personal reflection, we can become far better people than we ever thought possible and can often achieve the unimaginable.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel is called Mended. It’s a contemporary romance set in a small southern Alabama town and is part of a bigger series of three or more standalone novels (I haven’t quite decided yet.) When our son was born, we made a life-altering decision for me to quit my job and stay home with him. It was a huge change for us, but in the end it turned out to be the right move. Raising my son was like a dream come true, but I found myself feeling closed off from the world and needing something more. Long story short, I started writing and I soon discovered it to be the piece of my life that was missing.
For most of my adult life, I worked with troubled youth and their families. It was heartbreaking to watch them struggle and make mistake after mistake that would set the course of their life forever. Most of these youth came from a troubled upbringing, abuse, neglect, missing parents, and it affected them deeply. But sometimes, in rare circumstances, all that was needed was one authentic role-model who made the extra effort for them to help inspire change. I had the honor of witnessing this miraculous change a handful of times during my career and I wanted to create a story that showcased the beauty of it and the importance of love and stability in people’s lives.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write whenever I get a spare minute, which usually means only during my son’s nap time, bed time, or when I can distract him with some kind of activity long enough to get a few words on the page or jot down some notes. I know it’s not the best set up to encourage creativity, and is not a permanent solution (kids don’t continue taking naps forever!) but for now it’s what I have to work with and I’ll take every opportunity I can.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are a great many talented authors out there who I love to read and who have inspired me to write my own book series: Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Gena Showalter, to name a few, But the book series that truly inspired my own was the Fool’s Gold Series by Susan Mallory. I love her witty and fun writing and the sweetness and sizzle of her romances. I loved the idea of creating a series within the same small town, where each book focuses on a new set of characters, but your favorites from other books come in and out of the story as well. Each story has its own conclusive ending, but all of the books intermingle, so readers can enjoy them all in any order.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on my second book in my Sweet Home Dixie Series. This standalone novel features Reid from the first book, along with some new intriguing characters. Our favorites are still hanging out as well, so we’ll get to see what they’re all up to in Book 2 and readers will get some of their questions answered from Book 1.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t have a lot of time for book promotion, so I like to set things up ahead of time that can do the work for me later. Countless posts on social media is time-consuming, and frankly the results I’ve seen don’t equal the effort put in.
I’m still learning a lot every day, but from what I’ve found, building a mailing list of eager and enthusiastic readers is a great method in getting the word out to your fans. Getting those fans is a bit more work, but you can often find them by taking the time to talk with people, open yourself up to questions, collaborate with other authors, and be willing to give away your work for free (or at least samples!)
I also like using book promotion sites because they are an inexpensive, time-friendly, and effective method of finding potential readers and telling the world about your book. So far, I’ve only used these sites when I have a sale promotion for my book, and they have been very effective. To name a few: Bookbub is the most expensive and the most effective of these sites with the biggest readership and following, but it also has the strictest guidelines and they reject up to 90% of the submissions they receive. I’ve also tried Reading Deals with some success and in my next campaign I’m using Many Books, Read Cheaply, Buck Books, and of course Awesomegang. Some other great sites are E Reader News Today, and Kindle Nation Daily. There are tons of affordable promotion options out there today. With a little research, you can find the right methods for you.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Research. Learn about the inner-working of the business before you publish and never stop learning. Things change quickly in this business and you have to be willing to adapt. That means continuing to learn and try new things and move on from the things that don’t work.
Define what success means for you and be willing to work for it. Success will not just fall into your lap. It takes a huge amount of effort, patience, AND A TON OF MISTAKES to get there.
Above all, don’t be afraid to fail. Finding out what doesn’t work is an important part of finding out what does. Becoming a self-sustaining and even money-making author is a marathon, with many pot holes along the way. If you want something, be willing to work your booty off for it, and if you’re not willing to do that, it is OK to quit (as long as you’re okay with it!)
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Hire a professional editor. I know the cost of hiring a good editor can be daunting, but don’t skimp out. Getting your book professionally edited is a game changer and a necessity. Beta readers are great, but they can’t replace a good editor. It is the best investment you can make for your book and for yourself as an author. (A great cover designer is also important!).
What are you reading now?
I’ve been on a Susan Elizabeth Phillips kick lately and I recently went down to the library and cleared out the shelf. I just read Call Me Irresistible and I’m finishing up Just Imagine.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d like to finish writing my Sweet Home Dixie Series (even if it takes me years) and then, I don’t know. Maybe a new book series. I’ve always hoped to co-author a book with my husband and I hope we get the chance to do that some day.
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 can never answer questions like this. If there was a fire and I was only allowed to choose 3 things to take with me (people and pets not included) I would burn to death.
Author Websites and Profiles
Kayla Marie Website
Kayla Marie Amazon Profile
Kayla Marie’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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