Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have just completed and published my first book, “The Power of Twin Soul Love”, which is a short fiction romance exploring the theory of twin souls (soul mates) and the reality of true love.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My own life and relationships inspired me to write this book. I have held a longtime believe in the soul mate theory and have experienced it first hand.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I meditate before I write.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve always had a preference for short books. The first one I read was back in high school — J.D. Salinger’s “Cather in the Rye” — and it impressed me because it was the first book that actually made me feel something.
What are you working on now?
My second short fiction novel — another romance.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I started with Facebook long before my book was published. It has helped me immensely. I’d established a strong following that looked forward to reading my book almost as much as I looked forward to getting it out there. I’m also now expanding my visibility through other platforms, such as Twitter and Pinterest. I really like Pinterest, because it gives me another opportunity to tell people who I am via my various boards. I think that nowadays people like to know the author. It makes the book more personal to them.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write something you know about — something you’ve experienced or lived — and have confidence in yourself and in your work. It’s very hard to market something you don’t believe in. And its very hard to do anything if you don’t believe in yourself.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That would be from Dean Koontz from his interview: Dean Koontz: How to Write a Bestselling Novel at beliefnet.com:
“If you suffer from serious self-doubt at the keyboard, as I do, that doubt doesn’t have to grow into writer’s block. Use the doubt, turn it into a positive. The way I’ve done that is to revise and polish one page–ten times, twenty times, whatever–until I am unable to make it flow more smoothly or invest it with more tension. Only then do I move on to the next page. Of course, the doubt returns page by page, but after a while, I have a stack of pages about which my doubts have been allayed, and I can move forward with increasing confidence.”
This really worked for me.
What are you reading now?
“Quentins” by Maeve Binchy.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Promoting “The Power of Twin Soul Love” and completing my second book.
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?
“Quentins” — so that I can finish reading it.
“Revelations of Christ” by Swami Kriyananda — I’m in the midst of reading this book too.
“Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself” by Lori Deschene — I’ve contributed to it, but haven’t yet had the opportunity to start reading it.
“The World is a Waiting Lover” by Trebbe Johnson.
Author Websites and Profiles
Mary Dunlop Website
Mary Dunlop Amazon Profile
Mary Dunlop’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account