Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write modern, funny, pulse-racing contemporary romance experiences with strong female leads and a heavy emphasis on the newest ways to find love. There’s always texting and dating apps, autocorrect mishaps, and lots of fun, awkward situations, but the heat is there too. I’ve written six romance novels and novellas.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Mixed Emotions is my latest release coming on April 28th, and it’s book 3 in my All Mixed Up series. This book is inspired by my niece’s digital dating experiences. She’s a millennial and she’s always talking about how she met some guy on this app or that one, and how it’s so hard to meet someone nice. Usually, as in her case, the guy was there all along.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a night owl. After my whole house goes to sleep, I brain synapses finally light up and the writing juices flow. I’m up at all the tiny hours of the night.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
This is the hardest and the best question. My initial love of reading came from a book titled Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody. Then I discovered Emily Giffin and immediately wanted to write like her. After that, it was like I kept finding amazing authors who wrote so beautifully with realism and humor like Kennedy Ryan, Sally Thorne, Helen Hoang, Christina Lauren, and Jasmine Guillory. I’m in love with fun, upbeat, slow burn romances. They keep me reading and writing.
What are you working on now?
Ooh, I’m working on a new high concept romantic comedy with an instalove, love triangle situation. I’m already falling for my characters and dreading the torture I’ll have to put them through to find their happily ever after. But the book is turning out to be so much fun. I’m going to query agents with this book for traditional publishing.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Wired for Story. Hands down, it’s the one that gets me thinking about the “why” behind my characters’ motivations to really build a great plot and engaging characters.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Write shit. Fertilize it with editing and revisions until it blooms. Just get it down on paper/computer (saved on every drive, hard drive, and cloud). Once you’ve finished writing, you’re already ahead of the curve because you know how to complete an idea.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Find out what works for you. They are going to be resources and sites and money-sucking vultures all out to tell you that the only way to write a book is the way they are selling, but it isn’t true. Find your process. Keep drilling down on the writing time that works for you, or the plotting method that works for you. There is no one way to do it and no right way.
What are you reading now?
Reading: The Chai Factor by Farah Heron
Listening to: The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m in a discoverability phase, so what’s next for me is to keep writing and improving my craft while spreading the word about my books. Reviews are so crucial to indie authors.
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?
Hating Game by Sally Thorne, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren, and Kennedy Ryan’s Long Shot.
Author Websites and Profiles
Mia Heintzelman Website
Mia Heintzelman Amazon Profile
Mia Heintzelman’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account