Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m originally from the East coast of Canada and spent most of my life there but I moved to France in 2015 along with my wife and three children. We came to work with a small local church and are also doing some translation (Liz) and teaching English (Mike) for fun. I’ve just published my fourth book as an independent author, all through Kindle Direct Publishing (Amazon): Two in 2017 and two in 2018.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book is “Paris, You Take My Breath Away” and it’s been in the works for a little over a year. I’d previously written a short Paris travel guide (2017) but wanted to do something a little less “textbook-like”… mostly information based. A lot of what makes Paris so captivating is the feeling you get when you’re there. Beyond naming attractions and things to do, I wanted to communicate some of the magic that I felt whenever I was there… magic that seemed to brim over from the simplest of daily pleasures.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a night-writer. A LOT of my writing happens when the kids have gone to bed and the house is quiet. This means I don’t often have early nights! The second habit – which admittedly relates more to my blogging than to my books – is that very often, an image is my starting point. Pictures are my souvenirs for the most part and looking back through them often transports me back to the sights, the smells and the sounds of a place. It’s a good spot to write from.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
One of the fiction works that has likely influenced me the most is “The Alchemist” by Paul Coelho. The narrative description was amazing and child-like innocence oozed from the veins of this book. There’s an element of that that I try to maintain in this latest book as well as in my next project (currently in the works).
What are you working on now?
I have a couple of other projects on the go, but the two most likely to next see the light of day are (a) a travel journal that both welcomes a “Dear Diary” format but also prompts the reader with journal prompts, quotations, etc. The other project in the works is book 3 in the “Paris No Stress” series which talks about spending time on a French hobby farm in the country, tending to a small menagerie of animals and taking hammock-naps in the grove below the duck pond.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is still an area that I have much to learn about. The writing, layout & editing are not difficult for me but promotion is the next step. To date I’ve only promoted via (a) Amazon (b) Facebook (c) Twitter and (d) by word of mouth. I’m currently following some of the tips from Kindlepreneur.com, which is what brought me to the Awesome Gang! Looking forward to perfecting this next step in promotions.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Sit down and just do it. Don’t think to yourself “I could never do that” … you can.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Great works are never finished, only abandoned.” I heard this from Jeff Goins although, I think, in retrospect, that he said is as a quotation of someone else (whose name I can’t remember). But it’s true… one can indulge “analysis paralysis” and tweak this & that until the cows come home. You can always add another description here of fill in a blank there, but there comes a point where all of those extra efforts will only barely move the bar so to speak. Sometimes you just need to let it go… (a) abandon it and either come back at it later or not at all… or (b) just publish it and go on to writing the next thing.
What are you reading now?
A couple of things… “Deep Work” by Cal Newport, “The Book of Mysteries” by Jonathan Cahn and a new discovery… “My Grape Escape” by Laura Bradbury (which, ironically, follows a young West-coast Canadian girl who moves to France to live… see the resemblance!?)
What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing the two projects currently waiting in the wings and get a better hold on the whole promotions piece. I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at fiction as well but all in good time!
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?
The Bible, The Alchemist, something from Neil Postman… whose series I really enjoyed.
Author Websites and Profiles
Mike Long Website
Mike Long Amazon Profile
Mike Long’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
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