Interview With Author MS Chambers
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Samantha Chambers, otherwise known as MS Chambers in the writing world. I am 47 years old, the mother of 6 daughters, 2 of my own and 4 via my partner. I am the proud grandmother of 7 beautiful grandchildren, 3 girls, and 4 boys. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, grew up in Idaho and Washington till my early 20s, and spent 10 years in Wyoming before moving to Kansas City, where I have lived for 19 years. I am a self-published author of 3 books, “Pearls of the Sea”, “Blood of the Moon”, and “Ashes of Oak”, which are “The Sisters of the Moon Trilogy”.
I was raised by my amazing mother and was born into a family of avid readers and writers, and constantly surrounded by books which made me develop a very early love for the written word. My mother was a writer and a poet, and though she was never published, her works and obsession with books were the beginning of what inspired my deep love of reading and my drive to write. I started with short stories and poems at a young age and continued throughout my life. I even won awards in school for my writing pieces. I have always been in love with books. I read constantly, almost every genre, though I have my favorites. Fantasy, horror, psychological thrillers, mystery. I am a fan of romance and action as well.
Later, I devoted 20 years to taking care of my Mom and raising my children which was the most extraordinary and rewarding job of my life. I made sure to instill a great love of reading and writing in my daughters as well and today, they are both very avid readers and enjoy writing as well. Now they are instilling a love of literature in their children which makes me so proud. Raising children, taking care of my Mom, and life in general was time-consuming. It didn’t make writing feasible for me during those years but I made a promise to myself that after my children were grown and there was more me-time, I would finally settle down and try and achieve my dream of writing a book. My dream was always to be published and share my love of such with the world. A few years ago, I started writing “The Sisters of the Moon Trilogy”.
My daughters have played an integral part in the process of my becoming a published author. Not only are they the inspiration for my writing but they have both worked tirelessly for endless hours on these novels. My youngest daughter, Mirrissa (Missy), owner of “Entangled Elements”, is the Developmental/Copy Editor and Proofreader. Alongside me, she edits every word of these books, helps to develop the characters and story arcs, and adjusts things. Beverly, my oldest daughter, and owner of “Bits and Bobs by Beverly”, is my book cover Artist and Designer. I tell her what my vision is and she brings it to life. She also makes promotional pieces to go along with my books. With the help of my partner, Alex. who is a tech genius, we have built a great website which I operate and maintain, and am constantly improving. For me, no one from the outside is hired into the process until publication, and even then, we do all of our own editing, book cover design, the layout of the book, and marketing.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Ashes of Oak”, Book Three of “The Sisters of the Moon Trilogy” is my latest release. I sadly lost my mom in 2012 at a very young age. This trilogy was inspired by her and my daughters, who are my very best friends and often, more like sisters to me. It encompasses some of the most treasured memories, places, and people in my life, many of which are represented in the books. Though many don’t know this, it’s our story. Much of it is about our lives and the rest is fiction but it’s what brought the story to life. It’s one of life and death, of struggles, achievements, heartache and love, family, adventures, and magic. We are all very close and spend a lot of time together. My ultimate goal in this life was to leave my children and grandchildren something they can be proud of. When I’m gone, I hope that they’ll pick up these books and find what they’re looking for inside. I know from personal experience how the heart aches for someone when they’re gone, how you long to hear their voice just one more time, for one more story that can only be told by them. My hope was to give them that gift. My hope is that through these books, we can travel together again and they’ll hear my voice, and they’ll know I’m always with them in every step of their journey. In the end, it’s truly what we leave behind, the lives we touched and the stories we told. I believe that is our legacy.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know that I’d deem them “unusual” but coffee is a MUST at all times! I cannot work without it. I also very much enjoy writing outside in nature. It deeply inspires my work in every way.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh, that list is so long, but I would have to say, most importantly, my mother, Anne Rice, and Stephen King. Every book by them is gold!
What are you working on now?
I am working on multiple projects at the moment. l have an upcoming standalone book, “Seclusion” coming in the Spring of 2024 and a very special collaboration with some incredible writers, filmmakers, and artists for a new Horror Anthology, coming next Fall that I’m especially excited for!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth and social media are crucial for marketing. I have an author Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads, and my website, mschambersauthor.com. I also do a lot of vendor fairs and author events whenever I get the chance. Marketing is really important so I seek every avenue I can. I’ve also been featured in 2 online magazines which you can link to from my website.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Within a story, we immortalize people, places, and things. They can live forever, again and again. We can see the whole world and go on adventures as often as we wish. We can hear their words in our minds, over and over. There is no journey we can’t take, time is what we make it, and there is no end to the mystery and magic we can discover inside a book. If this is something that you want to do, please follow those dreams. Perseverance and dedication! Work hard, write every day, and make them come true! You can do it!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That if you really want to do or be something, you have to reach for the stars and make it happen! If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!
What are you reading now?
A number of books, actually. “Holly” by Stephen King, “Spider Season” by Billy Hanson, “Letters From A Dead World: A Collection Of Short Stories” by David Tocher, “The Button Box Series by Richard Chizmar, and Stephen King- “On Writing”.
What’s next for you as a writer?
The world is a writer’s playground! I have so many plans for my future as an author! Inside “The Sisters of the Moon Trilogy”, you’ll find many recipes from our own families. To accompany the series, my daughters and I have plans to write a “Sisters of the Moon” cookbook to share with the world our love of food and cooking which is a tradition that runs deep in our family. While we see the end of The Sisters of the Moon Trilogy, it is only for a short time as they will be back in the next trilogy I have planned, “The Descendants of the Moon” which is based on the children from this series. I also have a Vampire Series in the works that take place in New Orleans! The list is truly endless! I hope you’ll follow my journey to see where it takes me.
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?
That’s a tough one! I have to say “The Sisters of the Moon Trilogy by me, so I could always feel linked to my daughters, “The Mayfair Witches Trilogy” by Anne Rice, “The Stand” by Stephen King, and the “SAS Survival Handbook” by John “Lofty” Wiseman.
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