Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a recent college graduate with my bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration with a specialty in Information Systems. During my journey through college I became very ill with a severe back injury that required major surgery in July. That injury and failed surgery has left me disabled. I have taken a drastic turn in my life plans and followed the advice of man of my english professors and became an aspiring author. Sins of the Daughter is my first published book with the sequel Malice of the Father coming soon in late May 2014.
I am happily living with a my family, which includes my two children, in Richmond, Virginia. The southern way of life has been a blessing as I do not have to normally fight with the cold weather and drastic weather changes of the northern states.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book that I am working on Malice of the Father which is book two of the Westover Series. The series itself was inspired by a true ghost siting at the Westover plantation in Charles City, Virginia. The Westover plantation was built and owned by the Byrd family. In 1737, Evelyn Byrd perished at the plantation at a very young age. The rumor is that she perished from a broken heart due to the lost chance at love with Charles Morduant. Her father threatened to disown her and forcibly brought her back to America from England. Evelyn Byrd has been seen roaming the gardens and the halls of the Westover plantation to date.
Evelyn’s story touched my heart and inspired me to write a suspenseful romance story surrounding the sketchy details of Evelyn’s lost love and subsequent death. I have added some very fictional events to the story, but this is fiction after all and twists are what make a story worth reading.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write, then review, then edit, then review and in fact sometimes do free writing on a chapter when I am not please with the way it is flowing. When I have reach a point that I am just fighting with writers block I sit down and start designing book covers. The task of designing the cover still gets the creative sparks flowing but without having to concentrate blindly on the spot that has my mind stumped.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are a couple of authors, Kassandra Kush and Tamara Rose Blodgett, whose writing styles have given me so many styles and tones to work with. Both of these authors are very skilled at bringing characters to life and there techniques at putting together believable conversations have helped me tremendously.
What are you working on now?
While I am finished up the writing of Malice of the Father, I am also researching and outlining a new novel called Isolation: Alert. This newest project will be a novel centered around an alternate history. There are some political undertones, but ultimately this book is about the teenage struggle against a world that we as adults destroyed and left them the remnants to clean up and live with.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have used the Author Marketing Club which gives tremendous amounts of information regarding promoting and advertising your books, but there are two smaller sites, Awesome Gang and the Indie Book Club, that have given some terrific low cost options for promotions.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. There are so many avenues out there on the internet willing to help new and independent authors. The first book may be a struggle to get out there and to get your name recognized, but if you put in the time and effort it will be rewarding. Keep writing those books, because ultimately the more books you have published the greater presence you will have and the greater your sales will be.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I was very skeptical at first with this advice, but as I am seeing now it was some of the best advice I was given. When publishing your book through amazon’s kindle direct publishing, take advantage of offering your book through the kindle free promotion or countdown deals. By offering your book for free you get the book read by more people and the more who read the more who want to buy that next book to find out what happens. In the grand scheme of promoting, this is so wise because along the way you can build a good fan base and drive your sales higher and higher as you keep publishing additional books.
What are you reading now?
At the moment I am reading for the first time the Hunger Games. My children have been after me to read the book for months and I finally have the time to do so. There are some things I like about the book and some that I don’t. I think reading it after the movie has come out is what is causing the problem.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing the novel. Isolation: Alert will be a full novel. I started with a short story series and now I feel that I need to push myself to create a novel that tells a real influencing story. I’m of course a little nervous about the new project, but also excited and looking forward to the challenge.
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 would bring my copy of all 7 Narnia books because I simple enjoy the series. Beyond that I am really not sure because there are so many books that I enjoy and would love to read again.
Author Websites and Profiles
Paula Parker Website
Paula Parker Amazon Profile
Paula Parker’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile