Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a poet, author, editor, and journalist who has built her writing career in New Jersey and Florida. During my time as a reporter for a North Jersey newspaper publishing company, I won two awards. I have been writing since I was a child. I wrote my first poem at nine years old, my first piece of fiction (a short story) at 10, and my first newspaper article at 16. I graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a degree in communication.
I have written five published books: one in print and five ebooks. My print book is a poetry collection called “How Fate’s Confusion Connects.” My later ebooks are all published on Amazon Kindle. They are “Eve the First,” a retelling of a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale; “An Estella Exclusive,” which has the perspective of a first-person raw interview; “Ethical Strains,” a sci-fi dystopian short story; and “A Ticket to Normalcy,” about a movie star’s bid for normalcy.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My Kindle short story ebook is “A Ticket to Normalcy,” about a celebrity who wants to be normal so much that she welcomes getting a traffic ticket. Problem is, the police officer who stopped her is so starstruck he is willing to give her a pass.
I had the idea for “A Ticket to Normalcy” simmering in my head for a few years before writing it. The idea is that, whereas “normal” people resent getting a traffic ticket, movie stars, more often than not, tend to get special treatment (or so that’s what tabloids and other celebrity news outlets claim). I wanted to pen something to spoof that idea. The protagonist, a world-famous movie star, could have played the fame card to get out of a ticket. Her attempt to convince the officer to treat her like a regular person is the story’s central conflict.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No I don’t, although it’d be nice to duplicate myself so I can finish my writing projects because they’re in varying stages of progress:-D.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Dorothy Parker and Emily Bronte. My favorite books, like “Wuthering Heights” and “Frankenstein,” tend to have a dark atmosphere with strong, complex characters and insightful plots. I also enjoy work that have satirical elements, like “Animal Farm,” as well as quirky dialogue and wit.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method is to be engaging with readers and other authors. We all have something in common: a love of books and the written word. Authors not only want to see each other succeed in the marketplace, but also to share what they’re reading and writing with other people — readers and authors alike. Therefore, the best method of promotion is to not only use social media, but also to go out there into the real world, like library events and writer circles, and interact. When it comes to interacting with other people about one’s own writing, it’s not to come across as “salesy,” but to simply show a passion for books. There’s a genuine quality behind displaying that passion, and people won’t feel put off (so to speak) by an author trying to sell to them.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading several at the same time, actually. “Tarzan of the Apes” by Edgar Rice Burroughs; “That Wicked Apple,” a novel in “The Scary Tales” series about a zombiefied Snow White by Rob E. Boley; and “Dead Until Dark,” from “The Southern Vampires Mysteries” series by Charlaine Harris. Especially great is when I listen to an audio version of a book or ebook while reading the text version as I’m exercising on a machine, like I’m doing with “Tarzan of the Apes.” I found that I can’t somehow focus on reading the text by itself while exercising, so listening to audio accompaniment helps.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, there is always something I’m doing as a writer. I work full time as a journalist, a job I’m grateful for because I love it. In my off hours, I am tackling projects at various stages. I’m researching, outlining plots and doing character sketches of one novel, working on the first draft of another novel, editing yet a third novel and promoting my already published works. And yet I’m still adding to my ideas notebook! So what’s next for me as a writer is like putting my projects on a turntable and rotating it slowly, taking one project at a time.
Author Websites and Profiles
Teresa Edmond-Sargeant Website
Teresa Edmond-Sargeant Amazon Profile
Teresa Edmond-Sargeant’s Social Media Links
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