Heather Guimond Interview Published on: 12, Jan 2016

Short bio or SYNOPSIS here on writing as your passion.

It took me a long time to figure out what I really wanted to do with my life. I wasn't in touch with my passion at all, even though I'd attempted to write a book several times. It wasn't until I wrote Shattered Perfection that I felt I'd come up with an idea that I thought would appeal to readers. Once I finished it, and felt it was worthy for public reading, I gained some confidence in my abilities, I found writing was truly what gave me the greatest satisfaction I'd even known, professionally speaking. Then I learned that I also really enjoyed the marketing side of publishing a book. I think it's really fun. Now, I can't imagine doing anything else. What other "job" gives me the ability to live in a fantasy world of my own creation several hours a day?

How long have you been writing and what inspired you to do it seriously?

I've been writing off and on since I was a child. I always knew that someday I wanted to write a book. I decided to make a career of it just a year ago, when I wrote something I was truly proud of.

When choosing a name for your characters, what do you consider about them that determines what you finally call them?

I don't put a great deal of effort into it. In Shattered Perfection, I named the main character after one of my favorite authors. The last name selection is really quite funny. The TV was on while I was thinking about it and credits for some program were rolling. I just glanced up, saw a name that I thought went well with the first name, and voila! Mimi Bishop was born.

What can you suggest to new authors to start their career?

Don't get discouraged and continue to believe in yourself, no matter what. I submitted my manuscript to numerous agents and publishers, only to be rejected. I knew I had a story that I wanted to share with the world, and that there would be at least some people out there who would like it, so I self-published it. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive--if you believe in your work, other people will too. The negative reviews--and there will always be some--are like gold. They will help you hone your craft and make you an even better writer.

Do you only concentrate on same genre in your writing and reading?

I lean toward a romantic theme, but so far my reviews don't follow the 'official' description of a romance by the RWA. I don't like to write by 'formula'. Instead, I let the words flow through me and see where the story line takes me. I'll probably always write women's fiction, but then again, who knows what might move me to write?

What do you do to get book reviews? what is the best review you ever got?

I have pounded every marketing avenue I could find. I've done Blog Tours, Review Blitzes, listed the book on NetGalley, posted requests for reviews in Goodreads' forums, and essentially begged for them on Facebook. I've gotten a lot of really great and flattering reviews, but I think my favorite has to be from Erotic Romance Book Blog with Sandy. She started out almost unable to finish the book, but because she committed to doing the review as part of one of my blog tours, she persevered and ultimately loved the book. Knowing that was extremely satisfying because that was what I hoped to achieve. Not necessarily that she wouldn't like the book, but that her initial response to one of the characters was very negative, and then the rest of the story brought her back from that to find that he is a man you can truly fall in love with.

Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book?

My daughter is very talented with computer video instruction, so I've often thought I'd have her make one for me. However, I really don't see the benefit in it. A well-crafted blurb is far more enticing than a bunch of video advertising to a person who loves to read. Someone who would only be convinced by a visual trailer is probably someone who is more likely going to wait for the movie or TV show to my thinking.

Do you ever get writer’s block?

I haven't had writer's block, per se, but there are days where I have to fight for every word I put down on a page. Scene ideas aren't flowing, I am not sure where I want a story to next, etc. When that happens, I find a little bit of research on a particular issue or idea I've had, leads me to other information that spurs another scene idea to life. I've also had many 'false starts' where I had an idea but felt that it just wasn't interesting enough so I've scrapped a project and waited for the next idea to come to me.

Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?

I write at all hours of the day, but my favorite time to write is early in the morning when the house is quiet. When involved in a project, I tend to wake up at 2:00am and write until about 6:00am. This is when I get the bulk of my writing done and feel the most inspired. I'm a terrible insomniac anyway, so it's nice to have something to do with those hours when I just can't sleep.

How do you promote your work? How Quotesrain help you in your book promotions and sales, would you like to refer this platform to your author friends?

I use various social media platforms. Largely I use the ad feature on Facebook, but I also use Twitter and QuotesRain the most. QuotesRain has helped me reach out to a number of people I might not otherwise have been able to reach. The Tweet Scheduler is great tool, it works automatically so I don't have to log in and create a new tweet every day. I can feel secure in the knowledge that it's helping me to promote my work with almost no effort on my part. It's very convenient. I'd recommend it to anyone. For very little cost, you can reach thousands of people you wouldn't otherwise reach, and also know that QuotesRain team is there to help you every step of the way by working hard on your behalf.

Would you like to share something with your readers and fan?

I'm just so grateful to have them. They've given me so much hope and great feedback, it's given me the confidence to continue to pursue this amazing profession. Without them, I don't think I'd have written my second book, which will be released on February 21, 2016.

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