K.L. Shandwick Interview Published on: 01, Dec 2015
Short bio or SYNOPSIS here on writing as your passion.
Writing came to me as the result of a challenge by a friend. For years people used to say, "You should write a book." I never thought I'd ever be able to do that. It's now in my blood and I know it gives me pleasure to share my imagination with others. I enjoy the characters and developing their personalities and giving them unique characteristics for my readers to identify with. Writing has become a passion and a compulsion at the same time and as long as my readers enjoy my stories I don't see me stopping any time soon
How long have you been writing and what inspired you to do it seriously?Two years ago I rose to the challenge set by my friend and wrote not one but three books. The Everything Trilogy. When I'd finished I thought that was done, since then I've written eight books (the latest to be released late November, and contributed to another three anthologies. What inspired me was my readers' responses and their thirst for my stories. I'm really grateful for buying my work and following my progress.
When choosing a name for your characters, what do you consider about them that determines what you finally call them?Good question. I think of what type of person they are, ie, kind, aggressive, weak willed, snide, sweet etc, then I try to match that. Honestly though, I don't think it really matters if the character's personality comes through enough.
What can you suggest to new authors to start their career?Do your due diligence. I knew nothing when I started. Get connected with social media, network, absorb all the advice but make your own decisions. Find what works and do it, then do more of it. Be kind. Don't forget all you've done is written a book your readers are more important than you are. Stay humble. Give back, don't just take what people offer, returning the kindest gives you more longevity. Work hard and keep going. Put yourself out to learn. Never be afraid to ask questions. Check how you conduct yourself on social media. As an independent author it takes more time and effort to make a small dent in the market.
Do you only concentrate on same genre in your writing and reading?I read mostly contemporary romance but write contemporary rock romance. It's something I know a little about, but in the future maybe my genre will change and I'll step out of my comfort zone. I write about relationships and interactions between people so I guess that can cross to any genre. We'll see. .
What do you do to get book reviews? what is the best review you ever got?Luckily I have had lots of good reviews. I value feedback, good and bad and I know I'll never please all of the people all of the time. Best comments I have struggled with have been words like profound, genius but I guess I touched something personal in those people. My favorite reviews are when I make people think outside the box, but even one that simply said 10 stars, is the perfect motivation to keep going.
Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own bookI do have trailers but they are fan made ones. It's great to see how something you have created becomes an art form for expression by someone else. I'm lucky that I have talented fans that want to see the characters come to life, and it's interesting to see the pictures they choose is their personal representation of my characters.
Do you ever get writer's block?No quite the opposite. I have characters vying for attention. At the moment I have two works in progress. One has fifty thousand works and is a half written novel, and the other has twenty. So no..
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?I prefer to write aI write whenever and where ever. I write making dinner, while attending emails on social media, dealing with requests for takeovers and answering emails. I write in bed, on the train and in the car while my husband drives. I just write!
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 mainly use social media. I'm lucky to have a small team of followers that want to share my work to help me get it out there more. Quotesrain promotes me through facebook and twitter every day, which frees up some of my time to work on other responses I get from readers and authors to support them.
Would you like to share something with your readers and fan?I have several places where readers, bloggers and authors can touch base with me. I think the best way to do that is to share my social media links here for you. For those who want to check out the synopsis for all of my books not just those on the Quotesrain website you can go to my webpage http://www.klshandwick.com/ follow me on pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/kshandwick/ my author page on facebook https://www.facebook.com/KLShandwickAuthor/ or Twitter, https://twitter.com/KLShandwick If you want any further information about my future projects you can sign up for my newsletter where I run competitions and give the latest information on my work. http://www.klshandwick.com/mailing-list.html
