Where were you born? Since how long have you been living in Gourock?
I was born in Greenock, Scotland which is the town next door to Gourock. Both are about 30 miles from Glasgow on the banks of the River Clyde. I grew up between the two, having lived in one or other for all of my life. I went to school in Greenock, I work in Greenock. ..well, when I’m not based at home.
What one thing could everyone start doing today to improve their most important relationships with family, friends, and colleagues?
Oh good question. I think if the past two and a half years have taught us anything its that we need social contact with our friends, family and colleagues. Don’t put off making that call, sending that message or arranging to go for that coffee. Do it. Be open and honest about how you feel too. If the relationship is important to you, make sure the other person knows that.
What is the best way to get started with writing as a hobby?
Sit down and write. Buy a new notebook and pen. Sit at the laptop. Choose whatever medium suits you best and just write. The more that you practice, and the more that you read, the tighter your skills become.
What is the best way to start writing your first book?
Pretty much the same as the previous answer. Write. Write. Write. When I started to write the story that grew to become Stronger Within, I literally bought a new notebook and pen on my way home from work, sat down on my front doorstep in the early evening sunshine and began to write the story of Jake and Lori. That was 8th May 2013 and I’ve not really stopped since. I write my first drafts longhand, so every new book baby starts with 5 matching notebooks and a new pen and off I go.
Does writing blogs help with a writing career?
Blogging on a weekly basis gave me the confidence to self-publish my first novel. I had Stronger Within more or less written and wasn’t sure what to do next. My biggest fear as a writer is letting folk read what I’ve written. A friend had read an extract of Stronger Within and they were instrumental in persuading me to chase the dream of publishing it as a book. I knew if I was going to do that then I needed to do something to reduce my fears so I started my blog at the end of 2013, setting myself the challenge to post once a week right through 2014. I’ve posted every week since! The blog gives me a platform to experiment with different genres, poetry, photography, introduce fellow indie authors, artists and generally a playground to introduce pretty much anything. There’s no set agenda with it. I just go with the flow.
I love going to live concerts. Love my rock music! So, I started a second blog purely to blog about the gigs I go to and share my gig photography.
What inspired the plot of your debut novel, Stronger Within?
I’d had the two main characters, Jake and Lori, in my head for the best part of twenty years and never made the time to set them free. I was too busy being a wife and mother. Then in 2013, after a period of self-reflection, decided the time was right to tell their story. I recalled the words of one of my high school English teachers who advised me to write about subjects I was passionate about and places that were close to my heart. I heeded his advice and paired my love for music with my love of the beach and of Rehoboth Beach, DE in particular and hey presto… Stronger Within and the other books in the series were the result. I wanted to create a rock star romance that showed the rock stars as real people, with real lives rather than the leather clad, glitzy rock stars of many novels in that genre. I feel I’ve done that based on the reviews the books have earned.
Which one do you prefer: writing a series or standalone novel? Why?
I never set out to write a series. That idea evolved book by book as both my readers and myself wanted to know what happened next to Silver Lake. I felt though that five books were enough for one series, partly because it was getting harder and harder to market each one on a shoestring budget. That’s not to say Silver Lake won’t be back sometime. For me the key to writing each book is that the main character has a story to tell. Ellen, my first standalone novel, is a spin off from the Silver Lake series, as is my latest novel, Riley. Those characters were ones I really connected with, and I felt in my heart, had more to say.
Would you be more willing to buy a novel that is a standalone, or part of a series?
I buy and read the books that catch my eye and attract my attention. I’ve chosen many great reads just because I liked the cover. Yes, I have favourite authors like everyone else and read everything they write. I’ve read series and standalones. I just love to read!
When publishing short stories, is it better to target magazines or anthologies?
To be honest, I’ve not targeted either although I have half a plan to pull my short stories into an anthology at some point. I share my short stories and flash fiction on my blog.
As a brand-new writer, how did you pick which novel idea to start with? Should you write a standalone story or is it okay to start with a series
When I first set out on this creative journey, I didn’t dare to dream that there would be more than one book. The dream ever since I was a little girl was to see my name on the cover of a real book. I’ve realised that dream seven times over now and it stills feels surreal and special every time. I feel as a new writer, you should write from the heart and tell the story you have to tell, your way. If that’s a standalone book- great! If it’s a ten-book series- great! It’s your story so tell it your way in your own time.
Where are good places to publish short stories, either in print and/or online?
I’ve always just used my own blog for my short stories. I do like to feature other indie authors’ work from time to time on there too. I’ve not dipped my toes in the water with magazines or other online sites.
What are some essential and free blogging tools?
I’m a Wordpress girl. When I initially set it up, it was free and easy to use. I was brand new to this with no experience of websites and blogs. It’s been a steep learning curve. Over time I upgraded from the free package for my main blog and bought my own .co.uk domain name. I still use the basic free option for my music blog.
When I joined the All Author community what attracted me first was the Magic Tool. I love it! I design my own covers and buy the licence for the various images via Dreamstime stock photography site, apart from Stronger Within. I took that photo myself and had a lot of help with that cover from a fellow indie author who acted as my “Rock Fairy Godmother.” She taught me the basics of Photoshop that gave me enough skills to design the others. Feedback on them has been great, especially Long Shadows and Ellen’s covers. The All Author Magic Tool made life so much easier for putting those cover designs into promo shots and seasonal promotions.
Does your beloved cats know how spoiled they are?
Oh yes! I have four very spoiled furry boys and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
What are you working on at the moment? What is it about?
I’ve just released Riley so I’ve not really been writing much for the last couple of months as I have been focussing on proofreading and editing her. I have taken the first baby steps and started Book Baby 8 but it’s too soon to give any information away.
What do you think of AllAuthor and would you recommend it to your other author friends?
I love AllAuthor. As I said already, I’m a huge fan of the Magic Tool. It makes promotion so much easier. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a reasonably priced promotional tool. $24 to feature a book for 6 months is great value for money. I would like to understand more about how the site attracts readers as well as authors. Then again, authors are readers too!
