Eloise Epps MacKinnon

I was born in Newberry, South Carolina, and at age two, my family relocated to Woonsocket, Rhode Island, where I was brought up and attended school.

My fondest childhood memory was spending time with my mom and siblings on Saturday and after church on Sunday, playing games, and listening to childhood stories about when my siblings and I were younger. My parents are no longer with us, but even today, my brothers still tell those stories when we all get together in Rhode Island. And still, these are my warmest memories when visiting with my siblings.

I wrote many stories and essays throughout my school years, but one, in particular, caught my professor’s eye in college. I wrote a paper on diabetes titled “The Silent Killer”. My mother was diabetic, and I put a lot of effort and research into this paper to learn about the disease to help her manage her diabetes. The professor called me aside to say that he had enjoyed all my writings but this essay in particular. The professor was not only encouraged but inspired and suggested that I should take classes in creative writing and become a writer.

I indeed contemplated the idea as a teenager, but it was not until I was much older that I received a message from God to write a book. God gave me the book title, but at the time, I was remodeling my house in Springfield, Virginia, and packed the paper away on which I wrote the title. I dabbled for a while but became so busy managing my Computer Consultant Business that I lost sight of God’s purpose until five years later when I became ill and could not walk. I was in and out of the hospital for nearly six months, then in a wheelchair for over two years, and that is when I figured God cleared my busy schedule so that I could do His work. It wasn’t an instant process, but after three years, I published my first novel: Escaping Rapture Of Devotion.

Yes, my children and grandchildren purchase and read all my books. My family is very supportive and proud of my accomplishments as an author and always ready to lend an ear or helping hand in my writing.

Once I accepted God’s purpose for me as a writer, I began researching and reaching out to a few authors whose novels have inspired me over the years. I was surprised when an author wrote back to me with the best advice I could have received. I was told to stay persistent, focus on my purpose, and write daily, but most of all, never give up on my dream as a writer because it took him over five years to publish his first novel. I am an avid reader, and my favorite genre always has been romance, so after receiving such good advice, how could I not stay the course and finish the race?

The novel, A Twisted Shade Of Green: Lies and Secrets, is the trilogy’s second book. In my heart, I know I wanted my next book to be a trilogy after writing my stand along book: Escaping Rapture Of Devotion. As I sat thinking and praying for inspiration to write the next book, a whisper within said to write about what the color green means spiritually. I explored many broad spectra of breathtaking avenues to venture down during my research on the color green. I was so intrigued by God’s presence that it became the source of my trilogy, A Twisted Shade Of Green. This trilogy is filled from the first book to the last with a touch of lust and revenge that evokes lies and secrets, followed by betrayal!

My thoughts on conventional vs. self-publishing come down to how bad you want your novel in the hands of your readers! But with that said, I believe most authors dream of publishing the traditional way and will try it at some point if they have not already. Of course, I find self-publishing more costly, and authors must devote more time promoting their work to the public and book stores. But if I had to choose the conventional vs. self-publishing publishing route again, I would go with self-publishing because it has been an excellent growth experience.

I chose self-publishing because it is a more straightforward method to publish your novel, where you own the rights and royalties to your books. And I am blessed to have a “Pew Partner” at church who referred me to a good self-publishing company. The publishing company promotes your book(s) to all major online book stores, which has enabled me to open doors to book signings, book readings, radio interviews, and my stories on library shelves. I think you appreciate something more if you have to work harder to achieve it. At least it holds true in my case, and I have enjoyed every step of my journey as an author thus far and looking forward to the continued writing of novels for my readers.

I suppose it is a little bit of both since I always have a writing pad in my handbag. But early in my career as an author, I was told you must write something daily to keep your ideas flowing. So, I have followed this same routine since my first novel, and writer’s block seems to creep up when I do not. Although sometimes, in the middle of the night, I am awakened with scenes flowing over and over in my head, and I must get up to write them down. This is why God is the Author and Finisher of all my work because I know He writes the books for me!

I owned a computer company and was accustomed to writing lengthy proposals, so I thought writing a book would not be challenging. Boy, was I wrong! It took me five years to write my first novel while stopping along the way and starting over many times. I faced writer’s block, became disinterested, and stopped writing on more than one occasion. I even moved to Paris, France, for nearly five years, thinking to live in such a romantic place would inspire my writing. But it was not until the day God sat me down in a wheelchair that I was reminded why I was writing this book. It wasn’t about me but about getting God’s word out there so people could read about His goodness. Once my God-given purpose became evident, my focus and inspiration returned, and my first novel was written: Escaping Rapture Of Devotion.

I can only speak for myself because my love and devotion for God and the way He romances all our hearts is what inspires me to write Christain Romance. I consider myself a romantic at heart and feel it influences my writing ability. In fact, since I was a teenager, my favorite genre to read has been romance.

These are the type of questions that I tend to stay away from because rating ourselves could make us sound too prideful. But how could you not be a passionate person when you know God and the ways He romances our hearts? So as a humble servant of God, if I had to choose, I would consider a three.

As an avid reader, I was inspired by so many wonderful Authors. It would take more words to say thank you by name to all of them than I have space here to write. However, my favorite genre has always been romance, and if I had to select one author, it would be Danielle Steel. I have been reading her novels since a teenager and experiencing the world of romance through her eyes.

Before I leave this world, I would love to see just one of my books made into a movie. I have always dreamed of writing a best-seller that would be picked up as a Romance movie with “Tasha Smith” as the actress playing the leading female character.

I welcome all reviews, but the negative ones only encourage me to strive harder at my writing. So, I ask my reader to bring on positive and negative reviews so that I may become a better author for them. My mother always said. “What does not break you will only make you stronger!”

Sometimes being an author is challenging, but my best tip is to put God first in all you do, stay focused, and never give up on your dream. Because when I am feeling emotionally drained and stressed, I open my Bible and search for a passage that will help ease whatever I am going through. I start my day of writing by praying that God sees and hears what my heart is experiencing to provide the wisdom and knowledge needed to write a novel that glorifies Him.

My AllAuthor’s experience has been great! AllAuthor’s provide exposure to your book through their website, Twitter, and Facebook page. What a friendly bunch to work with! And besides promoting your work, AllAuthor is always ready with a resolution to your question.

Some of the highlights are: Twitter tweets for your book(s) and showcasing your novels on their website for readers to see. But most importantly, the ability to expose your writings to a large population of readers at once.