The Importance of Marketing: Author Interview with Judith Keim

You have definitely proven yourself as an author with the numerous series and stand-alone books that you have published. When did you publish your first book? At what time did you think you could make a career at it? 

I published my first book, a children’s book, in fall of 2014. The following February 2015, I published my first women’s fiction book. By the summer of that year, I had a lot of excitement about my books and wondered if this was something big.

I’m intrigued by the fact that you were part of the Soul Sisters of Cedar Mountain Lodge series with other authors with each writing a book that included the same characters but from different perspectives. How did that come about? How did you work together to create a cohesive story?

We authors met at a writing conference and because we write the same sort of book got talking about the fun of doing a series together. We quickly decided Christmas book with a family brought together by unusual circumstances. It was a ton of work to coordinate stories not only with the characters but things like time of day, weather, etc. when various events happened. 

We wanted to keep the characters true to themselves in each book which meant a lot of proofing, etc. Violet Howe was a former wedding planning and developed an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of things.

You’ve written at least 10 series. Did these begin with the idea of being series? How do you set them up? 

I like stories of women helping one another. I tend to bring three women together which means aside from the normal development I get to really dig into one of the characters in its own separate book. Besides, I love my characters and find them hard to leave sometimes so a three or four-book series gives me a chance to see them grow.

You've been traditionally and indie published. When you decided to go indie what surprised you the most in handling your own publishing? 

The idea that having a traditional publisher is any different from going indie in the sense of publicity is basically not true. There is some benefit, of course, to being traditional, but participation in publicity is a must in either case. Also, being indie gives you so many other choices, such as book cover design, release dates, etc. The bottom line is either way, be prepared to work full-time.

What is the best advice you've been given about writing or that you've learned that you would like to pass along?

I always say “Write from your heart!” Writing a novel is hard work from the development of an idea to completion but if you haven’t written something that resonates with you it won’t resonate with your reader.

What other works do you have in the process?

I will release three other adult books this year. I’m very excited to release another Seashell Cottage book, a stand-alone that features different stories involving this cottage on the Gulf Coast of Florida. 

A ROAD TRIP TO REMEMBER features a character I’m sure all my readers will love. And then, after being begged to do so, I’m releasing another book in the Beach House Hotel series in the summer. 

MARGARITAS AT THE BEACH HOUSE HOTEL. Then, because I don’t like to keep my readers hanging too long with a series. THE DESERT FLOWERS-LILY will be out in the fall. Stay tuned!!

Which is the next book coming out? Can you share a short blurb on it? 

The next book out will be A ROAD TRIP TO REMEMBER.

Blurb: After agreeing to enter the New Life Assisted-Living Community outside of Boston, Agatha “Aggie” Robard decides to take a road trip to see some of her old college friends. She particularly needs to speak to Donovan Bailey, the man she’d thought she would marry right after graduating from college. She convinces her twenty-one-year-old granddaughter, Blythe, who she’s grooming to take over for her as CEO of The Robard Company, to drive her to Florida, hoping to prove to Blythe that life should be about having fun too. It’s a great idea for both of them as long as Aggie’s son and his wife, Blythe’s difficult stepmother, don’t find out.

While the rest of the family is away on vacation, Aggie and Blythe set off on their secret adventure. All goes well until Aggie falls while dancing on the beach with Donovan, breaking a bone in her leg. Then Blythe’s father is seriously injured in an automobile accident. Blythe and Logan Pierce, Donovan’s young assistant, do their best to step in for them at The Robard Company working together, fighting the attraction they feel for one another.

The road trip brings about happy memories, surprises, and love as Aggie and Blythe meet others and discover new possibilities for everything they’ve ever wanted.

That's all for today's interview with one very busy author. As I live in the Gulf Coast of Florida, and feel totally blessed to be here, that book has my attention. I'm sure my blog readers will be able to find other books of yours as well to grab their attention. Here are some links to get you started.

Website: https://judithkeim.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Judith-Keim-184013771644484/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/judith-keim

My special FB Group: Women with Heart: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1693681604216738

Let's Talk Christmas Books and Traditions: Author Interview with Judith Keim

How did you come up with the idea for your Christmas book?

A group of us authors met at a conference and thought we’d like to write a Christmas story together. We knew we wanted a family and a strong woman involved because we write about families and strong women. We thought of Maddie, a mother who has suffered a severe loss of husband and child who was facing Christmas and wanted to do something meaningful. From there, we decided she’d take in four young girls who would become sisters. As our logo says – “Random Circumstances brought them together; love made them a family.”

Could you give a short synopsis on the book for my readers?

In Christmas Kisses, Hailey Kirby, the youngest of the children brought into the Kirby home at eight had learned to keep words in her head for fear of being punished. Fifteen years later, she’s a grown, educated woman who is head of the children’s program at the local library and who writes and illustrates children’s books under a pseudonym.

 Nick Hensley is a burned-out rock star who returns to Granite Ridge to help his sister and his niece by continuing the work of his family’s local candy store. He also handles all the musical venues at the nearby mountain resort of Cedar Mountain Lodge. When Hailey, her mother, sisters, and grandmother decide to follow through on wedding plans at the lodge even after learning the wedding is called off, lots of surprises take place, including a growing, sweet relationship between Hailey and Nick.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

 A lot of our traditions include food. On Christmas Day we like to gather the family and have a traditional English dinner of prime rib roast of beef, Yorkshire pudding, and all the trimmings including Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert. If my husband and I are alone on Christmas Eve or another holiday during that time period, we like to share Cheese Fondue.

What’s next for you?

The first book in my next trilogy is coming out in February. It’s an exciting new series that takes place in Palm Desert, California, and of course includes strong women, a little romance, and journeys of discovery.

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given you’d like to share? 

It’s really important to let a finished work sit before sending it out or even sending it to an editor to review. When looking it over after time, you more easily see the changes you need to make so the book will be better.

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?

I always knew publishing a book was all about running a business, but I had no idea how important the social media aspect of running the business is. Changes in programs are made and it’s hard to keep up with everything that’s new and different and necessary for you to know.

Any last words or tips?

Write from your heart. There is no correct way for anyone to write a story. We all have different styles and different methods of getting through the arduous task of sitting down and writing the story. When you understand the story and characters in your mind and heart, let it flow.

Are there any other books that you’d like to tell my readers about?

I love writing about strong women facing challenges and finding love and happiness along the way. I have several series out and a group of stand-alone books that take place at a Seashell Cottage on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

The Beach House Hotel Books, The Hartwell Women, The Salty Key Inn series each contain 4 books, The Chandler Hill Inn series (3 books) takes place in Oregon wine country. Most of my others take place in Florida, but the Fat Fridays series is centered around five women’s lives outside Atlanta, Georgia. This series now has 3 books, but I will be adding more when I get the first two back from my publisher sometime next fall. All of my books are placed in areas which I’ve either visited or where I’ve lived, which makes it more fun.

I’ve either lived in or visited each of the locales Judith uses as a backdrop for her stories, so her books piqued my interest. I hope it piqued yours, too. If you want to learn more about her writing, her are ways to do that.

Website: https://judithkeim.com/
BookBub: http://bit.ly/2pZBDXq
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jamIaF
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2wQ6PZf

Twitter@judithkeim and LinkedIn