Writing and Publishing Take work: Author Interview with Jessica Parker

You have now published 20 books, but what inspired you to write that first book?
Each book has their own spark of inspiration, but my first one.... that one was born as I sat on my couch. The TV had a commercial for The Bachelor playing, while I read The Hunger Games, and I wondered. What would happen if the women had to fight for a chance to marry a prince? I had to add magic because magic is awesome. I love and hate that book now. I love the idea behind it, but I hate that I was so inexperienced when I wrote it. The story is still so much grander in my head, and it didn't come out on paper the way I wanted it to.

Confession it doesn't feel like twenty books because I got the marketing wrong on a few of them. So I had to unpublish and redo the covers, titles, etc. to fit better, but they still show up online under the old covers and titles. I also explored shorter and longer stories before deciding which direction I wanted to take.

You currently have a 3 book series that is a hockey romance. What drew you to writing a series around hockey. Will there be more books in that series?
I love romance, give me a good happily ever after and I'll be happy. When I went to my first hockey game I knew as I sat in my hard plastic stadium seat that I needed at least one book with a hockey player. Then as I wrote that story, I fell in love with the other characters too. Those characters needed their stories told as well. There are still characters I want to write about in Glacier Bay. I will absolutely write more books in the Hockey Book Club series.

You also have written several reimagined fairy tales for adults. Why did you pick the stories you did?
Fairytales were my favorites as a kid. Starting with the picture books, I'd look over the pictures and then as I got older read those books over and over again. I love the fight between good and evil, the magic, the variety of people and places and things. The lessons learned and how everything comes together.

Snow White & Rose Red is not as well known but it's my favorite which is why I chose it as one of the stories I wanted to retell in my book, Rose Red. I took some liberties to make the characters older than in the original fairytale, and of course more romance. A judgemental village, magical curses, mystery, unrequited love, and a happily ever after in jeopardy.

My Sea Princesses of Eventyr fairytales were not something I planned on writing. The ocean was scary to me for a long time thanks to movies like Jaws. It took a long time getting over that. Part of that journey was learning to scuba dive and I fell in love with the water. So much so, I became a scuba instructor to better understand it. Diving in the ocean feels like being on another planet sometimes, and it keeps giving me ideas for mermaids. The Little Mermaid and her sisters needed their stories told.

Snow White's Witch is a story where I wanted to explore how villains are the "Hero of their own story". It's a quote I heard a lot at a writer's conference and what better way to challenge that than with a classic villain? So I asked myself, what if Snow White lied?

You’re an indie author, which means you’re in charge of everything from writing to publishing and marketing. Other than writing, what other parts of the process do you personally do or hire others to do?
Hire: editor and cover designer.

Me: Social media, newsletters, writing, answering emails, arranging book signings, figuring out this business thing. That's just me and I do sometimes have to pause the marketing side while I write, etc. so I can make sure I spend time with my family and get my day job stuff taken care of. As my business grows I would like to hire out some of the other things, but I'm not to that point yet.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
Every author has their own process. Figure out what works for you and your readers, and take it one page at a time.

Marketing is the biggest key to making sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produced more sales rather than just clicks?
I'm still figuring out marketing. I've been experimenting with posting to various social media sites and some are better than others. I like analyzing data and it's been interesting to see how some of my books do better on TikTok vs Facebook. I decided a couple of years ago that I would put more effort into getting more books out so I'd have a bigger backlist to make marketing more cost-effective. Then along the way I also decided that I'd just do one thing better than before. One more post a week, then a day, etc.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
There's no magic answer. Writing and publishing takes work just like any other job. However, I find this work more rewarding.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Keep going, and back up your files.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
There will be a million reasons not to write, not to publish. Write because you love it. Each author I've met has had their own journey and process. There is no "one way" to do it, just your way.

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
My next book is a short story, The Mistletoe Goal and it comes out November 24th.

This is a hockey romance between Dan and Alexis. They're best friends, and Dan is stuck in the friend zone even though he'd like to be much more. He convinces Alexis to spend the hockey team's Christmas Break with him in a small town. He has one goal in mind, catch her under the mistletoe, and prove they should be more than friends.

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Jessica's books, here are some links to get you started.
https://jessicaparkerstories.com/
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jessica-Parker/author/B01DQZYR4K

And here's a bonus for my readers, leave a comment on this post and we'll pick one reader who'll receive a copy of one of  Jessica's eBooks. So do that now. It can be as simple as I want to be in the giveaway. We'll chose a winner next Friday!

Keeping Your Focus on Writing: Author Interview with Kristy Tate

Amazon shows you as having 51 book titles. They include both novels and novellas? Which is easier to write for you and why?
They're both complex in their own way. The novellas don’t allow for in depth characterization. The novels are challenging because I suffer from shiny object syndrome.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? 
The ending is by far my most challenging because by the time I get to the end, I’m typically desperate to write my next shiny idea.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
After my second novel that involved a bad boyfriend, my daughter and I had a long conversation about bad boyfriends. If nothing else ever comes of that novel, it was worth it because of that conversation. I’ve won awards, and I’ve hit bestseller lists, but the best payoff is when one my readers tell me my book helped them in some way. I write to remind people that love is real and powerful.

Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produces more sales rather than just clicks?
A free book and other authors in my genre telling people about my free book.

Do you sell more eBooks or print books?
eBooks. I don’t have a lot of print books. That’s one of my goals for this year.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
Writing a story is so much easier when you spend time every day inside your story. Every time I step away from a story in progress, I have to go back and reread what I wrote. That can add days to my schedule.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
BJ Novak said to write a story like you’re telling it to your best friend. It’s really easy to try and mimic a writer you admire, especially when/if they’re in your critique group. I had a friend who wrote beautiful, poetic prose, but when I tried to be like her, I just had a lot of run-on sentences.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
Writing can be an exhilarating rush of imagination, but when I try and put too much pressure on it, it becomes a slog—which isn’t fun for me and probably isn’t fun for my readers, either. It’s a balancing act.

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
I’m working a series about a large family in a small town. Book one, Small Town Secrets is currently available on the Kindle Vella platform. It’s about a woman who inherits a house from her paternal grandmother that she never met. Shortly after moving in, there’s a landslide that blocks the road into town and knocks out the power. She takes refuge with her neighbor (a handsome man with secrets) who has a generator.

That's all for today's interview. Hope it inspires you to learn more abut Kristy's books. Here's her website link: http://www.kristytate.com/#welcome

And here's a bonus for my readers... Here's a special giveaway for her eBook  The Billionaire’s Beagle. https://dl.bookfunnel.com/v9q5uqjmke

Don't Talk about Writing - Write! Author Interview with Jodi Thomas

My interview today is with an author who has won four RITA awards and two Reader's Choice awards. Jodi writes historical and contemporary romance with plots set in her home state of Texas. Since that's my home state, and I've been an RWA member, it gives me a special pleasure to share her thoughts with you!

You’ve now written seven series. What made you decide to write that first novel?
I started writing to make money so I could send my sons to college. I worked two jobs throughout and I wanted to make it a little easier for them.

When my son was little he used to say, “When I grow up and have an office I’ll have your books on my bookcase. When people ask me why, I’ll say, “Freshman year, sophomore year, junior year, senior year.”

When he made it to college one of his advisers had a row of my books on her shelf. My son asked her ‘Why’ and she said that I was her favorite author. My son answered, “Mine too.

I love that story! How did you go about finding an agent / publisher?
I entered contests and sent out about 100 queries. I found my first agent through a friend but she would not send anything because she said it was not good enough.

I met an editor in a 10 minute interview at RWA. I had left the first agent so I sold it alone. When I found another agent she sold four more books for me in 15 months. I was ready. Among her pile of not good enough was a RITA winner, my first best seller, and one book I should have left under the bed.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Learning my people. I spend sometimes months on the first three or four chapters. Once I find my people and know them it is a race to the end. I want to see what happens to the people I love.

What does your editor remind you to do most often?
Do not hurry the end.

What I remind myself : Write deeper!

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
When I wrote my first romance book and had no idea if it was any good. My mother and her friend traded romances every Sunday at church. So I gave my manuscript to Mom. She loved it. Said it had too much sex so I could leave that out in the next few books.

Then she gave it to Pearl after Sunday School. That night, Pearl did not show up for Training Union. Mom went by her house thinking something was wrong. Pearl was reading.

She said, “Tell that daughter of yours that I got more excited in her waterfall scene than I ever got with either one of my husbands.”

First review. Still my favorite.

That's a hoot. I can see why it's so memorable to you. Now to another subject all writers have to deal with -- rejection by agents and publishers. How have you
learned to write past it?
On book 5 my editor told me I had peaked and I probably would not sell any more. That was 46 books and four RITAs ago.

That's one way to do it - prove them wrong. What has surprised you the most in writing/publishing? 

I think it is how close I feel to my readers. When I meet them I always want to hug them because I know they are the reason I am writing.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?

Do not talk your story, write it.

What's the next book coming out? Can you give me a brief synopsis?

I've got two books coming out that are both three stories in one book with two other authors. The first is called A Texas Kind of Christmas and my story is called "One Night at the St. Nicholas."

The story takes place in the historic St.Nicholas hotel in Dallas, Texas. It's about Texas heiress Jacqueline Hartman who spends Christmas Eve sharing a hideout with an accused bank robber. After a night in Nathaniel Ward’s arms, Jacqueline is certain she has met her match after all. But will his heartfelt promise of love lead to his demise at the hands of the law?

The publish date for that book is September 29

The next trio of stories is titled, The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas and is set to release October 27. My story is called "Father Goose" which is about Trapper Morgan who accepts a job hauling five little rich girls to Dallas, and all he cares about is the money. He doesn’t expect they’ll awaken his spirit—or that their intriguing nursemaid, Carolina, will awaken his heart. And when danger strikes as Christmas Eve nears, he definitely doesn’t expect Carolina and the girls to risk their lives—for him.

Sounds like great reads in front of a fireplace snuggled up in a blanket. If you'd like to learn more about Jodi's books, here are the links to get you started. 

Amazon page: https://amzn.to/2PiuY6G

Her Website: http://www.jodithomas.com/

Goodreads page: https://bit.ly/2BWyH6T