Thursday, April 13, 2017

Authors in the Spotlight 4/13

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have authors J.T. Lozano and Debbie McKiver!

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Name: J.T. LOZANO

How long have you been published? I have been published by Black Ribbon Press since late 2016.

What's the worst part about being published? The worst part of being published is giving up the rights to your books. It is difficult to do because of the time spent working on writing it and polishing it.

What's the best part about being published? The best part of being published is having a team working with you to give life to your words and to help bring your work to the hands of as many readers as possible.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? I started as self-publishing, but then pulled the books and am now in a contract with Black Ribbon Press, which I am ecstatic about.
 
*What are the highs, if any? The highs are having the feeling that someone believes in you and sees the talent that you might not see in yourself. Plus, knowing that I have a publisher takes off some stress and allows me to be more relaxed when I write knowing that my books have a home once they are done and ready. 
 
*What are the lows, if any? The lows, so far I haven’t seen any.

What is the name of your book(s)? As of the day of me filling this questionnaire out (01-23-2017), I have one book out, a story in an Anthology, and one more book set to be released. The anthology is Resolutions; A New Year Anthology, and my books are Rayven’s Redemption and The Last Ride. I hope to have a total of four or five books out by the time this interview is posted though.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? They all seem like they will be an easy write when I am thinking of the stories and plots in my head, but each story has given me my share of headaches. I have had to stop at some point and relax because I have gotten frustrated when I lose my thoughts.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? The hardest part of writing a book for me, is just sitting down and writing without criticizing or doubting myself and the talent that I am told I have.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? I have found that the easiest part of writing is just letting myself get lost in the words and allowing the characters to tell me where the story is going to go. It is when I listen to them and follow their lead that the words seem to just appear on the screen and fill the pages.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? Interested readers can find my books on Amazon and they will be available on other sites as well. For a full list of the links they can go to https://blackribbonpress.wordpress.com and look for the books there.

Do you have any future projects in the works? I have several projects in the works throughout the year and maybe into early next year too. 
 
*Is there a tentative release date? The release dates haven’t been set yet, but I am hoping to be able to release one book each month throughout 2017. As soon as release dates are set, they will be posted on the Black Ribbon Press web page (the link is the one mentioned in the previous answer).

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? As of right now the only social media links I would like to share are the links to the page of Rayven, the protagonist of Rayven’s Redemption, and my publisher’s page.
 
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Name: Debbie McKiver
 
How long have you been published? I published my first book in December of 2016.
 
What's the worst part about being published? For me, there are no bad aspects.
 
What's the best part about being published? Fulfilling a life-long dream & the power to share my story in a format that can reach and inspire others. 
 
Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? *What are the highs, if any? *What are the lows, if any? I am self-published. What I like about self-publishing is that I get to write from the heart, and they are MY words. Everything is mine; the cover design, any interior designs – it’s all me. Also, I didn’t have to meet a criteria of having to have a specific number of words. The Advantage of going through a large publishing house is that they take care of the promoting but if I had it to do all over again, I wouldn’t change it. I plan to self-publish in the future as well but I am open to the idea of a book deal.
 
What is the name of your book(s)? Surviving a Toxic Career
 
Was it/were they an easy write for you? Yes, I have always enjoyed writing, especially as a youth. It was nice to finally get back into it on a regular basis and have a published book as a result.
 
What's the hardest part about writing a book? Remembering that you are writing for the reader. It’s easy to make it personal, or more like a therapy session than a book.
 
What's the easiest part about writing a book? Having the freedom to be creative. Also, sharing your heart.
 
Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? My book can be purchased at www.survivingacareer.com or on Amazon.
 
Do you have any future projects in the works? *Is there a tentative release date? Yes, there are future projects in the works. One is a collection of poems and insightful thoughts that I will be releasing this year, as well as one other. There is another one that I’ve been “pregnant” with for over 17 years that I’m not planning to release until 2018 but no specific dates on any.
 
Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Yes. Anyone who interested in connecting with me can do so on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
 
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Join me next week as I bring you more authors! 

 

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