Authors in the Spotlight 6/29

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have authors Nicole Shephard and Karen Salamone-Jourdan!

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Name: Nicole Shephard

 

How long have you been published? I have been published since 2013

 

What's the worst part about being published? The worst part about being a published author is being judged by family and friends for the language and actions of my characters. Seeing as I look innocent and write such hardcore books.

 

What's the best part about being published? The best thing about being a published author is having people from all walks of life read your book and discuss it with you. Major bonus is when a reader acts as if your characters are real people and is so into the story they can’t help but you take their anger out on you because of what certain characters do.

 

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 have been on both sides of the fence. There were many times when I wish I was signed to a publishing company for things like exposure or the family aspect side of things but at the same time I love doing my own thing. One of the highs with self publishing is that I am able to choose my own covers, editor, date of release, and even what price I want to set my books at. On the other hand, while you may be signed, all of those things are up to the publisher and that is a real low for me.

 

What is the name of your book(s)? My books include: Down For The Count 1, Down For The Count 2, Down For The Count 3, KA$H KLAN: Only The Mob, The Family Man, Summertime Shootouts, (Coming Soon) My Crazy B****

 

Was it/were they an easy write for you? Being a person who never wrote or read a book in life it was a struggle to get into writing and actually finish any of those books. Sometimes I still don’t know how I wrote all of that.

 

What's the hardest part about writing a book? The hardest part about writing a book is actually finishing the book. I love to start a book but by the time I get to the halfway mark I am tapped out and have to push myself to finish.

 

What's the easiest part about writing a book? The easiest part about writing a book is deciding on a storyline. I have a million stories in my head.

 

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? All of my books are available on Amazon.

 

Do you have any future projects in the works? *Is there a tentative release date? My Crazy B**** is coming soon.

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 Name: Karen Salamone-Jourdan

How long have you been published? My first book came out in 2000, so almost 17 years

What's the worst part about being published? The fear that now the work is done, my readers won’t like it. You’re only as good as your last book.

What's the best part about being published? Knowing someone is reading something I wrote and maybe forgetting their troubles for a little while.

Are you self-published or did you go through a publishing company? My first book was through Author House. I’m now with True Beginnings. I’m much happier with True Beginnings.

*What are the highs, if any? It’s cool to see something you wrote in book form. That little high just never gets old.

*What are the lows, if any? Can’t think of any lows at all.

 

What is the name of your book(s)? My first book is Gabriel’s Gate; followed by Redemption and House on Ransom Road.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? Yeah it was. I’ve always had an active imagination and can take even an everyday event and turn it into something macabre

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Getting the plot twists to flow naturally rather than as an afterthought.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? Getting the words exactly right and not revealing the ending. I tend to surprise my readers with plot twists at the end that they never see coming, so I have to be careful. The clues are there, but unless you really look for them, you won’t see them right away until after the denouement.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? I usually just tell folks to search my name on Amazon. It’s easier for them and I get my royalties a little faster. LOL.

Do you have any future projects in the works? Yes! I’m working on two books at the same time. Dead Time and Revelations.

*Is there a tentative release date? Dead Time will have been released the end of January and Revelations shortly after that.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? I’m on Twitter, of course as well as Facebook. Those are the two I use the most. I also have a web page started but just haven’t had the time to complete it to my satisfaction.

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Join me next week as I bring you more authors!

Authors in the Spotlight 6/27

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have author Andrew Kjar!

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Name: Andrew Kjar

How long have you been published? 3 years

What's the worst part about being published? Self publishing doesn't sell a lot of books.

What's the best part about being published? I enjoy knowing my book is being enjoyed by people.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? Self published

What is the name of your book(s)? The parallels of time

Was it/were they an easy write for you? Yes, I found it an easy book to write.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Not knowing if people are going to enjoy it.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? Being able to tap my imagination for ideas.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? Amazon

Do you have any future projects in the works? *Is there a tentative release date? I have a sequel to my book later this year.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Just amazon

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Join me on Thursday as I bring you authors Nicole Shephard and Karen Salamone-Jourdan!

Authors in the Spotlight 6/22

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have authors Rayvon Wright and Opal Dunlap!

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Name: Rayvon Wright (but can also be known as Rayvon Rose Rei Wright)

How long have you been published? For about almost a year now, I have published four books.

What's the worst part about being published? If it isn't the MONEY, it's about getting your work out there! Not many people will pay attention to you if you don't have a published work that's interesting, and most of the time people won't buy your book because you're not one of those famous authors. It all takes time and patience.

What's the best part about being published? Bragging rights! Just kidding, but you feel accomplished that you have made your work official and no longer on those fanfiction sites. It might not be well-known (not yet) but hearing yourself say, "I published a book!" makes you feel like a well-known author.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? I went through a publishing company.

*What are the highs, if any? Half of the work is already done for you, all you have to do is adjust your things and push a button and say you're published.

*What are the lows, if any? How it's being sold and the price it's being sold at. Since you also have to give the company money off of what you make, your books have to be somewhat expensive, which makes people not really want to buy them.

What is the name of your book(s)? One of my series is tilted "Aquarius", a trilogy: "Aquarius", "Battling Waters", and "Calming Waves". I have another book titled "Transient Flame" that I hope to turn into a series.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? It was stressful typing everything when your mind is prone to jump from one place to another, but it's fun creating and controlling your own universe.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? The amount of time you spend on it. It can be anything from 30 minutes to almost three hours just to finish a chapter or two! Finding time can be really hard when you're always busy, but you have to MAKE time.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? The amount of fun you have! Not only do you create another world, but you're creating people with just your imagination.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? They are available on FastPencil.com. Here's a link for Transient Flame!

Do you have any future projects in the works? Yes, I do!

*Is there a tentative release date? I want to hope for the end of July, but who knows what's in store!

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? I haven't taken the time to actually make a website just for my published works, but I do have a DeviantArt where I publish short stories. (I go by the username BloodbathAquarius).

 

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Name: Opal Dunlap

 

How long have you been published? I have been published since 2014.

 

What's the worst part about being published? In my opinion there isnʼt a worst part.

 

What's the best part about being published? The best part of being published is that I created something for someone else to have entertainment and inspiration.

 

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 a self - published author. The highs are that I have complete control over my work and the lows is getting my work out to the world and trying to market my work from a solo position.

 

What is the name of your book(s)? Rhythm of an Individual (Poetry Book), Dreams arenʼt meant to be small (short story)

 

Was it/were they an easy write for you? Both my books were an easy write for me. My poetry book is a collection of my poems from 2007 - 2014. And my short story had already won two local gold medalist awards that sent me to the nationals before I decided to publish it for the public.

 

What's the hardest part about writing a book? The hardest part about writing a book is making sure everything is perfect from grammar to cover art.

 

What's the easiest part about writing a book? The easiest part of writing a book for me is the content. I love to write and I love to tell a good story.

 

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? Amazon

 

Do you have any future projects in the works? *Is there a tentative release date? As of now, I have a novel coming out next year called With The Love I Gave You.

 

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Facebook, Instagram, and my website. 

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Join me next week as I bring you more authors!

Authors in the Spotlight 6/20

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have authors Brandyn Blaze and Lynne Cockrum-Murphy!

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Name: Brandyn Blaze

How long have you been published? I published my first book on March 22, 2016, so just over a year. It’s been an incredible ride so far!

What's the worst part about being published? The uncertainty. Every time you put something out there you’re opening yourself up and accepting the risk of criticism. I think it’s important to keep in mind that not everything can be a big hit and that there is no such thing as a book that absolutely everyone will love. You just have to do what you do, do it with pride, and focus on the people who are on board with your vision.

What's the best part about being published? The uncertainty! The other side of that risk is that it could resonate with enough people to make you a success. It’s exciting! Just knowing you bit the bullet and followed through with your dream brings a sense of accomplishment and gives you the motivation to keep going.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? After years of research and contemplation, I chose to self-publish. I love that I have complete control over what I put out. From the writing itself to the cover design to marketing, I get to call all the shots. I can also work at my own pace, versus trying to meet a deadline imposed by someone else. There’s also the matter of keeping more of the royalties for myself, which is definitely a plus! Of course, there are also some downsides. I think one of the worst is that you have to work twice as hard to prove yourself. There’s still some stigma attached to being an indie writer, this idea that self-published authors aren’t “real” writers. I think this mostly comes from the perceived ease of the self-publishing process. People don’t see the hours of work that go into creating a book or the hours you spend promoting it after publication. There seems to be an idea that it’s all fun and games, and that if it’s fun it must not be legitimate work, which I think even traditionally published authors face as well.

What is the name of your book(s)? I have released three books from my “Instruments of Life” series so far. The first is “Broken Strings”, followed by “Lo-Fidelity”, and “Snared”. The series centers around record producer Maggie Hawke, whose brother is the bass player for the world’s biggest rock band. Set in the 1980s, we get a look into the music scene as we watch Maggie come to terms with the seedy side of fame and find her own voice amidst the chaos. When you strip all that away, it’s really a story about finding love in the unlikeliest of places.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? The first one was fairly easy for me. I had been working on it since high school, so when I finally decided to take it seriously it was mostly a matter of revisions and editing. The draft I had for the second one was a little more sparse, so it was a bit more time consuming. The third book has taken the most work so far.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Editing is the hardest part, hands down. There are times when you have a scene that you absolutely love, and it just doesn’t fit well with the story. Cutting those scenes out is rough! I’ve had to write out entire characters and subplots, and it’s a little emotional!

What's the easiest part about writing a book? Those moments when you’re just blindly putting words on the page. Once you’re in the zone and just allowing the scene to unfold, it’s as easy as breathing. At that point you’re just gathering the raw materials to create your masterpiece with. This is my favorite part. There’s a sense of urgency during that stage and you’re not wasting time overthinking your choice of words or focusing on the tiny details, you’re just sketching it out. Sometimes you’ll keep a good chunk of what you create in that time, sometimes you’ll process it into something greater, and sometimes you just have to let it go.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? All of my books are available in paperbacks or as eBooks through Amazon, and as eBooks only through Barnes and Noble and the Apple iStore. You can find links to my books at each of these stores through the “books” tab on my website. Kindle users can also get the first two books as one download here.

Do you have any future projects in the works? I have so many projects ahead of me! I’ve recently started to work on the fourth installment of this series, with the hopes of having it completed this winter. There will be at least three more in the “Instruments of Life” series, and then I have a few new projects outlined, including a couple non-fiction books.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Of course! You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and you can always check out my website! 

 

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Name: Lynne Cockrum-Murphy

 

How long have you been published? And what are the names of your books?

My first book, Stronger at the Broken Places: Growing Up in Chaos and the Journey from Suffering to Self- Actualization was published in 2010. That was publication of my dissertation by a German academic publisher. 

 

In 2015, my second book, Living Hope - Steps to Leaving Suffering Behind came out. Then in January 2017, my third book Unfolding the Mystery of Self – We Are Never Alone launched.

 

What is the worst part about being published? – is there a worst part? No, I don’t think so. I take it back, the cost of publishing and then publicity requires huge chunks of money.

 

What is the best part about being published? The best part of being published is the slow dawning of “I am a writer”. After teaching in public schools and a university, after counseling in a drug treatment center, I transformed into a writer with a deep desire to write.

 

I published both Living Hope and Unfolding the Mystery of Self with Sojourn Publishing in Sedona, AZ.

 

What are the highs, if any? Seeing your book in print, seeing the cover while holding it in your own hand is a powerful high because it includes your dreams, sweat and tears. 

 

What are the lows, if any? The lows come when you see how much effort and putting yourself out there it takes to sell copies. They don’t sell themselves. We do launch parties; we use social media and learn to talk with strangers to promote our books. It is all very worth it, while challenging to us new to the field.

 

Were they an easy write for you? My books were easy to write when I got into the zone. Working with writing coach Tom Bird and using his method brought my second and third books out on onto paper surprisingly fast. I still use his technique as I write my next two books.

 

What are the lows, if any? I think the challenge comes in in editing such as: knowing how to improve it without damaging it, without deleting good stuff or without keeping the boring stuff and top of all that being willing to keep at it month after month until it is done. Finding editors, both content and style that are good at your genre, yet affordable and that enhance your book is a formidable task.

 

What’s the hardest part about writing a book? Another challenge to a writer is dedicating time each day to writing when everything from doctor appointments to a lack of self-confidence to a job all demand time. Plus, I find building my platform and presence in social media takes me into the land of distraction, fun and wasted time. 

 

What’s the easiest part about writing a book? What makes it easy to get the book out is the love of the book itself, that unending longing to write it, to tell the story. That drives me. It is as if the book demands time and attention until it is complete.

 

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your books? My three books are available at Amazon and at my website. 

 

Do you have any future project in the works? An online workshop series based on Unfolding the Mystery of Self launches on my website July 2017. My next two books reveal my first dive into fiction. I love the story (historical fiction) and the characters and am nervous to see if others will love it too. Tentative release dates book 1 March and book 2 September 2018.

 

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Friend me on Facebook, connect with me on Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Goodreads, and Google+.

My YouTube channel, my webpage, and my Author Central Page. 

 

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Join me on Thursday as I bring you authors Rayvon Wright and Opal Dunlap!

  

Authors in the Spotlight 6/15

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have author T. L. Hayes!

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Name: T. L. Hayes

How long have you been published? I have been published for 1 year now.

What's the worst part about being published? The marketing and promoting can be a little challenging at times, but I love everything about being a published author.

What's the best part about being published? I am excited about others being able to read my books. I feel like I am living in my dream.

Are you self-published or did you go through a publishing company? Self-published

*What are the highs, if any? I enjoy traveling and attending different author events. I also enjoy meeting new people and interacting with my readers.

What is the name of your book(s)? Kinky Tales Volume 1 and Kinky Tales Volume 2

Was it/were they an easy write for you? Yes, absolutely! I enjoy writing erotica.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? I don’t find it hard at all but it is very time consuming and requires lots of patience.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? I have the freedom to be as creative as I want to be.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? My website, Amazon, Barnes and Noble.

Do you have any future projects in the works? Yes, I do. Several, under lock and key for now.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Join me next week as I bring you more authors!

Authors in the Spotlight 6/13

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have authors Tina Susedik and Maria Hocking!

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Name: Tina Susedik

 

How long have you been published? My first history book was published in 1998, my first romance in 2013, my first children’s book in 2015.

 

What’s the worst part of being published? Promotion. I absolutely hate it. It takes so much time away from what I love – writing. I finally hired someone to help me.

 

What’s the best part of being published? Seeing what’s in my head in book form and having a reader tell me they loved my story or thought it was funny.

 

Are you self-published or did you go through a publishing company? I’m what they call a hybrid. I write for to publishers, but also self- publish. With a publisher, they do all the work of formatting, creating covers, and getting the books on various sites. With self-publishing, you have to do all that yourself. Learning to format has been a real challenge for me. With both you still have to do self-promotion.

 

What are the names of your books? These are just my romances: As Tina Susedik: Riding for Love, The Trail to Love, A Photograph of Love, Never With a Rich Man, Operation Santa (In Sizzle in the Snow Anthology), The Valentine’s Proposal (In My Sexy Valentine Anthology). As Anita Kidesu: Surprise Me, Surprise Me Again, South Seas Seduction, Double the Surprise

 

Were they easy for you to write? Each book had some struggle, but once I learned to listen to what my characters want, it became easier. 

 

What’s the hardest part of writing a book? Editing and re-writing. Once my first draft is done, I just want to get on to the next book. I also have a hard time coming up with character names and titles. I usually change at least one character’s name several times throughout a book.

 

What’s the easiest part of writing? Coming up with an idea. I have enough ides to last me a life-time and beyond.

 

 Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? All my books can be found on Amazon.

 

Do you have any future projects in the works? I have two books coming out in November. I’m currently sworking on both. One is part of the Chandlerville Series and the other is another story for Sable Hunter’s Hell Yeah! Kindle World series. I’m also working on another children’s book and a short story.

 

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Social Media links: Wordpress, Twitter, My Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and My Newletter. 

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Name: Maria Hocking

 

How long have you been published? For 6 months.

What's the worst part about being published? I’ve yet to find a worst part!

What's the best part about being published? Knowing that my dream came true, and knowing that I can change lives with my words worldwide.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? I used www.alisonjones.com, so self published but with massive support and perks. I keep all rights to my book, but it’s looked after by Alison, so I get to spend my time doing what I’m really good at, which is changing lives.

*What are the highs, if any? I have kept the rights to my book, and had more freedom with choice of cover, typesetting, design etc. I felt in control of the process.

*What are the lows, if any? I had to remind myself to stick with my instinct, and go with what I believed in regarding title, cover etc. It’s easy to be influenced by others, and I think it’s important to listen to the opinions of others, but never compromise your passion as a result.

What is the name of your book(s)? Strip Naked & Re-Dress With Happiness, How To Survive & Thrive Through Personal Challenge

Was it/were they an easy write for you? I wouldn’t say easy, because it took a lot of work. It became easier when I realised that I needed to be flexible and go with my creativity, whenever it arose....even at 3am!

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Starting it, and commiting to it. Making time every day to take one step towards it. Eventually momentum builds and it becomes more natural and much easier, but the start is the hardest part!

What's the easiest part about writing a book? It’s when you are in the ‘writing zone’ and hours and days pass with words flowing effortlessly from your fingertips. It feels amazing!

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? Amazon (.co.uk and .com), and my web-site.

Do you have any future projects in the works? I have another self help book in the pipe line!

 

*Is there a tentative release date? Not yet

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Twitter and Facebook

 

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Join me on Thursday as I bring you author T. L. Hayes!