Leonora Meriel, author of The Woman Behind the Waterfall (2016) and The Unity Game (2017)
The First Year as a Published Author: Dreams versus Reality
A powerful dream
My earliest memory is telling people I wanted to be a writer.
All through my childhood I read avidly and wrote stories, poems, even a novel or two. I studied literature at two universities in Britain and Canada, and never for a moment doubted what I was born to do.
On October 1st 2016, my lifetime dream came true: My debut novel The Woman Behind the Waterfall was released. I was 38 years old.
2018-06-13 [ 23:23:00]
I still get a thrill every day when I see my books up on Amazon, despite publishing my debut chick lit novel, A Clean Sweep, almost a year ago. My sales statistics might not match in terms of euphoria, but I know that the self-publishing journey is a marathon, not a sprint.
As a former journalist in the UK (back in the days of typewriters and no internet), I was familiar with the pressure of deadlines and producing readable and factual copy. Fast-forward more years than I care to contemplate, and the world of being an author could not be more different. Yes, I set my own deadlines (and usually fail to meet them), but the only person breathing down my neck to type ‘The End’ is me. OK, not strictly true. My small but loyal fan base often nudge me, demanding to know when my next book will be out. Particularly since I published Parts One and Two of my romantic comedy novella trilogy, The Haunting of Hattie Hastings, in November 2017 and March 2018. Part Three is being proof read, with publication set for the end of July. I am terrified and elated in equal parts, and can only pray reviews will be as positive as before. I currently have 125 wonderful reviews on Amazon UK alone across four books (including a short, darker sequel to A Clean Sweep, entitled A Clean Break.)
2018-06-01 [ 23:21:52]
Read the inspiring and honest author interview with Claire Dyer. She is the author of three Novels The Perfect Affair, The Moment and the latest The Last Day. She has also written short stories and poems. She now teaches Creative Writing at Bracknell & Wokingham College, run Fresh Eyes and co-ordinate Reading’s Poets’ Café on behalf of The Poetry Society’s Reading Stanza. Keep reading and you will get to know how Claire Dyer managed her writing days.
What does a typical writing day look like for you? Do you use a word count?
My perfect writing day would be spent in my PJs, with my cats for company and a constant supply of tea. I would start around 9.00 am and write until 12.00 pm and hope to achieve about 2,000 words (any fewer and I’d be disappointed, more than that and I’d probably have to delete some!). I’d then treat myself to a snack and ‘Bargain Hunt’ on the TV and would hope to be able to spend the afternoon reading, going for a walk (obviously not in my PJs!) or maybe even taking a nap!
2018-05-24 [ 01:34:46]
I FIRST came across synaesthesia - which is at the heart of my novel, The Colour of Bee Larkham’s murder - during my work as a freelance education journalist.
Researchers at Edinburgh University had carried out the first ever study into the prevalence in childhood of the condition that causes a ‘merging of the senses’.
Synaesthetes experience together two or more of the five senses that are usually experienced separately.
2018-05-13 [ 00:41:06]
Cat Lavoie is a chick lit writer from Montreal, Canada. She loves writing fun and quirky romantic comedies and is the author of BREAKING THE RULES, ZOEY & THE MOMENT OF ZEN, PERI IN PROGRESS and MESSING WITH MATILDA. Read her interview below and get to know more about her writing life.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you started writing?
Thank you so much for having me!
Like most writers, I was a voracious reader as a child. I remember begging my grade school teacher to let me stay inside with my book for recess instead of going outside to play. I knew I wanted to write my own stories one day and (after going through a poetry-writing phase in high-school) I started working on a novel. I worked on that book for years, but never finished it. (Maybe that’s a good thing, because I seem to remember it being pretty awful!)
2018-05-02 [ 01:06:05]
Lucy Felthouse is the award-winning author of erotic romance novels Stately Pleasures, Eyes Wide Open (winner of the Love Romances Café’s Best Ménage Book 2015 award, and an Amazon bestseller), The Persecution of the Wolves and Hiding in Plain Sight. Keep reading below and get to know how Lucy spends her writing days.
How did you start your writing career? And has it always been the romance/erotic genre that spoke to you?
It was actually on a dare! I did my degree in creative writing, and one of my fellow students dared me to write an erotic story. I did, then took it into university afterwards for my friends to read, and it went down very well. It all kind of spiralled out from there!
2018-03-12 [ 00:56:53]
E.V. Seymour is the author of 10 crime novels and a number of short stories that was broadcasted on BBC Radio Devon. She started writing seriously after having five children. Here are some of the titles of her novels Final Target, A Deadly Trade and House of Lies. By day she works as a freelance editorial consultant and specializes in crime fiction and thrillers. Read her inspiring interview below.
What does your typical writing day look like for you? Do you use a word count?
I’m a morning person so tend to jump straight to it armed with tea and a big glass of water. If I’m on a roll, I’ll have breakfast at lunchtime! Whatever happens, (or doesn’t) I always slope off for a walk at some point. It’s a really good way to work out an unforeseen plot problem or decide whether or not a scene would improve if approached from a different angle. A walk is also the perfect antidote to having a ‘bad day at the office.’
2018-03-03 [ 23:58:07]
Kate Hamer is the author of The Girl in The Red Coat and The Doll Funeral. Kate won the Rhys Davies short story prize in 2011 and the story was broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Her first book The Girl in The Red Coat has been shortlisted for many prizes including:
The Costa First Novel Prize, The British Book Industry Awards Debut Fiction Book of the Year, The John Creasy (New Blood) Dagger, Wales Book of the Year. The book has been translated into 17 different languages.
What does your typical writing day look like for you and do you use a word count?
I try to be at my desk and writing by 9 am. Sometimes I start later but I know if I do that the chances are that the writing day will be severely diminished. I use a word count as a discipline. I have a basic word count of one thousand words. Sometimes I achieve that quite easily and push on to the next one thousand. Sometimes it takes me all day to get there. Either way it’s a rare day where I give up on that goal. Occasionally though it’s just more productive to go for a walk, reconnect with your characters and breathe some fresh air!
2018-02-22 [ 01:09:04]
Carol Mason is the author of the women's fiction books After You Left, published by
Lake Union on April 1, 2017, and The Secrets of Married Women. She is also the author of
The Love Market and Send Me A Lover, which are available as E books on Amazon.
She writes fulltime from her home in Canada and is originally from the UK. Get to know more
about her writing life below.
- What does your typical writing day look like for you and do you use a word
count?
I am lucky enough to be able to write full-time. I try to keep full-time
hours. I am productive in the morning, but that wanes as the day moves on!
2018-02-03 [ 23:28:52]
This inspiring interview is with author Diane Jeffrey. She wrote her debut novel Those Who Lie a psychological thriller with many five star reviews. She is currently working on her second psychological thriller that will be published at the beginning of 2018. When she is not writing she is an English teacher as a profession. Besides teaching and writing, she loves spending time with her family in Lyon where she is based.
-Congratulations on your debut novel Those Who Lie published in January 2017. Can you tell us how you started writing the book? And how did you manage to keep going not knowing if it would be published or not?
2017-12-15 [ 11:06:22]
We are proud to introduce Virginia Heath in the interview below. She is also the judge for this month writing contest "The Woman" on LifeOfWriters.com. Virginia Heath writes for Harlequin Mills and Boon and has been commissioned to write ten books for their Harlequin Historical series. Her 3rd book, The Discerning Gentleman's Guide was shortlisted for a RONA (Romantic Novel of the Year Award).
Can you tell us how you started writing your first book? And how did you manage to keep going not knowing if it would be published or not?
I suppose the need to write a book overshadowed any doubts I might have had about getting published. I mean, you can’t get published until you’ve written a whole book but starting something that you see through to the bitter end is hard. I had several false starts over the years. A few chapters here and there and then life got in the way.
2017-10-31 [ 03:17:57]
Read our stunning author interview with Carla Burgess. She always enjoyed writing stories when she was in school and she studied English Litterature and Psychology. It was only after a family bereavement that she started writing fiction again after a career as a magazine editor. She writes romantic comedies and has written two books Marry Me Tomorrow and Stuck With You. Her third book Meet Me Under the Mistletoe is out on 27 October and is available to pre-order now. Continue reading and you will get some great inside to Carla's writing life.
What does your typical writing day look like for you and do you use a word count?
I get the children to school and do some chores before sitting down to write, and then I work until the children come back from school. I’ll have a break then, and spend some time with the children, then I usually go back to writing in the evening after dinner. I like writing at night. I feel like I’m less distracted and procrastinate less. The children are older now so it’s not necessarily because they’re all asleep, I’m just less tempted to do another load of washing or start cleaning something. I don’t have a strict word count that I stick to every day, I just write as much as possible. Usually I’m happy with a thousand words, but if I’m on a deadline then I try for five thousand words. I’m not saying I always make this, but that’s what I strive for.
2017-10-25 [ 04:29:47]
Read this inspiring author interview with Jenn Bregman. She has written a fast-paced thriller The TimeKeepers and is currently working on her second book in the serie. Jenn Bregman is a white-collar criminal defense lawyer and has loved writing since her childhood.
- Typical writing day look like?
Like all of us, I have a busy and, often unpredictable, life so the only time I can be sure I have the quiet and space I need to write is in the morning. My tush is in the chair from 5:00-7:00 a.m. without excuse (ok, with FEW excuses!). Even if I had a late night or other things going on and am not that productive, I find that the discipline of writing at a certain time and place each day is worth it. Then, I write from 2-3 more hours during the day catch-as-catch-can, but having the foundation of two solid hours already in the bank makes the rest of the day work better too!
2017-10-09 [ 03:46:29]
The author of this week interview is Tracy Buchanan. She is the author of four books, one of them is The Atlas of Us that gave her a publishing deal with Harper Collins UK. Tracy used to work for a travel magazine as an editor, now she writes full-time from her home in Buckinghamshire.
What does your typical writing day look like for you and do you use a word count?
I’m now lucky enough to write full-time so after dropping my daughter off at pre-school and walking the dog, I sit down in my office and get through admin and publicity. So things like this Q&A! I then have lunch while watching a film or TV series to inspire me, before delving into my writing in the afternoon. I use Scrivener so sometimes set myself daily targets and check if I’ve reached them. If I haven’t, I write in the evening after my daughter’s gone to bed.
2017-09-19 [ 02:56:20]
2017-09-12 [ 02:42:27]
This week LifeOfWriters.com is super excited to share our interview with author Victoria Cooke. She is the author of The Secret to Falling in Love and her next book The Holliday Cruise you can pre-order now on Amazon to your Kindle. Victoria got published already when she was 8 years old by her class teacher with a story of an invisible man. Ever since she has had a passion for reading and writing.
- What does your typical writing day look like for you and do you use a word count?
My children leave for school at 8.40am and that’s when I have my first coffee of the day. I can’t function without that wonderful ten minutes of peace and quiet.
If I’m writing, I set goals, sometimes it’s to complete a scene and sometimes it’s based on word count or chapters. It really depends on the section I’m writing. Word count wise, I have written up to 10,000 words in one day, but a more realistic figure for me would be about 2,000 because of school pickups, coffee drinking and snacking.
2017-08-28 [ 02:07:27]
This week LifeOfWriters.com is pleased to share our interview with author Tilly Tennant. She is the author of several books and is represented by Philippa Milnes-Smith at LAW. Tilly Tennant has a degree in English and creative writing with first-class honours. One of her books is A Wedding in Italy and A Very Vintage Christmas is released in September. Read her interview below.
Let us know how you spend your writing day.
As I have a family the day starts with all the necessary duties like breakfast and the school run. I’ll watch the news and have my own breakfast when I get back home and then I’ll start work. I tend to work quite solidly on a first draft, getting 2-3,000 words a day down at least but this often depends on the amount of research that gets in the way. Sometimes you don’t even know you need to do research until you get to that scene and realise you know nothing about it! I tend to be lazy around food and housework while I’m in first draft territory because if I stop writing I’ll find it difficult to start again, so it tends to be snacks while I’m working and I only eat a proper meal once the family are home and I’m forced to stop working.
2017-08-21 [ 04:16:04]
2017-08-10 [ 03:11:20]
LifeOfWriters.com is utterly proud to let you all read the inspiring author interview with Darren Young. He released his debut novel Child Taken on 18 May 2017 by Red Door publishing house. He has always enjoyed writing and in 2014 he found a sympathetic coffee shop and started working on Child taken. Keep reading below to get his astonishing answers about his writing life.
Congratulation with your debut novel CHILD TAKEN. What were the best part and the hardest part of your writing journey from beginning to publication?
Thank you very much.
Wow, that’s a tough start. I’d qualify it by saying I found there were an awful lot more lows than highs in the journey which I wasn’t surprised by because I don’t think it should be easy, but I did find it was like constantly climbing a hill only to slip back down again.
The best parts, if I choose two, were the moment when Red Door said they wanted to publish the book and the launch event in May.
2017-07-31 [ 02:01:56]
LifeOfWriters.com is very proud to share the honest and inspiring author interview with Amazon bestseller Jenny Hale. She is the author of 7 books and her book Coming Home for Christmas will be on The Hallmark Channel December 2017. Her latest book The Summer House was released in June 2017.
What does your typical writing day look like for you and do you use a word count?
My typical writing day begins between 8:30 and 9:00 in the morning and goes straight through until around noon. Any longer than that and I have to recharge creatively. The rest of the day I’ll pop in on my characters, add a few lines or sometimes a scene, but the majority of the work happens in those morning hours. With that said, I live and die by my word count!
2017-07-20 [ 05:25:52]
LifeOfWriters.com is thrilled to share the intriguing interview with award-winning author Carol Wyer. She writes humorous books and her book Grumpy Old Menopause made Carol Winner of The People's Book Prize Award Non-Fiction 2015. Recently she has started writing thrillers, starting with the best seller Little Girl Lost and now Secrets of the Dead.
Can you tell us how you kept writing your first book when not knowing if it would be published? How does it work now when you are a multi-award winning author writing your book on a deadline?
My first book, a comedy called MINI SKIRTS AND LAUGHTER LINES was written when I was 49. My son had left home and watching him drive away, I suddenly felt my life was over. I was no longer needed as I had been. I made a decision to do some of the things on my bucket list and writing a book for the adult market was one of those high up on it. (I'd written children's books before) The book was about a woman facing 50 and all the problems that entailed - the dreaded 'M' word, a retired, grumpy husband, a wayward son who's boomeranged back into the nest and a party-loving, cabin-smoking, much loved character - Amanda's mother (based on my own outrageous mother). I'd wanted to write it in a diary form but that format had been done so many times, I had to change it.
2017-07-03 [ 14:02:45]
Inspiring author interview with author Grace Lowrie. She is the author of her debut novel Kindred Hearts and her new book Safe With Me both published by Accent Press. Grace Lowrie has worked as a sculptor, prop maker and garden designer. She writes stories from her Hertfordshire home.
What does your typical writing day look like? Do you have a daily or weekly word count?
I don’t get many writing days at the moment but when I do, I like to start early – without checking my emails, notifications or anything else that might distract me – and then write as fast as possible (which unfortunately isn’t very fast). If things go well I barely stop, even to make coffee, but I try to get up and stretch every now and then. If I hit a mental block in my writing I’ll do the washing up or a bit of dusting, still writing in my head. I don’t have a word count to aim for because the other areas of my life are pressured enough.
2017-06-26 [ 03:13:11]
Today LifeOfWriters.com is hosting Dori Ann Dupré with touching and inspiring writing related answers. Dori was born and raised in New Jersey and is a veteran of the United States Army. She is the author of the international award winning debut southern novel, Scout’s Honor. Her second book, Good Buddy, is coming in late 2017.
What does your typical writing day look like? Do you have a daily or weekly word count?
My typical writing day unfortunately starts with a "real job." However, other than interacting with fellow writers and authors online, my writing time is spent working on Works in Progress, such as a new novel, a short story, a poem, a journal entry, an essay, a blog post or book review and of course, reading. Since reading is such an integral part of improving my writing, I consider it writing too. I do not have a daily or weekly word count but I do try to write every single day, even if it's just a short sentence.
2017-06-19 [ 01:19:29]
Today LifeOfWriters.com is hosting author Sun Chara as a part of her blog tour. She is a multi-published, JABBIC winner for Manhattan Millionaire's Cinderella, writes sexy, hip 'n fun contemporary romance, high adventure historical romance, and any genre that knocks at her imagination.
Congratulations on your new book Italian Millionaire, Runaway Principessa.
Thank you for the well wishes and joining us on this fabulous Book Launch Tour!
- Can you let us know what your journey to becoming a published author was like?
2017-06-12 [ 01:51:59]
2017-06-06 [ 01:16:37]
Author interview with bestselling author Jenny Kane. She writes contemporary romantic fiction, her seventh novel Abi’s Neighbour (Accent Press, 2017) was released in April 2017. Jenny also writes children's fiction like Ben’s Biscuit Tin Adventure. On top of that, she also writes historical fiction as Jennifer Ash. Read her full interview below and see how she spend her writing day.
Hello. Many thanks for inviting me over to your site to talk a little about my writing life.
What does your typical writing day look like? Do you have a daily or weekly word count?
I’m very much a creature of habit; every writing day follows the same pattern. I am always at my desk in the corner of a local cafe at 7.30 in the morning, with a large black coffee and some toast and marmalade.
2017-05-30 [ 04:10:55]
Are your readers finding you online? Chances are, if you have social media accounts as an author (Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads are a few), the answer is yes. How is your reader engagement on these crucial marketing platforms? Are you getting readers talking about your books? Are they retweeting your new releases? Are they asking when your next book is coming out? If you’re struggling with reader engagement on social media, there’s something worth looking at, an item that can drastically effect the way that readers view your work and you as an author—it’s your book cover.
2017-05-24 [ 02:31:11]
How does the author of The Sunday Times Bestseller My Husband's Wife Jane Corry spend her writing days? Get to know more about her in the interview below, where she share her writing experiences and her advice.
Jane Corry a writer, an author published by Penguin, a former magazine journalist and teaches creative writing in Devon and if that is not enough she speaks at literary festival all over the world. Get ready to be inspired by a fantastic author.
- What does a typical writing day for you look like?
I get up between 6.30 and 7 am and run my dog along the beach. We live in the UK so it is pretty cold for most of the year! I get a lot of ideas when I’m running or walking. Often I pick up my granddaughter on the way and we have a pram jog with the dog! I go back and have breakfast with my husband and then I walk up two flights of stairs to the office at the top of our house. I’m generally there by 9.30 to 10am. I’ll write a chapter in about two hours. Usually, this amount to around 2,000 words. I trained as a journalist so I write fast. Then I have a break for lunch and spend part of the afternoon editing that chapter. After that, I catch up on emails and social media. Two days a week, I look after my granddaughter and then I write in the evening instead.
2017-05-15 [ 03:18:03]
Today we are hosting Margaret James. She is an author, journalist and teacher of creative writing.
Thank you for inviting me to be a guest on your website today.
I’m a writer of fiction, a journalist and a teacher of creative writing. My latest novel Girl in Red Velvet is set in Oxford and the action begins in 1966 when Lily Denham is seventeen and beginning her studies at the university.
On her first day she meets best friends Harry Gale and Max Farley and is enchanted by their mischievous charm.
But will falling for two men rip her own heart apart?
As a teacher of creative writing, my students often ask me how they should go about offering a novel to a literary agent or to a commercial publisher. They know about writing a covering letter, but they’re not always aware that there are four other important selling tools too.
2017-05-11 [ 04:07:21]
Today we are very excited to host Author Elaine Everest on our blog. She is the bestseller author of The Woolworths Girls and has now released (4. May 2017) her new book The Butlins Girls, a book that already has got many great reviews. She is a former journalist, and author of non fiction books for dog owners, Elaine has written over sixty short stories for the international women's magazine market.
When not writing Elaine can be found teaching her talented students at The Write Place Creative Writing School in Dartford, Kent where she holds classes at the Mick Jagger Centre.
Congratulations on your new book The Butlins Girls. What inspired you to write it? And how long did it take you to write it?
Thank you for your kind welcome and for hosting me today.
The Butlins Girls is the second book in my first contract with Pan Macmillan. The first book, The Woolworths Girls is set in Erith, Kent, during the Second World War. I like to keep my stories in the area I know well so when planning book two I thought about my maternal great grandfather’s travelling fair and how my mother had spoken of how the showmen who run these fairs knew Sir Billy Butlins. At that time it was a close community in the UK. Sir Billy, as he become known, moved on to opening holiday camps in the 1930s although he was always connected to the world of funfairs. Noticing that he was quick to re-open his camps when the war came to an end I decided to weave this into my story of Molly Missons and her need to escape from her hometown. The book took me six months to write.
2017-05-07 [ 06:43:20]
2017-05-01 [ 04:16:21]
LifeOfWriters.com is proud to announce our interview with author Erinna Mettler. She is the author of STARLINGS. STARLINGS is a daisy-chain novel set in the city of Brighton. Each chapter tells the tale of one of its varied inhabitants. Read her great answers below and get to know about her writing life.
2017-04-25 [ 04:44:37]
2017-04-19 [ 04:04:50]
T.A. (Trevor) Williams offers few tips for aspiring authors.
I would preface these remarks by saying that the only reason I feel able to offer a few suggestions is because I’m very old, not because J.K. Rowling has anything to worry about in terms of competition from me. I have written 11 books, most of them romantic comedies published as e-books by HQ (a Harper Collins imprint), some by Canelo, and number 12 is written, but still at the arguing with my editor stage. I’ve had a few books in the top 100 on Amazon, I’ve reached number one in fiction on iBooks, but I still haven’t made enough to buy that Ferrari yet. So, do bear in mind my first point below and remember the words of Gene Hackman in “Get Shorty”. ‘The only kind of writing that makes money is ransom notes.’
- Don’t do it for the money and don’t, whatever you do, chuck in a good job until you see the size of the cheques rolling in. You may get lucky, but even lucky authors struggle to earn enough to live on.
2017-04-09 [ 12:22:06]
LifeOfWriters.com is delighted to annouce our interview with author Rosanna Ley. Rosanna has written numerous articles and short stories for magazines, and her novels have been published in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Norway, Hungary, Portugal, Lithuania, Denmark, Bulgaria, Turkey and the Czech Republic. Rosanna has also worked as a creative writing tutor for over 20 years. She has led courses for colleges and universities in England, and runs her own writing retreats and holidays in the UK and in stunning locations in Europe. Get to know more about her writing style below.
What is a typical writing day for you?
It’s different depending on which part of the process I am at. Right now, I am combining finishing off my first draft of my new book with publicity work for my current hardback publication of Little Theatre by the Sea. So, most days I will start off with a half hour stint on Twitter. Then I will answer urgent emails, then usually start working on the novel. I’ll work all morning in my office at home with short breaks (that’s if I can tear myself away) to prevent hunch-back computer syndrome, until around 1.30. After that it’s lunch and hopefully a good walk to clear out the cobwebs, get some fresh air, think about plot problems or whatever… The rest of the afternoon I may do some chores and admin but will usually have another writing session for an hour or two, perhaps on a publicity article if not WIP, often working till around 7 p.m.
2017-03-26 [ 08:12:54]
Read our interview with Maya Tyler. She is a romance author, blogger, wife, and mother. She has a degree in Commerce, but writing is her true passion. Her short story “Just for Tonight” is included in an anthology called With Love from Val and Tyne and her debut paranormal romance novella was Dream Hunter, published in December 2014. Her second paranormal romance novel A Vampire's Tale releases on March 22, 2017. She writes paranormal romance with a twist and all her books have a common theme – happily ever after.
I’m so glad to be here today. Thank you for your kind invitation for an interview.
What is it about paranormal romance that you like to write about?
Paranormal, like fantasy and science fiction, is not necessarily bound by realism. I feel the freedom to add unexpected plot twists and otherworldly elements. I feel the ability to stretch the wings of my imagination. My first published book Dream Hunter was about guardian angels and the dream world.
2017-03-05 [ 08:28:40]
Todays guest post is from childrens author Fiona Ingram. She also writes romance under the pen name Arabella Sheraton. Read her story below and get her top 3 rules for authors.
ROMANCING THE STONE: ONE AUTHOR, TWO HATS
I never set out to become a children’s author, nor did I set out to become a Regency romance author. The two events just happened and luckily not at the same time. I became a children’s author quite by accident, even though I was working as an editor in the magazine publishing industry. I went to Egypt at the behest of my (now late) mother, who insisted on Egypt because she was paying for the holiday, and we took along my two young nephews, then aged 10 and 12. What a trip; we had such an adventure. In fact, it was so much of an adventure that I was inspired to write a short story for my nephews upon our return, with them as the two heroes of course. The short story became a wonderful adventure tale (The Secret of the Sacred Scarab) which became a book series (The Chronicles of the Stone) and suddenly I was Fiona Ingram, a multi award winning children’s author. So, never discount the short story; you have no idea where it can take you as a writer!
2017-02-26 [ 10:12:49]
2017-02-19 [ 08:50:48]
Read our inspiring interview with author Nancy J. Cohen. She is the author of the humorous Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Shore. She is a featured speaker at libraries, conferences, and community events, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets.
What does your typical writing day look like?
I wake up early before dawn, get a cup of coffee, and sit at the computer in my home office. If I am in the writing phase of a book, I’ll write until I reach my daily quota of five pages, or I’ll go beyond if the words are flowing. I take time for breakfast and a walk. Then it’s back to work, either to continue writing or to focus on marketing and revising. Marketing can take up my entire day, so it’s important that I don’t turn on the email or go on the Internet until my daily quota is finished.
2017-01-14 [ 13:41:57]
LifeOfWriters had the great pleasure of interviewing Author of seven books Alice Ross, one of her books is A Winter's Wish. Happy reading!
Can you describe your writing process? Where and when do you write?
I ALWAYS write first thing in the morning. If it doesn’t happen in the morning, then it doesn’t happen at all. Which is why I spend half my life in my pj’s (but don’t tell anyone that!)
As for where I write, usually sitting on top of a radiator.
2017-01-08 [ 07:53:23]
LifeOfWriters.com interviwed author Wendy Lou Jones about her interesting writing life. She is the author of seven books and one on the way, her latest book: A Different Life have got many amazing reviews. Read her blog and more about her books here. Below you can read about her writing and get her amazing top 5 writing tips, you dont want to miss it.
- What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
I am fortunate enough not to have to fit my writing around a day job, just around the rest of life. It’s random and it works for me, probably unconventional. I don’t write every day or plan a time to write. Maybe that sounds unprofessional, but having the luxury of time, I write when I want to. So it may be that I don’t write at all for a couple of weeks, or perhaps a month, but then I may write for 15 hours in one day, or about 10 hours a day for a week. I tend to go with how the story is unfolding. If I’m struggling with a section, I may write a scene or two and then stop and write again in a day or so when I’m more confident with how it should go on. If I am feeling the story, I just crack on filling what time I have. Usually, it has to be said, if I’m not writing, it’s because I’m not happy with how it’s going and then thinking and taking a break from it for a while seems to be the best option. I’m making this sound like I rarely write, but ask my family, they will tell you I always am. I just don’t fit it into a particular shape or schedule.
2016-12-28 [ 04:31:38]
Read our interview with editor Philippa Donovan. She gives great answers to how she do and can help an author. She established Smart Quill, an editorial company, in 2011. Since then she has worked with around 300 authors and recommends to a stable of 50 literary agents based in the UK, Australia, and the US. In 2014 she was named Publishing Rising Star and is Editorial Consultant for the Authors' Club at Soho House West Hollywood.
-Tell us a little about your daily work, what is it exactly that you do? And why have you chosen this path?
I absolutely adore working with authors, and I found that various roles in publishing took me further away from them. So I decided to forge a consultancy where I could work with them one on one - personalised and bespoke author services. This consists of structural editing, copy editing, agent recommendation, and book to film/tv adaptation guidance (as I very recently moved to LA!).
2016-12-05 [ 02:53:42]
LifeOfWriters is delighted to have had the change to interview Karen King. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, the Society of Authors and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists, Karen King writes sassy, contemporary romance just right for reading on the beach. 'I do - or do I?' is her first chick-lit for Accent Press and has recently been nominated for the RONA. She has been contracted for two more chick-lit novels. In addition, Accent Press have republished her earlier romance novels, The Millionaire Plan and Never Say Forever.
Karen has also written several short stories for women’s magazine and had 120 children's books published.
When she isn’t writing, Karen likes travelling, watching the ‘soaps’ and reading. Give her a good book and a box of chocolates and she thinks she’s in Heaven.
How do you develop your plots and characters?
The heroine usually comes first for me. She pops into my head along with her problem – the wedding’s booked and she isn’t sure if she’s doing the right thing (I do?...or do I?)’ or she needs to get some money fast so her parents don’t have to sell the Tudor house that’s been in their family for generations (The Millionaire Plan). I flesh out the character, filling in a profile sheet detailing as much as I can about them, their appearance, personality, family, back story etc, etc, then I work out a basic outline for the plot so I have some idea of how it pans out. Then I start writing and see where the story takes me.
2016-11-28 [ 03:57:17]
LifeOfWriters is very pleased with our interview with the award winning author Rhonda McKnight. She is the author of several award-winning novels and Black Expressions Top 20 bestsellers, including An Inconvenient Friend, What Kind of Fool and Breaking All The Rules. She is the winner of the 2015 Emma Award for Inspirational Romance of the Year. She is also an eidtor and writing coach. Read her inspiring answers and writing tips below.
Can you describe your writing process? And where do you write?
It involves speed. I must write fast because I HATE draft writing. Draft writing is unpredictable and stressful. That is not the fun part to me. I must get it over with. So, I draft write hard and fast and ugly. I write wherever and whenever I can. I do most of my writing in my home office, but as often as I can I try to write away from home. This doesn’t mean at the beach or a cabin in the mountains. I wish. I’m talking Starbucks, a local restaurant, or the public library. I’m easily distracted at home. There’s laundry and cleaning to be done there. There’s also a television and a bed in that place. Leaving as often as possible until I reach the middle of my book really helps. Once I move midway through a project, I’m good to the end. I’m a finisher. And then I get to the fun part - revision.
2016-11-22 [ 03:13:26]
LifeOfWriters feel very pleased and honored to have had the chance to interview Author Gabriel Farago. Read below and get inspired! He is about to release his next thriller – The Hidden Genes of Professor K – on 9 November.
As a lawyer with a passion for history and archaeology, I had to wait many years before I could pursue another passion – writing – in earnest. However, my love of books and storytelling started long before that. I remember as a young boy reading biographies and history books with a torch under the bed covers, and then writing stories about archaeologists and explorers the next day, instead of doing homework. While I regularly got into trouble for this, I believe we can only do well in our endeavours if we are passionate about the things we love; for me, writing has become a passion.
2016-11-02 [ 04:42:02]
Challenge Yourself with NaNoWriMo in November!
Are you ready for NaNoWriMo? If not, LifeOfWriters will do our best to help you so you can do your very best and have a terrific November. What better way to enjoy December and the holidays than looking back on a November where you rocked your fingers on the keyboard? A month where you slammed your hand on the table in frustration, got high on coffee, spilled ink on your newly bought shirt, and wrote a Novel with 50.000 words (or close to 50.000 words)! One that is ready for a second draft and a lot of editing. You will have a manuscript and you can be proud of yourself for pulling it off! LifeOfWriters hopes that all writers who participate in NaNoWriMo will succeed, so we have gathered a few useful tips to help you prepare and be ready for the count down. In only 6 days!
2016-10-26 [ 03:27:56]
LifeOfWriters.com had the pleasure to interview Katie Oliver. She is a bestselling-romance author of Dating Mr. Darcy series. She is published by CarinaUK and she has been writing since she was eight years old.
-Can you describe your writing process?
I start with an idea and try to fashion it into a workable plot. Next, I draft a synopsis and devise the story’s major turning points. Then I’m ready to start writing.
After that, it’s a matter of applying my rear end to the chair, sitting in front of the laptop, and writing – every day, five days a week, until I hit at least 2,000 words. On a deadline, I aim for 5,000 words a day.
2016-10-24 [ 04:22:14]
LifeOfWriters.com is pleased to let you all read our great interview with Catherine McKenzie. She is the author of the international bestsellers: SPIN, ARRANGED, FORGOTTEN, HIDDEN and SMOKE. Catherine’s sixth novel, FRACTURED, was published October 4, 2016.
2016-10-14 [ 02:54:10]
LifeOfWriters.com feel lucky to have had the opportunity to interview Lynne Shelby. She is the authors of French Kissing. She will let us know about her writing process, her typical writing day and her best advice for writers.
2016-09-20 [ 03:51:49]
This time LifeOfWriters had the pleasure of interviewing author Laura Lane McNeal. She resides in New Orleans and is married with two sons. DOLLBABY is her first published novel. She is presently working on a second novel.
- Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you became an author?
- I grew up in New Orleans and went to a very small school for thirteen years -- from kindergarten until I graduated high school. When I was about 12, I was in the library and discovered a special shelf with a an inscribed plaque indicating the books on that shelf had been written by alums of the school. It was one of those aha moments. I thought, well, if they can do it, I can do it too!
2016-08-31 [ 04:40:04]
David P Perlmutter has self published 8 books so far with over 450 FIVE star reviews. He has now signed a publishing contract with Austin Macauley with his bestseller and first book - WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME.
- Your first book Wrong Place Wrong Time is a biography from your time in Spain. It started as a blog and ended as bestselling book in the UK, America and Australia, truly amazing! My question is do you think you would have started writing if you were not at the wrong place at the wrong time?
- Excellent question. I'm as stunned as the next author about how well the book has been received across the world and in fact how I, as a so called author, have been received. The book has been in the top 50 in certain categories for many months in the countries you have mentioned and to know that people have bought, read and reviewed this and my other books is sometimes overwhelming. WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME to date has over 300 x 5* reviews across Amazon, which still stuns me. The answer to your question is maybe not I guess. I just needed to get what happened to me in Spain down on paper for my own therapy to be honest and it has snowballed since then.
2016-07-25 [ 13:57:16]
This week LifeOfWriters.com had the change and pleasure to interview fulltime author Tina Gayle. She followed her passion in writing and is now the successful author to a number of contemporary romances. Read the interview below and get a lot of inspiration and advices.
- Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you became an author?
I’m a full time author, who is married with two grown sons. I like to read, garden, golf, and talk to
people. I started out like most authors as a reader. I spend hours with books and fell in love with
romance. I worked for years in the business world and work to get my degree in MIS. I enjoyed my job
as a programmer and liked to be creative. On one of our moves from Atlanta to Orange County,
California, I decided to give my love of writing a shot. So I devoted my time to writing and spending
time with my boys.
2016-06-21 [ 14:34:32]
LifeOfWriters have had the pleassure to interview author Scott Thompson about his writing life. Scott Thompson is a Georgia author living outside of Atlanta. His writing can be read in regional publications, short stories, and in his novels. His latest novel, Eight Days, follows a man after death into eternity.
- How did you start your writing career?
I wrote a memoir a few years ago. After it was complete, I knew I’d never publish it, but I did learn that I had the discipline to follow through with a complete book. A year or so after I finished the memoir I wrote a short novel, submitted it to a writing contest, and won a publishing contract. I didn’t know much about the book industry, or anything else about publishing when the first book came out, but it was a great experience. Since then I have read every book I could find on the subject of writing, and I have studied great novels.
2016-06-06 [ 12:38:40]
This week we are very delighted to have had the honor and chance to interview author Kristy Woodson Harvey. We hope you will enjoy it. Her first women's fiction novel DEAR CAROLINA was released in May 2015 and her next novel in spring 2016, LIES AND OTHER ACTS OF LOVE both from Berkley/Penguin Random House.- What made you start writing and then keep writing?I think I have always been a writer. Ever since I was a little girl I carried around notebooks and made up stories. I went to journalism school and have a master’s in English, but never imagined I would be a novelist. I thought I would be a journalist. But I decided to try out writing novels, and, once I got started, I was hooked! Writing books is one of my favorite things to do!
2016-05-22 [ 12:20:22]
This week LifeOfWriters.com have interview the lovely and amazing author Jamie Brenner.
Jamie Brenner is the author of The Wedding Sisters, coming June 7, 2016 from St.
Martin’s Press. She spent over a dozen years in book publishing as a publicist,
scout, and agent before realizing that she couldn't work in the world of books
without at least trying to write one herself. She grew up in the suburbs of
Philadelphia and today lives in Manhattan with her husband and two daughters.
2016-05-12 [ 10:56:00]
2016-05-04 [ 12:25:15]
LifeOfWriters.com have had the pleasure of interviewing author Diamante Lavendar. She has published two books. One is YA fantacy The Secrets of Yashire: Emerging From the Shadows and the other is called Breaking the silence. If you want to know more about the anonymous writer have a look at her website DiamanteLavendar
-What is your daily writing routine?
Lately, I've been swamped with my day job and promoting the two books I've published thus far so I haven't been able to write for several months. But I do have a work in progress that I'm hoping I'll be able to get back to soon. For the moment, I've been writing blog posts and doing reviews for other authors as well. And when I get a chance, I'll jot down a poem or short story. I'm hoping to get back to book number three and have it published in the spring of next year.
2015-11-12 [ 00:22:00]
“A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.”
William Styron
Reading is one of the great pleasures of the writer’s life. As a reader, you get to explore the wonderful books other writers have written. You get to read the words, turn the pages, and imagine the images your reading inspires. Whether it is fiction or non-fiction, you’re reading because you like reading and probably wish you had more time to read. While you read, it not only inspires you and gives you new ideas, but you will also see how other writers manage the skill of writing. How they write a dialogue and, descriptions, the way their characters behave, how to write in first or third person, and so on. Read as much as you can. Stephen King reads between 70-80 books a year and admits he is a slow reader. In his book On Writing:-A Memoir of the Craft, he says,
2015-10-25 [ 00:32:05]
LifeOfWriters.com have had the pleasure of interviewing Indie Author Susan May and reading her newest thriller Deadly Messengers.
Susan May has written dozens of stories and novellas many of them published in USA, Australia and UK.
First I would like to congratulate you on your new book Deadly Messengers. Read the review here
Thank you and thank you very much for having me on The Writer’s Life site. I really appreciate it.
-How did you come up with the idea and characters in your book?
2015-09-25 [ 13:29:50]
“You don’t make art out of good intentions.”
Gustave Flaubert
Okay, it is time for you. Time to start your writing career. You need to do it now! No, not tomorrow. Today. Pick up a pen, find some paper, or go to your computer. Here comes the best part. WRITE. You don’t have time for all the bad excuses (or the good ones, for that matter) like your favorite pen ran out of ink! Yikes! I know it is tough not being able to write with your favorite pen, but your mind and hand are still working just fine and the pen you are stuck with can do the magic as well. Put your words on paper! NOW!
2015-08-20 [ 04:17:46]