Feb 22, 2021 | Interviews
This week, we’re talking with Jordan Wells about his book, A Lonely Rose
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
I am a professional actor. I have been part of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) for over 4 years.
Why do you write?
I truly believe that writing chose me. I didn’t choose to be a writer. And I did not want to ignore the visions that I had in my mind. So, I just wrote those stories down and shared them with the world. I write because I have thousands of thoughts and ideas in my mind, and I felt that instead of keeping those thoughts trapped inside, I should just write them out. Writing has been my therapy since my junior year in high school.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
Being alone during the Covid-19 pandemic. So much time to myself gave me the opportunity to write this book.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
I enjoy the freedom of it, and being unpredictable.
How would you describe your writing process?
I would start off with having a vision of a person, a character, and then I would create a whole story around that character. I would see the story before I write anything down. Then after writing down a few sentences, the story would just magical write itself. I become a vessel.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
I truly believe that authors gain much distraction from their participation in social media. Hours upon hours of scrolling up and down a screen is good for no one. I myself do not participate in social media anymore. I believe that authors, artist in general should keep some mystery about themselves. To be too accessible, is to be predictable. For marketing purposes, of course social media is beneficial. My first book, “Logged Off: My Journey of Escaping the Social Media World,” talks about my experience with social media, and why I had to escape from it. Social media is a slot machine that just rewards you with likes from random strangers that you’ll never even know.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Just start writing. Keep writing, keep telling stories. Once you finish with one book and you share it with the world, start writing the next book. Keep the creative juices flowing. However, it is imperative that writers take breaks during their writing journey. It is okay to not write for a few days out of each week. Writing is very hypnotic and you could lose your mind in the process. Also, be patient; don’t try to force the story out. It will come to you and then it will write itself.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
I find inspiration from certain things I see in real life. Sometimes I envision it in my mind, and I just see it through. It is rather difficult to explain in writing, but when I go to the drawing board, and when I feel that I have the right cover and book title, when I cannot stop looking at it, I know when I have the one. Being that I designed all of my covers and titles, the creative process is so much fun.
What's your next step?
I’m writing my next book right now.
What book do you wish you had written?
The book that I have not finished writing, and probably will never finish writing.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
I appreciate the reviews (Good, bad, or ugly) however, that doesn’t affect how or what I write about. I just feel that everyone is entitled to their opinions. I also came to realize that I should never take reviews personally. Reviews are about my work, and not about who I am as a person. Even though I put pieces of myself in the work, but the reviews are what people think and feel about the art. When I see a new review, I always wish for a great one, but I believe reviews can be a distraction as well.
Dec 9, 2020 | Interviews
This week, we’re talking with Dr. Rob Bell about his book, PUKE & RALLY: It's not about the Setback, It's about the Comeback
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
I love ultra-marathons and Ironmans.
Why do you write?
I write because I feel I have a contribution to make in people's lives. If I can assist someone with improving their mental toughness and mental wellness, then it's all worth it.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
PUKE & RALLY was written because on my first ever ultra-marathon, I suffered extreme dehydration and nausea at mile 22 and had to be pulled from the race. However, after an hour and half of puking and rehabbing and getting some fluids back in me, I went back to the point where I was pulled and checked back into the race. It was the slowest time on record, but I finished! And it really taught me the lesson that it's not about the setback, it's about the comeback.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
Mental Toughness and Sport Psychology are the only topics that I write about and am passionate about.
How would you describe your writing process?
I write every single morning for 1 hour. That's it, no more and certainly no less. I write from 5:30am to 6:30am. I believe there is no good writing, only good re-writing. And consistency is how the book gets written.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
I love the interaction with people and their feedback! It's the best!
What advice would you have for other writers?
Write for 1 hour every day. Consistency beats craziness.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
They come to me when I least expect it and I have a designer who does all the covers and layouts.
What's your next step?
PUKE & RALLY.
What book do you wish you had written?
I've written seven books, so I've written them based on exactly my passion and my love.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
When I can impact people and make a difference in someone's life because they've read my work, it makes all the difference. It's a joy unto any other.
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Jan 6, 2020 | Editors' Blog
Picture a sunny June day in Dublin’s Academy Plaza Hotel when in walks this big old fraud called Nikki. At least, that’s how I felt. In 2018, I was nowhere near being published, my fiction writing had stalled, and I was broke. So why the heck was I here attending an indie writer’s conference? I knew no more about indie publishing than I did about emergency-landing a plane.
You see, unlike some other attendees, I didn’t have a publishing calling card so to speak. I wasn’t able to introduce a book (I was barely able to introduce myself as a writer), but I’m good at paying attention, taking notes, and learning, even from a distance.
The self-published speakers were interesting and engaging, there were plenty of tips and comic relief. Most talks discussed business, the cut and thrust, the ups and downs of, and getting your work circulated and into readers’ hands. What struck me most was hearing in real time the experiences of working independent writers. Experiences that were strong and positive and genuine.
I learned about BooksGoSocial and the services it provides, and was encouraged to know that if I self-publish, I don’t have to go it (entirely) alone.
Nick Singh of IngramSpark gave a fantastic talk on the nuts and bolts of this publishing and distribution service provider. What I liked about his presentation was that it wasn’t so much a sales pitch as information delivery, the kind of information that us authors are interested in: What can it do for me? How can it help my business? How can it simplify my busy job as a writer and publisher?
Slowly, the business side of publishing became less like a ten-thousand piece jigsaw and more like the simplex crossword.
‘Human’ and ‘marketing’ are two words you rarely see together, but Scottish author Wendy H. Jones presented human marketing techniques so fresh that I immediately bought her book ‘Power Packed Book Marketing’, a resource packed to the margins with useful, practical and easy-to-do marketing tips. She really is a promotional ingénue, her energy and conviction in her product is palpable. This kind of passion for indie book marketing isn’t something I see often in other occupations. But there’s something about us indie writers. A grit and a grind and a push for more. A demand, a need to aim higher.
Wendy showed us how to involve an audience, how to give back to readers by setting up fresh events that excite and delight everyone who comes. What a generous way to thank one’s own readers while also winning the attention of readers who come to see other writers. Her enthusiasm for the job was infectious and it’s one of the things I pull on now as I promote my own book, ‘Safe Hands’, a short read about well-being and creativity. And just as energy is vital to your well-being, it’s just as vital to your indie-publishing business.
I came away armed with fliers and booklets and the surge of something wanting to come out – the businesswoman that I am. It’s always fortunate to believe in your product, so in September 2019, when I decided to turn my workshop into an e-book, it was the International Dublin Writers’ Festival notes that I pulled out.
I worked hard like the speakers told me to, and here I am, published and proud and in the thick of the next manuscript. I’m glad to report that ‘Safe Hands’ is already helping and enriching readers’ lives, just as Wendy’s has done for me. So I am taking a leaf out of her book (pun intended) and am hand-on-heart marketing the heck out of this self-published baby.
Selling your self-published work isn’t for the faint-hearted, but it’s doable and it’s wonderful. Make mistakes. Learn from them. Talk to other people who have done it already, find out what they did right, what they did wrong, and support them. Then support yourself by attending the 2020 International Dublin Writers’ Festival, June 19th-21st.
‘Safe Hands: Recover your Well-being Through Creativity and Play’ by Nikki Weston is available in paperback (£8.39) and Kindle (£1.55 or free on Kindle Unlimited) from amazon.co.uk and amazon.com
© Nicola McKenna w/a Nikki Weston, 2020.
Sep 2, 2019 | Editors' Blog
This week, we’re talking with Rikard Sommer about his book, If Nobody Listens
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
My first summer job was working in an ice cream factory. It took many years before I enjoyed ice cream again.
How did you get into writing?
I have always loved to read. My favourites are action-driven thrillers with interesting characters and multi-layered stories. I figured I would give it a try, and found that writing a book was hard. Very hard. I imagine writing a good book is superhard! So, I dropped it for a while and focused on my hobby rock’n’roll band instead. Eventually, I finally decided to finish what I started and published If Nobody Listens (Part One) in 2017. I have just finished Part Two of If Nobody Listens.
What are you currently working on?
I have just wrapped up If Nobody Listens Part Two, so I am on vacation! But the draft idea for my next book is coming into shape. It is also a techno-thriller, with the same cast of characters as in If Nobody Listens.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
I am fascinated by technology and it’s impact on human nature. I am inspired by how we use, and sometimes misuse, all the opportunities the modern world presents to us. Especially how this affects our ethics and behaviour. Even if we can do something, should we do it? That’s food for thought.
Tell us more about the main character in your new book.
My main character is Tom Avild. He is a software engineer who finds that the company he works for is not what it seems. He is also a skilled Krav Maga athlete. Together with his sidekick Vasili Romanov he is fighting for justice in a world that’s not black or white, but rather a scale of greys.
Who is your favorite writer and why?
When I was young, I loved reading Alistair MacLean. I also like John Grisham and Robert Ludlum. Michael Chrichton is another favourite. Nowadays, I read a lot of different things, but being Norwegian, I must mention Roy Jacobsen. His prose is terrific. I also read a lot of indie thrillers, and I enjoy most of them. There is an ocean of talented writers out there.
What are your top 3 books of all time?
The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren, Fear Is The Key by Alistair MacLean and Elephant Song by Wilbur Smith. The first because I read it when I was about ten years old, I guess. It is a dark children fantasy book. The next two because they were among the first adult books I read some years later. I probably wouldn’t rank them at the top today, but they were the first, and therefore more important than any other books when it comes to my passion for reading.
Have you got any writing rituals?
Not really. I sit down at irregular intervals and sometimes crazy hours and get the job done. As Thomas Edison said, ‘it’s ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration.’
How important is marketing and social media for you?
Marketing is key. Like in any other business, marketing is more important than the product itself. For books, social media is the most important marketing channel, I believe. That is where new talent is discovered. Marketing is also a skill. I hire professional help in doing that.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Write the story you would like to read. Do it for yourself, not for others. Then get a good editor who likes the same stories as you do, whether it is a Children’s book, YA, Erotica, Crime or thrillers. Listen to their advice and get your story right, your way. As another clever person said, ‘when someone tells you that something is wrong with your story, they’re usually right. When they tell you how to fix it, they’re usually wrong.’
What are you reading now?
I am in the middle of two different books. Sign of the Blood by Laurence O’Bryan, and Colony One Mars by Gerald Kilby.
BooksGoSocial
Jun 7, 2019 | Interviews
This week, we're talking with M.Kelly about her new book, Another World.
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
My name is Miriam Kelly, but I go under the name of M.Kelly.
Like many people on a pension, I have trouble paying the bills. There are those who complain about the lack of money, and there are those who try to improve their lot by being creative with their time to produce something that may make enough money to pay the bills.
• I am retired but always seek new ways to engage my mind so I decided to write a book. I have spent a lot of time writing academic papers, have several degrees finishing with masters in theology. However, psychology had always been of interest to me as I like to learn what makes people tick. But I have never done any creative writing. I have found this an interesting if not scary experience. Writing a book was one thing getting it published is another. It is a whole world I know little about, but I am learning. Having a book published is a big thing for me because of my background. I have published my books through Xlibris.
My early life was shaped by several factors.
• I have a very retentive memory and once I have read something I can usually remember it. It was a problem when I was younger as I remembered my reading. Everyone thought I was a good reader where in fact I could not read. I became ill and had to be home-schooled. My teacher one day noticed that my eyes were not following the words and realised I could not read them. She tried Dick and Dora books, but I thought that was an insult to my intelligence and would not do it. Frustrated she asked what I would read, and I told her I had a book that my mother had thrown out and wanted to know it. It was the collective works of William Shakespeare thus the first thing I read at nine years was Macbeth. It started a love of learning both formal and informal that I have kept up all my life.
• I am also dyslectic, although I read a lot and have overcome most parts I still don’t like to read out loud as my eyes can miss a line. I believe this means, that for many people who think they can’t, I can prove that it is possible to reach a high standard of education even if there are some barriers. “If you think you can’t-you can’t; but if you think you-can, then you can.” I I have a strong sense of family, and I love each person in my family and will do all I can to help them. I am a sole parent as I am raising my granddaughter and we have many happy hours talking as she talks with her right brain and I listen with my left brain. We have a mad cat called whiskers who seems to think it is OK to bite me for some unknown reason. And fish in a rather big pond in the back yard.
As a counsellor and advocate, I have learned to listen carefully to people say, and I perceive it as one of my skills. My reading covers a wide area of history, realign and politics. I also like to read science fiction from time to time.
I love Facebook as a way of keeping up with friends and family. I also like to do art and when I am not writing I paint.
Why do you write?
Originally I thought it would be a way to make money. Now I do it because I can. I have a vivid imagination and like to see how far I can take a story.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
As this is the fourth book in a series I wrote it because fans asked me to write another Marion story.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
My interest in Psychology and how the human mind works is a never-ending source of inspiration.
How would you describe your writing process?
Research, Reseach and then put it into a story. I don't have answers to life's questions so I leave open space for readers to find their own answers.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
Any and all publicity is good. I am quite shy and social media is one way I can get my name across.
I have another Facebook page M.Kelly @infoonbooks where I put all my book stuff.
I also have a web page www.miriamkelly.net
What advice would you have for other writers?
Keep trying, There are times when writing seems like pulling teeth and others when the words just flow.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
I try to fit it into the story.
What's your next step?
I would like to have some reviews done. Sometimes one does not know if it is a good book or just gibberish.
What book do you wish you had written?
Shapespear is my all time favourite. I love the way he created words that have become a part of our English language. I love interesting words and often incorporate them into my everyday language.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
GREAT another way of learning.
~M.Kelly
