I like to tell people I am a writer now. If I’m really counting, I’m on my third maybe fourth) career. But I’m here to stay. I am a native Californian who loves reading, writing, movies, and anything else related to the arts. I hold a B.A. degree in Journalism and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. My most enjoyable moments are spent with my family, traveling, spending time outdoors, or simply laughing and being together. In my home, I am the quiet one. So I guess writing lets me get my voice out. I am pretty open when it comes to reading books, but I do tend to stay in the genres of drama, thriller, romance, chick lit, mystery. For some reason I never got into the paranormal genre, guess I missed the boat on that one. Until I started writing my own novel, I didn’t pay much attention to who the writer was. I just went by recommendation or by the back of the book. Now I notice it more and I really enjoy reading books from fellow authors and learning from them. Right now I’m just finishing up Burn Out by Traci Hohenstein. Besides reading, I love movies. At one point I wanted to be involved in the movie industry somehow. I was very interested in the movie-making process as well. Creativity is what motivates me and the art of creation is something I’ve always been drawn to. Before In Search of Lucy I actually started writing a screenplay. To me it was a lot harder than writing the book. I shelved that project when I saw my exact movie idea up on the big screen in a preview. I don’t think I have a choice when it comes to ideas. All my life ideas have come into my head. Whatever I’m doing whether it be reading, watching something, traveling or just talking with someone, my mind is coming up with different things I could do, or how to make something work better. Stories, especially, are always coming to me. If I had the stamina and the time I could be turning out different stories one after the other. The story of In Search of Lucy just came to me one day and it stood out among all of my other ideas and I just really felt the need to write it. I thought a lot of people could relate to a story where the main character felt lost and alone and was struggling to find her identity. I pretty much had the whole story mapped out in my mind before I started writing. I didn’t do an outline, and I don’t like to sit down at the computer until I’ve really thought it through. Usually I like to go for a walk with my dog and think through a scene. We have a nice quiet walking trail and I can just play through a scene in my head. I literally watch it like I’m watching a movie and hear each person saying their dialogue. Once I have it down, I head to the computer, as long as the house is quiet, that is. I really need to have quiet, uninterrupted time to write so I don’t lose my flow. Although the story is one many can relate to, it doesn’t draw on any real-life experience. Many of my friends and family have asked why I chose such a dramatic story. I felt that it may help people look at their own relationships and appreciate what they have, but I think it also inspires and brings hope to the reader. Lucy, the main character, really seems to make a transformation in the story, but the real change is that she uncovers what was already there. Life experiences can affect who we are but that doesn’t mean we have to remain that way forever. We can find our way back to our better, happier selves. There is so much emotion and thought-provoking feelings in this story that it had to be written in third person. Lucy was not the only one who needed to reveal herself. Being able to see inside each character really lets the reader better connect with each person’s story. The best advice I could give a new self-published author is to do your homework before your novel is complete. When I finished my book I was so excited to get it out there and I had no idea the education I needed to do. It was very frustrating because I just wanted everything done quickly, and I wanted all my hard work to be read by others. You really need to educate yourself about marketing, social media, book formatting, selling venues, etc. And most importantly you need to build relationships with folks already doing these things so they can help you along, and they will most likely do that. Indie authors are very supportive! I am already working on my next book. This time I’m going in the complete opposite direction as this will be a romantic comedy; emphasis on the comedy. I love to laugh and make people laugh. One of my all-time favorite actors is Lucille Ball. Our family watches “I Love Lucy” on a regular basis, and the kids just love it. I was born into a somewhat sarcastic family so I’m really excited to see how that comedy gene translates to others in my next book. In the next few weeks you can look for book updates on my website, or follow me on Twitter Below you can watch the video trailer I created for In Search of Lucy. Also, here's a book review by Avid Reader Book Reviews If you'd like to buy my book, here are the links you'll need: Amazon UK, Amazon US, B&N, and Smashwords
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