Hi, Linda! Welcome to the blog. Please tell us a little about yourself.
You've just published your debut novel, A Raven's Touch. What's it about?
It’s about friendship, magic, and determination. My main character, Justice is bullied in high school and if it wasn’t for her friend Moira, she wouldn’t have anyone. Together they go through a magic laced adventure discovering more about themselves. Along the way Justice meets Darien, who adds fuel to the fire by teasing her with her real identity. No spoilers, but Justice has to avenge a family death and embrace her birthright. She is called to slay a demon, and save Darien, all before Hell breaks loose.
How did you find the self-publishing process for A Raven’s Touch?
At first I thought, oh, just get the book out there, and use Amazon, but then I discovered Pronoun. For those who don’t know, Pronoun is a self-publishing platform that allows indie authors to distribute to multiple retailers and monitor the sales from one dashboard. You also get a higher percentage of royalties, plus complete rights. A Raven’s Touch was already formatted for Amazon, so formatting it for Pronoun was very simple.
I enjoyed not having to go through a variety of formatting for each platform where Pronoun just asks for one. That also cuts down on formatting costs if you use a service. Using Pronoun is a breeze; their personal customer service has been there to hold my hand with any questions, which is an added bonus! I like the user interface; it’s clean and simple.
What advice would you give to anyone who's planning on self-publishing? Have you picked up any tricks along the way?
Start your social media accounts early. As soon as you even think you’re going to write something get into the community. There aren’t really any ‘tricks’. It’s about being you. Just be you and you’ll find the good people who get your vibe.
Like all of us, you have a daily life. What is your writing schedule like? Do you block off time for yourself to write?
My schedule is predominately taken over by my day job. Usually, I am up at the gym and at my work desk by 7am. I tend to write from 7-8:45, and then on the weekends my husband has graciously accepted that I will write either Saturday or Sunday all day. Until the day comes that I can be a full time writer, this is what I have to do, and I don’t really mind the early morning writing. I find it’s easier to get ideas ‘on paper’ when I have a clear head. By paper I mean Scrivener. I don’t really write long hand anymore. When I’m stuck on an idea I use my whiteboard, and that’s about as much physical writing I will do.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
What is this magical time you speak of? I do love to read. My favourite authors are: Stephen King, Philip K. Dick, Peter Straub, Ray Bradbury, I could go on. Lately, I’ve been trying to read more of my indie author peers. When I’m not reading I like to get out of the city on small day trips and hang out with my husband and our fur babies.
What inspired you to start writing?
I can’t say I really had something that inspired me. Writing is just in me. I assumed everyone did this. Early in school when I was assigned to write a diary for class I ended up writing a play instead. The stories have always been in my head.
Do you find your environment affects when and how you write?
Most often my environment is at home, with a cat sitting on my behind, while my dog flanks my side. I tend to write lying down on my stomach. I’ve always written this way, even throughout elementary school and college, I feel much better this way. Luckily, at work, I have a couch I can use as they let me work however I want. For sure my environment will inspire me. If I’m in a café I will feel more independent and perhaps write a death scene with a little pity for the characters. If I’m in a boring room with white walls and no window I’m more likely to let desolation creep into my writing voice. It’s all relative to where I am and how I feel there.
What advice would you give to anyone who's planning on writing a novel or publishing a book?
Do what feels right for you. Don’t listen to people who say you should always have a HEA, or people who say they hate cliffhangers, forget all that. Whatever feels right is the best solution.
What’s next for you? Will we be seeing more books in the future?
I am working on the sequel to A Raven’s Touch. Whether the series will be three or four books is undetermined, but for sure the adventure won’t stop for a while.
Finally, where can we find you, and A Raven's Touch, online?
You can order A Raven's Touch through a variety of retailers:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TI8OVq
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1MVpAek
iBooks: http://apple.co/1mJ6Zge
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1OdJQtw
Hang out with me here as well:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindaBloodworth
Wordpress: https://lindabloodworth.wordpress.com/
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