November is now upon us, and with a new month comes a new featured author! The inimitable Stella James will be gracing the blog as November's Author of the Month.
Stella is the author of the Blue Falls Series, the newly release 'Bluebird', and of course the extreme hilarity that is 'The Beard', a truly unmissable romantic comedy. I had the chance to interview Stella about her thoughts on indie publishing, release days, and a whole bunch of other author-y things. Read on to hear all her answers to my questions!
What made you decide to write romance? Was it always a genre that interested you, or was there something in particular that drew you to it?
I’ve always enjoyed various genres, but at the time that I decided to try seriously writing, romance was at the top of my list. I just LOVE a good love story and so I knew that romance would be the first genre that I would take a real shot at.
Why did you decide to go the indie route, instead of using traditional ways of publishing?
Honestly, I didn’t really think too much about it at the time. I had an idea (my Blue Falls series) and I just kind of ran with it. The idea that I could put out my own books was very appealing to me and I never questioned taking another route at the time.
What has been your most rewarding experience as an author so far?
I don’t know if it qualifies as an experience, but I’ve really come to value the friendships that I’ve formed with other indie authors, and the readers I’ve gotten to know over social media. Their support has meant the world to me.
What's your favourite part of releasing a new book, and what part do you find most nerve wracking?
My favourite part would probably be the knowledge that something I started on a series of Post-it notes has actually been formed into something tangible that people can read lol. That feeling of accomplishment is a very special thing. The most nerve wracking part would be my TOTAL FEAR that something will go wrong with my document or it won’t upload correctly and pages might be missing etc… I triple check my work on the kindle previewer and I’m still terrified that something will go wrong. It’s very irrational.
Do you have any writing rituals? Things you like to do before or while writing that other people might find weird?
I generally listen to music, but on a very low volume because otherwise I find it too distracting. I try to make it a habit to sit at my desk because I seem to be more productive sitting there as opposed to my bed or the couch. I always wear slippers…lol…that’s about as weird as it gets.
If you could pick any of your own books to live in, which would it be and why?
Any of my Blue Falls stories. I love that small-town living vibe and the picture in my head that I have of Blue Falls itself is so cozy and beautiful…sigh…And I would love to have a girls’ night with my leading ladies in that series.
Do you have any indie author heroes?
Any author who is brave enough to hit the publish button is my hero.
If you could give one piece of advice to yourself back at the start of your writing career, what would it be?
One bad review isn’t the end of the world. One person’s “did not finish” is another person’s five star read. Take it all with a grain of salt and never stop trying to improve yourself.
Stella will be back later in the month to share some insight on 'The Beard' and answer a few more of my questions, so stay tuned!
You can find out more about Stella's writing on her Facebook page, Instagram account, or her Amazon author page.
