Oh to be a writer...

I think I have always had a creative side. Whether is was pretending and acting or singing and entertaining, I have always loved using my imagination. One this is for sure, I can not decorate, but that is neither here nor there. 

My senior year in high school I discovered reading. Now before some get all "She couldn't read?!" Of course I could read. Maybe I should say that I discovered the LOVE of reading. In Mrs. Cook's Senior lever English class we were presented with Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

I fell in love with impossible circumstances, overcoming the odd, and--what girls doesn't love--happily ever after. I started dabbling in writing then with a few short stories but shortly after graduation I got married, had a couple kids and finished nursing school. Needless to say, writing was put on hold. 

After nursing school I started reading again...a lot! I was on the frequent flyer list at both branches of our local library and then my awesome, fantastic and outrageously handsome husband bought me a Kindle for Christmas. ahhhhh...be still my heart! (Guess which--the kindle or the hubs--makes my heart pitter patter :-))

A few years ago I started dabbling again, just a scene here and a scene there. Then I started following some of my favorite authors on social media. One of those authors is Alexa Grace. 

As in a previous post, I explained the Q&A and how it was fan requested. Let me explain and little more in detail.

I read a free read--who doesn't love FREE-- off of amazon.com that was the first in a series by Alexa Grace. I normally expect the cheesy, lovey dovey, expected romance off of the free list but I was pleasantly surprised! So I then bought the 2nd, then the 3rd and then I looked Ms. Grace up on Facebook. Much to my surprise there, she was a real person that talks to you...not AT you. She engages her readers not just entertains. I, in that moment, said that if I ever became a published author then I would be like her. So I joined her "Street Team." We are an inner circle of loyal fans that enjoy not only the works but the author of those works. We are patiently...or maybe not so patiently...waiting on her new series to come out. During this time, I asked Alexa if she would be willing to do a Q&A from her fans, for her fans. She JUMPED at the chance. 

The reason I am so excited about this question is because this is my question. I may never actually publish the book I am working on now, but I know that I will never give up.

Interview with PROFILE OF EVIL Author Alexa Grace

What is some advice for novice/unpublished writers that are wanting to become a published author?

Write your book. Write every day and don't stop until it is finished. Then go back and proofread and edit. If you self-publish, hire a professional editor and a book cover designer. It's a big mistake not to do this. Invest in your book and your career.

My latest book, Profile of Evil will be released in early May 2013. In PROFILE OF EVIL, Carly Stone is a brilliant FBI agent who's seen more than her share of evil. Leaving the agency, she becomes a consultant for Indiana County Sheriff Brody Chase. He needs her help to catch an online sex predator who is luring teenage girls to their death in his community.

To be the first to be notified when PROFILE OF EVIL is released, join Alexa's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexaGrace and/or subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/sJ-Df

Hello, my name is Jen and I am addicted to books!

 OK, so I like to read. Just ask my husband and kids. If I have a free minute, or can carve out a few minutes, I am reading! I scrounge around Amazon.com and find books...free books and not so free...and I read. Now, let me place a small disclaimer. I read for my personal satisfaction. I have a very demanding job as a registered nurse and reading is my escape.
 That being said, the books I read are not just fluffy, raunchy romances. Well, most of them are raunchy! (**wink**) OK, I'm just kidding. I like romance novels. I read ALL kinds of romance....Christian Romance, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal, Historical....the list goes on and on. The amount of books I have read are extensive. I received a Kindle 3 Christmas's ago and right after that I sold over 350 paperback books, kept around 50 "faves" and now, 2 Kindles later, I have over 300 downloaded reads on my Amazon account. :-) Nothing makes me happier than knowing I have a fantastic husband, 3 beautiful children and a book waiting to RESCUE ME FROM THE MADNESS!! Recently I have become a BETA reader for a couple of authors and one day, I hope to have published myself.
 Just for the people reading this, I do not JUST read. Believe it or not, I am HUGE into nutrition. We are currently in the process of going GMO and processed foods free (see future posts on this!) I also love the elliptical. Looking at me you can't tell, but I love to turn my kindle on, headphones in my iPhone with Pandora Radio on and go to town, figuratively. I also enjoy writing. I am not professionally educated other that what was required of me in nursing school. I have wrote several "things"  but nothing published....with time.
 I follow several blogs now and really enjoy them. So, I am going to take just a few minutes of my mommy, wife, nurse and book time to write a few opinions...and facts...down. As for today, I am done because, Sorry, I'm reading!

I'm so excited!

and I just can't hide it...

OK, enough of that! I am very excited!! I follow several of my favorite authors on Facebook. I like the interaction and the constant stream of updates for their upcoming books and signings. One of those authors has really reached out and embraced her fans. Linda Golden, aka Alexa Grace, is that author. She is active on Facebook, emails fans and mails out Swag Packs--but more on that later! I am lucky enough to be on her Street Team on Facebook. We, of course, love her books--The Deadly Trilogy. Which happens to remain on Amazon's Top Picks in multiple categories. The first book is FREE for you Kindle!! I asked Alexa if she would be willing to do a short Q&A for her fans and not only did she say yes, but she did it! We emailed her questions and she answered. So for the next week or so I am going to post about this favorite author and post her Q&A. If you haven't checked out her books, then you are missing out. Any person that likes suspenseful romance, police procedurals, contemporary fiction should have already read these books and currently getting ready for her next set of books, The Profile Series, which promises more suspense and romance.

So, without further a-do....here is question #1 from ALEXA GRACE.

Interview with PROFILE OF EVIL Author Alexa Grace

When did you start writing professionally?

I wrote a romantic suspense novel in 1985, went the traditional route and it was not published. I made a career change that year and for the next 25 plus years, I devoted myself 100% to my training management positions. When I lost my job in 2011, I did a lot of Internet research in self-publishing. Indie authors like Theresa Ragan and John Locke really motivated me to take the Indie route. Like them, I wanted to retain control of book design, writing, marketing, etc. Thus, my Indie journey began.

My latest book, Profile of Evil will be released in early May 2013. In PROFILE OF EVIL, Carly Stone is a brilliant FBI agent who's seen more than her share of evil. Leaving the agency, she becomes a consultant for Indiana County Sheriff Brody Chase. He needs her help to catch an online sex predator who is luring teenage girls to their death in his community.

The two resolve to stop this dangerous killer before he takes another young life — and time is running out.

To be the first to be notified when PROFILE OF EVIL is released, join Alexa's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexaGrace and/or subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/sJ-Df

----------------------------------------------------