This week's featured author: Lizzy Ford
Read Lizzy's latest free ebook The Warlord's Secret
I am very excited about this new weekly feature. I have found some amazingly talented writers and I can't wait to share them and their stories with you. I am focusing more on Indie Authors for this series. What is an Indie Author? It is a person who chooses the self-publishing route instead of the more traditional publishing (query, agent etc) route. I am super excited to share my first featured Indie Author with you, Lizzy Ford. I found Lizzy purely by accident. One night I was bored and looking for something to read. By pure luck, google landed me on Lizzy's Damien's Oracle, and from there I was hooked. What I love most about her books is her ability to intertwine old world mythology with the fast paced modern world that we live in today. Once you start reading, you don't want to stop because you just have to know what happens next.
Here's my Q & A with Lizzy:
1. What is the one thing every writer who is going the self-publishing route should know before they head down that path?
It's a full-time job. Writing, revising, marketing, establishing and maintaining your online presence - it requires a good plan, time management skills, dedication and persistence. Fortunately, it's not like a normal 9-to-5, because if you love writing, you'll find the rewards equal the effort you put into it. I love what I'm doing and can't wait until I can actually quit my 9-to-5 to write and self-publish full-time.
The second thing I'd tell people is to remember that your novel may be the tip of the iceberg for you, but it's often the first and last thing a reader knows about you. Professional-level editing and a professional cover are crucial to standing out in the slush pile of all the other self-published books out there.
I learned this lesson after my first two novels, "Damian's Oracle
" and "Damian's Assassin
." For my third, "The Warlord's Secret," I worked with an indie book editor to smooth out the writing and story/character development then worked with Dafeenah for an absolutely beautiful cover. The result is a quality product inside and out, and I've received already seen the results in the amount of people downloading this novel compared to the first two.
" and "Damian's Assassin." For my third, "The Warlord's Secret," I worked with an indie book editor to smooth out the writing and story/character development then worked with Dafeenah for an absolutely beautiful cover. The result is a quality product inside and out, and I've received already seen the results in the amount of people downloading this novel compared to the first two. 2. What genre do you consider yourself to be and would you consider writing different genres or do you plan on just sticking with one?
I started out writing YA fantasy then transitioned into romance, mainly in the fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal subgenres. I guess I never really left the fantasy writing realm! I love the freedom of creating my own worlds and characters. I've written literary fiction short stories and poetry as well. Most of my work can translate into the YA genre.
This year, I wanted to experiment with romance subgenres to see what I liked and what went over well with readers. I've released contemporary paranormal and fantasy so far and have plans for a futuristic romance, contemporary romance, and may experiment with a thriller romance. I also plan on writing a fantasy (non-romance!) novel this year. Next year, I'll probably experiment more with literary (non-romance) fiction.
3. Who/what inspires you the most?
I've always known I was meant to be a writer. My imagination needs an outlet, and I can't draw or dance or anything else creative. So, writing it is! Ha!
Let's see - the past ten years, I'd say Jane Austen was probably who pushed me into Romance. I loved Pride and Prejudice - my favorite book! - and how it portrayed complex interaction between flawed people. I'm fascinated by this in general, which I think was probably what inspired me to stating writing romance.
Prior to this, I grew up with such movies as the original Star Wars series, all the Star Trek series, Jim Henson's movies, and read almost strictly fantasy books growing up. I loved the new worlds and people these books introduced me to, and fantasy was a place where my active mind was actually quiet for awhile.
4. What is your current WIP?
I just finished and am revising my fourth novel for release in May, entitled, "Katie's Hellion." This is another contemporary paranormal romance. I have 8 more novels to write/release this year as part of my 12-12 challenge, where I challenged myself to write and publish 12 books in 12 months. I'm editing "Katie's Hellion," before I send it to my editor to hack apart! I also started on June's book, which will likely be a futuristic romance entitled, "Rebel Love."
I also have a YA Fantasy novel I work on when I have the time. It's by far my favorite book of anything I've ever written. I might be able to release it this summer, but I tend to get distracted easily, which is why I normally have several projects ongoing at any time! I don't have a summary prepped yet for this one. I did include two rough draft blurbs of May and June's books below!
"Katie’s Hellion" synopsis: Katie thinks she’s going crazy when a baby immortal and death’s personal assistant appear at her doorstep. She’s drawn into a world of intrigue and danger, filled with immortals like Rhyn, an outcast half-breed who claims her as his mate in a show of defiance. Rhyn rescues her from a trip to Hell and discovers his little human has a gift that’ll help the immortals uncover a plot threatening immortals and mortals alike. Contemporary paranormal romance.
"Rebel Love" synopsis: After attacks cripple the East Coast in the year 2075, security expert Kiera is alone with a secret she must protect at all costs, even if it means placing her life - and her heart - in the hands of Brady, the compelling, dangerous leader of the rebellion. Futuristic romance.
Published Ebooks:
Places you can find Lizzy:
Website: Guerrila Wordfare
Facebook: Lizzy Ford (with the pink camouflage)
Twitter: @LizzyFord2010
Goodreads: Lizzy Ford
Amazon: Lizzy Ford Author Page
Smashwords: Lizzy Ford Bio
Want to be featured in the Saturday Spotlight? Drop me an email . I would love to have you
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