Hello dear readers. I pleased to welcome, KJ Waters to my blog!
I’m so excited to talk with you today, KJ. Thanks for joining me.
Julie, thank you so much for inviting me to your blog! What a thrill to virtually sit and chat with you.
Let’s get started! Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m KJ Waters, mom of three beautiful blondies, co-host of the podcast Blondie and the Brit, book cover designer for Blondie’s Custom Book Covers, blogger (Blondie in the Water -- http://kjwatersauthor.blogspot.com/) and author consultant focusing on helping indie authors publish to Amazon, and Createspace, and market your book.
When I’m not writing or working on those other projects I love hanging out with my kids and if it is summertime you can find me in my pool with my youngest noodling around.
That sounds lovely! What inspires you to write, KJ?
Now that I have fans I’m incredibly inspired to finish my next book to give them more of the series. There are so many more twists and turns I’m going to torment them with.
I’m also in love with the writing process. To spend an hour or five in the world I created with these characters I loved is truly a joy.
So, KJ, tell me about your journey as a writer. When did you start and how do you keep the creative juices flowing?
I started writing in 2005 after leaving my job to raise my kids. It was the year after the 2004 hurricanes in Florida, where I’d moved and 3 days later Hurricane Charley hit. This was the perfect backdrop for a suspenseful story so I began outlining what became the Stealing Time Series, although at the time I thought I was working on a single book.
The distillation of one’s work is often difficult. What would be your “elevator pitch.”
Are souls connected through time? Ronnie Andrews finds out in this fast-paced thriller set during Hurricane Frances where she is sent back in time to early America with no way back. In book two of the Stealing Time Series, Ronnie finds herself again at the mercy of two men from a distant time and place. Both have a compelling interest in her but only one will save her life, but at what cost? Join Ronnie as she unwittingly sets in motion the destruction of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island, one of America’s first mysteries.
What a great premise! Do you have a favourite character in your story? Who is most like you?
My favorite character is Mike Walsh, Ronnie’s boss. I think I have a bit of a crush on him, after all I created him as the perfect distraction for Ronnie. I find it a thrill to write from the male perspective. Ronnie is definitely most like me, she has very similar core traits but has taken on a new dimension with the hand she is dealt.
If the call came, who would you like to see play your characters in a movie?
I’ve always seen a younger Gerard Butler as Mike Walsh and I would love for Justin Timberlake to play Jeffery Brennan, Ronnie’s boyfriend and the instigator of the time travel experiment. I’ve been looking for ages for someone to play Ronnie, but I just can’t find the right fit. Steph would have to be a spunky Scottish blond and I’d prefer her to be an unknown actress.
Great choices! I love Gerard Butler. Do you have a favourite time of day and place to write? Do you have a routine?
I have a routine when my kids are in school. I work a part time job and as soon as I’m done I head to Starbucks and write for a few hours. Thursdays and Fridays I don’t work so I try to devote at least one of those days to more intense writing. I also bring my laptop to ballet, piano lessons and sneak writing in whenever I can. Summers are much more difficult as I need to be with the kids and often find myself up late with one of my kids watching “our show,” whatever it happens to be.
Do you find marketing a challenge like I do? What do you do to market your book?
Marketing is an endless barrage of things to do. I use hootsuite and buffer to schedule one tweet an hour for promotions and one for content for my readers. It’s an endless merry-go-round of looking for new content and promoting my specials and deals. I’ve recently discovered the beauty of newsletters and see a huge spike in sales when I send them out. My new goal this year is to build that list. Want to join the fun? Sign up on my website: https://www.kjwaters.com/. I’m always giving away a book or two and have some fun contests to get you involved. I’ve also found a great inexpensive service that has shown fantastic results. Authors Cross Promotion, authorsxp.com.
Who are you three top author crushes? Who would you most like to meet?
Diana Gabaldon is definitely the top of my list. I’d also love to meet Michael Crichton, although that meeting will be a bit more difficult since he passed away. Number three would be Stephen King so I can pick his brain about building suspense.
I love the cover of your book! What are your future plans for writing?
I have two more books in the Stealing Time Series (Killing Time, and Fractured Time) and I’m creating a three book short story series with the short story I have out now called Blow (that as I’m writing this is #1 in two categories. When I’m finished with that I have another series idea that I’m toying around with that is a spin off from the Stealing Time Series.
My last question, KJ. What words of wisdom would you share with aspiring authors?
Continually improve your craft. Consider looking at Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Brown & King and The Marshall Plan by Evan Marshall. Start building your author platform the second you decide to become an author. Develop a mailing list of everyone who may be interested in your work even if you don’t intend on sending anything for years. Do NOT under any circumstances accept an offer from any publisher that asks you for money. It is a scam. Join author groups on facebook for advice and camaraderie. Find a writing buddy who can spur your creativity, keep you focused and encourage and support your social media plan. Oh, and listen to Blondie and the Brit, Writing Publishing and Beyond, (https://blondieandbrit.podbean.com/) for 82 plus episodes of author interviews that focus on real world solutions and inspiration about writing, publishing, and promotion of books.
Thanks so much for joining me, today, KJ. I enjoyed our chat and I’m sure our readers will be inspired. Have a great week!
KJ Waters can also be found on the links below. Please check them out!
Shattering Time http://geni.us/ShatterBlog
Stealing Time (book 1) http://geni.us/StealingTimeGuestBlog
Blow: http://geni.us/guestblog
I’m KJ Waters, mom of three beautiful blondies, co-host of the podcast Blondie and the Brit, book cover designer for Blondie’s Custom Book Covers, blogger (Blondie in the Water -- http://kjwatersauthor.blogspot.com/) and author consultant focusing on helping indie authors publish to Amazon, and Createspace, and market your book.
When I’m not writing or working on those other projects I love hanging out with my kids and if it is summertime you can find me in my pool with my youngest noodling around.
That sounds lovely! What inspires you to write, KJ?
Now that I have fans I’m incredibly inspired to finish my next book to give them more of the series. There are so many more twists and turns I’m going to torment them with.
I’m also in love with the writing process. To spend an hour or five in the world I created with these characters I loved is truly a joy.
So, KJ, tell me about your journey as a writer. When did you start and how do you keep the creative juices flowing?
I started writing in 2005 after leaving my job to raise my kids. It was the year after the 2004 hurricanes in Florida, where I’d moved and 3 days later Hurricane Charley hit. This was the perfect backdrop for a suspenseful story so I began outlining what became the Stealing Time Series, although at the time I thought I was working on a single book.
The distillation of one’s work is often difficult. What would be your “elevator pitch.”
Are souls connected through time? Ronnie Andrews finds out in this fast-paced thriller set during Hurricane Frances where she is sent back in time to early America with no way back. In book two of the Stealing Time Series, Ronnie finds herself again at the mercy of two men from a distant time and place. Both have a compelling interest in her but only one will save her life, but at what cost? Join Ronnie as she unwittingly sets in motion the destruction of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island, one of America’s first mysteries.
What a great premise! Do you have a favourite character in your story? Who is most like you?
My favorite character is Mike Walsh, Ronnie’s boss. I think I have a bit of a crush on him, after all I created him as the perfect distraction for Ronnie. I find it a thrill to write from the male perspective. Ronnie is definitely most like me, she has very similar core traits but has taken on a new dimension with the hand she is dealt.
If the call came, who would you like to see play your characters in a movie?
I’ve always seen a younger Gerard Butler as Mike Walsh and I would love for Justin Timberlake to play Jeffery Brennan, Ronnie’s boyfriend and the instigator of the time travel experiment. I’ve been looking for ages for someone to play Ronnie, but I just can’t find the right fit. Steph would have to be a spunky Scottish blond and I’d prefer her to be an unknown actress.
Great choices! I love Gerard Butler. Do you have a favourite time of day and place to write? Do you have a routine?
I have a routine when my kids are in school. I work a part time job and as soon as I’m done I head to Starbucks and write for a few hours. Thursdays and Fridays I don’t work so I try to devote at least one of those days to more intense writing. I also bring my laptop to ballet, piano lessons and sneak writing in whenever I can. Summers are much more difficult as I need to be with the kids and often find myself up late with one of my kids watching “our show,” whatever it happens to be.
Do you find marketing a challenge like I do? What do you do to market your book?
Marketing is an endless barrage of things to do. I use hootsuite and buffer to schedule one tweet an hour for promotions and one for content for my readers. It’s an endless merry-go-round of looking for new content and promoting my specials and deals. I’ve recently discovered the beauty of newsletters and see a huge spike in sales when I send them out. My new goal this year is to build that list. Want to join the fun? Sign up on my website: https://www.kjwaters.com/. I’m always giving away a book or two and have some fun contests to get you involved. I’ve also found a great inexpensive service that has shown fantastic results. Authors Cross Promotion, authorsxp.com.
Who are you three top author crushes? Who would you most like to meet?
Diana Gabaldon is definitely the top of my list. I’d also love to meet Michael Crichton, although that meeting will be a bit more difficult since he passed away. Number three would be Stephen King so I can pick his brain about building suspense.
I love the cover of your book! What are your future plans for writing?
I have two more books in the Stealing Time Series (Killing Time, and Fractured Time) and I’m creating a three book short story series with the short story I have out now called Blow (that as I’m writing this is #1 in two categories. When I’m finished with that I have another series idea that I’m toying around with that is a spin off from the Stealing Time Series.
My last question, KJ. What words of wisdom would you share with aspiring authors?
Continually improve your craft. Consider looking at Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Brown & King and The Marshall Plan by Evan Marshall. Start building your author platform the second you decide to become an author. Develop a mailing list of everyone who may be interested in your work even if you don’t intend on sending anything for years. Do NOT under any circumstances accept an offer from any publisher that asks you for money. It is a scam. Join author groups on facebook for advice and camaraderie. Find a writing buddy who can spur your creativity, keep you focused and encourage and support your social media plan. Oh, and listen to Blondie and the Brit, Writing Publishing and Beyond, (https://blondieandbrit.podbean.com/) for 82 plus episodes of author interviews that focus on real world solutions and inspiration about writing, publishing, and promotion of books.
Thanks so much for joining me, today, KJ. I enjoyed our chat and I’m sure our readers will be inspired. Have a great week!
KJ Waters can also be found on the links below. Please check them out!
Shattering Time http://geni.us/ShatterBlog
Stealing Time (book 1) http://geni.us/StealingTimeGuestBlog
Blow: http://geni.us/guestblog
RSS Feed
