 Never the Moon is a moving and emotionally charged contemporary romance about overcoming abuse and finding a second chance at love.  Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts? I think it was just about impatience at the beginning, the waiting for a response, knowing it was unlikely to be favorable anyway. My mother calls me a go-getter, and I never thought that was a good thing, but I didn’t want to leave my fate in the hands of the gods of publishing, so off I went and did it myself. There were and are plenty of doubts, constantly gnawing away at me sometimes taking away every creative instinct I have. The what if I ruin this, sully my name? But in the end, I always come back to that saying – the biggest regrets are not for the things you did, but for the things you didn’t. What did you like best? The freedom to do everything at my own pace, the not waiting for someone else to decide when to release my book. My first book was published with a hybrid publisher, and it was mostly on their terms. Another has been accepted by a small publisher, and it’s taking so long, I can barely remember what the book was about as I have written and published two others in that time. What was the hardest part? Definitely the marketing part. Three years later and I still haven’t gotten the hang of it, and I’m still learning. Sometimes formatting plays with my head but it’s almost a challenge and I like a challenge. Would you do it again? Oh yes! I find it hard to think about a bunch of manuscripts filed away in my bookshelf, so as hard as it was to put myself out there, almost invite criticism, I wouldn’t change a thing – then again, perhaps I should have taken marketing a little more seriously from the outset. What advice do you have for authors just starting? Sometimes I want to throw it all in, I just get overwhelmed, and the demons of doubt tell me I’m never going to be good enough to mix it with the Stephen Kings and the Colleen Hoovers, but when it comes down to it, I do this because I’m in love with it, everything about it. If you love your craft, just keep doing what you’re doing. Rita H Rowe's journey into writing began as a lifelong dream that she was finally able to pursue at the age of forty-seven, resulting in her first novel, Never the Moon. Rita pours her heart and soul into her writing, incorporating her personal experiences with love, romance, hurt, and abuse. To Rita, writing is both a form of therapy and a way to connect with like-minded readers on a deeper level. When she isn’t writing, Rita enjoys playing pool, painting, going on motorbike rides, and spending time with her children and mother.
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 “Six books. Three perspectives. One woman at the center of it all.”  Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts? I decided to self-publish, mainly due to the thought of losing any creative control. My book series is such a huge part of me that the thought of anyone telling me I had to do anything with it was just not feasible. I wrote my series as a form of therapy I never knew I needed, and the characters are a part of me. I had an amazing editor and beta readers who made incredible suggestions, but nothing that tore my book babies apart. I don’t know if that would have happened if I had gone the traditional publishing route, but I wasn’t willing to take the chance. What did you like best? I loved having control over everything. My covers, advertising, and content. It was all born out of my own vision of what I had imagined for my series. What was the hardest part? The hardest part was learning marketing. There is so much to learn, with so many different resources. It can get a bit overwhelming. Would you do it again? That’s a tricky question. But honestly, I think I would. While I have learned so much about traditional and independent publishing since then, I still think I was (and may still be) far too sensitive about my series to have anyone tell me if they think things need to be changed in it. What advice do you have for authors just starting? Where do I begin! I guess with the most important thing (in my opinion), Write for yourself. Don’t write for others, or what you think others will love. Write because you have a calling to tell a story that you just can’t get out of your head. Second, learn marketing before your book is done. There are so many things to do before you release your book, so start early! And if you think, well I’ll just traditionally publish to avoid having to do the marketing…understand that you will need to understand and doing marketing on that side of the business too. Lastly, listen to feed back, but stay true to your voice. Feedback can hurt, and sometimes it’s necessary to improve the story. But other times, it’s just a preference. You will never make everyone happy. Bonus advice: If you get a bad review or someone says something about your books you don’t like, look up your favorite authors’ reviews. You will see they have one- and two-star reviews as well. Again, you will never please everyone. Jennifer R. Jensen is a fiction author who dove back into the world of writing in 2019. She had spent a decade away from her passion becoming a wife, mom, and advancing her career. With six independently published books and two novellas under her belt, she is beginning to expand her love and knowledge for writing into the world of screenwriting, along with finding an agent for her newest thriller novel. You can find her books here.
 I’ve often thought all kinds of people should be asked to take the same oath doctors do – First, do no harm. Parents, spouses, friends, teachers. Book coaches and editors. We all need to be reminded.
One of the challenges of being a book coach or an editor is overcorrecting. Writers tend to be a sensitive bunch. So I try to check – even when I’m sure I’m right. It’s so easy to get it wrong. Usually, I see phrases people have heard but haven’t seen written. Like – All of the sudden. Escape goat. To all intensive purposes. Hunger pains. I get it. Sometimes these expressions have become so common they’re accepted. So whenever I highlight one of these phrases, I always add – Please check. But there’s one expression I’ve been sure about, maybe a little smug about – until today. "I could feel the pit growing in my stomach." This has come up often enough that I have a standard comment. Using a light touch, I’ve explained that pits don’t grow in stomachs. The expression is figurative. Like – from the bottom of my heart. Off the top of my head. In the pit of my stomach. But today, in the New York Times, of all places, I saw – “I felt a pit in my belly.” Wait. What? Had stomach/belly pits sneaked into common usage, and I was unaware? Did I need to write to every author I’d worked with and apologize for leading them astray? Before I made another mistake - I looked it up. And there from Professor Paul Brians’ book Common Errors in English Usage, he explains: pit in my stomach “Just as you can love someone from the bottom of your heart, you can also experience a sensation of dread in the pit (bottom) of your stomach. I don’t know whether people who mangle this common expression into ‘pit in my stomach’ envision an ulcer, an irritating peach pit they’ve swallowed or are thinking of the pyloric sphincter; but they’ve got it wrong.” A little heavier on biology than I usually go. But reassuring. So. In case you saw it in today's paper, too - by in large, this should give you great piece of mind.  In Her Eyes - Avalon is forced to confront her most guarded secret when the man who saved her life fifteen years ago reappears as a detective investigating a series of missing women. But there’s a catch. Jake Knox doesn't recognize her. And she’s his prime suspect. Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts? I had no doubts. I never wanted to go the traditional route. The whole idea of getting an agent and trying to sell my story, and then if I sold it, having to wait on a publisher to decide when the book would be published, where and for how much is not something that appeals to me. I prefer to have full control over my work. What did you like best? I love the blank page. I love the start of a story. I love the excitement of starting something new when the characters are telling me their stories and I’m getting to know them. What was the hardest part? As most authors will tell you the job is never done. When you finish a draft, then there are rewrites and edits and finding beta readers, formatting, creating ARCs, posts for social media, covers, ads, marketing, graphics, newsletters and more. I never realized that as a writer I would have homework for the rest of my life, LOL. Would you do it again? Yes, I would, and I did. Five times over. Will do it again. Hopefully sometime this spring/summer. What advice do you have for authors just starting? Oh, I just answered this question somewhere else. Erica’s top 10 tips for new writers: 1. Read widely: One of the best ways to become a better writer is to read as much as you can. Read books in your chosen genre, but also read widely outside of it to expand your horizons and develop your writing skills. 2. Write regularly: Writing is a skill that requires practice, so make it a habit to write as often as you can, even if it's just for a few minutes each day. Set goals for yourself, such as a certain number of words or pages per day and hold yourself accountable. 3. Find your voice: Every writer has a unique voice, so take the time to find yours. Experiment with different styles and techniques until you find the one that feels most natural to you. 4. Get feedback: Critiques from other writers or readers can be invaluable in helping you improve your writing. And remember not to take the criticism to heart. Analyze the feedback you get with a clear mind. Save the emotions for the story. 5. Writing is a process, and the first draft is never perfect. A story is built in layers, and it may take a few rewrite sessions or a dozen. 6. Don’t give up. Writing can be a tough and often solitary pursuit. Keep pushing forward, even when it feels like you're not making progress. You’re ahead of where you were yesterday. 7. Don’t compare your work in progress with someone else finished book. Don’t compare ever. Just keep writing. 8. Keep learning the craft. Take workshops, read books about writing, grow your skills. 9. No gatekeepers. Be aware of scammers. They’ll come after you. Vanity Press disguising itself as publishers will offer to publish your book if you pay them. Don’t. Legitimate publishing houses pay you. You never pay them. If you want to try the traditional route, then get an agent and never sign a contract you didn’t have a lawyer look over first. But remember that you don’t need publishers. You can do it yourself. More than half of all the bestsellers on Amazon’s Top 100 are indie or small press authors. 10. And last, but not least, don’t forget to have fun! Write the stories that excite you, and don't be afraid to take risks and try new things. Erica Alexander dreamed of being a writer her entire life. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, two teenage sons, three cats, and a dog. When she’s not writing, Erica likes to read, bake, watch Netflix and Prime marathons. She’s currently trying to make friends with the skunk who lives in her backyard. You can find Erica Alexander at authorericaalexander.com  |
