Interview with Mia Moore
Published 2014-03-17.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Most importantly, is the advice and help as a self published author I've received. The how to guides and FAQ's are a Godsend!
Secondly is the one stop exposure. Smashwords has placed my work in many other retailers from a single site. I'm selling quite a few titles in several of Smashwords' partner sites as well as here!
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Getting lost in the story. When I'm seeing the tale unfold in my mind's eye and my fingers are flying across the keyboard. I enjoy my books as much as my readers do... and I get to have the experience first!
What do your fans mean to you?
Two things. First, it is gratifying to get correspondence from them telling me how much they enjoy my work. Who doesn't like a pat on the back from people that pay for your stuff, eh? Secondly, my best advice for improvement did not come from my editor, nor my husband Spike, but from my readership. It is so rewarding to receive guidance in the loving manner I have so far.
What are you working on next?
I'm working on two comedies. One is an 'Erotic Comedy' (is there even such a category?) about a married couple who go on a second honeymoon on a cruise ship. By accident, they find out that it's a Swingers Cruise! My other one is pure vanilla about a NYPD cop who moonlights as a romance novelist. He's a guy who has a pen name 'Desiree'. He gets mixed up with an internet scam hatched by the Russian Mafia, at the same time trying to land a huge multi million dollar book deal from a traditional publisher.
Who are your favorite authors?
I'm glad you put an 'S' at the end of that! Coleen Hoover, Chloe Thurlow, Ellie Casey, H.M. Ward, Hugh Howey, Stephen King, just to name a few!
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Enough sleep?
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Doing all of the normal stuff anyone with a career does. In the summer I love golf, and in the winter I enjoy skiing. Other than those things, I read, watch movies and enjoy my loved ones.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
Browsing the categories. If a cover grabs me, I read the description and a few pages. It's like going to a regular bookstore without having to stand in line at the cash, or driving to the location... and you guys are open 24/7!
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yes. And it was pretty terrible. I thought it was a work of art! But that's part of the growing process as a writer.
What is your writing process?
I get an idea, and go to the character before the plot. For example, I'm playing with an idea about a young woman just graduated from college and can't find work. All through college she's been pretty cool, and pretty left wing. Then I throw a kitchen sink at her. A problem. Then I see how she handles it, and I keep throwing things at her- snotty friends, creepy guy, and see how she handles it. Pretty soon, she's her own person, and the plot's there. But I generally start with a character.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. I was very young (maybe 10?) and it was my first attempt at reading a book without any pictures in it. It blew me away.
How do you approach cover design?
I usually have an image in my head either of the main characters or the story arc. Then I go online to photo sites looking for images, saving ones that appeal to me. Then I let them sit for a few days. When I go back to them, I eliminate half right away by forced choice (this or this- PICK ONE!) Then I let them sit a bit more and begin to get some arrangements laid out.
Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author or publisher.
