Interview with A.E. Neal
Published 2014-09-04.
Who are your favorite authors?
J. Sterling, Tara Sivec, Molly McAdams, Colleen Hoover, Anne Rice, Jeanine Frost, Charlaine Harris, and Shayla Black. Just to name a few. I read constantly, so I'm always finding new favorites
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
That's a good question! Usually my characters are screaming, "GET UP! TIME TO WRITE OUR STORY NOW!" So, obviously I have to listen to them or I wouldn't have anything for my readers to read.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Honestly, I'm a total homebody. I'm usually playing a game on my iPad, reading a book someone recommended to me, catching up on episodes of my favorite shows or spending time with my hubby.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
Word of mouth mostly. If I need a new book to read, I usually ask my readers. Thanks to them, I have about 100 unread books on my eReader.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yes! I was 6 years old and I wrote a children's book titled "The Unicorn Princess". A very, very short story about a unicorn who's an outcast among her friends. She struggles to find herself in a world where no other unicorns exist and eventually finds out she's actually a princess. Extremely cheesy, but I loved writing it.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks. I loved the fantasy world the author created around a toy figurine. It blew my mind as a child and is still one of my favorite books.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
Kindle for iPad (I dropped my Kindle Paperwhite at the pool last year and have been depressed ever since)
What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?
There's no secret to marketing, especially for an indie author. The best advice I ever received was: Don't give up! Keep sharing your teasers, keep promoting your books on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and wherever else you can. Tell your friends, family and everyone you run into about your work. Word of mouth is HUGE in this industry.
Describe your desk
Right now it's covered with bookmarks, paperbacks and packing materials. Usually, it's just messy. A few notebooks, lots of sticky notes and my trusty thesaurus.
What's the story behind your latest book?
Ahhh. Well, Love Squared began as a short novella, but has grown into something bigger and more complex than anything I've ever written. What was meant to be a sweet love story between a woman in her late 20's and her new neighbor, turned into an erotic suspense with lots of secrets, lies, and betrayal.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I adore my readers so much! Some of them have been with me from day one, routing me on and supporting me. I write for them. Sure, the extra money is nice to have, but let's be honest, I make less than a fast-food worker would every month, but I love what I do, so I'll continue to write as long as I have readers.
I've also been approached by a traditional publisher and I may still work with them in the future, but for now, I find it easier to write not having strict deadlines, being able to work with a cover designer on my own to achieve my vision and when I finish a book, I can upload it myself and within hours it's published, instead of having to wait months on end to have it published.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Since Smashwords uploads to so many different platforms, I think it's much easier for readers to find my books.
Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author or publisher.
