Recently, it occurred to me that I have many clients with excellent books—I know, because I edited them. I also have this informative, entertaining blog site. I’ve decided to bring the two together and introduce some of my clients through my blog. I start with S.M. Huggins, the author of Green, The Awakening. I conducted an interview with her and, when I saw how wordy it was, I planned to cut it down and use only portions of it. When I began reading it, however, I could see how interesting and valuable the information is to other authors as well as readers, and I have used the complete interview. That’s why today’s blog is long. Read about this author’s unique reasons for using a pseudonym, how she met the challenges of writing after a brain injury and how she manages to write and market books while running a business and raising six children.
Here’s her book description: “The natural and the supernatural converge after Meelah Neegry and her adoptive father move to New York City. Bound to honor the universal law of free will, all must allow Meelah to awaken on her own. Without outside influence, she must choose her destiny.
“With her heart torn between the love of two, a winged being named Mikiel, who has vowed to protect her, and Kriyo, an honorable young man from Churria, she struggles to decide between them. However, where there is light, equally there is darkness. Those murky beings slithering to earth the day she arrived are reflections of the Dark Force, and these shadows hunt Meelah and the amulet that she must locate. This ominous force will stop at nothing to destroy her and her quest.
“Coping with the loss of those she cares for, Meelah discovers that resolving matters of the heart while embracing her destiny is an insurmountable undertaking. Nevertheless, all life as we know it depends on her success. All eyes are on this Light Warrior as her journey unfolds.”
See the beautiful cover here: http://smhuggins.com
The book is for sale at Amazon.com and many other online stores. It has only been out since the end of September this year and has three five-star reviews. I loved it as I edited it. It appears that readers are loving it, too.
I interviewed the author. Here are her responses:
Patricia: Why did you use a pseudonym?
SM: I use a pseudonym for a few reasons. S.M. are the initials of my first and middle name. Huggins is my maiden name and the name used to file my taxes. There is more than a practical nature for my choice. I still would have published under a pen name and this is why. I became too emotionally attached to my story. Though I am proud of this accomplishment, I also needed to detach from it. Through detachment, I was able to separate emotionally from my creation. This afforded me the freedom to be objective. To reach an audience and to make book writing not only a passion but also a business, I needed to remain detached from the emotion of it all. Using a pseudonym allowed for this separation. I created the Green series and this feat satisfied my soul. Impartiality, I hope, will carry my labor of love to success.
Patricia: What is your background as an author?
SM: There is a beginning to everything in life. Green, The Awakening, is the launch of my writing career. Though I have written three other unpublished novels, I wrote them solely for me. These creations validated my profound love of writing. These novels also confirmed that I was able to overcome the lingering residual effects of a traumatic brain injury. This injury altered every aspect of my life. My memory was compromised, yet I did it; I wrote three manuscripts. By writing, I gained focus and confidence.
Patricia: Why this story?
SM: This story came to me in a dream. Vividly, I saw it play out in my mind. I couldn’t type fast enough. Truly, it consumed me. My mind would not let facets of this tale go until I penned it on paper. This is when I wrote the first three versions of the Green series. I learned through this process that I was a storyteller. This is something that must have been handed down from my Pequot Indian ancestors. I have always had a boundless sense of imagination. With time, I threaded my storytelling and imagination together and refined this dream into the series it is.
Patricia: Tell us a little about the process of writing this book.
SM: When I write, I get lost in a world. I thoroughly enjoy creating. Having six children, four young adults and two adolescents, I have to structure my day. I also run a business. My days are full! But, without doing something that nourishes my soul, even if it’s only for an hour, makes for a day that I feel out of balance. I make time to write five days a week. During the weekends, I rest my creative mind and spend quality time with my tribe. My process is simple. I make the time and I allow the story to flow. After I complete a chapter then I do my editing before proceeding. The editing process is never-ending and well worth the time and the effort. I use this process to refine all aspects of the scene. When I’ve completed a manuscript then I read it over and over again before I have an editor polish it. This step is where I met Patricia Fry. She taught me that we can be blind to our mistakes. It’s wise to have another set of eyes help your story shine.
Patricia: Who is your audience for this book?
SM: One of my teenage daughters especially, fell in love with my story. She would read each new chapter the moment I stepped away from my laptop. My daughter’s passion not only drove me, it molded my writing to her age group. It has taken me three years from my initial manuscript to my first finished product. I broadened my target audience to young adults. In doing so, I still have my older children engaged. I am also savvy. I’ve done my homework; always the business woman. Young adult novels are selling, especially in eBook format. Words to the wise: Write from your soul, never compromise this but if you wish to sell your creation to more than a few people then do your market research.
Patricia: What are you doing to promote this book—anything interesting?
SM: I began promoting Green, The Awakening, when I worked on my cover. I knew that it had to be something engaging and intriguing. Fortunately, I found a wonderful cover artist. Her information is on my website under the Resources for Authors link. I have also provided the names and contact information of trusted and talented professionals related to editing/formatting/publishing. Back to cover design. Through my research, I learned that the chances of someone buying the book of a first-time author with a bland cover are not the best. So, to draw in my target audience, I would require a captivating image. The female on my cover is precisely how I see my heroine; beautiful yet consumed by something that one wishes to understand. A powerful cover is crucial for a new author.
So… I wrote and self-published a novel. Who is going to know that I’ve accomplished this? Ah…ha! This is where the work comes in. More research was required and I’m still learning daily. I decided to utilize social media. I began promoting my book weeks before it was released. I drummed up excitement on Facebook and Instagram. Hundreds of people knew about my creation and began to pre-order it. I chose to self-publish with Ingram Sparks. They list your title on the Ingrams list, and their eBook vendor list is extensive. Again, if no one knows about your book then no one is going to purchase it in any format. Within a week of uploading my files, my title was on Barnes&Noble.com and Amazon.com. The buzz from Facebook and Instagram landed me hundreds of pre-sales. I have also employed my kids. Never underestimate the knowledge of your young adults. They spend hours a day (a very sad fact indeed, yet true) cruising the Internet. They threaded my cover and narrative to countless sites related to my genre, science fiction/fantasy. Using I-Page, I built a website. Yes, I built it! It’s quite user-friendly. I-Page made my pseudonym, S.M. Huggins, easily located through your browser. I linked my Facebook to my website as well enabling many eyes to view it. My website: http://www.SMHuggins.com is a means for people to get to know me and my projects, exposure, exposure.
When my book was in my hand and I held my dream for the very first time, it was an amazing feeling. I was wise enough to purchase several copies. My kids and their proud voices had spread the word to their teachers, the staff at their school. You name it, everyone in our circle knew about my feat. I gave a copy to a teacher and this resulted in the sale of several more. I have also been asked to do a book signing at my children’s school. I need to purchase more copies for that event. The relevance is, once you create then polish your novel, let it go—detach. Allow it to fly without fear. Not everyone may like it. But it is my opinion that one should create for themselves. Detachment is key.
Patricia: Any more books in the pipeline?
SM: As I have already mentioned Green is a series. The Awakening is only the beginning. I have already written two subsequent novels. I wished to continue writing the story versus publishing the first installment once I had finished it. This enabled me to amend facets of the storyline from the first book for overall congruency. In totality, my story flows. I left an opening at the end of the third installment for me to continue the series. Time will tell what I’ll do…
The author’s message to other writers: Thank you for taking your time to get to know me and my project. Write for yourself and enjoy the process. It is truly magical and for me, writing is also quite curative. If you choose to dive into the business of publishing, be sure to do your homework then… detach.
Green, The Awakening by S.M. Huggins available at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com and many other online sites. http://www.SMHuggins.com