Interview with Jaidis Shaw

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book?

Destiny Awaits is my debut paranormal romance novel and I’m so excited to be able to share it! It follows the life of Alayna Scott who decides to move to the small town of Juniper Grove after the tragic accident that claimed the lives of her parents. After the move, she catches the eye of a vampire and through a series of events, is brought into a world that she never knew existed. Jayden, her super sexy neighbor and love interest, will risk everything to ensure her safety and make sure that she is the one by his side.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

I decided with Destiny Awaits that self-publishing was the route to go so I did not try to get it traditionally published. I am not opposed to traditional publishing and if the opportunity presented itself I would consider making the switch but I just went with self-publishing because I have been working on it for so long and wanted to get it out. I also like the control that self-publishing provides.

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish to Amazon?

I have talked with several authors and have heard numerous stories on both the good and bad aspects to self-publishing to Amazon. I just felt as though going with Amazon was the right choice for me and I needed to try it for myself so I could form my own opinion about it. So far, it has been a positive experience with great results.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?

Yes. I believe that having a professional editor go over your manuscript is necessary and should always been done before publishing. Readers deserve to have a clean story and shouldn’t be distracted with poor editing.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Currently you can only buy the eBook version of Destiny Awaits on Amazon because I enrolled it in the Kindle Select Program. After it completes the required time frame, I may consider having it available at different sites. It really all depends on the results.

What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?

I am active on several different sites in order to promote not only my book but my blog as well. Sites like Twitter, Facebook, GoodReads, various forums and NING groups are great ways to spread the word and reach new readers. I would say that Twitter, Facebook and my blog Juniper Grove are the sites where I am most active.

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?

It is difficult to promote my current book and work on upcoming projects. A writer really needs to find a balance because you can’t slack promoting currently published projects or readers will lose interest but you can’t spend all of your time promoting or you will never get new work out. Personally, I usually have certain days of the week that I spend only on promotion and other days I focus only on writing and it seems to work out well.

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?

I would strongly encourage any authors who are considering self-publishing to talk with other authors who already have experience with it. Having close author friends that I know and trust helped me tremendously along my own self-publishing journey.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?

I currently do not belong to any critique groups but am considering joining one. I do have a few close friends and beta readers that I discuss my work with that have helped me. It’s important to have people take a look at your work and offer an honest opinion so that you can make it the best it can be.

What’s next for you?

I am currently working on book two in the Juniper Grove Chronicles series. It will take a closer look at one of the minor characters in Destiny Awaits named Violet as she struggles with finding a balance between being a rare shifter and life as a senior in high school with boy troubles.

Also, I have begun work on a new paranormal suspense/thriller series that I am super excited about! It will be for a more mature audience because it will contain a few elements that aren’t suitable for YA. Book one is tentatively titled The Stager and it follows the life of an assassin who uses her special ability to get revenge.

I can be found at the following places:

Juniper Grove: http://junipergrove.net

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5556095.Jaidis_Shaw

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jaidis-Shaw/e/B0070OE758/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_3

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/JaidisShaw

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJaidisShaw

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#!/JaidisShaw

Author Bio:

Jaidis Shaw currently resides in a small town located in South Carolina with her husband and her beautiful daughter. With a passion for reading, Jaidis can always be found surrounded by books and dreaming of new stories. She enjoys challenging herself by writing in different genres and currently has several projects in the works.

When not reading or writing, Jaidis fills the position of Book Tour Coordinator for Nurture Your Books™, maintains the Juniper Grove blog and loves encouraging her daughter to let her imagination run wild.