Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one?
Did that change the direction of the novel at all?
YES! In fact, Holden was that character. Can you imagine the
book without one of the main love interests? I can’t even imagine where the
book would have ended up if Holden hadn’t become a major player in the plotline…
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish your
book(s)?
I just wanted to be able to say, “I did it!” You know? I
didn’t want to wade through months/years of publishing denials, I wanted to
publish a novel! For me, finishing a project is always the hardest part and I
knew that if I could just finish this project, this goal of being published,
then it would be much easier to eventually do it again. Also, I really wanted
to have creative control over everything. If I ever start gaining more
popularity and a publishing company decides they’d like to hire me, would I
consider it? Yes, I think so. But I have no idea if I’d accept. That would
depend on a lot of things…
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do
you like silence?
I DEFINITELY listen to music. In fact, there are often times
when I won’t be “in the mood” to write, but I’ll hear that music (the music I
use to draw inspiration – basically, Blue Foundation Radio on Pandora lol) and
I’ll immediately start into writing/brainstorming mode.
Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before
publishing?
Yes, I did. When I was researching how to be successful as
an indie author, the two biggest suggestions were: hire a professional editor,
and hire a professional cover designer. I didn’t hire a designer; I created the
cover myself. But I knew that in order to have a finely polished product to
market to readers, I would need pro editing. Thankfully Caitlin at Editing by
C. Marie was up to the task!
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books
are for sale?
Not at the moment, but my 3-month KDP Select contract is up,
so I’m hoping to branch out to other venues soon.
What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums]
are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?
I have a facebook page: www.facebook.com/ellemiddaugh.
I have a twitter account: www.twitter.com/ellemiddaugh. I’m also on
goodreads: www.goodreads.com/ellemiddaugh. And I have
an amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/ellemiddaugh. I DID
have a website/blog but I wasn’t sure that I’d actually use it much, so I
deleted it. if it turns out that I DO need a website, I’ll make sure that info
gets out there!
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between
marketing your current book and writing your next book?
YES. Lol! But not necessarily because of marketing alone. A)
I was recently blessed with my third baby (he’s now 3 months old) and his
demand for my time is most important right now. And B) I’m really not sure how
to navigate the marketing side of indie writing lol I’m just sort of trying
different things and seeing what works and what doesn’t. Honestly, at this
point, I think it might be prudent to try and hire an agent since I don’t have
the time or expertise to really market by myself.
What advice would you give a new author just entering into
the self-publishing arena?
Reach out to successful authors! I know you might think they’re
far too busy to entertain your silly questions, and perhaps some of them are,
but you’ll never know until you try. I had (written) conversations with two
authors who gave me numerous suggestions and invaluable help.
Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or
cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?
Haha, I prefer no pets, actually. But if I had to choose,
cats over dogs for sure.
Chocolate vs. vanilla is such a difficult decision! I think
I like them equally, but in different areas (Chocolate: icing, protein shake,
candy. Vanilla: cake, ice cream, pudding. Etc).
I really love the smell of coffee, but I can’t get into the
taste lol I do, however, love tea! Original, though, no special flavors. Green
tea is about as creative as I get with my tea lol
Talk vs. text. I guess it depends on who I’m talking to, but
in general I’d say text.
Night! No matter how hard I try to go to bead earlier, it
never works. I write better at night, too, I think.
What’s next for you?
Well, for now I’m working on finishing the Essential
Elements series. I think there’s going to end up being three books total (but
we’ll see how that goes lol).
After that, I’d really like to finish a couple stand-alone
novels that I’ve started writing.
But I’d MOST like to begin working on two new series of
books that I’ve been daydreaming about bringing to life :) One is futuristic; post-apocalyptic, you
might say. It has some interesting theories on what life might be like as we
adapt and evolve on Earth and beyond. The other series will revolve around the
seven deadly sins, with each sin getting their own book. The idea for this
series came while thinking about death and spirituality, so it’s going to be a
really cool, I think!
Book & Author Details:
Elemental Secrets by Elle Middaugh
(The Essential Elements, #1)
Publication date: February 27th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
(The Essential Elements, #1)
Publication date: February 27th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Valerie Moore was a beautiful, headstrong girl with
below-average social skills and above-average anxiety (including a flair for
over-analyzing).
With her
mother long deceased, and her father recently deployed, she ends up being sent
to live with her eccentric aunt in a tiny town nestled in the mountains of
Pennsylvania. But, being a Navy brat had made her into a bit of a loner, and
making friends certainly wasn’t her strongest suit. As if the life of a typical
teen wasn’t hard enough.
But
Valerie soon discovers she’s not a typical teenager. Not by a long shot.
SECRETS
are revealed…
…About her
family, about her newfound friends and relationships, and about her whole world…
Things that have been kept from her for her entire life…
But the
biggest secret of all is revealed when Valerie discovers that she has Elemental
powers, and a chain of inexplicable and irrevocable events unleashes throughout
the little town…
Purchase:
AUTHOR BIO:
Elle Middaugh is a newly published author, born in the
sticks outside of Clearfield, Pennsylvania. After moving around the east
coast a number of times, she now lives in her hometown with her
husband and three children.
Reading has been a favorite past time since Elementary School and choose-your-own-adventure books. Writing has been her dream since Middle School when she first began penning her own material. Being published is the most awesome achievement in her writing career so far, but she hopes for more exciting landmarks and stepping stones in the future!
She’s a proud Navy wife; a frazzle-brained mother; a homebody who dislikes cleaning; a fan of tennis, and fitness in general; a lover of hot tea, mountain dew, and all things fiction; and she’s a bigger My Little Pony fan than her children.
Author links:
Reading has been a favorite past time since Elementary School and choose-your-own-adventure books. Writing has been her dream since Middle School when she first began penning her own material. Being published is the most awesome achievement in her writing career so far, but she hopes for more exciting landmarks and stepping stones in the future!
She’s a proud Navy wife; a frazzle-brained mother; a homebody who dislikes cleaning; a fan of tennis, and fitness in general; a lover of hot tea, mountain dew, and all things fiction; and she’s a bigger My Little Pony fan than her children.
Author links:
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