AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Stacey Huish

Tell me about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I have spent my whole life being a mum to all the kids out there, helping them to answer questions, and make sense of their world. I started putting this book together because I knew this was one way of getting the answers to all the kids out there. This book would be a reference for them, something that was always there, with answers to life's questions. This book would provide the guidance needed for life's situations.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

I don't have a set schedule.  I just get up every day and focus on what needs doing,  getting more authors, getting more stories, spending time with all the authors and getting to know them, developing storylines and making their messages very powerful.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a laptop or some other method of getting your words down?

I am a pen and paper girl, always have been, always will be.  I like to be able to feel the writing through my hand.  The story flows better when there is a direct connection to the words on paper.  There is a power in writing using pen and paper. The power is lost when typing on a keyboard.

What's your favorite part about writing?

My favorite part about writing is seeing the finished product.  Seeing the book completed and in the hands of the readers.

Your least favorite part about writing?

My least favorite part about writing is the typesetting... putting all the stories in order inside the book.

How did you come up with your book idea?

This was a vision that was given to me.

How long did it take you to write your book?

Gathering 1000 authors has taken the most amount of time. I now have the authors, and I am at the editing stage.  This project so far has taken about 2 years.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

Social media marketing and interviews.

Every author has been given the opportunity to tell their own story in their own personal interview.  These interviews have been made available on RSS Feeds, website and Itunes, and social media sites.

What are you currently working on?

Currently, I am working on a project called  “1000 Ripple Effects”

this book will have 1000 stories each answering the question:  What advice do you give the 15 - 21-year-olds becoming an adult?

This book will answer life's unanswered questions.  This book will be there for the kids when no one else is.

Do you have a new book out?

There is no new book out at the moment, however, the new book is currently in the editing stages and will be available in 2019.

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

Currently, I am working on a project called “1000 Ripple Effects”.

This book will have 1000 stories each answering the question:  What advice do you give the 15 - 21-year-olds becoming an adult?

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

You have a story in you, you just have to learn how to tell it.

A Question for Kathryn:

What is the best way to connect with your audience?

I have had success having my own blog and writing for other blogs about what I do. I also think having a monthly newsletter is important - especially for your followers. Of course, anytime you have an opportunity to speak to an audience, whether that audience is at a writer's conference, book signing, or another event, a personal contact is often the best way to connect.

Learn more about Stacey: 

Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/1000rippleeffects

Website:  www.1000rippleeffects.com

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE ME TO PUBLISH A PICTURE BOOK?

Over 25 years.

Now, before you get discouraged, hear me out. 

When I wrote my first picture book story, The Human Bean, people really loved it. You should make it into a picture book, they said. The problem? I didn't have the money to hire an illustrator, so the book idea sat.

Sure, I took the story to various grade schools and made it a part of my presentation, but the book didn't have illustrations. I had the children draw their interpretation of the bean with some pretty hilarious results. Well, what would you draw if I told you the story about a human bean?

Picture book ideas kept pouring from my soul, however, but I wasn't able to find an illustrator. Everyone wanted their money up front, and none of them seemed to care about the story itself. 

I have since learned that this is the rule rather than the exception for many illustrators, and so for years, I continued to search. In the meantime, I continued to write picture books. I haven't counted them, but I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't have at least 15 ready to go.

The last idea for a picture book came while I was watching an episode of Winnie the Pooh. All of a sudden the story downloaded into my brain! I raced for a writing utensil and a piece of paper. I knew by this time not to ignore the voice.

You need to know that during this time I'd gone into an art gallery in St. George, Utah, as part of my family's summer vacation. My grandchildren thought walking around to look at paintings was the most boring thing on the planet! But sometimes grandma's have to do things that they like to do, right?

So here I was in this gallery when I saw it. It was the cutest thing I'd ever seen; three young cowboys and one young cowgirl, sitting next to each other on a fence. Well, I couldn't afford the original, so I walked away, you know, wishing that I had the money to buy whatever I wanted :)

That's when I saw it. Not the original, but a print of the original which was the size of a postcard. The tag revealed the amazing price: $5

So I bought it, along with another by the same illustrator, and brought the two cards home.

I bet you can't guess what I did next.

I thought about contacting the artist. I even framed the small prints, but I didn't contact her. How could I handle another no? 

Maybe you know how it is when you have held a dream close to your heart for years. At first, when the dream doesn't materialize, you get a bit angry, and then you try to forget you had the dream in the first place. You stop asking people to illustrate your book. Your dreams go in different directions - directions that take you to novels with only one illustration or photo to deal with.

And sometimes, you almost give up hope that your dream will ever materialize. 

Guess what happened?

Get the Paperback at Amazon
Also available in eBook format!

I ASKED.

Never give up on your dreams. NEVER. DO YOU HEAR ME?

You never know when a moose with a hungry appetite and a thirst for learning is going to show up!

Author Spotlight: Kristine Raymond

Kristine Raymond

Dogwoods in Springtime

Still in mourning three years after her husband’s death, Caroline Ballard’s solitary life in rural Kentucky is disrupted by a broken water line, of all things.  As if the lack of running water wasn’t bad enough, her immediate attraction to plumbing contractor Rick Spencer unearths emotions long thought buried.  Opening her heart to love for a second time, a malicious lie told by his ex-wife threatens to end the budding relationship before it begins.

Seashells in Summer

Having adopted her four-year-old daughter, Lily, at birth, Taylor Brightman is suspicious when former Marine Sergeant Grant Cutler appears on her Nantucket Island doorstep claiming to be the girl’s biological father.  Wary of his motives, his good looks and charming personality win her over, but can she trust that she won’t lose custody along with her heart?

Aspens in Autumn

Ramsey Fiorentino is having a bad day.  On the run for her life after witnessing a murder, she’s being pursued by none other than Bishop Hamilton, a private investigator hired by the person who committed the crime.  When he catches up to her and the truth comes out, they flee to the mountains of Flagstaff, Arizona to hide, but it’s only a matter of time before their newfound romance is tested in the wake of a deadly confrontation.

Snowflakes in Winter

When New Hampshire State Trooper Alex Ballard becomes stranded during a blizzard in the middle of the night, he seeks refuge at a local bed and breakfast, surprised to discover the owner, Chloe Mancuso, is the sole occupant.  A passionate night spent in each other’s arms ignites feelings neither thought possible, but there’s someone else with his eye on Chloe and he’s not willing to share.

About the Author

Kristine Raymond didn’t figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up until later in life.  You guessed it!  It’s being an author.  Since writing and publishing her first book in 2013, she’s gone on to complete two romance series – one historical western and one contemporary – write an anecdotal, non-fiction short about her first year as an indie author, and try her hand at contemporary erotic drama.  When she’s not writing, she’s learning how to navigate the publishing and promotional side of the business.  When she’s not doing that, she enjoys spending time with her husband and furry family, reading, gardening, and binge-watching shows on Netflix.

Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Books + Main, and BookBub.  You can also visit her website at www.kristineraymond.com to keep up with her latest news or write to her at:

         

Kristine Raymond

PO Box 28

Brownsville, KY  42210

You can also sign up for her newsletter here.