Hi April, thanks for joining us today. It’s always great to have an indie author drop by for a chat. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is April Wilson, and I just released my debut romance novel, Vulnerable, on July 7, 2015. I’m a self-published author, and I couldn’t be happier with the burgeoning market for self-publishing. I’ve been writing for a LONG time, and have many novels laying around the house in boxes and binders, but this was the first novel that I wrote specifically for the purpose of publishing. It took me a year to complete Vulnerable – I probably spent four months writing it and eight months fixing it. But writing is my joy – I’d rather be writing than doing anything else. I’m so lucky that my family is wonderfully supportive.
A supportive family makes all the difference when it comes to writing. What do you do when you are not writing?
When I’m not writing? Hmm. There’s really not much time that I’m not writing. I’ve been writing pretty obsessively every spare minute I could find for the past year. When I’m not writing, I’m hanging out with my family, reading romance novels, or watching movies with happy endings.
It’s amazing how writing just kind of takes over your life, huh? When you’re not jotting down notes, your mind is working on the plots or character development. How did you choose the genre you write in?
I write romance… all kinds of romance, from contemporary to paranormal to sci-fi to erotic. I’m a die-hard romantic, and I love to read (and write) about people falling in love.
Yes, I hear you on that. Romance makes all the difference in life. I can see why you’d want to create your own world where people fall in love. When you are writing, do you work with an outline, or just let it flow?
I’m definitely a pantser. I write very organically and make it up as I go along. I have some key milestones in my head that I want to hit, but mostly I make it up as I go.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
Authors that influenced me as I was growing up are Edgar Rice Burroughs, Rafael Sabatini, Angela Thirkell, and Jane Austen – how’s that for an eclectic collection? As an adult, I’ve been influenced by Jennifer Crusie, Suzanne Brockman, Kresley Cole, Christine Feehan, JR Ward, Diana Gabaldon, Nalini Singh, Thea Harrison, Lisa Marie Rice, Kylie Scott, Sylvia Day, and EL James.
Ooh, some great names in there! What project are you working on now?
I’m working on the sequel to my first release. I just started this new book and hope to release it by the end of this year – fingers crossed! It took me a full year to finish the first novel; I’m hoping that I learned enough through trial and error that I can write the second one faster. My goal is to be able to release two full novels per year, along with some shorter pieces. I’m very obsessive about revising and editing; I have trouble stopping.
Yes, now that you’ve learned a little more about what works for you, it’ll hopefully flow easier, although that pesky editing can put a damper on how fast the words appear on paper. Now, for an important question, how would you get an elephant into a refrigerator?
I wouldn’t. I’d send it to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, where it would live happily ever after roaming freely over thousands of acres with the other elephants. See, I told you I’m a romantic. 🙂
Aww, you are a romantic! 😉 What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?
Becoming an author has been my life’s dream since I was 10 years old. I’ve been writing for decades and have tons of novels, short stories, and novellas lying around. In July, 2014, I realized that I was reading mostly self-published authors. I’d always resisted the traditionally published route, and when it dawned on me what wonderful opportunities exist now for self-published authors, I knew my time had come. I started writing Vulnerable on July 4th, 2014, and I released it on Amazon as an e-book exactly one year later.
I’m so happy that you’ve realized your lifelong dream. It’s such an amazing feeling, and I wish you many more published novels. How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website: http://www.aprilwilsonwrites.com
E-mail: aprilwilsonwrites@outlook.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009311538291
Twitter: @AprilWroteIt
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/aprilwilson
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AprilWilson
Book Links:
McIntyre Security Bodyguard
On Amazon
Vulnerable
Veronica Del Rosa 