Author M.J. Marstens #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author M.J. Marstens

Tell us a bit about yourself

I am a homeschooling mom of three wonderful kids. I used to teach foreign languages at the collegiate level, but now own a private practice in a yoga studio called Bright Light Therapy where I am a holistic psychotherapist. In my free time, I write, lol.

Have you always wanted to become a writer?

Yes and no. I have always loved to write and I might have thought about it as a kid, but not really as an adult.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

Actually, it was a dream, haha. A very inappropriate dream that evolved into something more.

What are you working on now?

Total Lunar Eclipse is the third and final book in The Afflicted Zodiac series and will come out the end of August. I am also working on a dark menage standalone and an RH retake of Swan Lake called the Swan Empress, both to come out this year.

Do you have any quirks while writing?

My youngest is just 2 and still breastfeeds, so I have a lot of time holding him and just thinking. . . I get a lot of ideas and keep my iPod next to me to record anything. Sometimes this happens 2 or 3 in the morning and I have to whisper. When I listen to myself the next day, I sound like someone from the Blair Witch Project, lol.

What are your hopes for the future?

To be happy. I’m a really simple gal.

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

I’m really glad you asked this question because I definitely came into this business blind. Firstly, I did not have FB of any kind, so I was behind the ball in this regard. Since most people already have FB, use this to grow your readers. Make a FB page and reading group and join similar genre groups to add friends and meet other like-minded authors and readers. Do Take-overs at release parties and offer giveaways and interesting posts to keep members engaged in your author group/page. Next: get your cover professionally done! And make sure your book is edited. I was so excited to publish my book, I did my own cover and self-edited. I am very well-spoken, but I missed A LOT. I finally had my cover redone and my book edited professionally and since then, my sales have soared. The truth is, you are going to have put a little money out up-front in self-promotions and polishing if you really want a well-done product. Learn from my mistakes because I probably wasted a lot of money I could have been putting towards my book instead, lol.

Do you have anything to say to your readers?

Yes: THANK YOU! If it weren’t for you guys, I really wouldn’t be much of an author. You inspire me to keep writing. And that means the world to me.