Please give a warm welcome to author Cait Marie
Hi! I’m Cait Marie, a multi-genre author who also offers a variety of author services. I published my first book, The Lost Legends, in March of 2020. It is the first in a YA/NA fantasy series, whereas my second book, The Last Summer, is an unrelated YA romance. I have a lot of interests and I’m indecisive, so I go back and forth between genres. I’m a freelance editor and graphic designer, I own/manage the book website Functionally Fictional, and volunteer work for YA Books Central.
Basically, I like to stay busy and books rule my life.
Have you always wanted to become an author?
No. I actually never wrote outside of school, and I hated academia writing growing up. I started writing out of boredom and the need to “put everything I want into a book” in 2015, but I didn’t truly dream of becoming an author until a couple years later.
What was your inspiration for your current book/series?
I have multiple series happening right now, but for the sake of this, I will talk about The Nihryst series. It is a mashup retelling that includes bits and pieces from Robin Hood, Tangled, and King Arthur. I’ve loved fairy tales and fantasy my entire life, so that love of stories was my biggest inspiration, which is reflected in the story through Adalina’s own fondness for fairy tales. I got the idea from a dream about searching for fae with a group of pirates (I changed the fae to cursed immortals, but most of the original idea is still very much the same in book one), and I believe the dream was inspired by a number of other books involving pirates. That fall, both A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan and These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch were released, and I read them both back to back pretty much. Plus, I’ve always been obsessed with Pirates of the Caribbean, which I watch fairly frequently. I have pretty vivid, random dreams that are influenced by what I read and watch, so this series was a culmination of several things going through my mind subconsciously.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working getting the second Nihryst book, The Lost Prince, ready for its release in November. I am also writing my next contemporary romance, The Final Chance, which releases in January of 2021, and the third Nihryst book I’m aiming to release in March of 2021. But I have several other books started or planned.
Do you have any quirks while working?
I don’t know about quirks, but I HAVE to have music on or something going in the background. If I’m writing, editing, proofreading, etc., it’s music. If I’m working on school stuff, graphics, or website stuff, it can be tv or movies, but usually things I’ve watched a lot before so it doesn’t take too much attention away from the work.
What are your hopes for the future?
I hope I can continue publishing books, but I am also working on building up my author services business. Specifically, I want to do more in marketing and graphic design.
Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?
Don’t give up and stay organized. Plan ahead, especially if self-publishing. If you want your book to sell, people need to know about it. Do not slack on the marketing. Build up a social media following before your book is out. Get involved in the book community so when it comes time for a release, people know to expect the book and it will be easier to find bloggers to help promote and reviewers to build up hype. You don’t necessarily need to spend a bunch on marketing, not if you’re active and getting the word out well. There are plenty of tools for you to do your own graphics and such.
Do you have anything to say to your followers?
Thank you for following! I have so many plans and hope you stick around to see them. Authors, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!
Helle Gade 