Please give a warm welcome to author Stacy-Deanne

Tell us a bit about yourself…

Well, I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I have always had a great imagination, which fuels my love of writing. I am also an introvert, so I live in my head, which is also why I love writing so much. I’m a simple person and a homebody, so I just love writing and when I’m not doing that I’m watching TV, surfing the net, or researching.
I grew up loving mysteries and suspense. Hitchcock and Edgar Allan Poe are my biggest creative idols. I write interracial books (black women and white men coupling) among different genres. I write romance, romantic suspense, thrillers, women’s fiction, historical, erotica, erotic romance, and paranormal (just starting with this one). I also write books of all lengths, but mainly novellas and shorts.
I am a USA Today Featured Author and have been interviewed by USA Today many times as well as have had several books reviewed by them. They also made my book The Seventh District a Recommended Read. I am also the nominee of two African-American Literary Awards.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

No. I never thought about writing professionally until I was 19 and that’s when I started. I always enjoyed reading and always had a talent for writing as a child, but I never thought of it as an avenue to make money. Back then, I was just happy to write and wasn’t thinking about sharing my work. Then, when I turned 19, the dream of being an author hit me and I got into it. I started back in 1998 and back then you didn’t have the options you have now. You had to be trade published or you’d have to sell books out of the trunk of your cars. There was a huge stigma against self-publishing, so it wasn’t a valid way to be published then. Also, there wasn’t even KDP, so you didn’t have the option to publish through Amazon and ebooks hadn’t become popular yet. You had to be with a publisher and have books in stores to get anywhere. So after years of struggling to be noticed, I finally got a two-book deal from Simon and Schuster in 2007 and 2008. Unfortunately, right before the first book was released, my mother passed away. So needless to say, the experience of first being published wasn’t the happy time I thought it would be.

What was your inspiration for your current book or series?

Me. LOL! I just write the stories I want to write and whatever idea that pops into my head. I get more ideas from movies and current events than anything, but most times the idea just comes from me. I’ve always had a powerful imagination. I also get ideas while exercising and riding in a car, too.

What are you working on now?

Working on billionaire romantic thriller serial. As well as reworking some previously published standalones I’d published under a now defunct pen name.

Do you have quirks while working?

Nah. For me, I don’t mess around. I just turn the TV on mute and get to writing. I don’t do any special rituals outside of outlining my work. I just get out the laptop and get rolling and try to be as productive as possible for each session.

What are your hopes for the future?

Even though I’ve been in this game, for a long time, I just want to keep growing. Growth is constant. I also just want to be healthy and to remain in a position where I can keep writing and meeting my creative and financial needs.

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

The most important is to research. Don’t expect anyone to spoon feed you every bit of advice. You’re gonna have to take the initiative yourself. Course, it’s fine to ask for help, but you also need patience and to be realistic about expectations. This is not something to get into if you expect to be rich or leave your day job. Only a tiny percentage of authors are living off their book income. Most are not. So make sure you know what the real publishing life is like and don’t fall for the facade you see on TV. Being a writer in real life is nothing like it looks on TV. It’s hard work and I suggest not even trying unless you love writing. If you don’t love it to your core, then you won’t last.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Of course! Thanks so much for always buying my work and supporting. I appreciate all the love and you can be sure that I’ll never cheat you and with every book I give 100% because I know you guys deserve nothing less! I always got something new for you, so continue to keep up with me!