Can
you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?
An 18-year-old girl living in Hot
Springs, Arkansas is pushed into adulthood as she tries to win her abusive
mother’s hard-won love. When she meets the guy of her dreams, she starts to
realize that her version of “normal” is far from reality, and she has to make a
decision: walk away from everything she’s ever known, or never learn the truth.
The
Truth She Knew is book 1 in a series.
If
you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during
the creative process for your cover?
I worked with Andrew from Design for
Writers in the UK. I was very involved with the process,
and he did a fantastic job.
What
is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?
I create the outline first and then
research music that I feel represents the overall book. I also search for songs
that support scenes and leave them on repeat as I write.
Do
you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?
My first book I didn’t outline, and it ended up one big mess. It’s in
my closet. J
For
the Truth She Knew and all future novels,
I definitely outline. My brain runs in
too many directions if I don’t.
Did
you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?
Yes, even for the short stories that
are traditionally published I had an editor. For my novels, I have an amazing
editor who used to work for Harper Collins and Routledge Publishing before
starting her own business. We go through developmental edits first to identify
and fix any plot holes, weak characters, or places in the book that don’t make
sense. We then work through line edits. I think we went through the book eight
or nine times, and then I had beta
readers to make sure we hadn’t missed anything.
Besides Amazon, are there any other
sites where your books are for sale?
Yes, the book is available on Barnes &
Noble, Kobo, and iTunes as well. Here are the links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/29gHfoh
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/29NX8DL
iTunes: http://apple.co/29LelKx
Kobo: http://bit.ly/28RjthM
What
kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for
promoting your book(s)?
I own and run a
career coaching business, and I’m responsible
for all of the marketing. I feel it’s helped me with the novel. I have a full
6-week marketing plan, to begin with, and it covers all social media sites,
blog tours, press releases, Facebook marketing, and more. I think the promotional piece for authors can be difficult so I’m grateful I have some
experience, but it’s an ongoing learning process.
What
advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing
arena?
Hire an editor. A good editor. I’ve found that it’s an investment, but
if you believe in your work, give yourself the best chance to succeed. And,
it’s the fastest way to learn to write stronger, learn about character
development, plot, and grammar. I’ve learned more working with my editor than in
any class.
Also, do your research and hire a
good cover designer. I worked with someone who had a degree in design, and the cover didn’t turn out well. My
editor said the low quality would cost me sales. So, I did some research and
located Andrew. I love my cover now.
Besides
writing, do you have any other passions?
I own and operate a resume and
interview coaching business, and I love
working with amazing clients across the country to help them find a better job
and move to the next level in their career. I’ve worked with people in the FBI,
NFL security, technology, teachers, sales, human resources, and so much more. I
love meeting new people and learning about them. Since I work from a home office, I work
with them virtually. www.onbproresume.com
But, it’s more than just writing
marketing documents. I receive emails about how they were able to buy their
first home or gained twenty thousand in income. I've
also worked with client’s that had given up hope of finding a job they were happy with. After working together, client’s landed their dream job.
That’s what it’s all about, making an impact and changing lives through my
business and my novels.
What’s
next for you?
Book two in the series is with my
editor now for developmental editing, so
I will be working on edits and book three.
The Truth She Knew
J.A. Owenby
(The
Truth, #1)
Publication
date: September 12th 2016
Genres:
Contemporary, New Adult
“A bittersweet story of young love, independence, and
soul-crushing manipulation. J.A. Owenby shines a light on the impact that
mental illness can have on a family.” —Dr. Sheri Kaye Hoff, PhD, Professional
Life Coach
Mama didn’t
want me. In fact, she would’ve traded my soul back for someone different if God
would’ve let her, but he didn’t, so she was stuck with me.
For
eighteen-year-old Lacey, life at home is a rollercoaster. She doesn’t think she’ll
ever be good enough to truly deserve Mama’s love.
But when Lacey
enters college and meets Walker, everything starts to change. Suddenly, Lacey
is face to face with the realization that maybe what she’s always seen as
normal really isn’t. Her entire life—and everything she’s ever believed about
herself and her family—is abruptly hanging in midair.
Lacey is
left facing two paths, and she has to make a choice. The first means walking
away from everything she’s ever known. The other means never really knowing the
truth.
The
TruthShe Knew offers an honest and powerful glimpse into mental illness, the
meaning of true love, and the psychological waltz that a daughter dances as she
endures her mother’s unpredictable emotions, manipulation, and abuse.
Goodreads
/ Amazon
/ Barnes
& Noble / iBooks
/ Kobo
Author
Bio:
She’s a
published author of six short stories and is beginning her first full length
novel. J.A. doesn’t mess around when it comes to working with a professional
team in order to present her best writing.
She also
runs her own business and helps people find jobs they love as a professional
resume writer.
She is an
avid reader of thrillers, romance, new adult and young adult novels. She loves
music, movies, and pop tarts. Her downtime consists of a beautiful summer
evening, snuggling with her hubby outside underneath the stars. If it’s winter,
listening to the rain and watching NFL football.
You can
follow the events of her upcoming novel on https://www.facebook.com/JAOwenby
GIVEAWAY!
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