Q) Do you own
a cat? The Black Cat Blog wants proof.
I've never
personally owned a cat but my mother-in-law had one that I was close too. His
name was Oatmeal and he was so cuddly. He would plop on my lap and lay there
for hours. He passed away five years ago and I miss him. I don't have a
picture, I'm sorry.
 |
| Maybe you want this cat? |
Q) WORST life
advice you ever received.
Men don't like
smart women so act dumb.
Q) BEST life advice you ever received.
Smile and the
whole world smiles with you.
Q) Please share a picture of your favorite shoes.
These are
almost identical to my wedding shoes. I, unfortunately, lost my wedding shoes
when we moved seven years ago. I think the movers stole them. *shrugs* They are
beautiful and I hope the man who is wearing them feels like a princess because
that's how I felt on my wedding day back in 2004.
Q) What's your favorite Disney film?
I am one of
the biggest Disney fans out there and you ask me to pick just one??? *pulls out
hair* I can't do it! I have to pick two.
Winnie the
Pooh: the Movie- I have been a fan of Winnie the Pooh and his friends ever
since I was a baby. When Disney decided to make a new movie a few years ago, I
was ecstatic. I went with my husband to the movie theatre and we own it on dvd.
I watch it at least a few times a year.
Fantasia- I
love this movie because it is so creative and blends my favorite Disney
characters and classical music. I love the crocodile/hippo ballet but my
favorite is with Mickey (Magician's Apprentice). I can watch it over and over.
Q) How do you
balance having a family, life, and writing? Time is such a constraint.
Sometimes it's nearly impossible to find a healthy balance.
Simple answer:
I treat my writing like a full-time job.
Back in 2012,
my husband and I decided it was time for me to give writing a go. I'd stop
working out of the home and he's be the only income. Sure, money was tight and
there were stressful times (like after every rejection from an agent/publisher)
but we were all in.
Three years later,
I'm a published author, just released my second book in two years and run a
successful social media marketing/author promotions business.
I rely on my
planner and schedule blocks of time for writing, promotion, business matters,
not to mention all the household duties (chores, laundry, shopping, errands,
etc.). I start at 8:00 am and stop at 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.
In the
evenings and on the weekends, I unplug and spend time with my husband. We
snuggle together in the evening and reconnect. We talk about our workday and
encourage each other. We watch television and do all the things we love to do.
So many
authors don't know how to unplug, especially when working from home. They go,
go, go until the middle of the night and collapse in bed. It's not healthy, in
my opinion, and leads to burn-out.
Psst, it's
okay to take a break from writing/marketing and spend time with your
family/friends/alone doing something totally unrelated to being an author.
*smiles*
ANN: This is excellent advice! I need to learn how to 1) relax and 2) relax some more.
ANN: This is excellent advice! I need to learn how to 1) relax and 2) relax some more.
Q) What event would you call your breakthrough as an author?
It was when I
joined ASMSG, IAN and MFRW groups. They're geared for indie authors and they're
all about networking, marketing and reaching readers. I've learned so much from
the members and am a more savvy author.
ANN: Sounds like some good groups I should explore...
ANN: Sounds like some good groups I should explore...
Q) What do you know now that you wish you knew much earlier on as an author?
The way to
attract readers is to be yourself, not someone you think readers will like. I'm
a very friendly blogger and social media butterfly but when I first became a
published author, I thought I had to appear stand-offish and stuffy. Boy, was I
wrong! Readers want to get to know an author, especially if the author is
unfamiliar to them. A reader is more likely to spend their hard-earned money on
a book if they have interacted with an author either through social media or a
blog.
Q) What's the best marketing advice you can give other authors?
Whatever you
do, don't bombard people with BUY MY BOOK posts and/or tweets. Talk about
things you're interested in, get to know people and then drop into the
conversation you have a book for sale. Be a real person, not a billboard.
Q) Name 5 books you wish you'd written (and not just for the money and fame).
Pride and
Prejudice by Jane Austen - Love the characters and how brave Jane Austen was
for writing in a time when women were seen, not heard.
Any book by
Agatha Christie - She's my favorite author and I love how unfolds a mystery
with incredibly-complex characters.
America's
Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins -
This is one of those historical books I wish I had written. Filled with women
like you and me who changed America by following their beliefs. Brilliant!
Dracula, My
Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker by Syrie James - I'm a huge fan of
Dracula and the whole vampire lore. I wish I had thought of doing a journal of
Mina Harker. The author does a magnificent job drawing us into the mind of Mina
and every time I read it, I discover something new.
Bibliotherapy:
The Girl's Guide to Books for Every Phrase of Our Lives by Nancy Peske and
Beverly West - I've read books my whole life and for every occasion, especially
heartbreak. I wished I had the foresight to come up with this idea back when I
was in high school. There's a book for every mood and problem. *wink*
Q) List 5 books you loved as a child.
Winnie the
Pooh by A. A. Milne
Anne of Green
Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Encyclopedia
Brown Mysteries by Donald J. Sobol
The Giving
Tree by Shel Silverstein
Ballet Shoes by
Noel Streatfeild
Q) What
inspired you to write Planting Seeds of Love?
Planting the Seeds of Love: A Novella started as a flash fiction story. I
was free-writing back in March, desperately trying to reconnect with my muse. I
was stuck on my sequel of my debut novel, Princess
of the Light, and the words weren't flowing. I closed my eyes and a faint
female voice started speaking to me.
In June, I was
offered an opportunity of a lifetime and they needed a contemporary romance to
judge my writing skills. I write primarily paranormal romance so I pulled out
my flash fiction folder. I came across a country romance flash fiction and
suddenly, a light bulb went off.
Two weeks
later, I had 24,000 words and Planting
the Seeds of Love: A Novella.
Q) What genres
do you enjoy writing in? (Including any non-fiction articles, etc.)
I love writing
anything with a paranormal theme to it. I'm fascinated by the paranormal and it
comes across in my writing.
I also love
writing inspirational thoughts for my blog. Every weekday morning, I write an
inspirational thought. Sometimes it's reflective of my life or the lives of my
friends or family while other times it's based on something I read in the news.
My mantra is
to spread the Light. It doesn't matter what you believe, we all have Light
inside. One of the main attributes to the Light is kindness. The world would be
a different place if every single human being showed kindness to others. There
wouldn't be war, hatred or evil. What a world that would be. *smiles*
Q) If you were to be executed tomorrow, what would you choose as a meal for your last supper?
Porterhouse
steak, sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms with a bottle of red wine and some
kind of chocolate dessert. I've included a picture of a Valentine's Day dinner
my husband prepared for me one year. Yeah, that's my last supper.
Title: Planting the Seeds of Love: A Novella
Author: N. N. Light
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, New
Adult Romance
Release Date: September 15, 2015
Tagline: Torn between two men, Sally must
follow her heart and decide if love will lead her to the city or the
countryside.
|
| Such a cute cover, I had to use it twice. |
Blurb:
Torn between
two men, Sally must follow her heart and decide if love will lead her to the
city or the countryside.
Twenty-Two
year old Sally Rayton returns to the family farm she deserted four years ago to
bury her grandfather. Her plan: to settle her grandfather's estate and return
to her life in the city with her boyfriend, Trevor Mattson.
Her childhood
friend, Jack Smith, has other ideas.
Jack convinces
Sally to transform the farm into a brewery and fulfill her grandfather's dream
while keeping the Rayton Farm in the family. Sally works side-by-side with Jack
while Trevor is hundreds of miles away in the city. The more time she spends
with Jack, the stronger her feelings are for him.
When Trevor
shows up to propose to Sally right before Christmas and finds her in Jack's
embrace, she must make the biggest choice of her life: true love.
Excerpt:
Sally woke up the next morning to the sound of a
chainsaw, multiple chainsaws. What the
hell is going on? It's five-thirty in the morning! She threw back the
bedcovers and grabbed her robe off the back of the bedroom door. Pulling it
tight across her body, the floral soft cotton robe did nothing to conceal the
fact she was naked underneath. She ran down the stairs and stomped out the door
barefoot.
"So help me, I'm going to kill whomever is making
that racket," she roared to no one in particular.
She craned her neck to hear where the sound was coming
from. Turning left, towards the citrus grove, she saw Jack and two other men
standing under the trees. All of the frustration from the past week poured out
of her and she ran as hard as she could. When she came closer, she realized
what they were about to do.
"Stop! Don't cut these trees down!" She
panted. She put her hands on her hips to catch her breath.
Jack's eyes roamed the length of her body and Sally
could feel a slight warmth heat her cheeks. She looked down at her disheveled
robe and pulled her robe tighter. Dammit,
what's he staring at? She lifted her gaze and her stomach did a flip.
Jack's shirt wasn't buttoned and she caught a glimpse of his tanned ripped
stomach muscles. Oh my!
"Jack, what are you doing? Do you know it's
five-thirty in the morning?"
He shook his head, as if that was an answer. She tore
her eyes away from his abs to his face. She inhaled sharply. His hooded eyes
looked ready to devour her. I must be
seeing things. Maybe he's just hungry.
The two other men set down their chainsaws.
"Listen Jack, we'll be over at your farm eating some breakfast. Come get
us when you're ready."
Jack snapped his head around to the men. "Sure.
I'll see you guys in few minutes." He ran his fingers through his hair.
"I have to clear things up with Miss Rayton." Jack watched the men
walk away and whipped his head back to Sally.
Sally rolled her eyes and said aloud, "Yeah, you
just have to talk to the womanfolk." She spoke in a sweet Southern drawl.
"Remember to speak nice and slow so she understands ya'll."
Buy Links:
Available at
Amazon Worldwide exclusively: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01581XM50
Paperback: https://www.createspace.com/5697490
Newsletter:
If you would
like to sign up to be an exclusive member of #TeamPOTL, send me an email:
info [at]
princessofthelight [dot] com
You'll get a
free short story and you'll get sneak peeks into what I'm working on. Plus,
every Friday, you'll get a special shout-out on Twitter. :)
Author Bio:
N. N. Light has been creating stories ever since she was little. Her grandfather remembers when she was two years old, she would stand at the top of the stairs and tell him a story filled with emotion (and in a language foreign to him) with her hands on her hips. Let's just say she was a born storyteller.
N. N. Light has been creating stories ever since she was little. Her grandfather remembers when she was two years old, she would stand at the top of the stairs and tell him a story filled with emotion (and in a language foreign to him) with her hands on her hips. Let's just say she was a born storyteller.
She was born
in Minnesota, lived in Southern California only to move to chilly Ontario,
Canada to marry her beloved husband MR N. She is blissfully happy and loves all
things chocolate, books, music, movies, art, sports and baking. Her mantra is
to spread the Light.
Most of the
time you can find her on Twitter or getting new ideas on how to spread the
Light on Pinterest. She is a proud member of ASMSG, Independent Author Network
and Marketing for Romance Writers.
In addition to
being an author, she's also a book promoter/reviewer and social media marketer.
She loves books, has ever since she was young. Matching up books and readers is
something that gives her great pleasure.
She’d love to
connect with you either via email or via these various social media sites:
Website: http://princessofthelight.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/nnlight
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NNP_W_Light
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/nnlight
Amazon Author
Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/nnlight
Independent
Author Network: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/n-n-light.html
Thank you so much for the fun interview, Ann, and I'm thrilled you like the cover. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! But now I must watch Dracula again...
DeleteIf you want to see who I determine to be the best Dracula ever, watch Dracula 2000 with Gerald Butler. End of story. :)
DeleteWait. Did you say GERALD BUTLER??? Be still my beating heart. He was AMAZING in Phantom. A. MAZ. ING.
Delete