Featured Author: M.A. Comley

M.A. Comley, a good friend and fellow New York Times bestselling mystery author, is someone who knows the book business inside out. Her newest novel, Wrong Place, has received rave reviews, and its success has her sitting at the #10 spot in police procedurals on Amazon. 

When asked what advice she had for aspiring authors, here's what she had to say:

Thanks for hosting me, Cheryl, always a pleasure dropping by for a cuppa and a chat with a good friend. :) 

I’ve recently released WRONG PLACE the first book in my DI Sally Parker thriller series set in Norfolk in the UK. I’m hoping it will be as successful as my Justice series, fingers crossed anyway. The second book, NO HIDING PLACE is now with the editor and available for pre-order.

Enough about my books and back to the question in hand. What advice would I give to anyone starting out; well, the most important advice would be to ensure you get your work edited by a professional before putting it out there, you’ll seriously regret it if you don’t. I also think people should just knuckle down and write the next book instead of marketing the hell out of ONLY one book. If people enjoy your work they will be impatient to read more, bear that in mind during this process.

I found this out the hard way, but have made up for it since, in the past three years I have written over 20 novels and accrued a ‘few loyal fans’ along the way. We’re nothing without our fans, another fact to remember if you’re self-publishing or indeed a trad published author.

Thanks for inviting me, Cheryl. Good luck to everyone in their quest to become a successful author.

Here are the links:

Wrong Place

Amazon hyperurl.co/v0bu2g

Kobo http://ow.ly/OrKyB

Xin Xii http://ow.ly/OrLFa

Barnes and Noble http://ow.ly/OEVwC                      

iTunes http://ow.ly/MrcmN 

Google http://ow.ly/OtSDv

Featured Author: Jodi Picoult

When I think of Jodi Picoult, the first words I think of are raw and unafraid. When I say the word unafraid, I'm referring to the fact that she speaks her mind, tells it like it is, and doesn't compromise who she is for anyone. I like that, and I admire it. She's as smart as she is creative, having graduated from Princeton, and then going on to earn a master's degree from Harvard.

Jodi is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who has been described by Stephen King as a writer who writes with "unassuming brilliance." Several of her books have been turned into films, both on TV and on the big screen. 

Her latest, Leaving Time, already has over 1,600 five-star reviews on Amazon, which isn't surprising. Her work just keeps getting better and better. 

In 2011 I wrote Jodi and asked what advice she'd give to new authors. Her advice wasn't surprising. Believe in yourself. This is the key to all things, isn't it? It's a seed that sprouts within all of us. What you choose to do with it, and how much you allow it to grow, is something only you can figure out for yourself. That's my two cents, and I'll let her describe her advice in her own words: 

"I had over 100 rejections from agents. What I believe is that the people who believe they are going to make it eventually do - you don't have to sway everyone but you DO have to have a single person fall in love with your manuscript, and often if you won't give up it makes someone take a second glance. I also think it is important to stick to your guns. If an agent insists a YA novel won't work in first person and you think it will, don't change to simply "make the sale." Eventually you'll find someone who believes in strongly as you do in your voice."

  

--Jodi Picoult