Author Interview with Holden Gay - Author of the Memoir The Woman Behind Those Lies.
Holden Gay's Debut Book The Woman Behind Those Lies tells the story of a man who was certain that he found the true love in the country of his dreams.
Interview with Holden Gay
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| Author Holden Gay |
Holden Gay: Really I don’t have a high level writing background yet but I want to pursue my goal and participate in some author workshops to continue the writing job. I came from Haiti but I used to visit the United States before I definitely resided in the country. But visiting and live are two different things, I didn’t have the time to speak fluently the language when I was visiting. It was on June 2009 I made my resolution to stay without any doubt in the country where every dream could turn out into a reality. Then I went to work and also went to a Community College just to speak English and write correctly just to be familiar with the system properly. So my journey to speak or write English started in this Country since June 2009 to present.
Who are your favorite writers, your favorite books, and who or what are your writing influences?
My favorite writers are: Anthony ‘Tony’ Robbins, Robert Kiyosaki, Nelson Mandela, etc.
My favorite books are: AWAKEN THE GIANT WHITIN, RICH DAD POOR DAD, and LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, etc.
When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?
Since I touched the ground of the United States in 2009 I would like to write but my English wasn’t fluently at this time. I could not speak and write correctly so I talked to myself and I said the only way to get to the world of writing is to go to school. In fall 2010 I attended a Community College then I took reading and writing classes, at this point I strongly recognized I can become a writer, and I started to write essays. In this occasion I would like to say thank you to my professors for their patience and courage.
Tell us about your writing process. Do you have a writing routine?
I didn’t have exactly a writing process for the reason why I was a student at the same time that I was writing my first book. I went full time to school also I had my part time job, the only thing I remember I slept very late at night. I stayed late to study vocabularies and I used my computer for a number of activities; to look up the unfamiliar words, hear the diction of the words, and writing my manuscript on weekend and sometimes the major part of my spare time. I had a writing routine on weekends where I spent more than 4 hours on Saturday early in the morning from 6 am to 10 am and at night sometimes I stayed very late to write because it was my best moment to think, more often I spent my holidays to type just to go forward step by step with the project.
"[...] I wrote easily without taking time to think deeply."
What do you find easiest about writing? What the hardest?
The easiest part of my writing journey was I know I had good materials so I wrote easily without taking time to think deeply. And also I learned at the same moment a new language so I was happy to materialize it on an important matter. The hardest part was when we wrote in a new language we got more time than we expected it to learn. We have to focus all the time and write without tiring of that because the taste of writing become when we write often and consider it like a real job that we have to sacrifice, respect time and deadline. It’s for that reason we have a routine and some rules to respect just to produce a great product. We don’t have to forget when we don’t have a name in the market, we have to come out with a magnificent job for the readers to appreciate your name and also your product. So we have to think harder and work harder for them in an appropriate way so they will like the whole package.
Holden, please tell us a little about your Memoir 'The Woman Behind Those Lies'.
It is quite important to share what I did with people who trying hard to make this world a better place to live. As an author I would like to share with you my first book ‘ THE WOMAN BEHIND THOSE LIES’ which will make everyone understand what you are doing in this world is not in vain. And your reward will be unique because you help and serve human beings. Frankly with your remarkable job for this universe you are protecting your family more especially your kids for generation and generation. My book is divided in short stories, I hope this will help you to more focus in your battle to listening more in a positive way. The writing inside the book will give you courage and willingness to go on and show you how you can change negative to positive with the sweetest revenge that we call forgiveness and audacity to understanding why certain things happen in our lives? It is also a book that I dedicated to my mother and all the bullying kids in the United States, I think some parents deserve it because they can’t observe their kids bully in this society anymore.
.jpg "The Woman Behind Those Lies (Holden Gay)") |
| Click to Read an Excerpt |
What inspired you to write the book?
I wanted to become a writer in my life for this important reason, when I saw how a mother was struggling to convert life of her kids to become true men and true women by education. But she didn’t receive the respect that she deserved according to their own children. I recalled the time how my mother was a good mother, a single mother who worked very hard to prevent their kids to stay out of drugs and bad influences of immoral friends but she is not with me to enjoy the taste of the fruit of her patience and hard work that she did for me and my little brother. And I had the challenge to write in English during my almost four years in the United States. All these things was inspired me to write the book.
Who do you see as your target audience and where can we buy the book?
My target audience is all young people, students, parents, teachers, educators, and bullying people. Everyone can buy the book on amazon.com and createspace.com or contact me via email or call me to have a copy, when you buy a copy of the book you also save a dog or a cat because I am ready to give back what they gave to me without complaining. So I want to start to save animals lives, and maybe after help others who knows?
"[It is a] mistake to NOT start with any marketing efforts before the book is coming out."
How would you describe the success of your book so far?
I published the book on February 2013, my mistake I didn’t start with any marketing efforts before the book is coming out. It’s really a problem for a self-publisher if you don’t have already two or three books previously on the market. You have to have a way to promote your book directly before thinking about your books on the shelves of any biggest names of the bookstores or on amazon that count a lot. So far I can’t say anything about sales, awards, and reviews that are the most important part for an author to stay in the cycle. I am at my phase of promoting and selling at this present moment with no reviews yet.
How long did it take it to write the book?
The Woman Behind Those Lies was a game which becomes serious during an interval of one year and three months. There are sometimes we can discourage but time shows us we have to do something, and we have to use the time for a good reason. I started to write my book on September 2011, I remember that I gave up because I didn’t believe in it at 100 percent. It’s exactly on December 1, 2011 I took my resolution to continue to write and stop until I publish my book. It was in December 2012 I finally had hope I am going to publish a real book and becoming a new author.
Please, tell us where you self-published the book.
I self-published my book with Create Space a division of the amazon company.
How smooth went the self-publishing process? Any issues? What are things to look for when self-publishing a book?
It was not really easy for me to self-publish because I had to do everything by myself. That means collect all the materials on paper first, write it down to follow exactly the guidance and I didn’t have a lap top at this period. I started a little bit at the library to make contact with Create Space to give me an ISBN for the title. It is a good way to find help when English is your second language but you have to have a group of people to help you. I didn’t have that chance to find people to help me, it’s for that reason it was a little difficult for me and also for Create Space. I consider writing is a group project, you have to have friends and family to support you with the proofreading and review the manuscript before publish it. My problem with Create Space it took me time to start editing the manuscript and to choose a book cover. They are so patient there always ready to help with any kind of question but all is about you. Always review the manuscript first before you send it to the self-publishing company that will take less time when you receive your first physical proof and very quick to push the bottom publish my book. That will take another time to review it if at the beginning you didn’t respect your guidance and take time to adjust everything. For a self-publisher a physical proof is a great help for the writer to carefully review it. You have to purchase everything if you don’t have friends to help you.
Did you hire an editor and/or Cover Designer for your book?
I didn’t hire an editor at the beginning but I paid CreateSpace for editing and also for the book cover. My bad I didn’t have any image for the front cover of the book, I purchased all these services from CreateSpace. For a new author you have to have your specific image for your book or you already have an idea of your book cover will be. I want to give you a tip if you don’t have money for your small project you can hire editors and proofreaders on the net ready to help you for less money and they will give you a formidable service. An author is a name that you pick to give yourself but writer is a job you create so you have to invest a little bit to make it happen or to bring your dream to the fruition.
"[...] you have to have a group to support you with your book project."
Can you give some tips for other Indie Authors regarding the writing and self-publishing process?
For all the Indie authors and other authors around the world you have to have a group to support you with your book project. You don’t have to be afraid of critics sometimes critical people help indirectly and challenge you to realize a remarkable job for your book. Don’t forget when you have no names on the market, you have to create a direct contact with your readers. You have to know your target readers first and where you can find them, you are a producer and your book is your product. You have to sell yourself first and readers will merchandise you and your book. The way you present yourself readers will appreciate you and they will buy your book. Be equals to the product you are advertising of, the world is sensible they like nice people and they obey to nice words. Consider all your readers are women and you are the only perfect gentlemen. If you are a woman consider all your readers are men and you are the most beautiful lady in this universe with your large smile and always wear white pants to charm your readers. Words are everything - so keep writing!
"Words are everything - so keep writing!"
Are you working on another book project? Can you tell us a little about it?
At this moment I am working on two important projects that I am sure about that all group ages will appreciate. I do not want to reveal any of the titles yet but I am pretty sure my readers will be happy and they will raise the value of my work.
Are you planning to move forward as an Indie author or are you looking forward to have one of your next books to be traditionally published?
I am thinking right now why not to collaborate with Indie author with one of my projects? But I suppose when time is coming I will let you know because I like the way you promote The Indie authors News for the writers. You know at this point I still need big help with my books and self-publishing help me a lot to improving on everything in the world of writing. Then I am not ready for the traditional publishing but I would like to do it to see the differences. I think all self-publishing should take note the way you not only believe on editing and publish but also you promote the producer of the product that you are publishing, it’s really a great job from Indie author likewise a great advantage for an author.
Where do you see the book market in 5 or 10 years? Will there be only eBooks and will book stores disappear like record stores disappeared?
I don’t really see a complete disappearing for the book stores but after 10 years I assume that more people will consider publishing in eBook format. And we will find less books in the book stores because we will always have book signings, book events, and book festivals so we will always have to sign a copy for a friend or a parent. Formerly in 5 or 10 years the book market will be more electronic than the old fashion that we call softcover. But with the giant step of technology we can’t say big thing really about the book stores in a near future.
Do you write full-time or do you have a day job?
I was working part time and additionally went full time to school when I started to write my book.
How can readers connect with you?
Readers can connect with me via my social networks: On twitter they can follow me @gayhol1 or via my Facebook page with my name Holden Gay.
Thank you so much Indie Authors News for the opportunity and I really appreciate what you are doing for the writers.
Thank you very much for the Interview, Holden.
About the Book The Woman Behind Those Lies
.jpg "The Woman Behind Those Lies (Holden Gay)") |
| Click to Read an Excerpt |
Finally, not only was he forced to find a new place to live and a new job. She went out of her way to defame her former husband. She has told some tales to his employers, his friends, and his contacts that he was gay and a thief. She used anything she could imagine to damage his career and his character. She has kept on with some tactics of to keep him from succeeding and to bully him into returning to Haiti. In brief, she called, sent text messages, and e-mails everywhere that he worked and shopped in order to ruin his reputation:—bus station, hospitals, family, friends, and even the school he was attending to help him become a good and respected citizen. All to disrupt his life and sabotage his hopes for success. She used everything in her power to make him disappear. She left him no place to turn. And yet, he never gave up."
Links to the Book
Link to the Paperback The Woman Behind Those Lies with Excerpt on Amazon
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