Indie Author Interview with Christine Brae - Author of the Contemporary Romance (Coming-of-Age) The Light in the Wound.
Christine Brae lives in Chicago with her husband, three children and an English Bulldog named Brutus. The Light in the Wound is her debut novel.
Interview with Christine Brae
Christine Brae: What is your (writing) background?
I have always loved to write – poems, stories and letters. I grew up with the two sides of my brain conflicted. I loved numbers and wanted to go into business. And so even if the need for math and numbers won out in the end, I became an Economics major and used my love for writing to write business process and training documents. I also chose a minor in Humanities which cultivated my love for philosophy and literature.
Who are your favorite writers, your favorite books, and who or what are your writing influences?
I am in love with many authors, both traditionally published and Indie. I’m a voracious reader but I am easily turned off when a book is not well written. I grew up reading Colleen McCollough’s books and I was on an Anita Shreve kick for a few years. This may sound weird but I don’t really have any writing influences because I write what’s in my head, and I don’t try to fit one style or write about one thing based upon another author’s book. I do love many Indie Authors, some of them are my very close friends. They know who they are, so no need to mention :)
When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?
I never thought I would go ahead and self publish a book and so the answer to that question is “never”. I have been writing all my life but putting a book out for other people to read, enjoy or even hate, was never in my plan. I got caught up in the Indie Book craze and decided to share my story with the world. The results have been very fulfilling.
"My eyes will tell you how much sleep I’ve had the night before."
Tell us about your writing process. Do you have a writing routine?
I am a person whose brain never gives her a break. My mind just keeps going and they’re all jumbled thoughts in my head. I’ll be thinking about business strategy one minute and then a thought will pop up about Alex or Jesse or Isa in my head. Or vice versa. When this happens, I grab my trusty secret notebook and start writing my thoughts down. Sometimes I’ll be in the middle of a meeting and find myself having to type those thoughts down on my phone for future use.
I write late at night after everyone is in bed and I write on weekends. I pull all nighters during the weekend. My eyes will tell you how much sleep I’ve had the night before.
What do you find easiest about writing? What the hardest?
Anyone can write a story. Writing about something and putting it on paper is the easiest part of the process. Once you have the foundation down, you only have a part of it completed. Going back and putting your thoughts, feelings and emotions in actual words that can convey exactly what you want is the most difficult part.
Christine, please tell us a little about your Book 'The Light in the Wound.’
The Light in the Wound is a story about a young girl who makes her life’s decisions based upon the influences of her past. She meets two men in her lifetime and struggles with her head and her heart. It is a bittersweet coming of age story that resonates among women who have had to choose their paths in life while trying to be strong and maintain a semblance of who they really are. The Light in the Wound is a realistic point of view about how subjective a Happily Ever After really is. Everyone can have an HEA, it’s all in your hands.
.jpg "The Light in the Wound (Christine Brae)") |
| Click to Read an Excerpt |
What inspired you to write the book?
This book was inspired by true events and real people who I have dealt with very closely in my life. I wanted to write about something real that had flaws and holes and annoying characters who would grow up and develop right before the readers’ eyes.
Who do you see as your target audience and where can we buy the book?
Amazingly, the people who have loved this book are from all cross sections of life, all age groups. I have the most amazing Street Team who organized themselves in my behalf and they are a happy mix of young and middle aged women who identified with Isa and Alex and Jesse.
The book can be bought at Amazon.
"...I receive [messages] from people daily about how the book has touched their hearts."
How would you describe the success of your book so far?
I’m not seeing the success of the book in numbers or rank. I am experiencing the success of the book through the reviews that have been posted and the messages that I receive from people daily about how the book has touched their hearts.
How long did it take it to write the book?
It took about six months for me to feel comfortable about publishing the book. The writing time was shorter but the changes and additions/deletions and afterthoughts took six months before I decided to stop the madness and take the leap!
Please, tell us where you self-published the book.
I am currently with Amazon only under their KDP plan, but I’m going to be expanding to the other outlets in October.
How smooth went the self-publishing process? Any issues?
The Self Publishing process went very smoothly with me. I think this is mostly because I have close friends who are authors and so they were an invaluable resource to me when it came to actually getting the book up on Amazon. They told me what to expect, when to do what I did and referred me to the best editor and formatter in the business.
"Writing is a very lonely process."
What are things to look for when self-publishing a book?
Writing is a very lonely process. You can have the best friends in the industry but when it comes down to writing your words and sharing it with the world, you’re basically on your own. So you have to expect that there will be times when you have to figure things out by yourself. Having said that, Self Publishing is really very user friendly and so I think that anyone can actually upload a book and set themselves up technically in the system.
Did you hire an editor and/or Cover Designer for your book?
Yes, I absolutely did. It was worth every penny. I have many positive comments about the writing, editing and formatting of the book as well as the beauty of the cover. I would never have been able to do this on my own.
"Everyone writes for a reason."
Can you give some tips for other Indie Authors regarding the writing and self-publishing process?
I’m a new author so I don’t think I want to start dishing out advice just yet. Everyone writes for a reason. I write because I have stories and characters and conversations in my head that just won’t go away. If you stay true to what prompted you to write in the first place, you will find it easier to survive the Indie World. Human nature always comes into play with regards to wanting to sell books, ranking on Amazon, etc, but with a strong foundation in who you are and what’s important, I think you’ll survive the momentary lapse of craziness.
Are you working on another book project? Can you tell us a little about it?
I have wonderful friends and fans who needed more closure for the main characters of my first book. I am releasing His Wounded Light late this year or early next year. It continues the journey of one of the main characters and ties everything up very neatly in the end.
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 would love to be traditionally published but don’t have any false expectations of that every happening. I have a full time career in the business which makes my time as an Indie Author really very limited. I wrote a story so that women from all walks of life will know that they are not alone and I would love to have it on the shelves so I can run away and continue with my life of working and writing and getting my stories out there for readers to enjoy.
"[...] the Indie Book world and eBooks will continue to explode for a few more years."
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’ really forsee actual books being replaced by eBooks, at least not for more than the period stated above. Believe it or not, there are quite a number of people who still like to feel the pages of a book. Having said that, I think that the Indie Book world and eBooks will continue to explode for a few more years. Like the law of supply and demand (I’m an Economics major), there will come a time when readers will be more discerning about the caliber of authors that they will accept and the market could potentially shrink.
Do you write full-time or do you have a day job?
I have a very demanding day job which I love so much, it is part and parcel of who I am. I have tons of vacation days and I travel quite a bit for work so I uses those times to fully indulge myself in my writing. I honestly think I have the best of both worlds. I am so blessed.
How can readers connect with you?
I love connecting with readers and getting into their heads about the book. Anyone can connect with me via Facebook, Twitter, Email or my blog page.
Facebook/Christine-Brae
Twitter: @christinebrae
Email: christinebrae@gmail.com
Blog: www.christinebrae.com
Thank you very much for the Interview, Christine.
About the Book The Light in the Wound
.jpg "The Light in the Wound (Christine Brae)") |
| Click to Read an Excerpt |
When Jesse Cain enters her life, she falls hopelessly in love with him, and every sadness she’s ever felt is washed away by his intensity and passion. But people change as they grow up. Things can never stay the same forever.
Jesse and Isabel fight to stay together, determined to hold on to what they once had. Isabel wonders if a second love can ever be enough to make her forget her first.
Links to the Book
Link to the Paperback The Light in the Wound with Excerpt on Amazon
Link to the eBook The Light in the Wound with Excerpt on Amazon
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