Interview with Kirsty Mickelsen

Author interviews with "The NZDream" blog

Tell me a bit about yourself….

Hello, and thank you for the opportunity to interview with you. My name is Kristy Mickelsen. I am a 43-year-old wife and mother, whose passions include my two autistic children, reading, and writing. I was born in Upland, California, and raised in Riverside by my two wonderful parents, Dale and Reata.

I believe that writing is a creative way to express many human emotions that are sometimes hard to speak.

Emotions such as love, lust, hate, anger, joy, and sorrow, just to name a few. I love to write both nonfiction from my real-life experiences, and fictional romance, and even some erotica.

My books can be found on Amazon.com and B&N.com including my rookie novella Nine Months to Autism, and my second Novel Lady For Hire.

You can also follow me on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter.

What genre/s do you write in?

I write Contemporary Romance as well as some erotica

How long have you been writing?

I started writing for fun back in high school but turned my writing into a career four years ago.

Do you have any published books or articles? Tell me a bit about these and what publishing route you took.

I have two books published, and on November 21st, 2021 my third book will be released.

Did you use an editor? If so who?

Great Question! In my first two books, I did not use a professional editor. However, I have an editor now that will be used for my soon-to-be-released third book. Her name is Lily Luchesi, and she is absolutely wonderful!

Did you use a book formatter and cover designer?

I used a cover designer for my second book, Lady for hire. Best decision I ever made! I tried to do everything the cheapest route possible during my first book, and it only made a couple of hundred dollars worth of sales. But in my second book, I hired a cover designer, and what a difference!

Did you self-publish or get traditionally published? How did this go for you?

I am a self-published Indie Author although I have submitted my works through Traditional publishing houses as well. However, I personally enjoy the indie route over traditional publishing as I have more control over the rights to my book as well as promotions and publicity.

How do you market your work and promote your brand?(Include links)

For marketing, I use Facebook ads, self-promotion through Twitter, and I have a hired promoter, Annie Smith who works hard to get my works in front of the public eye on social media. I also hold contests to win free books as well as other merchandise and I give away a set amount of free copies per book that I publish. I also have posters that hang in areas around my state.

What social media and writing platforms would you recommend?

I have found Twitter to be a wonderful social media platform to meet other writers and to gain public interest.

Do you use an agent?

Not at this time, but maybe one day if the need arises.

Do you use paid advertising? If so what?

I have used paid Facebook ads. They have helped bring more traffic to my website as well as to bring in new fans.

Do you have a blog or website?

I do have a website although I need to update it. The web address is www.kristymickelsenbooks.com

What inspires you most to write?

My kids. I am the mother of two young autistic adults and I write to help pay the bills for their care.

What do you do to help with writers block?

To help me get over writer’s block and take a day away from my laptop and I play the last scene that I wrote over and over in my head. I usually think of a scenario as I am laying in bed that would transition from that current scene to the next.

How do you plan your writing and start?

I usually get an idea for a book while I am laying in bed late at night. I then get up and grab some paper and write out my idea as well as some possible character names and bios. It all seems to flow from there.

Is writing your full time job? If not what else do you do?

Writing is my full-time job as I am the mother and caregiver to my two young adult autistic children who need me at home. So I work many hours a day working on novels to help pay the bills.

What are you working on at the moment?

I am currently adding the finishing touches to my third novel, A Christmas To Remember, as well as doing research for my fourth novel, titled The Champion.

What is your target audience?

My target audience is women between the ages of 30 to 75 years of age, as most of my books are slow-burn romance.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Currently, it takes me nine months to a year to write one novel due to having a rather hectic home life. I am hoping to slow things down a bit in my everyday life to start publishing two books a year at the least.

When did you first discover you enjoyed writing?

I was in high school writing stories for my friends when I first figured out that I really enjoyed writing. Then, as I got older, I used to write in journals until my son convinced me to publish a story. After that, I fell in love with learning about the writing industry and have been working in the field since.

What is your writing schedule look like?

I usually write from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. when I do not have a ton of other appointments to do. I usually get more done during the wintertime when things in my everyday life slow down a bit.

What does your family think about you writing?

My family is all very supportive of my career and they are my biggest fans as well as supporters. I couldn’t do it without them behind me, so I thank them so very much for supporting my endeavors.

What do you do when you are not writing?

When I am not writing, I attend wrestling shows with my son who is training to be a professional indie wrestler.

Where do you get information and ideas for your writing?

I tend to do research on my books online as well as make phone calls to different places. I also conduct interviews with different people to get a feel for a job or profession if needed.

What do you think makes a good story?

I think what makes a good story are characters that everyday people can relate to. I think when a person can relate to a character; it draws the reader in even more than they can identify with the person in the book.

My Links

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/kristy.k.mickelsen/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/kristybooks

https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Hire-Kristy-Mickelsen/dp/B08J5HNF56/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=kristy+mickelsen&qid=1612476028&sr=8-

https://www.mynzdreamblog.com/write-for-us-and-author-interviews