Author Interview: Renee Lovins

This week I am interviewing author Renee Lovins, author of Ink Deep: Fairy Modern: Beauty & the Beast and the newly released Glass Hearts: Fairy Modern: Cinderella. I loved these books and the whole idea of modern fairytales and wanted to learn more from Renee about her writing process. Let’s see what she has to say!

What drew you to the idea of writing updated fairytales?

Fairytales are something so integral to most cultures. We grow up with them, we want to be the heroes they describe, or we shudder at the challenges people go through for their heart’s desire. These basic aspects—someone to love us, the monsters out to get us, and the happy ever after—drive so much of our lives, even when we don’t realize it. I wanted to take the stories and make them real, where the only magic is that of hard work and love. Then create a tale where you see yourself reflected in the story, both the good and the bad.

How was the process of writing your second novel different than writing your first?

MUCH more organized. Ink Deep I just wrote, without figuring out the best way to do it. And as such, it took me forever to straighten out. For Glass Hearts, I used Scrivener and made sure I kept everything straight much better. Some of the things, like setting each card to a different color for POV, made writing so much easier.

Do you have a writing schedule or do you write when the mood strikes?

Ah, to have a schedule. I work full time, and my commute sucks, to say the least, so it is almost always in the evenings. I already get up at 5 a.m., and getting up at 4 a.m. would lead to me staring at the computer wanting to still be asleep. I write a lot on weekends, and just put it first. Luckily, I have a husband that supports me in spending so much time writing, so that helps.

How do you market your books?

Trial and error. This time we did book blitzes and put it up on Novel Reviewers (http://novelreviewers.com/), which is a place where reviewers can get books to review. I have a newsletter and just tried to get the word out. But by far, it is the one thing I don’t know how to do well—yet! I’m still learning, and all I can do is keep trying.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a writer?

Write. Lol, I know that doesn’t help, but at the end of the day you have to write to be a writer. Reading and talking about it and joining groups don’t make any difference if you don’t write. Set small goals, meet them, then set larger ones, but write. The only other thing I can think is this: If you are a self-published author, remember you are playing a long game. It is not how much you earn this month or this year, but how much you will earn over twenty years. You own your property, and you can still be making money off of it in twenty, fifty, one hundred years from now. So play with it; you have time.

Bio: Renee is married with cats, works too much, and drives too much. Yes, that covers her life. She's a bit of an odd duck in that she grew up on a farm, chose books over food (not that it seems to help with her weight), and spends WAY too much time on her computer. She reads darn near everything and is always trying to make her writing better. She's weird, off-kilter, a fanfiction writer, and loves Dragoncon.

Current Novels - Ink Deep - www.amazon.com/dp/B00M7KRVRG/

Glass Hearts - www.amazon.com/dp/B017GFLQVI/

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Website - www.reneelovins.com