Interview with Laura Simmons

Author of Tough Karma: A Race Against Time

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born and raised in Virginia, and I still live there.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

I have lived in several different areas of Virginia, and at the moment I am living in the city where I was born.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I’ve wanted to write a book ever since I was a little girl. I used to write short stories and poems in my teen years, but all of that stopped once I became an adult and joined the workforce. The desire to write never left me, and I found myself at a point in my life where I was reading romantic fiction and thinking it was time to write that book.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

My first two books fall into the Paranormal Romance genre for the most part. The later ones fit more into the Fantasy Romance and Urban Fantasy genres, including the one I am currently writing. If people are interested in the topics of reincarnation and psychic abilities, they would probably enjoy my stories.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

I’m discovering that those who enjoy Paranormal Romance and Fantasy Romance are the most likely to connect with my books.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

How hard it is to market my books. Getting people to leave reviews is a real challenge too.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Make sure you have lined up beta readers. I wish I had done that before publishing my first book. I had a few people read my rough draft and give me ideas on things that should be changed. Once I was happy with the final manuscript, I wish I would have done more research to find someone else to give it a final read through. I didn’t want to bother my friends to read it again. My debut novel, Little Bits of Karma, has some good reviews but if I had it to do over, I wouldn’t have published it until at least two other people had read the final manuscript.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

An infinite number! I think any published author would love to reach the world with their books.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

My biggest frustration and challenge is that I wish I could write faster. By that I mean write great stories in less than a year. It typically takes me a year and a half to write a story and publish it. Part of that is due to the fact that I work full-time and have to write when I’m not stressed about work, or life in general. Too much stress gets in the way of my flow.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Writing – my biggest strength is that I believe I am becoming a better writer with each book, and I love bringing life to the story running through my mind. Publishing – I use a vanity press to do the actual publishing and get in distribution channels because I don’t have the time to do it all from start to finish. Marketing – I don’t think I have many strengths on marketing, not yet.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Writing – my biggest weakness is that I worry how my story will be received. Sometimes I become paralyzed with all of the writing advice out there, the do’s and don’ts. Then I become overly critical of what I have written. My flow stops and I come back to it later. Publishing – it costs money to have someone else publish your books. I save up for it. Marketing – that is my biggest weakness of all.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I am writing it now and hope to have it published by the end of 2020.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I am self-published but use a vanity press to do the heavy lifting of publishing paperback versions, formatting Kindle and Nook versions and upload, etc.