Interview with Carol Beck

Author of Beauty From Ashes: A Journey of Faith

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

I’m from Alexandria, VA and currently living in McKinney, TX.

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

I moved from the Washington, D.C. area and my government job this summer to start up a business with family and friends in Texas! We’re creating a women’s co-working and connection space with art, photography, and wellness studios. I’m the wellness director and teach yoga classes plus design the overall class schedule and manage our teaching team. It’s a huge change but it’s the chance to bring a dream to life and I love it.

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

I wrote and published my first book, BELIEVE, because it put to words everything my yoga students asked me about, everything in my own journey, and everything I wanted to share with the world about how to overcome hard things and truly be yourself. When life gets hard, most of us try to numb the pain or take a shortcut out, but I wanted to share the tools I’d found to help me go through the hard things instead of around them.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

I like to say that my first book is a how-to on becoming your authentic self and dealing with tough things in life. My second book is all about faith – in ourselves, in others, and in the divine – and navigating that through the highs and lows to find something stable and substantial.

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

Women of all ages

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

I was surprised by how vulnerable it was to have people read my story and talk to me about it in person. It’s one thing to write the ins and outs of my life but another thing to talk about them out loud. It brought a whole new level of growth to me, personally.

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

Nothing – I think I followed the path I needed to and advice would have messed me up! Plus I bet I would be too stubborn to take advice, even from my future self.

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

I’m happy with anyone reading it, honestly. I’m always surprised by the number of sales and people who have read and shared.

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

I find it difficult to promote myself!

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

I think I write how I speak and it makes it relatable. I’ve also been able to display and sell books in studios where I teach which gets a lot of traffic and attention.

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

I’m not a big self-promoter. I also have a very strong vision for my books and I know that means they may not appeal to the masses unless they’re edited to do so.

When do you think you will write your next book?

No plans at the moment – two in two years was a lot!

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

Self published