Author Bio:
Clarice Williams was born and raised in Chicago, IL, but now resides in New Jersey as an Air Force spouse, with a blended family of six. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and also writes for Military Spouse Magazine. Her self-published works include children’s book that are available on Amazon under the pen name, C. JoVan Williams. Mrs. Williams is the author of the Chef ReCee Jay & Friends series. Her first two books, Our Picnic Surprise and Veggie’s Bully, both gained a 5 star review from Readers Favorite. Veggie’s Bully is also a 2013 B.R.A.G. MedallionTM Honoree. She hopes to gain even more favorable reviews with her third book, Uncle Bear’s Mystery Valentine.

What inspires you to write?
As a child, I loved to read, and reading was the easiest way to entertain myself. I’ve always know that I wanted to be a writer, the biggest question to me was always for who? So far I’ve written for online publications, magazines, and I’m also self-publishing my books through Createspace. What keeps inspiring me to write is the reaction I get from people who can gain something from what I write. Whether it be a tale of a bunny dealing with a bully at a young age to a recipe or money saving article for a well known magazine.

Tell us about your writing process.
My writing process is fast and furious. I prefer solitude when I’m working and only require a bit of white noise playing in the background. Ideas pop up in my head all the time, so much that I have to write them down as it happens or I loose it before I put it in Microsoft Word. Then I draft a story line so that I can format the idea better for book form. I still hire a editor for my children’s books even though the sentences are simplistic and from there I take my story to the illustrator I use. Sometimes it can be a quick turnaround, other times it really depends on other peoples schedules.

For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Sometimes I see my characters in my head as if I’m watching a TV show. From there, all kinds of things happen and I try to listen to it all. If only it was as simple as to think it and it magically appears on paper!

What advice would you give other writers?
Regardless of the genre you write or which route you go to publish your book, there will always be liabilities involved. As a self-published author, I’ve heard there are a lot of ways to get your book noticed without spending a single penny, but it’s rare. Be prepared to invest in yourself. Find supportive groups who can give you advice based upon the success that you have seen with your own eyes. It may not work for you, but at least you can learn from people who have already gotten where you are trying to go.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
Recently I found out that I come from a long line of self made relatives. On my dad’s side of the family, most of the men worked with their hands and built something substantial. It was always in my mind to self-publish. A part of me feels that there is so much competition out there, that in order to be noticed, you have to go above and beyond what’s normal. If it’s a success, then you can feel even more pride that it was you that got you to where you wanted to be, not the big name publishing company or a famous person to sponsor you, just you. I’m not knocking big name publishing companies in any way, shape, or form. I hope to get their attention one day, based on the works that I did.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Right now, the money seems to be in digital sales and even though it’s easier to self publish now than it was before, it’s still hard to be successful. As long as publishing companies can learn how to keep overhead costs low, I’m sure they will still be able to thrive in our tech savvy world that we live in. One thing for sure, is that you’re always going to need writers to draw the readers in. Once you have the writers, then you’ll still need the editors, the artists, PR, and all the other subsidiaries that make one product work. It takes a lot of money and networking in order to make something work and not everyone can afford the expenses that come with it, so the book publishing industry, like the music industry, will still be around for many years to come.

What do you use?
Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers

What genres do you write?
Children’s books

What formats are your books in?
Both eBook and Print

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Author Page On Amazon

Your Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/17562801-c-jovan
http://www.facebook.com/chefreceejay
http://www.twitter.com/iwrite_2
http://www.pinterest.com/iwrite2/