Interview with Author – Eden Baylee @edenbaylee

Author Bio:
Eden Baylee left a twenty-year banking career to write. Incorporating some of her favorite things such as travel, culture, and a deep curiosity for what turns people on, her brand of writing is sensual and literary.

She has written three collections of erotic novellas and flash fiction ~ SPRING INTO SUMMER, FALL INTO WINTER, and HOT FLASH.

On June 30, 2014, she released her first novel–a psychological mystery/thriller set in Jamaica called STRANGER AT SUNSET.

Eden loves hearing from readers, so connect to her via her website at www.edenbayleebooks.com and all her social networks.

What inspires you to write?
Inspiration comes in many forms, so it’s important for a writer to always stay aware. Be fully invested in conversations. Notice your surroundings. Tune in to the sounds around you. The mundane things of life spark ideas for stories.

After all, not all writers live the fantasy lives of movie stars and celebrities, but they can use their imaginations to write about it.

Tell us about your writing process.
I am a devoted pantser. I jump in and start writing, and then I’ll keep rewriting until I think the copy shines. My ideas don’t usually come to life until I’m at my keyboard. That’s when my imagination kicks into gear. Sometimes the words flow, sometimes not.

Novella-length books were easy to write without an outline, but in writing novels, I’ve had to change my tactics. I now do a book outline, with a few sentences describing what needs to be in each chapter. I also know how the book begins and ends. I allow myself flexibility if my “pantser” nature deviates from the plan, but my goal is to become a more efficient writer by sticking to an outline.

You can say I’m moving toward a hybrid of a plotter and a pantser.

For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Yes, I have long conversations aloud when I’m trying to flesh out credible dialogue and create realistic scenes.
Actors call it method acting, a technique to create in themselves the thoughts and feelings of their characters in order to develop lifelike performances.

As a writer, I do the same to connect to my characters. It forces me to draw on personal emotions and memories. This allows me to create behaviours that are plausible.

What advice would you give other writers?
Write every day and try to hit the word count you set for yourself. As a writer of fiction, my imagination is a function of my brain, and the brain is a muscle. It needs exercise or it will atrophy.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I am self-published. When I first started, I was eager to be published traditionally, but after awhile, I grew tired of trying to fit my writing into someone else’s template. I also knew the wait would be long from the time of acceptance until my book was available to readers.

I can be extremely impatient because I treat writing as a business. Just as I would not spend years holding onto a losing investment, I would not spend years submitting my work to traditional publishers. I changed direction and became an indie author and I’m so happy I did!

New authors need to explore what works best for them. Being an indie author is challenging if you don’t have the time, energy, or personality for it. You basically need to “do it all” so it’s important to be organized. I consider myself the CEO of a publishing company—I just happen to be publishing my own books. Like other publishers, I hire out professionals for the most important aspects—editing and cover design. And as with most indies, I do my own marketing and promotion. For me, this model makes sense because I write full-time, and I want a specific look and feel to all my books.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I’m optimistic about the world of publishing, especially for indie authors. I believe we are improving in every aspect — cover design, formatting, editing, and most importantly — the quality of the writing.

Gone are the days when readers just want to fill up their e-readers with as many free books as possible. I think readers have become much more choosy, and they should be. Whether it’s traditionally or independently published, quality needs to be the top consideration. I would go so far as to say that as an indie writer, I hold myself to an even higher standard when it comes to producing quality work.

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

What genres do you write?
Erotica, erotic romance, romance, mystery, thriller

What formats are your books in?
Both eBook and Print

Website(s)
Eden Baylee Home Page Link
Link To Eden Baylee Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site

Your Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4563150.Eden_Baylee
https://www.facebook.com/edenbaylee
https://twitter.com/edenbaylee
http://www.pinterest.com/edenbaylee/