About Groovy Lee:
I live in the South with my daughter, my Queen, and where the number 4 has two syllables. I’m addicted to bottled tea and cooking shows; I also crochet and collect crystal. My favorite time of year is tennis season. When the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open are airing, you can look for me, but you won’t find me–unless you know where my 53″ television set is. Even then, approach me with all the care you would a Grizzly–exactly, you wouldn’t! Even my daughter knows she’ll have to dial 911 herself if she encounters an emergency–just kidding–I’ll get to her eventually:)
I absolutely love to write, and wouldn’t think of doing anything else. My genres are wholesome, passionate romance, romantic/suspense, and suspense that may cross over to other genres. I have 5 books published on Amazon Kindle and I’m very proud of all my babies.
I love when people friend me on GoodReads, or contact me to ask me questions and tell me how much they liked my books. I smile for days when that happens 🙂
What inspires you to write?
I’m inspired by different things: A song, something someone says, or the way someone looks can evoke a story. For instance, my romantic/suspense, “Colors In The Dark”, was inspired by a featured show on NBC Dateline; also Eric Clapton’s, “I Shot the Sheriff” plays an intricate part in the storyline. I adore the R&B star, Prince, who inspired a big part in my first suspense novel, “Cause She’s A Good Girl”.
Tell us about your writing process.
My writing process: I don’t use outlines or anything like that. Like a lot of authors, stories and characters live in my imagination until I put them on paper. When I decide which story to pull out of my head, I sit down and start writing. And my favorite part of this process are the revisions. I find that the more I revise, the more my characters expand and bring life to the story–they can be very colorful!
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I listen to my characters a lot. After all, it’s their story. They even let me know whether or not they like the names I’ve given them. I don’t talk to them because it would do no good. I just listen and write what they tell me–I love it!
What advice would you give other writers?
The best advice I would give and am truly grateful for is: Not everyone is going to love your work (I wish) You’re going to get some constructive criticism. Take that and learn from it to make you a better author. You’re also going to come across some who just want to be nasty in their reviews, and I’ve gotten a few, such as: Someone didn’t like the title of my book so it deserved a 1 star; or one reader thinks my lead characters are irritating, and yet she gives me 3 stars and continues to buy my books–Hmmm. Anyway, take it for what it is, and know that others who read such harsh reviews will see them for what they are—nasty and unnecessary; 1 and 2 star reviews are a badge of honor. Those that get you when they read your books will be your loyal fans. Those that don’t, just aren’t your type of readers.
I would also like to add that studying and learning the craft, write your way, not what you think will appeal to the masses. Write because of your great love for it, not for fame and a spot on the bestseller’s list.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
For some years, I wrote to just about every agent listed only to receive a the standard, “not for me”, in return; I could wallpaper my entire house with the number of rejection letters I received. I used to dream about becoming a Harlequin romance author. But according to them, I wasn’t good enough. I refused to take “no” from anyone, to be told I’m not good enough. So, when I learned about Amazon’s KDP, I jumped right on it.
And I love it! I get to decide for myself what I write and how I write it. I’m in control of the entire process. And you know what? I’M GOOD ENOUGH! I have fans!! People love what I write. One mother who was caring for her young daughter dying of cancer found escape through my suspense novel, “Cause She’s A Good Girl”; that book brought peace to her heart, and a smile on her face. To think that something I wrote helped in such a small way makes it all worthwhile to me.
My advice to new authors is do what is comfortable for you. I could probably get a contract with a traditional house now, but I don’t want that. I love the self-publish venue. And yet, there are other authors I know of who love having an agent and being part of the traditional scene. It’s what works for you. Either way, you’re an author!
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I remember when I self-published my first book years before KDP, I was treated as if I had the plague. No one wanted to deal with a self-published book or its author. If you went that route, then your book must have been subpar and not worth anyone’s time; everyone looked down on you. Now, with so many options open to new authors, the sky’s the limit. This is the best time to do what you love; and the choice is left in your hands as to whether or not you’re good enough.
What genres do you write?: Romance, Romantic/Suspense, Suspense
What formats are your books in?: eBook
Website(s)
Groovy Lee Home Page Link
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
