About M. Gail Grant:
M. Gail Grant resides in Canton, Georgia, surrounded by the North Georgia mountains, submerged in the culture of southern hospitality. Her writings have a twinge of the traditional and balance between outrageous adventures, faith, and the mystical world of wizardry. Her youngest daughter, age nine, was the inspiration behind the Magdalena Gottschalk series. Grant wanted to bring together a world of magic and enchantment within the every-day context. Observing her daughter's excitement as she watched the novel unfold was worth its weight in gold. Book #1 of the series, Magdalena Gottschalk: The Crooked Trail, is a 2018 Reader's Favorite finalist in the Children – PreTeen category, and 2017 NYC Big Book Award winner in the Juvenile Fiction category.
What inspires you to write?
My biggest inspiration for writing is my youngest daughter. She has a love of reading that reminds me of my own youth. We both love the fantasy world of wizardry and magic. As I began the Magdalena Gottschalk series, I would write a few chapters and have her read them. Watching her expressions and intrigue always fueled my writing. She typically couldn't wait for the next chapters to develop.
Tell us about your writing process.
I have always been a seat of the pants kind of writer. I begin writing and just let the story goes where it wants to go. I've never been one to outline. However, that being said, as my writing has progressed, so has my organizational planning. I knew when I wrote book one that I wanted to develop the storyline as a series for young readers. Therefore, once book one was launched, I found myself beginning to outline more. This organizational process has allowed me to outline where the story will go for several books ahead. I am now working on book three of the Magdalena Gottschalk series and can't wait to share it with my readers!
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
For me, I become my characters whole-heartedly. My character reactions are written very close to how I would think or feel if I was each individual character. Or, they represent people that I have met or experienced and how they would have reacted. I get VERY involved with my characters when I am writing their story. I have actually scared myself while writing alone at night because my book series is a little spooky. I have been known to get so involved in my writing that I turn on additional lights or set my house alarm system. It's quite funny if you think about it.
What advice would you give other writers?
Write EVERY SINGLE DAY. That is the biggest piece of advice I can give anyone that wants to write a book. The more you write, the easier it becomes and the more natural it will become. When I sit down to write and the storyline just isn't working for me, I open a blank page and begin writing about whatever comes to mind. Once the words begin to flow, I can switch back to the storyline and poof, we are off to the races.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
The truth is I chose self publishing because I wanted my father to be able to experience holding the physical book in his hands before he passed away. Not to share something sad with you, but a very honest answer. He was diagnosed with late stage cancer and I knew time was of the essence. I proudly wrote and self published the first two books of the series in time to see him smile. That alone will always be a treasure to me. Now that I am finishing book three of the series, I plan to continue self publishing. I want full control of the storyline and the characters as that is very important to me. I'm not saying I won't write a different series to query traditional agents. But, Magdalena Gottschalk will remain self published.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think the current trend will continue and there is a market for both ebooks and traditional print books. I have purchased ebooks myself and read them although I completely prefer a traditional print book. Holding the physical book, smelling the "smell" of a book, and being engaged is how I personally prefer to read. But, I know many people like the accessibility of reading an ebook. As I sit on airplanes and in the airport, I look around and many people are reading books on their cell phones and tablets. I think its great! As I think of all the hours I sit in carpool waiting on one of my children to complete their practice or lesson, I think of all the extra minutes of the day I can read. It works!
What do you use?: Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Middle Grades to Young Adult Epic Fantasy Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, PreTeen Fiction
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
M. Gail Grant Home Page Link
Link To M. Gail Grant Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
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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.
