About Paige Summers:
I am a Daughter, Mother, Wife and Entrepreneur and on a good day, an Author. I live near London in England. Now in my mid-forties, I have collected up snippets along the way, some good, some bad and these I try to tap into for inspiration. I also have a lively imagination, so I am never alone. I love with writing that you have the power to go in any direction and twist and turn it whenever you please, and sprinkle it with delicious spice whenever you want, if only real life was that easy.
Bernie Taylor is my debut book and to get an idea of my style there is also a short read, which is ideal for a 10 minute break or an insight into Bernie Taylor, called ‘A moment with Bernie Taylor, Room 112’ that is available from our website for free.
What have I done today?…Well, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting stuck into the 2nd book in the series about the sexy Bernie Taylor and look forward to where the chapters first take me, then it’s over to you guys x
What inspires you to write?
Writing is something that I’ve wanted to do for a lot of years now but it seemed life got in the way until I woke up one day after having a flood in my home and thought, if I have no TV and no sofa to sit on at the end of the day, I should make the time count and so sat down at my desk which was fortunately upstairs and with a glass of red in one hand started the first draft of Bernie Taylor. I had always enjoyed Jackie Collins books myself or the central character of Bridget Jones, so I decided to have one main character. A sexy strong female called Bernie Taylor and write a story that I would enjoy to read, and so she was born!
Tell us about your writing process.
I laugh at myself as it’s always the same. I have to procrastinate first for about half an hour, sometimes more. I know that I want to write but it’s like diving into a pool, I have to do a couple of runs up to it first. Procrastination may involve making a cup of tea, checking social media or finding a toffee in a drawer. Then when I’m ready, I’m off!
Probably the days or weeks even months leading up to the actual writing, I have made notes or structured ideas. This is normally simply in the form of writing. I love pen and paper and post it notes but I do have one main ‘ideas’ book, which I call my ‘mood boards’ and from here the story or chapters are built. I also find notes on a smartphone handy, as when you hear and see something and you can just log it for reference later. From here the actual typing process will be done using either Word or a software program called the Ultimate Ebook Creator. This is extremely handy as it formats the book and assists me turning it into the file I need, whether it be a mobi file for ebooks, or a pdf file for paperbacks.
Once I am writing, I keep going until I am satisfied that enough words have been achieved that day or content with the way it is moving along, often aiming for 1000 words per day. Some of this flows like a river and other times, it’s like a battle with yourself. But I try to remind myself, that it’s not important for it to be perfect for the first draft, just to, simply write.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Bernie Taylor is my new best friend. I would love to go out for a drink with her! When I started writing ‘Bernie Taylor’, she was different in my mind to how she ended up and that is mainly down to her saying to me, that she wouldn’t say that, or do that and so I listened and she became who she is today. Equally with characters throughout the book, who often play second fiddle to Bernie, I visually saw them actually saying the words not just that I had typed them. They became from the outset three dimensional, not flat. Do I talk to them now? Not now the book is finished but I certainly wonder what they would do in a certain situation, which is fun and will give me material for her second book.
What advice would you give other writers?
If you want to write, you will know it yourself. You will have probably had numerous stories floating around in your head for years only wishing you had the time to start. Well, my advice is to make today the day. Don’t be too hard on yourself, don’t self critic yourself but just start to write and don’t give up. Maybe take a break if it’s not flowing but keep going. The combination of highs and lows through the whole process is worth it and although some around you, may not support or understand why this is important to you, try not to listen to them, just listen and believe in yourself.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Being new to writing and publishing, I simply decided to start somewhere, as long as I started! I spent many an hour researching the best avenue to take and although I would love a traditional publisher to snap up my books, I also embraced the self-publishing route. Having full control to write, publish, promote and simply get it out there. I love waking up every day, knowing that my day is up to me and letting what is inside of me, appear in black and white. For me it was about taking the first steps and one step at a time, so Amazon has been perfect but will certainly over the coming months, explore other platforms.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think it’s incredibly exciting! Liberating! And endless. I believe the traditional route will remain popular, as many authors will always aspire to having their books in an actual bookshop but it will also, rub along nicely with self-publishing, which opens up so many doors not only in written word but audio too and if done right, allows you an income for a job that takes the barriers away from the 9 to 5 and a real sense of accomplishment and freedom.
What genres do you write?: Chick lit, Erotica, Romance, Fiction
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Paige Summers Home Page Link
Your Social Media Links
Facebook
Twitter
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.
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