About Sharon Ricklin:
Sharon Ricklin wrote her first contemporary romance novel while homeschooling her youngest son. After several long distance moves and eventually becoming an empty nester, it was finally time to get busy editing that book. That was about five years ago. All was going well – until she had the most vivid dream she’d ever had in her life. This dream inspired the birth of the Ravenswynd Series, and Sharon started writing in a new genre: Paranormal Romance. Or as she likes to call it – Romance with a Twist.
After publishing the series, her first time-travel romance was published. (River of Time)
Sharon is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Wisconsin Romance Writers (WisRa), the author of two blogs, and somewhat addicted to social networking. And…she finally finished that contemporary romance in 2015! (Song of Memory)
Now living in a small town in central Wisconsin, she is currently working on another time-travel romance novel.
What inspires you to write?
Some of my books come directly from dreams I’ve had, and some are just my crazy imagination. I do tend to get awesome ideas while in the shower…
I can be inspired by art, by music, or by an over-heard conversation. I try to pay close attention to people’s actions, small idiosyncrasies, nuances, etc. to use in my descriptions.
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m totally a panster. I’ve never once done an outline – which can be confusing if you have separate documents for different scenes, (which I do). I usually title each document with a before and after note to keep things in order. I also have a notebook where I keep track of my characters so that they don’t end up with blue eyes in chapter one and green in chapter ten. Sometimes I have no clue where the story is going, and other times I know exactly. More often than not, I end up writing the ending to my stories long before I’m finished with the middle.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Not really, but I try to let my “muse” take me where ever she/he thinks it ought to go! (It’s so much fun that way; not knowing the whole story until you actually sit down to write it)
I know it sounds crazy, but it’s not any crazier than talking to your characters. 🙂
What advice would you give other writers?
Never give up!
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I sent several query letters out with my first book around the same time that so many other authors were just getting into the self-publishing world. I follow lots of author blogs and have many author friends, and started to notice the new trends as far as self-publishing went. It was quickly becoming a more accepted option.
I also have a brother who had just self-published his first book, and it seemed to be doing quite well, so after a few months of rejection letters, I decided to go for it.
Since that first book, I’ve never even attempted to get an agent or traditional publisher, and I now have 6 self-published books. With CreateSpace, Amazon, Smashwords and all the other places to purchase e-books, I thought, why bother? This way I have complete control of where to advertise my novels, my books can be purchased in paperback or electronic, and I don’t have to share my royalties with a middle man.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I’ve recently noticed a drop in my paperback sales, and it makes me think that most folks enjoy their Kindles or Nooks more than a physical book. And I, myself, have a Kindle – with many, many books loaded, but I do still enjoy a “real” book now and then. There are several of my favorites that I have in both paperback/hardcover as well as Kindle.
I’m thinking that even though we’re living in the electronic age, the real book lovers out there will continue to buy books, keep libraries open, and browse in book stores. (One of my favorite past-times)
What do you use?: Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, and Time-Travel Romance
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Sharon Ricklin Home Page Link
Link To Sharon Ricklin Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on Smashwords
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
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.
