Tag: author interview

An Interview with Allie Potts via Smashwords

by Allie P., posted in Book Stuff and Publishing News, Indie book promotion, Life as I know it

To celebrate the release of my latest novel, An Uncertain Confidence (now on sale at several retailer sites), I ventured over to Smashwords where they were kind enough to put together an interview for me.

allie potts headshot

Describe your desk
I write on a number of surfaces which have varying degrees of clutter. Too much clutter and I become distracted by the mess. Too little clutter however immediately puts me on edge. What if I make a mess? Where did I place my notes?
When did you first start writing?
I’ve been writing off and on since early childhood, though those early attempts will never see the light of day. I didn’t get really serious about writing until 2013 when I told myself it was time I stopped talking about writing a novel one day and actually tried doing it.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
The story picks up five years after my first book, An Uncertain Faith. Charlotte is following her dreams, however, living happily ever after is not as easy as it sounds. There is a saying that when you do something you love, you never work another day in your life when in reality the opposite is often true. We wind up working harder when it is our passion. Not less. Unfortunately, because it is our passion, we sometimes forget that others aren’t quite as devoted to our dreams as we are.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
Time for the most part – it became very clear to me how quickly life can change, and how it often does so without warning. I decided I wanted to publish on my own schedule rather than wait for it to be convenient for someone else.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Few things beat holding the novel you’ve spent months on in your hand when it is finally published (aside from holding your real-life children), however in terms of writing overall I believe my greatest joy was the day I received my first piece of fan mail telling me how my words had mattered to them. Writing itself can sometimes feel like a lonely process, a letter like that reminds you it is anything but.
What do your fans mean to you?
I am deeply honored and yet at the same time terrified whenever anyone tells me they have read one of my books. Part of me hopes that is always the case. I am grateful to every single person who has taken a chance on me, even if it turned out my writing and their tastes weren’t a match.
What are you working on next?
I am currently working on the third book in my science fiction, Project Gene Assist series. It’s currently a mess of disjointed scenes mixed with word vomit, but experience has taught me that it will eventually get to a point worth sharing.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
If the sound of my kids’ feet running down the hall or my dog hitting the bedroom door as she follows them doesn’t do it, an annoying alarm clock and the promise of a hot cup of coffee or tea certainly helps.
When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
Most of the time, if I am not writing or otherwise working, I am picking up after my kids, doing the dishes, or getting lunches prepared. But during those rare, rare moments I am not wearing my ‘mom’ hat, I’m usually reading, watching a movie, or going for a walk around the neighborhood.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
I am highly susceptible to suggestion when it comes to ebooks so friendly recommendations go a long way, but I also make use of the public library, support other indies as I can, or watch for intriguing blurbs in book mailings.

Books by This Author

An Uncertain Faith by Allie Potts

Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 52,270. Language: American English. Published: November 28, 2014. Categories: Fiction » Women’s fiction » General, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths
Be careful what you wish for. Trapped by her responsibilities in a dead-end job, Charlotte used to yearn for the life she had before marriage and motherhood. That was until the day she came home to find her husband and son missing. Did they leave her or is there a more dire explanation?

An Uncertain Confidence by Allie Potts

Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 58,580. Language: English. Published: October 24, 2018. Categories: Fiction » Women’s fiction » Chick lit, Fiction » Women’s fiction » General
Will Charlotte’s confidence prove to be her greatest strength or will it be her greatest mistake yet? An Uncertain Confidence is a sweet contemporary story and fast read about friendship, trust, and the lengths we often go to protect those we love.

The Fair & Foul by Allie Potts

Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 87,560. Language: English. Published: July 22, 2018. Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Cyberpunk, Fiction » Science fiction » Utopias & dystopias
Brilliant programmer and researcher, Juliane Faris agrees to be part of an experimental procedure involving a manufactured virus. Subjects are granted unprecedented knowledge and cellular control over their bodies, but viruses have a way of mutating and altering the altering the lives of those who never knew they were at risk.

The Watch & Wand by Allie Potts

Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 76,000. Language: English. Published: July 22, 2018. Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Cyberpunk, Fiction » Science fiction » Apocalyptic
Between a war declared on all but the most basic technology, worldwide economic collapse, and a plague-spurred global panic, governments have collapsed leaving law and order to be defined by those left behind. Stephen knows he should be grateful but can’t help wishing his life was more than survival. That was until he met a girl on the run from a group known as the Watch.

Watch and Wonders – Books, Tech and the Future with @alliepottswrite – SACHA BLACK

by Allie P., posted in Indie book promotion

Watch and Wand Supply Run - www.alliepottswrites.comIt’s hard to believe I am already talking about The Watch & Wand’s release in the past tense, so instead, I invite you to follow the link to a conversation I had with Sacha Black regarding my thoughts on the future (I’ll give you a hint, I find it both exciting and terrifying). Once again I’ve disabled comments here. While you are there, check out information about the 2018 Bloggers Bash. I was lucky enough to attend this past summer and it was an absolute blast (educational too).

Today I am thrilled to have an epic geek-out with my dear friend and slave driver accountability partner Allie Potts. If you don’t know Allie, she writes both cyberpunk style dystopian fantas…

Source: Watch and Wonders – Books, Tech and the Future with @alliepottswrite – SACHA BLACK

My unauthorized BuzzFeed interview – aka fun with quizzes

by Allie P., posted in Life as I know it

my-completely-unauthorized-buzzfeed-interviewaka-fun-with-quizzes www.alliepottswrites.com

Donkey Kong
Just imagine if Donkey Kong’s falling barrels were boogers and you get the idea.

Kiddo was kind enough to gift me this holiday season with a head cold I can only describe as boss level bad. Just when I thought I had it licked, back it would come even more powerful and three times more angry. Hopefully, I am over the worst of it by the time this posts, but I’ve been fooled before.

As most of the creative energy I can muster outside of the cold-induced fog is being directed at my current works (yes plural!) in progress, I decided to turn this post over to the good folks at http://www.BuzzFeed.com who, unbeknownst to them, were kind enough to interview me via a series of quizzes.

So Allie, as this is the beginning of the new year, let’s talk goals.

Will you be able to keep your new year’s resolutions?

Well, I rather thought I covered my opinion about resolutions last week, but here goes…

You got: You probably haven’t even made a resolution.

You think resolutions are stupid and just a way of setting yourself up for disappointment later.

You misunderstood. I’m not judging here. New Year’s Resolutions just aren’t for me. I definitely don’t think they are stupid provided the person who makes them attempts to follow through. However, I prefer to set a scattering of time-sensitive and achievable goals throughout the year rather than load up all at once on January 1.

Well, how about we ask something easier.

If you were a dog, what kind would it be?

Ha. That’s like asking me where my favorite place is to travel. You think it’s an easy question, but then you start thinking of all the great options to choose from – I love the beach, but not in winter, and I had a great time in Australia, but the food in Italy is everything you’d expect it to be and more. It’s hard to limit myself to just one answer. But back to your question. I’d like to consider myself a wolf – fierce, strong, and loyal to its pack, but if I am honest with myself I’m probably more like a Dachshund.

You got: Poodle

You are ridiculously good-looking, so you are quite popular with the opposite sex. And, of course, you also need to be pampered. You always get what you want.

If by ‘popular with the opposite sex’ you mean my boys like to say my name over and over and over again when they are trying to get my attention and by ‘get what you want’ you mean as long as what I want is an excuse to play with LEGOs endlessly, then sure. In any case, thanks for the compliment, even though I now can’t help thinking of Zoolander, gasoline fights, and a building a Center For Kids Who Can’t Read Good.

What kind of introvert are you?

Hmmm… the writer kind? What else would you call a person who will overshare online but would rather chew its own arm off than be forced to walk into a room cold and network face-to-face on a daily basis?

You got: Social Introvert

You tend to prefer solitude, or keeping your social contact limited to one-on-one interactions or small groups. You’re not shy, per se, but strongly prefer to be on your own.

Tomato Tomahto.

What type of villain would you be?

Not sure what you are implying here. I don’t think wanting to have a little me time now and then makes me a bad person.

You got: You’re the evil mastermind villain!

Victorian VillainYou’re the embodiment of the “crazy scientist” stereotype. You were probably quiet and studious in school and now your hard work is paying off as you spend your days in your underground laboratory. You’re not the type of villain who wants to hurt people but wants to bring down society as a whole to create a perfect utopia.

You say that like it’s a bad thing.

Have you ever considered what your true destiny might be?

Becoming a literary darling with a beach house and/or a mountain chalet. Nothing fancy. Just a place I can go when I need to recharge my social batteries (or plot the perfect utopia).

You got: You’re destined to be a trailblazer and an inspiration.

You’re going to triumph over adversity and follow your dreams no matter how unlikely they seem. Not just that, you’ll inspire others to do the same and be an example of what someone can achieve if they really put their mind to it.

Sold.

And on that note, I am going to end this interview while I’m ahead and go restock on tea and chicken soup.

How about the rest of you? Any other poodles or mad scientists out there? What is your destiny?

*images are courtesy of http://www.flickr.com