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Interview With Author Madisyn Ashmore

As a reader that love classic Cinderella romances, Madisyn is one of my favorite billionaire romance authors. I encountered her books on Instafreebie, where I downloaded her book Deep Focus (you can download it here: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/o5cxQ.) And by the way I absolutely LOVE Instafreebie. It’s a heaven for readers, where you can get free books (seriously). Here’s the link to it, and you guys should all check it out (you won’t regret it): https://www.instafreebie.com/. Anyway, back to the point, Madisyn is an amazing writer, and you guys should totally check out her books! Here’s a link of her on Amazon (along with her books): https://www.amazon.com/Madisyn-Ashmore/e/B01EIREE5W. You’ll fall in love, I promise!

What is your favorite writing and reading genre?

I love writing and reading in all genres. My favorite writing genre is new adult romance – I like a little spice in my books! Ha! I read everything under the sun. I love reading romance, but I also love reading sci-fi, mysteries, classics, and non-fiction. Anything that engages my brain is good!

Where and how did you get your idea for your books?

I get my ideas for my books from life. My Hot Hollywood series is set in Hollywood (go figure!) – and that was easy for me to write because I’ve been working in the film and television business for many years. While the characters in the series are not based on specific people, there are very real elements to all the characters. They are a mix of many people who I’ve met in the industry, and many of the situations are real. I also take a lot of inspiration from my own life. I have lived a very rich, full life – and many times, I weave those stories into my books.

If a movie or TV show would be created for your books, which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead roles for your books?

Oh goodness, I don’t like to say because I think every reader gets a clear picture in their mind of who the character looks like, and I don’t want to spoil that. I have a very clear picture of the characters in my head, but they don’t resemble any well-known actors/actresses. There is really no one on earth as sexy as Oliver from Hot Hollywood. Everyone falls short! Ha!

When did you decide to become a writer?

On July 2, 2015. Ha! Just kidding. No – I have been writing forever. It’s been a passion of mine for a long time. I didn’t try writing a novel until July 2015, though. One day, I decided to write a book. I had a newborn and three other young children, and no time to myself. I saw a lot of my peers having wild successes in the film industry, and I felt like there was a big piece of my life that was missing, but I didn’t know what it was. It was as if I had a dream, but I didn’t know what the dream was…and I’d been searching for it my whole life. It was depressing. One day I had an idea for a novel I had to write – but I had absolutely zero time to write. So, I texted the entire novel (60k words) to myself on my phone without anyone knowing during the “in-between” times during my days (five minute increments). Then, when I finished that novel, I wrote another full-length novel by texting it to myself. My hands hurt so badly (!!) and I developed serious carpal tunnel syndrome. After I finished the second novel, I decided I could tell people I was writing. I also switched to typing on a laptop…but the only time I had to type was when my baby was napping – and she required being held to nap. So, I would put her in the Ergo baby carrier and stand at a dresser typing for the entire length of her nap (sometimes 3 hours). That was my only time to write, so I had to be very focused. Since July 2015 (18 months ago) – I’ve written 12 novels – including the two I typed on my phone. Six of those are middle grade and YA novels I’ve published under a pen name, and six are new adult and paranormal romance novels.

How did you get your book published? How long did it take for you to get it published?

I traditionally published a non-fiction book back in 2008 – and I was fairly frustrated with parts of the process. I am very much a hands-on, do-it-yourself type person, and I like to have creative control. That’s why I decided to independently publish my fiction titles. I get so much joy from writing and I wanted to share it with people on a one-on-one basis. Writing has never been about the money for me, so I’ve been surprised by the success that’s come along with it. Readers really seem to connect with my stories – and for that, I am very grateful.

Do you ever get writer’s Block? If so, which book did you get the worst while writing?

No, never. (Watch now I will – ha!) Seriously, though, I wish I could clone myself so I could write more. It’s my biggest frustration that I don’t have more time to write because I have thousands (millions?) of stories in my head to write that will never see the light of day. So sad! So, I have to make choices about the stories I’ll tell. I hope to live a long life, so I can keep writing. I will probably still be typing when they nail my coffin shut.

What is the average time for you to write a book?

I really struggle with perfectionism and if I gave into that urge, I would never finish a book! I have a good author friend who writes a novel/month. I thought that was insane (especially given my family time constraints) – but I set out to do just that. So far, I’m able to keep the novel/month pace with breaks in between for publishing and marketing, etc.

For your own reading, do you prefer kindle or paperback books?

99% of my reading is eBook. I read almost everything on my phone, even though I have a Kindle. I love being able to read anywhere – and have an entire library at my disposal.

How are the covers made for your books?

I design most of my covers myself using Photoshop. My first job out of college was as a graphic designer for The Gap, designing their print campaigns. Book covers are different than designing clothing ads – and I’ve learned a lot. It takes a lot of time and skill to create a simple, beautiful cover. It would probably be a better use of my time for me to hire out all my book covers, but I like the learning process. There’s always room for improvement.

What advice would you give writer wannabes and future/young authors?

WEDD: Write every damn day.

Set word count goals for yourself.

Turn off your internet.

Turn off your inner critic.

Write the stories that move you – not what you think other people want to read.

Enjoy the process.

What do you do during your free time, how do you relax?

I write. That’s the only thing I do in my free time. J I am a mom of four young children. My oldest has Autism, my youngest is a one-year old toddler tornado, and I homeschool them all with very little help. I write after my kids go to bed. I typically stay up until dawn writing – grab a few hours of sleep, and then I’m “on” with my children until bedtime. After they go to bed at night, I do some marketing and other book business stuff, and then write as much as I can until my eyes feel like they are going to fall out. That’s my life. Speaking of…I have to go write right now.

It’s been great talking to you. Thanks so mu
ch for having me! love your blog! (Thank you too! I really appreciate it :D)

#MadisynAshmore #InterviewWithAuthorMadisynAshmore

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