Meet Author Elvisa Murica
Howdy all! Author Elvisa Murica is here to chat a bit about herself and work.
-Why do you write?
I write because it takes me away from reality and it draws ideas from my head that I never thought I was capable of imagining.
-When did you decide to become a writer?
Honestly, a local girl from my country wrote about a war we were both in… Her “memoir” was all lies. It was badly written and looked like no one edited it. So, I said I can write… Why not? When I started, I got lost in imagination and it is so cool! I forgot about being mad at her for lying and my own little world opened up with so many doors and possibilities.
-What genre are your books?
Romance is my thing.
-What draws you to this genre?
The feeling you get when you read about a man and a woman piercing each others souls with their eyes, the detailed emotions involved…
-What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?
I always read. I read at least two books per week. I admired the authors for their ideas and ability to portray that onto paper. I wanted to try and make someone feel the emotions I would feel when I read. It is amazing that something written on paper can turn your world into a feeling.
-Do you write full-time or part-time?
Part-time. I would write full-time if I could but my boys keep me very occupied. Anyway, it’s good to take sometime time off. I have written another book and after editing and proofreading for, what seems like, the thousandth time, I decided to leave it alone and revisit in a month.
-Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
It’s just however my day is structured. Mostly mornings are my thing. I wake up before the crack of dawn, while everyone is still sleeping, and start writing and sipping on coffee. I found that the morning writing is my best writing.
-What have you written?
I just published a romantic novel called Sacred Love. It is my first published work, ever! I have a lot more written but not published yet. I like to write and leave it alone and revisit a few months later. That usually gives me time to rethink my character or scene. When you reread your work after a while you see the mistakes better.
-Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just seeing where an idea takes you?
I tried brainstorming but I never follow along. I let my mind take me wherever it wants to and I just write it down.
-How do you market your books?
I bribe family and friends, of course. I also really like StoryCartel.com. You offer your book and they leave you reviews. It’s great because you get to discover amazing titles and read them as well. I like Fiverr.com, Goodreads, and I get involved in discussions on Facebook and eventually post my book details. Mercedes comment: I’ve never heard of StoryCartel.com, I’ll have to check them out for reviewing my books as well. And Fiverr.com too
-Is there any marketing technique you used that had an immediate impact on your sales figures?
Posting to Facebook pages dedicated to new Indie authors worked well.
-What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Write in the morning. Explore your options when it comes to publishers. If you pay a self-publishing company to do all the work for you, don’t expect your book to be in Barnes & Noble. Be generous! Giving your book away to people interested will bring you more exposure! Don’t let the few negative reviews bring you down. Don’t stop writing! Don’t stop reading, ever!
-What is the current book you are promoting?
Sacred Love by Elvisa Murica. Available on Amazon Kindle in ebook and Paperback.
-Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
Joshua. Joshua is portrayed as a bad man in the beginning but once the main characters find the real him they realize just how good of a man he really is and they realize that he is their only chance at beating this disease.
-What is your next project?
A novel called Copper Dahlias. Release estimated for early 2016.
-What one person from history would you like to meet and why?
Nikola Tesla. Just imagine the world now if he would have been able to continue his studies and discoveries. He predicted the cellphone era!
-Who is your favorite author?
Khaled Hosseini. His book ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ took my breath away many times.
-What is one thing you hate about being a writer?
Forgetting that I am not here to impress everyone. I always get down on myself when someone says something bad about my writing but I stop and remember that I don’t have to impress everyone.
-Is there anything else you would like to add that I’ve included?
I also blog when I have time. I like writing about the things that matter to me. I still have not found a comfortable place where I can say’ ok I am going to write things that I like and not things that will get me more likes’. I am getting there.
