Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a late-blooming author with seven published novels–the first one released at the age of 62–and at least seven more rambling around inside my head. I lived in a high-rise in downtown Chicago for 30+ years, until I figured out there are much better places to write books. So now I live on a small tranquil lake in northern Illinois with many day and nighttime outdoor critters who come visit me.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel “Nineteen Hundred Days” was inspired by stories in the news about children who were put in precarious situations and the harrowing journeys they experienced as a result.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Authors like Dennis Lehane, Margaret Atwood, and Joyce Carol Oates (to name a few) who are brilliant storytellers, influence and inspire me.
What are you working on now?
My current project (working title “The Ring”) is about two women from different backgrounds who each lose their father at the same time. How their divergent lives intertwine is what the story is about.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The BookBub promotions I have had were extremely successful with ROIs second to none. But they are getting harder and harder to get now that they’ve opened it up to traditionally published books. The best free promotion method I believe is in social media.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read, and then read some more. Discover what makes a book in your genre successful and learn from it. Is it the characterization? The plot? A powerful message? Know what successful authors do in order to be successful.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever received was to understand what makes a novel marketable. Yes, it’s good writing, but it’s also how you promote it and yourself.
What are you reading now?
I’m a book reviewer for two organizations, so that’s what I read in my spare time. I can’t disclose their titles, but I can say that there are some very good self-published books out there. The stigma of being a self-published author, while not completely a thing of the past, has been greatly diminished with the advent of good solid writing.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I still have enough story lines in my head to keep me writing for a few more years. I have been able to publish a book a year, and I hope to continue with that schedule.
What is your favorite book of all time?
My favorite book is “The Same Kind of Different As Me” by Ron Hall and Denver Moore–a brilliantly told story about how a woman led two men with completely different backgrounds on life-changing journeys.
Author Websites and Profiles
Florence Osmund Website
Florence Osmund Amazon Profile
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