Mandy Crider is a self published author who lives in Mound City, Missouri.  Mandy is a special education teacher in her hometown and has two daughters. Her husband, Jacob works as a semi driver in a neighboring town.

Mandy loves to read, write, and spend time with her family. She is in a book club with several of her friends and teachers she works with and loves to spend time doing what she loves, writing and reading!

 

 

Books by Mandy Crider

   

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Author Interview

What question do you wish that someone would ask about your book(s), but nobody has? Write it out here, and then answer it.  Where do you get all of your ideas?

I have wanted to be a writer since I was 4 years old. I started reading when I was 3. My mother once told me that when I was 3 we went to a gas station and I read the signs that lit up that said, groceries, food, pop, gas and her and my father were floored that I could read at that age. After that I started reading much more and was reading chapter books by the age of 5. I wanted to become an author and would always daydream about things I had read or seen on TV. When I was 18 I went to college at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO and had to commute every single day and all I had was the music in my car and my thoughts. I would hear a song and think, “Wouldn’t it be cool if I wrote a book and it became a movie and this was the trailer music?!” It all fell into place from there!

What is your writing process?

Do you follow a regular routine or do you have any weird, funny, or unusual habits while writing and what are they?  I will sit down and just type. I listen to music when I write and it gives me inspiration. I usually make a list of the characters and do a bit of research on the careers that my characters have. I have no routine, I just sit and write.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it? 

Yes! I will leave my book and start on another one and then wait for something to come to me!

What is the single most important piece of advice for aspiring authors? 

Believe you can do it! I waited for 5 years to have my books published and never thought it would happen and then one day it did. You have to believe in yourself or you go nowhere.

What are your current/future projects? 

I am working on the finishing stages of my book, The Autumn Strangler and have started a new novel, Silence Within Him.

Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre? If you write more than one, how do you balance them? 

I love murder mysteries and love for people to have happy endings, my books cover both of those subjects!

What do you think is the future for independent authors and do you think it will continue to be easy for anyone to be a published author? 

I think this is the best way to go. I don’t have to worry about deadlines or answering to anyone, I can do what I want, when I want. I make my own deadlines. I think anyone could do this!

Are you traditional or self-published, and what process did you go through to get your book published? 

Self-published, a friend had told me about it and I looked into it and it just went from there!

Have you ever changed a title, book cover, or even the content of your book after it was published?

What was that process like?  Nope, I keep it all the way I see it in my head.

What opportunities have being an author presented you with and share those memories? (i.e. travel, friends, events, speaking, etc..) 

I haven’t traveled yet to present my book, but I am grateful for all my readers and friends that family that have supported me. I would love to someday be able to travel and promote my books even more!

What are your marketing, advertising, promotion strategies and which one(s) have worked the best for you? If you had to share your most valuable promotion tip, what would that be? 

I use twitter a lot and fiverr.com. I also promote on my Facebook and my town’s local newspaper promotes for me as well. I also rely on good fashioned word of mouth!

If you are a self-published author, which platform do you prefer? (Amazon, Smashwords, Lulu, Author House, or something not mentioned), and why? 

Nook Press on Barnes and Noble, it is SO SIMPLE!

What field or genre would you classify your book(s) and what attracted you to write in that field or genre? 

Fiction, murder mystery, some romance. I have always loved reading books like that, it appeals to me.

What do you do if inspiration strikes in an inconvenient place like (car, restaurant, bathroom/shower, etc..) and how do you capture that moment before it gets away from you? 

I will write it down. A lot comes to me at work, I am a teacher and when it does I grab a sticky note and jot it down. Ideas also come to me during the night when I am alone with my thoughts, I will get up and write it if I feel it!

Do you have a target amount of words/pages for each of your books or do you just know when enough is enough? 

I know when to finish, there is something in me that tells me to stop and end the book where I do.

How do you think you have evolved as a person/author because of your writing and do you believe your writing has helped others, how/why? 

I know a lot of my friends have told me I am an inspiration for them because they have never known someone who has done what I have done.

How much influence do you believe a title, cover, content, page numbers have in purchasing decisions of potential buyers/readers? 

I buy books based on their covers. I was always told “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but I do!

Do you believe there is value in a Press Release, have you used any press release service, and what have your experiences been? 

I haven’t used any press release services.

Do you believe there is value in a review? Do you believe they are under rated, over rated, or don’t matter at all? 

I am iffy, I believe everyone likes different styles of writing and the people that know me and know how I speak and write, they will love my books. I think some people are just apt to be negative and bring others down.

What are your thoughts on authors doing review swaps, paying for reviews, or reviews that just don’t seem right for the book? 

I don’t pay for reviews, you have to read my book and be honest with me.

Do you believe there are competitors or general readers out to sabotage authors with bad reviews and what are your experiences with this? 

I have had some bad reviews, I was very upset at first about it but then I realized, get over it! Some people are negative and want to bring everyone down.

Have you ever had an interesting, funny, or even bad experience during a live interview, reading, event, or autograph session? 

No, but I would love to have the opportunity!

With self-publishing being so easy these days, do you believe there is an overabundance of books out there and how do you sort through all the hype or copycats? 

Since I am new to this, I am sure there are a ton of books out there and some repeat other novels. I am not one to do that, I want my books to be unique and I feel they are.

What is your biggest fear about having a book published? 

The criticism, I wear my heart on my sleeve and don’t want people to dislike my books!

If you have multiple books published what do you feel is your greatest work, why? 

Out of the 2 I have out now, I would say When We Meet Again, I wrote this one summer and would cry when I wrote it and laugh. I felt so connected to it. I think the best books are the ones your heart can connect with.

What is the intended audience for you book? 

Adult – 18 and up

Give us a fun fact about your book(s)? 

I love funny women. I have been told I am hilarious and can come up with something funny or sarcastic at the drop of a hat. I also say what I feel, so my female roles tend to be like that.

If you had the chance to get one message out there to reach readers all over the world, what would that message be? 

Be open minded to any book!

Do you find it easier to connect with your readers with the advances in technology we have today like social media? What platform do you prefer, and why? 

I think it has helped my sales tremendously!

What makes a good story, why? 

Good characters you can relate to and feel for. Detailed settings. A great plot and twists and turns, without those things your book is dead.

How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend? 

That is the most important thing to me, I love different names, I don’t like the common names, I want mine to be different.

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad? 

Yes and I hate them! I have to learn to get away from them!

What are some events you have attended or participated in that has been a positive experience/influence on/for your writing? 

My entire life is a book that I could write and it helps me write what I write.

What is the easiest/hardest scene for you to write, why? (Love, action, fight, death, racy, controversial, etc…) 

Sexual… I think I am more worried about my parents reading those scenes than anyone else because I am their daughter and I don’t want them to think of me as an adult like that, yet!

What would you like to write about that you have never written about before? 

Not sure, yet. I am sure there is something I want to write but haven’t!

Have you ever had a book idea or characters come to you in a dream? What did you do about it afterwards? 

Yes, plenty! I start writing immediately!

Do you have any characters you would like to introduce in other books or a combination of characters from multiple books you would like to write about in one book? 

I have thought about having a sequel, maybe someday! I would love to have my characters from my first book, Just Breathe move on into a new chapter.

Were your characters based off real life people/events or did you make it all up? 

I make everything up! I love characters that can do whatever I want them to!

What are the most important elements of good writing? According to you, what tools are must-haves for writers? 

I think you have to be willing to pull out all the stops! I believe you have to be open to anything!

What book(s), author(s), or significant life event(s) have had a positive or negative influence in your life that inspired you to begin writing? 

My parents got divorced when I was 9 and that had a profound effect on my life. I had a lot of people tell me I was stupid and dumb growing up and that I would never do anything with my life and I was determined to show everyone that I could and now I have with my books.

What are your thoughts about eBooks vs. print books? 

I like them both, but feel the future is eBooks!

Do you view writing as a career, labor of love, hobby, creative outlet, therapy, or something else? 

This is a labor of love and therapy for me. When I write I can escape from my life into my books.

Were there any challenges (research, literary, psychological, or logistical) in bringing your book to life? 

Not really, I sat down one day and started to write!

Do you proofread/edit your own books or do you send them off to an editor? If you send them off to an editor, who/what have you had the best experience with? 

I proofread them several times and then have others read over them and tell me what I need to fix.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of self or traditional publishing? 

There are pros and cons to everything. I believe that self-publishing is better but it doesn’t allow the exposure that traditional publishing allows.

Do you have a subject/genre you would never write about, why? 

Sci-fi, I can’t get into that at all. I wouldn’t write non-fiction either. I don’t have the time or patience to research everything!

What motivates you to write and where does your inspiration come from? 

I just love to write, it is fun for me and I want people to hear what I have to say. I think anything can inspire me, my husband, children, job, people I know…

What makes your book stand out from the crowd? 

I feel my books are very emotional and can draw you in. I had someone read my books and tell me they knew exactly what to picture in their head because of my detail I use. I had another reader once tell me that they cried when they finished my book because they felt so happy for my characters.

Do you design your own cover? If not who does, why? 

I do not, I go through fiverr.com and my woman is TheBusinesWoman (with one S) and she is amazing! She does everything I ask and I couldn’t ask for anyone better!

What is your most/least favorite part of the writing process, why? 

I think the best part is being able to sit and unleash my thoughts and come up with new ideas. I hate the editing and revising process, it is long and I want the book out!