Interview: Author Gail Olmsted

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Gail Olmstead's Jeep Tour is on my reading list (*book review coming soon!). I recently enjoyed an author interview with Gail and share it with you, below. Enjoy!

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
My oldest friend Laurie swears that I used to say that I wanted to write a book back in my early teens. I thought about JEEP TOUR and pictured the story for several years in my mind, before I actually started putting pen to paper. Once I got started, I never stopped. Now I’m working on my 4th book !!
 
What do you find to be the biggest challenge, as an author?
Finding readers! There are so many great books out there- it’s really difficult to get your work noticed.
 
What do you find most rewarding, as an author?
Reading a review from a reader who really ‘gets’ me or my characters. It’s such a great feeling!
 
What is one piece of advice you would share with an aspiring author?
Don’t expect your family or close friends to edit your work, serve as Beta readers or promote your finished works for you. Although my family has been supportive, I’ve gotten the most valuable advice, resources and help from fellow authors in Facebook groups such as ChickLitChatHQ. When I’m suffering from writer’s block or trying to figure out how to run a promotion for one of my titles, my fellow authors have stepped up time after time. I try to be there for them as well!

Finish these sentences:
I am most grateful for... my husband and kids! Nothing is more dear to me.
 
If I could give my 18 year-old self one piece of advice it would be... relax and be grateful for all your many blessings. Stop stressing over things that don’t matter. And use sunscreen everyday!
 
My favorite thing about being a writer is... the required uniform- you know, yoga pants, t-shirts and flip flops!

photo courtesy of author's Amazon author page

My least favorite thing about being a writer is... waiting for reviews. Readers mean well and promise to post a review but it seems to take forever!

My goals for the future are... Finish my fourth book, a sequel to Guessing at Normal, and then organize plans for a book in a new genre- historical fiction. If one of my books were to be adapted for film, that would be the absolute best!!
 
My favorite book, ever, is... Trinity by Leon Uris. We even named our son Conor after the hero of the story!
 
Outside of writing, my favorite hobby is... I love kayaking and boating. We just moved to our forever home on a lake, so it’s even better these days!
 
The most important thing to do if you want to achieve your goals is... Maintaining a sense of perspective helps. As seriously as I take myself and my writing, at the end of the day, it’s just a way of expressing myself and only one of the many elements of my hectic and very happy life!

Tell us about your books (genre, where we can find them, etc.) All of my books are Contemporary Women’s Fiction with a strong dose of romance!! JEEP TOUR is a rocky romance based in Sedona, Driving on the Left is a sequel of sorts set in Ireland and Guessing at Normal is a rock and roll love story. All are available on Amazon, Kindle and Barnes & Noble. Here’s my Amazon link: www.amazon.com/author/gailolmsted
 
Where can readers find you (i.e. website, social media, etc.)? My website/blog is www.GailOlmsted.com, I’m on Facebook quite a bit- www.facebook.com/gailolmstedauthor or Twitter @gwolmsted. Emails always welcome at gwolmsted@gmail.com

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Stacey Ritz is a bestselling author and award winning writer. An empathetic and compassionate storyteller, Ritz wrote for a plethora of local and national news outlets, magazines, blogs, and websites (copywriter), prior to becoming a novelist. Her book, Covered in Pet Fur  has gained attention from RIVA Media and Animal Planet. She is the Executive Director and co-founder of Advocates 4 Animals, Inc. – a 501(c)3 non-profit animal welfare organization that has saved more than 11,000 lives (and counting). She currently resides in Ohio. Ritz is published through Rockville Publishing. You can interact with Stacey online via Stacey's Book Blog, on Pinterest, andInstagram.

Ritz writes the following genres:
Non-Fiction:
Motivation/Inspiration
Writing/Publishing
Animal Welfare
Fiction:
Romance/Thrillers

Click here to view Stacey's fiction books.

Click here to view Stacey's non-fiction books