KAREN’S TOP WRITING TIP: Surround yourself with people who love writing as much as you do. This can happen through online groups and socially through writers groups. It will help you grow. Most importantly of all, believe in yourself.
Karen is a mum to six beautiful children. Books and babies are her life. She has published three Spiritual Romance novels (The Visitor, The Wish Giver and The Memory Taker), numerous children’s books and has written some inspirational non-fiction pieces for three collections. Many of her books have received five-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite and The Visitor was a finalist in the 2012 readers’ favorite books awards.
She is passionate about everything books and assists fellow authors through the publishing process through her publishing company Serenity Press. This has earned her the honour of becoming a finalist in the 2015 Ausmumpreneur awards in the Business Excellence category.
AUTHOR INSIGHT
Why do you write? I love the freedom that comes with writing. I write in different genres so when I write for kids I hope to teach and make learning fun. When I write articles I hope that people enjoy my perspective on life. When I write novels my characters take on a life of their own and I enjoy sticking with them until the end to see where there journey goes.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a writer? Oh there is a thought. Well I imagine community work of some sort. I am a giving person and I have an insatiable urge to help people so that is where I am best placed. Before I moved to Australia and discovered writing I studied Humanities and taught drama to special needs students and I also worked in a mental health setting for a number of years.
What was your toughest obstacle to becoming published? Well publishing is a journey and no two journeys are the same. If you are a writer publishing your first book is a big step on that journey, it is a big box ticked and it is then that we really learn, grow and find our way as writers.
What’s the best aspect of your writing life? I live my dream. Writing is part of me. It makes me happy to express myself in through writing. I get the opportunity to meet amazing people that I may not have had the opportunity of meeting if I were not a writer.
—the worst? I can’t think of anything bad, I like to focus on the positives.
What would you do differently if you were starting out now as a writer? I would have read more.
What do you wish you’d been told before you set out to become an author? Oh this is a good question. That it is a lot of hard work but keep believing because it is an amazing journey, one that is unique to you. Be true to yourself and fulfil your own expectations not others’ expectations.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? To just be myself and write about what I love. Also don’t think of a book as the whole book as that can be overwhelming. Focus on writing a chapter at a time or even 1000 words. Every step counts. Most importantly of all, write consistently and enjoy it.
All of Karen’s books can be found at the Serenity press bookstore www.serenitypress.org with only $6.50 shipping to anywhere in the world. All of her books are also available in eBook and print format on www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com
For a peek at Mamma Mac’s Home Made Children’s Books visit www.mammamacs.com
You can find out more about Karen on Facebook through her Author Page Serenity Press Page Serenity Kids page Serenity Romance Page
You can also follow Serenity Press on Twitter Karen’s author page on Twitter
In Their Own Write 