Kim's Book Reviews Author Q&A with L.J Ambrosio

 

Hello, Below are my questions for my interview. I am excited to read your answers. My blog does book reviews and provides writing advice through interviews and guest posts from other authors. It is always exciting to hear everyone’s road to publication. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! Kim Bartosch 

  

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer 

 

At an early age I ran a prominent regional theater, in six seasons I never had a flop.  I got exhausted constantly raising money and living in a fund balance deficit. 

Then I opened the talent agency and it grew, we expanded to LA and London. My client list included Alfred Molina, Angela Basset, Sam Jackson, many tony winners from Broadway. 

After 10 years I left and produced a number of successful films. I started my son and his business partner on track with their own Production Company, they are doing very well now. 

 

We moved into a big house in Jersey and I have a great office. I sat one night looking out at my huge lawn realizing that the love of Salinger, Kerouac, James Joyce, Virgina Woolfe and what and how they said their words. I just sat down at my computer in a cool fall night and wrote and then I never stopped. 

 

In three years I have written three novels and I just decided I will do one more. 

I never read before 17 years old and than after that age I never stopped for many years. I was a bad writer and I had to get someone to correct my writing then, even in postgraduate school, but what I had to write was great. I always was always given an A and in class I was the only one who talked. 

 

I developed my own style, thanks to James Joyce and Virigina Wolfe. I wrote and it seems I never stopped. 

  

2. Where did you get the idea for your book? 

 

My life is where I get the most inspiration, the people I encountered, the people who I loved and who loved me, the oppressed and lost. All the events around me, the greed in our political system, and its corruption were also heavily influential, including the horrors of unjustified war. All of this was there in my mind and soul and the writing happened with al of it in mind.  

 

 3. How long did it take you to write and edit your book? 

  

Less than a year on the first two novels to write them and a little longer on the third novel. I was in the hospital at the end of writing the third novel, I was in a coma, but thanks to a friend and my son, I recovered and I am now as obnoxious as ever! The path to our end is clearer to me now, death. 

  

4. What were the challenges you faced in writing your book? How did you overcome it? 

 

Just keep doing, don't stop. At times I questioned who and I was writing this for.  In these times, I thought of all the friends who died and others.  I made a toast to this life and began writing again.

 

 Your Road to Publication 

  

5. So are you Self-Published, Hybrid Published or Traditionally Published?  

Why did you choose this route of publication? 

 

I knew of no other way, so I self-published. I had no connections in the publishing world. Amazon self-publishing was the route. There are so many entities that use gimmicks to get your money. So you are safe with Amazon, they should be more generous on royalties, but you have a nice platform to promote your book.  Just beware, don't give them exclusive rights.  

  

6. What tips, tricks, or secrets can you give a person about the type of publishing (self, hybrid, traditional) you did? For instance, for traditionally published,  did you get an agent first or did you query the publisher directly? 

 

Don't waste your time with an agent or publisher to promote. Get reviews and then write another book. Just keep going and then promote that book. You can then promote both books or all books as you are becoming a more established author. I’ll give you an example, this firm wanted to do an audio book on my novel but they were asking for a high price, without even reading my book. I said no, they came back with a greater offer, time payments. This still was not a thing I wanted to do. There will always be “Reservoir Men” or people looking to take advantage of the artist, no matter what discipline. You must avoid this at all costs, don’t think this or that person with “answers” is all that great. Don’t worship false idols in the form of business people who do not have your back. When you turn around, they might put a pin in your ballon. Run away, even if your hurt and never comeback to those elements you were great in, you will lose. 

  

Marketing 

  

9. How do you market your book? Did you have a marketing plan? If so, what is it? 

Did you have a publicist? Tell us the route you took in marketing your book and series. 

 

In my search what to do, I came upon a small universe of bloggers who appeared to care. It was strange to me.  They had these books tours. I went on one the host told me to keep low on any homosexual elements of my book.  I did.  but I made great friends who were the hosts of their own blogs.  They were all wonderful, embraced my work I love them all. 

  

Just Wanting to Know… 

  

7. I have several writers who follow my blog and are looking for inspiration and publication. What advice or inspiration could you give these writers? 

 

Just do, write it, write it. Don’t look back, don't change for other people. This is your world your story, keep it pure. Everyone has an opinion but you know the truth. Just write and don't look up.  Your journey and the world you experienced is your inspiration. 

 

Your Writing Process  

 

Let me start what I do not do. I do not outline, just notes on pieces of paper which I even lose sometimes.  I do not do character development, my research is limited to what I have experienced. I do not obsess on details, I think only for those two hours at night when I’m writing.  Never let anyone read it no matter how brilliant you think it is. I only let my close friend read it no one else. 

 

Now when I’m writing, I sit down with a gummy and coffee. I tell my story for that night and I just write freely. I write as it develops.  I then correct spelling and syntax. The next morning my friend and I re-read what I wrote and sometimes we cry, sometimes we argue about my direction. That read with my friend will then be the last time read that section of the novel. I will then give it to my wonderful editor for a few passes. After that I re-read the novel and then off to the publisher. In reality I’ve only read the book twice, fully. 

 

The process is called Stream of Consciousness, how I write. It was developed by James Joyce and Virgina Woolfe, there were some people who cannot read it, they become frustrated. This is because as a writer you get very involved with the moment. Sometimes, this is bothersome to the reader that wants to go on. But that is what made the three novels and I love to write this way because never know what Ephinay I will have. 

Whatever process you have it is wonderful because it makes you create. ​

​