Author Interview

World of Writing - Author Interview

I am thrilled to host an interview with our online UK-based friend - Karen Kelly. Karen is a wonderful person, super at her work and passionate about making a positive difference. Her podcasts Appetite For Life, Authors And More and Bedtime Stories all welcome guest queries. Karen and her husband Dave, their 2 children and their devoted collie, Baxter reside in the UK. Her wide array of experiences includes working in the hospitality industry, a stint as a fitness instructor, and running the odd marathon! A successful podcaster, presenter, producer, mother and homemaker, Karen somehow fits writing into her already busy schedule. Karen formerly worked as cabin crew for various airlines including Caledonian Airways and Thomas Cook. The book we are discussing today is Lillian White's Journey.

Drop by Karen's FaceBook, LinkedIn and Instagram pages or visit her on Twitter

Q: I mentioned already that you are located in the UK, can you take a moment to tell our audience a little about where are you from?

I was born in Workington; Cumbria (UK ) - so I spent many a holiday in the Lake District in the north of England and still visit quite frequently today. My family moved to the county of Cheshire when I was 3 years old.

Q: When did you consider yourself a writer? 

It wasn’t really until my book was published, in my hands, and starring at my name printed across the top! And when I was invited to talk publicly about my book, being introduced as an author, this was quite surreal. Am I talking about myself ?! 

Q: What inspired you to turn to writing? 

This is a question I ask many authors on my show and it’s harder than you think! I didn’t stand out in English classes at school, but I could scrape together a good tale which continued in my 20s as I’d write various stories on my old Amstrad 9512 just for pleasure! However, one day, I started writing and just kept going hence Lillian White’s Journey was born over 15 years later!

Q: Do you use any set formula when writing a book?

I always start with a synopsis which will pop into my head so I’ll generally know where the story will take me. I have a notebook at hand with characters names and bios as if there is a break between writing it’s easy to forget. I’m a qwerty keyboard typist, over 70wpm, so I literally type from thoughts in my head to computer rather than write. 

I’ve jotted down many a synopsis but yet to write the books! There is a sequel to my novel, but it may take another 15 years to complete!

Q: How do you come up with ideas for your writings and why do you feel you choose some over others? 

I recently wrote a short story, murder mystery, but it didn’t flow easily and I struggled, it just didn’t come naturally. My experiences in life have involved working with many jolly people and I’m a very good judge of character. I love fun, humour, trials and tribulations, romance, and drama so these genres flow naturally for me.

Q: How long will we wait for your next projects? I

 thought I’d have my second book, the sequel, Lillian White’s Journey – Down Under, in the bag during lockdown but the podcasting world led me in a different direction. I would hate to give a date and not fulfill, however, not a day goes by without my own built-in pressure to write. Maybe in the next two years I’ll be closer to a launch date. Fingers crossed!

Q: Now you have also worked as a TV host - tell us about this experience... 

This is very current! I was a guest on a TV Show, The Brooklyn Café TV, back in April this year who made contact the very next day offering me my own show! I couldn’t believe it! Authors & More was launched 3 months ago and is going from strength to strength. It features many authors or guests related to the writing industry. It was quite a nerve-racking experience to begin with as due to the pandemic all shows are virtual, so it was getting comfortable with the techie side of things which do occasionally go wrong. The studio is based in Miami, Florida recently experiencing thunderstorms and lightning strikes which caused issues but it’s all fun and games! I have some incredible guests coming up in the Autumn, watch this space!

Q: Tell us about the podcasts that you host - there are 2 and each has a unique
slant.

I launched Appetite for Life in April 2020 then re-launched in July of that year, so it’s recently had its first birthday! I interview business owners, women in business and entrepreneurs, in fact anybody with an interesting tale to share. I love rags to riches stories and have met many inspiring individuals who may have lost their roles due to the pandemic then followed their dream by launching a new business and making great success! I always prepare a brief for each show which involves research on the guest so questions can be prepared. New shows are aired each Friday. I also launched a children’s podcast, Bedtime Stories, in October 2020 which has been greatly received. It gains approx. 1000 downloads per week globally, been nominated for an award and placed in the top 50 Apple Podcast Charts in many countries. The podcast features authors of picture books which makes for perfect bedtime listening. Both podcasts have a paid sponsorship. I also design bespoke podcasts for businesses to include on websites, internally, training or blogs.

Q: So now you not only have a book(s) to create a promotion plan for, you also have to spread the word about your two podcasts - tell us a little about the marketing activities you are currently working with and those you plan on trying out in the near future. 

I love people and I love networking so have joined various groups which helps find new, interesting guests and offers opportunities to talk about my work. Due to the pandemic all book signings came to a halt but I’m hoping to get back into stores towards Christmas.  I schedule posts on social media to promote all my projects and created a Facebook group for all authors who have taken part on the children’s podcast. I chat live each week as it’s important for visibility and aim to increase this in the coming weeks. I’ve recently introduced story time with Karen Kelly featuring picture books from the Bedtime Stories podcast.

 

Q: As an entrepreneur - what do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses? 

I can strike a conversation with anyone and feel at ease interviewing a heart surgeon or a working mum and who knows where that could lead!  I find going live on social media extremely daunting and although I may hide it well, frequently lose confidence and can record a take 50 times before posting! The best advice I give to myself; be true to yourself and the rest will follow, not to compare to others and to stay on your own path. This is your journey, nobody else’s.

Q: Was there, at any point in your career, a criticism about your writing, or podcasting style, that gave you pause, made you re-think your writing style? 

One thing you must accept is that not everyone will love what you do and that’s ok. How boring would it be if people didn’t have choices? I have learned so much over the passed 12 months and made necessary changes, not particularly because of criticism from others, just learning through change and growth.

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