Author Spotlight Nicholas L. Maze

 

Born in Flint, Michigan, Nicholas L. Maze attended Baker College, where he earned his degree in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting and Marketing. With a knack for advertising and excelling in math, Nicholas seemed destined for a productive career in business. Instead, there would be another gift that would prove to be more dominant and rewarding.

In the summer of 1999, while still in college, Nicholas found a job with a nation-wide security organization. His initial plans were to work his job, until he finished college. But it was his stint with the security organization that would lead to a rebirth of his passion for writing. As a child, being driven by a strong imagination, Nicholas would write stories to past time. It was during his composition courses in college that Nicholas realized that his gift was still intact. His writing craft received praise from his colleagues and instructors. With substantial amount of free time on the job, Nicholas found himself writing more and more. He started by writing poetry and composing songs, during his free time on the job. It was at this same time that Nicholas began managing a small rap group, which allowed him to hone his writing skills even more. Nicholas began composing songs for his rap group and him. In 2004, Nicholas began to write his first published work. With ample amount of time and a number of ideas, Nicholas began to write. In order to compose a successful work, Nicholas had to make himself the reader. Nicholas placed himself in the passenger seat and let his imagination go to work.

As Nicholas was completing his book, he renewed his relationship with GOD and acquired a second job. Two jobs and attending college full-time, forced Nicholas to put his writing on hold. Once Nicholas completed his first degree in Marketing, he was able to focus on his unfinished work and complete his book in 2007. From there, Nicholas began to send out query letters for his book. After no success, Nicholas placed his book on the shelf and returned to school. In 2009, Nicholas received a prophecy on his writing gift and immediately began shopping his book around. “I instantly thought of my finished work and began sending out query letters. Within two months, I received a publishing deal.” Now, Nicholas is fine-tuning himself for a long, successful career as an author. His first love.

Up Close with Nicholas

1. What inspires you as a writer?

Life. Everything on this earth is an inspiration to write. From burning toast to oversleeping, I am inspired to write. A great example is a future drama that I plan to write. The inspiration for the drama came about as I was leaving out of my driveway. Since I drive in reverse into my driveway, I can observe my surroundings as I leave. As I was leaving out, I noticed my neighbor’s garbage on the corner and instantly got an idea for a drama.

2.  When did you have that ah ha moment when you knew you were a writer?

I have been writing since about the age of 12 and I have always had a great imagination. When I began to write my first book (White Collar Woman), I was at a security job. I had no plans to pursue a writing career, but I wanted to see what I could put on paper. After finishing my story, I received a prophecy from a visiting prophet at our Church. Although I had been writing for years, the prophecy was my confirmation or “ah ha” moment.

3.  What is your writing process?

I tend to begin a lot of my writings on paper versus on a computer. I hand write a lot, because my ideas come about unexpectedly. So, I usually grab a sheet of paper and write what is on my mind. After my first book, I began to carry a small notepad to write. Once I have a lot of information to put on paper, I limit myself. Instead of putting down everything at once, I save some for the next day. By doing this, I have something to build off of, when I begin to write the next day. This is my way of eliminating writer’s block.

4.  Tell us about your favorite character and why you chose to write about them?

My favorite character would have to be Marla Evans (White Collar Woman), because she allowed me the opportunity to tell a woman’s story, from a man’s perspective. At same time, I was able to display a career successful and beautiful woman with the same emotional battles of being in a relationship, as any other human being.

5.  What are you currently working on?

My current project is a book that will help restore Churches and restructure ministries. I discovered that Churches have been in need of this literature, for over 100 years, but it has never been written.

6.  Any upcoming events?

My next blog stop will take place at MK McCintock’s Blog, on April 5th. Also, I will be attending the Dayton Book Expo, on April 28, from 11am - 4PM in the Great Hall at Sinclair Community College’s Ponitz Conference Center (Dayton, OH).

7.  If you could be anyone you like, who would you be?

My father. A great influence in my life. His knowledge would be like having an encyclopedia stored inside my brain.

8.  Do you have any advice for new writers and something that a seasoned vet can learn?

You will NEVER please everybody. I promise. So when you write, write from your heart, because even your best critic can get offended. You are not writing to make people happy. You are writing to influence, inspire, and grow. Write from your heart.

9.   Where can your followers find you?

I try to enter every avenue:

My home is www.nicholasmaze.com

Amazon: http://amzn.to/ye4Z2I

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/whKpKF

iTunes: http://bit.ly/xR1hdO

LuLu: http://bit.ly/vChpbL

Twitter: http://bit.ly/HB9Ax7

FaceBook: http://on.fb.me/p8eP4g

10.              Any last words?

I appreciate this wonderful opportunity. Technology has allowed us to connect at so many levels. I ask that every person seriously take “EXIT” into consideration. This book was written from the heart, with a desire to help restore our country. 

 What 12+ years of schooling never provided is located within this amazing literature. From basic instructions on saving to the reason for America’s current financial dilemma, we receive great advice in the world of finance. People across the globe are crying for relief that will never come. In EXIT, we learn that financial strain is planned and orchestrated. The more America suffers financially, the more successful certain individuals become. How do we eliminate a problem that has been in place for almost 100 years? We first learn how to exit, escape.

Thinking Outside the Box

If my less than stellar mathematical skills in high school and college were a tale-tale sign of my future then I should’ve known thinking outside of the box was right up my alley. On each math exam or quiz I groaned at the sight of a box with algebraic equations, L x W x H, or whatever else they could come up to torture me with. My issue wasn’t so much the math itself but the fact there sat a space confined within four sides. No way did I want to be in the center of that. I’d prefer to be on the outside of it exploring what else was going on. 

While this method of thinking doesn’t fare so well with math, it does when it comes to selling books. When I first ventured out I did the usual—set up book signings at bookstores and libraries. These turned out pretty well considering most unknown authors sell 4-5 books at these. I sold 45 in my home town but everywhere else I prayed to get 10. I did this for my first year, and then it dawned on me. I see people reading everywhere. So why not have signings at places other than book stores and libraries?

I started out at my desk at work. Co-workers. Why not? They always asked me to buy something their kids were selling. And, in most cases my books were by far cheaper. I made a form just like their kids had and emailed it and passed it out. Before long people were stopping by my desk on their breaks. As years passed I found more and more things to do. The most recent, a conference that had absolutely nothing to do with literacy. While at the conference this past weekend not only did I sale close to a hundred books in two days, but it opened the doorways to more conferences and with the marketing material I stuck inside the book after signing I am sure to pick up more sales. 

So, to those who only think inside the box prepare to be disappointed. But, to those who dare to be dance to your own tune be prepared to soar. It may not happen overnight, but if you keep at it it will. Good luck.

O. Keeys

www.okeeys.com

Author Spotlight with M.C.V. Egan

 

M.C.V. Egan is the pen name chosen by Maria Catalina Egan the author of The Bridge of Deaths. Catalina was born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1959, one of eight children. From a very young age she became obsessed with the story of her maternal Grandfather, Cesar Agustin Castillo, mostly the story of how he died. She only spent her childhood in Mexico. Her father became an employee of The World Bank in Washington D.C.

From the early 1970s at the age of 12 she moved with her entire family to the United States. She was already fluent in Southern English as she had spent one school year in the town of Pineville, Louisiana with her grandparents. There she won the English award; ironically being the only one who had English as a second language in her class. In the D.C. suburbs she attended various private Catholic schools and graduated from Winston Churchill HS in Potomac, Maryland in 1977. She attended Montgomery Community College, where she changed majors every semester. She also studied in Lyons, France at the Catholic University for two years. In 1981, due to an impulsive young marriage to a Viking ( The Swedish kind, not the football player kind)  Catalina moved to Sweden where she resided for five years and taught at a language school for Swedish, Danish, and Finnish businesspeople. She returned to the USA where she has been living ever since. She is fluent in Spanish, English, French and Swedish.

Mrs. Egan has worked for various companies and holds an Insurance license for the State of Florida. Not her favorite field but involves very nice folks and makes money!

Maria Catalina Egan is married and has one son, who together with their five pound Chihuahua makes her feel like a fulltime mother.   Although she would not call herself an Astrologer she has taken many classes and taught a few beginner classes in Astrology. This is one of her many past times when she is not writing or researching.

She celebrated her 52^nd birthday on July 2^nd 2011 and gave herself self-publishing The Bridge of Deaths as a gift; she never submitted it to anyone prior to this decision and has enjoyed the very positive feedback.

 Historical/Paranormal/Romance/Mystery

1.                   What inspires you as a writer?

I am inspired by absolutely everything around me. I find a story behind every face, every action and every encounter. I’ll take my dog for a walk and before I know it I am seeing the walk from the dog’s perspective and my mind’s eye is spinning a yarn and creating a story.  I order a coffee and wonder about the story coffee in general, the person serving the coffee, the design of the cup. I guess you could say my mind is a very busy place.

2.                   When did you have that ah ha moment when you knew you were a writer?

I did not have an ah ah moment with the roar of thunder and the spark of lightning. With me it was more of an always knowing thing. I just assumed I would do many things in life and amongst them one was writing. I do remember saying I was or would be a writer at a young age and getting one of those all-knowing somewhat condescending looks from adults around me with a comment to the effect that we all have an ‘inevitable’ book inside us, or think we do.

3.                   What is your writing process?

I like to be prepared and informed on whatever the subject is, and   The Complete Idiot’s Guide to (anything) or Anything for Dummies as well as more sophisticated resources are fine tools. I like bulletin boards with images, which I may very well create myself, and I like playing with my characters the way a child does with an invisible friend.

I use lists and outlines, and sometimes I just have to write by hand and edit as I type it.

4.                   Tell us about your favorite character and why you chose to write about them?

MAGGIE, she is my favorite character because I am very worried about the lack of world peace. I find war such a tragic and painful thing that none of us are detached from, even if it isn’t our country at war. Maggie has the courage to protest and voice opinions I wish I had. Maggie has the courage and conviction I see in many of her young generation to believe we are all connected and are fundamentally peaceful beings, given the chance, that is.

5.                   What are you currently working on?

I am currently working with a co-author on a short novel entitled 4covert2overt , my co-author Jolie DeMarco is a clairvoyant channel and this book is far more paranormal than historical, but has elements of both. The conflicts and dramas of the characters is a much larger part of the story and it is a much easier read than The Bridge of Deaths.

6.                   Any upcoming events?

I am currently on tour at this wonderful Virtual café tour and so you should look up the events through that.

7.                   If you could be anyone you like, who would you be?

Now is that dead or alive? Alive it would have to be any number of international reporters who get to see what’s important to us all in the world and tell you and me about it. Dead, well a writer and a spy… there are several to choose from; Ian Flemming, Roal Dahl, Julia Childs and my favorite W. Sommerset Maugham.

8.                   Do you have any advice for new writers and something that a seasoned vet can learn?

Never think that it has all been written before, because each one of us is unique and as such your voice, your perspective will be unique.

9.                   Where can your followers find you?

At my website http://www/thebridgeofdeaths.com   but please do Google me as I can be found visiting many blogs and putting in my two cents here and there.

10.               Any last words?

The only way you can succeed is by going forward and taking a chance, even if you get a very different result than you visualized it might just surprise you and be better…and oh yes thanks for inviting me!

M.C.V. Egan will be giving away a signed copy so be sure to leave a comment!

Thank you for stopping by.

Are You Ready? I Am: Book Promoting 101

It's here, it's finally here! What's that you ask? Time to gear up for one of my favorite things about being an author and that's book touring. Next week kicks off the beginning of year long touring for me. Though most people who tour generally cram everything into a few weeks or a month, I prefer mine to go the course from spring through winter. During this time I attend conferences, book festivals, libraries, schools, women's groups, book stores, have book club drop-ins and do tons of interviews in-between.

So, what did I do from January thru the end of March? Why prepare myself to promote my books of course. Deciding to tour isn't something you should jump into at the last minute. Not only do you need to have your marketing material but you will need to promote the event and get people excited about seeing you there. By promoting I don't just mean telling people on FaceBook or Twitter. I mean getting the word out to people who actually live in that area. They need to know you are coming. Think outside the box of placing an ad in the book festival guide or depending on whomever is hosting you to do it.  For more specifics you may want to read my book for authors, The Not So Common Sense Guide For Authors. But, don't rely on others to do it for your. Their promotion may be limited to sticking a flyer on the wall.

As you are touring I would suggest keeping your momentum going by sliding in a few interviews. I prefer mine the day before or the morning prior to an event. It adds a little something extra for you to talk about besides what's between the pages of your book. Plus, it boosts my energy level. I'm always excited about events and it spills out as I conduct interviews. If you are doing a tour for the first time I would suggest doing a Virtual Book Tour as well. This way you can also guest blog about some of your events and bring attention to the fact that you are indeed on a book tour.

Book touring as an author is essential for selling books. Not only do I get to meet wonderful people but my sales skyrocket. I am not talking about from the people who actually buy my books at the event either. I am talking about from all the people they run and tell about my books and the fact they got to meet the author. In some cases people don't even purchase my book at the event, but they sure do download it as an ebook. To me a sale is a sale and I am thankful for each and every one.

Now Spring in to Action (ha! I saw this on a sales add once and always wanted to use it). Get off your rump and gear up to getting your book into the hands of readers. In my case I prepare in advance, then grab my fellow author, sorority sister, and traveling buddy Tiffany A. Flowers and we go strong from now until December.

Until Next Time,

Omegia Keeys
Author
Publicist
Publishing Liaison
www.okeeys.com