Promotional Interview with Dee Owen

Today's interview is a little different. Dee & Mike Owen are working and promoting books on behalf of Marjorie Owen (who is deceased). I have heard many parts of Dee's story and I had a feeling it would be interesting to talk with someone who is promoting work for someone else. I think you will enjoy Dee and Marjorie's story.

1. Tell us about yourself – where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)

Mike's Mum passed away at the grand old age of 93. Mum, Mike and I are British. However, Mike & I have lived in the United States for close to twenty five years, Bahamas for two years and are currently residents of Panama, Central America. Mum loved to visit America up to her mid eighties, in particular California, Hollywood being one of her favorite places. As the years went on, Mum found the long journey from England to USA too much. Mum wrote for her own pleasure, told no one and never sort to be published as far as we know. When we found all her hand written books and stories three years ago, my mission began. I love to read. And it was a challenge reading, or should I say translating Mum's hand wiritng. With Mike's help I 'broke the code' and began typing all of Mum's works. This lead to Mike asking me what I was going to do with all of them. So I said, “get them published.” Simple to say, but not so simple to do especially when you are not an author and have no clue as to how to do it or where to start. But here we are ready for Mum's first book to come out in print and two of her short stories already in print.

2. What inspired you to write your first book?

Mum was an avid reader, never without a book in her hand. She loved muder mystery stories. We do not know which of her four books was written first. But the first book we presented for publication and had accepted, is a murder mystery.

3. How many books have you written?

Mum has written four books. Two are murder mystery and two are romance.

4. How do you decide on their topic?

As far as I can tell from all of Mum's writings, she wrote the murder mystery books from her love of mystery, who done it, and the challenge of solving the mystery. The romance books might have been inspired from her own, somewhat tragic romantic life. This I understand from little snippets of information she would impart when alive, her only diary, and possible reference in some of her short stories.

5. What works best to keep you focused and on track?

I believe Mum just loved to write and it was a divertion from her busy work life. Mum was the head buyer of maternity cloths at a major deparment store in central London.

6. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?

Mum did not make any money on her writings, therefore wrote for the love of it.

7. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?

Being a novice to the business, I have joined Yahoo book and promotional groups. I have a blog for Mum's writings and Mike and I have recently started working on a website. I have hosted author's book tours on my blog and asked for my links to be put on blogs and websites.

8. What are some unique methods?

So far, I do not think I have come across, or thought of any unique methods, as I am continually 'picking other peoples brains'!

9. Do you sell through a website?

That is one of the things I plan to do, once Mike and I have made the website, which is a learning phase, as all of it is.

10. Do you plan on writing additional books?

Mum's second murder mystery book is a sequel to the first. If the first sells, I would like for the second to be published. Depending on the success, I may look into the possiblities of a 'ghost writer'.