Author Interview with Felicia Tatum

Some people labor for years, trying to capture their book on paper. But for newly published author Felicia Tatum, it took less than a year to dream up an idea (literally!), write, edit, and publish.  

The Twitterspher introduced Felicia and I earlier this year and I was able to watch, through social media, as she rediscovered her passion for writing and traveled along her self-publishing journey. I’ve seen her go through an emotional roller coaster, from the joys of story creation to the frustrations of editing.

On November 30th, Felicia debuted her first novel THE WHITE AURA and I’m excited to share an interview with her about this amazing journey to publication.

Me: Hey Felicia! Thank you so much for coming to my blog today! I’m excited to get to help share your story of publishing your first book. This has to be an exciting time for you!

 

Felicia Tatum: Hi, Amanda! Thanks for having me. It is such an exciting time :) I'm on cloud nine!

Me: Let’s talk a bit about you to start with, introduce you to the lovely readers here :) You had written a lot when you were younger, but then you fell away from the craft. When did you start writing again?

FT: Yes, I wrote all the time in junior and high school. For some reason, when I started college, I just stopped. This year, I started having dreams I was an author, then I actually dreamed about The White Aura. So, in May, I decided to give writing a go again. I haven't stopped since! :D

Me: Was there something more that pushed you to get started again?

FT: The dreams were a big reason, but the main reason was my daughter. I want to homeschool her and be able to be there for her as much as possible. I think writing is the best way to do that.

Me: Homeschool, you say? Awesome! If your daughter needs any tips on how to get through, tell her she can ask this homeschool graduate anything ;) So when you finally picked up the pen again, did you write with the intention of publishing someday? And did you think that you’d be publishing a book so soon?

FT: I didn't know anything about self publishing when I first started back [in May]. I researched everything and I hoped to have it out by the end of the year. I really didn't expect to be finished in November, though!

Me: Wow! Talk about a year of literary abandon! What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in reaching this point in your writing career?

FT: The biggest challenge was the editing process. I felt like a complete failure pretty much that whole month and a half. I had no idea editing was so painful, for everyone involved, and it's not something I enjoyed. It's necessary though, and I know that it made the book so much better.

Me: Can you describe some of the feelings and emotions you went through to get to this point?

FT: Oh, gosh. Sadness, happiness, insecurity...writing is an emotional roller coaster!

Me: Back to the business side of things. Why did you decide to go the self-publishing route?

FT: Honestly, I researched it and indie seemed the best way. I get more royalties, and I have control over everything. It's stressful, yes, but it's also so much fun. I am a business major in grad school, so this really is great for me!

Me: We all know that covers are often the first impression a reader has of a book. I’ve gotta say, The White Aura has a stellar cover! I’ve been dying to ask who your cover artist is and how you found them.

FT: Thank you, I agree completely! I found my artist on kindleboards.com. She is a new artist and she was giving away free packages to stir interest. I was lucky enough to get one of those. Her name is Samantha Bagood and her website is http://coverpub.samanthabagood.com/

Me: What was it like working with Samantha? Did you have an explicit idea of what you wanted for The White Aura and did it come out like you expected?

FT: Samantha is fantastic! I loved working with her and I hope she'll do the rest of my covers. It was so easy because she had such great ideas and got back to me in no time. I really wasn't sure what I wanted, but she read the story and came up with three amazing concepts.

Me: Now, let’s get to what’s on the pages beneath the cover… Who are your main characters and what is the basis of the plot?

FT: My main characters are Olivia Whitehead and Scott Tabors. The plot is basically, this sorcerer, Scott, falls in love with a girl he sees walking down the sidewalk, Olivia. He can't meet her because of a curse on his family, so he visits her in her dreams.

Me: For the readers, here’s the full synopsis:

 

How do you live with the gut clenching truth that the one you love will die if you meet them? Twenty-year-old sorcerer Scott Tabors is learning how. After seeing seventee-year-old Olivia Whitehead outside of a coffee shop, his heart will never be the same. He longs for her, he wants her, and he knows she will be his. They are heart mates. ...but due to a curse on his family, he can't meet her. Not yet. So for now, he visits her in her dreams. Her dreams where he can tell her everything but his name.

 

Olivia Whitehead is a typical junior in high school. She and her best friend are having the time of their lives, but she can't help but notice the changes happening to her. Especially the changes in her heart after she begins dreaming about a mysterious, dark-haired yong man. But what will happen when the school heartthrob decides he wants Olivia? Will she realize the dream man is real or will she move on?

 

Me: What are you working on now?

FT: The sequel to The White Aura... Lots of things are going to be happening in [the next] book.

Me: Who are you reading right now? What is your favorite book/author?

FT: I'm actually not reading anything at the moment, I just finished my semester and I'm trying to get caught up on writing. I can't pick a favorite book or author, though I love VC Andrews Heaven series...A LOT.

Me: Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers here?

FT: Thank you to everyone who reads this or my book...or both! I appreciate it. And thank you, Amanda! Very nice interview and I'm happy you had me :D

Me: It was my pleasure Felicia! And congratulations again on the release of The White Aura.

You can keep up with all The White Aura news at Felicia’s blog here. Be sure to check out her Facebook launch event too – it’s worth your time since Felicia is giving away a signed paperback of The White Aura!

You can also find The White Aura in paperback, for Kindle, on Smashwords, or on Barnes and Noble.

Please help congratulate this newly published author by leaving a comment and feel free to leave any additional questions for her!