A Q&A with Karen McQuestion Question: Your path to becoming a
published author has been anything but traditional. You became an
overnight success after self-publishing your books on Kindle, and
a publishing contract with AmazonEncore followed shortly
thereafter. What finally made you decide to take matters in your
own hands by self-publishing your books? Was that a difficult
decision?
Karen McQuestion: No, it was an easy decision! For years I tried
to get published the traditional way. When I learned that anyone
could self-publish an ebook (for free!), I decided I had nothing
to lose. I’m very glad I took the plunge.
Question: What advice do you have for struggling writers out
there who find themselves in the same position you did years ago
with no publishing contract, but stories to share with the world?
Karen McQuestion: If you’ve gotten feedback from others, and are
convinced your writing and stories are solid, take advantage of
the new rtunities for writers today. Between blogs, online
publications, and ebooks, writers can get their work in front of
readers faster and easier than ever. And of course, keep writing,
because that’s the only way to improve.
Question: Your first book, A Scattered Life, was a huge
success--a Kindle bestseller (reaching #5 in the Kindle Store)
with more than 100,000 copies sold and over 150 days in the top
100. What has this success been like?
Karen McQuestion: It’s been unbelievable. I was interviewed by
the Wall Street Journal, appeared on ABC's World News Now and
America This Morning, and the novel was optioned for film by an
L.A. production company. But the best part? After years of having
the novel languish on my hard drive, people were finally reading
it and enjoying it.
Question: A Scattered Life is an adult novel. Your two new
books, Favorite and Life on Hold are young adult novels. Have you
always wanted to write for teens and young adults?
Karen McQuestion: I think young adult fiction has gotten smarter
and better than when I was a teenager. When my daughter started
reading YA novels, she’d recommend books to me. I found that I
loved them and started to get ideas for YA novels I wanted to
write.
Question: Life on Hold is about 15-year-old Rae Maddox who has
spent her entire life on the move thanks to her mother. To
protect herself, she’s decided to put her life on hold until she
turns 18 and can make her own decisions. This is a really sad
concept. Do you think a lot of teens out there can relate to Rae?
If so, what do you hope they take away from this book?
Karen McQuestion: I think everyone can relate to the feeling
that something in life is holding you back. If only you had a
different job, or lost weight, or were done with school, or owned
a car, things would be better and you could finally live the life
you want. But the truth of the matter is that today is all we’ve
got. A person could wish their life away if they don’t find
things to appreciate in the here and now.
Question: Favorite has a mysterious element to it. Part
thriller, part coming-of-age, it is about a young girl in search
of her mother who went missing years before. Nothing--and no
one--is quite as it seems in this book. Was it fun for you to
write a story that has elements of a mystery/thriller in it? Do
you think we’ll see more of this from you in the future?
Karen McQuestion: I loved writing the book, but since I don’t
outline I had no idea how it was going to go. More than once, I
wrote myself into a corner, which was a little y. I’d love to
write another book in this genre, but next time I’ll think it
through beforehand.
- Used Book in Good Condition.