Guest Post: Karen Frances on overcoming her anxieties to become an author in charge of her own marketing machine

Posted January 26, 2015 by Julie S. in Author Appearances / 1 Comment

Guest Post: Karen Frances, Scottish author of He’s Captured My Heart (January 28th 2015)

If you asked my friends for their opinions of me, I am sure they would have plenty to say: loving, quiet, sincere, happy, always smiling and laughing, helpful, caring, great mum to five kids. I am sure they would also use the words strong, independent and confident. On most of those, I would have to disagree.

Yes, elements of the first sentence are true to a certain extent. My kids are my world and I love them all deeply. Yes I think I have done a good job as a mother, but there is always room for improvement. I think most parents, not just mothers, would agree with that statement.

Strong, independent and confident, however, are not words I would associate with myself.

When I started writing ‘He’s Captured my Heart’ there were moments when I wanted to throw the towel in – it was challenging. I didn’t begin by thinking ‘when I am finished I will publish.’ I was doing it as a hobby and a distraction from everyday life. It was friends and family who pushed me to do something with my book. I surprised them with both the fact that I was writing and then with genre of the book: erotic romance. Although, I’m not sure why the genre was such a surprise because I am big romantic at heart.

I am confident in my own surroundings and with my friends, but ask me to do something out of the ordinary and that little confidence goes. I was asked by my publicity agent, Helen Lewis, for a head shot and I didn’t have any recent pictures, so I arranged to go to get a few shots done with someone I know. The nerves I had just doing that!

I am hoping the confidence is something that will get better, or rather I will learn how to cope with being out of my comfort zone much better, because I am the one who has chosen to do this and I at least want to try to get it right. There is only a certain amount of online marketing I can do myself: Facebook, Twitter and my website, which have all taken off really well. I know I could do so much more if I had the confidence to do it. As an indie author, you don’t have a big publishing company doing your marketing for you, so you have to do most of yourself and if you have never done anything like this before it is a daunting experience (as I am discovering). Being completely new to this I have found myself asking other authors for advice. I am so glad the first press interview I did regarding the book was over the telephone, I think it made it that bit easier and the photographer who came to my house made me feel relaxed. I am fortunate that I am surrounded by family and friends who support me and I am hoping that helps me in my journey as an author.

 

HesCapturedMyHeart_COVERTitle: He’s Captured My Heart

Author: Karen Frances

Blurb: Like any dutiful Scottish daughter, Libby Stewart puts her family first. She’s spent months helping her brother, a single father, care for his new daughter. The strain of her family commitments led to the painful demise of a two-year relationship. As Libby nurses her broken heart and relishes time with her niece, her father offers her a job managing his hotel. She’s ready to focus on her career and get her life back on track.

Alexander Mathews, a handsome American businessman who is staying at the hotel, has other plans for Libby. She’s taken aback when she meets Alex. He strikes her as arrogant and domineering, but regardless, the sexual tension between them is palpable. Libby fancies herself a good girl, but Alex quickly seduces her. Libby finds she is soon addicted to the passion she feels in Alex’s skilful hands.

Libby has never been so confused. Who is Alex Mathews, really? An international playboy, or truly the man of her dreams? When a confrontation with her ex-boyfriend turns violent and she questions Alex’s loyalty to her, Libby must decide if she wants to let this charismatic stranger from across the pond truly capture her heart.

​Libby Stewart has survived a family tragedy and a painful breakup, but an unexpected and intense sexual attraction to a handsome American businessman threatens to make her life even more complicated.

 6f2ed-addtogoodreads

 

About the Author

Karen Frances has been married 17 years and has five children (three sons aged 19,16,14 and two daughters aged 10 and seven). They live just outside of Glasgow, Scotland and have a family business. After years of doing accounts, payroll and HR for the family butcher shop, raising five children, and managing the constant school runs, parties and club chaos that a large family entails, Karen decided to find an escape. Reading remains a way of escaping the chaos, particularly stories of passionate, romantic relationships. “Let’s face it, we all dream of the happily ever after,” says Karen. For as far back as she can recall, Karen has devoted her time to her family and her family business, and for that she wouldn’t change a thing, but a niggling feeling began to develop. She wanted to write. After pushing it back and getting distracted by the busyness of daily life, Karen finally put pen to paper…with a cup of tea at the kitchen table when the kids were at school. “Never in a million years did I think I would actually finish writing this book, let alone do anything with it,” explains Karen. He’s Captured My Heart is a tale of contemporary erotic romance set in Scotland. ​Libby Stewart has survived a family tragedy and a painful breakup, but an unexpected and intense sexual attraction to a handsome American businessman threatens to make her life even more complicated. The book is released on 28th January 2015.


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Posted January 26, 2015 by Julie S. in Author Appearances / 1 Comment

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One response to “Guest Post: Karen Frances on overcoming her anxieties to become an author in charge of her own marketing machine

  1. I’m a firm believer in faking it until you make it, so even though there are certain qualities that I am still working on, outwardly they appear to be true, and that helps boost my confidence. If you wake up in a bad mood, and smile enough throughout the day, you’ll end up happy. At least that’s been my experience. Kinda backwards, but it works!
    Carmel @ Rabid Reads recently posted…Early Review: Craved by an Alpha by Felicity Heaton