MC Harrison interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

When did your love of books begin?

My mother was a teacher and during my infancy she instilled in me a love of books. It's never too early to read or tell stories to children.  From the time that I began talking, she read "Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes", wonderful poems which I repeated back to her. To paraphrase poet Stickland Gillilan, I had a mother who read to me.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

As I recall, at 10 years of age I had a scribble-in-book, which has stood the test of time, most probably in my basement. My sister and I would exchange the stories we wrote. One day she suggested we pretend to be librarians and loan out our books to each other. This lasted only until she presented me with an overdue book fee. By the way, in later life she became a librarian.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

The process of becoming an author has been a challenge. I have dyslexia which means my books require a great deal of proof-reading. Fortunately, I have my husband, who is retired from editing business materials, and a well-known author friend from Canada.  The process of writing isn't difficult but the process of becoming an author requires skill in formatting, self-publishing, cover design, and marketing. I have turned the formatting and assistance in publishing over to Draft2Digital and I am very pleased with their work.  I have a cover design firm that they recommended and they are reasonably priced and offer quality artwork. I lack an audience for my books and this appears to be a universal problem of self-published writers. This problem is ironic because I had a career in marketing.

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

If you have already taken English or writing classes in college, you can skip a step and "go for it".  If you have not taken such classes, find appropriate workshops or online classes. The next step I would advise is to begin writing on a small scale. I wrote advertising and marketing pieces. I wrote websites. I wrote letters to the editor. I wrote wherever and whenever I could. My final step of advice is do not let your work get stale. Life interrupted my writing. Now, are you thinking I am crazy? The idea or dialogue which interfered with your sleep should be written down immediately. Two of my novels, "Tree of Life" and "Christmas in the Blue Ridge, Saving Bethlehem" were published within weeks of each other this November. I attribute this to leaving my computer screen on all night. I was often typing away before dawn.

Tell us about your book/books:

I have written 3 children's books: "Skeeter Maghee Finds a Home," "Mystery at Chances Hill," and "DIY Princess Guide."  These were written under my name, Molly Harrison. I joined Twitter in 2012 and I enjoyed meeting many authors and many dog lovers. One day I decided to tell a fictionalized version of my dog, Skeeter, and his stay at the town pound. Unfortunately, my plans for an illustrated book fell apart at the last moment and I used photographs instead. However, the book was popular on Amazon and is still available today. A year later, I wrote "Mystery at Chances Hill" for teenagers, a story of identity theft that occurs at a horse farm. This was followed by a book of short stories, "DIY Princess Guide", on the intermediate level. I attempted to keep the reading level at that of fourth grade student. Offering a fictional children's book with sight words on grade level is an advantage because it builds self-confidence in reading. The princess guide is also meant to build self-confidence in each girl's worth and aspirations. They are all princesses.

   This November, I completed two novels for adults. I published them under MC Harrison because my earlier works were often confused with those of two other authors with my name. In "Tree of Life" the novel has several Christian subplots. It questions faith, everlasting life, paranormal activities and grief. It presents a pro life message. Other Christian dilemmas and difficulties, such as prayer, guidance, misrepresentation, love, and fear, are presented in "Christmas in the Blue Ridge, Saving Bethlehem".  

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

Comradery and Active Involvement! The spirit of sharing ideas has never been easier than it is today. In the short time that I have returned to social media I have received helpful suggestions and engaging conversations with other authors and readers. It is more than helpful; it is an exciting spirit of engagement. I am doing this interview because of the wonderful suggestion of another author.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

Keep growing. Keep reading. Let the works you read open you to new experiences and ideas. Seek your own advancement. My greatest reward would be to have helped a reader find faith and find answers.

Where can people connect with you?

I have a website which displays books, biography, and links to booksellers.  It is www.mcharrisonauthor.com .  I am found on Twitter and Gab as MC Harrison.  My recent novels are linked to Apple, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, etc. at https://books2read.com/u/mBweVy . All of my books are on Amazon.