Welcome to Day 9 of #NJ12DaysOfAuthors (May) Series! @birdwriter7 #LunaTheMoonPig

GIVEAWAY:

At the end of this series, 1 lucky visitor will win a (12) Kindle e-book pack which will include a copy of each book featured in this series + a $10 Amazon gift card!  Simply leave a comment below to be entered into the drawing!

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On the 9th day of the May “12 Days of Authors” Series… Nonnie’s gift to you…

AUTHOR, SUZY DAVIES!

Author bio:

Suzy Davies was born in Reading, England. The family lived in Wales in her early years, moved to England, and then back again to Wales, before finally settling in middle England. Suzy attended Nuneaton High Schools For Girls, where she excelled at English, and failed dismally at Mathematics.  After a successful business career, she read for a degree at The University of Leicester, where she graduated with a B.S.C (Hons) in Applied Sociology with Social Psychology.

Suzy lives and works in Florida, where she resides with her husband, Craig, and two semi-wild cats called Dinky and Cubbie.  When she’s not behind a book, she enjoys listening to music, cooking and painting. When things get back to normal, Suzy looks forward to getting out and about in Florida and beyond. She gets inspiration for her books from her own experiences, and her travels.

NJ:  Hi, Suzy!  Finally, you’re here!  So tell us, is your author name a pen name or your birth name?

Suzy:  It’s a pen name. My family name is Davies, but I have changed my first name.

NJ:  If it is a pen name, what made you decide to write under a pen name?

Suzy:  I decided to call myself Suzy because my late dad always used to call me that, and everyone knows me as Suzy.

NJ:  That’s special!  How long have you been writing?

Suzy:  I have been writing ever since I can remember. I went professional in 2012.

LUNA THE MOON PIG

This story began when a little teacup piggy ran away from her owner and spent several nights in my yard. There was a magical Harvest Moon in the sky on the night she arrived.

I looked after her for several evenings, feeding her plenty of fresh lettuce and supplying her with cool drinking water. She was a very shy piggy and insisted on sleeping under a bush. She never came out in the day; she loved moonlight.

When the owners came and collected her, she peeked out from her hiding place, and after a little chase she was back in her owner’s loving arms. Now, Luna was feeling happy and more confident, so I whispered a secret to her “I’m going to tell a story about YOU!”

NJ:  What an interesting tale.  Where can readers purchase your book and how much is it?

Suzy:  This new release, which is being published by Ventorros Press, is coming to Amazon and all good bookstores soon. So, wait and see!

NJ:  OK.  I have been in this business long enough to know that quite a few readers have a purchase price point and will only spend so much on an e-book. How do you price your books and what is your logic behind the pricing?

Suzy:  Nearly all my books are available in paperback. As far as e-books are concerned, I try to make the price fair and similar to comparable titles. From time to time, I make my Kindle books super-cheap. I enjoy giving back to my readers who want to try out a new book from an author they know, and, of course, those who are completely new to reading my children’s books. I’m happy that Kindle Unlimited gives members the chance to read my fairy tales for free!

NJ:  I got on Twitter many years ago because my social media manager at the time told me that I needed to be on Twitter.  He did not give me an actual reason as to why (I had to learn my “why” on my own), just that I needed to be there.  What was your main reason for getting on Twitter?  For support? For fun?

 Suzy:  I spend time on Twitter to reach out to other authors, help them, and to help people find me. It can be great fun! It’s good to be part of the publishing, reading, writing, educators, creatives and entertainers communities.

NJ:  Supporting others is a huge part of my identity. I believe that when you invest your time and support in others, you find that your circle grows by leaps and bounds of others giving the same to you. When I first got involved heavily on Twitter, I was pushing others more than I was pushing myself – I continue to do so.  Do you support others on social media?  If so, how?

Suzy:  I offer advice to authors when they ask me. Very recently, I gave my time to an author who was new to writing children’s books. I was there once, and I am still learning. Very often, in my experience, when you help others it helps you clarify what you are doing and why, so you review your own strategy and benefit from that revision. You also become aware of any gaps in your own knowledge, which you can research. You can learn and grow from sharing knowledge with peers. So it’s a win-win.

• I read Indie Author’s books, and craft quality reviews which I post across social media, 
• I create articles about writing to inform and help others.
• I promote authors by tweeting their books and sharing their books with others. I often buy books, and recommend my peer authors to readers on Facebook and in person.  I try to connect with authors on LinkedIn and like their posts.
• I am passionate about promoting authors and bringing on the next generation of Indies, and I do all I can to help.

NJ:  Awesome!  Now do you actually take the time to read tweets from others before you retweet them, or do you just hit “retweet” without ever engaging in the Tweet?

 Suzy:  I engage with the tweets. Again, it’s interesting to share ideas and information. It’s good to spread the word about authors’ new releases, their achievements and their writing journeys. It’s a tough road, but well-worth traveling.

NJ:  If you could map out the perfect way that you would want others to support you on social media, how would you ask your followers to support you?  Just imagine that everyone who reads this interview will run out and follow you.  How could they best support you?  What would you have them do?

 Suzy:  I think the best gift an author can give another author is a genuine read and review of their books. Other than that, being open-minded, genuine, helpful and respectful. I like to be fair and treat others as I would wish to be treated.

NJ:  We all learn something new almost every day while on social media and I like sharing what I have learned with other authors, in hopes that it will benefit them in some way.  Have you come across any writing resources that might benefit other authors?  If so, share 2 or 3 of them with us, please.

Suzy:  I think the books you read in and outside your genre are a good writing resource. You can pick up writing techniques from good authors. This is not about copying. It’s about understanding how to craft an excellent book. The best non-fiction book I have ever read on writing is “The Elements of Style” by Strunk and White.

 NJ:  Good, sound advice!  Suzy, thanks for being here today!  Enjoy the long holiday weekend!

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OTHER QUICK FACTS ABOUT SUZY…

• Indie & traditionally published
• Children’s books
• 7 books published to date / LUNA THE MOON PIG her favorite

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FOLLOW SUZY ON…

Twitter:  @birdwriter7

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Guests, thank you so much for dropping by to support Suzy on Day 9 of the May “12 DAYS OF AUTHORS” Series!  It would be awesome if you would pick up a copy of her book above, and after reading, share your review to Amazon.  Ensure that you leave her a comment below, and also LIKE her feature before you leave, for your chance to win the grand prize package listed above!  We’d both appreciate it if you would share her feature to Twitter and Facebook, as well.

To follow along with the rest of the features in this series, visit the “12 DAYS OF AUTHORS” home page!  There will be a new feature tomorrow!  I’d also love it if you would #follow my site, as well as following me on Twitter @NonnieJules, as my truest joy is in service to others.  I’d love to support you, too!

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE FEATURED IN MY #NJ12DaysOfAuthors Series?  Click HERE to sign up!

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DISCLAIMER:  Any guest material appearing at WATCH NONNIE WRITE! is not edited, proofed or changed in any manner by the the owner of this blog. Material is posted as it is written and submitted.  It is not my place to make changes to someone else’s writing, as what I view as needing correcting, just might be the way the author intended the material to read.

• Posted in: authors ♦ blog tour