I was recently invited to Janice Spina’s blog and had a blast visiting and answering her questions. Come on over and visit!

 

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR D.G. KAYE!

 

Please help me welcome author D.G. Kaye to Jemsbooks Blog Segment, Interview an Author. Debby is a wonderful online friend of mine whose friendship I cherish.

Thank you so much for inviting me over here today Janice, what a treat!

It’s wonderful to have you here, Debby. It’s been a long time in coming.

Please tell us something about yourself.

 

I’m a Canadian nonfiction/ memoir writer with 6 books under my belt and hoping to finish my 7th before this year runs away on me. All my books offer life lessons from my perspective and my own experiences. I liken myself to the Phoenix who rose above adversity from a dysfunctional childhood, a narcissistic mother, zero self-esteem and once upon a time, an extremely abusive relationship. I like to think by sharing my stories I can empower others.

I live in Toronto, born and bred. I also run my blog, which is an eclectic mash of memoir stories, articles about writing and self-publishing, book reviews, author interviews, and my occasional rant on injustices I come across. I’m also part of the Sisters of the Fey blog with 7 other authors where we share our views and knowledge about the spirituaI realm. I’m an empath and believe in angels. I also write a travel column for Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Invitation.

I probably should have been an investigative journalist because I’m a great sleuth when it comes to research. But I’m afraid I missed the boat on that one. I loveeeee to travel and socialize. And you’ll always find me fighting for the underdog.

 

Jjspina: You are an amazing woman, Debby. Out of the ashes you rose triumphant and better than ever.

 

When did you know that you wanted to be an author?

 

Now that’s a good question. I’m not sure I ever really aspired to be an author. A writer yes, as I’ve been writing since childhood, but an author was a far away dream for me. In my twenties, I began devouring books and only wondered if I’d ever gain the courage to write a book. But the years and decades passed. I wrote in journals to document the craziness in my life and later submitted a few articles to some local magazines. As my journals grew through the years and my emotional battle with my mother escalated, I began to feel theneed to compile some of my stories and so I wrote my first book. Conflicted Hearts – a memoir about how growing up with a narcissistic mother affected my childhood right through to adulthood.

 

Jjspina: It was a good thing that you did document your life. It made a fantastic book and must have been cathartic for you to release all that angst.

 

What advice would you give prospective authors? 

 

Write for the love of writing. Write because it’s your passion. Don’t go into publishing thinking your book is going to be a bestseller and you’re going to get rich because it probably won’t and you probably won’t. Write and build a platform of followers and readers by opening a blog and engaging with readers. Post engaging articles on your blogs and on social media. Build your tribe and have them waiting and wanting to read that first book you publish, and then continue writing and engaging. If we have any aspirations of fame or fortune, with a little luck and a lot of social interaction, we can establish a presence for both – ourselves and our books.

 

jjspina: Wonderful advice, Debby. 

 

How do you come up with ideas for your stories?

 

I think I’ve been lucky in that department because I’ve never really sat down and said, “Okay, I want to write a book, what should I write about?” Often, I’ll be doing something unrelated to writing when I get an inspiration to write on a topic. My first book, Conflicted Hearts, I knew was going to be written from the journals I kept. My 5th book I published – P.S. I Forgive You, I knew I had to write that somewhat of a sequel to an unfinished story of Conflicted Hearts, but I also knew I couldn’t write that book until my mother died. I began writing it only a few months before she died as I struggled with breaking ‘no contact’ after 7 years of finally breaking free from her hold on me. . . Continue reading

 

Source: Interview with Author D.G. Kaye! | Jemsbooks