Steena Holmes
Hi Steena! Thank you for joining me today!
Would you please introduce yourself?
Hi Kelly! Hmmm…I’m a coffee addict, travelholic, book lover, baker, mother of three teenage daughters, spoiled wife and a woman with a passion to tell stories. I love to read late through the night, walk through markets, sit on my back deck and watch my dogs chase after birds.
You write Psychological Suspense, Women’s Fiction, Sweet Romance, and Family Sagas. Do you have a favorite or does it depend on mood or what genre of book you’ve just finished?
I love the twisty books, the ones that take you on a journey but it really does depend on what I’m working on. The Memory Child will always be one of my favorites regardless of what I’m writing though.
Do you write one novel at a time or do you work on multiple books at once?
I used to work on two novels at a time but I’ve since realized that isn’t one of my strengths. When I’m able to focus on one story at a time, I find it’s stronger, deeper and takes my readers on a better journey, then if I were trying to work on two novels at once. One book always suffered and I would end up having to rewrite book two.
While we’re on that subject, what’s your writing process (do you have any rituals or special nooks you work in, etc…)?
I have a few places that I like to write – either on my deck during the warm weather, my bedroom, office or my new sitting room. It depends on what I’m working on and how the story is flowing. My last novel that I wrote was written during the evenings and in my bedroom. The Forgotten Ones was written mainly in my car while waiting on my daughter for her field hockey practices. I can’t write with music on and I always need something to drink beside me.
You’re known to be a marketing and branding expert. How do you balance writing in multiple genres in terms of the writing itself but also promotion and marketing?
Well, thank you! When it comes to marketing and branding, I think about my readers and how it all affects them. To me, brand is a promise we make to our readers – and that is everything from the stories we write to the presence we have on social media. I want to keep my focus on my readers without blatantly saying ‘buy my books’. Since it’s in everything I do, the balance comes naturally and I don’t find it stressful.
How many books do you tend to publish per year?
Lately, I’ve been publishing two to three books. I’ve slowed down but I don’t regret it. I’m placing more focus on going deeper with my stories rather than trying to get a set number of books published.
Who are your favorite authors to read and what genres do you find yourself particularly drawn to?
I love Psychological Suspense and Thrillers. Those are my go-to books. A few of my favorite authors include Karen Marie Moning, Kimberly Belle, and Tosca Lee. Who are yours?
Oh so many. I also go for a lot of suspense and thrillers. Probably Stephen King, Chevy Stevens, Charlaine Harris, and Nova Ren Suma.
Is there any genre that you would decline to write in and why?
I won’t write fantasy. As much as I enjoy reading it, that is a genre I know I will not be able to do justice.
Would you tell us about your newest release, The Forgotten Ones? (BTW, I love the cover!)
I would love to! The Forgotten Ones is a twisty tale, according to readers. It’s centered around the dark secrets we attempt to bury within our families and how deadly they can be. Some secrets are better left buried but how do you determine the ones to expose and the ones to leave alone?
You said in a recent interview that you are going to be publishing a new series under a pen name. Would you mind sharing your reasoning for this, especially since it’s so tough to start over, getting your books and name known, which you’ve been quite successful at as Steena Holmes?
Talk about exciting, right? I’m excited to get started and can’t wait to share more information about this with my readers! I’m going to be publishing under the name SM Jack and the stories will be darker in nature. The reason for this is by request from my publisher and also in respect for my readers. Back to what I believe branding is – a promise I’ve made to readers. This new series will be darker than what I’ve written and I didn’t want my readers to be turned off. I won’t be keeping this name a secret, it’ll just help when it comes to branding.
SM Jack stands for Steena Marie Jack – my maiden name.
And finally, do you have any writing advice for self-published authors?
Stop rushing to publish your books. It’s okay to slow down and not be a constant publishing machine. It’s okay to focus on the story, taking it deeper, going further with the story lines and making your readers more dimensional and in fact, your readers will be thankful.
Thank you so much!
If you’d like to know more about Steena you can find her here:
Website:www.steenaholmes.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/steenaholmes.author
Instagram:www.instagram.com/authorsteenaholmes
Twitter:www.twitter.com/steenaholmes
When you visit her website, be sure to sign up for her newsletter as she gives all subscribers a free e-copy of Stillwater Shores – the first book in her Stillwater Bay series.