Indie Author Spotlight, Episode 14

Hello! It's me (again). S.E. Reed, your favorite multi-genre Indie Author and volunteer at The Writer's Workout. Okay, so maybe I'm not your favorite, but I am an Indie Author who has made it her mission to help you find out more about others like me. Each of these episodes features a Q&A-style interview with an Indie Author so you can get to know more about them and their writing. In addition, some of the authors have chosen to participate in a 2nd interview on my website, Writing With Reed, which I'll link at the end.

On today's episode, we are speaking with author Cheryl King. Now, I've never "met" Cheryl before doing this interview, but I've been following her on social for a while and let me tell you. Interesting woman! I honestly don't recall when I started following her... but her online store sell these amazing book/author funny & cute shirts and book bags and I've literally recommended them on more than one occasion to people. Cheryl is like this multifaceted book guru, so listen up to what she has to say!

Author Cheryl King

Hey lady! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi! Thank you so much for this opportunity! I am a dyslexia therapist for littles at an elementary school and a junior high, and I absolutely love it. I also love reading and creating, but I’m a bit of a hobby-hopper (I’ve tried rock painting, mosaic making, crocheting—for just a minute, though—coloring, photographing, planting, etc., etc., etc.). Above all, I have always loved writing, and I always knew I’d become a published author. It only took 48 years to do it!

Tell us about your writing style!

I mostly love writing young characters, but I write for both teens and adults. I want a wide age range to be able to enjoy my writing. My work is clean and meaningful—no unnecessary gore, spice, or language. My favorite genre (to read and write) is historical fiction, but through writing contests I’ve been doing, I’ve had opportunities to write comedy, horror, romance, sci-fi, ghost stories, thrillers, and so many more.

Is there a project you’re proud of?

My teen historical fiction duology, Sitting on Top of the World and Under the Pawpaw Trees is my debut as an author and my first passion project. While it has not become a best-seller (yet!), it has won amazing awards, like the prestigious Eric Hoffer Award, and I will forever be proud of these books. The idea for the first book came to me when I was brainstorming for a flash fiction writing contest, and it grew from a 1,000-word story into a 25-chapter book! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7PXWC87?binding=paperback

Spill the tea, what are you currently working on?

I am working on a dystopian/time travel book, but it’s on the back burner right now as I’ve been knee-deep in short pieces for writing contests and literary magazines. It’s out of my comfort zone, so it may take a long time to finish—but that’s okay with me.

What is your biggest/best piece of advice for other Indie Authors?

My advice for indie authors can best be delivered through my publishing disaster story: When I wrote my first manuscript, I first queried agents without much traction. Then I got interest from a couple of independent publishers after a Twitter pitch event. I went with the underdog—a brand-new “publisher” that emerged during Covid lockdowns, and who, if I squinted just the right way, looked very promising. What ended up happening, though, was a trail of lies, deceit, nonpayments, unfulfilled deliveries, and broken promises. The “publisher” closed down and ghosted all of his authors without paying their earned royalties and without paying his staff and without delivering books to those who had ordered them. I had to republish my book myself, which I absolutely did not want to do, but it turned out to be a blessing. I subsequently self-published the sequel and never looked back.

So, please, do your research, be careful of scams, and don’t squint too hard.

Who is your favorite Indie Author? 

I don’t have just one favorite indie author, but Ellison Lane writes really sweet low-spice romances, and James Flanagan has a fantastic sci-fi called Genefire. Oh, and Jennifer Kropf has an amazing fantasy series that begins with Welcome to Fae Café.

Where can someone find your work, social presence, etc. drop some links. 

Readers can find me on my author website, https://cherylkingwritesthings.com, and all of my social links are there, as well as a blog, current writing projects, publications, awards, merch for sale, and my free newsletter.

Want to learn more about Cheryl? Check out the follow-up interview over on my website - https://www.writingwithreed.com/post/bonus-episode-with-cheryl-king