Name:
Julian Coleman
The Title of Your Work or Group:
Stolen Prophet: The Prophet’s Mother – Book 1
Where are you from? Does not have to be the name of the place exactly. You can say Hick-ville Florida, for example if you are more comfortable with that.
I grew up in a housing project in eastern Richmond, Virginia.
In what genre do you write?
I’ve written in comedy and horror, but I prefer paranormal romance.
In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it?
This book is about heartbreaking loss. It’s about a mother’s fear and determination to find her kidnapped son even if it means making a deal with the devil, or an angry god. She rips through a frozen city leaving behind death and madness although that was never her intention. She just wants her baby boy. Does she find him, or is there something more powerful preventing her from claiming her son?
What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens.
I’m an impromptu writer who just sits down at the computer. I never have any paper. I may start off with the best intentions and use a script, but then I veer off that path within a few minutes. The character conversations have replayed in the head a thousand times. I’ve seen the scenes over and over again. I don’t need any backup. It’s all in there simmering in my soul like a favorite stew waiting to be digested. The only means of digestion – getting rid of it – is through my fingertips. Only then can I move on. Does it sound like a curse – why yes it is!
Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?
No, because I’m not important. How can the world care about me like that? The world is very old? We’re only here for a moment. It is best to do something good for one person before we move on than to think we can affect the entire world. When I finally close my eyes, I would like to think that I’ve helped as many people as I could before being laid to rest.
Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself?
I rely on the kindness of experts. I know nothing about editing or cover design or publicity. That’s okay. I’ve met and worked with some great people who became friends. It can’t get any better than that!
Who is your favorite author? Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy.
Well, Stephen King is one of my favorites, but I sampled writing long before Uncle Stephen came into the picture. However, the one book that affected me the most was the original Ghost Story by Peter Straub. I think that by the time I got to Page 25 I was thoroughly terrified. Just Wow! No other writer has given me chills like that and so quickly. It was magnificent. When I saw the movie adaptation years later I wanted to find the director and shoot him for passing off that slop as worthy of the writer’s vision. What a maroon!
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Yes, time. I never have any time to right. It’s been my biggest frustration. I never have time to do anything I “want” to do. The “need” to do things always come first and then it’s time for bed. In the morning, I just hit repeat.
Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?
I follow the script behind my eyes. They’ve already told me their stories – over and over and over again. I just have to get it down so that they can release me.
Do you ever write yourself into the characters?
I’m all my characters…male/female/even she-pooch. There’s a bit of me in every single one.
Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.
I have a very demanding day job. I’m an analyst which leaves little room for creativity so the writing does help.
If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?
Harriet Tubman. How was it that she was so brave in the face of such adversity? How was it that she recognized the path to freedom and went back to help others without hesitation? The other person I admire is Mother Teresa. How was it that she descended into such poverty just to help so many people especially those who were labeled outcasts? I’m an ant compared to these women.
There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?
I don’t know. I’m not exceptional, but I strive to be a good read with the right amount of twists and “I didn’t see that coming” moments. I try not to bog the readers down with a lot of detail. I like to throw in throwaway characters to move the plots along…but these characters must do that – be very interesting and move the plot along from a fresh perspective. I’ve seen Stephen King do that most effectively.
In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from?
I’ve lost thousands of dollars trying to market my books. I’ve tried to quit writing too just to save myself the expenses and enjoy my life without the additional financial burden. I’m lucky that my husband is supportive and helps me out otherwise I would’ve bowed out long ago. I’m nowhere near recouping any losses, but I’ve hired an expert to help. Hopefully we will start making a dent in the outflow and get some inflow. In this case, I’m relying on the expertise of an expert.
Website: http://juliancoleman.net
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Prophet-Prophets-Mother-Book-ebook/dp/B01CMHLUPM/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
B&N, Ibook, Kobo and many more: https://books2read.com/Prophet1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulianMColeman1