Read what happens “When you get a kick up the bum from your Guardian Angel…”
One of my favourite things about promoting books is following the growth of the authors who write them, and today I’ve been lucky enough to be joined by one of our returning authors Mimi Emmanuel. Mimi, it’s wonderful to see you back at ItsWriteNow.com, this time for your fifth interview to chat about ‘Mimi’s Eulogy to-be & Legacy’. Alike your other works this book is a very personal work about what you have learned through life, but this time turned towards eulogies and legacy. Eulogies aren’t generally your typical book topic, so can you kick off today’s journey by taking us through what drove you to write about them?
My Guardian Angel told me to go and ‘help some folk.’ Nice one that… when you’re on your back in a dark room and can only stand up for minutes at a time. I had no connection to the outside world either, other than the occasional doctor (home) visit, who insisted on keeping me, ‘comfortable.’ I quietly raged about this. Wouldn’t have been surprised if smoke plumes were emanating from the top of my head. ‘Help some folk.’ Righto. Eventually, I decided to write about my experiences. We’re now six books later.
Okay, so this book came as a more natural progression from your previous works rather than something that you setout to tackle in its own right. In all of your books, you have a wonderful sense of character and voice. How has this voice and character come to you?
Real-life-characters. Easy peasy.
Something that often is less easy peasy is that central idea that you want readers to take from a book. What do you hope readers take from this book?
Live your best life NOW. Don’t wait another second. Your story creates a legacy; Make it the best it can be!
I’m sure you’re making your life the best it can be! In writing’Mimi’s Eulogy to-be & Legacy’ and living your life it’s best, what rewards have you found?
The book started off as a relatively stressful project and turned into a fun project. All of a sudden I’m looking forward to having 11 (ELEVEN), grand kids. Haha! This happened after my daughter told me that she did not think that she featured enough in my eulogy to-be. So I fixed that for her.
Eleven! Grandma has her work cut out for her! That’s fantastic and I’m sure you are having a blast with each and every one of those kids. What have you learnt by taking the time to think about your eulogy and legacy?
Listen to your inner voice and FOLLOW UP on it!
*Laughs* I know that you listen and follow that inner voice of yours, so I’d love to know what it told you to write next.
Letters to My GodSon.
I’ll be looking forward to seeing that one come out soon! Six books later, and a seventh on the way. Almost one for every grandchild! Apart from levelling the grandchild/ book count, what keeps you coming back to write?
I started writing before I went to pre-school. It’s just one of those things. It is also a nice way to get a message across, to get things off my chest, build a relationship with the next generation before they are even born, leave a legacy and to communicate with people that otherwise you would never.
When you are in the midst of writing, are you visualising these people that you want to communicate with?
Yes, my audience. I tend to talk to certain people when I write. Like my first book was written to anyone who had health problems specifically related to dietary issues. My second book was written for my book launch team. My third book was in gratitude and to give hope to those whose situation seems hopeless. My fourth book was written once more for my launch team and other Indie Authors, Self Publishers and Entrepreneurs. My fifth book was pretty much my inner voice urging me to get on with it…
Each of these books has taken a different direction to cater for the audience at hand. At the beginning of each book when you are just setting out on the communication journey, do you know where the book will take you?
Its direction pretty much unfolds during the writing, research and/or creative process. I only have a broad outline in mind and take it from there.
What does a day in the writing chair look like once the outline is done?
I just write and write and write and then sleep and do it all over again.
*Laughs* That certainly is effective! Are you also an effective editor, or do you like to get a little outside help?
I edit much myself and after this, I get help from beta readers, family, friends and eventually a professional editor.
With five published books and a wealth of knowledge about in the ins and outs of writing, editing and publishing now under your belt, do you feel that your author voice has improved or progressed?
Don’t know if I’m the right person to ask about that. My audience would possibly say something such as, that I have a recognisable voice and am thorough with my research and quite organised with some books and not so much with others. My latest book was a little tongue in cheek so I’m probably loosening up a little.
So, it sounds like the central voice is still the same, you’re just showing a little more of your fun side now! Now, the next two questions are on branding and self-publishing which I know that you’ve tackled in books two and four so I’m certain that you’ll give fantastic advice to our readers and other authors who are looking at self-publishing with trepidation. Let’s look to reduce that trepidation with: Have you consciously thought about creating your own author brand as a part of your self-publishing strategy?
What you see is what you get with me. I write on various subjects as they come to me and cannot really imagine having to define myself or confine myself to only writing about certain subjects. That would not work for me. As it stands I write about Book Publishing and Launching, Health and Healing, Faith and Memoir style. The other day I asked a knowledgeable person about ‘branding’ and the answer that came back to me was ‘Mimi you are the brand!’ I don’t know if this will work for my audience but that’ll work for me.
It may not work for them, but it does show a concrete example of an author who became their own brand and is owning it, which I think is so powerful and should be shared. Other than becoming your own brand, do you have any top tips for authors looking to self-publish?
There is so much information available on the web nowadays about self-publishing is that honestly, the best advice I have is to google for information. Whoever comes to the top of the search engine at least has a clue about implementing SEO and is probably a good bet if you like their style. Some of my favourites are Chandler Bolt, John Kremer, Paul Brodie, Michael Hyatt, Dave Chesson, Mark Dawson and of course download The Holy Grail of Book Launching and Mimi’s Book Launch Plan. That goes without saying.
I’m glad to see that you plugged your own books there, I wouldn’t want to take away your thunder introducing them. If you had to boil it down to one sentence, what is your best tip for authors?
Write, relax, enjoy, have Fun.
Writing should be all about the fun! And so should interviews. So let’s be creative and have some fun with the quick fire question round. The first question to be shot out today is: why is lemon juice made with artificial flavour and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?
It is a test to see you could spot a lemon when you smell one.
*Laughs* It sounds almost like a standardised test for grocery shoppers! Keeping ourselves in the supermarket if you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?
Only if I ate it together. Not if I ate it in the right order.
If you’re in a vehicle going the speed of light, what happens when you turn on the headlights?
There will be a break through for sure.
Why isn’t there mouse-flavoured cat food?
There is … my cat has it every night.
There is? Well, that just shows that I’m behind on the cat food world. Now last time I asked you this question you had an awesome answer about a creature called MINE. Given that you’ve already created MINE if you invented a monster what would it look like and what would you call it?
Soft furry muzzy wassy lovely. It would look exactly like its name.
Awww, that sounds so cute. Just a little furry lovely. Oh, how lovely. Moving on to something less lovely, what happens if Batman gets bitten by a vampire?
He’ll get fired up.
Are you left or right handed?
Both whatever I need, whenever I need it.
That’s very handy! *Laughs* What an awful pun! Moving on, what happens when you get scared half to death twice?
You look like a wooz.
That’s unfortunate. If nothing ever sticks to TEFLON, how do they make TEFLON stick to the pan?
It has to do with upside down gravity and way beyond the ordinary human’s comprehension.
Upside down gravity, no wonder I couldn’t comprehend! What is your favourite word?
It’s awesome!
*Laughs* That doesn’t surprise me in the slightest! Before we round out this awesome-ness, is there anything that didn’t come up?
I want to say thank you for providing such an excellent service. I always enjoy coming here to this site, it is like visiting an old friend and having a bit of a yarn.
Awwww, I love having a yarn with you too! Now we need to end our fifth interview with an awesome bang, so what’s your most awesome line from ‘Mimi’s Eulogy to-be & Legacy’, that will get readers onboard?
When the author got a kick up the bum form her Guardian Angel
*Laughs* Let’s hope we can all get that kick up the bum from our own guardian angels and start living the awesome too!
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Excited to read the book we discussed today? Find it here on Amazon: ‘Mimi’s Eulogy to-be & Legacy ( ASIN: B07582R13S )‘.
Want to find out more about Mimi Emmanuel? Connect here!