Six Questions with Sophie Moss

Sophie Moss is featuring here on Finding Bliss for the second time.

Sophie's books feature Irish Fairytales, which hold a special place in my heart.

Since it's release, The Selkie Enchantress hit #231 on Amazon's Overall Bestsellers List out of over one million books on Kindle, and #5 on Amazon's Fantasy Romance Bestsellers List. The Selkie Enchantress was also featured on the USA Today Happy Ever After Blog on Sept 20th!




1. What was the first book that made you fall in love with reading and what made you pick it up in the first place?


Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog today, Laura. I have always been a voracious reader. I was raised on fairy tales and classics like A Wrinkle in Time, The Hobbit, and Narnia so my childhood was steeped in magic and fantasy. But, to be honest (and I hope this doesn’t hurt my street cred), I was also slightly obsessed with the Sweet Valley Twins. I’ve always been a sucker for a good series. ☺

2. Tell us about your road to publication. Why did you decide to self-publish the Seal Island Trilogy?


I decided to self-publish for a number of reasons, but mostly because the opportunities for indie authors are tremendous now. Self-publishing offers an incredible sense of control and ownership of the publishing process. It allows you to connect directly with readers and find and build your audience in a way that is fundamentally transforming the publishing industry. I tried the traditional route: querying agents and editors, pitching at conferences, joining writers groups, and entering contests. But watching the indie author revolution take shape last fall, I decided why wait around trying to be discovered by a publishing house when I could jump into this publishing party right now?

3. Do you have favorite romance authors or novels you find yourself frequently recommending to reluctant or newbie romance readers?


Nora Roberts. She’s such an amazing writer and fantastic storyteller. My three favorite series by her are: Three Sisters Island Trilogy, The Gallaghers of Ardmore/Irish Trilogy, and The Chesapeake Bay Saga.

4.  If you could go back and do one thing differently since you first published The Selkie Spell, what would it be?


Jump in the game sooner! I finished The Selkie Spell in 2009 and spent three years trying to get traditionally published. Three years! Think about how much time I could have spent writing books instead of query letters! I knew The Selkie Spell was a solid story. I got tons of positive feedback from critique partners. I had agents telling me they loved it, but didn’t know how to sell it since it didn’t fit into one of their pre-determined marketable genres. I wish I’d had the confidence to self-publish sooner and get this ball rolling a few years ago.

5. How do you connect with your readers?


Twitter! I’ve met the most amazing people on Twitter. It’s so easy to connect and communicate. People are so supportive and friendly and I’ve discovered the most wonderful new authors and artists. I attract a lot of readers because I search for people who are like me and like reading the kind of stories I write and we can all just be ourselves and connect on a really comfortable, natural level.

6. You’re celebrating a brand new release! Tell us about The Selkie Enchantress. What do we have to look forward to?


The Selkie Enchantress is the second story in the Seal Island Trilogy—a collection of modern-day fairy tales set on a magical Irish island where wild roses hold secrets to powerful enchantments that can only be broken by true love’s spell. As readers of The Selkie Spell know, Irish islander, Caitlin Conner, has been in love with professor of Irish folklore, Liam O’Sullivan, for as long as she can remember. But just when he’s starting to look at her as more than a friend, a mysterious woman arrives on Seal Island and captures his heart. As Caitlin discovers the truth behind the woman’s lies, she realizes Liam is trapped in a dangerous enchantment and the only way to break the spell is to uncover a secret Irish fairy tale that has remained hidden for hundreds of years. But when the petals of a white rose grown in winter start to fall, the legend is set in motion. And Caitlin must find a way to change the ending before the last petal falls.

The third story in the trilogy, The Selkie Sorceress, will be released in early 2013!

              

I met Sophie on Twitter, which is how I've found many writer friends who I love featuring on Six Question Saturday. How do YOU connect with other writers?