Hello, dear reader! Thank you for joining me. Author Bonita Y. McCoy is with me this morning. Bonita and I work together on Inspired Prompt. I asked her to come and share her new book, Twisted Plot with you today. Let’s get started!
Personal
Who is Bonita Y. McCoy?
Bonita Y. McCoy is a woman who is saved by grace and depends on God’s mercy every single day. She is a wife to a wonderful man and a mother of three grown sons and two daughters-in-law.
Professional
Love the picture! Bonita, who is your all-time favorite character? This can be one of your own or another author’s character.
That’s a hard question. There are so many good ones. I don’t have a favorite. I guess one would be Scrooge, another Elizabeth Bennett, and Rebecca in Ivanhoe.
All great characters. Now, please share what your latest book is about?
My latest book is a cozy mystery called Twisted Plots. It is published by Winged Publications. The tagline reads “Amy Kate Anderson is southern trouble in high heels.”
Unique cover! ❤ Let’s talk about your writing process.
Gosh, my writing process has been going through a lot of transformations over the years. When I first started, it took a while for me to get the characters and settings figured out. Now, my character sketches go much quicker and unless I’m working on a new series with a new location my settings don’t take as long either.
I do character sketches, then move into the plotting of the story. I usually have a beginning scene in mind before I ever start the plotting and then I try to plot out 30 scenes. I write in scenes not chapters. I also try to know my theme for the story because that helps me stay on point and not chase as many rabbits. Once I have the 30 scenes, I start the actual writing, knowing that other scenes will come to light as I go along.
Character sketches are my favorite part of writing. What is your favorite marketing tip?
I have two marketing tips that I am putting into practice myself in 2020. One, you can’t do it all, so choose one aspect of marketing and learn to do it well, and two, actually do market your books. You must market in order to grow your readership and your business. I learned this the hard way.
I agree. Learn something well and do it. Moving on . . . What advice would you give to an aspiring author?
Read as many of the books on writing as you can. When I asked the Lord in 2019 what I needed to focus on for my writing, He said craft. So, I started reading the books on the craft and boy did I learn a lot. Time well spent.
Studying the craft is very important. Do you choose a word or a scripture for each year or each story? If so, please share.
I go between these two. Some years I have a scripture. Some years I have a word or phrase, and some years I have both! This year I believe the word for me and my husband is streamline. We are streamlining several aspects of life.
I could use a little streamlining myself. LOL! Next question . . . Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I have always written. When I was in Junior High School, I was on the journalism staff for two years. Then as a senior, I worked on the yearbook staff and at a part-time job doing ad layouts for a newspaper over Christmas. So, when it came time to choose a major, I picked journalism. It seemed a natural thing.
It always amazes me how we find our gifts. From where does your inspiration come for your stories?
All over! The weirdest things will spark a new thought or idea for a book. I have a box where I keep them all written down, so I’m never out of ideas.
Inspirational
Final question . . . I believe it’s important to encourage each other in our daily walk. Would you share a word of encouragement with our readers?
God knows you inside and out. Trust Him to lead you right where you need to be. If you are walking with Him, He will never leave you nor forsake you. God is a sure thing.
I agree, Bonita. Thank you so much for joining me. Reader, you can connect with Bonita by following the links below.
“I don’t have a favorite. I guess one would be Scrooge, another Elizabeth Bennett, and Rebecca in Ivanhoe.” ~ Bonita Y. McCoy via @GailJohnson87 #interview #writing
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About the Book
Amy Kate Anderson is Southern trouble in high heels.
A Fire—
A Murder—
What’s happened to her quiet little town of Pine Lake?
Book shop owner, Amy Kate Anderson, thought she was having the worse day ever … until they wheeled a body out of the coffee shop next door and her friend, Matt Murphy, co-owner of the Beans and Leaves, became the number one suspect for the DA.
Can Amy Kate find a way to help her friend and keep her dreams for her bookshop from going up in smoke? Or will the handsome Lieutenant Gabe Cooper have his way and leave Amy Kate fishing for clues among the ashes?
In this delightful whodunnit, the people of Pine Lake, Alabama, will welcome you with open arms to their small town, but be careful, mystery, murder, and Amy Kate’s trouble magnet lurk around each corner.
Gail Johnson 