Interview with Author L. M. Nielsen
L. M. Nielsen was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. While she has always written, she hasn’t published anything outside of college and the local newspaper until this year. She spent time working in a photography studio, behind the counter of an electronics store, sold advertising, and waited tables. Her favourite and longest lasting gig was lead singer and guitar player for a five piece band. After that she was successful at making jewellery and decorative items for the home.
For the last few years she has been fortunate enough to be able to focus on writing. She lives near Portland Oregon with her niece and her niece’s family and a big, sloppy dog named Prince. The series started out as an entertainment for her niece and a creative outlet for herself, but her niece loved it, shared it and demanded more. Now there are eight books in the series.
Tell me more about your latest book
My most recent book, Frankie Meets a Stripper, was a lot of fun to write. Frankie is the ghost of a young man who died at the age of sixteen. This has resulted in making him wise in some ways and still a teenager in others. Through the series he has insinuated himself into a new experimental FBI unit made up of regular FBI, Portland police detectives, psychic FBI, and of course, ghosts. The addition of Hero, a huge mastiff mix ghost dog in book two really helped bring the series to life in a new way.
In this instalment the unit is investigating a series of arson fires in gentlemen’s clubs during which Frankie meets Lottie, a ghost who had been a dancer back in the sixties. From her vintage strip wear to her red feather boa, Lottie is both amusing and endearing. She didn’t see who lit the match, but she’s ready to help catch the culprit!
As with all of the books in the series, each book builds on the one before. Readers can depend on finding their favourite characters and the same balance of humour with the surprises and mystery. It’s not a ghost story or a police story, but it has both elements. It’s not a novel about life, but there is life outside of the FBI and that’s full of characters too. So far the books seem to appeal to both men and women. First time readers are always surprised by the unique story.
Did you ever have a rough patch in writing?
I’ve had some rough patches, sure. Recently I discovered that the proofing edits weren’t holding. Long and countless hours of painstaking work just gone! I had to get a different word processor and now my publisher is helping me with what has to come next. There’s the learning curve for someone who really can’t even type, let alone run a program like that very well. I have hours of training vids ahead of me, but I’ll do them and I still feel fortunate to be able to have books on the market at all.
What is your normal procedure to get your books published?
Well, there’s a lot of hours of proofing and it’s always good to have people who will read your work and let you know if they spotted errors you might have missed. If you can afford it, a good editor is a great idea. For me, the miracle was finding No Bull Just Publishing. They were absolutely great since I didn’t know the first thing about that end of getting a book out. They did everything from covers and formatting to getting the uploads on Amazon. So I’d have to say my process is pretty stress free. Or it will be once this edit thing is sorted. I never felt brushed off because of my lack of knowledge. I was simply treated to amazing service with great results every time.
Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?
While the books I’m writing aren’t exactly spiritual in the usual sense, I do believe it is a spiritual experience for me. Something that makes you feel this fulfilled and joyous would have to have a spiritual connection.
How many books have you written so far?
There are eight books in the series so far: Frankie and the Serial Killer Book 1, Frankie Meets a Hero Book 2, Frankie Officially Joins the FBI Book 3, Frankie and the Cold Case Files Book 4, Frankie and the Good Guy Murder Book 5, Frankie and the Zephyr Book 6, Frankie and the Kidnappers (a novella) Book 7, and Frankie Meets a Stripper Book 8.
What’s the best way to market your books?
To be honest, I didn’t start publishing until the Covid pandemic hit and I thought, if not now, when? So I have been on a pretty wild ride that includes a pretty steep learning curve. I really haven’t had time to get into the marketing end of things. Getting eight books out in less than a year is a real eye opener. I’ve boosted posts on Facebook, I’ve done some giveaways and I’ll do more of those. I post on author sites. All of the books are on Kindle Unlimited because word of mouth still has value. I’m hoping readers will try the books and tell their friends. Of course there’s this interview which I hope to use as well. I’ve still got a lot to learn.
You don’t have to be a writer in order to be an author – how true is that?
I think it’s very true. Whether you’re aiming for entertainment or have a purpose in mind, it’s really up to an individual whether the writing happens. It requires some self-motivation and a willingness to dedicate yourself enough to the project to get it finished and out there. If you don’t follow through, then it doesn’t matter either way. It’s work, whether it’s a labour of love or an inspiration for purpose, and there’s no getting around that.
What is your advice for aspiring writers?
My advice for aspiring writers is to read. Read everything. Absorb the details involved in crafting a plot line, building the characters, all of that. Then when you think you have a work that’s ready, listen honestly to the people you share it with before you publish. Not to let them rewrite it or pull it off track, but to the stuff that you can see improves things. A thick skin is pretty handy as well. You can’t let yourself be derailed because some people didn’t love it.
Visit Author Laura Nielson book links:-
Frankie and the Serial Killer
Frankie Meets a Hero
Frankie Officially Joins the FBI
Frankie and the Cold Case Files
Frankie and the Good Guy Murder
Frankie and the Zephyr
Frankie and the Kidnappers
Frankie Meets a Stripper
Find more Frankie at L. M. Nielsen Author on Facebook
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