Hello riders and readers. Today I am sitting down with author Colleen Brown. We are going to talk about her career as an author thus far and her on going Kickstarter for her book "On These Cursed Tides." Make sure to check out all the fun details about her life and current Kickstarter project. She will break things down for you and help you decide if backing her on Kickstarter is the way to go to start your journey with her or where you can find her on social media to follow along. I hope you all enjoy this post and happy reading everyone :).
****
Author Interview with Colleen Brown (C.M. Brown)
Most people call me Coco. I spent more than fifteen years working in libraries after beginning my career among the shelves as a teenager. A freelance editor with a master’s degree in education, I’ve built a whole life around books. I write dark romantasy steeped in fractured fairytales, dangerous gods, morally gray heroes, and women who refuse to remain caged. I’ve had my work appear in several anthologies, and when I’m not writing or editing, I can usually be found chasing my two children through the valleys of the Pennsylvania mountains, catching the newest Netflix hit with my hubs, and devising new ways to ruin (and heal) the lives of fictional characters.
What are some of your favorite hobbies you like to do in your free time?
I love to bake and am always looking for new ways to incorporate pumpkin or lemon into things. I play the violin, cello, and ukelele, teaching my oldest son, Casper, to play as well. I spend my mornings tending to nine tiny dinosaurs, picking fruit and veggies from our garden (golden and black raspberries happen to be a favorite in our house!), and attempting to teach one cotton-headed ninny muggin border collie to stay away from the horses.
Do you do any out outdoors activities?
I love to hike and garden. I live near the Appalachian Trail and have spent a lot of time hiking it with my family. I’m also a huge gardener, leaning more toward a homesteader and planting, tending, and enjoying the produce we’re able to cultivate on our property. This includes a fruit tree grove filled with apples, peaches, plums, and pears! I have nine chickens and spend every day collecting a variety of different colored eggs.
Have you ever tried speech to type software to speed along your writing? If yes, tell us your experience. If not, tell us why you haven’t tried it.
I’ve thought about it, but I’ve never tried it myself. No specific reason other than I simply forget it’s a possibility. Chasing after two little boys, working a full-time day job, trying to keep the dog from ending the lives of two very spoiled cats, and everything else life has thrown my way, my brain cells are usually too few to remember much.
Where can our readers find you on social media or your website? Tell us about the content you share.
Facebook: @ColleenBrownAuthor
TikTok: @ColleenBrownAuthor
Substack: @ColleenBrownAuthor
Website: AuthorColleenBrown.com
I share a lot of different things from bookish content, real life, behind the scenes, tips and tricks, baking and cooking recipes, etc. Right now, it’s a lot about my upcoming Kickstarter for my Captain Hook reimagining, On These Cursed Tides.
You are doing your first Kickstarter Campaign…how has this experience affected you so far?
It’s been eye opening. I’ve been a long-term backer on Kickstarter, but compiling one yourself is extensive. A lot more work than I ever realized and I’m so glad that I gave myself a year to really pull it all together. It’s been fun though to learn the process, study other campaigns, create the rewards, etc.
What is different about the process of running a Kickstarter over doing a release campaign for you and a new book?
Pacing honestly. With a regular release, it’s more about breadcrumbs to the story you’re writing, then announcing the title of the book, the cover, a release date, then BOOM the book is out. At least that’s how it’s typically gone for me.
With a Kickstarter there is a longer warm up period where you spend time teaching your readership what Kickstarter is, how it works, and what they get out of it all for backing. It’s like you start with hints about your work, then Kickstarter, moving into the elements of title releases, cover releases, prelaunch going live, reward tiers, add-ons, then it’s finally the live launch day. There’s a longer runway I feel like with a Kickstarter campaign than a normal (is there such a thing?) book release.
You have a campaign going for “On These Cursed Tides.” Can you tell us about your campaign and what you plan to offer your backers?
The campaign is the book’s first release into the world and there are seven tiers backers can choose between.
- eBook only
- Digital Edition
- Retail Paperback
- Retail Hardcover
- Special Edition Paperback
- Special Edition Hardcover
- The Boy-King’s Treasure Hoard
The stars of the show are the special editions. They will have holographic foiling on the covers (a dust jacket for the hard cover), silver foiling for the hardcase, sprayed edges, custom chapter header artwork (one for each POV), custom end papers, a foiled specially designed bookmark, and a few more surprises like character art and a special After Dark Art Print (NSFW) for those who like a little extra spice.
The add-ons include extra copies of the books, extra bookmarks, extra artwork, and a collection of my short stories that were previously published under a couple of different publishing houses. There’s also a whole bunch of awesome stretch goal rewards that I’m excited to share.
Do you enjoy writing fairytale retellings? Tell us about “On These Cursed Tides” and the characters that are within the book.
Honestly, I didn’t think I’d love writing fairytale retellings as much as I do. The book didn’t actually start off as a Captain Hook reimagining. It began as a whole different pirate romantasy that focused on my MFC, Maeve, and the Menagerie she grew up in without any Hook or Pan. It wasn’t until I was watching Once Upon A Time for maybe the fifth time that the idea to alter the story into a reimagining came.
So, this is an adult dark pirate romantasy steeped in fairytale lore and maritime legend where two should-be enemies, the Neverman and the Nightingale, are drawn into a sloooow-burning romance that may prove even more dangerous than the quest binding them together. There’s lots of tension, fabulous banter, and one well-earned open-door scene.
OTCT follows the idea that once upon a time the heroes lied because history belongs to the victors.
For centuries, Maeve has been bound to the Night Mother as her Nightingale. She exists to serve the goddess’ designs, a living weapon chained by command and consequence. Defiance is forbidden, choice an illusion, freedom a lie, and love the one indulgence that would destroy her. One decision alone is enough to invite the notice of a power far more dangerous than divinity itself—fate.
Callum, Captain of the Jolly Roger, has been leashed to Pan by a past he can’t outsail. As the Neverman, he ferries lost children to Neverland to keep his brother breathing. Fear steadies his hands, obedience tightens the leash, and choice gets men killed. He’s survived by knowing his place in Pan’s story, but the Nightingale makes him question the ending, and that question breeds the most treacherous thing imaginable—hope.
From his throne in Neverland, Pan decides who is a hero, who is a monster, and who is allowed to survive his story. He has plans for the Nightingale and his captain, and as old magic awakens and loyalties fracture, he will burn kingdoms before allowing either of them the one thing they desire most—choice.
Maeve and Callum’s only hope lies in the Oathbreaker, a legendary weapon capable of destroying divine bonds. But the blade was shattered long ago, its pieces hidden behind deadly protections designed to keep gods and mortals alike from ever wielding its power again.
Forced into an uneasy alliance, Maeve and Callum must brave cursed waters, forgotten truths, and creatures born from ancient magic. Every relic they recover draws them closer to freedom, and closer to truths neither was meant to uncover.
What tropes can you expect to find within your special edition romantasy Kickstarter “On These Cursed Tides.”
- He falls first… hard
- Morally grey MMC and MFC
- Deadly immortals
- Touch him/her and die
- Forced proximity; one ship, one bed
- Reluctant allies to lovers
- High swoon and spice
As a new first-time author on Kickstarter, do you find it harder to navigate or do you have someone helping you?
Nope, it’s just me running this. I wouldn’t say it’s been hard to navigate or figure out. At least structurally. I’ve been a long-time backer, preparing to get my own Kickstarter going so I knew a bit about the platform and how it worked already.
I think the best way to know is by actively doing and so that’s what I did. I’ve also read Anthea Sharp’s book, Kickstarter for Authors, as well as participated in a few Facebook groups to learn from more experienced authors who have run successful campaigns.
What genres of fiction do you like to write the most?
Dark fantasy, horror, and oddly enough contemporary romance. I don’t like to set myself neatly into one genre. It’s like how I read books too, I follow my current emotional vibe. So usually, I’m writing dark fantasy and horror in the fall and winter months, then contemporary and lighter fantasy in the spring and summer. Mood writing!
What advice would you like to give other authors who are considering using Kickstarter for a release strategy?
Do it. Worse case scenario it doesn’t fund and you release through the normal indie fashions. Then at least you’ve gained some knowledge, worked around on the platform, and run a campaign to know what to do and what not to do. I’d also tell other authors to give themselves a fairly lengthy runway. I gave myself a year of putting the Kickstarter together and I still feel like now I’m rushing to get things finalized for it’s launch in October.
If you could give any advice to a budding author what would it be?
Put your work out there and don’t be afraid of the reception. I think as authors, not just budding, we have a lot of fear around whether or not the world is going to react positively to our work. So much so that we seem to get bogged down by making the story absolutely perfect (and really is anything ever 100% perfect?) rather than allowing it to see the light of day. Put your work out there. Put yourself out there.
Is there anything specific you would like to share about your own books or your Kickstarter that didn’t come up before in this interview?
Wish I could think of something, but I’m on mom depletion mode and I’m lucky to remember what I had for breakfast besides thrice warmed coffee.
****ABOUT THE AUTHOR
C.M. Brown writes dark romantasy steeped in fractured fairytales, dangerous gods, morally gray heroes, and women who refuse to remain caged.
Her work has appeared in several anthologies, and she spent more than fifteen years working in libraries after beginning her career among the shelves as a teenager. A freelance editor with a master’s degree in education, she has built a life around books.
When she isn’t writing or editing, she can usually be found chasing her two children through the valleys of the Pennsylvania mountains and devising new ways to ruin (and heal) the lives of fictional characters.
Follow Colleen at the Following Links:
WEBSITE | BLOG | INSTAGRAM | NEWSLETTER
No comments:
Post a Comment