Author Holly Stone Shares Their Story

About the Author
Hi! I’m Holly Stone. I live, work and write in London. Writing isn’t my day job but I love creating characters enough to do it in my spare time. When I’m not working, writing or parenting I’m reading, day dreaming about my next book and trying to stretch time like elastic!

I love people and chocolate and stories that grab you by the heart and squeeze. Before I became a mummy I traveled to cool places and studied ancient things and danced in heels and drank gin with orange juice. When my kids are grown I am planning to do all those things again, just wearing longer skirts!

What inspires you to write romance books?
I love slipping into another world each day. Maybe you could call it escapism. I guess I write romance for the same reason that people read romantic fiction or watch movies with a love story at the heart. We all love falling in love and each time I write a new story I fall in love all over again. I enjoy coming up with my male main characters the best. There is something about putting together a delicious man with flaws and challenges to overcome and finding a female character that will become his match by the end of the story.

Tell us about how you write:
I write most mornings in my local coffee shop and at my kitchen table at night. I write while my kids are at ballet and swimming classes. I think about writing when I’m in queues at the supermarket or driving to see relatives. My biggest ‘eureka moments’ always happen in the shower!

I have a general idea of the story before i start and for my longer works I write character profiles before I start. But I like to let things develop as I go. I love it that my characters seem to have a life of their own and want to make their own way. Sometimes they surprise the hell out of me!

I don’t think I’ll ever be a writer who plots the whole story out before they start. I don’t get my ideas that way, rather they grow and develop over the weeks and months it takes to complete a story.

Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
My characters have a life of their own. They want to grow and develop. They want to tell their story. Now I’ve started writing I don’t think I’ll ever stop. One of my friends asked me how I find the motivation to do this every day. I told her to imagine she’s started watching the best TV show she’s ever seen. How would she feel each night? She said she’d want to keep watching until the series was complete. That’s how I feel when I’m in the middle of writing a story.

What advice would you give other writers?
Write what you have in your heart. Write from your own experience. Write because you love it. And don’t fear seeking the opinions of others. I have great beta readers who give me lots of different feedback. I learn from every review that I receive. I know my writing is improving with each book I release.

I read continuously in the genres I write. I take note of the bestseller lists to see what readers are looking for. That being said, I can’t say that I’m writing to the market. My characters just want to do their own thing!

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I wanted to do my own thing. Self publishing is fun. There is so much to do and learn. I marvel at the successful self published authors because they are creatives and savvy business people.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
This is a tough one. There are so many books available to read that as a reader I find the tremendous choice a bit baffling. It’s becoming harder for unknown authors to get themselves seen. Put it this way, if I was trying to make a full time income by writing I’d be worried.

What genres do you write:: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance, Erotica,

What formats are your books in: eBook

Website(s)
Link To Author Page On Amazon

Your Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4470992.Holly_Stone
http://www.facebook.com/hollystoneauthor
http://www.twitter.com/hollystonebooks