It's that time again, so if you're already hard at work, grab a cup of coffee and sit back. We're going interviewing!
First up this morning I have a thriller author, Vicky Ball. After teaching for sixteen years, Vicky decided she needed a new challenge. She now works as a student administrator for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology course at her local university. She has always loved writing and has been doing it for many years. She has been on numerous writing courses which have allowed her to share her love of writing with others. After the success of her first book, Powerless, she has continued in the genre of thriller and is excited to release her second novel Abandoned. She is also a passionate reader, enjoying a variety of genres, especially thrillers. She lives in North Essex with her husband, two teenage daughters, two cats and two rabbits.
You can reach her at:
X (the app formerly known as Twitter): VickyBall3
Facebook - Vicky Ball
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Star Trek or Star Wars? - I used to love Star Trek when I was a teenager but since meeting my husband who is a massive Star Wars fan, I think the balance has tipped. I have seen all the Star Wars films, some several times and they are a lot of fun. Return of the Jedi is my favourite. Got to love those ewoks!
A book you’re looking forward to release (by someone else)? – at the moment I am looking forward to Morton R Leader’s newest book and Kit Derrick’s new one. I have read all their books and loved them. You never know what to expect in their books which I love.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? - I have always loved writing even when I was a little girl. I used to write stories on any bit of paper I could find or any notebook I could get my hands on. Getting published was a pipe dream I didn’t think would actually happen. I started to get more serious about writing about ten years ago and then a little while later I began to write a story which soon turned into a novel. I then got the novel writing bug and just want to keep on writing more books.
When did you write your first book and how old were you? - I started writing my first book in about 2016. It took five years to write. When it was published I was 45 years old.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing? - As well as writing I also work full time at a university as a student administrator for the Clinical Psychology course. I also have two teenage daughters and a husband who I love to hang out with. When I’m not working or spending time with my family, I like reading thrillers and doing family history and hanging out with my fabulous friends.
What does your family think of your writing? - My family are incredibly supportive. My husband and girls all read my first book and helped me with editing. My youngest daughter made me a website and set me up on instagram. My parents can’t stop going on about my book. My dad was one of my beta readers for my second book. He was very good at picking out those little mistakes others might not notice. I also have a great aunt who loved my first book and told all her friends to buy it.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? - I have written two books that have been published. I also wrote another one before that which is not yet published. I like all of them for different reasons. I couldn’t possibly choose between them. It’s like choosing between your children. I love my most recent book for its multiple twists. I love twists myself when reading and got very excited when I was writing it every time I thought of a new twist.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say? - I love hearing from my readers. As well as the conventional reviews, I get messages via social media. I recently started a new job and some of my new colleagues have read my first book. One in particular loved it and has told everyone in the office about it. Most of my readers tell me they read it in one or two days as they couldn’t put it down. Common words used to describe my first book are gripping, dark, unputdownable, powerful!
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? - As a child, I wanted to be either a librarian, a secretary, a teacher or a journalist. I decided against being a librarian so i trained to be a teacher. I was a teacher for 16 years and my current job is a bit like being a secretary.
What are common traps for aspiring writers? - Giving up and thinking you are no good at it. I’ve known amazing writers who have stopped believing in themselves and given up writing. It’s hard to keep going as we all have doubts. I am still surprised when someone says they loved my book.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? - I like to write about important issues and to come at a topic from a new angle. With my second novel I thought more about the readers but ultimately I write how I write and I have to write in a style that comes naturally to me and with themes that excite me or I couldn’t carry on.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer? I have found some fantastic author friends on Twitter. In fact a group of us met in August in real life. We all got on really well in real life too. I have picked up lots of marketing tips from other authors. Lee Hall on Twitter is especially helpful to follow as he shares lots of helpful ways of marketing yourself better.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? – believe in yourself. You are better than you think. Don’t let those people who say you can never make it in writing put you off.
Are you traditionally or self published? Or both? Do you feel there are advantages to one over the other? -I am published with a small independent publishers so I traditionally I guess. The advantage to being published with them is that they do all the formatting and putting the book together part. I still have to do all my own marketing though. I think the advantage with being self published is that you are in control of everything and you can see exactly what has sold and when. You can instantly see if a particular marketing campaign has succeeded or not.
What’s the best way to market your books? - I have found a combination of ways to market my books which work for me. I have gained a lot of followers and support on Twitter from not just writers but teachers and other people with common issues. I have sold quite a few books through Twitter. I am also on Instagram which is helpful for me to reach those people I know who aren’t on Twitter but I find it harder to engage with people on Instagram. I also have a Facebook page which I started recently. The main purpose of the page was to reach out to my friends and family so i don’t annoy them by constantly going on about my books on my personal Facebook page. They can choose to follow my page or not. You should never underestimate the importance of personal connections. I’ve had people I went to school with years ago buy my book because they know me and then tell me they loved it. I work in a big department in a university and all want to support me. I also have a Tik Tok account which I don’t use very much. I’m not really sure what I’m doing on it most of the time but it’s useful to have in the background.
What do you have coming next? – I am currently working on my third novel which at the moment is in the very early stages. The main character is a teenage boy. Most of my main characters are all female so writing from a boys point of view is a new challenge. This boy gets involved in a gang and you will see how it affects not just his life but his family’s too. I’m excited about writing it and seeing where it takes me.
