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Brooke Williams is a former radio announcer/producer and script writer turned freelance writer and author. She currently specializes in clean romantic comedy, though she’s written a bit of everything including a thriller and two children’s books. Her latest release “The Leftover” came out from BQB publishing in September 2017.
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Brooke will be teaching the workshop Adding Humor to Your Writing. Visit the workshop page to learn more.

We asked Brooke a few questions to help you get to know her better.

Do you remember a gift you received that seemed so useless and nonsensical and you didn’t know how to express your gratitude? How did you handle the situation? A friend of mine gave me a purse that doubles as a very small cooler. I don’t carry purses and knew I’d never use it. Well with two young girls I take that thing in the car everywhere with milk, water, cheese sticks and so on!

All of us have faced rejection, how do you (did you) deal with it at the time and now that you look back upon it? The worst rejection letter I got was back when you had to send self addressed stamped envelopes along with your query. The envelope returned empty with a ‘no’ written on the outside. Ouch. Eventually that book went on to win awards. So there. Haha!

Do you read for relaxation? If so, what authors do you keep close by? I looooove to read but when my girls aren’t taking my attention I’m writing for clients so there’s not much time left. I keep a book on my bathroom counter and get in a few pages when I dry my hair. Takes a while to finish a book but I can’t give up!!

Visit Brooke on her website to learn more about what she writes.

Brooke Williams

Meet Brooke Williams, one of our conference workshop leaders.  We asked her a few questions so you could get to know her ahead of time. 

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you.

I’m a stereotypical writer…an introvert at heart. The fact that I survived in radio is amazing to me today. If I can do it you can and I’ll show you how! I’m primarily a stay at home mom to two young girls. Ask to see pictures. I’ll drag them out! Haha. When my youngest naps…I write! I’m primarily a freelance writer but I dabble in the author world when I can. I find it a great escape to everyday life and stress!

Feel free to contact me anytime! I write romantic comedy to give you some laughs. My next release Called “The Leftover” drops in September and I’m super excited about it! Check out my website. You can also contact me on Twitter and Facebook.

What do you see as the greatest take away/who will get the most out of your workshop?

I’m presenting the workshop on how to get and give radio and tv interviews. If you want to promote your book, your devotional, a certain topic you cover or whatever, you might want media attention. How do you get it?! I spent over a decade in the radio industry so I have lots of tips on how to get the interviews and then how to conduct them so you don’t feel like you made a mistake getting it in the first place. I also spent five months on the local news so I picked up some helpful tricks there as well. Mostly what not to do. Haha. I’ll pass them along to you! As writers we can love what we do passionately but unless we get it out there for others, it stays in a box. It’s fun to hear about ways to get the word out!

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be?

Don’t give up on your dreams! Write first and foremost because you love it. Then don’t stop until you reach your goals. No…don’t even stop then! If you stop trying you’ll for sure never reach those goals right?! Don’t let anything deter you. Got it?

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

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Today our guest is Brooke Williams. She is a former radio producer and announcer turned stay at home mom/ freelance writer/author. Thank you for joining us, Brooke. Let’s jump right into the interview. What do you do as a freelance writer?

It’s such a fun job. I learn something new everyday. I write a variety of things for a variety of clients. I work for a marketing company that has me writing blogs for everything from window companies to auto tune up shops. There’s a company in England that often sends me articles to write on historical events and they also send a lot of product descriptions my way. And then there are websites that take things called listicles, I did one recently on funny pictures of people at amusement parks. I’m sure there are even some of me out there, but I didn’t use any of those. It’s a little bit of everything. No two days are a like and as long as I’m writing, I’m happy!

So that’s your ‘day job,’ how about the author portion, what’s new there?

Plenty! I decided to really give it 100% in 2017 so I’m releasing something every quarter this year. On March 14th, What Happens at the Airport comes out. It’s a short story about a woman who is down on her luck with me. Every time she breaks up with someone or a relationship doesn’t work out, she flies to visit a friend or family member and she’s tired of it! Just when she’s about to give up on love completely, an incident on a plane turns things around for her. That’s all I’ll say. Don’t want to give too much away! That story is up for pre-order HERE so you can grab it anytime.

Then, in June, I am re-releasing Wrong Place, Right Time. That romantic comedy first came out with a publisher in 2014. I just got the rights back to it and am doing a new cover and re-releasing it myself. It’s a fun little story about a girl who tries to stop a wedding, but interrupts the wrong couple. Oops!

And on September 12th, the release I’m most excited about this year, is The Leftover. I’ve been working with BQB Publishing this time and am really excited that they have a huge distributor so the book will be available to bookstores across the country as well as online. The Leftover revolves around a local version of the TV show Survivor. If you’ve ever seen any of the competitions on that show, you can imagine the types of things that will go wrong in this romantic comedy!

Last, but not least, I plan to release Another Backwards Christmas in December. It is based in the fictional town of South Pole, Alaska, which I created for the short story Backwards Christmas. In this second short story, we get to see one of the side characters from the first story find her way to love as a reporter comes to town and tries to ruin their backwards holiday traditions.

That sounds like a lot! What fun! How do you get all of that in with children at home?

I have two little girls, ages 7 and 4. My oldest is in second grade and my little one is in preschool. I am rather stringent about naptime because that is the only time I get to write! So I get about 1-2 hours a day to pull together whatever I can. That isn’t much time, but I type so super fast you’d be amazed at what can result from that small amount. In a year and a half, both of my girls will be in school and I’ll have hours upon hours to fill. I dread that time. I want to keep them little!

Where do you get your inspiration?

I just write what the voices in my head tell me to write. Ha! That’s not that far from the truth, really. Inspiration comes whenever it wants from wherever it wants. Sometimes I get something from a TV show, like Survivor. Sometimes I’ll get pieces of a scene from my own life, like a poor woman accidentally catching fire by getting too close to a candle on a date. Other times things are completely made up. I get a kick out of making things happen to these poor characters, though I sometimes feel sorry for what I put them through. I will say that I don’t write anything unless the story idea is bothering me so much I can’t NOT write it. Stories, when they appear, bother me and bother me until I absolutely have to write them down. And once I start, it’s like an obsession. It’s hard to stop until it’s done.

How can we keep up with your releases this year?

Stop by my  website. All the information is there. I also have a blog on the website and you can sign up to receive updates by email. You can like me on Facebook  or find me on Twitter . I love to hear from fellow readers and writers!!

 

Your turn readers. Do you have any questions for Brooke?

Brooke Williams, AuthorBrooke Williams

Brooke Williams is a sleep-deprived stay at home mom/freelance writer/author. She has a background in radio and TV broadcasting, but left that career to stay home with her children and write. She specializes in romantic comedy and some of her titles include: “Accept this Dandelion,” and “Mamarazzi.” Check out her website: www.AuthorBrookeWilliams.com

At the 2016 conference Brooke will be leading The Art of a Facebook Party and Other Online Promotion workshop where Brooke will teach how to entertain potential readers in an online party. This class includes tips on the art of throwing, hosting, or attending Facebook parties as an author. Enjoy brainstorming with a group of new or veteran authors to figure out the world of online promotions.

Our recent interview with Brooke.

KAT:  How did you get into writing?

BROOKE:I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I used to cut pictures from magazines, glue them to blank paper, and write stories about their images. Then I would sell the “newspapers” to my parents for a nickel. I wrote my first novel a year after I started my full time career in radio, just after graduating from college. After that, I took a decade long break. When my first daughter was born, I searched for a job I could do from home and writing seemed the obvious choice. I started a freelance writing career and that reminded me how much I love to write. I went back to fiction and haven’t been able to stop since.

KAT:What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why?

BROOKE:Going to a party of any kind can be intimidating. We’ve all been to a party where we weren’t exactly comfortable. If you’ve never been to an online party, or if you have been and don’t know what to do, this class will get you acclimated to the world of online parties and marketing. You can take the parties by storm and get the word out there about your work!

KAT:If you could share only one piece of information with a writer, what would it be?

BROOKE:If you love to write…write! Don’t let “no” stand in your way, no matter how many times you hear it. Write for you and the rest will fall into place. Don’t force anything, just enjoy what you do. If you love it, others will too.

KAT:What are you working on now?

BROOKE: I’m hoping to put the final book in my dandelions series out this spring/summer. It’s called “After the Final Dandelion.” So I’m working on finalizing that. I also have another manuscript completed and am searching for a new publisher to help with that. It’s called  “The Leftover,” another romantic comedy, this time with a Survivor slant.

In case you’re not registered for the conference yet secure your seat today!

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Platform building includes meeting people face to face instead of simply on Facebook.
 
So earlier this year I slithered from the confines of my office and emerged into the real world. AKA, the one I don’t create on my computer.

Along with 100 other authors, I’d signed up for the Omaha Public Library’s Author Fair.

On the way there I pictured writers bashing each other in an All Star Wrestling free-for-all to snag readers. 

Instead I met fabulous people and learned from their techniques.

Rather than a cage match slam-down, I found a tag-team situation…with everyone on the same team.


Angela D. Meyer, Where Hope Starts author, helped me arrange my table area. 

By “helped” I mean she reconfigured my haphazard pile of books, sign-up sheets, and related items into an attractive, cohesive display.

I learned: Eliminate my bulky book stand and work my items into a semi-circular shape to make the most of limited space. 

 

Lee Warren spent the afternoon sharing tips he’d learned in his years as a multi-published author and editor.


I learned: Offer an incentive to invite people who are interested in my message to sign up for my blog or newsletter. Collecting a long list of address from people who’ll never open my emails is counterproductive.

 

Author Brook Williams wore a T-shirt displaying a link to her website and the cover of her newest book, Accept This Dandelion. 

I emailed her later to admit, “Oh my goodness. I just now realized you’re the one who wrote, Right Place, Wrong Time.”

I learned: Promote your book in unique ways.


 Jennifer Slattery lured people to her table with snack-sized chocolate bars. People took the bait and signed up for her blog. 

But Jennifer had bigger fish to fry. 

She shared about Taking’ it to the Streets ministry, serving the unemployed and underemployed. 

I learned: Use your platform to help others.

 
After enjoying Kim Stokely’s novel, Winter Trees, I couldn’t wait to read Woman Of Flames. 

Clever Kim used a tall pole stand to display her book banners.

I learned: Buy poles and banners at places like Vistaprint. Check the pole’s weight, and also see if they’re collapsible for airplane travel.


It’s a family affair, as Kim’s niece, Rebecca Grous  brought her own novel The Determining.

Rebecca said she’s uncomfortable with public acclaim. She’d rather remain in the background than the limelight.

I learned: Push past reticence to come out of my comfort zone. 
 

What about meeting the public? Isn’t that why I went? 
Absolutely. 

  • I connected with readers.  
  • People signed up for my blog.
  • I had a great time chatting with a multitude of folks.
     
What about you?
You’re the main event in your own Author-mania ring. 

Is something holding you on the ropes? Are you feeling frustrated, ready to tap out?

Don’t give up. Push past those barriers, 
and emerge a champion.
We’ll cheer you on with more enthusiasm than Hulk Hogan making a come-back.
Is your writing stuck in a hammer lock? Our free monthly newsletter will get it off the mat. Sign up is easy–the button is on the right side of this page, near the top.
2015 Wordsowers Monthly Meetings
We meet the LAST Thursday of the month from 6:00-7:45 PM at the Swanson library, 9101 W. Dodge Rd., Omaha, NE
 

Ready to enhance your writing career, or get it started? Join us for the Wordsowers monthly meetings.  

 
May 28th: Breaking into Chicken Soup, author Jeanie Jacobson. Chicken Soup for the Soul is a wildly popular franchise. Six-time “Souper” Jeanie reveals the elements necessary to help your submission stand out against thousands of others.  jeaniejacobson.com
 
June 25th: Platform Building, author Jennifer Slattery. Jennifer shares strategies gleaned from her work as a freelance editor and publicist. From old-school to online to connecting with readers, Jennifer outlines steps geared toward building your writing career. JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com
July 30th: Setting the scene: Bringing your fictional world to life, author Kim Stokely. Utilizing fiction elements makes writing shine, regardless of genre. Kim, prolific in both the fiction and non-fiction arenas, dishes out advice useful for any writer seeking to enliven their work. kimstokely.com

 
August 27th: Introduction to WordPress.org, photographer Pasquale Mingarelli. Top bloggers insist on WordPress.org. Visual Verse of the Day creator, Pasquale, created his site without technical know-how and quickly gained over 7000 visitors. Learn how to use this powerful tool as a blogging platform or content management system to increase your reach. visualverse.thecreationspeaks.com
September 24th: The value of your testimony, author Karen Watson. Writing impacts the lives of readers. Author and speaker Karen Watson focusesthis session on helping others see value in your ministry. Learn to use your writing so that lives are changed and people become eager to cash-in all for a relationship with God. theamplifiedlife.com
 Oct. 29th: How to get and conduct radio and TV interviews, author Brooke Williams.Authors, do you want local publicity? Tune in to Brooke’s presentation. This former radio announcer, producer and script writer’s expertise might be just what you need to get into the limelight. authorbrookewilliams.com
 
Nov 19th: Wordsowers Q & A.
(Usual date shifted due to the Thanksgiving holiday)
Have questions? We just may have answers you need. Whether it’s information on the craft, industry terms, or how to get started, bring your questions to this informal open forum. wordsowers.com
December-No meeting. Take time to enjoy the holidays with your loved ones.

We meet the LAST Thursday of the month from 6:00-7:45 PM at the Swanson library, 9101 W. Dodge Rd., Omaha, NE 

After-Glo session directly following.