Interview with Libby Floyd: Television Personality & Author of 'Sparkelicious'

Libby Floyd has been a national on-air television personality for over 15 years with appearances on ShopNBC, Shop-At-Home and The Food Network. She was the youngest ever nominee for the prestigious position of Poet Laureate of South Carolina following the release of her poetry book A Winning Heart. Libby is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and was a contestant in the Miss America and Miss USA programs.

Her latest book is the contemporary romance, Sparkelicious.

Visit Libby on the web at www.LibbyFloyd.com.

Connect with her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/libbyfloyd.

Friend her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/libby.floyd.31.

Pick up your copy of the deliciously wicked Sparkelicious at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sparkelicious-Libby-Floyd/dp/0985847638/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345126752&sr=1-2.

Purchase your copy of Sparkelicious at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/sparkelicious?keyword=sparkelicious&store=ebook.

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About the Book:
Laney Montgomery is living the dream – a successful L.A. fashion designer, a fabulous home in the Hollywood Hills and happily married to an English film director. But on a trip back home to South Carolina, she finds herself in the middle of a family crisis, which she’s determined to fix. However, the affections of a handsome, younger man creates havoc in her personal life. With her marriage in serious trouble back in California, Laney is faced with losing it all but maybe that’s the only way for her to find true happiness.

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Q: Welcome to The Writer's Life! Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process. Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning? Where did you come up with the idea to write your book?

Sparkelicious was inspired by one of my trip’s back home to South Carolina. After moving away to New York and then L.A. after college graduation, I returned after several years to discover the sleepy little Southern town of Greenville was now vibrant and alive. I also found that I’d missed so many family events and still hadn’t come to term with my father’s death. He died in 2000 from cancer and this particular trip home was closure for me. I had also missed the Southern charm and humor of the South. When you read my book, you’ll find my fictional characters to be colorful and real. And, after living in L.A. for so many years, I had to relive my life there, so I decided to capture the glamour of Hollywood. My novel showcases several famous locales and venues in my old stomping ground. And of course, Sparkelicious hits on the touchy subject of age and turning 40, which most women find devastating, especially in Hollywood. However, I decided to explore ageism in a positive and uplifting light through Laney Montgomery’s character, who finds that it’s never too late to fall in love with your true passion and your true love. I think that life can be, truly, Sparkelicious!

Q: How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

I’ll have to admit, writing the book took three years of hard work, dedication and discipline but it also kind of wrote itself. I know that sounds crazy, but when there is a story inside of you, you get obsessed and you have to put the characters and their lives down on paper!! And, you can’t stop until their story is told from start to finish. Even when I wasn’t sitting down at the computer and writing the book, I was writing it in my head. As a writer, you feel obligated to your characters, like you owe them your time to finish their journey. The advice I would give to other writers, is to just write. There is a story in everyone but unless you start writing it, it will never be told.

Q: Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

My publisher is Chardonnay Press (www.chardonnaypress.com). We are a small imprint in Minneapolis made up of a group of writers, that we formed ourselves and are a self-contained publishing unit. Each writer within the company gets to decide when they want to publish their book but as a collective we provide valuable support to each other. I decided that this was the best route for me to take after submitting my novel to several agents in New York, with actually a great deal of interest but just not finding the right fit, and I was tired of waiting for someone to make a decision on me, so I felt that it was time to take matters into my own hands and create my own destiny. Hence, Sparkelicious was finally born!

Q: Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

Yes, the crazy amount of work involved after I finished writing my book! Being a partner in Chardonnay Press, we make all of our creative decisions ourselves so there is an incredible amount of work involved, from designing the cover, taking pictures, to selecting pictures for the cover and back cover, to selecting the font for the book, writing press releases, getting press releases out to the media, constant social media updates about the book on facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, updating the Chardonnay Press website, updating my personal website, libbyfloyd.com, booking author luncheon’s, etc. The list goes on and on and the work never stops, but it’s fun! The book is my baby and I want it to succeed, so I work hard in promoting it, in hopes that it will be read and enjoyed by lots of people.

Q: Can you describe the feeling when you saw your published book for the first time?

I screamed with joy and texted a picture of the book cover to my mom!

Q: What other books (if any) are you working on and when will they be published?

I’m working on several. One is called Prime Time Divas about the home shopping network industry and another is called Lake Hollywood, which I actually started about ten years ago, so I’m polishing that baby up as I type! And, there are a couple more that I’ve started as well so I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me!

Q: Fun question: How does your book contribute to making this world a better place?

I think Sparkelicious is a fun, light-hearted read, it’s not heavy and dark so it’s a great escape for any avid reader looking for great colorful Southern characters with some Hollywood flair, family drama and romance.

Q: Finally, what message (if any) are you trying to get across with your book?