📚 Up Close & Personal with 'Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex' Carole P. Roman @caroleproman #upcloseandpersonal

Up Close & Personal is one of The Writer’s Life newest features. Here we feature authors who don't mind spilling the beans and telling what it's really like to write, get published and sell that book. Today's guest is Carole P. Roman, author of the YA, Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex.

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children’s books. Whether it’s pirates, princesses, spies, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children of all ages.

Her best-selling book, The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! has reached number one on Amazon in March of 2020 and has remained in the top 200 books since then.

She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren.

Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman.

Roman is the CEO of a global transportation company, as well as a practicing medium.

She also writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and has created an anthology of the mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors.

Writing is her passion and one of her favorite pastimes. Roman reinvents herself frequently, and her family calls her the ‘mother of reinvention.’ She resides on Long Island, near her children and grandchildren.

Her series includes:

Captain No Beard

If You Were Me and Lived in- Cultural

If You Were Me and Lived in- Historical

Nursery series

Oh Susannah- Early Reader and coloring book

Grady Whilland the Templeton Codex

Giggles Galore- Coming in December 2022

Mindfulness for Kids with co-author J. Robin Albertson-Wren

The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids; 800 plus Jokes! 1 and 2

Spies, Code Talkers, and Secret Agents A World War 2 Book for Kids

Navigating Indieworld- with co-author Julie A. Gerber

Marketing Indieworld- with co-authors Angela Hausman and Julie A. Gerber

Adult Fiction under the pen name Brit Lunden

Bulwark

The Knowing- Book 1- A Bulwark Anthology

The Devil and Dayna Dalton- Book 9-A Bulwark Anthology

Her latest book is the YA Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex.

Visit Carole’s website at www.CarolePRoman.com or connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

On Writing…

My adult sons urged me to write a book. I was in a funk from losing my mom, and they thought if I got involved with a project of some sort, it might help pull me out. I wrote Captain No Beard An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life and became immersed in the entire publishing process. I found an illustrator lead and learned about the complications of editing, matching a story to illustrations, and finally, promoting. I was never more surprised when the book was named to Kirkus' Best of 2012. It encouraged me to write another, and soon, I had ten, then twenty books being published. I won numerous awards and explored other genres and age groups. To date, I've published seventy books under two pen names. One of my made it to the number one spot on Amazon and has remained a best-seller for over two years.

On Being Published…

I love the thrill of publishing a book. I come from a family of authors. Both my son and grandson have published, as well. I manage all the books and handle marketing on over 100 titles. Publishing a book is like launching a rocket. It's exciting to watch the reviews start to come in or for the book to receive recognition. Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex has received some wonderful reviews. Indie Reader named it as one of the best picks for August. I wrote this book four years ago and held onto it through the pandemic before deciding to self-publish this summer. I always send my books in for editorial reviews like the Foreword review, Blue Ink, Feathered Quill, and Kirkus, and as they have been published, it reinforces that this is a great book with terrific messages.

On Publishing Industry…

I was paid to write my first and second joke book by a small publisher. It was a straightforward deal, I received payment and no royalties. When the first joke sold over a quarter of a million copies and rose to number one on Amazon, I realized I made a terrible deal. I ended up finding an agent. He held onto my manuscripts for two years, and nothing happened. After the pandemic, I decided I was tired of waiting for a publishing house to publish and took my manuscripts back. I have four books coming out this year. I like the freedom of being an indie. I believe publishing houses publish books based on trends and what will sell. I think there is a treasure trove of indie work that might be passed over because it didn't meet a publishing house's standards. The reviews indicate that Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex is a great book and I am glad I had the chance to hear what readers think about it.

Mistakes Along the Way...

I made many mistakes. Publishing without professional editing is the major one. I rush and don't see my errors. Generally, I read what I thought I wrote. You have to invest if you want to publish and look professional. I wrote four books for a small publisher and was paid for the work and no royalties. Big mistake. One book made a great profit that I did not share. I learned a lot from the way they publicize books and have tried to duplicate the process.

On Marketing…

I wrote two books on marketing indie books. I always send my books for professional reviews. I enter the books into award programs. I post twice or three times a week. I do as many guest posts as possible on other people's blogs. I advertise my book to the specific audience where I can and if cost-effective. The list goes on and on.

On Goals and Dreams…

I helped a fellow author get his book to a literary agent and a film agent. He proudly announced last week, that he got a movie deal. I would love if Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex got noticed by Hollywood. I think it would make a great movie. That would indeed be icing on the cake!