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Interview – S.M. Donaldson, author of the Marco’s MMA Boys series

SM Donaldson

Self-Publisher’s Showcase: Today we are joined by S.M. Donaldson, author of the Marco’s MMA boys series. Welcome to the Showcase Lounge, S.M.

SMD: Thank you it’s great to be here.

SPS: For any of our readers that haven’t come across your work previously, can you take a moment to tell us all a little about yourself and your work?

SMD: Well, I’m from a very small town in Florida’s Panhandle on the Gulf Coast. Within 45 minutes I can be in Georgia or Alabama. I’m a military spouse and I have one son.

                I’m proud of all of my creations, but this MMA series holds a big space in my heart. All of my books are based in the south, all of my books have a little suspense and quite a bit of sarcasm. LOL I like to laugh, so I like to make my readers laugh.

At the end of 2012 I started a book called Sam’s Choice, it had the most of my personality and was a challenge to myself to see if I could do it.  I wrote the Temptation Series in 2013 which was a New Adult Sports Romance. It took off like crazy. In 2014 I wrote a spin off series from the Temptation series called Secrets of Savannah. I wasn’t so lucky with that series. So I went back to my mental drawing board. They say you should find your niche well as it turns out mine is Sports Romance with some suspense. So with that trip to the drawing board came my MMA boys. When it started out I only had plans for Lox, Sly, Huck and Gibbs. Then Lox took off and sold like crazy. As of right now there will be a total of eight novels and at least two novellas for this series. I like to keep my readers happy and they seem to like my boys and keep finding side characters they want to know more about, so I keep obliging. LOL

SPS:  What are your perfect writing conditions, and how often do you write?

SMD: Somewhere alone with no internet. LOL I try to write some every day, but with trying to be a mom and keep a presence on social media sometimes it doesn’t happen.

SPS: Can you put your finger on the moment where you decided that you wanted to publish your work?

SMD:  I grew up a cop’s kid and in the summer of 2012 I started to find out the answers to some longing questions about old cases and people in the past. I started to think “no matter how old I get I’m always going to be that cop’s kid. People are always going to look at me that way. Even though I’m 31 yrs old and my Dad had been retired for years, they still treat me like a narc. But I’d just learned a bunch of information that was really clouding my brain, so I felt it best to turn it into fiction. That’s the reason Sam is a cop’s daughter going away to college trying to escape the stereotype and she finds out that the villains have a long reach.

SPS: Why do you think it is that you have found yourself writing in the style that you do?

SMD:  For me the suspense, drama, crazy people and laughter come natural. Like I said being a cop’s kid you see a little of everything. Even things you’d love to forget.  Not many people can say to their friends. “You remember that time that escaped murderer broke into my house.” And your friend look at you like it’s totally normal. (Yes that did happen when I was in the tenth grade.)

SPS: What would you say, if anything, best differentiates you from other authors?

SMD: I don’t really see anything but writing style. We all try our best to top ourselves and come out with something to make our fans happy.

SPS: Where does the inspiration for your work come from?

SMD:  Everywhere. Literally. I pick people from my past experiences, restaurants, grocery stores, even kids. I see them and imagine what kind of adults they’ll become. I used to work in a dental office and that place was racked up with inspiration. LOL

SPS: If you had one moment to sell us on the idea of your latest series. How would you sell it?

SMD:  If you are looking for a group of hot characters who will feel like your family by the end of the books, look no further than Marco’s Gym. (Marco’s MMA Boys)

SPS: Have you received a favourite review of your work?

SMD:  Yes. It’s a pretty long review or I would share it.

SPS: What’s next on the self-publishing horizon for yourself?

SMD:  Well I’ll be shifting gears a little in 2016. I’ll be writing a Mature Young Adult Series along with the rest of the MMA series. I’ve never really done two series at once, but I need a little break from the Adult world. I’d like to write some fade to black scenes every now and then. LOL

SPS: Was the Self-Published/Indie-Published route always your preferred route for your work?

SMD:  When I first started Sam’s Choice no it wasn’t, but the more research I did the more I decided that’s what I wanted to do. I’m happy. I have trouble giving my things over to someone else and with a publishing house I would have to give up a lot of control over my own work and I’m not sure I’m ready to do that.

SPS: Has the experience so far been all that you thought it would be?

SMD:  Yes and more.

SPS: If you could give one piece of advice for someone looking to get into writing, what would it be?

SMD:  I actually have two. Keep writing, just keep plugging along. The second grow a VERY thick skin.

SPS: Before we bring this interview to a close, it’s your chance to name-drop. Anyone who you feel is deserving of more recognition at present or someone whose writing you have recently enjoyed? Now is your chance to spread the word…

SMD:  Well if you haven’t ever picked up Chelsea Camaron’s MC Hellions series it’ll be finishing in 2016 and I can promise you I’ve loved every single one of those books. Also Terri Anne Browning’s Rocker Series will be finishing in 2016 and she had me from book 1 with it. I’m thinking. I’m a speed reader so I normally can read a book a day. LOL so I read a lot of authors. Ryan Michele not only has a great MC series, but she’s starting a mafia series and the first book in it was awesome. Tabatha Vargo made me ugly cry with Sacked. So see I read a lot. Oh yeah and any time Jennifer Foor writes about those Mitchell’s and Healy’s I can’t get enough. Lani Lynn Vale, M.J. Fields are a couple of more auto one-clicks for me.

SPS: Thank you for joining us today, S.M. and all the best for the future.

SMD: Thank you for having me. I love to talk about books LOL not even mine.

SPS: For more information on S.M. and her work, please do visit her Showcase author page http://selfpublishersshowcase.com/s-m-donaldson/

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