Carmen DeSousa

In the past three years, I've done what I never thought was possible. I've published fourteen books, and I've been so close to Nicholas Sparks on the bestseller list that I could shake his hand ... even  while the book I sat next to was in the theatres. I make enough money to eat and put a roof over my head. I absolutely LOVE playing on social media, chatting with my friends, meeting new ones. I now have a great team of editors and beta readers. My previous life I was in sales and marketing, so I know how to launch a book and make it a bestseller the day it releases... So, why would I want an agent? That question wasn't really rhetorical. It's a real question, because I do want an agent! Prior to publishing my first book, I spent every spare minute of my time writing or socializing on social media. See, I knew that even though I wasn't a published author, I needed to build my brand. I had my first cover designed before I even submitt...

I don't believe in Writer's Block! Why? Because it's no different than walking away from a jigsaw puzzle. Sometimes your brain just needs to reboot. As a teenager, my grandmother and I would spend hours working on the puzzles. Sometimes we'd sit too long, the tiny pieces blurring before our eyes. Then, we'd finally realize we needed to walk away. Get something to eat. Watch one of her soap operas. Funny thing is... The moment we sat back down, our eyes would immediately land on the elusive piece that would lead to more pieces. Writing is similar, as in, sometimes we need to step back. Do something else. My suggestions: Work on the book description. Write a character interview. Work on another book. Or my favorite, READ! I read two to three books a week, even when I'm writing. Not only does it provide an escape from everyday life, it gives my brain a chance to reboot. In no time, my characters will scream out to me to pay attention to t...

My idea of a cliffhanger... ;) Rarely will I comment on a review on Amazon or Goodreads, simply because authors are warned not to. However, every once and a while, if the reviewer's comment sounds lucid and respectful, I'll speak into their comment, just because I am selling a product, and I feel I should be willing to stand behind it, which I am! One such case was about cliffhangers. First of all, let me be the first to assure my avid-reading friends that I HATE cliffhangers! And I don't write them.  But, in one of my books, I decided to warn readers that because the book was a prequel, it does have a cliffhanger-like ending, but in my opinion, it really doesn't. I'll explain that in a few seconds. My beta readers suggested that I remove the disclosure, that after reading the story, I didn't need to apologize for the way the book ended, because it was a perfect ending. Well, I didn't listen. I kept the disclosure in the first part of the b...

Occasionally, I run across a post that reads something like... 'How to write more realistic characters...' I know everyone won't think that my characters are real, but that's okay ... they're real to me and 97% of my readers, because they are real. Why??? Because I refuse to read posts on how to write realistic characters. Instead, I watch people ... EVERYWHERE.  I pay attention to EVERYTHING they do while they eat, shop, talk, fight... That's how you write realistic characters! Get out of the house, out from behind the computer, and People Watch!  Just sayin'! Now, get back to reading, writing, or people watching. Me, I'm trying to write as much as I can this week before I go back for surgery next week. While I was gone last week, I took plenty of pictures and notes while people watching. Now ... I get to write!  Until next time, happy reading and writing, friends! Carmen Thank you for stopping by my place and reading my mu...

Amazon   sent   the book-loving world into a tailspin with its announcement of Kindle Unlimited. This service isn't the first of its kind, but  this is Amazon, so you know it's   gonna   be awesome. That's my opinion, of course, but I'm very happy with the benefits and service I receive from Amazon. I've had several Kindles, and they just keep getting better and better.  And now ... they have Kindle Unlimited, which gives me an unlimited supply of books for $9.99 a month! Considering that I read three or more books a week, with a price tag up to $9.99 (I don't pay more than $10 for an eBook), this is an awesome deal for someone like me. Oh, and I listen to another two to three books a month on Audible, so that's AWESOME! I didn't even have to do anything special. After I borrowed a book, the audio book popped into my Audible app. So, I'm reading one book at night ... I'm listening to another book while I run errands. AND, if I want, I...

Now that I’m a published writer—an Indie published writer, meaning I went with a smaller pub so that I could maintain more control over my books and get my stories to readers faster, the number one question I receive from aspiring authors is, how did you find a publisher and why did you decide to go the Indie route? First, let me clarify, I am not an expert , nor do I claim to be an expert. What I do, though, is listen, research, read , hunt down experts, ask questions, start discussions, anything and everything to find the answers to my questions, whether it is what I’m writing or how I’m going to forward my career. No, I didn’t write my first book with the idea that I was going to self-publish; I didn’t even know that was an option . I wrote my first book because I love to write and had something to say. I sent it to my avid-reading best friend and cousin, and they insisted I seek publishing , so I did. I made an excel spreadsheet of all of my favorite authors , res...