Featured Author Today – Belinda Hunter

My featured author of today is Belinda Hunter.  Please welcome her to my blog.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Belinda Hunter I am a mother, grandmother, author and publisher. I love writing and helping others bring their dream of writing to life. I am a spontaneous person and I love laughing. So, if you are a serious person… I am not for you. Lol!

 What do you do when you are not writing?

Well since I now live in Atlanta if I am not writing you can find me in the city sitting around people watching or at on someone television or movie set. I do a lot of extra work anticipating my day as a script writer for movies and television. Acting is not really my forte, but I do love being an extra and getting to work up close and personal with A-list celebrities and networking with like-minded people.

 Do you have a day job as well?

Writing is my day job. Lol!

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I first started writing and finished my first book when I was 22 years old, however, I did not publish it until I was 43 years old.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I related more with urban fiction. And after reading my first urban fiction book or book by a black author, Mama by Terry McMillan, I thought wow, I can do this.

Where do you get your ideas?

I have a very creative mind. I can come up with a story line in seconds and run with it. However, life has giving me tons of ideas.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Do I? Yes! As creative as I am I to stumble and deal with writer’s block more than I’d like to. A few times during the book that I am writing now I got writers block and didn’t pick up a pen nor write for six months. It’s been two years since I have released a book because when I’m not feeling it I don’t force it. But back writing now.

Do you work with an outline, or just write?

I just write. I find that when I create an outline it doesn’t flow as I like. I think that’s also why I experience more writers block but I’d rather my work flow than be structured.

 Is there any author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

There are two. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner and Mama by Terry McMillan. The Boxcar Children taught me survival and Terry McMillan was the first black author whose book I read and made me know that I could write in the urban genre as well.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

Publishing. That is the reason I put it away all those years ago and did not pull it back out for over twenty years and the reason I decided to open my own publishing company to help others.

 If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?

I think everything happens when it’s supposed to. This was the era for me.

How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

I have been blessed. I have a great fan base and we all know that word of mouth is the best advertisement and marketing tool. I find my name on authors to read list quiet often because readers have recommended my books. Once Amazon had my book Waiting on my Cue on their list of suggested reads. That was awesome and great exposure for me. Myself I use social media as my primary marketing tool. I go to a few festivals but I kind of shy away from doing to many of those because a lot of them are small and you don’t even make back the money you put into renting a booth. However, some of the larger ones I do strictly for publicity and it’s not about the money.
Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?

My children’s book is called My Bark is Different. It is now being published. However, I wrote the book almost two years ago, but illustrations are so expensive I had to put it to the side and save some coins. I am proud that it is now finished and will be available in September.

Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

I have two books that will be released this year. One is Urban fiction and the other is my children’s book. My children’s book is called My Bark is Different and it is about a puppy with a bark impairment. I am planning to market it to schools and speech therapist for their curriculum for children with speech impairments. It’s has a very cute yet powerful message.

My second book which hopefully will be out in November. Its urban fiction and that is about all I am going to say about that right now. Lol!

 Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

Mostly imagination but a lot of experiences that has either been emphasized or down played.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

There are a few chapters that I love in my books.

“In Waiting on my Cue” I like when the girls were in the hotel parking lot destroying Cue’s car and when Mercedes found out that Quincy was Cues child. I also liked the bank scene when Mercedes was trying to be shady in Keisha’s presence by talking loudly to the teller but really for the benefit of Keisha hearing that she was now Cues wife.

In “No Longer Waiting” wow there were so many things I liked. I think the thing I liked the most was the building of Keisha and D.J’s relationship and when Cue found out they were an item.

“In That Diamond is Something Serious” it must be when Diamond called the police and said that Serious was suicidal, so she could enter his house because he had a female there.

What project are you working on now?

Just finished a children book and working on my novel titled “Checkmate.”

 Will you have a new book coming out soon?

Yes “Checkmate.”

Her social media is Author Belinda Hunter on all sites FB, IG and Twitter. Her children’s book is not out yet.  It will not be released until September, but all of her books are  on Amazon.