AUTHOR INTERVIEW – CINDY FRELAND (Self Help & Fiction)
Welcome to Cindy Freland!
Tell us about yourself—you know, all that stuff that makes you interesting!
I am a Navy brat. Both of my parents were in the Navy. I was born in Newport, Rhode Island in 1957. I have lived in Illinois, California, Massachusetts and Virginia. I have lived in Bowie, Maryland since 1967.
I love animals, babies, children, beaches, movies, crocheting, gardening and painting.
I am self-employed and I am an award-winning virtual assistant. That means that I do all of your time-consuming tasks like word processing, data entry, desktop publishing, social media and transcription so you can concentrate on your revenue-generating duties.
I also teach Facebook workshops and host a cable television show for the local chamber of commerce. I founded Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc. in 1997.
Sisters under the skin—I used to own a temporary service! I know exactly what you’ve been doing.
When and why did you begin writing?
I began writing because I started a job program for teens in my city. Teens from 14-16 really needed help as there are not a lot of jobs for them and they get bored because they are not driving yet. My goal was to help them find jobs. I started writing my first book in 2003 and it took me 10 years to self-publish it. It is called Your Resume and Interview Guide. It is mostly for first-time and teen job hunters.
What is your genre?
My genre is anything I think about and anything I want to write about. I don’t want to restrict myself and my writing. I write what I know about, which is kids and marketing.
Are you an organized outliner or more of a seat of pants writer?
I write on my desktop computer. I wing it without outlines or instruction.
Another seat-of-pantser! What other writer inspires you? Your work?
My daughters, Alyssa and Andrea, inspire me. I don’t have any writers that inspire me as I am not a big reader. I find that reading is tedious and boring unless the story is absolutely spell-binding from the very beginning.
What is your favorite work by you? And why is it your fav?
I like “Easy Guide to Your Facebook Business Page” best. It is a work of passion.
I am adamant about posting your business on Facebook. I also teach Facebook classes in two levels in the local senior center and for two chambers of commerce. The only problem is that I have to keep up with all the changes in Facebook and I constantly have to revise the book.
Where does your character inspiration come from?
Since I have written 11 books to date, with many more to come, I guess my favorite character so far is Chippy.
Chippy is a live chipmunk who lives near the pond in my backyard. I wrote Pond Adventures with Chippy from live events that I watched from my family room window.
What’s your best/worst experience as a writer?
My best experience is when people giggle when I tell them there are 26 ways to use mud in “Mud Pies” or children remember the story when I read it to them and they start repeating it for “Felix and Purple Giant”.
My worst experience is when people take advantage of free books and they don’t even bother to write reviews.
Share the best/worst writing advice you ever got.
The best writing experience I ever got was actually self-publishing advice. A friend and customer of mine, Ash Shukla, suggested that I use Create Space to self-publish. I had never heard of such a thing. I have self-published 11 books since September 2012. I don’t think
I have ever gotten any bad writing advice.
What is your latest published work?
My latest book is “Mud Pies”. It is a 56-page children’s book and includes 26 ways to use mud. It’s available on Amazon.
Do you have another work in progress? If yes, tell us about it.
I have several books in the works but I would rather not say what they are right now. But they will be fabulous.
What do you want your fans to know about you and your work?
My business books are to help you, whether you are in need of “An American Virtual Assistant” because you want to become a virtual assistant
preparing for a job interview via “Get a Job! Your Resume and Interview Guide”
or “Monkey Farts”
because you are selling your crafts.
My children’s books come from my heart and most were inspired by true events.
Tell us something about yourself that your readers don’t already know.
I have two wonderful daughters, Alyssa and Andrea. They are my inspiration and I dedicate all my books to them. I am also an adjunct professor for a community college and I host a cable television show for the chamber of commerce.
Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
or children remember the story when I read it to them and they start repeating it for “Felix and Purple Giant”.
Linda Rae Blair, Author 