Samantha Is On Another Level

Author Interview

I have found another amazing author who wears more than one hat. Samantha Nicklaus also puts on the hat of a Twitch Streamer, and I had the honor of not doing just one but two interviews with me. She is first going to put on her Author hat to tell entice us with her books and imagination and then she will entice us to check out her Twitch streams in the next interview.

1. What sparked your interest in writing?

I’m never really sure how to answer this question. Writing is just something I’ve always done. I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t writing. It sounds a little cliche, but to me it’s the same as eating or walking—it’s just a thing that I do. 

2. Has anyone in your life inspired you to write?

I do have to give credit to my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Hudson. While I always enjoyed writing, she was the first person to tell me that I could do it seriously. From that point on, I had a goal of publishing something. My first poem actually got published that year! 

3. When did you decide to publish?

I decided to publish my first book back in the spring of 2017 and then released the book over the summer. It was a bit quick on my part, but with a novella it was something I was able to throw myself into and really get done. Prison 917 is just so special to me and getting it out into the world was such a cathartic release.

4. Are you an Indie Author or Traditional Author? Why did you choose the path you did?

Indie author, for now. The novellas that I have published thus far are not a good fit for the traditional market. They are stylized and a bit weird, but that’s why I love them! The Prison series is very much so a love letter to myself, and I wanted to keep it that way. My poetry book, Three by Three, was a fun, creative project over quarantine. Not to say that I didn’t take it seriously, but it was something for me to get my hands dirty with and express myself with. Maybe one day I will go the traditional route, but so far I have loved being indie!

5. What is your first published book?

Prison 917 was my first published novella back in 2017. It follows Heather as she finds herself locked in a prison with no guards and very limited supplies. She has to adjust to life in a very new and very scary environment, while also trying to figure out what she did to get there in the first place.

6. Are you happy with how your books are coming out? Would you change anything?

I love my books, however they will be getting a facelift soon! (Official announcement on the way).

7. Will you continue to publish books for many years to come?

I do have a lot more books in the works, probably too many! I have a really cool fantasy series that I’m working on and another dystopian piece, set in the same world as The Prisons.

8. What genres inspire you to write?

Fantasy always gets to me. Seeing other authors (or creatives in general) create new worlds out of nothing is always the coolest thing to me.

 9. What is your favorite genre to write? What is your least favorite genre to write?

Fantasy is also my favorite to write, but I am loving writing dystopian lately. There is something really relaxing about getting to build your own space, whether it be magical or tragic, particularly when the world around you is going a little insane.

10. What challenges have you faced publishing?

Marketing is always a struggle! I love business and writing, but marketing is tricky for me. Finding a way to market yourself and your work without coming across as bragging or annoying is something I’m still learning.

11. What challenges have you faced in writing?

There have been a lot of challenges, especially lately with Covid. Staying motivated, feeling creative, finding time — it’s been a rough year for so many reasons. Right now, the goal is to just put one foot in front of the other. 

12. Where do your ideas for your books come from? Where do you keep those ideas?

Oddly enough, a lot of my ideas come from dreams. I’ve always remembered my dreams, usually in pretty great detail. I have to make changes, expand things, and make sure everything logically makes sense. The core concepts have, thus far, generally come from dreams. 

13. Are you also a bookworm and does reading other works help inspire your own writing?

I am, sadly, less of a bookworm now than I was as a kid. With a full-time job and other hobbies, it’s hard to find the time. I do read when I can, generally about a book a month. I pick up on other’s tones and styles easily, so I have to be a little careful in terms of what I’m reading and when. There are so many other authors that inspire me, watching them succeed and put out incredible work.

14. Do you have a website where we can follow you?

Of course! Its SamanthaNicklaus.com 

Samantha Nicklaus | Author

15. What is the link for your books so others may look and possibly purchase them from?

You can find all of my books on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Samantha+Nicklaus&ref=nb_sb_noss)

Her website looks amazing and her books sound like an adventure I want to take part in. They sound mysterious, and I love a good mystery. And I love that Samantha and I have something in common as our dreams giving us a lot of our inspirations for our stories. I hope you take the time to cruise her website, check out Amazon for her books, and then slide into the next blog where I interview the lovely Samantha as a Twitch Streamer.