“As an Indie author, I’ve not only had to learn about writing a story, but also about every aspect from printing to marketing. It is a full-time job to do it effectively. And, I love all of it.”
-Jan Sikes
A member of the Writers’ League since 2012, Jan Sikes lives in McKinney, Texas, a suburb North of Dallas.
Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?
Jan Sikes: Biographical fiction or creative non-fiction.
Scribe: What author(s) would you like to have a drink with, and what beverage?
JS: Pinot Grigio with Diana Gabaldon, Nora Roberts, John Grisham, Suzanne Collins, Debbie Ford and Kristin Hannah. (Yes, that’s a varied genre list, but I enjoy reading different genres)
Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?
JS: Oh wow! That’s tough…choosing only one book. I choose The Tao of Willie by Willie Nelson because of its real life lessons and wild sense of humor.
Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?
JS: There is always something informative in the newsletters that I receive. I’d love to be able to attend the many workshops that are presented in Austin through the Writers’ League, but distance and the evil word, money, prevent me from doing that.** But, mainly what I have learned from this group is the advantage of working together and promoting others as well as yourself.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
JS: I will never stop writing and being involved in projects. My first passion is true stories and secondly, historical fiction, especially where there is romance involved. That is my niche. I am releasing a book in October that is a unique combination of poetry and art, titled Discovery. I am also collaborating with a movie director and screenwriter about turning my stories into a movie. That will be an amazing project to work on, and I get excited just thinking about it.
Scribe: Here at the Writers’ League, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one Texas-related book that has come out within the past year that you couldn’t put down?
JS: Oh, that’s hard too. There is a series by Linda Broday called the Bachelor Series. The books are set in Texas in the 1800s and they are page-turners for sure. Texas Mail Order Bride is the first one in the series.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
JS: The journey of writing such a personal story as the four books I’ve released is at times heart-wrenching and at other times joyful and cleansing. I have learned so much along the way and continue to gain a new insight daily. As an Indie author, I’ve not only had to learn about writing a story, but also about every aspect from printing to marketing. It is a full-time job to do it effectively. And, I love all of it. Along with the four books, I’ve also produced and released four music CDs of original music that match the time period of each book. I am asked the question often of why this accompaniment and I answer the same way each time: Because the stories all evolve and revolve around music.
The projects I have on the back burner waiting their turn to come forward are children’s books designed to inspire children to dream, a simple guide to beginning meditation to which I will include an audio cd, and a series of metaphysical and magical stories involving Angels, Fairies, Spirit Guides and Elementals. I look forward to continuing on this path until I draw my last earthly breath. All of my books and CDs are available on my website http://www.jansikes.com, on Amazon, and also on TxAuthors. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter.
—
Thanks, Jan!
**NOTE: To our members like Jan who live outside of Austin (yes, we know there are writers living outside of Austin, we promise!), we’re so proud of some recent and upcoming additions to our Writers’ League offerings:
You can now find recordings of our monthly panel discussions via our free “Writers’ League of Texas Third Thursday” podcast which is available on Soundcloud. Click here to listen.
AND we’re planning to launch online classes (yes, it’s happening!) in the next few months which will offer current half day classes as an online experience to writers living anywhere and everywhere. For more information, watch for updates in our newsletter, Footnotes.
—
If you’re a Writers’ League member and you’d be interested in being interviewed for our Meet the Members feature, email us at member@writersleague.org for more information. It’s a great way for other members to get to know you and for you to share a bit about what you’re working on!
Scribe 