Fab Firsts is my regular Sunday feature, that is going to be highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it will be about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives. When reviewing books for this feature, there will be a mix of debuts, first books in a series, the first time I read an author, and possibly other firsts depending on what I can think of!
If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.
I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!
Today I'm interviewing Micayla Lally.
1) Can you tell us a bit about your first book?
A Work Of Art is the story of two people who make mistakes and wonder if they can move past them. Do they belong together? Are their combined pasts too much to overcome? Julene rediscovers her love of art and Samson comes to realize that he hasn’t been such a nice guy; other people are hurt by their actions and the actions of others, in turn, hurt them. But it’s not all doom and gloom, there’s good news in there, too, when Julene and Samson are honest with each other and themselves. Reconciliation, love and trust are the main themes in the story, and a bit of fun, too.
2) What was your original inspiration to become a writer, and to write your debut?
It’s 16 years later so I can’t really remember. I might have said there was none but that can’t be true. The book begins at the end of a relationship and I had just ended a relationship of nearly 5 years, that can’t be a coincidence. The female character is starting a new chapter in her life and is headstrong and maybe blind to the consequences of some of her choices, also probably not a coincidence.
3) How long did it take you to write your first book?
All up probably 3 months – I wrote maybe 10k words when I first started it, and I finished it in close to 2 months during NaNoWriMo 2015.
4) If you could do anything differently in retrospect, what would you change about your debut, or how you went about writing it?
I rewrote practically the entire first 10k words after I finished the first draft of the novel. If I had a do over, I would probably follow through on some of the intimate scenes, but I’m happy with them as they are since it was my first novel.
5) Was your first book self or traditionally published, and how did you go about making that decision?
When I finished it, I looked around at a bunch of publishers and ended up submitting firstly to She Writes Press – a hybrid publisher. A friend from my kids’ school had published with them. It has been a wonderful experience to receive support from other female writers, but also the editing and management has been stellar at She Writes. Hybrid presses are similar to self-publishing in that you have creative control, but like traditional in that you have access to traditional distribution into stores and on e-platforms. It’s been great to say to my friends when they ask, that they can find me online and in bookstores everywhere!
6) Do you have any tips for other first time authors?
Don’t let anything stand in your way – if you can dream it, you can do it. It might not be easy – it probably won’t be, but you can do it.
Tell us about your first…
7) Book you bought
Cant remember! But I remember buying The Time Travellers Wife for my mum who hadn’t heard of it and loved the feeling of sharing something special.
8) Memory
Kindergarten and my friend at the red table got in trouble for playing with plasticine in her hair
9) Person you fell in love with
I had a love/hate relationship with Jonathan Barker from that kindergarten class all the way through year 5
10) Holiday you went on
The Entrance, which is a beach town in NSW on the Australian coast. We drove for hours and hours to get there and my parents were really excited about the fresh prawns.
11) Prize you won
Tickets to the circus
12) Album you purchased
First cassette – Color Me Bad “All for Love” and first CD Shaggy “Oh Carolina”
13) Sport you enjoyed participating in
Hockey
14) Embarrassing moment you can remember
Being teased by an older boy about my eyes, again in kinder
15) Pet
A Maltese Terrier Cross called Kimmy
16) Time you were in trouble
I used a whole bottle of expensive hand cream to wash my hair as a toddler, but I’ve only been told that one, over and over and over again
17) ..choice of alternative career if you weren’t an author
I went to university to study teaching and I’m a secretary/receptionist right now, so I have/am living the alternative. I wish I could be a writer full time!
18) …time you had any independence
I was allowed to stay home by myself when my parents had to run errands, but I would do stupid things like trying to cook chips in the shallow fryer and get into trouble
19) …toy that you recall loving
A dog I named Billy. My 8yo son has him now, somewhere
20) … time you felt like an adult
When I was sick and had no one to take care of me.
21) … time you realised you were good at something
Many different teachers told me that I was a good writer which didn’t really sink in until I was invited to a writer’s camp in 6th grade.
22) Dish you cooked
I did Home Ec at school so there were a few, but they were always too spicy
23) … time you were really scared
Staying up late by myself, watching scary movies while my sister nicked off to bed early and left me to turn the lights off!
24) ..time you bought or received flowers
I got flowers from a boyfriend for valentines day in grade 12
Author Bio
If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.
I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!
Today I'm interviewing Micayla Lally.
A Work Of Art is the story of two people who make mistakes and wonder if they can move past them. Do they belong together? Are their combined pasts too much to overcome? Julene rediscovers her love of art and Samson comes to realize that he hasn’t been such a nice guy; other people are hurt by their actions and the actions of others, in turn, hurt them. But it’s not all doom and gloom, there’s good news in there, too, when Julene and Samson are honest with each other and themselves. Reconciliation, love and trust are the main themes in the story, and a bit of fun, too.
2) What was your original inspiration to become a writer, and to write your debut?
It’s 16 years later so I can’t really remember. I might have said there was none but that can’t be true. The book begins at the end of a relationship and I had just ended a relationship of nearly 5 years, that can’t be a coincidence. The female character is starting a new chapter in her life and is headstrong and maybe blind to the consequences of some of her choices, also probably not a coincidence.
3) How long did it take you to write your first book?
All up probably 3 months – I wrote maybe 10k words when I first started it, and I finished it in close to 2 months during NaNoWriMo 2015.
4) If you could do anything differently in retrospect, what would you change about your debut, or how you went about writing it?
I rewrote practically the entire first 10k words after I finished the first draft of the novel. If I had a do over, I would probably follow through on some of the intimate scenes, but I’m happy with them as they are since it was my first novel.
5) Was your first book self or traditionally published, and how did you go about making that decision?
When I finished it, I looked around at a bunch of publishers and ended up submitting firstly to She Writes Press – a hybrid publisher. A friend from my kids’ school had published with them. It has been a wonderful experience to receive support from other female writers, but also the editing and management has been stellar at She Writes. Hybrid presses are similar to self-publishing in that you have creative control, but like traditional in that you have access to traditional distribution into stores and on e-platforms. It’s been great to say to my friends when they ask, that they can find me online and in bookstores everywhere!
6) Do you have any tips for other first time authors?
Don’t let anything stand in your way – if you can dream it, you can do it. It might not be easy – it probably won’t be, but you can do it.
Tell us about your first…
7) Book you bought
Cant remember! But I remember buying The Time Travellers Wife for my mum who hadn’t heard of it and loved the feeling of sharing something special.
8) Memory
Kindergarten and my friend at the red table got in trouble for playing with plasticine in her hair
9) Person you fell in love with
I had a love/hate relationship with Jonathan Barker from that kindergarten class all the way through year 5
10) Holiday you went on
The Entrance, which is a beach town in NSW on the Australian coast. We drove for hours and hours to get there and my parents were really excited about the fresh prawns.
11) Prize you won
Tickets to the circus
12) Album you purchased
First cassette – Color Me Bad “All for Love” and first CD Shaggy “Oh Carolina”
13) Sport you enjoyed participating in
Hockey
14) Embarrassing moment you can remember
Being teased by an older boy about my eyes, again in kinder
15) Pet
A Maltese Terrier Cross called Kimmy
16) Time you were in trouble
I used a whole bottle of expensive hand cream to wash my hair as a toddler, but I’ve only been told that one, over and over and over again
17) ..choice of alternative career if you weren’t an author
I went to university to study teaching and I’m a secretary/receptionist right now, so I have/am living the alternative. I wish I could be a writer full time!
18) …time you had any independence
I was allowed to stay home by myself when my parents had to run errands, but I would do stupid things like trying to cook chips in the shallow fryer and get into trouble
19) …toy that you recall loving
A dog I named Billy. My 8yo son has him now, somewhere
20) … time you felt like an adult
When I was sick and had no one to take care of me.
21) … time you realised you were good at something
Many different teachers told me that I was a good writer which didn’t really sink in until I was invited to a writer’s camp in 6th grade.
22) Dish you cooked
I did Home Ec at school so there were a few, but they were always too spicy
23) … time you were really scared
Staying up late by myself, watching scary movies while my sister nicked off to bed early and left me to turn the lights off!
24) ..time you bought or received flowers
I got flowers from a boyfriend for valentines day in grade 12
Author Bio
Micayla Lally writes romantic fiction,
including romantic suspense and women’s fiction. Is she an authority on the
subject? Is anyone? But she does have some interesting things to contribute as
her articles on PopSugar (I Proposed to My Now-Husband on Our First Date) and
Your Tango (My Husband And I Have Been Married Three Times) illustrate. She’s
also had articles about writing which coincided with the release of her debut
novel A Work Of Art, on May 2, 2017, at We Heart Writing and Women Writers
Women’s Books. Micayla has had a personal blog for the past four years and
enjoys writing about her experiences as a parent and as a drinker of wine. She
lives in the Pacific North West of America, has a husband and three boys and a
big backyard to drink wine in.
Connect with Micayla at www.micaylalally.net on www.facebook.com/MicaylaLallyAuthor
and follow her shenanigans on www.Instagram.com/MicaylaLallyAuthor
A Work Of Art is available on amazon.com
and most online retailers, as well in local bookstores.
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