We recently connected with C.z. Reeves and have shared our conversation below.

C.Z., thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My family and I moved from a small town in South Carolina to Orlando almost three years ago. While it was the best move for our family, it took a toll on my mental health and I found myself sinking into a depression. Everyday life can be incredibly overwhelming, meeting expectations for family, work and the like… so I turned to reading to fill the empty space after the kids went to bed. I was always an avid reader but at that time in my life, I needed the escape. And that’s exactly what I found, an escape, a break from my reality. This is why I write too, to offer a break from reality with books full of love, laughter and happily ever after. Celebrating love and life is a beautiful thing and sometimes you need someone else story to shine the light on the beauty in your own.

C.Z., before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Some of my best memories of my childhood involve my bedtime routine with my dad. He would sit beside my bed and instead of reading a bedtime story, we would create a story together. An epic tale of a princess that fights for her freedom or a road trip with friends. This cherished memory of mine lit a spark in me from a young age to be a writer. Likewise, reading has always been a hobby of mine. During different seasons of my life, I read more or less but it’s always been a constant for me. Two years ago, I found the time to write the story that was weighing on my heart for a while. After many late night and early morning writing sessions through 2023, my debut novel, Forever Be My Always was released December 2023. The first in the Jessamine Beach Series, Forever Be My Always is a heartbreaker of a story about second chances, where love battles the scars of loss and time, and two people must decide if they’re willing to risk it all for the chance to be together…forever. The Jessamine Beach Series follows the Kelley Family and will consist of four interconnected standalone novels.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Absolutely! Writing can be a whirlwind – whether you choose to go the traditional publishing route or the independent route, there are many roads that take you to the same destination! Researching and learning every aspect of the publishing process is a lot of work but necessary when deciding which route is best for you. I chose the indie route, mainly to maintain my creative freedom. There are a few key things you always need – 1) the writing 2) editing 3) cover design and this is at a bare minimum, but even these three things can be daunting. I found two resources to be incredibly helpful while on this journey. The first is InkersCON – backed by a money-back guarantee, Alessandra Torre is a hybrid author (traditionally and indie published) that works with you through the programs packed full of success tactics. The second resource is Indieauthorconnect.com – this is a community of authors, artists, editors, etc. that provide indie authors with the tools they need to succeed in the publishing market.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Indie publishing can be very expensive but there are always cheaper alternatives to help keep costs down. I personally, only had a few hundred dollars to invest into my first novel which I closely saved as I was writing Forever Be My Always. I have a community of friends and family around me that helped with beta reading and editing, keeping those costs down. I think the most important thing to remember is you can learn how to do all the steps of the publishing journey if you go the indie route, it may take longer to get your book out into the world, but it’s completely yours.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.czreeves.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorczreeves/

Image Credits

Cover design and character art by It’s Just Peachy Pages