Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to C.D. Gorri. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi C.D., thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Everyone who says writing is a craft is actually right. Whodathunkit? LOL. Seriously, I have been self-publishing since 2014, have released with several independent presses since then, and remarkably the writing process is the one thing I can say without a doubt that has consistently evolved during the past few years.

Firstly, to be an author you actually have to author the things… I mean, you gotta write. There is no other way around it. Writing daily seems impossible, but it is easier than you think. Not every sentence is going to land you a bestseller, but every sentence written might get you closer to doing just that.

When I started, it was difficult to find the self-confidence and courage to wake up every day and allow myself time and space to practice my craft. I had children and my husband and household to care for and maintain, and it always kind of felt like I was cheating on them with my writing. This was all me, mind you. They have always been supportive and wonderful really when it came to me trying to fulfill this dream of mine to actually be an author.

Nowadays, it is a no brainer. I wake up, I do the things, and I write. Every. Single. Day.

Writing is a craft, and once you find your niche genre and your audience, you begin to write for them as much as yourself. you build a rapport, and boy, that can be seriously addictive in the best possible sense. If I had a time machine I probably would not do anything different, lol. I am stubborn like that. but when asked what other aspiring writers should do, my first answer is always the simplest.

Just write.

Having a love of literature, language, and in my case, all things fantasy and romance-y, definitely helped me in learning just where to begin my writing journey.

Learning to push aside all those nasty little feelings of self-doubt and guilt were absolutely essential in building up my career. We are our own worst critics in whatever we do, but as I get older I am finding that it is okay to love yourself a bit. Sometimes we are our best cheerleaders too.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m C.D. Gorri, USA Today Bestselling and Award-Winning Steamy Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Author, and the creator of the Grazi Kelly Universe.

I’ve always been an avid reader with a profound love for books and literature. When I’m not writing or taking care of my family I can usually be found with a book or tablet in my hand. I live in my home state of New Jersey with my husband, our children, and pets.

I write stories that are fast-paced, yet detailed with satisfying conclusions. Now that I’ve started, I can’t picture myself doing anything else. I simply adore writing powerful women and loyal heroes who face relatable problems in supernatural settings. I plan on adding to the Grazi Kelly Universe with each and every story I publish.

If you pick one up you can expect sassy, curvy heroines and sexy, love-driven heroes who find their HEAs between the pages of my stories. My characters include Werewolves, Bears, Dragons, Tigers, Witches, Romani, Lynxes, Foxes, Thunderbirds, Vampires, and many more Shifters and supernatural creatures. The most important thing is the mates in my universe are fated and loyal and they always get their happily-ever-afters.

You can find all my books on my website https://www.cdgorri.com.

Want to know how it all began? Enter the Grazi Kelly Universe with Wolf Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel #1, my very first YA/Urban Fantasy book that sets the stage for the universe I write in. You can also start my PNR with the first book in the Macconwood Pack. Pick up Charley’s Christmas Wolf today.

Thank you and happy reading!

del mare alla stella,
C.D. Gorri

FREE series starters here:
https://books2read.com/rl/cdgfree

Follow me here:
http://www.cdgorri.com/newsletter
https://www.facebook.com/Cdgorribooks
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-d-gorri
https://twitter.com/cgor22
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00IS7820W
https://instagram.com/cdgorri/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7899700.C_D_Gorri
https://www.tiktok.com/@cdgorriauthor?lang=en

How did you build your audience on social media?

As a forty-something woman, an introvert, and someone who hates having their picture taken, the last thing I want to do is get on social media and plaster my face everywhere, and yet, as an indie author trying to be seen in the publishing industry, it is a necessary evil. Finding an audience seems elusive and outright impossible at times, and the world wide web certainly doesn’t make it easy. Guidelines, compliance statutes, legalities, algorithms, and a bazillion other things that affect your reach crop up and knock me down out of the blue every stinking day.
And yet, it is my job to get right back up and find new ways to reach my readers.
My advice is to start where you are most comfortable. For me, that was Facebook. I already had an account that I used infrequently and I built from there joining groups and making friends with other indie authors.
Next, I worked on a website, since having a central place I can direct everyone to seemed like a good idea. You can pretty much find me everywhere these days, some more sparingly than others. Though I have not yet started dancing and singing ala TikTok, I have done a few live panels, and they were super fun! You can find links to my social media on my website and at the end of all my books. Or just search for my name, C.D. Gorri, in your favorite search engine.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Readers are just my favorite people, and for obvious reasons. ((Snort.)) Seriously though, I was a reader before I started writing and what I love about them is their voracious appetite for stories. One way I try to appease my readers’ need for tales in between my own release dates is through my newsletter (https://www.cdgorri.com/newsletter – yes this is a shameless plug). See, in my newsletter I don’t just talk about me and my work, I bring my readers news of other authors I think they might be interested in reading while they wait for my next release.
Cross promotion has been the absolute best method to increase my audience and to keep them happy and coming back for more. The idea of sharing audiences does not appeal to some, but in the book industry it only makes sense.
Readers read.
It is what they do.
And authors do produce, but we are not machines. To keep my readers opening my newsletters. where they will find information on my releases and sales, I give them other stuff to read. Pretty cool, right? By helping promote a writer buddy, I help myself by keeping my subscriber list active and engaged.
Remember, you have to give your clients, in this case my fellow bibliophiles, reasons to come back to your brand.
Even if it seems counterproductive. It’s not. Trust me. Pinky promise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cdgorri.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/cdgorri/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cdgorribooks
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cgor22
• Other:
  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-d-gorri
  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7899700.C_D_Gorri
  https://www.tiktok.com/@cdgorriauthor?lang=en
  https://www.patreon.com/cdgorri

Image Credits
C.D. Gorri, C.D. Gorri, C.D. Gorri, C.D. Gorri, C.D. Gorri, C.D. Gorri, C.D. Gorri, C.D. Gorri