Blogmaster/Indie Author: Audrey Kalman
Blog name: Audrey Kalman – Fiction with a Dark Edge
Type of blog: Meditations on writing, life, philosophy, art, and culture
Where in the world? United States
Blogging since when? 2011
What’s your story? When I published my first novel, Dance of Souls, in 2011, I knew it was important to have what we call an “author platform.” At the time, a blog was a necessity. Now, six years later, some people argue that you don’t need a blog any more since you can publish your ideas and opinions on sites like LinkedIn and Medium. But I like being able to completely control my content and presentation. In the beginning, I blogged a lot about the challenges of being an indie author. Now that I’ve published one book and have another scheduled for publication, I write about more general subjects, though still with a focus on art and literature. My most popular posts have been the ones where I’ve opened up personally about something going on in my life, like one I wrote about dealing with anxiety.
What types of blogs do you follow? I follow many blogs by people who offer advice on writing and marketing. I also follow a couple of great mindfulness blogs and I recently discovered Vox Populi, described as “a community of writers, artists, teachers and activists who share a vision of what American life is and what it could be.” They post a lot of poetry, which is quite refreshing!
Early bird or night owl? Definitely early bird. I try to do all my creative stuff before 11 a.m. and reserve the afternoon for activities that don’t require laser-like attention, since, as I get older, my brain power wanes considerably after about 3 p.m. I treat blogging like a job. I’ve been a freelancer for more than 20 years, so I’m fairly disciplined about deadlines—which is very helpful in supporting my own writing.
Coffee or tea? Tea, definitely: loose leaf. My current favorite is Early Grey green from Ahmad Tea, which I buy by the pound.
Most recent binge watch: “White Collar,” originally on USA Network, now available on Amazon. I love the two main characters, an FBI agent and his ex-con sidekick.
Check out these recent blog posts by Audrey Kalman:
Leave your garret and come to my party – 7/19/17
Grammar can save the world – 7/3/17
A weekend among the book people – 6/6/17
More about Audrey: Audrey Kalman writes literary fiction with a dark edge, often about what goes awry when human connection is missing from our lives. She is the author of two novels and numerous short stories, which have appeared in literary journals ranging from Pithead Chapel to Sixfold. She edited two editions of the Fault Zone anthology of California Writers and serves as VP/Speakers for the SF-Peninsula Branch of the California Writers Club. She lives in northern California with her husband, two children, and two cats, and has a day job (actually more like a middle-of-the-night job) as a birth doula. She is working on another novel. Or two.
I love character-driven novels, especially those structured as interlocking stories and/or multiple points of view. Some favorites: Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge, Emma Donoghue’s Room, Khaled Hosseini’s And the Mountains Echoed, William Faulkner’s Light in August.
Book: What Remains Unsaid
Contact Information (blog, website, etc.):
Twitter – @audreykalman
Facebook –@AudreyKalmanAuthor
Web site – audreykalman.com
Goodreads – Audrey Kalman
Awards/special recognition:
Best of Show: Literary Essay, June 2016 San Mateo County Fair Literary Arts Competition
Short listed for the 2016 Pithead Chapel Larry Brown Short Story Contest
Placed for publication for the Winter 2015 edition of Sixfold
Best of Show: Short Story, June 2013 San Mateo County Fair Literary Arts Competition
Most Promising Writer of the Year, June 2012 California Writers Club
Hey bloggers and indie authors! Are you interested in expanding your network? Email bvitelli2009@gmail.com to be featured on Who’s That Blogger or Who’s That Indie Author!
Thanks for visiting – come back soon!
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