Alexandra Reed first published a year ago and soon after signed with Fiery Vision Publishing.
South Africa born, Reed moved to the UK at 18, and settled in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, where she is a Logistics Administrator.
Her first novel, Graveyard of Memories, a Post-Apocalyptic Horror/Adult Romance book, was released independently in 2018 and will be rereleased by FVP.
It's been a busy 2019 for Reed. Her novella, Pineapple Crush (Ice Cream Shop Series) (Contemporary Romance), was released in July and Grayson Falls (Paranormal Romance) just a month later. The cover of the latter, designed by Francesca Wingfield, placed 17th in the All Author Cover competition for September 2019.
Coming up, Reed will join the Christmas Nook anthology with her short story Holiday HiJinx, which takes place in the fictional town of Pine View, MA. It's due out November 14th, with all proceeds going to the charity ICS. There will be a continuation of the Pine View, MA series in future Shop Series projects, where fans will meet new characters and revisit ones in previous books.
"I write mainly Contemporary Romance and Paranormal Romance. I do delve into Horror on occasion," Reed explains, although she has future plans to write Ménage à trois and Reverse Harem.
Her inspiration, she contends, comes from everything around her. "It can be a conversation, a photo, a song, nature, people watching, or even a dream. Mostly, it comes from within, from my mom's memory and my friends."
Reed admits that sticking to a structured writing schedule is the most challenging aspect of writing at this point, but in the beginning, managing the financial part of becoming a professional writer was the most daunting. "Starting out and being able to afford all that goes with publishing is an expensive thing. It takes time and lots of savings."
Although, getting signed to a legitimate publisher isn't always easy, Reed quickly found a home at FVP. "I was introduced to take part in a book series and one thing led to another. I haven't looked back. All my experiences have been positive. I'm extremely grateful to Sam, Tiffany, Ebony, Kitka, and the FVP family for all the support and motivation they provide on a daily basis."
Indie or part of a publishing house, she encourages all authors to believe in their work. "Have faith and stay true to your writing. Forge good relationships in the writing community. Promote, promote, promote. Most importantly, keep writing."
"Due to years of abuse, I was diagnosed with PTSD."
Aside from writing, one of the issues most important to Reed is advocating for mental health and a sexual assault awareness. A survivor of sexual abuse and rape herself, she is very vocal on the matter. "I have done volunteer work for the Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Center (GRASAC) in the UK. Due to years of abuse, I was diagnosed with PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and I am on medication to help control them. As a result, I support Mental Health Awareness online, and I am not ashamed to speak out about it to anyone who may need support. I regularly share posts from To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) and supported Jared Padalecki's Always Keep Fighting campaign, whose proceeds went to mental health charities in the US, such as TWLOHA."
"Reviews are like food for the soul for an author."
She credits writing for helping ground her when everything in her life becomes just too much. "For me, it is very cathartic," she states.
She advises abuse victims to seek help in the area where they live and online. "Find counseling, even if it is by phone. Find a healthy outlet to work through the feelings. Art, music, and journaling are very therapeutic. I'm not sure about the organizations in other countries but hospitals and medical professionals can refer you to the appropriate ones for help."
To the all the wonderful readers out there, she asks that they give new authors a chance to find their footing, to root for them to succeed, and if possible, to leave a review. "Reviews," she contends, "are like food for the soul for an author. Above all just enjoy reading all the wonderful books available out there and keep on being your awesome selves. Thank you for reading!"
Find all of Alexandra Reed's books and social media information here.
Jackie's Note:
Thank you, Alexandra, for being kind enough to share your story. I am grateful for your candor, and I am in awe of your bravery.
To the readers, thank you for taking the time to read this piece! Please check out Alexandra's books and follow her on social media.
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If you'd like to explore my books, click on the tabs above to learn more about The Thing About Love… and The Thing About Ever After…, Book 1 and 2 of my trilogy – Book 3 is in the works.
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