Book Launch Q&A: Shaylin Gandhi, Author of 'By the Light of Embers' @shaylingandhi @pumpupyourbook

SHAYLIN GANDHI secretly stole her mother’s copy of Clan of the Cave Bear at age ten, and fell madly in love with love stories. Now, as an author, she still can't get enough, and the tales she spins all center around affairs of the heart. To her, that's what makes a story truly worth telling.

Besides writing, she tries to stamp her passport at every opportunity. Traveling has been a lifelong passion, and she’s lucky to have done it a lot. Shaylin and her husband once spent an entire summer living in their van while touring the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, and Alaska. Her most memorable trips often tie in with writing: her books are usually inspired by majestic places that stole her breath.

In addition, Shaylin practices medicine, scuba dives, plays the piano, and once rode her bicycle from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. She now lives in Denver with her incredible husband, their identical twin daughters, and two adorable rescue dogs. They can usually be found in the mountains, either hiking up or skiing down.

You can find Shaylin online at www.shaylingandhi.com or on Twitter @shaylingandhi. Please get in touch—she would love to hear from you!

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: www.shaylingandhi.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/shaylingandhi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shaylin.gandhi.71

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaylingandhi/
 

After your book was released, what was the first thing you did when getting ready for your book launch?

Drink an entire bottle of champagne! No, kidding—it was only half a bottle. OK, OK, in all seriousness, I planned my book launch long before it happened. When release week came around, all my promotional and marketing efforts were already scheduled and ready to go. All I had to do was sit back and watch all the ads and newsletter spots go out!

After that, what was your next step?

I received a surprising number of emails and website forms from people who’ve read the book and/or signed up for my newsletter, and I made sure to answer each and every one of those. I was so excited that people took the time to contact me about the book I’d written, and I made sure to let them know by responding.

Did you ever consider using a PR agency to help you promote your book or did you prefer the DIY route?

I think marketing is a critical skill for any indie author to develop, so I really took this as a learning opportunity and did almost everything myself. What’s so beneficial about the hands-on approach is that I can now carry over everything I’ve learned to future book launches. Double win!

We’re finding reviews a top priority for you and, if yes, how did you approach that?

Absolutely. Like most authors, I distributed advance copies to my beta readers and street team and asked them to post reviews. But then I went a step further and focused on getting honest “community” reviews from readers who didn’t know me and hadn’t read my work before. I made the book available through several Bookfunnel giveaways and through NetGalley, then emailed reviewers and asked them to post their reviews on Goodreads and Amazon once they’d provided feedback. Most people were wonderful and took the few extra minutes to post their thoughts, which I really appreciated!

What are your views on social media for marketing your book?

I use social media for book promotion very sparingly. I’m very cognizant of how easy it is to cross the delicate line between self-promotion and spamming, and I really value all my followers across my various social media platforms. So, during launch, I erred on the side of non-spamminess. That said, I absolutely did post about my book, but I tried to maintain the 80/20 rule: 80% of your content should be engaging and fun, and only 20% promotional.

What social media has worked best for you?

I’ve gotten the most traction through Facebook. I’ve really connected to some wonderful fellow authors through groups, and found many of my trusted beta readers that way. Twitter is also a great tool, as there is a thriving author and publishing community on there.

Any tips for those authors wanting to set up a successful book launch?

I believe whole-heartedly in the importance of building a connected, interactive newsletter list and providing engaging content on a routine basis. I’ve made personal connections with a lot of amazing readers through Bookfunnel and contest giveaways, who have then become part of my mailing list. I hope those people will continue to follow my work in the future. Really, the more people you can engage with in a meaningful way, the more people you can share your books with J

It's 1954, and twenty-two-year-old Lucia Lafleur has always dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps. While sock hops and poodle skirts occupy her classmates, she dreams of bacteria and broken bones—and the day she’ll finally fix them.

After graduation, a letter arrives, and Lucia reads the words she’s labored a lifetime to earn—"we are pleased to offer you a position at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine." But in the midst of her triumph, her fiancé delivers a crushing ultimatum: forego medical school, or forego marriage.

With fractured hopes, she returns home to Louisiana, expecting nothing of the summer of '54 but sweet tea and gumbo while she agonizes over her impending choice. There, she unexpectedly befriends Nicholas, a dark-skinned poet whose dignity and intellect are a salve to her aching heart. Their bond, initially forged from a shared love of literature, soon blossoms into something as bewitching as it is forbidden.

Yet her predicament deepens when a trivial misunderstanding between a local white woman and a black man results in a brutal lynching, and the peril of love across the color lines becomes chillingly real. Now, fulfilling her lifelong dream means relinquishing her heart—and escaping Louisiana alive.

Praise for By the Light of Embers!

"Gandhi's passion and creativity spill forth onto every page of this book, creating a truly magnificent and brave narrative." -- Entrada Publishing

“I genuinely don't know any other way to describe this book than to say it's beautiful.” – Lacie, Amazon Reviewer

“There are also books that you want to keep reading no matter how painful or heartbreaking or just downright unfair the endings are…because life’s got those moments and Shaylin Gandhi brings them out so well in her characters that you cannot help but grab that box of tissues and still smile in between scenes.” – Dora, Amazon Reviewer

“Beautifully atmospheric, you’ll cry your heart out…” – Kay Smillie, Amazon Reviewer

Amazon