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
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
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.
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
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