Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Cole Poindexter answers #13Questions in OA's Debut Author Spotlight

Operation Awesome Spotlight #13Questions of #NewBook Debut Author posted by @JLenniDorner of @OpAwesome6 2022

13 Questions shine Operation Awesome's Spotlight
on this
2022 Debut Author



Inherit by Cole Poindexter


1- If you had a real lightsaber, what color do you believe the Kyber crystals would turn it and why?

I hope mine would be blue! I feel like it symbolizes you are a kind person, so I hope that would hold true for me.

20 questions later... (I still don't know what "What should be the punishment for a soldier who soiled your plants to your nemesis by mistake?" means. And I thought a Jedi couldn't get married.) I have a blue lightsaber too!
J's Lightsaber color blue result

"The Most Accurate Lightsaber Color Quiz Optimized for 2021"


2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Don't be afraid to strike out on your own and self-publish, at least initially. It gives you a ton of creative direction.

3- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?

I hope that it sends a message about family. Your family members are absolutely what you make of them. We also get to choose who we are every day, through our actions, and I hope people think about that. You can be a timid person but also stand up for what's right and stand up for yourself. It's a choice we have to make every day.

4- As a nurse, what tips would you give to someone trying to stay healthy this spring?

There's lots of health information out there, but I feel like we don't talk about stress enough. When you're stressed out, you do things you normally wouldn't - like binge eat junk food. You might be irritable and tired. So my advice is to control your stress as much as you can, and you can start doing that by choosing yourself first every day. Don't commit to things you don't want to do! Take more time out for you. Take naps or watch TV at home if that's what you enjoy. Your body will love you for it.

5- Would you share a picture with us of your book with a dog?

Cole Poindexter answers #13Questions in OA's Debut Author Spotlight #NewBook #DebutAuthor #2022Books #13Questions


6- How do you support your fellow debut authors and have any of them supported you?

I can't think of any new authors who have supported me, but I can think of several veteran authors. Twitter is a great way to connect with them. Lots of people have retweeted things for me and vice versa. Social media can be great if used for the right reasons.

7- Time to double-down on social media! What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?
Also, can you please recommend a favorite #bookstagram account profile?


Two amazing author friends I'd like to shout-out are Mark Gardner and Jessica Piro. Mark did the artwork and formatting for my book. He also has a long list of novels he's written. Jessica actually went to my high school and we grew up in the same town, so I've known her my whole life. She has the Phoenix Trilogy as well as the Elementals series.
I follow a great bookstagram account, her name is @thewellreadchiro


8- What is your favorite creative non-writing activity to do?

I love to listen to music. I feel like it opens up the creative channels in your brain and opens up that muse. If I'm really stuck on something, I'll take a break and listen to music and come back to it later.

9- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks

I try to keep diversity in mind when I'm creating characters. I have a character who comes out in my first book, and he plays an important role in Parker's life going forward. I also have multiple characters who are people of color. I feel like real life is full of diverse people, and I'll always try to reflect that in my books.

10- What's the biggest writing goal you hope to accomplish in your lifetime? #WriteGoal #BucketList #WriterBucketList

The biggest writing goal I have is to find a publisher! I feel like that's a small goal that could lead to bigger goals. It'd be really cool to one day work on a Star Wars project, but I realize that's quite a lofty goal. For now, I'm keeping it small. I'd like to first find a small publishing company to work with.

11- What was the query process like for you?

I queried five publishers. Looking back now, I had no idea what I was doing. After a while, it was getting really disappointing, and I was losing faith in my book. I feel like a lot of agents are looking for the same thing, and my book just didn't have any of what they wanted - it was too different. But I believed in myself, and I believe I can find my audience one day. So I decided to self-publish. The response to the book has been overwhelming positive, much more than I could have anticipated. Every book is a new opportunity, so I'm excited to keep moving.

12- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

Do you feel like art is a necessary component for life?

13- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

Struggling artist Parker Derrick faces the death of her mother - and the emergence of villainous family members when she's named the sole heir to her aunt's North Arkansas estate. Surrounded by new friends and enemies, Parker must decipher who is really on her side...to help uncover a deadly secret.
Website: https://www.colepoindexter.info/
@ColePoindexter1


Inherit by Cole Poindexter

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