Authors In The Zone ~ Karen Woods.

Karen Woods is a writer living in Manchester in the U.K. In the second part of Author In The Zone series, Karen talks about her debut novel, Broken Youth.

Is Broken Youth your first book?

Yes it is, I have never had any experience of writing before, I just picked up a pen and began writing Broken Youth

Tell us a little about it?

Broken Youth is set on a council estate in Manchester, and revolves round the life of a 15 year old girl. Misty comes from a broken home, and faces problems she can't deal with. Misty goes through hard times and learns that with self belief she can turn her life round. The book is full of Manchester humor, and as in life she only has that to help her get through.

Tell us a little about your writing process?

When I started writing, I just wrote from the heart and never stop writing until it was finished. I felt like I had a burning inside me and I needed to get it all out.

Tell us about your route to publication?

My story hit the local papers first, as I was the girl who left school at 15, pregnant and with no qualification. The public were amazed I had no support writing the book and all wanted to read it. Within, months a publisher got in touch, and my dream started there.

How do you market your books?

I do everything I can. I do radio shows, I have a Broken Youth page on Facebook, and I have been in women's magazines with my story. I will be featured in Woman magazine in the next few weeks telling my life story. It will be a double page feature, and hopefully it will help promote my book.
I have also appeared on TV doing a interview, you can see that on YouTube if you type my name in. I also am on Facebook and promote a lot through that. Also two bands, The Rain band and Northern Icon have recorded two songs about my book , you can listen to them on YouTube. The songs called Broken Youth.

What's the response been like to your book in your locality?

Everyone is amazed, and been inspired by my story. They are saying I'm the Martina Cole of Manchester !

What's up next?

The sequel to Broken Youth is due out in October 10, and is called Black Tears. I have already started my third novel and that's called Kinky-Vile, so there is no stopping me now.

What's the last book you read?

Surprisingly, I am not a reader, But I have started to read Martina Cole, The Take.

Favourite authors?

Martina Cole, and myself. Haha.

Where can book lovers find your work?

My books are on Amazon, in store at Waterstones Wh Smith, and if you Google Broken Youth and my name, there are lots of places that stock the book.

If you were to sum up Broken Youth in one sentence , what would it be?

It will make you laugh, cry, think and change, it's a roller coaster of emotions.

What advice would you give to new writers?

I would tell new writers to write from their hearts and keep to the style of writing they love most, don't change just to please other people.