Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy J. Cohen.
Hi Nancy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I learned how to write a novel in grad school at UCSF for a Master’s Degree in Nursing. My former background was as an R.N., but I’d always longed to write. I bought a book called “Structuring Your Novel” that took me through the steps needed. I wrote three books to start, but my career only took off once I joined Florida Romance Writers in 1988. I got into a critique group, attended my first writers’ conference, and got an agent. She tried to sell my next few books, which were romantic suspense. When a critique partner suggested I combine my love for romance novels with my love for Star Trek, I met success. “Circle of Light” sold within six months and became my first published work. This science fiction romance won the HOLT Medallion Award and was the first of four books I wrote for Dorchester Publishing. Then I turned to mysteries and created the Bad Hair Day series. “Permed to Death” is the first title with “Styled for Murder” being the latest book. Coming next is “Star Tangled Murder,” #18 in the series. To date, I have thirty published works.
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
A writer always has struggles. After writing four books for Dorchester, I had my option book turned down. I switched to mysteries and sold to Kensington. I wrote nine books for them in my Bad Hair Day series featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Shore. Then my editor left, and I was “orphaned” at the publishing house. No one was interested in my next book. So I returned to my romance roots and sold four books to Wild Rose Press.
Meanwhile, Five Star (Gale/Cengage) picked up my mystery series. I wrote four more books in the series before they canceled their entire mystery line. Fed up with the whims of publishers, I decided to go indie. I like having control of my work. As an independent author, I use the same editor I had at Five Star. I work with a team including a cover designer, formatter, and blurb writer. Today we have many more choices in publishing than we did when I started. Belonging to the writing community is critically important. I’ve served as president of Florida Romance Writers and the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. I’ve learned so much from other authors that giving back is important. My advice to aspiring writers is to join your professional writer’s organizations, attend workshops and conferences, be professional, and never give up.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Writers are all creatives, but we also run a business. As professional authors, we must have a social media presence, run promotions, and attend to marketing. This can consume more time than writing the next book. My mysteries have been noted for their humor, suspense, family values, and fast pacing. Your characters need to evolve in a series, and my protagonist has progressed from a divorced woman running a salon to a married mother and an intrepid amateur sleuth. Reader feedback is the most gratifying aspect of this career. I love to hear from fans that my books have helped them through difficult times. The book awards I’ve won are also a source of validation. I’m especially proud of my guide for writers titled “Writing the Cozy Mystery” since there hadn’t been anything addressing this subgenre before I wrote this book. It’s been helpful to many aspiring mystery writers. Fans follow my sleuth Marla’s adventures and are eager for the next title. This makes writing very meaningful because it helps others escape their daily toil. My novels have a touch of humor, a dollop of romance, a mystery to solve, and characters to care about. I hope that they become your friends.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
We are fairly new to the Orlando area, having moved here recently to be near our kids. Both our son and daughter attended UCF and then settled here. We’d come up often to see them and go to Disney World. We are long-time Disney fans, coming here first to celebrate our engagement. Now we’ll be married for forty-six years and have a grandson. But aside from the theme parks, we enjoy the state parks, the local parks with walking trails, the museums, and the historical downtowns like Winter Park and Winter Garden. We go to the farmer’s markets and the seasonal festivals. There are so many restaurants to try and places to explore. As for what I like the least, it’s the traffic congestion.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nancyjcohen.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancyjcohen
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJCohenAuthor
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancyjcohen
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NancyJCohen
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mysterygal
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Nancy-J-Cohen/e/B000APL5DG/
Image Credits
Author Photo by Bob Lasky
