Interview With Author Cece Louise

Cece Louise writes clean novels filled with adventure, romance, and spirit for teens and adults. She is an avid reader who has been making up stories in her head as long as she can remember. Despite all that daydreaming, she graduated summa cum laude with a BBA from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 2012.

When she's not working on her latest story, Cece spends her time having adventures with her husband and two kids, hiking and biking in her home state of WI, and unfortunately, cleaning her house (which she is convinced is secretly inhabited by mischievous, mess-multiplying pixies).

Her YA fairytale romance novel Desperate Forest is out now on Amazon. It is the first book of the Forest Tales series. For a FREE prequel story and a sample of Cece's writing, get your copy of Saving Vengeance today!

A princess on the run. An outlaw plagued by secrets. Will they lose everything to the dark forest?

For nineteen years, Princess Roselynn's life has been safe and comfortable. Until her father is murdered, and she discovers a plot to end her life. Hoping to find safety in the arms of her betrothed, she flees to the perilous Eternity Forest—only to be captured by a brash outlaw named Jay.

With no choice but to join forces with his group, Roselynn soon discovers everyone there has their own purpose—and secrets. Torn between her disdain for Jay and growing attraction to him, she strives to solve the mystery behind his tough exterior and shadowy past, especially when he tells her she can’t trust the man she promised her hand to.

As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Roselynn must question what she knows and where her heart lies. Can she discover the truth and save her kingdom before it's too late?

A sweet fairytale and enemies-to-lovers romance perfect for fans of The Princess Bride and Once Upon a Time!

Are you indie or traditionally published? What made you decide to take that route?

I’m an indie published author, and I chose that route because I liked the idea of being in control of my publishing career and branding. One of the best things about being indie is being able to decide what kind of books you will write, how often you will publish, what your covers will look like, and what your overall author brand will be.

That being said, of course when you are in control over those things, it is a LOT of work. Doing more things myself can mean less time for actual writing, but I try to stick to a writing schedule to balance everything. And to me, the tradeoff is worth it. I see my author career as a long-term journey rather than a specific end goal. I plan to be doing this for a while, so I want to enjoy the process.

Tell us a fun story about your publication journey!

The magic of the writing process will always be the part that is the most fun for me. I get so excited when the ideas that started so small in my head turn bigger and more complex and then blossom into full characters and stories. Meeting my characters on the page, discovering new things about them, getting to hear their voices, and bringing their stories to life is so thrilling. Not just because I come to love them but also because my readers tell me they love and relate to my characters as well.

Getting into the flow state of the writing process where the ideas are growing and the words come easy is such an amazing feeling. Not every writing day is like that by any means, but the ones that are, are completely magical!

How about a horror story about your author life?

While I’d love to say everything about being a writer is fun and exciting, unfortunately, it comes with bad days too. Days where I stare at the blank page and nothing comes. Days where I feel like an imposter or not like a “real” writer, and days where I feel like it is impossible to properly market my books to get them seen and read.

To be honest, I am still very much in the process of trying to grow my readership and establish myself as an author. It can be hard to not compare yourself to other authors who seem to be doing better than you or have a bigger audience, especially the longer you do it.

There is definitely a lot of noise in the marketplace and it can be hard to stand out. It can also be hard to keep going after releasing a book and not having it do as well as you hoped, or when you’re spending almost all your free time writing and you feel burned out.

I’ve been there and I get it.

The best thing to do is to remind yourself that everything you’re doing is setting another stone on the path to where you want to go. Look at the big picture and remind yourself why you do this in the first place. Don’t let comparison and imposter syndrome steal your joy. Everyone has a story to tell and no one can tell your story the way you can.

What do you think is the best thing about being an author?

There are so many things I love about being an author! I absolutely love getting to tell stories and turning them into books that people want to read. Ever since I was a kid, I enjoyed making up stories in my head to entertain myself or pass the time. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I decided to write these stories down and learn more about the writing craft to turn them into books people would enjoy too. Seeing something you imagined brought to life on the page is the coolest thing ever.

Equally as awesome is hearing from readers who enjoy my books and characters. Reading was a big part of my life growing up (it still is), and it taught me how to be creative, how to deal with hard moments in my life, and how to take a step back and take a break. When I hear from readers that my books did that for them too, it makes me so happy.

Who do you think you inspire? If not, who and what do you want to inspire?

Since I currently write young adult fiction, I want to inspire kids to be creative, get out and have adventures, and believe in themselves. As a mom, I find the current technology trend to be a little alarming. It is so easy to get addicted to our phones (I speak from experience) and I really hope our youth continues to read books and enjoy life outside of screens.

Plus social media can have a really negative effect on your health, partially because it presents a distorted view of reality. Everything looks so “perfect” and people present what they want others to see. It can be very one-dimensional. But when you pick up a book, you can discover a character who is a whole person with fears, insecurities, and dreams the same as you. That can be very powerful. Not only can it increase empathy, but it can also help us process our own emotions and experiences.

What keeps you up at night?

That depends. Most nights I read before bed and that helps me unwind and fall asleep, but sometimes it backfires and I stay up way too late reading. I know I’m not alone with this problem!

Other times, I might start thinking about one of my stories or characters and my planning brain takes over, making it hard to fall asleep. I try to keep a notebook by my bed in case I need to jot down any ideas and then I don’t have to worry about forgetting them when I fall asleep.

What character archetype would you be if you were a character in a book, movie or TV series?

Probably an accidental or reluctant hero. I’m not someone who likes taking risks or who has a lot of street smarts, but I like to think if the occasion called for it, I could hold my own.

If you were a character in a book, movie or TV series, what would be your catchphrase or famous line or popular expression?

“Sorry I’m late!” I get distracted easily and often find myself running late for things. I read about a study that showed optimistic people tend to be late more than pessimistic people because they tend to think they have more time to get ready or get somewhere than they actually do. Honestly, that’s me. I always think I have more time than I do. It drives my husband crazy because his motto is “if you’re not early, you’re late.” I guess we have an opposites-attract thing going on in that aspect.

If you were cursed to only be able to sing ONE song in karaoke for the rest of your life, what would you like it to be and why?

I love karaoke! That’s a tough one, but I think I would pick Crazy by Patsy Cline. Not only is it a classic, but you can be fun or angsty depending on how you sing it.

What else do you enjoy doing other than reading and writing?

I’m a stay-at-home mom of two young kids, and when I’m not reading or writing, I am usually doing stuff with them. Right now, they are on summer vacation, so I’m writing a lot less and we are doing a ton of stuff outside. We love going to parks, splash pads, hiking in the woods, bike riding, etc... I really want my kids to look back at their childhood and remember me and my husband spending quality time with them and think, “Wow! We had some great adventures.” Writing is my me-thing and my passion, but being a mom will always be my greatest and most important job.

In addition to that, I really enjoy fitness and being active in lots of different ways, including weightlifting, Pilates, and most recently, Brazilian jiu-jitsu. As someone who’s “in my head” a lot, being active can help me forget about everything else and just focus on what my body needs to accomplish at that moment. I’m not necessarily an athletic person but I enjoy taking care of my body and feeling strong.

I also love music, and singing was actually my biggest passion as a kid (lol hence the karaoke). I play guitar and piano and sometimes I do those things to unwind.

What do you consider as your weakness as a writer, and what have you done to overcome it?

Time management can be a big struggle for me. I get distracted easily, especially by social media or just surfing the web, and I often use it as a way to procrastinate.

Some of the ways I’ve overcome this is by starting my writing day with a plan. The night before or even the morning of my work day, I write down 1-3 tasks I want to accomplish that day and maybe a few bonus ones (depending on how much time I have). I start with the most important/time-sensitive task first and go from there. If I don’t get everything done, I move what’s left to tomorrow. This works well to keep me on track with my goals.

Another strategy I use is to WRITE FIRST. Because my writing time is often divided between marketing tasks and actual writing, I now make it a habit to write before I do anything else. I find things like social media and newsletter planning tend to take me longer than I think they will and can be time sucks. If I accomplish my writing goal first, then I can tackle those other tasks feeling good that I already wrote that day.

Finally, I actively remove distractions. This means turning off phone notifications for social media and email and putting my phone in another room. Sometimes I shut my wi-fi off completely, or I might even get off my laptop and write directly in a notebook. I am someone who gets distracted by technology very easily and the desire to scroll can be very strong, especially when I’m putting off being creative. Removing distractions helps me dive into the task at hand, and once I get going, it is a lot easier to stay focused.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

This is an ever-changing list, but right now it’s Nadine Brandes, Abigail Wilson, Cindy Steel, and Tammy L. Gray. I love to read a variety of genres and these are some of my go-to authors depending on what I feel like reading. I will read most genres as long as the books are clean (and all these authors are).

Any book recommendations?

Romanov or Fawkes by Nadine Brandes for YA Fantasy fans. She is such a talented author and a must-read for me. Her books are the whole package: romantic, magical, and intense without being too dark.

Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson for Historical Romantic Suspense. Her books have a classic Gothic romance feel that I loved to read growing up. They are all so good!'

That Fine Line and Double or Nothing by Cindy Steel for Romantic Comedy. Her books are so fun and romantic and I love the midwestern farm-life setting. They are the perfect summer reads!

Love and a Little White Lie and Love and the Silver Lining by Tammy L. Gray for Contemporary Christian Fiction. These books are amazing. They handle the Christian aspects so well without being preachy and the characters are very well-developed. And the romance is spectacular.

Anything else you want to tell your fans, our readers, and the writing/reading/blogging community at large?

Thank you for supporting indie authors! Getting seen and being read is one of the biggest struggles indie authors face, and I know I speak for other authors when I say, we love and appreciate our readers. Nothing makes my day more than hearing from readers who enjoy my books. You guys are why I continue to write and publish.

To my fellow authors and creative geniuses out there, I want to thank you for the work that you do and remind you that your stories are important. People need art in all forms and stories are especially powerful. They make us laugh, make us cry, make us think, and most importantly, make us who we are. Your story matters—never doubt it. I can’t wait to read yours and so many others.

Find your next happily-ever-after at CeceLouise.com! You can also follow and get to know her better on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Goodreads.