Nancy Kilpatrick Writer

Get to Know Blog Tour Guide and
Specialist ...MAIA GOMEZ

Maia Gomez

NK - You're a self-described 'country girl', with deep generational roots in your hometown, Fredericksburg, Texas. How did it come about that you started a highly successful Internet business in book promotion?

MG – Well, quite frankly, I had two babies within a year's time and decided to be a full-time stay-at-home mom with quite a bit of spare time on my hands! Between juggling the kids and many sleepless nights, I was able to commit a lot of hours into creating my dream job and thoroughly enjoy every minute of it. Plus, being stuck out in the boondocks with Internet and not much else to do seems to help a bit. lol

NK - What do you like most about promoting books for authors?

MG – Finding new and exciting books and connecting with new authors! There's quite a few authors out there that have some 5 star AMAZING books that just need the extra boost to get discovered. I've also made quite a few good friends and still stay in touch on a regular basis with many of the authors I've toured with in the past.

NK - Your business offer to writers is, pay-what-you-want, an almost unheard of business practice today. Does it work out for you?

MG – While it seems quite unorthodox, yes it really does work! I believe that some of these other companies charge way too much for the “average” author to be able to pay to get sufficient promo. Authors are very grateful that I'm actually affordable to any and all budgets and still provide quality tours with everybody getting the same level of attention no matter what they end up paying me. While some are only able to pay a little, most authors pay me very well and let's just say I make more now than I ever did at a “regular” job.

NK - What is the first book you read and loved?

MG – Wow, I've been reading my entire life and can't really remember my first book—I was reading at a 6^th grade level in 1^st grade and they had to put me in an advanced reading class. I was the kid in class that teachers yelled at to STOP reading instead of the other way around. Back then I really loved the Goosebumps and Fear Street books though. And later when Harry Potter came out of course I was head over heels for those too! I remember when the third HP book came out I got it as a birthday present and stayed up the entire night and finished the book. I had a major book hangover after that one.

NK - There is a rumor that you have a 'book cave' filled with thousands of books. Have you read them all?

MG – I have read almost all of them! I'm a fanatic about series and prowl the local thrift stores for castoffs—I frequently buy later books in series and then slowly find the others and eventually when I have a full set I binge-read them. So there's some works in progress, but they all get read eventually. As for time—my only peace and quiet is late at night after the kids go to sleep—I stay up until past midnight escaping to new worlds and enjoying the peace.

NK - Many people peripherally involved in the larger world of writing hold a secret desire to write fiction. Is that you?

MG – Oh absolutely! It's a longtime dream of mine to be an author myself one day—I know I have the talent in me, and have even started a few books in the past. My only roadblock is time, I just don't have the time (or peace) to commit to serious writing. I'm thinking once the little ones go off to school that might change though...