Author Interview "Nikki Salmon"

Nikki, please tell us a little about yourself (ie, your education, family life, etc).

Well I started off writing poetry. As a child I would find a quiet place and just read tons of books. I have always known that I wanted to be a writer but the truth is becoming a successful author can be a difficult road so I became a nurse. I absolutely love taking care of people. I come from a very big family and my siblings are really close and supportive. I have a daughter and a fur baby. I'm probably one of the most passionate people when it comes to human and animal rights.

Please tell our readers a little about your book Dawn of the Zodiacs Firefly.

Dawn of the Zodiacs is a trilogy. The first book is Firefly and it is symbolic for the light that is always present in the darkest of times. It is based in modern times, incorporating all the zodiac signs and their ability to shape-shift. The book surrounds the budding romance between a Leo and a cancer. As their love grows stronger, a brewing war threatens to tear them apart and also disrupts the peace that exist among the signs. It is new adult fictional novel incorporating the key ingredients of love, power and conflict.

What inspired you to write Dawn of the Zodiacs Firefly?

One thing I spend time doing is reading about astrology and the daily horoscopes. It's silly but before I date a guy I check to see if our signs are compatible. So this book was inspired by the passion that we perceive to be a true representation of ourZodiacs. I'm a big fan of Greek mythology and that is incorporated as well. At the time I was writing this book my family was going through a dark time with almost losing a loved one. Thank God we were triumphant and the fireflies became a representation of the light we found in that darkness.

Would you say that writing Dawn of the Zodiacs Firefly was a task you had to set aside time to really focus on, or was it something that easily poured out of you? How did you feel when you finally “finished” writing your book?

This was definitely a task that easily poured out. I have tried writing other books and I think I have 3 that I stopped midway. This book was different. Everything just flowed well. When I was done, it made me very proud that I had finally completed project.

How did you come up with the title for your book?

After coming up with several different tittles, I settled on Dawn of the Zodiacs: Firefly because it made sense to include the essence and visual of the book.

Who designed your book cover?

The book cover was designed by C. M. Davis Photography. I wanted it to capture a pivotal scene in the book but still display an element of romance. I think the cover captured that very well.

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead? Why?

Honestly, I would love to see someone new to the industry to play the lead because I truly believe in giving others an opportunity to shine.

Did you learn anything about the publishing process while writing your book?

I learned a lot. I think with traditional publishing you have to have the time, patience and a thick skin to face rejection. I went the self publishing route when I realized I could do it myself and have more control of my project.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything about your book?

Its funny because one of my friend is a Scorpio and she was displeased with the way the Scorpios were portrayed but somebody had to be the bad guys. If I had to do it over again, maybe I would also include more of the good qualities of the Scorpios but it's a trilogy so there's always the possibility of redemption.

If you had to give one piece of advice about the publishing process to a person with a fresh manuscript, ready to move into publishing, what would it be?

It can be a painful process. I believed I screamed a couple of times when working with my editor. Just hang tough, push through the pain, stick to your vision of what you want to accomplish and continue to pursue your dream.

Dawn of the Zodiacs Firefly

Dawn of the Zodiacs: Firefly is a passionate modern tale of love, romance and humans with the ability to shape-shift into the animal of their zodiac sign. A war among the signs threatens to tear friendships and love apart. It is the first book in a trilogy and will definitely elicit a wide range of emotion in a reader.

Available on Amazon, Kindle and Barnes and Noble.com

About the author:

Nikki Salmon has been writing since childhood. She grew up reading the work of great authors such as Toni Morrison, Jane Austin, and Nora Roberts. She loves to write about stories with an element of truth that contains romance and fantasy. Nikki is a published poet and wrote her first novel, Dawn of the Zodiacs: Firefly in 2016. She is currently working on two more novels that will be available in 2017. Nikki received her Bachelor's degree from Chamberlain University and is studying to be a Nurse Practitioner. In addition to being a writer, Nikki is a devoted animal rights activist, and enjoys spending time with her fur babies. Nikki live in Georgia where she enjoys the mild winter and very hot summers.