Bonus Episode with Alexandria Faulkenbury

Hey friends! Welcome to another Indie Author Spotlight Bonus Episode! Hopefully you read the feature on Alex over on The Writer's Workout website, where I'm a volunteer. If not, well what the heck are you waiting for?! Go--read--learn more about this very cool Indie Author!

What does your writing ritual look like? 

I am a grudging member of the #5amwritersclub. Haha I hate getting up so early, but with two kids and a busy day-to-day, it’s some of the only quiet, focused time I can find. I always start by making coffee and then I build in a little time to check my email and poke around on the internet so I can wake up a bit before I actually get into writing. Some days a lot more writing happens than others! 

What’s the worst advice you’ve ever received as an Indie Author? 

Once I was told that in order to have any success in my writing I needed to be online all the time. Be on all the social medias, have a newsletter, email, post, share, etc. I tried it for a bit and it was a disaster for me. Trying to follow all the trends and new sites is too overwhelming and it usually distracts me and makes me feel worse about my writing. I think that person probably meant I needed to be in community with other writers, which I wholeheartedly agree with, but there are many ways to do that. You can be online without living online. You’ve gotta find the right balance for you. 

What’s your go to book, movie or musical artist when you need some inspiration (or just a break from the keyboard)? Why? 

Hmmm. That’s a great question. Listening to the Avett Brothers always makes me feel more creative when I’m in a slump. I’m always reading, but when I’m working on a story, I like to read writing that I can only aspire to for inspiration. Lauren Groff comes to mind. As does Anne Patchett.

If you could snap your fingers and be “known” for one piece of your writing, what would it be? Is it something already published? Or is it something in your heart you’ve not yet written? 

I’d love to be known for my debut novel, Somewhere Past the End (Out May 20 from Apprentice House Press). I put so much of myself into that book and it’s been years in the making. So my dream is that the story will resonate with people. 

Hannah Grace via Unsplash

Any other tidbits you wanna share? 

I would add that it’s easy to read these kinds of interviews and think the author being interviewed has it all figured out. So, just to clear the air, I’d like to note that I have absolutely nothing figured out and am employing the age old strategy of ‘fake it till you make it’ from start to finish.

Do you have a newsletter you want people to sign-up for? Link it here: 

I don’t have a personal newsletter, but I am a part of the Debutante Ball 2025, a collective that celebrates the journey of women writers as they publish their first book. We share behind-the-scenes looks at publishing a debut, writing tips, thoughts from our author journeys, and more. You can find us at https://thedebutanteball.substack.com/