Welcome to my author's website! I write non-fiction books under the pen name Angie Simmons. These have been published traditionally however, I am branching out into fiction writing which is something I have always wanted to do! There has been a novel lurking in the background for the last couple of years and finally, I am near completion. I have decided after much research to self-publish on the Amazon Kindle Publishing platform. My pen name for fiction writing will be A.M. Latimer (My family name)

The first part of writing and self-publishing is choosing your genre/sub-genre and establishing your target market. Knowing who your audience is and what they will be expecting from your novel helps map the way. 

There are so many possible book ideas in my head and now I have retired from my teaching career it is my time to write without interruption! Writing is a solitary occupation but my characters keep me company as they evolve and sometimes surprise me! My first novel is part of a series which is set in Cornwall, a magical place that I love! The photo of me here is at the Eden Project in St Blazey, Cornwall. It was taken in 2019 before all our travel took a dive due to the pandemic. It is a really interesting place to visit if you ever get the chance! 

Occasionally characters from another series which I have planned pop up in my head but I have to shoo them away until it is their time to shine!

I have a  non-fiction book on the back burner too. I know you should not do this but I would really like to write a self-help book for homeschoolers as I know so much about the subject and have helped many parents on this journey which has become more prevalent since the pandemic. 

I spend about five hours writing each day, often editing my work from the previous day. My biggest critic is me! I find that I have to stop editing sometimes and just get on with it! The hardest part! 

I start out with an outline and have the plot all organised when lo and behold the story takes a different turn. The decision to go with the flow or keep with the planned plot is a definite dilemma!