Talking Books with Adult Suspense Thriller Author Becky Komant

We have a terrific guest today!  Becky Komant was born and raised in beautiful Kelowna, British Columbia.  Spending most of her childhood years outdoors and playing sports, Becky’s passion for fitness was ignited.  Working at a gym at the age of 16, she then went on to an advertising position at a local newspaper following high school.  Soon after, Becky started her family and wanted to be more involved with her children.  It was then that Becky followed her passion and founded a successful private training studio.   Realizing that being a trainer was much more than just helping people physically, this lead her in the direction of becoming a certified life coach.  Because of her fitness and life coaching career, Becky always envisioned writing a book.  Overtime and thought, it evolved into her first novel, The Controlled. With more writing on the horizon, she hopes to inspire others on many levels. Becky continues to reside in Kelowna with her family.

Her latest book is the adult suspense thriller, The Controlled.

Learn more about Becky at www.beckykomant.com.

Q: Welcome to The Writer's Life!  Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process.  Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning?  Where did you come up with the idea to write your book?

I always envisioned writing a book, but more in the health and wellness area.  You see, I am a life and fitness coach. I have experienced many different life situations, both directly and indirectly, that led me to write The Controlled.  Having seen people go through life’s struggles and having to deal with my own personal ones, I wanted to write something that people could relate to. As a fitness and life coach I help others. That is truly my passion. The storyline to The Controlled brewed inside of me for several years. It is an amalgamation of real emotions people have to deal with in life, intertwined with a crazy plot! I never really knew when I would start writing. When I finally decided to put my thoughts on paper I knew I would need a little coaching. I knew that guidance is always a positive. One of my fitness clients is a professional writer, so it was perfect!  She coached me along the way. It was great having someone to talk to that has done it before. The writing for the most part went well.  I am sure having a coach helped the process. No hang ups but lots of work! 15 months later, the writing was finished and it was on to the fine-tuning process. A few months later, I held my first copy of The Controlled in my hand!

Q: How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

Laying out the plot and storyline so that it was crystal-clear in my mind made the actual writing process go much more smoothly. I never found it hard to write this book as I am a girl who loves a great challenge.  If I am not challenged I get bored too easily.  I work well under pressure. I can definitely say that it was a lot of work, but the upfront work helped the plot to come together effortlessly. The characters and their personalities intertwined nicely, like a woven basket.  I think the hardest part was keeping silent during the writing. Only a few friends knew what I was up to after-hours! That sounds like I was up to no good, but that was my only time to write. The best tips I could pass onto other writers is to circle yourself with a great support team from a writing coach to proofreaders and editors. Never cut corners. Once your book is out there – you want it to be polished!

Q: Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

I self-published through my own company, BK Press Corp. It is much harder today to get your book in front of publishers than it was years ago. I just went for it. Hopefully it will get into the right hands and/or possibly a traditional publishing house will pick it up.

Q: Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

I think that I was surprised at how much work it would be to publish a book, once the manuscript was complete.  The writing was hard work but the storyline developed on its own. Even self-publishing was pretty smooth. It is the PR after the fact to get it out there into as many hands as possible that is the hardest work. It is one thing to have a finished book, but whether or not it gets the recognition it deserves depends on more than it being just a good read. Many books sit on shelves for years and never move. You have to never give up and promote it well. I promote The Controlled as much as I can.

Q: Can you describe the feeling when you saw your published book for the first time?

I tracked my first book from the printer to my doorstep!  Gotta love tracking!  It was a great moment. I remember sitting on my front porch waiting for the UPS truck to come. My house is down a long driveway. When I saw the dust, I practically jumped off the porch! I think the delivery driver thought I was crazy! I never wanted to tear the shipping envelope open just in case I tore the book. I had to search the house for scissors. You know the feeling when you are looking for a phone and can’t find one? Grrrr. It was a moment of satisfaction knowing that I accomplished what I set out to do.

Q: What other books (if any) are you working on and when will they be published?

I am working on the sequel to The Controlled.  I am planning on a summer of 2014 release. You just never know an exact timeline when it comes to writing.  I am super busy with life so I try to work on it as often as I can.

Q: Fun question: How does your book contribute to making this world a better place?

I believe because The Controlled has so many real life emotions worked into the storyline, it is a book that can give some people hope or that little bit of motivation to help push them through struggles that they may be dealing with. The less stress people have to deal with, the more peaceful life is. 

Q: Finally, what message (if any) are you trying to get across with your book?

I think there are a few messages that come out of The Controlled. I never really realized the messages that would come through until I was able to sit and read the book from front to back and really absorb everything rather than focus on writing and editing. I think the biggest message is that having a strong self-worth will drive other decisions you make in life.  Realize your life has worth and never sacrifice who you are for anything or anyone.

Q: Thank you again for this interview!  Do you have any final words?

Thank you for the opportunity to share parts of my journey and The Controlled with you and your readers.  Get ready for the sequel… Game On!




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