Introducing Ericka Scott - And A Contest!

Murder by 4 welcomes multi-published author Ericka Scott, who is celebrating her publishing anniversary with gifts for you! Read on for a chance to win a gift certificate to Barnes & Noble or Amazon.


Hello, I'm Ericka Scott and I write Seductive Suspense. I love words so much that I taught myself to read at three years old, and like most of my fellow authors, I’ve written stories for as long as I can remember. I always wanted to be a published author, but as time went on, life got in the way. Working full-time, for me, was a huge sap to my creativity. I was often simply too tired to come home and write anything. Then, back in 1993, ‘baby’ came along and I was able to stay home for a few months with her. I was able to read more and finally worked up the courage to enter a few writing contests. I didn’t win anything, but I had fun.

Then life intervened again. I got divorced and had to go back to work to support myself and my little one. Luckily, this time, the job brought writing opportunities as a technical editor and writer for a government contractor. Granted, the “stories” were about airplanes and their associated systems, but I got to use my creativity to turn engineering nerd-speak into words the general public could understand.

About this time, life took an unexpected turn when I remarried. My writing also took off about that time (coincidence? Probably not) and I started writing short mystery fiction for publication. My short stories appeared in a few print publications and, more often, in e-zines. However, I still considered writing a hobby. It was something I did in my spare time.

In 2005, two more children came along. My husband and I faced the decision to give up one paycheck so that I could stay home with ‘the boys’. At first, I was very busy, then, as the babies became toddlers, I found that I had a bit more time on my hands. I was also discontent with writing short stories. I wanted to write bigger (and better) but didn’t have a clue where to start. One day, while looking for a challenge, I stumbled upon the Avon Fanlit contest.

I’d like to say the rest is history, but that wouldn’t quite be true. What I rediscovered was my love of romance, suspense, and reawakened my love of writing. Through several friends I made over the course of 8 weeks of insanity, I discovered e-publishing. After reading a staggering number of my friends’ works, I decided to try writing a novella. Anything over 10,000 words for me was difficult, but that’s exactly what I was looking for – a challenge. Surprisingly, I put together a 15,000-word story titled Crystal Clear and sent it off.

It was rejected.

However, Deanna Lee of Cobblestone Press must have seen some spark in my writing. She gave me a few suggestions for rewriting and asked me to resubmit. On May 17th, 2007, Crystal Clear was published.

Around this time, I confessed my most secret desire to my husband. I wanted to pursue writing with the intent to make a career out of it. He’s been incredibly supportive and because of him, I’ve been able to write a staggering number of books in the past two years (seventeen novellas and as of this month, one full-length novel!)

So, this month, I’m celebrating two years as a “published” author. It was quite a ride getting here and I’m glad to say that the journey isn’t over yet.

To celebrate my anniversary, I’m going to give the gift instead of receiving it. Leave a comment on this post and on May 17th, I’ll draw two names to win $10 gift certificates to Barnes and Noble (or Amazon).

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Visit Ericka Scott online at www.erickascott.com. Don't forget to leave your comment below for a chance to win!