By David Kubota
NKyTribune reporter
Angel Musk, a local self-published author who recently released her third book, hopes to turn her hobby into a career.
As a self-published author, Musk hopes to maintain control over the types of books she’s able to publish and explore various genres and themes.
Angel Musk signs copies of her second book, “Cantonelli’s Crest: Purple Haven.”
“I love to write stories and a teacher, Ms. Otto, had us write, and she loved my stuff and encouraged me to write,” Musk said.
After high school she attended a vocational school, where she studied early childhood education.
Musk eventually left Newport and settled in Elsmere, where she lives today.
She then began a career in the pharmaceutical industry. However, after 18 years in that profession, Musk felt as if she was wasting away and hated working behind a desk. Wanting a change, and coupled with medical issues, Musk began to pursue writing.
Her first book — and the one that began her “Essence” trilogy — “Essence of Time,” was published in 2014. It follows the story of Peter and Linda Willows, whose love life struggles during a time apart and an unborn baby threatens Linda’s life.
Set during the 1800s, research was done to keep things authentic to the time period. For instance, she researched medical terminology and equipment available during the time period so a characters birthing experience was written authentically.
“Part of the book takes place in France and I wanted things to be authentic,” she said. “So, I asked a French friend to translate bits of dialogue so the atmosphere was there.”
Tackling her first real published book was a struggle, and she had difficulties finding an editor that shared her same vision. It took around a year for Musk to finish her first book.
“It’s actually quite a competitive industry,” she said. “Many other authors wouldn’t help me because they saw me as a threat.”
Inspired by the popularity of the “Twilight” books and films that were so popular at the time, she began to write a vampire book. Titled “Cantonelli’s Crest: Puruple Haven,” it follows the story of a financially successful businessman turned vampire who discovers he harbors feelings for another powerful vampire’s niece.
Musk plans on turning “Cantonelli’s Crest” into a series, surrounding the breaking down of barriers between vampires and mortals. The next iteration will follow the twin offspring of the couple from the first book.
Copies of Angel Musk’s three books. (Photo by David Kubota)
With a new beloved editor in tow, Musk was able to complete the book in about two years and released it this past April.
Both Essence books take place in Trenton Falls, Kentucky, a fictional town made up by Musk for the purposes of her books. She took inspiration from the Northern Kentucky area, the region in which she was raised.
Musk has countless ideas for new books and often has to grab the nearest piece of paper to jot down ideas when they come to her. She credits Hallmark movies as a place of great inspiration for her romance books, while many of her best ideas come to her while camping.
“I find that ideas just flow better when I’m around nature,” she said. “Sometimes when we’re camping, I don’t have my laptop so I’ll just go old school and write things down with pen and paper.”
Combating writer’s block is a challenge Musk doesn’t even try and tackle.
“If I don’t feel like writing, then I won’t write,” she said. “My writer’s block may go on for weeks, but switching which book I’m working on usually helps.”
With multiple projects in the works, trying to avoid being tied to one genre is incredibly important to Musk. With so many ideas, she hopes to tackle various genres. Her new ideas include a non-fictional book about her mother’s life, and another book in which Musk collaborates with another author to work toward a shared vision.
One of her most ambitious ideas is a children’s book about pit bulls. She hopes that the book will help to improve the pit bulls’ overall image among children. With the story nailed down, she now seeks an illustrator for the book.
Covers have become an incredibly vital part of the book industry. With books living or dying on the various eBook shops, readers are paying attention to cover art now more than ever. Musk has had difficulties with her book covers in the past, but believes she’s settled on an artist for all her future pieces.
To promote her books, she attends various book events and craft shows scattered around Kentucky and nearby states. Musk has been to events in Lexington, LaGrange, and at the Chrisman Mill Vineyard & Winery in Nicholasville. At events, she’ll sometimes sell handmade crafts and items that are based upon images and themes within her own books.
Aside from being an author, Musk enjoys spending time with her two teenage sons, Ethan and Connor, who inspire her to continue to write.
Building upon her three previously published books, she hopes to turn her hobby into a career, while representing her home state at the same time.
“I think it’s really important to maintain a presence on that local author section in stores, and to represent Kentucky,” she said.
To learn more about Musk, visit her Facebook page by clicking here.
David Kubota is a Scripps Howard Foundation intern at the NKyTribune this summer. He is a student at the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media.
