Meet Valia Lind | USA Today Bestselling Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Valia Lind and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Valia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When it was time to make a decision for myself, whether I would go traditional publishing or start my own business, I had to sit down and make a list of what I wanted out of my career. In the end, having full control over what I publish, how I publish, and when was very important to me. I love being the final word when it comes to my career. While I hire individuals, like cover artists and editors, everything rises and falls on me. There’s a great sense of accomplishment in that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I honestly never thought that I would be able to say that I am an author. This career path was as unreachable as the moon for me. Growing up in Russia, I knew that I would have to pick a career that was stable, lucrative, something I could use to support myself and my mother (when the time came). I’ve always loved books, and I wrote a lot when I was younger, but it was never a possibility. When we came to America, I realized that I had other options. For the first time, I could think outside the box. Still, for a long time, with my education and planning, I played it safe. It was actually my mother who encouraged me to look into publishing after I started writing more seriously. She was the one who pushed me to do it myself, because she believed that I could.
I love the fact that I work for myself, because it gives me full freedom to write what I want. My current series is a collection of standalone novels which are fairy tale retellings of Russian fairy tales and folk tales. My heritage and my childhood are something that I can use to make my writing and storytelling unique. I still feel like I’m learning the English language and that has been a challenge. But the fact that I can use these parts of myself to tell a story like no one else can makes me eager to write, every day.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have actually never been to Atlanta! It’s one of the places on my list. I love to travel, and explore different cities. My favorite thing to do is finding those away from the tourist places, small coffee shops and restaurants, and of course, bookstores.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents are my greatest supporters and have always pushed me to follow my dreams. Their encouragement in my creative career has meant everything. Also, Queens of the Quills, my author friends who have been there in the last few years of my journey. The author group has been incredible support, both business wise and personally, and I could’ve have done it without them.

Website: https://valialind.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valialind/

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valialind