When the lovely Nenny May got in touch with me about her latest release, Miller Avenue Murder, I jumped at the chance to invite her along for a chat about the inspiration behind her book, being a young writer, and starting her career on Wattpad.
Tell us a little about yourself. (How did you get started writing? What do you do when you’re not writing?)
Nenny May isn’t my real name. I want to start off with a disclaimer. It’s a pen name for my crime fiction books. I needed a name that worked well with my brand and becoming the face of this name was almost natural. I started writing at fourteen on the reading and writing platform Wattpad, you might have heard of it. But I never took to formal publishing till I was eighteen. I published a thriller titled Missing, back in 2020 and it was self-published and that’s when I started learning the ropes of publishing… I’m still learning. When I’m not writing, I’m creating graphics, I created all my book covers through photoshop. I can be found designing websites in my free time, I’m actually working on a little something in this regard for January and I’m quite excited! I am a marketer, so I provide other indie authors with tips and tricks via my social media platforms, like my Tiktok.
Is this your first book? How many books have you written prior (if any?)
No, this isn’t my first. My first was Missing, I published last year actually. This is my third.
What genre is it, and what is it about?
Miller Avenue Murder is primarily Crime Thriller, but features multiple subgenres like mystery thriller, legal thriller, psychological thriller and even romantic suspense.
What or who inspired you to write this book?
What inspired Miller Avenue Murder, well, it didn’t start off as Miller Avenue Murder… I actually was just finishing up my second book when I had this eureka moment and I wanted to write a book featuring a lawyer, a detective, a criminal law professor and a district attorney who fight crime. But I didn’t know where to start or what to do, so I slept on the idea and slowly started planning it. Writing the first draft, it was originally titled All She Left Unsaid, then half way through the second draft, I changed the title and cover and aesthetics. Shortly after that I was admitted into the hospital and diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia and with that I was wondering how in hell I could incorporate my experiences into my books because that’s what I do best, so I added the psychological thriller elements and by the time the book was done, I was in love with it.
What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?
I have a lot to say on this, so buckle up… Young authors, you’re not aspiring, if you can dream it, it’s possible. If you can’t get those big-league publishers to consider your book, publish it yourself, Stephen King had to self-publish before any big-league publisher noticed him. Self-publish, grow your brand and when the time is right, query them again, they’ll have to look at you. And if you want to self-publish, here’s a pro tip, it’s going to be hard, you’re going to lose a lot of money, but it’s a learning curve and you’re going to make a lot back and you’re going to be better off than when you started. And if you really want to self-publish, don’t start with Amazon just yet, sure it’s the most popular, but start small, with a site like Smashwords, you can make enough money to pursue an Amazon self-publishing career.
What do you enjoy most about writing and why?
Watching the story unfold. This is the best part. Because I can start a story as one thing and half-way through, it’ll change and morph into something beyond my expectations.
List three interesting facts about yourself.
- I am a cat mom. I have a little kitten, Oreo, he’s my co-author and best friend. He’s a white and grey-orange tabby.
- I love tattoos, I have two, one dedicated to the day I became a published author and the other dedicated to my law degree.
- I am a Nigerian, yet my books aren’t set in my country. This is controversial, and I have nothing against my country, I just never grew up reading books set there and that sort of impacted my writing.
What is your least favourite part of the publishing/writing process?
Marketing. I can never seem to get it down; I have made so many mistakes and lost so much money in a bid to grow my audience. But I’m resilient if anything and I am going to keep making those mistakes until something sticks.
What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?
Talk about it. That’s it, just talk about it to their friends, on Goodreads, and review it so other people can see what they thought.
What is your next project?
The second book in the Campbell Murder Series. Title and cover reveal coming soon!
Connect with Nenny May here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authornennymay/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nennymay?lang=en
Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/NennyMay
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Shelley Wilson Author 
What a lovely interview. This young woman has so much going for her, Shelley, and she is learning so much about writing and publishing at an early age – she’ll have a long writing career ahead of her.
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