Local author is making a name for herself

“If you had told me two years ago I would be signing books in Nashville, USA, alongside my literary heroes and friends, I would have told you that, that was just a dream,” said local businesswoman and author Carlyle Labuschagne.

“Recently I lived my dream and it was beyond what I thought it would ever feel like.

“I got to meet and greet, and sign my books with my author heroes.

“To stand in the same room as those who have inspired me is nothing I can quite put into words.

“I cried many tears and felt honoured and overwhelmed to be standing beside so many I have looked up to.”

Carlyle recently attended the UtopYAcon convention in Nashville, and told the GCN it offered her more than she had ever expected.

“I got to sign my own books with those authors I never thought I’d ever get to meet,” she said.

“Was I nervous and did I feel intimidated before I got there? Yes I did, but not for long – the minute I got there it felt like home; I found somewhere I belonged.

“It’s been a struggle my entire life to fit in and keep good friends, at UtopYAcon it was effortless and I have never felt so adored and loved as amongst the attendees and staff.

“My books sold out in one hour on day one and it was a spectacular dream come true.”

Carlyle added that she did feel a bit sad, as many of her fans didn’t get books, as they went so quickly.

She said that next year she would offer a pre-order option and, as she has just signed with new publishers, her stock won’t be limited.

“To sum it up from a business/author point of view, I learned more in one hour attending a panel than I have in my two years as an author,” Carlyle said.

“In that one hour in which I sold out I made more money than I do in an entire quarter back home.

“But that’s really not what it’s about.

“It’s about the confidence and the knowledge with which it has armed me.”

Carlyle told the GCN that she had hardly a minute to herself, which was probably a good thing, as she would then have started thinking about how she should be, instead of just being herself.

“I did feel important, I did feel like a celebrity, but, most of all, everyone felt the same way; we all shared and celebrated our hard work,” she said.

This year UtopYAcon saw about 600 attendees, who booked out the entire hotel where the conference was held.

“Did I sleep much? No. Did I eat much? No.

“I was on cloud nine, every day was too much too take in.

“It’s things of movies and dreams.

“And UtopYA was Utopia – a reality that anyone can achieve,” Carlyle said.

UtopYAcon is a convention for writers of contemporary and supernatural YA (young adult) and NA (new adult) fiction and their fans.

It features an awards evening, after-party and, most importantly, expert panels.

Carlyle travelled to the United States with her husband Dirk, her children Ethan (10) and Jordan (7) and her mother-in-law Debbie Green Thomson.

They managed to spend some time in New York and also went to Disneyland, much to the joy of the children.

Carlyle said she couldn’t have done the trip without them and thanks them for their ongoing support and love.

Her first two books, The Broken Destiny and Evanescent (both part of the Broken series) have been resigned in the USA, with Hallowed Press Ink, and will launch there within the next few months.

Dead of Night is her third title in a new series (Dystopian Romance).

All three titles in this series have also been signed with a South African publisher – Fire Quill Publishers – and although Carlyle is a co-founder of the company, she still had to submit her work for approval.

Fire Quill Publishers will also release her novella series – The Broken Diaries.

The first book in the series, Absolution, will hit the shelves this November.

Evanescent recently won a YATR (Young Adult Teen Readers) best Science Fiction book award and was nominated for best Indie cover and Indie book of the year 2014 by IRC (IReCon).

And, as if she isn’t busy enough, Carlyle will also be hosting and launching a book festival of her very own.

“The festival will take place on March 28, next year, and everything I have taken from the convention has been immersed into SAIRbookfest 2015,” Carlyle said.

There will be an author, blogger, writer, and publishing workshop, as well as a “Pitch your Book” contest, with a panel of six publishers and publishing experts, as well as an agent from New York City.

Michelle L Johnson is a literary agent, the founder of Inklings Literary Agency.

The day will also feature an author signing event, awards evening and after awards drinks, and will run from 9am to 9pm.

Visit https://sairbookfestival.weebly.com for more information about the festival.