Meet Moni Boyce

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Moni Boyce. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Moni, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Throughout my life creativity has always been important to me. It’s part of who I am. from the moment I learned to read I loved books and stories. I was an avid, voracious reader. Plus, I wrote short stories and poems. My sister and I often created and developed characters as well. It was always important to me to express myself in that way. I’m grateful my parents encouraged my passion.

Growing up in a military family we lived overseas in Germany when I was a kid. It was the 1980s and I think there was something like three TV channels and they were all in German. My parents had our family and friends back in the U.S. record movies, TV shows, and Saturday morning cartoons on VHS tapes and send them to us. My sisters and I would spend hours watching these tapes. Often over and over, much to the dismay of my parents. Watching movies like Grease, Annie, Goonies, Beat Street, Dirty Dancing, Princess Bride, and The Last Dragon made me want to be a filmmaker.

I loved the way you could disappear into the story. There was something magical about that to me. I was not only enamored with films themselves, but filmmaking. I wanted to know and understand how to create them.

I would devour whatever I could get my hands on. It didn’t matter if it was an old black and white film, a foreign film, musical or whatever genre, I just wanted to watch it all. I knew I wanted to be a part of that: telling stories and evoking emotions in people. Overtime, as I learned about the process of getting a script to the screen my curiosity and fascination only grew. By the time I left to attend film school at USC in Los Angeles, I’d changed from wanting to direct films to wanting to produce them. I just knew it was what I was born to do. Being part of that was gratifying, exciting and fulfilling.

Once I seriously got into writing I realized that my actual purpose and passion was storytelling. No matter the medium, I was meant to be a storyteller.

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Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

These days I’m focused on my career as an author. I write contemporary and paranormal romance. I love writing about people falling in love, getting second chances at love. It’s fun and fulfilling to write happy endings. I’m always pleased when a reader tells me how much they enjoyed a story I wrote. One of the other projects I’m currently working on is writing my first mystery/thriller. Part of the fun of writing in a new genre is the research and learning more about my craft.

This summer, July 19th – 21st I will be one of the signing authors at the 8th Annual Sexy and Sassy Author Signing, which will be held in Norfolk, VA.

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There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

When I think about my journey the three areas I think that were impactful to my success were drive, good communication and social skills and adaptability.

Drive: Having the determination to keep going after your dream or goal even if it takes time or is difficult. Most of the things we want to achieve in life will take drive. You have to be willing to keep learning, getting better, and also accept rejection on the journey to attain what you want. Having drive will pay off.

Good communication and social skills: Knowing how to interact, listen and talk to people are in invaluable skill. It’s not only important to know how to be engaging and carry on a conversation, but to also put in time listening to people. Learn about the person you’re speaking with. Listening is a skill that is helpful in any environment or situation because you start to learn the right questions to ask and by listening you come to understand that person’s wants, needs, desires, likes and dislikes. Communication is one of the most effective tools in building solid relationships.

Adaptability: Growing up in a military family where change is inevitable helped me learn to adapt. I’m not saying it was always easy, but as I got older it became an asset. It’s important to remember that things happen in life outside of our control and being able to accept that and alter a plan or choice when necessary and sometimes having to do that on a deadline was a great skill to have. Be able to pivot.

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What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

Time is my number one obstacle. Besides writing there are some other projects I’m trying to start and I still need time to take care of everyday tasks, workout, make time for family and friends, self-care, etc. Trying to make sure I have a schedule that sets me up for success is not always easy and the schedule sometimes has to change to meet other needs. Plus, I’m a firm believer in leaving room for spontaneity. It can be a tough balancing act when you’re someone trying to accomplish a lot. Time is the one commodity that is hard to spend wisely. Right now I currently structure out my time week to week, because if I try to plan out further than that I find that what I did last week may not work this week. Even on a daily basis the same schedule doesn’t always work because of life, but because I’ve become great at being adaptable, having to change up something in the schedule when needed is manageable.

Contact Info:

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Image Credits

Headshot photos were done by photographer Jen Vetter of Exposd Moxie.

Photo of my book on the shelf was taken by The Ripped Bodice bookstore.

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