Meet Dee McQueen | Author, Murder Mystery Writer, Self-Publishing Consultant

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

Hi Dee, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always loved to write and entertain people so that was the main reason I started my business. I wanted to be immersed in doing what makes me happy and making other people happy. Reading and writing has always been my escape from the harsh and cold reality of this world so I wanted to give people that same escape if only for a little while. Having my business has enabled me to do these things.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a writer. I have published two books and I am currently working on my third. I also write and host murder mystery parties. I have recently started consulting other aspiring writers through the process of self-publishing.

Writing is part of my personal journey in healing traumas. I have been writing as long as I can remember and I have always wanted to be an author so realizing that dream has been surreal. I love when I talk to people who have read my books or have come to one of my murder mystery parties and they tell me how much they enjoyed it.

The road to becoming a published author was not easy. Frankly, I was terrified to share my book it felt like I was exposing my baby to the world. It was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (literally a lot of tears). I was able to overcome that fear. I thought about a quote from Lisa Nichols, the speaker and author. She said, “Fear is a story that we make up in our heads.” That hit home for me, it helped me to realize most of the things that I was worried about probably would never happen. I am working on my third book and haven’t encountered any of the things that I was so worried about.

I have learned that if you don’t try you will never know the impact that you can have on others. That fear is normal but it should never be paralyzing. One of the biggest lessons that I have learned is that everyone is not going to like or appreciate your work but that is ok. It doesn’t mean that you are not great at what you do it Is their preference so you continue to be authentically you.

My business name is By Deezign and the reason I chose this name is because we create who we are. It is our story. Everything that we do has a purpose and we continue to build regardless of obstacles, insecurities, and fears.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would definitely go to the Charles H. Wright Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts museum, and the Motown Museum. I love plays and musicals so we would go check a couple out at the Fischer Building or the Fox Theater. I would take her to The Gandy Dancer for brunch and we would go to Mani Osteria for my favorite pizza. Then we would find our way to dinner and drinks at Prime + Proper.

If she was here in the fall we would go to Ford Field and check out the Detroit Lions and we would go catch a Detroit Piston game at the Little Ceasar Arena.

We would finish the week relaxing at a bed & Breakfast- The Cochrane House Luxury Historic inn Detroit.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shout out is to my family. They have always been my biggest support system. When I decided to take the leap and become a published author they encouraged me to go for it. I especially want to give a shout out to my father. He is the reason that I love mysteries and reading. When I began writing my first book he would always ask how it was going and he looked forward to reading it. unfortunately, he passed away a few months before it was published but I know he would have loved it.

Website: bydeezignmysteries.com

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Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/Deemcqueen1230

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