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Author Interview: Marni Graff
General Info:
- Name or Pen Name: Marni Graff
- City, state & country of residence: Montgomery Point, NC, USA
Author:
Marni Graff is the award-winning author of The Nora Tierney English Mysteries and The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries. The Evening’s Amethyst is the fifth in the Nora Tierney series. Her short story “Quiche Alain” is in the Agatha-winning Malice Domestic Anthology, Murder Most Edible. She is also Managing Editor of Bridle Path Press, and a crime book reviewer.
- Titles & genres of your available books:
The Nora Tierney English Mysteries: The Blue Virgin; The Green Remains;
The Scarlet Wench; The Golden Hour; The Evening’s Amethyst.
The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries: Death Unscripted; Death at the Dakota.
- Links to your works on Amazon, B&N, etc: amzn.to/2Y7TsaQ; www.bridlepathpress.com.
- Book you are currently promoting on our site: The Evening’s Amethyst
- Brief description/teaser/blurb of selected book:
Who is Verity? That becomes a central question for American Nora Tierney, who has moved to her new Oxford home with her fiancé, DI Declan Barnes, and her young son. Declan’s new case at Exeter College coincides with a frantic call from Nora’s stepsister, Claire Scott: a fellow graduate student has died in a fall, and Claire begs Nora to help her prove her friend didn’t commit suicide. The sisters conduct their own snooping, while Declan and his team juggle this death with a cold case that proves to be more surprising than Declan could ever imagine.
- Twitter handle: @GraffMarni
- Facebook address: www.facebook.com/bluevirgin.graff
- Website address: www.auntiemwrites.com
- Any additional means of contact: email: bluevirgin.graff@gmail.com
About your writing
- What inspires you to write? Wanting to tell a story and take readers on a journey with my characters inspires me. I’ve been a reader from an early age and read three books a week. The great books I’ve read push me to want to do the same thing for other readers. Now that I have these recurring characters, I want to explore how they grow and change, too, and hope my readers will come along to see what new adventures they have.
- What do you love most about writing? I enjoy the “research and design” phase, when I’m coming up with a new storyline, figuring out a plot and subplot, and creating characters for the new novel. I will have been to my setting, but perhaps not in a while, especially with Covid, so will need to research aspects that will fit in with my plot and add to my memory/photos/notes. This is the exciting time, the “what if?” phase, when all things are possible and anything can be considered—and often tossed out!
- What’s the most challenging part? What I call the muddled middle. I start with the end so I work toward that point, and outline the beginning chapters along the lines of how I see the story developing. But I leave the rest to happenstance as I write, and that middle part is where I find the most challenges. Do I want to take a left or right turn here? Is this new complication an impossible one? How much tension is too much? Once I get over that hump and am running toward the climax and ending, I feel like a kid on a bicycle who’s taken her feet off the peddles to coast downhill.
- How do you craft your story & characters? Since I start with the end and work toward it, that’s settled as I plunge into writing. I do allow for changes, though, and have learned to be flexible. Up front I know of several characters I will need, and add more as I go along that become necessary to tell the story I want to tell. I spend a lot of time on character development. Names are important. Sometimes they denote a personality trait or ethnicity; other times I need a few that don’t all start with the same first initial, as that can confuse readers. It’s one reason I always add a Cast of Characters to the front of the book. Readers can pick up and put down the book and go back to that to keep pace with the people inhabiting the story. If it’s an important character, I spent more time creating a ‘bible’ of his or her background, making decisions about things that may not make it into the book, but that inform me as the author of how they would act and react in a particular situation. Are they an only child and used to being the center of attention? Or maybe they are the oldest in a large family and used to shouldering responsibility. Knowing their personality is key for dialogue, too. Is this someone who uses a lot of slang? Or someone to whom language is important and they choose their words carefully? Or too carefully, and come across as pedantic. Along with a thumbnail of their physical appearance, a character’s emotional background is far more important to me.
- How much research is involved? When you are setting a book in a different county, there must be current research involved. Although I have been to each place I choose as a setting, and take photos and make copious notes while there, there are still items that come up that I won’t know about until I’m in the midst of writing. I might know Woodstock in general, but what is the name of the antique store where Nora will stop to ferret out information? I’ve been to Oxford numerous times, yet what is the name of the street where the Alice shop is located? And there may be research into other areas beyond setting, too, such as what would be the sentencing facing a culprit or what kind of plea deal might be offered. One day I might be researching poisons; on another I’m figuring out the correct layout of the mortuary where the victim’s family go to do the formal identification. I can plan ahead for a lot, but I am always surprised at how many details still require research as I’m writing. I’m quite sure I’m on a watch list somewhere with the NSA for my research into murder methods…
- How long did it take from idea to finished book? So much of that depends on what is happening in my home life at any one time. I had breast cancer recently and lost time to treatment there; my husband and I take care of my elderly mom. But in general, I write the first draft over five months or so, then workshop that with my personal writing group—we’ve been working together for over 17 years now— and then rewrite and revise the book. It gets sent out to beta readers, whose comments give me another round of revisions. Then the heavy editing for grammar, words that are used too often, etc, starts. That’s when it goes to my publisher, who inevitably has a few minor edits for me before the book goes into what I call the production chain and finally I have a book in print. I’d say the average for that entire process is 18 months, but the cover is started earlier; the blurbs are gathered as I’m revising. By the time I enter the production phase with my book designer, I’ve already started the first draft of the next book in the other series, so there is overlap there.
- Do you have any writing rituals or habits? I like to have a fresh cup of tea or a full glass of iced tea when I sit down. I use headphones more and more to cancel out household noises, but I’ve learned to stick to classical or jazz instrumentals, as if I have a song playing I tend to sing along! Who influences you the most? Not counting the Golden Agers, who were a big influence on me writing mysteries (Christie, Tey, Marsh, Sayers, etc) PD James was a huge influence on me. The depth of her psychological insight into her characters is amazing, as is her ability to make her chosen setting become a character in its own right. I was fortunate to interview her for “Mystery Review” magazine when I studied in Oxford one summer, and James became a mentor and friend until her death fifteen years later. It was her idea that I write a second series, once she’d learned of my medical consulting job for a NY movie studio, because she said readers love to have a behind-the-scenes look at a position they wouldn’t ordinarily know about. I feel very fortunate to have had her in my life, and the first Trudy Genova, Death Unscripted, is dedicated to her.
- What is your favorite theme/genre to write? Mysteries; I like to mix my amateur sleuth POV (Nora, Trudy) with the police procedural aspect of a crime. I’m drawn to writing crime novels because those are the ones I most enjoy reading. My books tend toward the cozy side, with a smaller list of suspects, and the puzzle is the main thing, as well as a sense of justice at the end. Most are of the domestic sort, with the characters home lives included.
- Which character you’ve created is your favorite? Why? I’d have to say Nora Tierney because she is a juggler extraordinaire. Nora is an American writer living in England, with a nose for murder. She is a former journalist and has learned to lie at the drop of a hat and improvise to get information. That being said, at heart she’s very much a family person and values her close friends who’ve become her family. She also has a young son, so her sleuthing is tempered by her need to be a good mom. Therefore, she juggles a lot, as most mothers do. In The Evening’s Amethyst, it is a few weeks before Christmas and she and her son and fiancé have just moved into a new house together. She’s supervising the last of the painting while she figures out how to train their new puppy, get her son to nursery school, write the storyline for her next children’s book, and knows right after the holidays she needs to plan her spring wedding—just as her sister calls and says a friend at Exeter College has died. Nora’s also an optimist with a strong sense of putting things right and I like that about her.
- Do any of your life experiences worm their way into your books? I’m quite sure they do! Having Nora be a writer and Trudy be a nurse who works for a movie studio are both jobs I identify with, so that’s a no-brainer and brings a sense of familiarity to both women, although they are not me. I’m originally from Long Island and moved to rural NC 25 years ago, a real culture shock even as we embraced the move, not unlike Nora moving to England and deciding to stay there. And there are small things I’ve experienced that I find myself using. In The Evening’s Amethyst, I have Nora explaining to her sister how to use the Aga range that came with their house. We owned one in the past, so I am well-versed in that very different way of cooking. These are the ranges with multiple ovens and round hobs on top with heavy lids that you see on Midsomer Murders. When you see the lid standing open, you know the range is not on, as if it were, unless there’s a pot on it, the lids must be closed to keep the heat in!
- How do you like to connect with readers? I’m open to talking to readers on email, my Facebook page, or on Twitter. I mostly post about bookish things and often the antics of our Aussie Doodles, Seamus and Fiona. I’m chagrined to say that the pups garner far more ‘likes’ than any post about a great review for one of my books! In this era of Covid, I’ve missed being able to do book events because I really enjoy meeting with readers in a group to answer their questions. I am hopeful this spring the virus will allow me to do an abbreviated book tour. I usually work my way up to Maine and back, as our middle son runs a library up there and hosts me, and I have stops along the way at either libraries or bookshops that I’m putting out feelers for now. I always do an event at my hometown library of Floral Park, NY, too, so you can go home again!
- What do you hope readers take away from your books? I would hope readers enjoy the hunt for the culprit while trying to figure out themselves who that might be, while they absorb the larger themes at play, and find at the end that the books have been a satisfying read. The themes in play in The Evening’s Amethyst are kindness and obsession. How those work into the plot and subplot are illustrated by the end of the book.
- Who helps you with the critique and editing process? I have a wonderful writing group I’ve been working with for almost two decades now who are great critique partners for story and plot, and not mystery writers, I hasten to add. They will do a gross edit for me but I use a professional copyeditor once I get to that stage for each book. I also give my beta readers a list of things to look for and their feedback can be invaluable. These are people who are not relatives who will love every word you write, but readers who are willing to be honest. It helps to have varied opinions on things like: are there any places you felt the pace lagged? Is there a character you didn’t like? Those are the kinds of things I ask them to consider as they read. Do you ever hate something you’ve written? Every writer does if they’re honest, and after a while, I think you develop a sense for that and wipe those things out in a first draft. Sometimes the opposite happens, too, where you may love a particular thread and have to cut it out as it doesn’t fit the narrative that’s changed.
- How do you overcome any nagging self-doubt that inevitably creeps in? If I’m having a bad day, I turn to my other project. That opens up my mind and allows me to concentrate on the draft of a book in the other series that is far removed from what I’ve just been writing. I find when I go back to the first book, I see either that what I wrote needs to be changed, and firmly do that, or that it can be left in and go from there. Other days, time outside with the dogs to ponder a plot point that seems wild often helps. By the time I return I’ve decided whether it’s sa outlandish as I’ve thought, or it can stay in.
- Do you read all reviews? I do. I need to see the feedback; what readers liked or didn’t. The Evening’s Amethyst has garnered wonderful reviews so far, and that please me because it’s my favorite book in the series. But there was an earlier book where someone dropped the book from a 5- to a 4-star rating due to what she thought was “gratuitous swearing.” Now my characters only swear if it’s appropriate to their personality, but I admit I was intrigued, and had to go back through the manuscript. There were six “swear” words, and all in dialogue to a particular character, so that let me know that this person is sensitive to swearing, and I let it go.
- Why are reviews important? Reviews are read by other readers trying to decide if they will enjoy a book. They give the book gravitas, and rankings, too. I don’t think most readers understand how authors appreciate even a brief review, especially when they enjoyed their book. I encourage all readers to leave a review whenever they’ve read a book they feel others would like to read.
- What advice would you give aspiring writers? Read, read, READ. You must be a reader to be a writer. Read good stuff and bad. You will learn from both. Read in your chosen genre and outside it, too. And then I’d add that you can take a lot of classes and read a lot of craft books, but nothing beats sticking your butt in the desk chair and actually writing. You need to learn what is the best time of day for you to write. You need to develop your voice along with your process. All of that can only be done by sitting down and putting words, even a few lines a day, on paper.
- What can you tell us about what we’ll see from you next? Since I alternate the series, I’m writing the third Trudy Genova Manhattan Mystery right now, Death in the Orchard. Trudy asks her boyfriend, NYPD detective Ned O’Malley, to come home with her to upstate NY to meet her family at the apple orchard they run. But more importantly, she wants to find out what really happened when her father died under mysterious circumstances twelve years before. Sneak peek: I’ll tell you now that they are only there two days when one of the orchard workers is found murdered on Genova property. So there will be this new murder and the cold case Trudy and Ned will work on together.
About Indie Publishing
- Why did you choose to publish as an Indie Author? Using an indie publisher gives me an imprint, an editorial board, and a website that sells my books. Most importantly, it allows me to retain control of my work, and within the bounds of good editing, I also have control of what the cover and layout look like. What obstacles have you encountered? Marketing/promotion takes time and is a necessary evil if you want to have your books in front of readers. Even traditional publishers have cut back on what they will do to promote their authors unless you are a very big name with a very big track record. That all takes time away from writing. My dream is sell enough books to hire a publicist!
- How did you overcome those challenges? I try to limit the time I spend on marketing to an hour a day or I’d never get writing done. That includes answering emails, writing for blogs, doing interviews, etc. I have a limited budget for marketing and try to use it wisely, often picking the brains of other authors to see what has given them good results. Networking is important, too, as is having a presence at a mystery conference by doing a panel, whether on Zoom or in person, which we are just getting back into. What has been the highlight of this journey? The highlight for me is each time I hold a new book in my hand for the first time. I think about all of the time and effort that has gone into making this book, about the people who helped me along the way, and of how this developed from a kernel of an idea I had one day sitting at my desk. No wonder it’s become popular to wish authors “Happy Book Birthday!”
- Any tips for someone considering going Indie vs Traditional Publishing?
To me it depends on your age and how long you have to wait to be ‘discovered’ by a traditional press; and along with that, how much control over your work you desire and what your goals are. I had a 30-year career in nursing and wrote on the side, but always knew I would write full time one day. I was in my 50s when I finally was able to do that and while I had a great NY agent, he couldn’t sell a mystery by an unknown author. I have a stack of great rejection letters from editors, who all said I was a goodt writer with an interesting story, but that without a name behind me, their marketing department was loathe to take me on. Once I switched to an indie press, I never looked back. I may not be a household name, but I know there are readers out there who enjoying reading my books and look forward to each new one, and that’s reward enough for me.
“Thank you for hosting me!”
You are most welcome, Marni, and thank you for doing this great interview today!
Author Interview: Nina Romano
General Info:
Name (or Pen name you want used): Nina Romano
Your city, state; country of residence: I live between Florida and Utah in the US of A!
Please provide a general Author Bio that you would like used:
Author’s Bio
Nina Romano earned a B.S. from Ithaca College, an M.A. from Adelphi University and a B.A. and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from FIU. She lived in Rome, Italy, for twenty years, and is fluent in Italian and Spanish. She is a world traveler and lover of history, and her novels, short fiction and poetry reflect these aspects.
She has authored a short story collection, The Other Side of the Gates, and has published five poetry collections and two poetry chapbooks with independent publishers. She co-authored Writing in a Changing World. Romano has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize in Poetry.
Nina Romano’s historical Wayfarer Trilogy has been published from Turner Publishing. The Secret Language of Women, Book #1, was a Foreword Reviews Book Award Finalist and Gold Medal winner of the Independent Publisher’s 2016 IPPY Book Award. Lemon Blossoms, Book # 2, was a Foreword Reviews Book Award Finalist, and In America, Book #3, was a finalist in Chanticleer Media’s Chatelaine Book Awards.
Her latest novel, The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley, a Western Historical Romance, has recently been released from Prairie Rose Publications.
Titles & genres of your available books:
The three titles of my Wayfarer Trilogy are works of literary, historical fiction:
The Secret Language of Women
Lemon Blossoms
In America
My latest title is a Historical, Western Romance:
The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley
Links to your works on Amazon, B&N, etc:
Amazon: The Secret Language of Women https://amzn.to/2MQZpNC
Amazon: Lemon Blossoms https://amzn.to/2TWqzYt
Amazon: In America https://amzn.to/2Hl2VzT
Amazon: The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley https://amzn.to/2Mawrvv
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2DCJ2lg
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ninsthewriter @ninsthewriter
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2BFi38l
Website: www.ninaromano.com
If you have more than one book, please highlight the book you are currently
promoting on our site: The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley
Brief description/teaser/blurb of selected book:
The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley
When Darby McPhee falls in love with Cayo Bradley, a wild cowboy from a nearby ranch, her world is ripped apart. Caught in a lifeless existence of caring for her father and brothers since her mother’s death, Darby does little else but work. But a death-bed promise to her mother to get her education now stands in the way of her heart’s desire to belong to the rough-and-tumble Cayo Bradley.
Darby is Cayo’s redemption from a horrific act in his past that torments him. After being captured as a young boy by the Jicarilla Apache, he now tries to settle back into white society—but how can he? If he loses Darby, he loses everything.
Darby is determined to keep her promise to her mother, but will Cayo wait for her? In this stunning tale of love and loss, Darby comes to understand that no matter what happens, she will always be THE GIRL WHO LOVED CAYO BRADLEY…
Blurbs from authors on book:
Romano’s story sizzles with the tension of lovers—one struggling to blend Apache ways and white, the other torn between East and West—searching for a way to join two lives going in opposite directions.
— Ruth Hull Chatlien, Blood Moon, and The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte
The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley, a superbly crafted romantic page-turner, is a deftly spun tale of ill-starred sweethearts in the American West. Darby, a charming farm girl, and Cayo, Apache raised, a secretive man with a disturbing past. Sparks ignite, burning intensely despite cruel circumstances to separate them—an expertly woven story with witty dialogue, fast-paced plot, and stunning, enchanting prose!
— Michelle Cox, award-winning author of the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series.
Twitter handle: @ninsthewriter
Facebook address: https://www.facebook.com/ninaromanoauthor/
Website address: ninaromano.com
Any additional means of contact: E-Mail: ninsthewriter@gmail.com
About your writing (FICTION AUTHORS)
What inspires you to write?
STORIES! Characters, images, history, geography, foreign and/or exotic cultures. THE WORLD AT LARGE, EVERYTHING THAT SURROUNDS ME! Inspiration comes from so many different, varied, and unique sources, it would be impossible to list them all. Suffice it to say, anything can be inspiring: lyrics to a song, a book title, a movie, a street scene, an interesting turn of phrase, nature, a play on Broadway, a flower, a foreign word, an opera, ballet—you name it. It’s there for the taking, so authors only have to reach out and grab.
What do you love most about writing?
The challenges it presents—each work is different and demanding. I love research and my novels, up to this point, have all been historical.
What’s the most challenging part?
I want everything in the novel to be authentic and real except for the fictitious story, which means I do a great deal of research and it’s very time-consuming. I don’t outline, and my stories and novels are character-driven. Following a character around to see what there up to can eat your days! As long as it pays off, who cares? It’s frustrating when you’re tailing someone in your novel for months and he/she is only eating, sleeping or grocery shopping! That’s when you hope and pray that the subconscious mind takes over, and the writer is ever grateful for it, because it is in sleep with dreams, you’re able to invade the lives of your characters! Pure bliss!
How do you craft your story & characters?
Thinking about writing is a huge part of crafting. Once I’m into the actual writing of a story or novel, all of the characters assault my psyche. Basically, they take over my life so that I see them everywhere. I listen to what they’re saying—morning, noon and night. If they do things I don’t expect, I write it down!
How much research is involved?
Of course this depends on what I’m writing, but it certainly is as much time, even more than the actual writing.
How long did it take from idea to finished book? My western grew from a short story that I wrote years ago. I had bits and pieces of it, and finally put it together in about a year and a half.
Do you have any writing rituals or habits?
I like to write on a computer when I’m writing a longer piece. Poetry—I can scribble on anything: bills, grocery lists, envelopes—and later type it into a file.
Who influences you the most?
There’s not one particular person who influences me, but usually, when I read a well-written novel, it inspires me to want to write better—more efficiently, perhaps, or more concisely. I never have a problem writing lyrically or poetically—that comes quite natural to me. What I’m careful about is not over-writing or writing what’s known as “purple prose.”
What is your favorite theme/genre to write?
I enjoy writing historical fiction. My poetry tends to be quite narrative and involves the people I’ve met, various cultural diversity, landscapes of islands and countries in which I’ve travelled.
Which character you’ve created is your favorite? Why?
In the novel, The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley, it’s Cayo—some people carry a lot of personal baggage to a relationship, but he brought a steamer trunkful.
Do any of your life experiences worm their way into your books?
I think any author who answers no to that question is lying. Yes, many personal life experiences have found a way into my stories. Of course, these have been changed or camouflaged to fit the scene I’m writing or the characters I’m portraying. I can’t say there are any in this Western. However, I remember vividly suffering over a huge event in Lemon Blossoms, the second book in the Wayfarer Trilogy. The character Concetta, Rosalia’s cousin’s childbirth, resonates a true-life experience of my own cousin Pat’s third childbirth.
How do you like to connect with readers?
I love connecting with readers—this happens at readings and signings, at presentations at Book Fairs, at “Meet & Greets’ in bookstores, and sometimes through social media—more so on Twitter than on Facebook.
What do you hope readers take away from your books?
A sense of the Universal. I love when there’s an “ah-ha” moment for a reader that they tell me about—a particular act or a piece of dialogue that resonates and sounds like a truism.
Who helps you with the critique and editing process? Do you ever hate something you’ve written? These are two separate and distinct questions. For the critique and editing process, I was a member of a writing group for eleven years, however we went our separate ways, and now I don’t have anyone to critique my work. I have one dear friend, an avid, voracious reader who reads and comments on my work, but she never line edits or critiques in the true sense of the word.
The second question: Do I ever hate something I’ve written?
I don’t think so. However, if I dislike it or think it’s unclear, I’ll probably revise and rewrite it.
How do you overcome any nagging self-doubt that inevitably creeps in?
I don’t ignore it. I believe there’s a reason for the uncertainly or insecurity—and it’s probably because something needs to be addressed, clarified or revised—perhaps it isn’t working well.
Do you read all reviews?
Yes. Every single one of them, and every single word.
Why are reviews important?
Authors can learn from reviews about the things readers find worthy or worthwhile in their stories, and what’s working well, and what’s not.
What advice would you give aspiring writers?
I’ll say what my mentor/advisor/professor said to me in one of my Graduate classes—“I tell everyone if you can do anything else in life other than being a writer, be it.”
What can you tell us about what we’ll see from you next?
How does that saying go? “The road to heaven is paved with good intentions.” The novel I’m working on is extremely challenging because I’ve never written anything like this before. I haven’t a clue if my current WIP will make it to publication, but I have no intention of self-publishing it. All of my books have been traditionally published by small, independent publishers. However, I’ll only know what to do with the manuscript when I’m finished and right now, I don’t even have a completed first draft.
About Indie Publishing
Why did you choose to publish as an Indie Author?
Being an indie-author in my case, doesn’t mean that I self-published. I didn’t. I sought out small, independent publishers who then published my novels, story and poetry collections.
What obstacles have you encountered?
Tell me first what isn’t an obstacle in the world of publishing today and maybe I can answer that question.
Marketing and promotion are costly in both time and money—a few words about that?
Let me say that I tried advertising—I don’t think it works unless you have a big publishing machine behind you and they can shell out elephant dollars. I have mousey dollars and you don’t get far with that kind of money.
How did you overcome those challenges? What has been the highlight of this journey?
I think marketing is the biggest challenge today—too many books, too many people who think they know how to write one. There are other ways of marketing besides getting a publicist—which by the way, I had for my first novel and it was , in my humble opinion, a complete waste of my time, energy, and advance money! Other people have been lucky with publicists—I have not. There are writers who have spent not only their advance money, but their savings on publicists—some have been successful, others, I fear, like me, have not. In past, I would give readings, do signings, teach workshops, do presentations at book fairs, or writing conferences, appear on panels or with discussion groups. But for my latest book, The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley, I did nothing! I let it fly solo—it’ll make it or not on its own merit without any help from the author. I’d love for word-of-mouth to help spread word of this book, because I feel its deserving, however I’m not doing a single thing to promote it. I feel this is a younger person’s game.
But to complete this interview and answer your question— what has been the highlight of the writing journey. Certainly it’s the great joy derived from the writing itself and finishing a project. An excellent review from a person who really “gets” what you’re trying to convey is always a plus, and reading or hearing something complimentary about your writing is a mood booster for sure!
Any tips for someone considering going Indie vs Traditional
No tips. No advice. I can only speak about what I did and will continue to do—try the traditional publishing route first—right from the get-go of trying to hook a literary agent. I had one for Lemon Blossoms, but she was unsuccessful scoring a publisher, and I didn’t stick with her. So even if it’s a small, independent press, like mine have been, I’d say try those before self-publishing. For one thing, it alleviates the anxiety of formatting and printing the book.
Thank you so much, Carol, for this delightful interview, and your meaningful questions. It’s been an absolute pleasure.
And thank you, Nina, for consenting to take out some of your valuable time to share with us today. It has been a joy to host you!
Author Interview: Eichin Chang-Lim
General Info:
Name: Eichin Chang-Lim
Your city, state & country of residence:
Orange County, California
Author Bio:
Dr. Eichin Chang-Lim is a semiretired optometrist, a multi-award-winning author, a wife, and a mother to 2 children. She and her husband had a private optometry practice in Los Angeles. They live in Orange County, California.
In a recent interview, the author said, “You might have noticed that romance and inspirational are my niche genres. I write romance because I find it to be an intriguing genre. Relationships are quite involved in real life. Therefore, I use romance to depict the intricacies of relationships. Ultimately, it evolves into an inspirational and thought-provoking tale. Readers will discover that I tend to tell love stories beyond the confines of romance. I strive to convey the kind of love that is much broader and more profound than romantic or physical love. I strongly believe that love is more than a four-letter word. It’s multidimensional. It involves sacrifice, forgiveness, trust, demoting one’s ego, or even ‘letting it go’ at times. I also like to encompass the love of friendship, family, and even little pets in my stories.”
“As a romance writer, I write with my heart and soul. My mindset is that if my story can make a difference in even one person’s life, it’s all worth it, and that’s what love is all about,” she added.
Eichin modeled during college in Taiwan and was in several short films, including a supporting role in the comedy Indy/feature film Winning Formula. She has written five books: FLIPPING: An Uplifting Novel of Love, A Mother’s Heart: Memoir of a Special Needs Parent, Love: A Tangled Knot, TheLoveLock, and YOUR PRECIOUS SIGHT: An Optometrist’s Most Memorable Cases.
During the preorder period, YOUR PRECISOU SIGHT hit the #1 New Release in seven categories at least once: Optometry, Physician & Patient Diagnosis, Eye Problems, Reference, Preventive Medicine, Aging, and Ophthalmology.
Besides acting and writing, she loves opera and a big bear hug. Learn more about the author at www.eichinchanglim.com
Titles & genres of your available books:
Social media links:
Amazon: bit.ly/EichinChangLim_Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Eichin-Chang-Lim/e/B00J79SY2Q?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/eichin-chang-lim (bit.ly/EichinChangLim_BB)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EichinChangLim @EichinChangLim
FB: https://www.facebook.com/authoreichinchanglim/
Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
Eichin Chang-Lim website http://www.eichinchanglim.com/
- FLIPPING: An Uplifting Novel of Love
Genre: Romance/Young Adult/Inspiration
myBook.to/FLIPPING (short link)
Life can flip in the blink of an eye…
But love and passion will find a way to make it right.
2018 Readers’ Favorite Award, Bronze Medalist
– Fiction/Inspirational
2017 IAN Book of the Year Award Winner – Inspirational
2017 New Apple Summer eBook Awards, Official Selection – Inspirational
Award of Literary Excellence – Dog Ear Publishing
B.R.A.G. Medallion Winner
Flipping is a multi-award winning romance novel that
highlights the power of love to move us forward, and the strength of the human
spirit to overcome life’s challenges.
Be Inspired. Fall in Love.
Praise for Flipping:
“The plot is gripping, emotional,
heart-wrenching, and most of all, believable. The writing and characters are
filled with such emotion they bring the story to life.” – Readers’ Favorite
“Chang-Lim writes in a simple, direct
prose style that seems to channel the matter-of-fact diligence of her
characters … quick little scenes that guilelessly propel the plot …” – Kirkus Reviews
“The gentleness of the love story is
indeed moving and I found myself thinking about the situation in between
reading…” – Ken Fry,
Author
JonSun and SuAnn are an unlikely couple. But
despite their different social backgrounds, they fall in love. From the start,
the odds were against them. SuAnn’s family has other plans for her future, but
their love cannot be dismissed so easily. Defying everything, the couple gets
married in secret and moves to California. Good fortune blesses the couple
while flipping houses. Their success marred only by JonSun’s sudden need for
revenge.
The second story is about Christa and her struggles
with her disabilities. At a young age, it was discovered that she was
profoundly deaf. A cochlear implant gave her a new perspective and she fell in
love with Gymnastics. Flipping in the air made her feel alive, and nothing will
stop her from achieving her dream of a gold medal.
These two stories intersect when JonSun and
SuAnn’s son, Wynson, meets Christa. They became good friends for many years,
and their friendship turns into something more. But a lot of problems stand in
their way. Christa receives devastating news which could be a game changer, and
Wynson has to deal with his own troubles at home. The question is whether their
love for each other will survive these trials.
What gives this novel depth are the parallel
themes running throughout. The characters’ struggle with their self-esteem are
prevalent throughout the book. This creates a richly layered and more
interesting novel as the reader recognizes the threads that weaves the book
together.
Other Books by Eichin Chang-Lim:
Your Precious Sight
The LoveLock
A Mother’s Love
Love, A Tangled Knot
Visit the author’s website:
www.eichinchanglim.com
Connect on Twitter: @EichinChangLim
- A Mother’s Heart: Memoir of a Special Needs Parent
Genre: Memoir/Parenting/Inspiration/Self-help
- myBook.to/amothersheart (short link)
special needs mother heart eichin chang-lim needs child profoundly deaf waardenburg syndrome touching story needs parent heartfelt memoir child with special memoir of a special heart by eichin
It can be lonely parenting a special-needs child…
But you are not alone.
A Memoir / Self Help book by multi-award-winning
author, Dr. Eichin Chang-Lim.
2019 eLit Awards Gold Medal Winner –
Parenting and Juvenile/Young Adult Non-Fiction
2018 Readers’ Favorite Book Award Gold Medal
Winner, Non-fiction Parenting
New Apple Summer eBook Awards 2017, Parenting
Category Winner
2017 Best Book Awards, Finalist – Parenting
& Family
13th National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist –
Self-Help: General
“Very well written, heart-warming, and
honest, this book is a powerful and important read, especially for those with
children who are deaf or have special needs.”
“This account of the struggles and the
choices that face a parent of a special needs child is heartwarming and easy to
read.”
Parenting is a challenging journey, especially
when raising a child who requires extra attention. There are
days when it feels as if you’re trapped in a dark cave with no way out. The
lonesomeness and helplessness exhaust you. You may be looking for some words of
inspiration to know that you are not alone.
A Mother’s Heart is a book for any parent in a similar
circumstance. This book is written by a mother raising a special needs
son with a genetic disorder. It encapsulates both the elements of a
memoir and a self-help book.
The author candidly shares her need to make
heart-wrenching decisions throughout the journey, including family life and
working with the school systems.
This is a book not only helpful for parents with
a special needs child, it will also give insights to individuals who may
encounter or be involved with parents of special needs children.
Other Books by Eichin Chang-Lim:
Your Precious Sight
Flipping
Love, A Tangled Knot
The LoveLock
Visit the author’s website:
www.eichinchanglim.com
- Love: A Tangled Knot: New Adult Romance
Genre: YA/Romance/Inspiration
- http://myBook.to/loveatangledknot (short link)
If love is true, how long should you wait?
How much pain should you endure before moving on?
2017 New Apple Book Awards Solo Medalist
Winner – Young Adult Inspirational
13th National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist – New Adult Fiction
Love: A Tangled Knot is a new edition of a romantic novel penned by
the award-winning author of Flipping, Eichin Chang-Lim. A
clean romance about the struggles of a couple to keep their family together
against all odds.
“This is a good, clean romance that I
recommend to anyone seeking a love-infused, inspirational read.”
“I enjoyed navigating the hearts of the
characters, feeling their desperation as the conflict reaches crisis point, and
wondering what will happen next. Eichin Chang-Lim injects realism into the
story and makes it feel as if it is unfolding before the reader.” ~ Editorial Review
“This author has a knack for the genre
and way of tapping into a very volatile generation. I’m really impressed with
this book.” ~Award Judge’s
Commentary
“I love that the author knows how to
reach her audience (whether that by young adults or adults of any age). This
book can really reach the reader on so many levels.” ~Editorial Review
With the Golden Gate Bridge in sight, the
story begins.
Kayla is an ambitious seventeen-year-old who is
content to deliver “real-talk” to her boy-crazy best friend, Breeana,
while running the high school’s environmentalist club. She has no time or
desire for boys, viewing even a crush as an unwanted commitment. Until Russell
Mancini joins Beach Cleanup Day. Kayla learns that she’s a sucker for love just
like her peers.
Their relationship seems perfect, but fate
conspires against the pair. Kayla’s dreams are shattered when she becomes
pregnant. Struggling to make ends meet, Russell makes a decision that threatens
to destroy their relationship, irrevocably steering his course away from Kayla
and their daughter. Kayla finds herself pitted in a conflict she would never
have expected.
As Russell’s fate presents him with a seven-year
incarceration sentence, Kayla must pick up the pieces and stay firm in her
marriage. Dreaming of the day her daughter will have a father once again.
Will Kayla and Russell untangle the knot
that was once their love? Or will temptations and inner demons succeed in
moving them further apart?
Other Books by Eichin Chang-Lim:
Your Precious Sight
Flipping
A Mother’s Love
Love, A Tangled Knot
Visit the author’s website:
www.eichinchanglim.com
Connect on Twitter: @EichinChangLim
- The LoveLock
Genre: Suspenseful/Romance
link: http://mybook.to/TheLoveLock (Short Link)
Torn apart by Life…
Can Destiny bring them back together?
From multi-award winning author, Eichin
Chang-Lim, comes a heartbreaking and inspiring love story that
will grip you from beginning to end.
2019 IndieReader Discovery Award, WINNER –
New Adult
2019 Independent Publisher Book Award, Bronze – Urban Fiction
2019 eLit Award, Bronze – Romance
2018 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award, FIRST Place – Young Adult
2018 National Indie Excellence Award, Finalist – New Age Fiction
2018 Annual Indie Book New Apple Literary Award, Official Selection –
Psychological Suspense
2018 Readers’ Favorite, Honorable Mention – Young Adult Romance
“Beautifully written, captivating and
compelling…”
“This is a beautiful story, at times aching, and filled with compassion
and pathos.” ~ Readers’
Favorite
“Far from any fairytale, Dr. Chang-Lim
draws from her own experience with the circumstances of real people. As a
medical professional, she illustrates her vast knowledge of drug abuse,
post-traumatic stress, mental illness, Multiple Sclerosis, and other maladies
she deftly employs in the story.”
“Extremely enchanting, suspenseful and
thrilling.”
Life changes on a dime. Few understand this
painful truth quite like Violet and Dylan, former college sweethearts united by
their troubled childhoods.
When a gut-wrenching tragedy strikes in their
adult years, they’re torn apart—their relationship unable to survive the blow.
Though they go their separate ways, they remain connected by a meaningful
token: a locket, which Dylan bestows upon Violet on a blissful day by a
gorgeous beach in Coronado, California—to which he holds the key.
This lovelock remains to be their only
connection as they struggle to rebuild their lives. Violet, an aspiring
actress, grapples with mental illness and ends up stripping
for a living. In the meantime, Dylan faces his own challenges while trying to
manage his past trauma with an unknown future. They each venture down their own
dark path laced with drugs and manipulative, taxing characters. All the while,
neither can shake off their longing for the love they once shared and endeared.
In spite of life’s impediments, can
they heal their past and find happiness alone, or together?
Other Books by Eichin Chang-Lim:
Your Precious Sight
Flipping
A Mother’s Love
Love, A Tangled Knot
Visit the author’s website:
www.eichinchanglim.com
- Your Precious Sight: An Optometrist’s Most Memorable Cases
Genre: Non-fiction/Health Care/Wellness
- bit.ly/YourPreciousSight (short link)
Are you petrified by the thought of permanently living in COMPLETE DARKNESS?
Did you know that the only way to detect insidious
eye diseases in the early stage, a crucial step in preventing the
loss of eyesight, is through a regular comprehensive eye
exam?
Your Precious Sight is written by optometrist Dr. Eichin Chang-Lim.
In this book, she shares the most memorable cases in her decades of being an
eye doctor in an easy-to-read, insightful style.
The stories span pediatrics to geriatrics and
include lazy eyes, pink eyes, ocular allergies, refractive surgeries, the
effects of diseases like multiple sclerosis and diabetes on your vision, eye
twitching, floaters, flashing lights, dry eyes, glaucoma, age-related macular
degeneration, cataracts, and more.
This book is entertaining, fascinating, and
informative. The author’s ultimate goal is to encourage you never to take your
precious sight for granted.
Read this book and gain a better appreciation
for that marvelous organ—the eyeball!
GET YOUR COPY!
Other Books by Eichin Chang-Lim:
Flipping
The LoveLock
A Mother’s Love
Love, A Tangled Knot
Visit the author’s website:
www.eichinchanglim.com
- About your writing (FICTION AUTHORS)
- What inspires you to write?
To tell stories within me motivates me to write. There are messages I desperately want to share.
- What do you love most about writing?
The process of developing characters and plotting out the entire story always excites me. It reminds me of the joy of making Play-Doh into whatever fun stuff I had in mind when I was a kid.
- What’s the most challenging part?
Finding the time to write is always a challenge due to my other responsibilities and duties.
- How do you craft your story & characters?
Most of the time, I start to write down the main characters and the synopsis of the story with paper and pen. Then, I outline the entire plot into chapters with a brief description under each section. I make numerous changes and adjustments during the actual writing process.
- How much research is involved?
It depends on the project. For Flipping, I spent much time researching the details of a gymnastics competition and visited a famous gymnast’s training gym. For Love: A Tangled Knot, I studied the law for the incarceration part of the story. For The LoveLock, I read several metal-illness-related fiction and non-fiction; I even talked to a practicing psychiatrist. I usually complete most of the subjects requiring research first before proceeding to outline and do more if needed along the way.
- How long did it take from idea to finished book?
It takes about one to two years because I don’t write full time.
- Do you have any writing rituals or habits? Who influences you the most?
Since I am not near my computer all the time, I’d jot down any ideas that strike me during the day on my iPhone’s Note app. I do not have any writing rituals or habits; however, I listen to specific music to help me get into the mood for certain scenes. For example, I turn on Schindler’s List and other similar genres of music when I write a melancholy scene.
- What is your favorite theme/genre to write?
Romance and inspirational books are my niche genres. It’s my vision to use “romance” as a vehicle to draw out a true love story. Eventually, it evolves into an inspirational and thought-provoking tale.
- Do any of your life experiences worm their way into your books?
Yes, certainly. The backbones of my books were drawn and converged into a fiction story from my personal experiences and the people I’ve met directly or indirectly. The locations are mostly places I am familiar with, Southern or Northern California, especially the Los Angeles area.
- How do you like to connect with readers?
At this moment, the primary means of connecting with my readers are social media sites, like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I would like to venture into blogging to communicate with my readers in a more intimate format in the near future.
- What do you hope readers take away from your books?
Each of my books possesses its individual theme; however, they convey a similar message from different angels via entirely different storylines and backgrounds. The key message is:
In the journey of our lives, we may find ourselves traveling in the dark stormy nights. We may slip or fall a few times while attempting to steady our steps on the muddy road. It’s OK to cry when it feels like the gloomy nights last forever. The pain is as a sharp knife slice through our hearts and leaves us nothing to hang on. Yes, there are moments the thought of death may sneak into our minds and convince us that is the only way out.
Do not be despaired, my friends. There are purposes installed in everyone’s precious life. Even though it’s hard to see it in the midst of turmoil, there are hopes and love around us. Have faith!
Allow me to do a bit of shameless promotion: enjoy my books, whether you are looking for a touch of passion or a dose of inspiration. They are fantastic reads. You have my guarantee!
- Do you read all reviews?
Yes. I do read all reviews diligently.
- Why are reviews important?
It helps me know what my readers think about the stories and my writing, which guides me for my future book projects.
- What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Don’t wait until you think you are ready. Do not overly concern yourself with ensuring faultless grammar or getting a perfect sentence in the first draft. Just write freely with your heart, and let the story flow out from your deepest soul.
- What can you tell us about what we’ll see from you next?
I have a couple of book ideas in my head, which are in the fiction genera. I am also considering one or two non-fiction, focusing on parenting or self-help areas.
- About your writing (NON-FICTION AUTHORS)
- What inspires you to write?
It’s an interesting journey, I would say.
I wanted to be a writer when I was in elementary school. I even submitted several short stories and essays to youth magazines, and they were accepted and published. Of course, they were written in Chinese back home. In junior high, I submitted some more articles and stories; they were ruthlessly rejected. My confidence shattered; I started to doubt my writing ability. At the same time, I found interests in other areas of study. So, the idea of being a writer faded, and I gradually evolved my studies in science and healthcare.
After years as an optometrist, I realized that every person is a unique individual, and every soul is precious. I know this sounds clichéd. However, that’s my conviction. I really appreciate that my patients allow me to look into their eyes, “the windows to the soul.” (Again, a cliché!) I believe that there are stories in every single person. Listening to my patients fuels the inspiration for my stories.
The urge to tell stories prompted me to become an author eight years ago. My books, either fiction or nonfiction, are about my own personal journey or a collection of stories I have heard and about people I have met.
- What do you love most about writing?
Being an author is being a storyteller with purpose. The processes of plotting, developing characters, setting up the scenes, and creating tension at various stages are daunting at times. In the end, the satisfaction of completing a writing project is thrilling and rewarding. Since I become a serious writer, I’ve found I am much more sensitive to the people around me, more compassionate and more observant about my surroundings.
Also, writing is an art of sharing. I share my thoughts, my heart and my soul with others. It’s therapeutic.
Author Interview
General Info:
- Name: Martin J. Best
- Your city, state & country of residence: Torquay, Devon, England.
- Author Bio: Martin J. Best was born in Torquay, England, in 1965, and remains there with his wife Kim and Northern Inuit dog, Shadow. Martin grew up in an actively haunted house, which probably accounts for his abiding fascination with the paranormal. He has had a varied working life, including many years running his own mobile disco business. He now writes full-time, and when not working, enjoys walking, music, and ghost hunting.
- Titles & genres of your available books:
‘The Moth Trap’ – Paranormal Thriller Short Story.
‘A Step Aside’ – Dark Fantasy Short Story.
‘The Novice Ghost Hunter’ – Paranormal Thriller Short Story.
‘Ghost Hunter: A Matter of Faith’ – Paranormal Dark Fantasy Thriller.
‘Ghost Hunter: Of Gods and Ghosts’ – Paranormal Dark Fantasy Thriller.
‘Ghost Hunter: Blood Ties’ – Paranormal Dark Fantasy Thriller.
‘Ghost Hunter: Remnants and Revenants’ – Paranormal Dark Fantasy Thriller.
‘Ghost Hunter: Pariahs’ – Paranormal Dark Fantasy Thriller. - Links to your works on Amazon, B&N, etc:
‘The Moth Trap’ –
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XI95HCQ
‘A Step Aside’ –
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013Z2T79Y
‘The Novice Ghost Hunter –
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXW0R7S https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-novice-ghost-hunter https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-novice-ghost-hunter-martin-best/1125323423
https://manybooks.net/titles/the-novice-ghost-hunter
‘Ghost Hunter: A Matter of Faith’ –
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017DY7EAO
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/ghost-hunter-16
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghost-hunter-martin-j-best/1125539279
‘Ghost Hunter: Of Gods and Ghosts’ –
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JDR7VD4
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/ghost-hunter-17
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghost-hunter-martin-j-best/1125552384
‘Ghost Hunter: Blood Ties’ –
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077T2WH7M
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/ghost-hunter-iii-1
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghost-hunter-mr-martin-j-best/1127574005
‘Ghost Hunter: Remnants and Revenants’ –
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K382HFZ
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/ghost-hunter-iv
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghost-hunter-martin-j-best/1129820415
‘Ghost Hunter: Pariahs’ –
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WH7VFW5
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/ghost-hunter-pariahs
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghost-hunter-martin-j-best/1133016412 - If you have more than one book, please highlight the book you are currently promoting on our site: ‘Ghost Hunter: Pariahs’
- Brief description/teaser/blurb of selected book: Malachi Hunter and his team of paranormal investigators find themselves facing a poltergeist haunting on an unprecedented scale in an abandoned orphanage. Meanwhile, former MI5 agent Adam Ross, on an undercover mission for ghost hunter Wolfe Fisher, finds himself part of the Partisans of Taranis’ insane quest for The Fall, gateway to the lands of the Celtic Gods. The ghost hunters are forced to leave the haunting and confront the Partisans, but even if they prevail, can they live with the consequences?
- Twitter handle: @martinjbest1
- Facebook address: https://www.facebook.com/mjbestauthor
- Website address: www.martinjbest.com
- About your writing
- What inspires you to write? I am inspired by events in my own life, dreams, and a desire to share my thoughts.
- What do you love most about writing? I love the creative process, turning a few, often disjointed, ideas into a, hopefully, cohesive story.
- What’s the most challenging part? Restraining myself to avoid rushing towards a dramatic scene.
- How do you craft your story & characters? I begin a story with a few particular events and locations in mind, and adapt as inspiration strikes. I see all my characters as real people, and I attempt to imbue them with traits that are appropriate in relation to their part in the story. In the ‘Ghost Hunter’ series there are several recurring characters, and I like to think that they have evolved as the series progresses.
- How much research is involved? I research extensively to provide accurate geographical, historical, mythological, and scientific background to the stories. My ambition is to make my work as credible as possible, and to this end I incorporate genuine history, locations, and science.
- How long did it take from idea to finished book? ‘Ghost Hunter: Pariahs’ took nine months.
- Do you have any writing rituals or habits? Who influences you the most? I can write almost anywhere, but prefer to be seated in my armchair in our lounge. I usually have local radio or my music playing. Two of my major influences are Clark Ashton Smith and Mervyn Peake as both capture the outlandish and strange beautifully, but in very different styles. Alan Garner is also a source of constant inspiration.
- What is your favorite theme/genre to write? I enjoy writing anything with a paranormal and/or hard fantasy element.
- Which character you’ve created is your favorite? Why? I’m particularly fond of Cunomaglos, the Hound Lord. He is engaging, loyal, and sometimes completely amoral.
- Do any of your life experiences worm their way into your books? They do. For example, Malachi Hunter’s encounter with the ghost on the landing in ‘The Novice Ghost Hunter’ is based on something that happened to me.
- How do you like to connect with readers? I’ve been lucky enough to discuss some of my books in person with a few readers. Other than that, social media is favourite.
- What do you hope readers take away from your books? I hope that they’ll consider the ideas postulated, and find the stories plausible.
- Who helps you with the critique and editing process? Do you ever hate something you’ve written? My wife Kim is an enormous help, and my friend Phillip has an eagle-eye for plot detail and accuracy. I do sometimes cringe when re-reading certain passages.
- How do you overcome any nagging self-doubt that inevitably creeps in? I’m not sure that I ever do completely. Kim reminds me that readers are enjoying my work, and that motivates me to continue.
- Do you read all reviews? Yes, although sometimes I wish that I didn’t!
- Why are reviews important? Reviews are important because they provide feedback to the author, and offer a range of opinions to potential readers.
- What advice would you give aspiring writers? Strive for technical competence, but tell your story in your own voice.
- What can you tell us about what we’ll see from you next? I have plans for one further ‘Ghost Hunter’ novel (for now), and then I have an idea for a Dark Fantasy outing.
- About Indie Publishing
- Why did you choose to publish as an Indie Author? What obstacles have you encountered? I choose to publish independently because of the editorial and subject freedom it allows. The main obstacles I have encountered are in marketing my work, and the prejudice which exists against Indie Authors.
- How did you overcome those challenges? What has been the highlight of this journey? I promote my work via social media, and use various paid advertising options. To counter the prejudice against Indie Authors, much of which centres around quality issues, I strive to produce the best manuscript possible.
- Any tips for someone considering going Indie vs Traditional Publishing? Be prepared to work hard and master skills outside of your comfort zone.
Author Interview
General Info:
- Name or Pen name
Denise Liebig
- Your city, state & country of residence:
Somewhere in the present, USA
- Author Bio
Denise Liebig is the award-winning author of The Dear Maude Trilogy. A true fan of historical fiction, she spends her free time researching historical events and writing about the possibilities. Denise also enjoys spending time in the present with her husband and three kids.
- Titles & genres of your available books:
Time Travel Romance, Historical Fantasy Fiction —
Dear Maude (The Dear Maude Trilogy Book 1)
For the Love of Maude (The Dear Maude Trilogy Book 2)
Forever Maude (The Dear Maude Trilogy Book 3)
Sophia (Companion Novella to The Dear Maude Trilogy)
The Dear Maude Trilogy Boxed Set
Reincarnation/Paranormal, Historical Fantasy Fiction —
Remembering Skye
- Links to your works on Amazon, B&N, etc:
DEAR MAUDE
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OSHOI1I
Apple iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dear-maude/id927425210
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dear-maude-denise-liebig/1120517301
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/dear-maude
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/242290976/Dear-Maude
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/483016
FOR THE LOVE OF MAUDE
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B6ZKIVS
http://amzn.co.uk/gp/product/B01B6ZKIVS
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-the-love-of-maude-denise-liebig/1126187135
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/for-the-love-of-maude/id1225286046
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/for-the-love-of-maude
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/344726356/For-the-Love-of-Maude
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/715767
FOREVER MAUDE
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XVC4P3Q
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forever-maude-denise-liebig/1126469167
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/forever-maude
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/forever-maude/id1440350120
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/903290
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/391722409/Forever-Maude
THE DEAR MAUDE TRILOGY BOXED SET
SOPHIA
REMEMBERING SKYE
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Skye-Time-Travel-Novelette-ebook/dp/B07KR8JB59
- If you have more than one book, please highlight the book you are currently promoting on our site:
- Twitter handle:
@DeniseWithWords
- Facebook address:
- Website address:
- Any additional means of contact
https://www.pinterest.com/authordenise
https://www.linkedin.com/in/AuthorDeniseLiebig
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/denise-liebig
https://www.instagram.com/denise_liebig
http://amazon.com/author/deniseliebig
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9018384.Denise_Liebig
- About your writing (FICTION AUTHORS)
- What inspires you to write?
I like antique and vintage things, so sometimes my inspiration comes from a question that I have regarding a time period. Other times, I just sit quietly and let the story rise to the surface on its own, and I see where it goes.
- What do you love most about writing?
I enjoy the creative aspect of writing. My imagination takes me to some interesting places, and I feel as if writing is my imagination’s travelogue. Writing is a great platform for my creativity.
- What’s the most challenging part?
The most challenging part of writing for me is finding the time in my day to create without distractions. The other most challenging part is marketing. It’s a necessary evil, but I’d rather be writing.
- How do you craft your story & characters?
For the first draft of any story, I sit at my desk before my computer and let my imagination take it from there. I don’t outline. I just let the story tell itself. In the next and all subsequent drafts, however, I fine tune it, adding the detail and research that I gathered along the way.
- How much research is involved?
Since I’m a historical fiction author, my books require quite a bit of research. I read a lot of books on whatever topic I’m writing about, and I also research online.
- How long did it take from idea to finished book?
Most of my books take a year or more to go from idea to finished book. Aside from the research involved, I also self-edit numerous times before I pass my books to the professionals. It’s time consuming, but I’ve yet to discover a better way to do it.
- Do you have any writing rituals or habits?
I actually don’t have any rituals or habits when I write, but I do let my miniature schnauzer share my chair with me. She’s good company.
Who influences you the most?
My parents were a big influence on my writing. They always encouraged my imagination and told great stories of their childhoods and beyond that gave me an appreciation for the past.
- What is your favorite theme/genre to write?
I definitely enjoy historical fiction, especially when it melds past and present. Even when one of my stories begins in the present, it always travels to the past in some form or another.
- Which character you’ve created is your favorite?
That would have to be Maude.
Why?
She incorrigible, while also being quick-witted and lots of fun. She’s the perfect great-great-aunt.
- Do any of your life experiences worm their way into your books?
Absolutely. I think all authors draw from their experiences. They say to write what you know, and I think as we get older, we’ve seen and lived through quite a lot. Had I written any of my books earlier in life, they’d have turned out vastly different due to the experiences I drew upon when writing them.
- How do you like to connect with readers?
I connect with readers through social media, my website, and email. I love it when readers reach out. Meeting my audience is one of my favorite things about writing.
- What do you hope readers take away from your books?
Aside from being entertained, I hope readers enjoy my characters and that their stories spark something within the readers’ imaginations. I also hope readers learn something about the past and feel, like I do, that traveling there would be a great adventure.
- Who helps you with the critique and editing process?
After I go through dozens of rounds of self-edits, I often read my stories to my husband for feedback. Then I pass them along to beta readers. I also have editors who help me polish what I think is the final version.
Do you ever hate something you’ve written?
Yes, but then I rework it until I love it.
- How do you overcome any nagging self-doubt that inevitably creeps in?
I think self-doubt is part of the process, but I try to be constructive about it. For me, self-doubt is what helps me to write a better book. Whenever I think the story isn’t good enough, I continue to revise and edit until I’m satisfied with it. Usually, that satisfaction is what helps me to finally publish my book.
- Do you read all reviews?
Yes. If a reader has taken the time to write a review, I think I owe it to them to read it. Also, you can’t please everyone, but it always feels good when you discover readers who enjoy your books.
- Why are reviews important?
Reviews are a glimpse into the mind of the reader. They help me to determine if I’m going in the right direction, but most of all, they show whether the reader was entertained.
- What advice would you give aspiring writers?
My best advice to aspiring writers is to keep writing. It sounds simple, but if you develop a habit of writing each day, it will become a lifelong journey that will produce many books along the way.
- What can you tell us about what we’ll see from you next?
I’m working on a ghost story that involves a modern woman, a sabbatical, and several twists and turns along the way. It should be out early next year.
- About Indie Publishing
- Why did you choose to publish as an Indie Author?
I weighed the pros and cons of both traditional and indie publishing and decided to go the independent route. My main reason for being independent is the creative control it offers me.
What obstacles have you encountered?
The main obstacle is marketing, getting my name and books out there as an unknown author in search of my audience. Trying to determine which platforms will be the most cost-effective is always a challenge, and it seems to change quite often, making it an on-going process
- How did you overcome those challenges?
I just keep trying new things until I find the best fit, then I build on that.
What has been the highlight of this journey?
I’ve connected with some amazing fans, who have encouraged me in my writing. I’ve also won several writing awards, and have ranked #1 on Amazon several times. It’s very gratifying to know that people enjoy my writing.
- Any tips for someone considering going Indie vs Traditional Publishing?
If you’ve researched the pros and cons of both and have decided to indie publish, I’d start by surrounding yourself with a good support group, including editors, formatters, cover designers, and marketing people. It might take a bit of research and effort, but in the end you will have a better book and a more professional image to back it. Of course, Book Promo Solutions is a great place to start!
Author Interview
General Info
- Name (or Pen name you want used): Alex Bailey and Hoot N. Holler
- Your city, state & country of residence: Maryland, USA
Author Bio
Alex Bailey was a bored writer/editor of documents as monotonous as vacuum cleaner manuals. She left that life behind to create more exciting worlds than the one she lived in, and now writes stories with a splash of magic. When Alex is not writing wild stories about her friend’s future, she tends to her organic garden while belting out show tunes. She also writes children’s books under the name of Hoot N. Holler. Some of her favorite hobbies include: embarrassing her children in public with her rhythmically-challenged dancing, cleaning the small disc around the stopper of the bathroom sink, and dallying.
- Titles & genres of your available books:
The Future Memoir of Ann Jones – women’s fiction/mystery/suspense/time travel romance, with a splash of magic
A Dream Come True Series: Romance (with a splash of magic) – Once Upon a Romance, Once Upon a Proposal
Terror in Boring Town (A Sam and Rex Adventure Book 1) – Children’s Mystery
- Links to your works on Amazon, B&N, etc:
The Future Memoir of Ann Jones – getbook.at/FutureMemoir
https://books2read.com/u/3L0jx5
Once Upon a Romance – getbook.at/Romance
https://books2read.com/u/mleo5M
Once Upon a Proposal – getbook.at/Proposal
https://books2read.com/u/boWVeR
Terror in Boring Town(A Sam and Rex Adventure Book 1) –
https://books2read.com/u/3J8wWJ
- If you have more than one book, please highlight the book you are currently promoting on our site: The Future Memoir of Ann Jones
- Brief description/teaser/blurb of selected book.
How can Ann Jones be a widow before her husband’s even dead? Ann has a strange and foreboding glimpse of her future life—her beloved husband dies suddenly…and questionably, she finds love again and is deliriously happy. But at what price?
- Twitter handle: @AuthorAlexBaile
- Facebook address: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexBailey
- Website address: http://alexbailey-writes.com/
- Any additional means of contact
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07B2YFZH9
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17796430.Alex_Bailey
https://www.instagram.com/authoralexbailey/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alex-bailey
About your writing
What inspires you to write? Everything. Really, everywhere I look, everything I hear, everything is an inspiration. I’ll hear a line from a song and think it could be a story! Or I hear a piece of a conversation when out in public and think, that could be a story! I have two daughters who also write and they are constantly asking me how I come up with all these ideas—far more ideas than I have life left to write them. I don’t know. And it happened immediately. It wasn’t like I wrote my whole life, because I didn’t. I wasn’t a child who wrote stories. I remember being a kid and thinking I could write a song and then the next thought came to me was, “But all the songs have already been written.” So, I gave up on that idea. I never thought I had an ounce of creativity because I never did a single creative thing. Until one day…
What do you love most about writing? I love that the story and the characters leave me alone once I write them down and finish their story. Otherwise, it’s like a constant tapping on the shoulder, kind of like an annoying little brother that I cannot shoo away.
What’s the most challenging part? By far, the most challenging part of writing is marketing. How to get the word out about your story. I still don’t have a clue about this one.
How do you craft your story & characters? I don’t craft them. They craft themselves and then wiggle their way up to the top of the barrel. Whoever is the strongest, emerges.
How much research is involved? I’d say like any author, I spend time looking things up online, to get ideas, names, names of places, settings, etc. For A Dream Come True series, I visited WDW many times to get all the details, even though I’d been there over a hundred times before. And I recently travelled to New Bern, NC for the setting of an upcoming book because I’d never been there and wanted to get some details and the “feel” of the town.
How long did it take from idea to finished book? It varies. It’s taken from six months to ten years. I may start a book, then put it down because another one wants out. The first book I wrote took a year and I wrote it long-hand on the metro to/from work and then at night I’d type it up.
Do you have any writing rituals or habits? Who influences you the most? I don’t have any rituals other than making sure I have my 24oz mug of tea with me at all times. I know, I know. Some will never consider me an authentic writer because I don’t drink coffee. But there, my secret is forever out there in the cyber universe.
What is your favorite theme/genre to write? My favorite genre is any that has a splash of magic. I’ve written many genres: romance, mystery, fantasy, suspense, thriller, but the magic always seems to creep into the story, whether I want it to or not.
Which character you’ve created is your favorite? Why? There’s a recurring character, Madam Helga, who appears in all of my adult books so far. And she’s making another appearance in an upcoming story with a splash of magic because I adore her! She’s kooky, odd, different, and just wants to help people. I had a reader contact me recently and ask if she was a recurring character, since they’d read both of A Dream Come True series and I told her she was the first to notice! For my kids’ books, I’d say Rex’s grandmother, Yaya, for the same reasons—she’s kooky, odd, different.
Do any of your life experiences worm their way into your books? Absolutely! Some of the “incidents” in The Future Memoir of Ann Jones were taken from my life and if you’ve read that one, you know how tragic that is. And of course, the books set in WDW are mostly based on my personal opinions, but just whose POV, I won’t tell!
How do you like to connect with readers? I get wonderful emails telling me how much they’ve enjoyed one of my books. I recently had a reader ask for a sequel to one of my children’s books who said she doesn’t even have kids but loved the book!
What do you hope readers take away from your books? That magic happens. It happens in the everyday, mundane lives of people who simply have their eyes open to it.
Who helps you with the critique and editing process? Do you ever hate something you’ve written? I have a wonderful author critique group, with an eclectic bunch of writers that help tremendously flesh out plot, character, and the details. We get along tremendously, and have been together for about four or five years. I never read much historical fiction before, but since two of them write in that genre, I’m learning to love it. I also have a wonderful editor who also catches many of the same types of issues, and of course, the grammar! If I hate something I’ve written, it doesn’t make the light of day. I have many works in progress that are in that category.
How do you overcome any nagging self-doubt that inevitably creeps in? Of course, this happens to most writers. Sometimes when this occurs, I’ll win an award, or get a lovely review, or someone will ask for the next book in a series and I’ll pop out of it. And if the universe doesn’t throw something at me to break it, sometimes I take a break from writing. I’ve taken a break for as long as a year before that nagging feeling returns and I feel I must write. But so far, I’ve always popped out.
Do you read all reviews? I sure do and I appreciate every single one, because it takes valuable time out of someone’s day for a reader to write a review.
Why are reviews important? Reviews are valuable pieces of feedback. Many reviewers will offer their opinions on what they liked, didn’t like, and ways to change something. I do that as well as a reader/reviewer. Just as I appreciate feedback, I receive from my writer’s critique group, I appreciate the time a reader spends in writing a review.
What advice would you give aspiring writers? Join a critique group. You’ll learn so much from other authors’ critiques, but also, you’ll learn about your own writing when you critique someone else’s writing.
What can you tell us about what we’ll see from you next? I always have multiple projects going at the same time. I never know which one will make it to the finish line first. I’m writing the next in the series of both of my children’s series. And I’ve got two books (one with a splash of magic) I’m working on for adults. It’s hard to tell which one will rear its head first.
About Indie Publishing
- Why did you choose to publish as an Indie Author? What obstacles have you encountered? Marketing and promotion are costly in both time and money. I tried for twenty years querying agents with many asking for partials or full manuscripts and then reject me. I understood that what I write is different and would be difficult for them to sell to a publisher. But, I was at the point of thinking I’d never be read by anyone, until I joined an author critique group that encouraged me to do it. At the time, several of the authors in the group were indie, but I wasn’t sure if I could do it, if anyone would read my books, or even how to go about it.
- How did you overcome those challenges.? What has been the highlight of this journey? That would have to be the day Wham! became #1 on Amazon. I took several classes on publishing from different instructors at our local college, one was a former editor at a large NY publishing firm, some were traditionally-published authors, and one was an indie author. After taking the last class from an indie author, which was a year-long course, I felt as if I had at least the beginnings of enough knowledge to try it. The highlight has to be when I started getting reviews from actual readers and two of my books won awards. The other highlight was the day Wham! became #1 on Amazon because that means I know a #1 bestselling author!
- Any tips for someone considering going Indie vs Traditional Publishing? Join author groups on Facebook and Twitter that can help you, because it’s a tough road. You need support when you fall, fail, flounder. You will have so many questions, get frustrated, want to quit, but other authors are there to pick you up. Authors, I’ve found, are the most supportive people on the earth! I seriously mean that. I’ve had authors from other countries offer me to come visit them when I was in a writing funk. I’ve gotten many questions answered that I didn’t even know I needed because someone else had asked. You need a pack surrounding you. The other thing I suggest is to always help your fellow authors. Pay it forward. Because one day you’ll be the one with the answer or shoulder, and there’s no feeling in the world like helping others.
Author interview
- Name (or Pen name you want used):
E. B. Warren
- Your city, state & country of residence:
Bulverde, TX, USA
- Please provide a general Author Bio that you would like used:
E. B. Warren is a retired colonel from the United States Air Force who served with distinction as an Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor. In his various assignments, he worked closely with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) helping them with investigations against terrorist groups in Europe and illicit drug investigations. In the Air Force, he was also instrumental in designing and supervising technical educational programs for military members.
His novella, “The Khan,” is a spin-off from his experiences helping Air Force investigators dealing with international arms dealers.
Since his retirement, he has consulted with various companies supporting the military and participated in programs developing training programs and other psychological support systems. Mr. Warren has also served in a variety of careers including education of primary school children.
He is currently at work designing and publishing a series of
books to teach children values needed in our society.
He also serves as a private contractor
to companies supporting the United States military services.
- Titles & genres of your available books:
KINDLE BOOKS below (Promoting the KINDLE books highlighted below)
Shortcut to Achieving Dr. Herbert Benson’s Relaxation Response: A Short Guide To Learn How To Relax, Eliminate Stress, and Experience Better Health In Your Life (Genre=Meditation/Alternative & Holistic Medicine)
The KHAN (David Dunn Book 1) (Genre= Hard Boiled Mystery/Action Adventure)
KDP PAPERBACKs below (Promoting the two KDP paperback books highlighted below)
HELPING YOU PLAN YOUR WEDDING: THIS WEDDING PLANNER AND ORGANIZER GUIDE WILL HELP YOU PLAN YOUR WEDDING AND SAVE YOU MONEY (Genre =Marriage)
Ed’s Mandalas Adult Coloring Book: Rest and relax coloring these mandalas! (Genre =Stress Relief/Psychology)
Other Books
The Family Road Trip Journal: The perfect planner and notebook to plan and record your family adventure. (Genre =Travel)
DANGER IS MY MIDDLE NAME: My Personal Bucket List Journal and Notebook (Genre =Travel, Vacation Activities )
2019 – 2020 Academic Planner for College Student Success (Genre = Education)
175 PAGE GIANT DAILY COMPOSITION NOTEBOOK: COLLEGE RULED TO USE FOR A JOURNAL, DIARY, NOTETAKING (Genre = Education)
FAILING TO PLAN IS PLANNING TO FAIL: College Student Success Guide (Genre = Education)
WRITTEN IN THE STARS Composition Notebook:: Lined Handwriting Practice Book for Your Home School Pre-School Child: Practice Makes Perfect (Genre = Juvenile Education)
My Story Book: A Draw and Write Journal 140 Pages 8.5 x 11 for Kindergarten through Third Grade (Genre = Juvenile Education)
Handwriting Practice Paper: Notebook with Dotted Lined Sheets for Preschool through K-3 Students (Genre = Juvenile Education)
BLANK CURSIVE WRITING HANDBOOK FOR HOME SCHOOL PRACTICE: Practice for the PreSchooL Homeschooler (Genre = Juvenile Education)
Lined Handwriting Practice book for Your Home School Pre-School Child: Practice Makes Perfect (Genre = Juvenile Education)
- Links to your works on Amazon,
Shortcut to Achieving Dr. Herbert Benson’s Relaxation Response: A Short Guide To Learn How To Relax, Eliminate Stress, and Experience Better Health In Your Life (Genre=Meditation/Alternative & Holistic Medicine)
Amazon link – https://tinyurl.com/yxuyxu8k
This Kindle book is an Amazon Unlimited KU book
The KHAN (David Dunn Book 1) (Genre= Hard Boiled Mystery/Action Adventure)
Amazon buy link = https://tinyurl.com/yxuyxu8k
This Kindle book is also an Amazon Unlimited KU book
PAPERBACKs below – these are KDP paperbacks
HELPING YOU PLAN YOUR WEDDING: THIS WEDDING PLANNER AND ORGANIZER GUIDE WILL HELP YOU PLAN YOUR WEDDING AND SAVE YOU MONEY (Genre =Marriage)
Amazon buy link = https://tinyurl.com/y3bufgxe
Ed’s Mandalas Adult Coloring Book: Rest and relax coloring these mandalas! (Genre =Stress Relief/Psychology)
Amazon buy link= https://tinyurl.com/y5zcdu38
Other titles
The Family Road Trip Journal: The perfect planner and notebook to plan and record your family adventure. (Genre =Travel)
Amazon buy link https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/108258164X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4
DANGER IS MY MIDDLE NAME: My Personal Bucket List Journal and Notebook (Genre =Travel, Vacation Activities )
Amazon buy link = https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/108080563X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i19
2019 – 2020 Academic Planner for College Student Success (Genre = Education)
Amazon buy link = https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1081133848/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i18
175 PAGE GIANT DAILY COMPOSITION NOTEBOOK: COLLEGE RULED TO USE FOR A JOURNAL, DIARY, NOTETAKING (Genre = Education)
Amazon buy link = https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1082198722/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i9
FAILING TO PLAN IS PLANNING TO FAIL: College Student Success Guide (Genre = Education)
Amazon buy link = https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1081138890/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i17
WRITTEN IN THE STARS Composition Notebook:: Lined Handwriting Practice Book for Your Home School Pre-School Child: Practice Makes Perfect (Genre = Juvenile Education)
Amazon buy link = https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1081710705/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i16
My Story Book: A Draw and Write Journal 140 Pages 8.5 x 11 for Kindergarten through Third Grade (Genre = Juvenile Education)
Amazon buy link =
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1082205206/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i8
Handwriting Practice Paper: Notebook with Dotted Lined Sheets for Preschool through K-3 Students (Genre = Juvenile Education)
Amazon buy link =
BLANK CURSIVE WRITING HANDBOOK FOR HOME SCHOOL PRACTICE: Practice for the PreSchooL Homeschooler (Genre = Juvenile Education)
Amazon buy link = https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1079488847/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i21
Lined Handwriting Practice book for Your Home School Pre-School Child: Practice Makes Perfect (Genre = Juvenile Education)
Amazon buy link =
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1079528806/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i20
- If you have more than one book, please highlight the book you are currently promoting on our site:
You said in your message I could promote five, but I would like to promote only four. Please rotate equally.
- Brief description/teaser/blurb of selected books:
THE KHAN – This book is filled with nonstop action as members engaged in the illegal international arms trade will stop at nothing to deter disgraced former federal agent David Dunn in his quest to find THE KHAN.
Shortcut to Achieving Dr. Herbert Benson’s Relaxation Response: A Short Guide To Learn How To Relax, Eliminate Stress, and Experience Better Health In Your Life – this book will help you dramatically reduce the stress in your #life and help you live longer and healthier.
Ed’s Mandalas Adult Coloring Book: Rest and relax coloring these mandalas! If you are Stressed and need to relax, Join the Adult coloring craze and relax coloring these artful mandalas.
HELPING YOU PLAN YOUR WEDDING: THIS WEDDING PLANNER AND ORGANIZER GUIDE WILL HELP YOU PLAN YOUR WEDDING AND SAVE YOU MONEY Need help planning your perfect Wedding? This guide will keep you organized and save you money.
- Twitter handle:
For E. B. Warren = @BulverdeB
- Facebook address:
- Website address:
About your writing
- What inspires you to write?
I like to tell stories
- What do you love most about writing?
The flow when I get into a story.
- What’s the most challenging part?
Procrastination – I have a technical writing career so it is hard to find the time for my own projects.
- How do you craft your story & characters?
Normally an idea will hit me and I run from there.
- How much research is involved?
I normally write my fiction based on personal experience. I do some research if my protagonist goes to a place I have n0ot traveled or I want to ensure something is factual.
- How long did it take from idea to finished book?
For THE KHAN, not very long as I had met people during my air force career like my protagonist, David Dunn.
- Do you have any writing rituals or habits? Who influences you the most?
When I can spare the time and I am in the mood to write, I just sit down and write.
- What is your favorite theme/genre to write?
Action Adventure / Mystery / Hardboiled detective
- Which character you’ve created is your favorite? Why
Since my published fiction is limited to THE KHAN, David Dunn is my favorite character. I have known and worked with such people in the intelligence world. When they have a goal, they take no prisoners.
- Do any of your life experiences worm their way into your books?
THE KHAN is based upon my association with people who worked in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations wile I was in the military.
- How do you like to connect with readers?
I want them to get inside my characters and emphasize with them.
- What do you hope readers take away from your books?
- Who helps you with the critique and editing process? Do you ever hate something you’ve written?
I have only used an editor once. Put me a year behind on a project. Despite my hurt feelings, the experience might have made me write just a tiny bit better.
I hate everything I have written. The page never seems to reflect the emotion I have inside my mind.
- How do you overcome any nagging self-doubt that inevitably creeps in?
I don’t – just sink into a depressed mood and feel sorry for myself until finally it goes away and then I get back to the writing project.
- Do you read all reviews?
For my fiction, I do.
- Why are reviews important?
They help me learn how to do better the next time. Now that I figured out how to update books I have out there, since I am self-published, I can change what I have for sale if I want to. I published a story under another name and one three star review really improved my writing on future stories.
- What advice would you give aspiring writers?
If you are looking to write just to make money, QUIT! If you have to write, no matter how painful the process is, write, write, write!
- What can you tell us about what we’ll see from you next?
One day, I will write the next adventure of David Dunn.
- About your writing (NON-FICTION)
- What inspires you to write non-fiction?
I had a life changing experience in 1985 causing me to want to help people. One way I can do this is to publish various nonfiction projects. I have published over 170 publications under various pen names; mainly low content books such as gratitude journals, planners, etc.
- What do you love most about writing?
The flow when I get into a project. I over the past twenty nine years, I have written over 125 technical proposals for companies on a work-for-hire basis. Once I get into the project, it transports me.
- What’s the most challenging part?
Overcoming procrastination
- How did you decide to write about the topic?
I have published over 170 books under various pen names. My motive is a desire to be of service in some way or another.
- What interests you most about this topic?
Since I publish journals on a diverse set of subjects. My main question is “Can I be of service?”
- How much research was required?
A little to a lot – depends on the subject.
- What is the most valuable thing you learned through the process?
There is a lot of information out there.
- How long did it take from idea to finished book?
Depends on the project. Some a matter of two ro three days and others several weeks.
- Do you have any writing rituals or habits?
No!. Just write when I have the time and the mood hits me.
- Who influences you the most?
For my fiction, Ernest Hemingway.
- How hard is it to write about personal experience & expose yourself?
Technically very difficult, I am working on a novel under another pen name and it is hard to get the precise emotion onto the page.
- Who helps you with the critique and editing process?
For my nonfiction, no one
- Do you read all reviews?
Hardly any.
- Why are reviews important?
People say they help with sales. I guess they are. If I read reviews, it is to become a better writer and figure out how to be of better service.
- What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Stop procrastinating and write.
- What can you tell us about what we’ll see from you next?
I am interested in publishing a set of summaries of books related to leadership, management, and success – books inspiring to me on my path. My perception is people are very busy these days and maybe if I can distill the lessons from some of these books into shorter form, people will benefit.
- About Indie Publishing
- Why did you choose to publish as an Indie Author? What obstacles have you encountered? Marketing and promotion are costly in both time and money.
In 2009, I wrote a nonfiction book under another name. A publisher expressed a great deal of interest but told me it would take from 12 to 18 months to et it published. I went the self-publishing route instead. I have never looked back.
- How did you overcome those challenges? What has been the highlight of this journey?
Amazon recently designated a wedding planner I self-published under another pen name as a “NUMBER 1 NEW RELEASE.”
- Any tips for someone considering going Indie vs Traditional Publishing?
Develop a tough skin.
Author Interview
General Info:
- Name
Cynthia Hamilton
- Your city, state & country of residence:
Santa Barbara, CA USA
- Author Bio:
Cynthia Hamilton is the author of nine books, which include fiction, mystery and memoir. SPOUSE TRAP is the first book in her Madeline Dawkins Mystery Series, which takes place in Santa Barbara, a town she is happy to have called her home for forty years. It is followed by A HIGH PRICE TO PAY, GIRL TRAP, and THE TROUBLE WITH PARADISE. She is currently at work on the fifth book in the series.
FINDING RUTH was inspired by a photograph she found of her mother taken in 1949 while moving her into an Alzheimer’s facility. It was written as a means to discover who her mother was as a person in her own right, outside her role as “Mom”. ONCE UPON A LYME… A TALE OF TWO JOURNEYS chronicles her battle with a misdiagnosed disease and the unexpected upside of becoming a writer as a means of coping with the pain. LUCKY AT LOVE, ALLIGATORS IN THE TREES, and GOLDEN STATE are lighthearted looks at life, love and the resiliency of the human heart.
- Titles & genres of your available books:
SPOUSE TRAP (Mystery)
A HIGH PRICE TO PAY (Mystery)
GIRL TRAP (Mystery)
THE TROUBLE WITH PARADISE (Mystery)
FINDING RUTH (Fictionalize biography/memoir ~ “momoir”)
LUCKY AT LOVE (Fiction)
ALLIGATORS IN THE TREES (Fiction)
GOLDEN STATE (Fiction)
ONCE UPON A TIME . . . A TALE OF TWO JOURNEYS (Memoir)
- Links to your works on Amazon, B&N, etc:
SPOUSE TRAP: https://tinyurl.com/yy4cuujp
A HIGH PRICE TO PAY: https://tinyurl.com/y3hhh8z9
GIRL TRAP: https://tinyurl.com/yxzbvjgz
THE TROUBLE WITH PARADISE: https://tinyurl.com/y5lw7zy5
FINDING RUTH: https://tinyurl.com/y69nrdtu
LUCKY AT LOVE: https://tinyurl.com/yxgvkxex
ALLIGATORS IN THE TREES: https://tinyurl.com/y6sperwl
GOLDEN STATE: https://tinyurl.com/y26c9e86
ONCE UPON A LYME . . . THE TALE OF TWO JOURNEYS: https://tinyurl.com/y4vgphl7
- If you have more than one book, please highlight the book you are currently promoting on our site:
4 books: SPOUSE TRAP; A HIGH PRICE TO PAY; GIRL TRAP; THE TROUBLE WITH PARADISE
- Brief description/teaser/blurb of selected book:
SPOUSE TRAP: A wife betrayed in the worst possible way must fight with body and soul to reclaim her life and her dignity. Prequel to the Madeline Dawkins Series.
A HIGH PRICE TO PAY: Madeline’s dual professions as event coordinator and private investigator cross paths during the most lavish affair of her career. As the party draws near, a simple background check after the disappearance of precious family jewels quickly turns into a murder investigation, and before Madeline and Mike can put the pieces together, another body turns up.
GIRL TRAP: Two inquiries come to MDPI on the same day that seem like fairly straight-forward missing person cases. But it doesn’t take long to discover there’s nothing ordinary about the disappearance of two beautiful sisters from Minnesota and an estranged heiress who has never touched her eight-figure fortune.
THE TROUBLE WITH PARADISE: Life in beautiful Santa Barbara County will never be the same for two grieving widows. One is serving a lengthy sentence for the bizarre tractor death of her much older, land-rich husband. The other is convinced her husband’s death was no suicide.
Never ones to shy away from longshots or lost causes, Madeline and Mike must figure out what secrets these two men took to their graves.
- Twitter handle: AuthorCynthiaH
- Facebook address: https://www.facebook.com/Cynthia-Hamilton-Books-194062874017327/?ref=hl
- Website address: http://cynthiahamiltonbooks.com/
- Any additional means of contact: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/434917.Cynthia_Hamilton
- About your writing
- What inspires you to write? The most random musings. I’ve turned daydreams into novels just by following a single random thought. I’ve also taken inspiration from chance encounters—as I did with LUCKY AT LOVE: SOME GUYS JUST NEVER GIVE UP. I used my own experiences to write ONCE UPON A LYME… A TALE OF TWO JOURNEY to offer hope to those suffering through the baffling and debilitating disease. FINDING RUTH came about in my quest to understand what my mom’s life had been like from her POV.
- What do you love most about writing? I love being able to examine life from many different angles and perspectives. It allows me to understand different points of view and different ways to not only look at life, but also different ways to handle life’s quandaries.
- What’s the most challenging part? Finding the time. For me, writing always ends up being dead last on my list of priorities, even though it’s the thing I want to do most.
- How do you craft your story & characters? Both of those come from musings that take on a life of their own. I’ve been asked by fellow writers if I’m a “plotter” or a “pantser.” I’m definitely a pantser. I don’t do outlines or even get a real sense of where I’m going or what I want to accomplish, the two exceptions being the memoir about my ordeal with late-stage Lyme and the book I wrote to better understand what my mom’s life had been like from her POV, now that Alzheimer’s has stolen her memories.
- How much research is involved? There was a lot of research involved in piecing my mother’s life story together. I studied 1,000+ photos, searched public records and genealogy sites, as well as mining my brother and sister for any random memories about our mom.
- How long did it take from idea to finished book? It generally takes me a year +/- to write a book.
- Do you have any writing rituals or habits? Who influences you the most? I’m in some dire need of good writing rituals and habits! I’d say every author I’ve read has influenced me in some way, even if it’s a “what not to do.” Most of the time, reading feels like going to the well to drink not of a storyline but of the essence of writing. If I were to give any writing advise, it would be read often and widely!
- What is your favorite theme/genre to write? Hmm . . . that’s a hard one. I think I like which ever one suits the idea that’s captured my attention.
- Which character you’ve created is your favorite? Why? Jake Sorenson, the unlikely babe magnet in LUCKY AT LOVE, SOME GUYS JUST NEVER GIVE UP. He was based on a man I met at a wedding who’d been married and divorced seven times. Instead of sending up a red flag to all the ladies in attendance, it had the opposite effect. He actually asked me – in front of my husband – if I was willing to become #8. I came away from the reception knowing that I had to understand what made someone like him tick.
- Do any of your life experiences worm their way into your books? Yes, they have. In addition to filling in story details when needed, I’ve based two of my books on true events. ONCE UPON A LYME… is the story of how a mystery illness led me to become a writer. FINDING RUTH is the book I wrote to understand what my mom’s life had been like from her POV.
- How do you like to connect with readers? Any way I can! I love getting emails from my website from readers who’ve enjoyed my books. I love discussing books in general with other readers. I get feedback on my books and books that I’ve read and reviewed from fellow readers on Goodreads and BookBub. I also have lots of friends who’ve read my books and love to ask me questions. Basically, I’m all ears when it comes to books – mine or someone else’s. I was a reader long before I became a writer, and reading is still a huge part of my life.
- What do you hope readers take away from your books? I hope readers will find something to connect with in my writing. I hope they are entertained and maybe enlightened in some way. I hope they come away with a feeling of satisfaction, that they took a journey and feel enhanced in some way, no matter how small.
- Who helps you with the critique and editing process? Do you ever hate something you’ve written? My husband and sister are my first sounding boards. I work with three editors, so I get something different from all three. If I don’t like something I’ve written, I simple delete it and move on, and I check in with myself constantly to make sure I really like what I’ve written. I’ve never completed a book and hated it.
- How do you overcome any nagging self-doubt that inevitably creeps in? By giving my work the upmost scrutiny. If something’s not right, I fix it. I guess I’m of the belief that you just keep working at something until you get it right. I’m very tenacious and won’t quit until I’m 100% satisfied.
- Do you read all reviews? Yes.
- Why are reviews important? They not only advise would-be readers, they can hold important observations about my work. I sometimes find critical reviews instructive, giving me insight I might not have come to on my own. I do prefer the good reviews, though. 😊
- What advice would you give aspiring writers? Listen to your inner voice. There’s no right or wrong way to write.
- What can you tell us about what we’ll see from you next? I plan to start the fifth book in my Madeline Dawkins Mystery Series. I’m also opening my mind to the possibility of starting a new series.
Author Interview
General Info:
- Name or Pen name:
S. S. Bazinet
- Your city, state & country of residence:
Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Author Bio:
When I first took up the pen and began to write, I stumbled and faltered. Wondrous tales were abandoned by the roadside as my inner critic hijacked each project. But my creative muse would not be silenced. Finally on a warm, Sunday afternoon, I gave in to its promptings with a clear declaration that I would just have fun. That decision was the key that unlocked the door to the stories that poured out. New and fantastic worlds unfolded, taking me on one of the grandest experiences of my life. Once I gave myself permission to enjoy the process of writing, I couldn’t write fast enough. Within a little over a year, I had finished the rough drafts of six books. More importantly, I was the happiest that I had ever been. Since then, writing remains my passion, demonstrating how glorious life can be when you do what you love to do. More than anything, I love to write stories and share them with my readers.
- Titles & genres of your available books:
OPEN WIDE MY HEART (A love story)
Book One: Traces Of Home
THE VAMPIRE RECLAMATION PROJECT SERIES (Visionary fantasy)
Book One: Michael’s Blood
Book Two: Arel’s Blood
Book Three: William’s Blood
Book Four: Brother’s Blood
Book Five: Tainted Blood
IN THE CARE OF WOLVES (YA thriller)
Book One: My Brother’s Keeper
THE MADONNA DIARIES (Dystopian)
Book One: Dying Takes It Out Of You
SENTENCED TO HEAVEN – (Fantasy)
Book One: An Inmate’s Tale from the Other Side
Book Two: A Vampire In Heaven
A Warlock Under The Mistletoe (Christmas romance)
Vampires Suck But You Don’t Have To (Self-Help)
Hurly Burly The Squirrel Next Door (Children’s)
- Links to your works on Amazon, B&N, etc:
My author page on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/S.-S.-Bazinet/e/B0078KS7BO/
- If you have more than one book, please highlight the book you are currently promoting on our site:
TRACES OF HOME (A love story) Book One of OPEN WIDE MY HEART
- Brief description/teaser/blurb of selected book:
Description: Trying to escape her tortured past, Lea runs away from her fiancé, Dr. Matthew Howell.
Lost and alone, Lea accepts the help of Dr. Eric Lloyd and his mother. When they take her into their home and hearts, she finds security.
But is the price too steep? Does she have to give up everything, even the man she loves, to reclaim her sanity and herself?
- Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/SSBazinet
- Facebook address: https://www.facebook.com/SSBazinet
- Website address: https://www.ssbazinet.com/
- Any additional means of contact
- About your writing
- What inspires you to write?
Writing fulfills my desire to create something new and wonderful.
- What do you love most about writing?
When I’m writing, I’m in my heart, and I’m happy.
- What’s the most challenging part?
I don’t find writing challenging unless my inner critic is allowed to interfere.
- How do you craft your story & characters?
My stories and characters come in on their own, and they seem to craft themselves.
- How much research is involved?
I try to check any and all facts included in my stories.
- How long did it take from idea to finished book?
Once a final draft is in place, I edit the story numerous times until I feel it’s the best it can be.
- Do you have any writing rituals or habits? Who influences you the most?
I used to listen to music. Now, I simply sit down and let the story flow in on its own.
- What is your favorite theme/genre to write?
I love the freedom of fantasy. It allows the story to branch out beyond the normal confines of reality.
- Which character you’ve created is your favorite? Why
I love all of my main characters. However, Arel, from the Vampire Reclamation series, has been very special. He started out as an extremely depressed and desperate individual. As the series progressed, he’s matured and grown in every way. In the sixth book, which is coming out very soon, he’s reached a point where he’s ready to believe in himself no matter what others think. It’s a very big step for him.
- Do any of your life experiences worm their way into your books?
My life experiences aren’t there, but my interest in the deeper meaning of life and existence has definitely wormed its way into my stories.
- How do you like to connect with readers?
I’m always happy when a reader connects on social media.
- What do you hope readers take away from your books?
Just as my characters are challenged, I think all of us can find life challenging. In my stories, my characters find a way to cope with what they face. Hopefully, their struggles and triumphs will inspire readers in some way.
- Who helps you with the critique and editing process? Do you ever hate something you’ve written?
I’m fortunate to have a number of people who have volunteered to critique and edit my stories. I’ve loved all my stories. And I think that’s because they all seem to be inspired.
- How do you overcome any nagging self-doubt that inevitably creeps in?
If self-doubt creeps in, I usually talk to the wonderful, supportive people in my life. I also remind myself that writing is a gift, and I concentrate on that fact more than the self-doubt.
- Do you read all reviews?
Yes, I read the reviews.
- Why are reviews important?
For me, reviews are important because they remind me that everyone is unique, and therefore, everyone has a different slant on life. So every review is valid.
- What advice would you give aspiring writers?
I’d advise writers starting out to write for themselves first and foremost. In the end, if their story brings them joy, it’s already done its job. If it can bring others happiness or entertain them, that’s a bonus.
- What can you tell us about what we’ll see from you next?
I’m editing book six of the Vampire Reclamation series. I’m also working on book two of the Madonna series.
- About Indie Publishing
- Why did you choose to publish as an Indie Author? What obstacles have you encountered?
Being an Indie author gave me the freedom to make decisions I couldn’t make with a traditional publisher. The challenge was to do a good job when I put on the publisher’s hat.
- How did you overcome those challenges? What has been the highlight of this journey?
The publishing part requires a continued dedication and a willingness to keep learning. It also requires time and money to promote your books. I do my best to take care of the business end of things, but more than anything I try to keep appreciating the idea that I wrote stories that others have enjoyed.
- Any tips for someone considering going Indie vs Traditional Publishing?
I’d advise people to learn as much as possible about the pros and cons of both routes and to see which fits their needs. Talking to authors who have experience with both indie and traditional publishing can be very helpful too.