Author interview no.355 with writer Bobby Nash

Welcome to the three hundred and fifty-fifth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with multi-genre author Bobby Nash. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.

Morgen: Hello, Bobby. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Bobby: Thanks, Morgen. My name is Bobby Nash. I’m based out of Bethlehem, Georgia in the United States. And yes, an oh little town it is. I started out with the grand dream of being a comic book artist. To that end I started writing stories for myself to draw. Eventually, others started asking for scripts. Then one day I got the urge to write a novel. Then another. The rest, as they say, is history.

Morgen: I’m the same with NaNoWriMos; once you do one, you get hooked. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

Bobby: I write in many different genres. My novels tend to be suspense thrillers, but I have written others. I have a sci fi novel slated for release in April or May called Earthstrike Agenda. My shorter prose work and comic book work runs the gamut from sci fi, to mystery, to super hero, to western, to fantasy, and so on. Certain genres play to my strengths, but I’m open to pretty much any genre as long as I have a good story to tell.

Morgen: Me too. I can’t stick one… ‘dark and light’ is a good a description as I can give them. What have you had published to-date? Do you write under a pseudonym?

Bobby: It’s quite a list, but here you go. My published work includes:

Novels: Evil Ways [out of print for the moment, but returning in 2012 from New Babel Books], Fantastix [out of print], and Deadly Games! [BEN Books].

Short stories, novellas, anthologies: Lance Star: Sky Ranger Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3 [Airship 27/Cornerstone Books], Startling Stories Magazine [Wild Cat Books], Sentinels Widescreen Special Edition [White Rocket Books], Full Throttle Space Tales Vol. 2: Space Sirens [Flying Pen Press], Sentinels: Alternate Visions [White Rocket Books], Domino Lady: Sex As A Weapon [Moonstone Books], Real Magicalism [Daemon Press], A Fistful of Legends [Express Westerns], The Green Hornet Casefiles [Moonstone Books], Lance Star: Sky Ranger – “Where The Sea Meets The Sky” [iPulp], Ravenwood: Stepson of Mystery [Airship 27/Cornerstone Books], Pro Se Presents: Peculiar Adventures #3 [Pro Se Press], Golden Age Good Girls [Mini Komix], Domino Lady: “Target – Domino Lady” [iPulp], and Blackthorn: Thunder of Mars [White Rocket Books].

Comic books and graphic novels: Life In The Faster Lane, Fuzzy Bunnies From Hell [FYI Comics], Bubba The Redneck Werewolf [Brass Ball Comics], Demonslayer [Avatar Press], Threshold [Avatar Press], Doc Dresden: The Immortal [Odyssey Comics], Jungle Fantasy [Avatar Press], The Garden [Planetary Stories], Fantastix [FYI Comics], Yin Yang [Arcana Comics], Lance Star: Sky Ranger [BEN Books], Urbnpop #1 [Urbnpop Comics], I Am Googol: The Great Invasion [Point G Comics], Domino Lady vs. The Mummy [Moonstone Books], and Airship 27 Presents All-Star Pulp Comics #1 [Airship 27/Red Bud Studios].

And there’s more to come.

I’ve not written under a pseudonym, but I did come up with a couple of good ones that I liked in case I ever decide to use one.

Morgen: Good grief, you could make a book out of your book titles. Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

Bobby: Oh, of course. Rejections are part of the job and I get more of them than I’d like. You have to have a thick skin and not take the rejections personally, which is far easier to say than do. Rejections sting. You just have to set the rejections aside and keep moving forward.

Morgen: You do. Just the right thing for the wrong person. Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions?

Bobby: I’ve had a few nominations for the Pulp Ark Awards and the Pulp Factory Awards. I’ve not won, but it is nice to get nominated.

Morgen: Other than blogger awards (I’ve won three ) I’ve not been Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

Bobby: I do not have an agent. I have been looking for one, but the agent search has been a very demoralizing process so far. I will need one eventually as I would like to work with some of the larger publishing houses and the only way to make that happen is to have an agent.

Morgen: I’d say it is really, yes but you just have to keep plugging away. Are your books available as eBooks? Were you involved in that process at all? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?

Bobby: Many of the books I’ve worked on are ebooks. Some are not, although I hope they will be eventually. With most publishers I have no say in how the print or ebook editions are put together. Deadly Games! was an exception. I set that one up myself.

Morgen: I’m sure they all will as it’s where books are going. How much of the marketing do you do for your published works or indeed for yourself as a ‘brand’?

Bobby: I do a little bit of marketing work daily. The sad fact is that you’re only going to get so much of a marketing push from publishers. That’s just a fact of life. So I make sure I’m out there talking up my books. I learned early on that no one was going to promote my work more than me so I’d best learn how to promote my work if I wanted to let readers know it’s out there.

Morgen: All but one of the authors I’ve spoken to do their own marketing (and the other author does really via social networking) but the advantage is that we get to speak to our readers. Do you have a favourite of your books or characters? If any of your books were made into films, who would you have as the leading actor/s?

Bobby: Not sure if I have a favorite. Each book has a special place in my heart. It’s like choosing between your children. The one that is my favorite today might not be tomorrow.

I’ve not really given a lot of thought to who would play any of the characters in my books, but I’m sure if a production company wanted to make a movie out of one of my titles I could come up with a short list.

Morgen: Did you have any say in the titles / covers of your books? How important do you think they are?

Bobby: Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. It depends on the publisher and whether or not I take the project to the publisher or whether I come on to do work for hire. Mostly not as I do a lot of work for existing books so I’m hired top write a story only.

Titles are important. I think I’ve come up with some good ones so far.

Morgen: So do I. What are you working on at the moment / next?

Bobby: At the moment I am putting the finishing touches on a graphic novel script I’m co-writing with Mike Gordon for New Legend Productions. Not much I can reveal about that one at the moment. I also just started working on a novel featuring the pulp character Domino Lady for Moonstone Books. After that I have a couple of novellas due for a few different publishers then it’s back to work on Evil Intent, the sequel to my soon to be re-released novel, Evil Ways from New babel Books. 2012 is going to be a busy year.

Morgen: Aren’t they all? Do you manage to write every day? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

Bobby: I write almost every day. There are some days where things happen and I just can’t get any work done. Like everything else, writing takes discipline. Since this is my job, I make sure to treat it as such so I don’t miss deadlines.

I don’t believe in Writer’s Block. As a writer friend of mine often says, and I quote, “Do plumbers get Plumber’s Block?” Sometimes the words don’t flow as well as others, certainly. When that happens I switch over to another project so I have a fresh perspective. Or I take a walk, do the laundry, or just get away from the computer for a bit. When I come back I’m relaxed and ready to go back to work.

Morgen: I interviewed crime writer Mark Billingham back in November and he said exactly the same thing (writer’s vs plumber’s block) and I agree. There are ways to get around getting stuck and as you say if you treat it as a day job your brain is likely to keep up. I should actually be saying that writer’s block is terrible (which it is if you do get stuck) and that I have a writer’s block workbook for sale but like anything if you don’t take something too seriously it doesn’t become an issue. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

Bobby: A little of both. I always have a loose idea when I start. With shorter pieces that’s usually enough to carry me through the storytelling process. With novels I have the major beats I need to hit plotted out and then I follow the characters and see which path they take to get from point A to point B. What I don’t do is outline. I’ve tried and it just doesn’t work for me. When I go back to start writing a story I’ve outlined I lose interest quickly because I feel like I’ve already told that story and don’t want to write it again.

Morgen: I don’t plot much although I’m just going back through my novels and am wondering whether I should put more down so I keep track of the threads but we’ll see. Do you have a method for creating your characters, their names and what do you think makes them believable?

Bobby: I don’t have a specific form I fill out or anything, but I try to get to know the characters I create the same way I would anyone I meet. I listen to them deal with situations and learn their quirks, habits, and expressions. If I truly get to know my characters then I can drop three characters into similar situations and each one will react to it differently, including coming up with a different resolution.

Morgen: We were talking about this in Helen Hunt’s workshop on Saturday; that some of us get images of what we think our characters look like (either from magazines or Google Images… other websites are available ). Do you write any non-fiction, poetry or short stories?

Bobby: I don’t write non-fiction or poetry. I do write the occasional short story for anthologies. I write for several anthologies. Pulp, action, sci fi, westerns, and more. Anthologies are a fun way to scratch certain creative itches. It’s nice to take risks by writing in unfamiliar territory. Anthologies help me do that.

Morgen: I’ve just had a story placed in a (charity) anthology and would love to have more out there. I reviewed some Sexy Shorts anthologies for my Short Story Saturdays page a couple of days ago and I’d love to have been in the other authors’ company. I guess it would help to send stories out, wouldn’t it? Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

Bobby: I’d like to think that every word I type is pure gold, but the truth is that I need editing just like everyone else. I do a lot of my own editing during the writing process, but I’ve also worked with some really talented editors as well.

Morgen: Mine is great. Hi, Rachel. Do you have to do much research?

Bobby: I do a lot of research. How much or how little depends on the project. Google is my friend.

Morgen: Google has a lot of friends. What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? Have you ever tried second person?

Bobby: I generally write my stories in third person, although different chapters may focus on a singular character’s point of view. I’ve written a few first person narratives when required, but it’s not my preferred method. I’ve not attempted second person. Not even sure how I’d begin.

Morgen: I write loads of it and am so passionate about it that I gave it its own blog page. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?

Bobby: Probably. I’ve got a lot of started and abandoned pieces. Some may never be finished.

Morgen: I have loads of those but I’m hoping it’s only a time thing and that I will get round to going through them all. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?

Bobby: I love telling stories. I love getting positive feedback from readers and publishers. I’m not crazy about submitting or the hoops that seem to be involved with finding an agent. That’s not fun. As for surprises, I’m always surprised whenever someone recognizes me or my work.

Morgen: I had a lady at a party know my name (and loved my blog / podcast apparently)… told to / by one of my Flash Fiction Fridays podcast contributors. It still gives me a warm glowy feeling. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Bobby: If you want to write, write. If you want to write as a career, then remember that it is a job and treat it accordingly. Sometimes that means sitting at home all weekend when you’d rather be out doing anything else. Sometimes it means sleepless nights, but the payoff is worth it. Ask yourself what success is for you and shoot for that as your goal.

Morgen: I sit at home all weekend (and weekdays) not wishing I’d rather be elsewhere but certainly that I did more writing. It’s worth it though because I get to meet some great authors. If you could invite three people from any era to dinner, who would you choose and what would you cook (or hide the takeaway containers)?

Bobby: Wow. Good question.

Morgen: Oh, thanks, it’s one of the most recent.

Bobby: First, Stephen J. Cannell because I never got to meet him in person, although we did converse via email a couple of times. Second, Tom Baker, who was the Doctor Who I grew up with and it would be incredibly cool to meet him. Third, Stan Lee, who was partly responsible for the comics I read as a child that inspired me to start telling my own stories. As for the meal, I’d let them pick the place.

Morgen: I’ve only heard of Tom and he was my Doctor Who too – I had a scarf (probably knitted by my mum) just like his. Is there a word, phrase or quote you like?

Bobby: I say “cool” a lot. Usually, when I get a question like this I pull out a movie quote. Here’s one I use often from my favorite movie, JAWS. “Smile you sonuva–BOOM!” Dr. McCoy quotes from Star Trek are usually good too. Bones had the best lines.

Morgen: I didn’t watch much Star Trek (actually I think I did, I grew up with an older brother after all) but none of it has stuck, other than “beam me up Scottie” of course. Are you involved in anything else writing-related other than actual writing or marketing of your writing?

Bobby: I’ve dabbled with editing. I co-write a weekly column for New Pulp (www.newpulpfiction.com) with fellow writers Barry Reese and Mike Bullock called Table Talk. I am one of the co-hosts of the weekly Earth Station One podcast (www.esopodcast.com) along with Mike Faber and Mike Gordon. I also write blog entries about writing at my website (www.bobbynash.com) as well as on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc…

Morgen: What do you do when you’re not writing?

Bobby: Not writing? That’s usually eating, sleeping, or watching TV. It’s a very simple life I lead, no? I do the normal things that people do. I go to the grocery store, hang out with friends, catch a movie here and there, go out to meals, read, do yard work, spend time with my family, things like that.

Morgen: I’d agree with the first bit. If I’m not writing (or rather involved with this blog) I’m eating (actually I do that at the same time), sleeping (ditto ) and the occasional movie, either at home or the cinema. Are there any writing-related websites and / or books that you find useful?

Bobby: I don’t spend a lot of time reading how to sites or books. Not because I don’t think they’re a great resource, but because I’m usually too busy writing to read about the process of writing. One resource that I do use often is Preditors & Editors (http://pred-ed.com).

Morgen: Ah yes, I’ve recommended that on several occasions. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how valuable do you find them?

Bobby: Absolutely. I am on many forums and social networking sites. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Linked-In, several writers forums, marketing forums, book forums, published author forums, comic book creator forums, and on and on. I even started a Pinterest page recently although I haven’t quite got the hang of that one yet. I have a list on my website, www.bobbynash.com.

Social networks and forums are great ways to connect with fans, readers, peers, publishers, friends, and potential customers. I find them very helpful and quite fun to use.

Morgen: I’d only just heard of Pinterest really recently and still have no clue. Fortunately multi-genre author and interviewee Phyllis Zimbler Miller is going to do a guest piece for me (and everyone else of course) on the topic on Tuesday 5th June so hopefully I can get suitably excited then. What do you think the future holds for a writer?

Bobby: I think the future is bright. The publishing industry, like so many others, is currently in a state of flux. I look forward to seeing how the publishing industry evolves and I hope I get to come along for the ride.

Morgen: Where can we find out about you and your work?

Bobby: My main website is www.bobbynash.com and there are links to my work all over the site. Plus, I’m all over the internet. Just Google Bobby Nash and you’ll find me.

Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

Bobby: I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to appear on your site. Thanks.

Morgen: You’re very welcome. Thank you for taking part. Is there anything you’d like to ask me?

Bobby: With all of the interviews you do for the website, what are some of the more surprising responses you’ve received?

Morgen: One that comes to mind is crime novelist Sheila Quigley who said that it had taken her 30 years to get published. I have 23 to go. But seriously, that’s some staying power. Thank you, Bobby, lovely to speak to you.

I then invited Bobby to include an extract of his writing and this is an excerpt from his latest novel, Deadly Games! from BEN Books (http://BEN-Books.blogspot.com has more information).

The Rusty Mug Pub was widely known as a favored hangout for the city of Atlanta’s Law Enforcement Professionals. 

Simply put, The Mug, as it was affectionately called, was a cop bar.

From the outside, the Rusty Mug Pub looked like a relic from a bygone era where everything had a rustic, old home feel.  The wrought iron grating running along the outer edges of the concrete tiled sidewalk was older than most of the bar’s patrons.  The walls were made up of deftly placed red bricks made from red Georgia clay.  The bricks had probably been manufactured not far away from the very spot many, many years earlier.  Who knows, perhaps maybe even before Sherman’s famous fire sale all those many decades past.  The place looked like it should have been on a historic tour line instead of serving as a local dive. 

It was the kind or place Norman Rockwell would have painted in his day.

And thanks to the clientele, it was a place where everyone truly knew your name and one place no one would ever dare think of robbing.

The Mug was a beautiful place on the outside and the patrons loved it, but the inside told the true tale.  On an average night thick smoke would fill the air and the smell of alcohol and cheap cologne would mingle with the smoke from at least a dozen cigars, forming a fragrance unique to the Rusty Mug.

From his secret lair in the wilds of Bethlehem, Georgia, Bobby Nash writes. A multitasker, Bobby’s certain that he does not suffer from ADD, but instead he… ooh, shiny. When he finally manages to put fingers to the keyboard, Bobby writes novels, comic books, short prose, novellas, graphic novels, and even a little pulp fiction just for good measure. And despite what his brother says, Bobby isn’t addicted to buying DVDs and can quit anytime he wants.

When not writing fiction, Bobby attends conventions and writers conferences, promotes his books, teaches writing courses and panels, and is a part-time extra in movies and television. Bobby is the co-host of the weekly Earth Station One podcast (www.esopodcast.com) and writes for New Pulp (www.newpulpfiction.com) and All Pulp (http://allpulp.blogspot.com) news sites.

For more information on Bobby Nash please visit him at www.bobbynash.com, www.facebook.com/bobbyenash, www.twitter.com/bobbynash, www.lance-star.com, and http://BEN-Books.blogspot.com among other places across the web.

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the questions. You complete them, I tweak them where appropriate (if necessary to reflect the blog ‘clean and light’ rating) and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum and you can follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

Guest post: Self-Publishing is No Longer a Dirty Word by Jean Henry Mead

Tonight’s guest blog post, on the topic of self-publishing is brought to you by mystery writer Jean Henry Mead.

Self-Publishing is No Longer a Dirty Word

Not everyone agrees that independent publishing is the key to writing success, but a growing number of authors are proving the naysayers wrong. More and more writers are leaving their publishers to strike out on their own, some with unparelled success, such as Robert Walker, who has repeatedly said that the secret to success is to consistently turn out quality work on a regular basis.

But even Rob will admit that there’s more to it than that. We’ve all heard that writers need a platform and a fan base of readers who trust the author to turn out quality work. But how does one acquire a fan base? Not by hermitting him or herself at the computer without making contact with the outside world. Those days are over.

When I put together my second volume of mystery writer interviews, I met some successful new writers, among them Canadian bestselling author Cheryl Kaye Tardif, who publishes not only her own work but others with her Imajin Press from Alberta.

She says in The Mystery Writers: “In 2010 Amazon opened KDP to Canadian authors and I went back to my roots—to indie publishing. For me it’s probably the best fit. I am by nature very independent and a strong marketer. Plus I’m ‘an idea person’. Even my old publisher saw this in me and often called me a “guru” or “marketing genius”. While I don’t consider myself a ‘genius’ I do know that I’m a risk-taker.”

Independent publishing isn’t for everyone. It requires not only writing talent but good marketing skills and industry know-how to succeed. A number of other self-publishers are included in The Mystery Writers as well as bestselling traditionally published novelists such as Sue Grafton, Lawrence Block, J.A. Jance, Vicki Hinze and James Scott Bell (former Writer’s Digest fiction columnist).

Tim Hallinan, award-winning author of the traditionally published Poke Rafferty mystery/thriller series, decided to self-publish his Junior Bender series—humorous stories of a burglar with a “moral code who works as a private eye for crooks”.  Tim’s earlier novels earned him critical acclaim but not enough money to retire from his day job. He now earns thousands of dollars a month with his self-published ebooks.

He said the reason he decided to leave his agent and publisher is because “the money we were offered by the publishers wasn’t very good. I looked at the offers and thought, ‘I’d rather own my books”.

Rebecca Dahlke once managed her father’s crop dusting service in Modesto, California, and decided that her protagonist—a beautiful former model—should also be a crop duster. She then decided to independently publish her novels, with successful results. Rebecca, like Cheryl, is a promoter and a humorous one at that. She says, “Self-publishing is no longer a dirty word. Eons ago, back in the dark ages (of publishing)—was it really only five years ago?—all we authors could hope for was a good agent, a decent publisher, a slowly growing fan base, and a list of book stores that might, or might not, keep our books on their shelves for three to six months before returning the unsold copies to the publisher. We could send in Advanced Reader Copies to prestigious reviewers or magazines and hope they would say nice things about our books, or pay a publicist to tout it, take our dog and pony show on the road, eat bad food, stay in crappy hotels, be at that next book store, book fair, conference, and smile till our cheeks ached.

“The changes have been exciting, and for this author, validation that I too can write books that readers enjoy. So, for all the august veterans who see the Internet as an encroachment onto their hard-won personal turf, let me paraphrase one of my favorite movie lines: ‘Saddle up boys and girls, it’s going to be a bumpy ride’!” You can read how Rebecca accomplished her success in The Mystery Writers.

And, after ten publishers of my own over the years, I decided to independently publish The Mystery Writers with my own small press. The 406-page book is featured on Createspace and is available on Amazon.com, Kindle and Nook.

The 406-page book is a veritable bible for fledgling writers because the advice offered by 58 bestselling, award-winning and midlist writers is invaluable for any genre. Twelve subgenres are represented and the authors write from as far away as South Africa, Brazil, Thailand, the U.S. and England.

To promote the book, I’ll be blog touring from April 16-28 with the Mystery We Write blog group and my schedule is up at: http://jeansblogtour.blogspot.com. I’ll be giving away a print copy of the 406-page book and an e-book copy in a drawing at the conclusion of the tour to visitors who leave comments with their email addresses.

Thank you, Jean!

Jean Henry Mead is a mystery / suspense and western historical novelist as well as an award-winning photojournalist. She’s published 17 books, half of them novels, and served as a newsreporter; news, magazine and small press editor in California and Wyoming. She was also a correspondent for the Denver Post. Her website is http://www.jeanhenrymead.com.

If you would like to write a writing-related guest post for my blog then feel free to email me with an outline of what you would like to write about. If it’s writing-related then it’s highly likely I’d email back and say “yes please”.

The blog interviews return as normal tomorrow morning with fantasy and science-fiction author Rachel Cooper – the three hundred and twenty-ninth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further. And I enjoy hearing from readers of my blog; do either leave a comment on the relevant interview (the interviewees love to hear from you too!) and / or email me. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo. My eBooks are now on Amazon, with more to follow, and I also have a quirky second-person viewpoint story in charity anthology Telling Tales.

I have a new forum and you can follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for my Post-weekend Poetry page.

 

Blog interview no.273 with writer Joy V Smith

Welcome to the two hundred and seventy-third of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with science-fiction (and more) novelist Joy V Smith. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.

Morgen: Hello Joy. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

Joy: I’ve been writing since I was a little kid and made my own little books.  I love to read, and I guess I wanted to create books too.

Morgen: I always love it when an interviewee says they loved writing when they were younger and it never went away. I did but real life took over and I hadn’t realised then that it what I wanted to do. Where are you based, Joy?

Joy: I live in Florida–inland where we’re safe from hurricanes, except for 2004 when Charley, Frances, and Jeanne came through and wreaked havoc.  Downed trees and blue tarps everywhere.  (We lost parts of our porch ceilings and eaves, but the insurance took care of that.)

Morgen: Ouch. We’re incredibly lucky here in the UK. We get the occasional mini-tornado which damages a street but that’s about it. The downside is that we’re not prepared; a light covering of snow and the country grinds to a halt… literally, only this week (our first snow of the year) there were motorists spending the night on two southern motorways. It’s crazy. Anyway… What genre do you generally write?

Joy: My favorite genre is science fiction, but I write fantasy, romance, and children’s stories–and anything that catches my fancy.  My last novel was a western.

Morgen: Which are coming back into fashion (as if they ever went away). What have you had published to-date? Do you write under a pseudonym?

Joy: I’ve had fiction and non-fiction published, including interviews.  Some of my work is available online.  I’ve never used a pseudonym, but I keep one on hand just in case.

Morgen:

Joy: My stories, articles, and interviews have been published in print magazines, webzines, and anthologies; and my SF has been published in two audiobooks, including Sugar Time. My books include Building a Cool House for Hot Times without Scorching the Pocketbook; Aliens, Animals, and Adventure, a collection of some of my reprinted stories available from Anthology Builder; and a children’s book, Why Won’t Anyone Play with Me?

My e-books include Hidebound, an SF adventure / romance; Pretty Pink Planet; Hot Yellow Planet; and Remodeling: Buying and Updating a Foreclosure.

Morgen: Wow, you’ve been busy. I love your titles, by the way. Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

Joy: Too many to count!  Early on I saved them, but now only if there’s something helpful or interesting in them.

Morgen: I’m still at the saving stage (nerdily cataloguing them actually) as I’ve only had 28. Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions?

Joy: A few minor contests over the years, including the Killer Frog contests.

Morgen: Ooh, I like the sound of that. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

Joy: No, I’ve never had an agent though I’ve talked to one or two.  “Get back to me when you’re ready to negotiate with a publisher…” I think they can definitely help an author find a publisher and protect their interests.

Morgen: I do think that once you’ve got one they (generally) fight your corner and earn their keep but it’s what you give up in the process. It’s great that authors have the options these days. Are your books available as eBooks? Were you involved in that process at all? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?

Joy: I have four ebooks published through Smashwords and Amazon.  I submitted them with some help from a friend and someone I hired to clean up a ms.  I prefer to read paper; I don’t have an e-reader so when I have to read a novel or story collection–for reviews or pleasure–I read them on my computer.

Morgen: I’ve only just (three weeks ago) bought a Kindle and I love it but it’s still paperbacks at home for me. I have so many that I want to read, so why not? How much of the marketing do you do for your published works or indeed for yourself as a ‘brand’?

Joy: All I can, though I’m not much of a brand yet.

Morgen: “yet” I like that. Do you have a favourite of your books or characters? If any of your books were made into films, who would you have as the leading actor/s?

Joy: I think some of my stories would make great movies, but I can’t picture my characters as actors…  I don’t have a favorite…

Morgen: It’s funny. They’re both questions I’ve only asked recently and I’d struggle to answer them myself. Maybe I should try. Did you have any say in the title / covers of your books? How important do you think they are?

Joy: They’re very important, and most of my titles have been accepted.  However, a lot of generic titles have become popular through word of mouth.  The book is most important, though a good cover is also important.  I’ve seen some boring covers.

Morgen: Oh, me too and by some major publishers. What are you working on at the moment / next?

Joy: Right now I’m editing a novel and after submitting that, will edit the one waiting in the wings.  Then I plan to publish an ebook story collection.  I have a collection (reprints) available in print from Anthology Builder, and I haven‘t decided whether to use them.

Morgen: Do you manage to write every day? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

Joy: I do not write every day, unless I’m really focused.  I call it procrastination.

Morgen: The internet… social media… life. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

Joy:  I don’t think I’ve ever plotted or outlined a story.  They wander off on their own.

Morgen: They do, don’t they and I love that. Do you have a method for creating your characters, their names and what do you think makes them believable?

Joy: I have two notebooks with names that I’ve collected, though I often grab whatever’s handy (a nearby book, including the phone book) for minor characters.  No method for creating characters.  They just grow…

Morgen: Do you write any non-fiction, poetry or short stories?

Joy: I write articles, interviews, and reviews.  I am not a poet; however I wrote a cryptic poem for a quest story–The Princess Quest, which was written tongue-in-cheek.  I suspect it doesn’t scan.  Short stories are my favorites.

Morgen: Ding! Right answer. Regular readers will know that I champion the short story. It’s what I started with, and went back to. I’ve never been on any poetry courses and it’s not my passion so mine probably doesn’t scan either although I enjoy writing dedicated limericks for my Facebook friends and I currently have over 700 friends so an average of 2 birthdays a day so two limericks a day – a great way to write every day. Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

Joy: I will always need to edit.  I often edit as I write, at least at the beginning.  If it’s a long story, I’ll have to go back over the later parts more.

Morgen: That’s partially why I like short stories, it’s quicker to do a complete run-through (I did four to my 117K chick lit (which then became 105K) and glazed over). Do you have to do much research?

Joy: For some stories, yes!  For my last NaNoWriMo novel, I was surrounded by encyclopedias, atlases, and tourist books.

Morgen: Oh yay! I love NaNo. Four years in a row. I’d urge anyone to do it. Some writers like quiet, others the noise of a coffee shop etc., do you listen to music or have noise around you when you write or do you need silence?

Joy: I prefer silence.  I focus on songs I like when they’re playing.  Otherwise they’re annoying.

Morgen: What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?

Joy: I do not like reading first person usually.  I much prefer third person, except for Robert Parker‘s Spenser novels.  I’m sure there are others.  But what I do not like are stories written in the present tense.

Morgen: Third person past tense is most popular. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?

Joy: I want to share them all!  (Some years back I culled stories that should not see the light of day.)

Morgen: I have loads of those although I hope they’ll just remain dormant rather than a complete cull. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?

Joy: All the research I have to do.  After all, I’m writing fiction!

Morgen: What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Joy: Persevere and edit.

Morgen: and edit… and edit. If you could invite three people from any era to dinner, who would you choose and what would you cook (or invite three people, hiding the takeaway containers)?

Joy: I’d rather have a time machine and visit them.  The fact that I don’t cook is irrelevant…

Morgen: Oh me neither. I have a sign a friend gave me: ‘I only have a kitchen because it came with the house’, and it’s so true. It’s the smallest room in the house (or certainly feels like it) – no room for a table so I spend little time in it. Is there a word, phrase or quote you like?

Joy: So many, but I don’t keep track of them, and I can’t come up with any inspiring ones right now.  There is a funny one about the government.  (Nope, not partisan.)

Morgen: That’s OK. I do rater put you on the spot, sorry about that. Are you involved in anything else writing-related other than actual writing or marketing of your writing?

Joy: I do some editing, but I really don’t have time for that.  I review books now and then.

Morgen: What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies or party tricks?

Joy: I read, play with the dogs, and travel when I can; I love visiting historical homes and towns.  Naturally, eating out is fun.

Morgen: Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful?

Joy: My Favorites is full of links.  I must cull them…  But here are three I find useful:

http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/writer_services.htm

http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

http://www.ralan.com

Morgen: Lovely, thank you. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how valuable do you find them?

Joy: I visit forums now and then…  And they’re sometimes useful for sharing info about markets.

Morgen: I belong to LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and really they all serve different purposes. I’ve been invited to join some others I’ve never heard of… What do you think the future holds for a writer?

Joy: Even more opportunities.  Possibly things we haven’t thought of yet.  Hmm.  I wonder if we’ll be able to make our stories into movies the way we self-publish today?

Morgen: There is a site called http://Animoto.org where some authors do. Where can we find out about you and your work?

Joy: I have three blogs:

My writing blog: http://pagadan.wordpress.com

My media blog: http://pagadan.livejournal.com

My house blog: http://pagadan.blogspot.com

Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

Joy: There’s too much doom and gloom and gore in books and movies!  And don’t kill off my favorite characters. (I’m talking to you, Joss.)

Morgen: Like JK Rowling tried to then killed off another instead. Is there anything you’d like to ask me?

Joy: The first thing that crosses is my mind is: How do you find the time to do all you’re doing?!

Morgen: Late nights, early mornings and a part-time (hopefully soon-to-be-ex) job. I have a calendar reminder on my computer that tells me to go to bed at 9pm (with the hope of reading for an hour) but when it goes off I just laugh at it and click the ‘x’. I’m sure one day it’ll take offence and retaliate! Thank you Joy, it’s been great finding out more about you.

Joy was born on a farm in Wisconsin and still love barns and the smell of silage (“an acquired taste,” she says).  She lived in Boston after graduating from college, and is now back in Florida (not retired) where she spent some of her childhood.

After selling wildlife habitat in the country, she bought a foreclosure earlier this year and had to replace the kitchen, among other things. They’d even taken the kitchen sink! Thanks to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), which takes place each November, Joy’s now written three novels.

Morgen: Me too.

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the questions. You complete them, I tweak them where appropriate (if necessary to reflect the blog ‘clean and light’ rating) and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays.

 

Blog interview no.221 with writer Jaidis Shaw

Welcome to the two hundred and twenty-second of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with author and blog tour co-ordinator Jaidis Shaw. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.

Morgen: Hello Jaidis. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

Jaidis: My name is Jaidis Shaw and I am based in South Carolina. Growing up I loved reading and wanted to create stories of my own. I finally got serious about my writing and began work on my first book when I was eighteen. Everything was going well until I was diagnosed with Epilepsy a year later. While taking my Biology exam during college, I began having a Grand Mal seizure every few minutes for the next six hours. As you can imagine I was changed after that and was forced to put my writing on hold while I learned to re-form sentences and the like. Now that I’m 25 years old, I have resumed my writing and hope to share my stories with those willing to read them.

Morgen: I’m sure there are plenty of readers who will be. I read and write primarily short stories and although I have written some novels, shorts will always be my first love. What genre do you generally write?

Jaidis: I haven’t settled on a single genre as I enjoy challenging myself by writing in genres I’m not familiar with. Each story that I have had accepted for publication has been in a different genre so far.

Morgen: Same as me really. I write pretty much anything other than science-fiction although the only piece of sci-fi in my short story anthology eBook was a reviewer’s favourite so maybe I should try more. Maybe you’ll settle on a genre you like but variety can keep writing fresh. What have you had published to-date? Do you have a favourite of your books or characters?

Jaidis: I’m new to the published world but we all have to start somewhere I suppose. My first short story that is published appears in the Twisted Fairy Tales Volume II anthology. I also have a Suspense story that is being published in the Wicked Bag of Suspense Tales anthology. Both anthologies are from Wicked East Press.

Out of my stories that have been accepted, I enjoyed writing about Molly Kenway. You will be able to meet her when the Wicked Bag of Suspense Tales anthology comes out. Although I do have a character in the book that I am working on that is rapidly becoming a favourite of mine.

Morgen: I love the creation process and it’s like making new friends every time. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?

Jaidis: Being accepted is still a thrill since I’m so new to being published. My first short story, The Tower, was accepted in May 2011 into the Twisted Fairy Tales Volume II Anthology and I am still thrilled about it.

Morgen: Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

Jaidis: I’ve only submitted two short stories so far so I haven’t had any rejections yet but I know there will be many in my future.

Morgen: I found the second one worse than the first, especially as there wasn’t an acceptance in between. At least if you’re prepared for them that’s half the battle. It’s just finding the right thing for the right person and it sounds like you’re doing everything right so far. How much of the marketing do you do for your published works or indeed for yourself as a ‘brand’?

Jaidis: I try and do as much marketing as I can, such as taking part in interviews like this. I think it is really important for authors today to connect with their readers in several ways to help get the word out. I try and utilize social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to reach potential readers and friends. My goal is to market myself as a ‘brand’ so that when I have my first book published, I have a following to go on.

Morgen: I was doing it that way round too, and my eBooks are still young (about 6 weeks) with many more to come so I know how you feel… I’m certainly excited. What are you working on at the moment / next?

Jaidis: I am currently working on a Western themed short story with minor Steampunk elements at the request of a good author friend of mine.

Morgen: The western genre seems to be coming back into the spotlight (although I know western novelist and interviewee Jack Martin would say that it’s never been away) and steampunk seems really popular. Do you manage to write every day?

Jaidis: I do not get time to write daily, although I would love to. I just have to fit my writing in whenever possible.

Morgen: I’m sure almost everyone reading this will relate to that. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

Jaidis: My stories usually start with a random idea and then I take time to outline everything. Once I have all the details worked out, I turn to the computer to piece it together.

Morgen: Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

Jaidis: Editing is extremely important in writing today and so I do edit my work several times before submitting. I also have a few beta readers that I use to spot anything I may have missed because nobody likes reading a poorly written story. Even as my writing forms, I’ll still be editing like mad.

Morgen: It’s very good to be thorough. The down side of eBooks is the amount of poorly-written work out there but I maintain that the good writing will be reflected in the reviews, an author can only have so many friends. Do you have to do much research?

Jaidis: I have had to do some research for one of the stories that I had accepted. The main character is a criminal profiler and so I had to do some research to make it believable since I don’t know anything personally about that topic.

Morgen: I usually feel that research is a necessary evil (although the internet makes life easier) but that sounds like the kind of research that would be less painful. Some writers like quiet, others the noise of a coffee shop etc., do you listen to music or have noise around you when you write or do you need silence?

Jaidis: When I first started writing I had to have quiet to be able to think. That quickly changed with my four-year-old daughter playing in the background. Now I try to have a little music on to help balance all the noise out to a tolerable work environment.

Morgen: Oh dear. I just have a dog which is obviously much quieter (other than the occasional squeaky toy) but can be still as distracting. What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? Have you ever tried second person?

Jaidis: I prefer to write first person as it is so much easier for me. I have branched out and started using third person as well because there are some stories that just can’t effectively convey what I want using first person. The last time I tried second person point of view was in college so it has been awhile.

Morgen: Again, a good variety. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?

Jaidis: My favourite aspect of my writing would be to take a character from my mind and make them come to life on paper. It’s great to have a creative outlet to share my stories with others.

Morgen: Me too, I can’t think of anything better.

Jaidis: My least favourite is that I wish that I could have more time to myself to write. Being a stay-at-home mom and working from home as well seriously affects the amount of time I have to dedicate to my writing. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to write more full-time.

Morgen: I’m going freelance at Christmas and am part-excited, part-nervous but am nearly 20 years older than you (although only writing for the last six years on and off) so you have plenty of time. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Jaidis: I wish I had some insightful wisdom that I can pass on but I’m all so new to being a published author myself. I would have to say just to keep at it and if becoming a published author is what you want then make it happen. Only you can stand in your own way.

Morgen: Absolutely. It just takes passion. Well, and hard work but the former will inspire the latter. What do you like to read?

Jaidis: I love reading almost any book. Sometimes I want a sappy romance, other times I love the thrill and suspense of a mystery or horror story. It really just depends on my mood.

Morgen: Ah ha, that’s why you write allsorts. I say I write everything but sci-fi but I read crime and humour / chick-lit and that’s what I tend to write. I’m sure reading inspires writing. Are you involved in anything else writing-related other than actual writing or marketing of your writing?

Jaidis: I am the Book Tour Coordinator for Nurture Your Books™ so I spend my days helping other authors promote their work. I love helping out fellow authors when I can and so I also feature authors on my own blog, Juniper Grove.

Morgen: You do, and you’ve sent Wayne Zurl my way (thank you for that!). What do you do when you’re not writing?

Jaidis: All writing, reading and promoting set aside, I love working on craft projects. It is nice to do things that allow creativity that doesn’t involve outlining and character sketches. Plus my daughter loves crafting as well so it gives us something to do together.

Morgen: Maybe she’ll follow you in your writing too. Ooh, and you could write children’s books. Where can we find out about you and your work?

Jaidis: My Blog: Juniper Grove http://junipergrove.net

My Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jaidis-Shaw/208652099174548

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/JaidisShaw

Nurture Your Books™ NING: http://nurtureyourbooks.ning.com/profile/JaidisShaw

Twisted Fairy Tales Volume II on Amazon.com.

Morgen: Thank you so much Jaidis, and I look forward to your other authors coming my way.

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the questions. You complete them, I tweak them where appropriate (if necessary to reflect the blog ‘clean and light’ rating) and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays.

 

Blog interview no.155 with writer Marja McGraw

Welcome to the one hundred and fifty-fifth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with mystery (with a touch of humour and romance) novelist Marja McGraw. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.

Morgen: Hello Marja. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

Marja: I have a background in both civil and criminal law, on a clerical level. There were no female deputies at that time (early 1970s), and I even had to search for a bomb in the Ladies Room once, without any training.

Morgen: Ah, the good old pre-health and safety gone mad days. Not that I approve of no training – don’t try that at home folks…

Marja: I’ve worked for a state transportation department and a city building department, and at one time I owned a combination tea room / antique store. I was a divorced mother of one and I raised a daughter by myself, and after thirty years I met and married my husband. It’s been an interesting life, and after that bomb experience, I’m glad I’m still here to enjoy it.

Morgen: Me too.

Marja: I became a writer because I’m a storyteller. In fact, I probably drive my friends and family crazy because I have a story for every occasion. It’s not really a big leap from verbal stories to written stories–at least it wasn’t for me–and I’m having more fun writing books that I’ve ever had before.

Morgen: Ah, that’s lovely to hear because that’s what it should be. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

Marja: My logo is A little humor, a little romance, a little murder! I write mysteries that I hope will entertain the reader, because I enjoy reading for entertainment. I honestly haven’t considered writing other genres because there are too many mysteries just dying to be told. Sorry for the pun, but it fits.

Morgen: It certainly does and you’re allowed pretty much anything you like with me, I’m a soft touch (slightly softer after a rather large American ham salad I’ve just had). Back to ‘business’, what have you had published to-date?

Marja: I write two series. The Sandi Webster Mysteries are about a young female private investigator, and The Bogey Man Mysteries are about a man who bears a striking resemblance to Humphrey Bogart and who solves cases as an amateur sleuth. There are currently five books in the Sandi Webster series and the latest is Old Murders Never Die. This one is especially fun because Sandi and her partner, Pete, become stranded in a ghost town in Arizona. A mysterious cowboy and series of murders that took place over a hundred years ago keep the story moving.

Morgen: They do sound like fun. If applicable, can you remember where you saw your first books on the shelves?

Marja: The first time I saw my books on the shelf was at a library. I ran home, grabbed my camera and drove back to take pictures. It drew an audience, so I got to point to the books and say I’d written them.

Morgen: How much of the marketing do you do for your published works or indeed for yourself as a ‘brand’?

Marja: As much as possible. I spend more time marketing and promoting sometimes than I do writing.

Morgen: I know that feeling… sorry, I should interrupt (tell me off next time I do).

Marja: I belong to several groups which consist of readers and writers, and I contribute as often as I can (although not often enough).

Morgen: Do you write under a pseudonym? If so why and do you think it makes a difference?

Marja: I write under my own name. I was trying to think of a good pseudonym and asking for opinions, and the general consensus was that my name, Marja McGraw, was unusual and memorable. I have my doubts about being memorable because most people have trouble even pronouncing Marja, much less remembering it. However, look how many people remember a name like Evanovich. Maybe I’m in good company.

Morgen: I think so. I’d guess at Mar-ya? Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

Marja: I don’t have an agent and, no, I don’t think they’re for everyone. Whether or not to find an agent is definitely an individual decision. As frustrating as it can be sometimes, I’ve enjoyed finding publishers on my own. I have two, one for each series. The Sandi Webster series is with Wings ePress, and Bogey Nights is with Oak Tree Press. I’m very happy with both publishers and I’m actually glad that I found them on my own. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment.

Morgen: They do say that it’s harder to get an agent than a publisher. Oh, hold on, did you say ‘Oak Tree Press’? Yay! They’re a regular feature here. Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?

Marja: One of my publishers is an epublisher (Wings ePress http://www.wingsepress.com), and the other traditional publisher (Oak Tree Press http://oaktreebooks.com) has my books up on Kindle and Nook. Both publishers make the books available in paper format. While I still prefer a paper book, I also enjoy using the Kindle, especially when travelling. My experience in the eworld has been positive, and I’m glad I took this route. I think ebooks are the wave of the future, but I don’t think paper books will ever go away. There are too many dinosaurs like me who enjoy holding the book and keeping it on a shelf.

Morgen: And me. No, I absolutely agree. I think most people favour books for home and eBooks for travelling and I really think it’s getting people reading more. You’ve mentioned what you’ve had published, can you remember your first acceptance? Is being accepted still a thrill?

Marja: My first acceptance wasn’t really an acceptance. I self-published my first book and I don’t generally talk about it because in my mind the book was only mediocre. I’ve come a long way since then, and learned a lot. Each book is a big deal for me when it’s accepted. Far behind all the thoughts about what a good book I’ve written is a niggling little voice saying, When is the publisher going to say, “Go away kid. Ya bother me.” And then I receive a fan letter and that little voice disappears.

Morgen: I think every author thinks that. If it’s any consolation, I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Freda Lightfoot who’s on her 38^th novel and she said the same. Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

Marja: I’d like to say I’m a suffering artist and I’ve had mega rejections, but I’m only a suffering artist. I’ve had three rejections, and after mumbling some nasty things about the publishers to myself, I picked up my manuscript and moved on to more fertile ground. A writer has to remember that not every book will be a good fit with every publisher. Just keep at it, and eventually you’ll find the right fit.

Morgen: Absolutely, a good way to look at it. What are you working on at the moment / next?

Marja: I’m working on the third in the Bogey Man series, and it involves a bestselling gothic author (fictional) from the 1950s who left a lot of secrets behind when she died. Chris Cross, who is the Bogey Man, has a wife, a son, two yellow Labrador retrievers, and in this story his eccentric mother and father make an appearance. The stories are actually told by his wife, Pamela.

Morgen: Wow. That’s some imagination you have there. This sounds like a bit of a redundant question but what’s your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it?

Marja: This hasn’t been too much of an issue. There are always at least one or two chapters I struggle with in a book. I just keep writing, putting anything on the page, and then go back later and “fix” it.

Morgen: Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

Marja: I almost hate to admit it, but I get an idea and run with it. My characters seem to have their own minds about things, so to speak, and they take the story where they want it to go. Once you give your characters personalities, there are things that fit and things that don’t. That’s what directs the story.

Morgen: I love that, how they just take over. Do you have a method for creating your characters, their names and what do you think makes them believable?

Marja: I create the characters by picking out traits which will best fit the story, and because they fit the story, they become down-to-earth and believable. I try to keep the dialogue believable based on the way I hear people speak both in private and in public. For the most part, I generally try to use fairly common names because I’d like people to relate to them.

Morgen: I love people-watching and recently bought a tshirt that said ‘Careful or you may end up in one of my novels’ but I’ve only worn it in front of writing friends so far and they know they’re fair game. What point of view do you find most to your liking?

Marja: First person is my preference, and I let the main character tell the story. I don’t want to narrate because I’d like my characters to have their own voice. Since I’m a storyteller, I’d like my character to be the same.

Morgen: Do you use prologues / epilogues? What do you think of the use of them?

Marja: If they’re relevant to the story, then I like them. Sometimes prologues lead you right into the story. I want to know what happened to everyone after the story is over, but I don’t care if it’s done as a last chapter or an epilogue.

Morgen: If anything, what has been your biggest surprise about writing?

Marja: That people like my books. Who knew? I liked them, but I didn’t know others would.

Morgen: That’s never a guarantee but it’s lovely when they do and deep down, I think it’s what we’re all here for. What do you like to read?

Marja: I read mysteries for the most part, but if I see a humorous book I’ll pick it up and give it a go, too.

Morgen: My two favourite genres. Is there anyone you could suggest reading?

Marja: There are so many authors I could recommend, but I’ll only mention a few here, and these are based on books I’ve read recently. I enjoy Dorothy Bodoin, W.S. Gager, Beverly Connor, G.A. McKevett, Michael Orenduff, and Shirley Kennedy. There are so many more authors I’d like to recommend, but it would take up the whole interview space.

Morgen: That’s OK, I have a long home page. What do you do when you’re not writing?

Marja: Although I’m not a professional, I enjoy photography. I live in the desert, and there are all kinds of critters around here to focus on. We also go boating on a local lake, and we take trips out to the desert on an all terrain vehicle (ATV). I love reading, and occasionally we take in a movie. However, most of my time is spent writing, marketing and promoting.

Morgen: Me too, live and breathe. In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?

Marja: I’m in Arizona, USA, and I live in a small town. It would be a hindrance if it weren’t for the Internet and a willingness to travel to larger cities. I don’t think it’s the country I live in that can slow things down, but the area. It’s quite a drive to the next large city.

Morgen: But as you say you have the internet… Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?

Marja: I’m on several, and I believe they’re invaluable. It gives me places to connect with readers and other writers.

Morgen: It does, it’s great – and I think how we ‘met’. Where can we find out about you and your work?

Marja: I have a website at http://www.marjamcgraw.com and a blog at http://blog.marjamcgraw.com.

Morgen: And what a lot on your blog you have. What do you think the future holds for a writer?

Marja: I can give you a one-word answer. Excitement. We live in interesting times, and things are constantly changing in the world of books.

Morgen: Absolutely. I totally agree. I’m excited. Is there a question you’d like to ask me?

Marja: Yes. You’ve been so generous with your time and efforts in creating this blog. What made you decide to do this?

Morgen: Thank you, it’s a pleasure. I love it when an author says “yes” or “please can I?” then when they follow it through and send their answers back (some don’t… or at least haven’t for two or three months… I live in hope. I’d started the blog back in March 2011 because I’d heard it was a great way of getting your name out and I thought it would be fun, and with a writing group that I gathered information for, I thought I had plenty to say. I started these interviews because I had been asked to do a couple and really enjoyed them. I started at one a day because once I’d put word out (on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook) I was getting about that many responses but soon it grew and by day three, I was posting two a day. Unfortunately that left no time for anything else and on some days (I still have a part-time day job) I was struggling to get them out so after a month I reigned it back to one a day, although I now add author spotlights, guest blogs or flash fiction in the evenings but they’re less input for me so I just about manage to keep up.

I decided on the format of the ‘fireside chat’ for these interviews to make the Q&A a little more personal and, although it’s still hard work, I have an average of 150 hits a day so it’s working. It’s exposure for the other authors (who I really enjoy ‘meeting’) but it’s also, I hope, building an audience for me when my eBooks are ready to roll (I’m hoping by the end of this month).

Marja: Morgen, thank you so much for letting me visit your site. I sincerely appreciate what you’re doing here, and I hope someday you’ll reciprocate and do a blog for my site.

Morgen: You’re so welcome. And absolutely – just let me know what and when.

I then invited Marja to provide an excerpt of her writing and this piece takes place just before Sandi Webster and her partner discover a ghost town.

“You never know. Higher elevations can hold all kinds of surprises. And I know how much you like surprises.”

I shifted in my seat, turning to Pete. “I could go for the rest of my life without another surprise and it wouldn’t break my heart.”

My name is Sandi Webster. Peter Goldberg and I are private investigators who work out of Los Angeles, California. We’ve worked on a number of interesting cases. During my short career I’ve received a few unwanted surprises–like dead bodies. Most of my cases involve working for insurance companies, but like Homicide Detective Rick Mason has said, I’m like a dead body magnet. I don’t want to investigate murders, but they kept turning up, right under my nose.

Now we were on vacation and we’d left all of that behind. I could enjoy a trip with my fiancé, Pete, and forget everything else. We seemed to be in the middle of nowhere without towns or people, so that meant no deaths or broken bodies. Just me, Pete and Bubba. Oh, yeah, Bubba is my bear-sized dog, half wolf and half golden retriever. What more could a girl ask for?

Indeed. Well, as it turns out Marja did reciprocate and you can read her interview of me here.

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the questions. You complete them, I tweak them where appropriate (if necessary to reflect the blog ‘clean and light’ rating) and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.  You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays.

 

Guest post: ‘Power with a capital P’ by Carol Crigger

I’m delighted to bring you this guest blog post, today on the topic of names, by historical and suspense western author Carol Crigger.

‘Power with a capital P’

There’s Power, with a capital P, in your characters’ name.

Naming your characters is just like naming your baby. Your fictional people will live and die under this name, so you need to choose their names with care.

Names are more than just tags to hang on your characters. Names define them, giving them personality and substance.

Sometimes you may find a character will almost name him/herself, as if it’s meant to be. In one of my westerns, my heroine turned stubborn. By the time I got to the second chapter where she contemplated turning to prostitution to keep herself alive, she’d told me that Leah just wasn’t working for her. So I used my replace function, and changed her to Sophie, thinking that was a spunkier name. But maybe it was too close to what a real prostitute might call herself, and she drew a line in the sand. “My name is Caroline,” she told me, and fortunately, I took her at her word and the story progressed from there. I, as the author, had balked at Caroline since it’s so similar to my own name, but she insisted. Do my characters have life for me? Oh, yes they do! Caroline’s counterpart, the love interest and major source of conflict, is Micah Sutton. His name was always a given, denoting—to me at least—strength, easy to remember, a name suitable for the time period, and even seeming to belong to an attractive, though simple, sometimes stubborn man. And Micah is all of those things.

At least two of my major characters have names I’d never heard or seen anywhere other than my books. One is Thomasella, whose name makes me think she could be a fledgling magician. (Note: I’ve since seen this as a last name.) The other is Boothenay Irons, my wise-cracking, butt-kicking, time-traveling gunsmith, whose name suits her perfectly.

I spend a lot of time with names. I can’t work the story until I’ve learned and defined the characters through their names. A name has to tell the reader something right off. How could a Mary possibly be a magician? How could Carol be a time-traveler. They just couldn’t. Not in my lexicon. The name you—or your character—selects will suggest certain traits, whether social, ethnic, occupational, personality, strengths or weakness, and the era they’re “living” in. Most likely all of those things. Too plain a name, and your characters will fade and become forgettable. Too fancy, hard to pronounce, or weird, and they run the risk of becoming so difficult the reader will give up on them. That’s why it’s so important to get the names right.

Give your protagonist and sidekick or love interest a name you love; give your villain a name you hate, give your secondary characters names that either irritate you or that you like but may be ho-hum. Give them names you hardly notice, or names you distrust. Whatever quality you want that character to have, she will subconsciously be endowed with it as you write her into the story.

Morgen: I also did a piece on names a while back but not a patch on this. Thank you Carol!

Born and raised in North Idaho on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation, C.K. Crigger lives with her husband and three feisty little dogs in Spokane Valley, Washington. She is a member of Western Writers of America and reviews books and writes occasional articles for Roundup magazine. Imbued with an abiding love of western traditions and wide-open spaces, Ms. Crigger writes of free-spirited people who break from their standard roles. In her books, whether westerns, mysteries, or fantasy, the locales are real places. All of her books are set the Inland Northwest, the westerns with a historical background. Her short story, Aldy Neal’s Ghost, was a 2007 Spur finalist.  Her western novel, Black Crossing, won the 2008 Eppie. Letter of the Law was a 2009 Spur finalist in the audio category.

If you would like to write a writing-related guest post for my blog then feel free to email me with an outline of what you would like to write about. If it’s writing-related then it’s highly likely I’d email back and say “yes please” (while quietly bouncing up and down in my seat with joy!).

 

Blog interview no.138 with multi-genre author Alison Bruce

Welcome to the one hundred and thirty eighth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found at http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/blog-interviews. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the authors further.

Morgen: Hello Alison. Lovely to ‘meet’ you again after your spotlight earlier this month (http://wp.me/p18Ztn-K1). Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

Alison: My mother was a wonderful storyteller. I grew up on stories about her experiences growing up in England during WWII. At bedtime, she’d make up tales, letting us pick the characters – a game I still play with my children. My parents were also great readers. Mum loved mysteries and historical fiction. I was reading Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer when my contemporaries were still on chapter books. Dad preferred action adventure. He introduced me to the books of Louis L’Amour, Alistair MacLean and Donald Jack. All of this had its inevitable effect. By age twelve I started telling and writing my own stories. I haven’t stopped yet.

Morgen: That’s a real mixture there. What genre do you generally write?

Alison: I consider myself a genre writer – that is, I’ll write in almost any genre. I’m less likely to write what would be called general or literary fiction. I started writing Science Fiction, added Westerns, Fantasy, Paranormal Suspense… Everything I write seems to have mystery, romance and coffee.

Morgen: So yes, a bit of everything (more so than me in fact). What have you had published to-date? If applicable, can you remember where you saw your first books on the shelves?

Alison: My first publication was a handbook for women’s centres, researched and written with two other women. I went into the Women’s Centre at University of Guelph years later, saw it there on the resource shelf and still felt very proud. You probably mean fiction though.

Morgen: Um, well, not necessarily. That definitely counts. But you have had fiction published?

Alison: I’ve had some poetry and short stories published in small press venues but ‘Under A Texas Star’ is my first novel published. Since it came out in eBook format first, my first view was on Amazon. I was tickled when it made it to Amazon.uk – especially since it was up there before making it to Amazon.ca. I’m old-school enough that seeing the paperback on shelves is still the most exciting.

Morgen: Have you ever seen a member of the public (that you don’t know!) reading your book… in any unusual locations?

Alison: Not yet. Looking forward to that moment though.

Morgen: How much of the marketing do you do for your published works or indeed for yourself as a ‘brand’?

Alison: I’ve been working as a copywriter and editor for over twenty years now and a big chunk of my contracts have been marketing related. Even so, it was a big shift to market myself. Fortunately, I have a lot of support from my publisher. I’ve started thinking of myself as an author being the client of myself as a copywriter.

Morgen: Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions and do you think they help with a writer’s success?

Alison: ‘Under A Texas Star’ was one of five finalists for the 2010 Textnovel.com Novel Competition. I used that in my query letter to my publisher and I’m sure it helped. I’m the administrator for Crime Writers of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Awards (Canada’s Dagger). Everyone I’ve talked to wants to win, but it really makes a difference to the new authors.

Morgen: I’d say it does, yes… as a new author. Do you write under a pseudonym? If so why and do you think it makes a difference?

Alison: To quote Popeye, “I yam what I yam.” Maybe, if I was writing something I wouldn’t want my family to read, I would have gone for a pseudonym, but that isn’t the case. It is a bit odd because there is an Alison Bruce writing mysteries in the UK. After a case of mistaken identities, we’ve kept in touch. We both have two kids and live in Cambridge – Cambridge Ontario in my case. Funnily enough, I never get mistaken for the Alison Bruce who played the evil sorceress in Xena the Warrior Princess.

Morgen: You mentioned your publisher, do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

Alison: In the past I spent about as much time trying to get an agent as trying to get a publisher. There’s a Catch-22 to that endeavour. I got the publisher first. For now, I don’t seem to need an agent, but if someone wants to go after a movie contract or option my books for a television series, I’ll consider it.

Morgen: It is said that an agent is more difficult but I guess getting an agent now you have a publisher would be… I was going to say “easier”… perhaps “less impossible” may be more accurate. If your book available as an eBook? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?

Alison: ‘Under A Texas Star’ came out as an eBook first. There are many benefits to this – not the least of which is that new readers don’t have to invest a lot of money to give you a try. I’m like Captain Picard on Star Trek. Electronic media are all well and good, but I prefer to hold a book in my hands when I’m reading for relaxation.

Morgen: Me too, although I have an eReader but just use it when I travel (which is rarely). What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?

Alison: I was thrilled when my publishing partners agreed that my SF short story should go in our next book. I practically vibrated when I found out Imajin Books wanted ‘Under A Texas Star’. Having enough faith in your ability to keep at it, sucking up the rejections, doesn’t keep you from being as shocked as you are pleased when you are accepted.

Morgen: Presses you’ve had some rejections along the way. If so, how do you deal with them?

Alison: After my first two rejections I gave up trying to get published for twenty years.

Morgen: Ouch.

Alison: What an idiot!

Morgen: Well, I wouldn’t put it like that…

Alison: It wasn’t until my sister was dying of cancer that I finally listened to her and got back on the metaphorical horse. I still got rejections for a few years, but I dealt with them… chocolate helps.

Morgen: And I bet you’re glad you did (sorry to hear about your sister). What are you working on at the moment / next?

Alison: I’m editing a mystery that will be coming out next spring. When I need a break from that, I work on the sequel to ‘Under A Texas Star’.

Morgen: Ooh great, love the cover by the way. You sound busy, do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?

Alison: When I was doing NaNoWriMo, I had a 6,000 word day. Up until I sold ‘Under A Texas Star’, I was averaging 2000 per day, five days a week – or the equivalent in editing. Promoting the book put the kibosh on that for a few months. I’m having to work my way up again. I have to admit, when I have a writing contract, I count that work as well as fiction writing.

Morgen: Ah yay. I’ve done NaNo three times too and want to keep doing it although I’m concentrating more on short stories these days. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?

Alison: When my sister died I suffered from the worst writers block I ever experienced. We worked together on a book I hope to find a publisher for someday. She made sure I had time to write and edited my first drafts. While the book was languishing on a publisher’s slush pile, I tried to write a sequel. I couldn’t concentrate. The cure was an entirely different story and NaNoWriMo. I participated for three years – each year I increased my daily word count.

Morgen: I can understand why things ground to a halt. I must admit that I need something like NaNo to focus my attentions, nothing like having to write 1667 words a day to actually do it. I went from 52K in 2008 to 117K in 2009 but then bumped down to 51K last year – with everything I have going on at the moment (the blog, getting  my eBooks out) I’ll be happy with any of those three figures. Where do you get your inspiration from?

Alison: “It’s all grist for the mill.” ‘Under A Texas Star’ was inspired by the research I did as a result of watching Bordertown on TV. The show featured a Mountie and a former Texas Ranger. Some day I’ll have to use the research on Mounties in a story. The characters in the mystery I’m editing came to me in a dream. The dream didn’t make a lot of sense, but the characters resonated with me.

Morgen: And knowing characters they probably took over. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

Alison: I have crates full of stories I “ran with”. Most are unfinished. Although the characters come to me first, I plot out the main arcs of the story before I get down to serious writing. I’m also a research junkie. With all my notes and tables, it’s a cause for celebration when the novel finally has a larger word count than my “bible”.

Morgen: We touched on characters a minute ago, do you have a method for creating your characters, their names and what do you think makes them believable?

Alison: I have a few name books. My favourite is The Baby Boomer Book of Names because it give humorous explanations as well as entymological and historical references. Most of my names come from there.  Each of my characters also has a backstory far in excess of what is strictly needed for the novel. Often my main characters start out as an aspect of myself and grow into their own people. “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players…” Fortunately, I’m adept at playing multiple roles, sometime simultaneously and usually, but not always, in my head.

Morgen: Do you write non-fiction? If so, how do you decide what to write about?

Alison: When I write nonfiction, I write what my client wants.

Morgen: Ah OK. Do you write any poetry?

Alison: I’ll skip this one

Lest poets make fun

Of my terrible rhyme

And poor sense of time

Morgen: You’re a poet and you didn’t even… OK, I’ll not go there (I try not to). Are you involved in anything else writing-related other than actual writing or marketing of your writing?

Alison: I edit, proof, polish, sometimes ghostwrite for other professionals whose expertise does not include writing. That’s one of my “day jobs”.

Morgen: Cool. Who is your first reader – who do you first show your work to?

Alison: My best friend Nancy usually sees my work first. We’ve known each other since high school. She’s a teacher and is ruthless with my spelling, grammar and logic errors. At the same time, we like a lot of the same books so she gets what I’m writing. I’m fortunate to have other critical but supportive friends, but Nancy usually gets first crack at my work.

Morgen: I’m the same with Rachel (my editor / friend / editor – she’s firm but fair enough to be two-thirds editor, one-third friend ) Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

Alison: Yes to both questions.

Morgen: How much research do you have to do for your writing? Have you ever received feedback from your readers?

Alison: I’m a research junkie. I probably do more research than I need to. In the case of ‘Under A Texas Star’, I’ve been complimented on the authentic feel of my novel.

Morgen: Then it’s all worth it. Research is my least favourite although having the internet does help. What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write?

Alison: Sometimes I feel like I’m working on stories 24/7. Most of them never get beyond my brain. Some get worked out in notes and vignettes – I have a box of notebook stories in my office and even more in files on my computer. At some point there will be a tipping point and that story will become a novel. That’s when I start plotting and researching and creating character notes and story arcs.

Morgen: Do you write on paper or do you prefer a computer?

Alison: I love my laptop!

Morgen: Me too… my laptop, that is not yours, although yours is probably very nice. Some writers like quiet, others the noise of a coffee shop etc. Do you listen to music or have noise around you when you write or do you need silence?

Alison: One of the reasons I love my laptop is because I love working in coffee shops. I can write with music, without music, and in the midst of my children arguing. I almost always carry a notebook and pen just in case – but have been known to write on cocktail coaster at the bar with a borrowed pen. I prefer writing on my laptop with a mug of coffee beside me and light jazz or swing in the background.

Morgen: That sounds a bit like the interviewees who had to have something to read (cereal boxes amongst other things). What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? Have you ever tried second person?

Alison: I love writing in first person notwithstanding the fact that Under A Texas Star is written in third-person because there are two protagonists.

Morgen: Do you use prologues / epilogues? What do you think of the use of them?

Alison: If used in the right way, prologues and epilogues can be useful.

Morgen: Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?

Alison: Crates of them. I’ve been writing since I was twelve, after all.

Morgen: That’s true – I’m so envious, although maybe not of having crates of ‘never see light of day’ writing. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?

Alison: I love to write. I don’t mind editing. Not crazy about proofing. All the promotional stuff can get a bit wearing but I’ve been working at this interview for an hour or more now and enjoying myself.

Morgen: Oh great… <wipes brow with relief> If anything, what has been your biggest surprise about writing?

Alison: It isn’t a surprise exactly, but I have received unexpected praise for my storytelling. One person compared me to Hemmingway because there was nothing superfluous in ‘Under A Texas Star’. If only they knew how hard I worked to get it that way.

Morgen: Wow… that is a compliment. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Alison: The most common advice is “Don’t give up your day job.” I would just say “Don’t give up.” If I could go back in time, I’d kick my younger self in the gluteus maximus for giving up on trying to get published.

Morgen: But you came back again and succeeded. I’ve only just started the first time round in my early / mid forties! What do you like to read?

Alison: My favourite author is Terry Pratchett. I probably read the Guards books in the Discworld series once a year. Though I have been reading her novels since I was elevenish, I’ve never tired of Georgette Heyer’s historicals. As a member of Crime Writers of Canada, I’ve been making a point to read books by our members. I can safely say there is something there for every taste in crime fiction, but if I mention one and not another I could get hanged.

Morgen: That is possible – the genre of writers you don’t want to upset is crime. (tell me later) What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies or party tricks?

Alison: Not writing, telling stories or making them up in my head? I have two wonderful children that keep me busy and entertained. In addition to writing and editing, I’m a graphic designer. When I have the time – and sometimes when I don’t – I create cartoons and illustrations. My party trick is being able to come up with a song for every occasion.

Morgen: Oh I love cartoons; watching and creating. I have a cartoon corner in my dining room with some peculiar characters including a Spiderman with a wobbly head. Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?

Alison: These are two sources that I used when I decided to get serious about my fiction. How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author by Janet Evanovich. This is a book but I enjoyed the audio book even more since it fit the conversational tone of the material. It was like sitting in a workshop with the author. http://www.sfwriter.com/owindex.htm Robert Sawyer on how to write. I had lunch with Robert years ago at a literary function. I’ll never forget how encouraging he was. I checked out his website and found that he was really serious about helping new authors.

Morgen: And rightly so. We were all learner drivers once… if you see what I mean. And yes, Janet has done extremely well. In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?

Alison: I live in Canada but it wouldn’t surprise me to find out that 90% of my reader are American. That’s what happens when you write a western. Thank heavens for the Internet! Since my book is also a mystery, I can promote it via Crime Writers of Canada (I’m not only on staff, I’m a member.)

Morgen: Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?

Alison: Ah. Social networking. With practise, I’ve improved my skills at social networking. It doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m on Twitter and I have an author pages on Facebook, Amazon and Goodreads. I know that Twitter as well as the forums on Amazon and Goodreads have brought me new readers. I don’t know if Facebook has increased my readership, but it’s early days.

Morgen: I have that to look forward to (hopefully). Where can we find out about you and your work?

Alison: I have a website: http://www.alisonbruce.ca with all the basic information about my books, business and community work. I also have two blogs.  The first one, “have laptop – will travel” http://alisonebruce.blogspot.com combines personal stories with book promotion. You can also find an excerpt from ‘Under A Texas Star’ there. My second blog, Nighthawk Talk http://nighthawktalk.blogspot.com, is an imaginary radio show, hosted by Nighthawk, and talking to characters from mine and other authors’ books.

Morgen: I like the sound of that (those). What do you think the future holds for a writer?

Alison: In my case I’m hoping for movie options and bestsellingstatus.  Seriously, the world will always need storytellers. They said radio would kill books, then movies, then television. Yet, not only do we keep on reading books, but radio, movies and television also need writers. Blogs and eBooks have only made it easier for writers to reach an audience.

Morgen: And I’m pretty sure getting more people to read. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

Alison: I can’t believe I answered the whole thing!

Morgen: I’m very grateful that you did (no-one has to but most do which is great). Is there a question you’d like to ask me?

Alison: Which one of your characters would you like interviewed on Nighthawktalk.blogspot.com? Is it the character most like yourself?

Morgen: Ooh good question. There are two characters I’m particularly fond of; one is the title protagonist from a short story I wrote called ‘April’s Fool’ which will be one story in a forthcoming eBook anthology and the other is a nameless chap who was the narrator in a 650-word monologue based on a true story. That will be released in another collection – both probably early / mid next year. I’d ask April what her slob of a husband was really like when they first married and my other character (who I guess I’d have to name) I’d probably ask what his favourite flavour jelly was (the opening scene is him feeding it to his father).

Thank you Alison.

Alison Bruce has an honours degree in history and philosophy, which has nothing to do with any regular job she’s held since. She grew up surrounded by golden age mysteries – Christie, Sayer, Stout – Georgette Heyer’s historical romances and the classic westerns of Louis L’Amour and Zane Grey. Naturally, her debut novel, ‘Under A Texas Star’, is a mystery-romance set in the old west. You can also read Alison’s author spotlight here.

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the questions. You complete them, I tweak them where appropriate (if necessary to reflect the blog ‘clean and light’ rating) and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/flash-fiction-fridays.

 

Author Spotlight no.8 – author Velda Brotherton

To complement my daily blog interviews I recently started a series of Author Spotlights and today’s, the eighth, is of non-fiction and western historical romance author and interviewee no.91 Velda Brotherton. You can read the others here.

Velda has written seriously since 1983, though she always made up stories for herself and loved to read from the moment her mother taught her before she started school. In 1994 her first two books were published. One nonfiction, another a Western Historical Romance. As fate would have it, her career was growing well and with four books under her belt she felt secure. Bad idea. The bottom fell out, the line closed and she went to another house. Unhappy there, she turned to writing historical nonfiction.

But her love for fiction continued and she wrote several novels while getting some books published in regional non fiction. Today she works solely with small presses and E book publishers, including adding her back list books to Kindle herself.

Velda lives and works in Arkansas. She and her husband have a home in the country and they travel frequently, mostly for research but also for pleasure.

She is a member of Women Writing the West, Authors Guild, Ozark Writers League, Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc., and is the co-chair of the Northwest Arkansas Writer’s Workshop, a critique group that was founded in 1987. She holds workshops, speaks occasionally at conferences which she attends a few times a year, and is fond of giving presentations at the many small libraries in her area of the state.

Her favorite pastime when she isn’t writing is visiting with her daughter, swimming, reading and watching a good movie.

And now from the author herself:

It’s hard for me to imagine a day without writing. I don’t recall ever having to force myself to sit myself in a chair and write. I remember as a child in Wichita, Kansas, where I grew up, lying out in the sun and making up stories that starred, of course, me. I could do anything in that make-believe world. For years I kept that a secret because I thought there was probably something wrong with me. Other people surely didn’t do that. Much later, I learned that all my writer friends created similar worlds, and for the first time I didn’t feel a little crazy.

Until my husband retired, I waited until he went to work on early second shift, and at 2 p.m. or so climbed the stairs to my office and went to work. I would come to myself with a single light burning and darkness all around me. In those days I had no thought of publication, just kept writing books. I must have had four or five thick novels finished before I accidentally met another writer and we began to help each other. By then I was writing newspaper articles for publication. I learned quickly that small weekly newspapers were hungry for columns and articles. At first I wrote profiles on crafts people for a local Ozark Craft Outlet. That led to more stories and finally a stringer assignment from a daily. Soon after that I went to work as a feature writer for a good-sized weekly paper. All without benefit of a journalism degree or training. You might say I learned by the seat of my pants.

And that’s the way I learned to write novels and nonfiction historical books. Back in those days there weren’t very many writers in our area, but since the huge growth of Northwest Arkansas, many have moved here. Our small writer’s group, which we formed with about five or six hopefuls in 1987, has grown into a large critique group that is popular in the area. At times we have as many as 25 people show up to take part. Several of us are published and more are being published all the time. I do so enjoy mentoring these new writers and helping them get started.

Ebook publishing is one of the most exciting things to happen in many years. For the first time writers actually have opportunities to handle their own career, from publishing through promotion. We can write the kind of books we’ve always wanted to write and publish them. For many this will bring about good results, for some it won’t. Good books will sell, the rest will languish, much like they always have with big publishers. But we all will get the chance to try out our work on the reading public around the world.

For me, this is particularly welcome, for as I grow older it becomes more difficult to drag my books around to book signings. And with the high price of gasoline, going to and from the events is costly. The Ebook revolution couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Learning to format and upload the books to Kindle has been difficult, but I think I’ve got it figured out now. I look forward to quite a few more years writing and publishing novels and possibly a memoir about my time spent working for a small newspaper. It was quite exciting at times. I have to say I’ve loved everything about this career which I didn’t get serious about until I was almost 50. Everyone should be so blessed.

You can find more about Velda and her writing via…

http://www.veldabrotherton.com

http://vbrotherton.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/authorveldabrotherton

To view the selection of (and we’d love you to purchase) her books…

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005AXY89Q

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005G4WVSE

http://www.amazon.dom/dp/B005LDPE48

“probably something wrong with me” I love that! Thank you so much Velda.

The blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with novelist and online creative writing tutor Harriet Hopkinson – the one hundred and twenty-seventh of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. And I enjoy hearing from readers of my blog; do either leave a comment on the relevant interview (the interviewees love to hear from you too!) and / or email me. You can also read / download my eBooks here.

 

Author Spotlight no.7 – Alison Bruce

To complement my daily blog interviews I recently started a series of Author Spotlights and today’s, the seventh, is of copywriter, editor and author of mystery-romance westerns and fantasy Alison Bruce. You can read the others here.

Alison Bruce has an honours degree in history and philosophy, which has nothing to do with any regular job she’s held since; a liberal arts education, did prepare her to be a writer, however. She penned her first novel during lectures while pretending to take notes. A copywriter and editor since 1992, Alison has also been a comic book store manager, small press publisher and web designer in the past. She currently manages publications for Crime Writers Canada and is a volunteer with Action Read Family Literacy Centre. A single mother, she lives in Guelph, Ontario with her two children, Kate and Sam. Alison grew up surrounded by the great dames of golden age mysteries, Georgette Heyer’s historical romances and the classic westerns of Louis L’Amour and Zane Grey. Naturally enough her debut novel, Under A Texas Star, is a mystery-romance set in the old west.

And now from the author herself:

One reviewer compared my writing to Hemingway – a great compliment – because there was nothing in my novel that didn’t need to be there. My sister, on the other hand, compared my writing process to Tolkein. My notes are almost as long as my novels.

Under A Texas Star has had many adventures on the road to publication. Orphaned by obsolete technology, the original manuscript clung to life as a printout from a dying dot-matrix printer. When it finally made it into a workable file, it had to wait while I had a couple of kids and took care of my sister and father. Meanwhile I collected far more information on Texas, guns, riding, and the price of beans and ammunition than you would ever want to see in a novel.

Deadly Succession, being released next year by Imajin Books, started with an interview on the future of police services. This was back in my small-press publisher days. We were producing a day-planner. For each month we were including an interview with a woman who had achieved success on her own terms. At the time, we had a woman chief of police. The germ of an idea for a near future mystery series started there. I haven’t let the opportunity to talk to a police officer or private investigator get past me since.

Whether it involves the past, the projected future or world mythologies (I write fantasy too), I love to throw myself into the research. That’s where I find the materials to build the world where I set my stories.

When Marly Landers is fooled by con man Charlie Meese, she’s determined to bring him to justice―even if it means dressing up as a boy and setting off across the plains to find him. Texas Ranger Jase Strachan is also after Meese, for crimes committed in Texas. He joins forces with the young boy in a journey that takes them to Fortuna, where a murder interrupts their mission. Jase is duty bound to find the killer, no matter the cost. Marly carries out her own investigation and comes to the aid of Amabelle Egan, the sister of one of the suspects. But appearances are deceiving, and Marly is mistaken for Amabelle’s suitor, making her a target for the killer. Not to mention, Charlie Meese is still out there. You can read the excerpt here.

You can find more about Alison and her writing via…

Website: http://www.alisonbruce.ca

Blogs: http://alisonebruce.blogspot.com and http://nighthawktalk.blogspot.com 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books

Twitter: http://twitter.com/alisonebruce

My interview with Alison is scheduled for Monday, 26^th September so please do return for that.

The blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with non-fiction, fantasy, horror & literary author (amongst many genres) David Antrobus – the one hundred and twenty-third of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. And I enjoy hearing from readers of my blog; do either leave a comment on the relevant interview (the interviewees love to hear from you too!) and / or email me. You can also read / download my eBooks here.

 

Blog interview no.113 with historical and suspense western author Carol Crigger

Welcome to the one hundred and thirteenth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found at http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/blog-interviews.

Morgen: Hello Carol. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

Carol: I’m a western girl who has never wanted to live anywhere else. I wouldn’t object to being a world traveler, of course, as long as I could always come home. I came to writing through the love of reading. So many wonderful writers made me see a wider world through their writing that it made me want to do the same.

Morgen: Many an author has recommended aspiring writers read as much as they can so you were clearly doing the right thing. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

Carol: I write in several different genres, most predominately historical westerns, the latest series leaning toward suspense.  They’re not exactly mysteries, but a crime always runs the plot. I’ve also written a time travel series and a standalone horse and sword fantasy. Fun stuff!

Morgen: It certainly sounds like it, and very popular genres. What have you had published to-date? Can you remember where you saw your first books on the shelves?

Carol: I have eleven novels in print at this time, with another contracted and a couple in the “can.” I can easily remember where I saw my first book shelved. It was at the local Hastings bookstore and I was pretty darn excited.

Morgen: I bet. How much of the marketing do you do for your published works or indeed for yourself as a ‘brand’?

Carol: I know I should do more, but online I run a blog specifically for my western suspense series, I do guest blogs, I make my presence known online by participating in various forums, I’m on Twitter and Facebook, I write reviews of westerns, mysteries, and am just getting started writing a few for Science Fiction/Fantasy. I have a campaign planned for Goodreads, as I’ve heard this is an excellent place to make oneself known. I try to hit at least one farmer’s market per month, and do speaking engagements whenever I can find one. Mind you, I don’t find any of this easy or fast but it’s all a part of the game.

Morgen: It doesn’t sound like you’d have time to do more. Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions and do you think they help with a writer’s success?

Carol: I have actually won or been finalists in a few competitions. Beginning in 2004, Liar’s Trail was an Eppie Award finalist. In 2007 a short story became a Spur Award finalist; in 2008 I won the Eppie Award for best historical/western; in 2009 I was a Spur Award finalist in the audio category, and in 2010 a short story was a Western Fictioneers finalist. Looking at that it seems impressive but I can’t actually see that any of those awards have helped sales. Maybe a little name recognition.

Morgen: Something for the CV certainly. There has been a lot of discussion recently about what an author needs to do to promote their book and what makes an impact and whilst authors do a variety of promotional work, it appears tricky knowing what works (although one author has done well with press releases). I think you just have to keep going, unless it’s clearly timewasting it can’t hurt. Do you write under a pseudonym? If so why and do you think it makes a difference?

Carol: So far, I’ve written under my own name. Why not? I’m not ashamed of anything I’ve written. I have an apocalyptic novel ready to go that I may use a pseudonym for just to see how it goes.

Morgen: You have a memorable name so absolutely, why not? Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

Carol: No, I don’t have an agent. Whether they’re vital may depend on how you define success.

Morgen: Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?

Carol: My books are available as eBooks, and some are in audio, too. I’ve found most of my sales through the publishers are eBook and I hand sell the print copies. You bet I do read eBooks. I have a Kindle and it’s loaded!

Morgen: I love audiobooks, they let me multi-task. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?

Carol: My first acceptance was for the time travel series in audio. The series is also available in print and electronic form. And having a story accepted is always a thrill. I’m sure it always will be.

Morgen: Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

Carol: I have one novel that’s never found a home. I still think it’s a good story but it just doesn’t seem to appeal to editors. I may do a total rewrite one of these days and go direct to Kindle with it.

Morgen: Good plan. That’s the great thing about eBooks. What are you working on at the moment / next?

Carol: I’m working on a contemporary mystery, which features a female wounded veteran as the lead character. Frankie McGill is home from the war in Afghanistan, has found an EMT job in her old home town, and almost immediately is faced with more violence and death as murders pop up. This is set in a fictional town in the wheat growing country of northern Idaho state.

Morgen: Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?

Carol: I try to write every day, even if it’s no more than a paragraph. Three pages of useable output is fairly average for me but I have done five pages or so a few times. I’m a slow typist.

Morgen: 500 words a day is 118,250 words a year. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?

Carol: I have brain freeze sometimes, when I know what I want to say but it just doesn’t come out right. At those times, I write book reviews, blog posts, or articles. Hey, it’s still writing!

Morgen: It is. “It just doesn’t come out right” I’d say is what most first drafts would be. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

Carol: I’m a seat of the pants type writer. I go into a story knowing the main characters and the central conflict, and go from there.

Morgen: The best way for a lot of authors I’d say. Do you have a method for creating your characters, their names and what do you think makes them believable?

Carol: The characters have to fit in the setting and the time they’re given. For westerns–well, any historical story–they need the mindset of the day. And they need to use the correct language, too. No one, before the 1960s or so, would’ve dreamed of call American Indians “native Americans.”  Names also need to fit the era, and just as in the present day, certain names were popular then. Fantasy and science fiction are allowed more latitude, which is fun.

Morgen: It’s so lovely to hear your writing described as ‘fun’. That’s what it should be. Who is your first reader – who do you first show your work to?

Carol: I belong to a writers critique group and they, collectively, are my first readers.

Morgen: They’re great, aren’t they? Every writer should have (a good) one. Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

Carol: My writing is more fully formed nowadays, but I still edit before anyone ever sees my work.

Morgen: Oh absolutely. I don’t think any writer is flawless. Sometimes our brains see what they think it should be, not what it is (though / thought etc). What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write?

Carol: Hmm. I try to set some kind of goal. Complete a scene in my head. Sometimes writing consists of taking a walk and just thinking. I can get back home and not remember a thing I saw on the walk. Of course, that may just be early onset senility.

Morgen: I’d say not. I’m the same if I have no paper / pen on me; which I’m pleased to say rarely happens as I did once and I came up with a brilliant idea and don’t think I’ve thought of it again… not the same one anyway, but then I can’t remember what it is. Do you write on paper or do you prefer a computer?

Carol: I like to make notes on paper, but my computer is where the actual writing occurs.

Morgen: Me too. What sort of music do you listen to when you write?

Carol: I never listen to music when I write. I find, however, that every one of my stories has a theme song. I can listen to the song before I begin writing and it immediately puts me into the story. Love it! Matchbox 20 and Rob Thomas, Counting Crows, Natalie Marchant, Pearl Jam, and several more deserve my thanks for revving up my creative juices. But once I sit down, off it goes.

Morgen: What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? Have you ever tried second person?

Carol: I’ve never tried second person and never finished anything written in second person. It’s unnatural, to my way of thinking.

Morgen: You’re not alone in that. I’m just odd; I love it.

Carol: I like writing in first person, but third person is okay too. My books are some of each–it totally depends on the book and how the story needs told.

Morgen: Do you use prologues / epilogues? What do you think of the use of them?

Carol: My China Bohannon series, all three books so far, have short prologues to set up the crime she has to figure out.  I’ve heard people say they never read prologues, but I can’t imagine why not.

Morgen: I never used to (ditto blocks of description) but then I wrote one and it changed my opinion. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?

Carol: Most of my stuff has been published, but what hasn’t probably either needs to stay right where it is, in the dark, or else have a complete rewrite.

Morgen: Let’s hope just the latter. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?

Carol: I love starting a new book. My least favorite aspect is trying to sell the darn things.

Morgen: I reckon that most if not all the other interviewees will agree with you. If anything, what has been your biggest surprise about writing?

Carol: I’m constantly surprised by the number of people who want to write books. Most will probably never see their dream to fruition, but the idea is certainly there.

Morgen: They do say that everyone has a book inside them but I think it’s down to passion. Those who are passionate enough will just keep going. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Carol: Persevere, work at your craft, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.

Morgen: Yes, practice. What do you like to read?

Carol: Everything, including recipes on the back of the flour bag. LOL.

Morgen: That’s a new one; I’ve had cereal boxes and…

Carol: Oh, you mean books. My TBR pile usually holds mysteries, science fiction and fantasy, historical / westerns. I just plain love a good book, no matter what the genre.

Morgen: Your reference to flour has reminded me of one of my favourite films; ‘Stranger than fiction’ – which I often mention to people and get a glazed look. If I had to chose one movie, it would be that. Look out for the point, about two-thirds of the way through when Will Ferrell is standing outside Maggie Gyllenhall’s bakery with a gift. It’s priceless. It’s also got Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman yet clearly didn’t do well at the cinema; even I missed it! Are there any writing-related websites and / or books that you find useful and would recommend?

Carol: Several agents have good websites for advice, the Bookends Literary Agency among them. There are tons more. Everyone seems to have a favorite list.  When I began writing in a serious way, I read several books on writing. I no longer do, feeling my time is spent more profitably by sitting butt in chair and hammering away at my keyboard.

Morgen: I’d agree with that (says she who hasn’t written a word in over a week).

Carol: But a couple grammar books are never far away, along with a couple thesaurus, dictionaries, including one from the WWI era, The Chicago Manual of Style, and Strunk & White’s Elements of Style.

Morgen: Chicago… that leads me on nicely to my next question. In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?

Carol: I’m in the United States and honestly, I can’t say whether this is a help, a hindrance or completely immaterial.

Morgen: Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?

Carol: I am on several forums and networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Goodreads. I’m not sure if the time spent pays off or not, but I love being in contact with other writers and readers.

Morgen: Absolutely – see earlier reference to press releases etc al… Where can we find out about you and your work?

Carol: My website is http://www.ckcrigger.com, blog connections and book information are included there. And I have a specific blog set up for China Bohannon, my 1890s bookkeeper turned sleuth, (http://twofeetbelow.blogspot.com) where I talk about her dog, her clothes, what she does for fun and other aspects of 1890s life in the west.

Morgen: Sounds like you know her well. What do you think the future holds for a writer?

Carol: As long as people like to read, writing will never go out of style.

Morgen: Absolutely and I think with the addition of eBooks, people are reading now more than ever. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

Carol: I’d mention the eBook revolution, but there’s already plenty of talk–and opinions–on that. Love my Kindle, by the way. And Thanks so much for allowing me to write this post.

Morgen: You’re so welcome. It was a pleasure having you take part.

I then invited Carol to include a sample of her writing and this is an extract from ‘Two Feet Below’:

Etter grunted. “On the other hand,” he said, “I wouldn’t have to waste the detective’s time, if you was to answer a question or two. Or let me take a gander at Howe’s appointments from yesterday.” His fingers, like big hairy caterpillars, inched across the desk towards the book.

I put on the innocent expression again, although warning bells were going off in my head. “I

couldn’t possibly do that, sir. I can’t betray my employer’s trust or our client’s privacy.”

Slick as a whistle, he reached over and slid the paper where I’d written his name out from under my fingers, and tucked it in an inner pocket of his suit coat. When his hand reappeared, it was holding a heavy leather wallet that bulged with money. He extracted a five-dollar bill.

“What do you make in a month?” Etter asked. “About twenty, twenty-five?”

“About that.”

Etter ran the bill through his fingers in a sensuous motion. “Five bucks. Like a week’s pay, girlie, just for answering one easy question.”

“Mr. Etter! That would be most improper of me.” I kept my gaze on the money as he waved it under my nose. I fancied the smell of dirt.

Born and raised in North Idaho on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation, C.K. Crigger lives with her husband and three feisty little dogs in Spokane Valley, Washington. She is a member of Western Writers of America and reviews books and writes occasional articles for Roundup magazine. Imbued with an abiding love of western traditions and wide-open spaces, Ms. Crigger writes of free-spirited people who break from their standard roles. In her books, whether westerns, mysteries, or fantasy, the locales are real places. All of her books are set the Inland Northwest, the westerns with a historical background. Her short story, Aldy Neal’s Ghost, was a 2007 Spur finalist.  Her western novel, Black Crossing, won the 2008 Eppie. Letter of the Law was a 2009 Spur finalist in the audio category.

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me at morgen@morgenbailey.com and I’ll send you the questions. You complete them, I tweak them where appropriate (if necessary to reflect the blog ‘clean and light’ rating) and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/morgenwriteruk) where each new posting is automatically announced.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast – see http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/bwt-podcast – then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes.

In the meantime, if you have a moment and like quite dark stuff then you can read one of my ditties at Nathan Weaver’s http://www.talesfrombabylon.com/2011/07/rogues-gallery-2-morgen-bailey.html. Thank you.