James Hutchings is an author of fantasy. His newest work, The New Death and others is available from Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble.
What is the name of your latest book? And how did you come up with the title?
I actually found the image that I wanted to use on the cover first (it's by Jose Posada). It fit best with my story 'The New Death', so I made that the title story.
What is this book about? And what genre is this book in?
It's a collection of stories and poems, 63 pieces in all. It's only a bit over 41,000 words in total, so most of them are quite short. Most of the stories are fantasy, but there's some 'general fiction' in there as well. The style ranges from funny to very grim. I'm much more influenced by older writers like Tolkien and Robert E Howard. In fact I've never read any of the Harry Potter, Twilight or Game of Thrones series, or most other popular modern fantasy authors.
Who is/are the main characters? And why did you choose them?
There aren't many characters that recur from one piece to the next, except for the gods Death, Commerce and Fame. They're inspired by the short stories of Lord Dunsany, particularly his collection Fifty-One Tales.
Although they don't have any characters in common, several stories are set in my fantasy city of Telelee. It's partly based on Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar, partly on Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork, and partly on Port Blacksand in the Fighting Fantasy series.
What is the coolest or best part about your book? (Any Favorite scenes, the world-building etc..
Overall, people's favourites seem to be the story 'The God of the Poor', and the poem 'If My Life Was Filmed'.
Do you have a favorite character in the book? If so, why?
Apart from the gods mentioned above, my favourite is probably LP Hatecraft from 'The Adventure of the Murdered Philanthropist'. The story is a parody of Sherlock Holmes, and LP Hatecraft is a parody of the writer HP Lovecraft. He's pretty much a one-note comedy character, so I wouldn't put him in other stories, but I think he works well in his brief appearance.
Is this book part of a series? If so? What can we expect in future books?
The book as a whole isn't, but I'd like to do more with some of the stories. In particular, I'm looking at a novel set in Telelee.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
I don't think I'd change anything (apart from a few minor typos, which I've corrected as I found them), but there are things I intend to do differently in the future.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I've learned a lot about what people want. In particular, I thought that having a collection of lots of stories with a wide variety of tones and themes would be a positive thing. Some people said that, but more people said that they'd have preferred more consistency. So in the future, if I put out a collection, it will probably be based around some kind of theme rather than just being 'my best writing from the last year'.
I've also learned a lot about what works in terms of self-promotion (or, at least, what's worked for me).
Do you have a publisher? And if so, why did you choose them?
I've never tried to be traditionally published.
Firstly I didn't want to waste paper by being traditionally printed. There are publishers who only publish electronically, but I was skeptical about what they'd do for me that I couldn't do for myself.
Secondly it seems like traditional publishers expect most of their authors to do their own promotion anyway, so what are they giving in return? Also, of course, it's very difficult to get a contract, and bloggers like JA Konrath argue that it's going to get more and more difficult, because publishers will respond to loss of income by cuting their 'mid-list', or paying them less, to concentrate on a few authors who can make them a lot of money.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
What books are you reading now?
The last story I read was The Cats of Ulthar by HP Lovecraft. I'm currently doing a poem based on the story.
What are the current writing projects that you are working on?
The main project I'm working on right now is a poem set in the old West, called Confession of a Bounty Hunter.
I'm in the first stages of writing a novel set in the city of Telelee.
I'm considering doing a collection of poems and stories about cats, and I've been writing some shorter poems towards that.
I'm also writing a serial for the new website JukePop Serials. It's similar to the comic and movie Watchmen, in that it's a detective story but the detectives are superheroes.
Do you write full time? If not, do you hope to do so one day?
I'm currently at university, doing a Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing. But I hope to write full time in the future.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Not really. I've been writing stories at least since I started school.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I mostly write fantasy, and I tend to write short stories with one-off characters. Unfortunately fantasy fans tend to want long novels, in long series. So what I write tends to be the opposite of what's commercial. I don't know whether I'll be able to adjust my writing to fit the market, or whether I'll have to move away from fantasy, or if I can get a fanbase despite this disadvantage.
Do you have any advice for other writers seeking to get published for the first time?
Nowadays anyone can self-publish. If you can make a Word document, you can have an ebook on Smashwords or Amazon. However that means that if your work is no good, no one's going to stop you. I'd recommend that people get onto Critique Circle (www.critiquecircle.com) and/or Scribophile (www.scribophile.com), put their work up, and listen to what people tell you. Don't 'defend' your work against people's 'attacks'. They aren't attacks, they're helping you. I've found that the people who defend their work have a strong tendency to have the worst writing, I suppose because they're not making the changes they need to make.
My next point doesn't matter if you're going to self-publish, but it is important if you want to be published by a regular publisher, or if you want to submit stories to magazines. Most places won't publish work that's already been published. And most places count putting a story on the internet as publishing it. In my opinion that's silly, but that's what they do. Scribophile and Critique Circle are exceptions, because google doesn't index them and you can't see any stories without logging on. However there are writing group websites out there where, if you put a story on the site, that counts as the story being published. That seems like a really terrible way to set things up, but they're out there.
I'd also say that getting a book out isn't the final step. It's just the start of the work of self-promotion. This is true even if you're not self-publishing: I'm told that authors are expected to pretty much arrange their own book signings and so on (if you just want to have a book out to show family and friends then this doesn't matter, of course).
There are a lot of sharks out there, who make their money from authors and not from readers. They will make all sorts of promises about how they're going to promote you and help you, but these are lies. Authors do not pay publishers, ever, and if they're asking you to pay then it's a scam. Of course if you're self-publishing you might end up paying someone to design a cover for you, or you might pay for internet advertising, but those are different things. You might also pay a printer to print your books if you want to get physical books rather than ebooks - but in this age of the kindle and print-on-demand I don't know why you'd want to. Preditors and Editors (www.pred-ed.com) is a good website to look at, and you can get good advice at the forums of Critique Circle. The best-known reputable and free self-publishing venues are Amazon Kindle Direct, Smashwords.com, and for physical books Lulu.com.
Finally, I'd suggest learning to touch-type if you can't already. You're going to be doing a lot of typing, and every hour you spend getting faster at typing will save you ten in the long run.
Thanks James so much for stopping by.
Btw here's a quick blurb of his really cool book "The New Death and Others"
Death gets a roommate..
An electronic Pope faces a difficult theological question...
A wicked vizier makes a terrible bargain...
44
stories. 19 poems. No sparkly vampires. There's a thin line between
genius and insanity, and James Hutchings has just crossed it - but from
which direction?
Here's the buy link: http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Death-others-ebook/dp/B005Q8Q8DY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343078577&sr=8-1&keywords=the+new+death+and+others+by+James+Hutchings
Scribal Love Welcomes Stuart Aken
Stuart Aken is an author of Romance and Science Fiction Books. His newest work Breaking Faith is available from Smashwords and Amazon.
So where do you hail from?
My birth is a story all of its own. Hull, a large port in northern England, was much bombed in the 2nd World War. My father had worked as chief engineer on small boats that guarded the English Channel from U-boats.
Because of his dedication to duty, eating on the job in rough seas, he developed a duodenal ulcer. After the war, he became a mechanic at a local garage and his job entitled him to the house next to the workshop; a valuable asset in those days. But the ulcer burst and he died, leaving my mother homeless and pregnant with my 18 month old sister in tow. My short story, Ella, a contest prize-winner, is a semi-autobiographical account of the time around my birth.
What inspired you to write 'Breaking Faith'?
Years ago, I was on holiday in an area of outstanding natural beauty, the National Park of the Yorkshire Dales. Teetering on the brink of oblivion at the edge of a sinkhole (a type of vertical cave) with the damp rocky bottom barely visible, a question came to mind: 'What if there was a woman's body down there?' That was the starting point.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I used to be a professional photographer, so my writing is very visual; many readers have said they can picture my characters and settings as if they were watching a film. I prefer to 'show' my readers what is happening through the eyes of the character whose point of view I'm using. Some things you have to 'tell' the reader, mostly for brevity, but it's much more absorbing for the reader to live the story from within the character, don't you think?
How did you come up with the title?
Because my heroine is steeped in the religious prejudices of her bullying master, and she's the eldest of 3 sisters, it seemed appropriate to borrow from a religious quote. '..faith, hope and charity..', which, of course, names all 3 sisters in the story. As she matures, she breaks free of Heacham's imposed restrictions, and she understands that her faith is false. Also, she's put through difficult and dangerous challenges that might break her. So, the 'breaking' part has multiple meanings. The downside is that some people may see the title as indicating the novel is about religion, which it most definitely isn't.
What is Breaking Faith about?
Breaking Faith is a romantic thriller about the influence of corruption in society.
A naive young woman, emerging from obscurity, a philandering photographer and his glamorous models, and a jealous misogynist eager for revenge turn the pages. Older friends, mistaken parents and a younger sister, all with their own motives, complicate Faith's voyage of self discovery. When she falls in love, her inexperience places her in great danger.
The novel, primarily a romance, heightened by aspects of the thriller, is set mostly during the heat wave of 1976, in the Yorkshire Dales of northern England. The eponymous heroine, Faith Heacham, is naive and trusting. Raised in isolation by her hypocritical, abusive, Bible-bashing father as his skivvy and as nursemaid to her disabled sister, she has no knowledge of the wider world. Made to find work, in order to support the household, she takes a job with Leighton Longshaw, a notorious local photographer. His misogynist assistant resents her presence and threatens her with violence. Just as Faith realises she's falling in love with Leighton, she rediscovers her estranged, beautiful, and sexually predacious younger sister, Netta, and introduces her to him without understanding the likely outcome.
Is it a single or multi-layered storyline?
The overlying story is the developing romance between Faith and Leighton, but there are other threads drawing Faith into renewed relationships with her family members and entwining Leigh with his other women, especially Netta. Underlying the whole is the growing menace of the woman-hating Mervyn, who desires revenge and isn't too concerned who satisfies his needs.
So is it a man’s or a woman’s novel?
I hope it appeals to both; certainly both men and women have responded positively with reviews of the book. On the surface, the romance will probably find more favour with women whilst the sexual elements of Leigh's relationships with his models and other women, will attract more men. But, as the novel is written from the viewpoints of the two main characters, both female and male voices speak throughout the book.
And what is Ten Tales for Tomorrow about?
Ten Tales for Tomorrow is a collection of short stories, some prize-winners, some previously published in small magazines. All are speculative fiction, with a strong leaning toward science fiction. Most, though not all, are dark tales of one sort or another. But there's some light and humour here as well.
Is it a book for men or women?
I suspect this one will appeal more to men than women, but only because traditionally the readership for science fiction has been male centred.
What books are you reading now?
I've just finished The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffennegger . An excellent story with some wonderful writing. At this moment, I'm re-reading Hamlet and will soon re-read Jane Eyre, because these are some of the texts my daughter's studying for her A level exams and I want to be able to discuss them with her, if she wants my input. I have an extensive and somewhat eclectic list of 'to read' books, however. Time is the basic block, isn't it?
What are your current projects?
A long time ago, I drew a map of an imaginary land and marked it with invented places and features. That was the real beginning of an adult fantasy novel I'd been considering for a while. The history, religions, myths, customs, geography, societies and politics all followed until I had a world that seemed real enough to stand as a setting. But, as I always start a piece of fiction writing by getting to know my characters, I developed the 50 or so named people who populate the pages before I started on the story.
I've written and edited the first volume of The Seared Sky, but at 277,000 words I suspect it's a little too long to attract most publishers. I'm now reading the typed MS from beginning to end to see if I can split this first volume into two books before I start to write the next part of the story.
Do you see writing as a career?
I'd dearly love to join the 2% of authors who write full time and make a living but it's very difficult in the modern world. In the past, publishers supported writers they considered promising and allowed them time to develop. Sometimes they got it wrong, but often they allowed real talent to grow and reaped their rewards in great sales and the production of brilliant books. This no longer happens: now, publishers are interested only in celebrity and are run by bean-counters; people with no understanding that the world is about more than money.
This year, I'd like to finish the adult fantasy to the point where it can be published; volumes 1 and 2. I've more stories I'd like to compile as anthologies and there are writing contests to enter, magazines to submit my short stories to. My website and blog need constant up-dating to remain of interest and help to my readers. I hope to attend my writing group regularly for the weekly meetings that prove so supportive and inspiring. So, not a lot going on, really.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
At school, my English homework frequently consisted of essays and stories; it was the only homework I actively enjoyed. In fact, the only two subjects that resonated for me were English and Technical Drawing. Had the teacher of the latter been more sympathetic, I might have become an architect. My English teacher, a pretty young woman, whose sexual presence was quite stimulating for an adolescent, encouraged me to enter an annual writing competition. I won first prize; the cup. From there I went on to some journalism and playwriting, to novel and short story writing.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
In the writing itself; not really. I can sit down at the keyboard with no prior preparation and turn out a decent 1000-3000 word short story at one sitting. It'll need editing, of course, and occasionally it will be rubbish. But I love the act of writing, of being there in that other place that my imagination takes me when I'm in the creative phase.
What I do find a constant challenge, and a real drain on my time and energy, is the necessary marketing activity. The two aspects of being a modern author – writing and publicity – are diametrically opposed activities, requiring different personality traits for real success. I think publishing made a huge error when it decided to place the burden of marketing on authors instead of hiring people with those specific skills.
What books have influenced your life most?
I've read since my early years. We had no TV until I was about 14, so I'd exhausted the children's section of the local library by the time I was 11. I was allowed to take out one book at a time from the adult section after that. My first such book was Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, a classic of war and coming of age, set in the First World War. It was an eye-opener and made me realise what could be done with a book. Since then, I've read countless books, and all have influenced me in their own ways.
Did you find the idea of having your work published for others to read intimidating? If yes, why? If no, why not?
Not intimidating. I wouldn't put something forward for publication unless I was relatively confident it was something people wanted to read and unless I was sure I'd made it as good as I could at the time. I love the idea of publication. Readers will undoubtedly let me know if I've sent a pup out there.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Very difficult. Different writers bring different qualities to the craft. But, if I'm forced to name names, I'd choose William Golding for the richness of his metaphor, Graham Greene for the depth of his story telling, Shakespeare for his poetry, William Horwood for his empathy, J.K Rowling for her imagination, Stephen King for his menace and tension, and Rosie Thomas for her intelligent emotional component. But that does a disservice to hundreds of other brilliant writers I've encountered, and continue to come across, in a lifetime of reading.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I'm learning all the time. Sometimes, my ignorance astounds me. I think what came across most, in the publication of both these books, was the importance of the reader. To write for yourself, a phrase too glibly repeated, is to embrace the danger of self-indulgence. Yes, you must write what you know and what you would want to read, but modified by the knowledge that others will spend time and money on your output. Respect for those who read and buy your books can only be a good thing, can't it?
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Unpopular, but, yes. There are too many people writing. In the same way that everyone with a camera believes themselves a photographer, everyone with a pen, keyboard or PC thinks they're a writer. Please, only write if you have something worthwhile to say, understand the rules thoroughly enough to break them without causing offence, and, most importantly, if your life depends on you writing. Anything less than a deep passion about writing and the work you produce is insufficient to preserve you in a world where would-be authors are ten-a-penny but where good, published authors are as rare as altruistic politicians.
Thanks Stuart for Dropping by! You can find Stuart on the Web at:
Stuart Aken: Author of Breaking Faith & Ten Tales for Tomorrow.
Editor of A Sackful of Shorts (An anthology of short stories from the Hornsea Writers group).
Find them on my Author page at Amazon:
UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=stuart+aken&x=15&y=19
Or USA - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=stuart+aken&x=12&y=17
Sample or buy as Ebook: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/stuartaken
Visit my Website: http://stuartaken.co.uk/
Follow my Blog: http://stuartaken.blogspot.com/
Tweet with me: http://twitter.com/@stuartaken
Friend with me at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stuart.k.allison?v=wall&ref=profile
Thank you, Clare, for this generous opportunity for me to interest more readers. They're the lifeblood of the author; little point in publishing for yourself, after all. I've enjoyed this session with you and hope I haven't rattled on too much. Words, you know, are the downfall of the writer.
Scribal Love Welcomes Linda Acaster!
Linda Acaster is a British author of long and short fiction across an array of genres. Her newest ebook ‘Torc of Moonlight : Special Edition’, is the first in a trilogy of thrillers linking the present to the Celtic past.
So where do you hail from?
Yorkshire, England, UK. I grew up in Kingston upon Hull, a northern city port of 300,000, which looked more to the sea as a route of communication than to roads to join it to the rest of the country. That sense of the insular, of being apart, has always fed my writing. I live only 20 miles away now, in a small seaside town within walking distance of rural countryside.
What inspired you to write this book?
A walk in that countryside, or several walks. I love maps, and in the UK we have Ordnance Survey maps which mark things such as electricity pylons and whether a church has a steeple or a tower, alongside natural features like shale cliffs and forestry plantations. And named ancient springs. It was the frequency these named springs kept popping up that led me to the research that led me to the novel.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I’m a ‘show’ writer. I get behind my viewpoint characters’ eyes and live in their thought patterns. I take readers through night terrors and good and bad decisions, always with the unspoken ‘so what would you have done in the circumstances?’ In Torc of Moonlight SE the language has been described as rich and powerful, but in some of my other work it can be minimalist and staccato. It depends on the genre I’m writing and the narrative voice of the viewpoint character/s. Overall, if readers expect pages of description of what my characters look like or wear, then they’ll be disappointed. I don’t do fashion catalogue.
How did you come up with the title?
From the research. A torc is a neck-ring of twisted gold worn, in this case, by Romano-British Celts. The British Museum in London has lots on display and they are truly beautiful. They were an emblem of authority and were often sacrificed to goddesses of water shrines, of which Britain still has many, some Christianised, some not. Seasonal religious festivals of the period were scheduled to phases of the moon and, despite Torc of Moonlight SE being a contemporary novel, the one fits with the other. There is a paperback available, but the ebook is the Special Edition because it carries bonus material: research articles, an interview, and an opening excerpt of Book 2 in the trilogy The Bull At The Gate.
What is Torc of Moonlight : Special Edition about?
In short, the resurrection of a Celtic water goddess which, if you live in the UK, isn’t as bizarre as it sounds. Have you tossed coins into a wishing well? So who do you think is listening? And if you don’t think anyone’s listening, why are you tossing coins into it? Making some sort of sacrifice to water is built into our DNA. We have a need to do it, be it in a steel and glass shopping mall, a verdant rural setting, or even in the crypt of York Minster where an excavated Roman culvert still runs damp.
Not far from where I live is an ancient spring referred to on maps as Old Wives Well. A Roman road, invariably straight, was dog-legged so as to pass by it. The road no longer exists, reclaimed by Nature, but the spring still bubbles up pure water, and in the shrubs surrounding it hang tiny offerings. It’s an eerie place, featured obliquely in the novel. History is all around us here, mere inches beneath our feet, and it has a way of insinuating into our present, for good or ill.
Is it a single or multi-layered storyline?
Triples and triads were powerful elements in Celtic life, so I’ve followed this through with the storylines, which is why it is written in multiple third-person viewpoint. The main storyline concerns Nick and Alice’s relationship, which continues through the trilogy. He’s a normal beer-drinking, sport-playing, nineteen year old student, she determined to rediscover a forgotten Celtic water shrine she knows is in the area. Their parallel storyline focuses on a lascivious tutor with a past that comes to haunt him through an ex lover, and the binding storyline is of a Romano-British Celt trapped in the limbo of the present. How he came to be in this state, and what it means for the present day characters, unfolds backwards as the novel progresses forwards.
So is it a man’s or a woman’s novel?
LOL! Do you mean, is there a romance? Most definitely, and it follows through the trilogy to its HEA ending. But a Celtic water goddess was a fertility goddess, so the novel examines the differences between the uplifting qualities of ‘making love’ and the corrosive qualities of ‘having sex’. The paperback was well received by both female and male readers, but I wouldn’t suggest it’s a novel to be gifted to a fourteen year old.
What books are you reading now?
Planks and Other Timber by Michael Deane-White. I don’t often read poetry but the juxtaposition of language and caustic judgement I’m finding incisive, and he’s doing it in so few words, always a wonder to a novelist. The Doll Makers by Penny Grubb. This British PI crime won the international Debut Dagger from the Crime Writers’ Association. It’s set in my area and I’m intrigued to see how another author tackles the landscape. On the story front, I can see why it won the Debut Dagger.
What are your current projects?
I continue to bring my print backlist to ebook as an indie author – I received a Kindle from Father Christmas this year and it’s a wonderful invention – and I’m working on a fiction/non-fiction writers’ manual which explores techniques used in writing short fiction. And there’s Book 2 in the Torc trilogy to finish, The Bull At The Gate.
Do you find that international audiences are different from your native country's audience?
I’m not sure yet. There seems a reluctance among US readers to try novels not set in the USA. If the storyline appeals, British readers are happy to pick up novels set in Alaska or New Mexico or Idaho. Perhaps it’s because US culture bombards us at every turn so we feel an affinity with it, but the same doesn’t happen so much in reverse. I was watching a programme about Scandinavian crime fiction not too long ago, and it brought it home to me that I’d only read one of the authors when these countries are just across the North Sea from me, whereas I’ve read a lot of American crime authors and we’re separated by an ocean.
Do you see writing as a career?
I’ve always seen writing as a career, even when it didn’t bring in any money. The need to be professional is an attitude of mind. All authors vie for readers’ attention, big names and unknowns. Why shoot yourself in the foot by not spending care and attention on your work? It’s liable to follow you around for the rest of your life.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
In ebooks you can – LOL! But no, I’m happy with the end product.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
At school, around 11 years old. We move from Primary to Secondary education at that age, and dabbling in creative writing turned to composition and comprehension. I was lucky enough to have inspiring English teachers three consecutive years.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Starting. I love research, and always feel that if I just keep going I’ll find a nugget that will make the w-i-p glow. But it is easy to do that forever and not actually write. I also edit assiduously as I go, which makes for slow progress. 1,000 words in a full day is good for me, but by the time I get to the end, bar a final overall polish, it’s a done deal. It might be slow, but I’d not like to rush a draft and then start Draft 2 from scratch. I like to savour the emotional content of my writing so that readers can experience the nuances of the reality the characters inhabit.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Learn your craft and gain constructive feedback. Even now I belong to a writers’ support group which offers stiff constructive criticism. When you think it’s ready for publication pay for either a professional critique on a partial – 50 pages gives a good indication of problems liable to appear throughout the novel and won’t cost an arm and a leg – or a professional edit, which will cost more but there’s nothing like seeing your pages littered with annotations to give a new perspective on your writing. Improvement is what you are after. It’s what all writers aim for all the time. Best of luck.
Thanks Linda For Dropping By!
You can find Linda on the web at:
Scribal Love Welcomes Miss Mae!
Miss Mae is an author of Romantic Mysteries. Her newest work “Catch Me If You Can” is available from Amazon in print and Smashwords in digital format.
What is the name of your latest book? And how did you come up with the title?
'Catch Me If You Can.' I really have no idea how I came up with this title! LOL I think, overall, I considered the whole theme of my plot and remembered that childhood story of 'The Gingerbread Man.' All the way through, he taunted others to "catch me if you can!" In a way, he’s similar to a particular character that I include and I could very well conceive of his mouthing this smug challenge.
What is this book about? And what genre is the book?
Romantic mystery/suspense. The plot centers on a computer game called "Catch Me If You Can.” It’s the latest release of a highly popular “Catch Me” series created by Stuart Harrington. A convention for “Catchie” enthusiasts is scheduled at a historic South Carolina plantation house. Only a few guests are able to arrive safely on the island before Brian, a category four hurricane, blows in. One person, Lois Steinberg, washes ashore on the beach after a near disaster from her snorkeling incident. Victor Helm, walking his dog named Mite, comes upon Lois and carries her to the house. The storm strengthens, wrecking havoc and straining the guests over-taut nerves. As if the situation isn’t dangerous enough already, the cook is found murdered. Who did him in? And why? How can his death possibly connect to Harrington’s game? Or does it?
Who is/are the main characters? And why did you choose them?
Lois Steinberg and Victor Helm. Why did I choose them? Well, every story needs a hero and heroine! LOL
What is the coolest or best part about your book?
I like the climatic scene atop the lighthouse ledge where the culprit is revealed. :)
Do you have a favorite character in the book? If so, why?
The dog, Mite. I love animals and he has a pivotal role. I won’t say what exactly. You need to read the story and find out what it is!
Is this book part of a series? If so? What can we expect in future books?
No. This is a stand alone story.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
I don’t think so right now. But ask me after a year, I might have changed my mind. *grin*
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Be patient! By far, this one took the longest to write. I had to persevere and make myself keep at it. It took nine months to complete, but what a joy when I typed, “The End”.
Do you have a publisher? And if so, why did you choose them?
I’ve had three publishers since being offered my first contract in 2007. Through these experiences, I’ve decided becoming an Indie author works best. Since Oct. 15, 2010, I am now totally independent.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Hmm, I’m not really sure how to answer this. I have many favorite authors, but I don’t consider any of them mentors. If I had to choose…maybe Agatha Christie?
What books are you reading now?
I finished “Angel’s Requiem” by Kate Kindle.
What are the current writing projects that you are working on?
I am developing the plot for the second in my historical series of the “Dear Winifred” stories.
Do you write full time? If not, do you hope to do so one day?
I write/market/promo. All of it is full time! (whew!)
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Reading the Nancy Drew mystery books when I was a child. I wanted to create wonderful adventures like Nancy was always involved in!
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Almost everything. LOL I try to remember to “show” as opposed to “tell”; watching punctuation; adding lots of action, which requires good, demonstrative verbs; cloaking the subtle clues; keeping the hero masculine while the heroine is feminine -- the list goes on and on. :)
Do you have any advice for other writers seeking to get published for the first time?
Be well informed on all the publishers you’re interested in submitting to. Don’t just query them. Also query the authors who are published with them. Don’t be afraid to ask the important questions. Are the authors happy? How long does the contract run? What rights does the publisher demand? Do they respond to emails within an acceptable time frame? Are royalties paid accurately and punctually? Doing your homework upfront will provide valuable insight into choosing the publishing house that’s right for you.
Thanks Miss Mae for Dropping by!
Thank you for the interview! :)
My site and blog (combined) is www.missmaesite.com. Join my site as a member! I’d love to have you. :)
You can find “Catch Me If You Can” in digital format at Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/17475
Or At Amazon for the print version with a “look inside” feature:
http://www.amazon.com/Catch-Me-If-You-Can/dp/1453659196/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3/186-1691083-8585042
