# Mini Interviews



## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

I had an idea that I thought the readers/authors out there might like, a simple idea that I hope catches on. I'm going to ask five questions of an author that I know frequents these boards, when that author has answered the questions, he/she must ask five questions of any author they either like, admire or respect or all of the above. My questions are to Selena Kitt.

1 How long have you been writing Selena?

2 What made you decide that writing erotic stories was what you wanted to do?

3 What motivates you?

4 Are you ever frustrated by anything to do with the ebook industry?

5 Where would you like to be this time next year, in relation to books/eBooks?

Feel free to comment between interviews guys/gals and I hope that this becomes an informative thread for all of us. Incidentally, you don't have to use my five questions, you can choose your own.

You also don't have to wait for authors to answer their questions, mainly because there might be one or two that don't want to participate, after all we haven't asked for their permission. I hope that doesn't happen though, have fun.

Carl


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## SheaMacLeod (Apr 13, 2011)

Really interesting thread!  Thanks for sharing, Selena.


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## JMelzer (Mar 21, 2010)

modwitch said:


> Oh, fruck. All my answers and my questions for JMELZER vanished. Let me go recreate...


Ohhhhhh...so that's what the tag meant. I await your questions, which I shall answer after I return from running errands.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Selena_Kitt said:


> Totally fun thread! Thanks for playing, Modwitch - how cool that you just decided to sit down one day and write a book!!


Thank you for your answers Selena it's appreciated.

My next Author is like Selena, someone I admire. Her name is Tawny Taylor and she writes erotic fiction.

1 What inspires you the most Tawny?

2 Have you ever gotten despondent when writing?

3 During the adventure of self-publishing (that's how I look at it) what has been the highlight for you so far?

4 Who is your favorite author and why?

5 Do you have any books traditionally published? If not, do you aspire to do so?

Carl


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## JMelzer (Mar 21, 2010)

For JMELZER (Tagged)

*1. What's your favorite part of writing? Least favorite?*

My favorite part is the brainstorming. Fleshing out an idea until it becomes whole. I usually do this with pen and paper rather than on the computer, because the ideas come so fast and furious that most times my fingers can't keep up. Least favorite part? Usually when I type "The End," because then it means that it's time for editing 

*2. If you were going to write something totally different for you, what would it be?*

I primarily write in the horror genre, but if I was to try something radically different, I'd like to write a more contemporary, coming of age story with no supernatural elements involved. Something more mainstream, I guess you could say.

*3. How many books have you read in the last month?*

Three. King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry, Kings of the Dead by Tony Faville, and Horns by Joe Hill.

*4. How many writers do you know in real life?*

Several. Jonathan Maberry, Scott Sigler, Eric S. Brown, and Jake Bible, just to name a few. I don't know if this counts but I've spoken with Clive Barker on occasion, but we've never met in person. Oh, and my wife. Can't forget her 

*5. Who's your favorite book character (from your work or someone else's)?*

From my work it's The Man in the Tennis Shoes from Hull's Landing. Aside from that it's a toss up between Randall Flag in The Stand, Roland Deschain in The Dark Tower Series, or Swan in Swan Song by Robert McCammon.

That was fun! I'll tag...*PMartelly*

1. What was the first story you ever wrote?
2. What's you idea of the perfect writing sanctuary?
3. How has self-publishing changed your life?
4. If could do anything else besides write, what would it be?
5. Do you ever get writer's block, and what do you do to combat it? If not, what's your favorite cookie?


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## JMelzer (Mar 21, 2010)

modwitch said:


> She counts . I'm envious of all the IRL writers you know! I like your questions for JMartelly, too. Off to imagine my perfect writing sanctuary...


Whew! Glad the wife counts. For those that don't know, it's Jennifer Hudock, AKA Jennybeanses, who also frequents the boards. As for the IRL writers I know, it comes from attending conventions mostly and striking up relationships with them that transfer over into everyday life


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## PMartelly (May 1, 2011)

oOo! I was tagged! How fun! 

*1. What was the first story you ever wrote? *
The first REAL story I ever wrote was about a girl diagnosed with a disease that no one had ever heard about and how she went and changed 5 people's lives after her diagnosis. This in turn led to a cure. Extremely cliche, but forgive me, I was in the hospital and I was being diagnosed with Crohn's at the time. And I was young. haha Before that, I used to write short stories about cliques. Think "Pretty Little Liars" lol.

*2. What's you idea of the perfect writing sanctuary?*
A desk, a stereo (if I'm feeling the need for a little inspiration), and a place with floor to cieling windows... where I can enjoy a view and look out as I write. Somewhere where there is little/no traffic of people coming in and out. And a really, really, comfortable chair.

*3. How has self-publishing changed your life?*
Self-publishing has given me a chance to see my dream realized. And it has given me the opportunity to follow my dream in my own way, in my own time.

*4. If could do anything else besides write, what would it be? *
I'm going to graduate school to be in the medical field. But besides that, teach at the university level. That's my true passion.

*5. Do you ever get writer's block, and what do you do to combat it? If not, what's your favorite cookie? *
I don't get writer's block as much as I used to. I used to have a REAL issue with writer's block. But now that I plan out my stories, writer's block is less frequent. And when I do have writer's block, I usually just write through it. Or visualize the various possibilities in my head, like a movie. Or I speak what I've written so far.
Favorite cookie? Chocolate chip or snickerdoodle. oh yes, I love me some snickerdoodles 

Now, I shall tag *Caedem Marquez*

1. What time of the day do you find it easiest to write and why?
2. What book has had a major influence in your life?
3. If your book was to become a movie, who would play the main character?
4. What is the best/worst part about the writing process?
5. What gave you the inspiration for your first book?


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## JMelzer (Mar 21, 2010)

Awesome! I love me some snickerdoodles, too. Never had them before until I moved to the U.S. in January, now I can't get enough of them!


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## PMartelly (May 1, 2011)

JMelzer said:


> Awesome! I love me some snickerdoodles, too. Never had them before until I moved to the U.S. in January, now I can't get enough of them!


=O WHAATT?! No snickerdoodles until January?! We need to have a talk. lol


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## JMelzer (Mar 21, 2010)

PMartelly said:


> =O WHAATT?! No snickerdoodles until January?! We need to have a talk. lol


LOL! It's true! I didn't have my first snickerdoodle until I was 33. I guess Canada (where I was born and raised) is not big on them, or something. Silly Canadians


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

Err... what's a snickerdoodle?

I've lived in the US all my life, and I've only heard the name. Never eaten, or even seen, one.


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## tawnytaylor (Feb 19, 2011)

Oh how fun! Okay here are my answers. I'll follow up with some questions as soon as I can think of some...

1 What inspires you the most Tawny?
Most? That’s a tough one! I’m inspired by all sorts of things--movies, television shows, conversations with people, books I’ve read (not always the same genre as what I write), places I visit. I don’t know if I can pick only one.

2 Have you ever gotten despondent when writing? Oh yes, I usually get despondent at least once during the drafting of every novel I write. That’s part of my process, I guess  I hate the book, am sure it’s the worst book ever written, and then I make it better. 

3 During the adventure of self-publishing (that's how I look at it) what has been the highlight for you so far? Oh gosh, what hasn’t been a highlight? It’s been a crazy roller coaster ride, absolutely thrilling, at times terrifying. I’m loving every minute of it!

4 Who is your favorite author and why? At the moment, Janet Evanovich. I love to read funny, snappy, light-hearted books that make me forget all about the chaos and pressures of my (real) life.

5 Do you have any books traditionally published? If not, do you aspire to do so? I do have a pretty decent back list of traditionally published books, under three pen names: Tawny Taylor, Tami Dane and Sydney Allan. I hope to continue to write for my publishers, as well as self publish.


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## PMartelly (May 1, 2011)

Ryne Billings said:


> Err... what's a snickerdoodle?
> 
> I've lived in the US all my life, and I've only heard the name. Never eaten, or even seen, one.


WHAT?! What is this madness?! -_____- 
You need to go to your nearest baker and DEMAND a snickerdoodle. lol


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## JMelzer (Mar 21, 2010)

modwitch said:


> Dude. We had snickerdoodles in Alberta. What backwoods part of the country did you grow up in?


See, now I have to go talk to my mom and find out what other things she sheltered me from as a child. This could open up a whole new can of worms. Thanks, modwitch! 

P.S. - There is a Santa Claus, right?


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

[quote author=PMartelly]
WHAT?! What is this madness?! -_____- 
You need to go to your nearest baker and DEMAND a snickerdoodle. lol
[/quote]

The only bakery around is the Wal-Mart bakery, and I avoid eating anything from there.

[quote author=modwitch]Teach a man to fish... http://andreasrecipes.com/2007/11/14/snickerdoodles/[/quote]


Edited to add: I can see why I've never had them now. They have cinnamon in them, which is the single ingredient I avoid more than any other. I don't even eat cinnamon rolls.


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## PMartelly (May 1, 2011)

JMelzer said:


> See, now I have to go talk to my mom and find out what other things she sheltered me from as a child. This could open up a whole new can of worms. Thanks, modwitch!


hahaha. =D awesome.



Ryne Billings said:


> The only bakery around is the Wal-Mart bakery, and I avoid eating anything from there.


Your Wal-mart has a bakery?! 0___o
Wow. And I thought I'd seen everything. lol


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## tawnytaylor (Feb 19, 2011)

My questions are for Victorine (how do I tag her?):

1. What one piece of advice would you give an author who is considering indie publishing his/her first book?

2. What inspired you to write Not What She Seems?

3. If you were going to be left on a deserted island, and you could only take one book with you, what would it be?

4. What’s one fun secret that most people here on the Kindle boards don’t know about you?

5. Who is the one person who has influenced/helped you most in your indie publishing journey?


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

PMartelly said:


> hahaha. =D awesome.
> 
> Your Wal-mart has a bakery?! 0___o
> Wow. And I thought I'd seen everything. lol


Every Wal-Mart that I've ever seen has a bakery, just like they all have a deli.


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## JMelzer (Mar 21, 2010)

tawnytaylor said:


> My questions are for Victorine (how do I tag her?)


Just send her a PM and the link to the thread. That's how I got tagged, and tagged someone else


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## PMartelly (May 1, 2011)

Ryne Billings said:


> Every Wal-Mart that I've ever seen has a bakery, just like they all have a deli.


Yeah, no bakeries or delis in the ones out here. lol
But since you said you try to avoid them, if I ever see one, I will make sure to do that. haha =]


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

PMartelly said:


> Yeah, no bakeries or delis in the ones out here. lol
> But since you said you try to avoid them, if I ever see one, I will make sure to do that. haha =]


The delis are good, but the bakeries are decent at best.

Wow, this conversation is getting a bit off-topic.


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## JMelzer (Mar 21, 2010)

Selena_Kitt said:


> I am so, so sorry. HUGS. You must now make up for your Snickerdoodless life by eating at least one a day, you know... it's a little known US law.


Thanks, Selena. I needed permission from someone to do that...I was starting to feel guilty about eating all those snickerdoodles


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Ryne Billings said:


> The delis are good, but the bakeries are decent at best.
> 
> Wow, this conversation is getting a bit off-topic.


Not really, it's supposed to be a fun thread. lol

Carl


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## PMartelly (May 1, 2011)

modwitch said:


> Somebody invited me to a thread that's supposed to stay on topic? On purpose?


hahahaha. I LOL'ed at this! Oh man! This thread is fun! 

None of our threads ever really stay on topic. Usually there is a strange tangent somewhere.


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

modwitch said:


> Yup. Tooth fairy's a myth, though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm good as long as I have chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, brownies, death by chocolate cake, blueberry biscuits, chocolate ice cream, and tiramisu.

And I never said that off-topic was bad.


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## JMelzer (Mar 21, 2010)

modwitch said:


> Yup. Tooth fairy's a myth, though.


http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/


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## PMartelly (May 1, 2011)

Actually, while we're on the topic of the tooth fairy, I should probably tell you how I found out the tooth fairy wasn't real.

Me: Dad, I lost a tooth!
Dad: That's great, Pa. Put it under your pillow.

[NEXT DAY]

Me: Dad, the tooth fairy didn't leave me anything under my pillow.
Dad: That's cus the tooth fairy doesn't come around our block anymore.

Yeah, it was pretty sad. lol


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## CaedemMarquez (Mar 23, 2011)

I think somewhere along the lines there are now two tag lines but I'm not sure.

1. What time of the day do you find it easiest to write and why?
Really anytime as long as I am awake. If I am tired, forget it. Nothing is going to happen.

2. What book has had a major influence in your life?
None have really influenced my life, however, Stephen King's "On Writing" gave me some badly needed structure for writing. Because of him I have already hit that 1,000,000 word mark. Now I have to get my books out.

3. If your book was to become a movie, who would play the main character? 
My upcoming book, hmmm, an actor that is funny and vulnerable and that women can forgive. You will see what I mean when it comes out.

4. What is the best/worst part about the writing process?
Best: Sometimes when I reread my books during the editing process, I forget what's going to happen next. It's nice to be so absorbed that I actually laugh out loud at something I have written. Then, I hope beyond hope that the average reader will enjoy it as well&#8230;I also hope that I'm not incredibly narcissistic to enjoy my own creations but I can only hope I'm not the only one.

Worst: Editing.

5. What gave you the inspiration for your first book?
My first book sucks. Only two people have seen it and it will probably stay that way. So I've pretty much tried to forget all things from that first book including the inspiration!

Caedem - http://CaedemMarquez.com

I nominate Half-Orc, David Dalglish. I have PM'd him to notify him.

1. What time of the day do you find it easiest to write and why?
2. What is the main component of your success?
3. If your book was to become a movie, who would play the main character? 
4. What is the best/worst part about the writing process?
5. What is one publishing principle that you would not try again if you could start over again on day one? In essence, what was a waste of time?


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## tawnytaylor (Feb 19, 2011)

Thanks! I PM'd her. Hopefully she'll come around and respond.


JMelzer said:


> Just send her a PM and the link to the thread. That's how I got tagged, and tagged someone else


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

Yay, I've been tagged! What a fun thread! 

*1. What one piece of advice would you give an author who is considering indie publishing his/her first book?*

I love this question. My best piece of advice comes way before clicking "publish," and that is to join a critique group and learn to give and get critiques. You learn so much from getting critiqued, and also from reading other works and giving critiques. To me, this is the most important thing to becoming an indie, because we skip the "agent/editor approved" step. Let's make sure what we are selling is the best it can be.

*2. What inspired you to write Not What She Seems?*

Funny, I was bored to death and wanted to read but I had already read everything in the house. See, I was a busy busy person until I injured my back and literally couldn't move. All of a sudden I found myself with a bunch of time on my hands. So, if there's nothing good to read, why not write that book you want to read, right? 

*3. If you were going to be left on a deserted island, and you could only take one book with you, what would it be?*

I always hate this question because there are so many books I love, I feel horrible picking one. I feel like I'm choosing one of my children and telling everyone they're my favorite. That being said, I'll say "Mockingjay" because I've read the first two Hunger Games books and haven't gotten to that one yet, and I really want to read it.  (And I won't have dishes/laundry to do on a deserted island, right?)

*4. What's one fun secret that most people here on the Kindle boards don't know about you?*

Oooh, fun secret? Hmm, I like musicals. Is that fun enough? No? Hrm. I guess I can tell you about the time I stole a guy's wallet, broke into his car and ran from the police. Yes I did, although it sounds a lot worse than it was. See, my college roommate and I noticed a friend's car was parked outside of our apartment complex. (A guy friend.) We saw he had left his wallet on the seat of his car and wanted to teach him a lesson, because you know, it could have gotten stolen...so we hid it under the back seat. Then we went inside to write up a note telling him if he wanted his wallet he needed to follow the clues. (We were going to make it a treasure hunt, see?) So we make up these clues and we go outside to put the note on the seat where his wallet was, but he had rolled up the windows and locked the doors of his car. (I guess he realized his wallet was gone...heh.)

This is such a long story it deserves another paragraph. So anyway, instead of just telling him what we did, we decided to break into his car to leave the note. Yeah. Smart. But it took us a while to find someone who knew how to break into a car, and by that time it was dark out. (I went to a Mormon college, I guess there aren't a lot of Mormon car thieves.) But we did...we found a guy...some friend of a friend who knew how to unlock a car with a hanger. And in case you're wondering, yes it was an older car, and yes the hanger did unlock it. So then we tape the note to his steering wheel, because now it's dark and we're afraid he won't see it. (He and his friend...they were at a dance club by this time. I wonder how he paid to get in?) And we also leave them a flashlight. We're so nice, right? Then, since we hid the notes around town hours ago, we decide to drive to each spot (trying to beat him there) and hide and watch to make sure he gets all of the notes. Which worked out fine until like the fifth note or so that was hidden on the bottom of a swing in the park. We see some people messing around the swings and we get nervous that they've found the note. So my roommate nominates me to be the one to go peek and make sure the note is still there. I've got like ten seconds to do this because I know the dude is coming for the note, so I run like mad to the swings, check, yep still there, and then I start running back to my roommate's car. That's when I see a flashlight in my face. Yep. I thought I had been caught. So of course I run the other way. Turns out it was a police officer, and he hollers at me to stop. Hmmm, stop for the police and get caught by this guy we took his wallet from? Or run the other way? What a decision. I stopped, rambled on a second about a note on the swing, he tells me the park is closed and we shouldn't be there, and then I say "Okay" and run past him to my roommate's car.

Alright, here's the pathetic ending to this sad story. We get caught spying on him (not even at the park!) and have a small car chase...then we all went out to Denny's. I think he even paid for our food. Heh.

Bet y'all didn't know that about me.

*5. Who is the one person who has influenced/helped you most in your indie publishing journey?*

I have to give a shout out to Joe Konrath, for I wouldn't have known about publishing on the Kindle if it weren't for his blog. But after clicking "publish" I found so much support from everyone here that I couldn't believe it. KB has been a huge help to me, and all of you authors here are awesome. It takes a village, you know? So a huge thanks to all of you!

This is fun! Okay, I'm going to tag, Jason Letts! (Foreverjuly)

1. Have you always wanted to write?

2. What genre do you read the most?

3. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind?

4. Do you have any writing rituals?

5. What's your most embarrassing moment?


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## tawnytaylor (Feb 19, 2011)

OMG, I laughed my butt off at that story. LOLOL!

And I guess, then, that it was a good thing you hurt your back, huh?  You probably didn't think so at the time...


Victorine said:


> Yay, I've been tagged! What a fun thread!
> 
> *1. What one piece of advice would you give an author who is considering indie publishing his/her first book?*
> 
> ...


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

tawnytaylor said:


> OMG, I laughed my butt off at that story. LOLOL!
> 
> And I guess, then, that it was a good thing you hurt your back, huh?  You probably didn't think so at the time...


Heehee, and now for some reason I feel like everyone's going to look at me a little bit differently. 

And you're totally right, I was not happy at all with the back injury, but it turned out to be a huge blessing in disguise.

Vicki


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## Guest (May 25, 2011)

Thanks, Vicki!

1. Have you always wanted to write?

No, I haven't. English used to be my most-hated subject up until senior year of high school.

2. What genre do you read the most?

Fantasy-ish stuff, often with a YA bent. Basically I read what I write, though I just finished my first Koontz novel and I'm already hungry for more.

3. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind?

This was the worst question you could possibly ask. I've started listening to the worst music imaginable, and I know my fourteen-year-old self would absolutely kick my butt. This video will also give you an idea of the horrible TV I'm watching and the ridiculous characters I'm currently in love with: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAt-2MLJm6w . Someone needs to put me out of my misery.

4. Do you have any writing rituals?

Sometimes I get up from the computer between pages, but never between the first and the second. Nothing too exciting.

5. What's your most embarrassing moment?

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,55941.0.html

*I choose you...JL Bryan*

How did you get started writing?

What sends you into a homicidal rage?

What would be the greatest thing that could happen to you/your writing?

What completely illogical grievance do you harbor in your heart?

How many marshmallows can you fit in your mouth?


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

My next tag is for Bellaandre, who is someone I know nothing about. I've seen her on the board a few times and even responded to her on a couple of occasions. She peaks my curiousity. lol

1 We learned a while ago that you have another author name, can you tell us how that came about?

2 Do you think that you've written your best stuff yet, or are you like me, in that I don't believe my best has arrived yet.

3 Do you set a word limit per day, or write when you are inspired?

4 Have you ever started to write something but after a chapter or two scrapped the idea?

5 In your opinion, can anyone write or do you believe otherwise?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## bellaandre (Dec 10, 2010)

Carl,

This is fun! Thanks for tagging me. I've loved reading everyone's answers. Here are mine!

1. We learned a while ago that you have another author name, can you tell us how that came about?

Like many of us, I have been writing for years and years and the books were piling up in my computer. Okay, well they weren't exactly piling up, but I had three and a half that were completed and revised approximately 80,000 times during those years when I was trying to get an agent and publisher. Fast-forward 6 years and once I self-pubbed some backlist books and originals as Bella Andre and it went well, both my husband and critique partners said, "Hey! Those books on your computer were fun books. Why don't you put them up." But I knew they weren't Bella Andre books. Yup, you've guessed it, there's zero sex in them.  But it's more than that - while I believe we're the same writers at our cores no matter what genre we write in, I think the overall tone of those books were quite light and chick-litty. So one day in January, without telling a soul (not even my husband), I started revising (yes, another 80,000 times...) one of the books, came up with the pseudonum Lucy Kevin, then made a cover and uploaded it to kindle as SEATTLE GIRL. Rather than letting myself just sit and freak out about it, I decided to dive into revising the next book, FALLING FAST. By March I had SPARKS FLY up, too. And then, most recently, I finished GABRIELLE (a YA book with 5 songs written for the book that are embedded in it). It's been a ridiculously huge joy and thrill to get to let all of the sides of my writing out into the world - the fun, the sexy, the light, the dark.

2 Do you think that you've written your best stuff yet, or are you like me, in that I don't believe my best has arrived yet.

You know, when I thumb back through my books (usually because I'm looking for eye color or last names or something for a current project where the characters know each other), one of the nicest things that can happen is to be accidentally sucked into reading the story. I have a really great short-term memory and a terrible long-term one. I'm like Dory! Everything is brand new to me all the time....  

I honestly try not to think about this kind of stuff because I'm pretty sure it would paralyze me.  I just try to have a good time writing each book. That's the best part of it for me - diving into a book and getting lost in the characters.

3 Do you set a word limit per day, or write when you are inspired?

My word count is my inspiration! LOL. Seriously, though, like Selena said, I'm inspired by deadlines. And I really like seeing progress. Since I tend to be a quick first draft writer who then spends forever revising, building up word count sometimes seems like the least painful part of the process. 

4 Have you ever started to write something but after a chapter or two scrapped the idea?

Yes. I've written entire books, thrown them out and re-written them, then thrown them out again and re-written. And then, yup, let's do it again! HOT AS SIN. My 2nd firefighter suspense took four complete drafts (yes, that's 1600 pages in total) to get the final version. I don't recommend it as a process. But, it's good to know I can do something like that and survive it. (At least that's what I tell myself is good about having gone through that...I'll much rather the words fall like gold nuggets onto my keyboard, please.)

5 In your opinion, can anyone write or do you believe otherwise?

Definitely, anyone can write. I love creating. I love other people who create. I love seeing/experiencing other people's creations. As far as I'm concerned, while innate talent is certainly helpful, hard work and a love for what you're doing makes anything possible.

 Bella


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Thanks Bella and as you forgot to ask five questions I'll field another one. lol

My questions this time are for Bob Mayer, yet another writer that I respect.

1 Do you intend to write anymore of the series "Area 51"?

2 Of all the books that you've written, which one did you enjoy writing the most and why?

3 You are someone who is a strong supporter of the indie movement, yet you came from a traditional publishing background. What do you think will happen with the "Big Six" over the coming years?

4 Do you have or are you planning another book on the way and what genre is it?

5 Can you share any secret that the board doesn't know about?

Carl


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Egad, I got tagged? I didn't even know I was playing!

1. What time of the day do you find it easiest to write and why?

Early afternoon, about 11 o'clock I head to the library for two hours of no-distraction writing. No internet. No Spongebob. No princess DVDs. No Kindleboards. No Facebook. Just pure writing awesomesauce.

2. What is the main component of your success?

I'd like to pretend talent, but I'll go with sexy covers.

3. If your book was to become a movie, who would play the main character?

My wife and I debate this occasionally. Only one we're sure of is Tessanna, who would be played by Sophia Bush.

4. What is the best/worst part about the writing process?

Every now and then I get bored. This can result in complete and total change-ups of everything I had played. Sometimes this works out great, like introducing a character a full book sooner than intended and causing the story to have a far more organical feel. Or sometimes I introduce characters outta nowhere, readers complain. Worse is when my wife reads what I wrote for the day, frowns at me, and says it doesn't feel right. Crap, time to hit the reverse and see where I went off track. Oooh, right, right, having Character A kill Character B for no reason is a BAAAD thing.

5. What is one publishing principle that you would not try again if you could start over again on day one? In essence, what was a waste of time?

What was a waste of time?

*KINDLEBOARDS*.

Just kidding. Was wondering how many mouths I could drop there. Honestly, I would say the Amazon forums.

Okay, so what do I do next? I'm not sure what the rules are. Should I toss a ball at someone, and try to get them out, or is this when someone yells Red Light and I have to stop moving?


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## PMartelly (May 1, 2011)

Half-Orc said:


> Okay, so what do I do next? I'm not sure what the rules are. Should I toss a ball at someone, and try to get them out, or is this when someone yells Red Light and I have to stop moving?


Well you go ahead and pick someone, put their name in your post (or a new post) with five new questions (or you can use some of the ones already listed), and then shoot them a PM! :]


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Hrm. Gonna go on a limb here and try a non-writer: BTackitt, I choose you!!!

1. Tell us something embarrassing. Come on. Open up with a joke!
2. Who was the first indie author you discovered and enjoyed?
3. Where the heck do you get those hypnotizing avatar animations, and why do you use them as your avatar?
4. Does the Writer's Cafe ever scare you?
5. What's usually the first thing to make you cringe when you're reading an indie book?
6. Can you tell me, in under 500 words, just why I'm so awesome?

All questions but number six are optional, btw.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Wow.. ya wake up, go through your morning routine, go hit your fave webcomic before coming to KB, Get here, see ya have a message, and it says, "You got tagged foo!" with a link here.. ok..


Half-Orc said:


> Hrm. Gonna go on a limb here and try a non-writer: BTackitt, I choose you!!!
> 1. Tell us something embarrassing. Come on. Open up with a joke!


Why do Stadiums get hotter after the game is over? (answer at end) 
Something embarrassing? My son once scared me so bad I peed my pants. Yes TL, this is THAT son. This happened like 4 years ago, and it still sends him into giggle fits every time he remembers. I had been at school all day, it's a 45 minute drive home and there was traffic so it was really about an hour and a half.. and I really had to go to the bathroom, PAINFULLY had to go... I get in the house and from the door I'm dropping my bag of books, setting my Kindle on the table, dropping the mail on the counter, daughter asks, "How was school?" I'm all "Fine, I have to pee talk to you in a couple minutes"... Son has just walked out of his room and is in the hallway, and hears me.. he stands behind the door I am about to walk through to pass through the hall on my way into the potty. As I go through the doorway he jumps at me yelling BOO. Yep, I peed. Then I punched him on the arm, called him an @$$, and went to clean up and change. He was still laughing an hour later when DH came home from work.


> 2. Who was the first indie author you discovered and enjoyed?


Well, it was either Jeff's Treasure of Malinacha, or CS Marks' ElfHunter. It was the spring of 2009. I even have a signed copy of Elfhunter that I won during a contest in her Bazaar thread. 
--edit, nope I was wrong.. I checked the website where I wrote down everything I read for a year (https://sites.google.com/site/oneyearofreading/home) and it was Dennis Batchelder's Soul Identity, followed by his second book Soul Intent in Nov. 2009. Well at least according to that list.. I still think I read the Treasue of Malinacha in the spring before I started keeping track. It was also a time when there were not very many indies in my reading radar. Before that I read a metric-crapton of freebies.


> 3. Where the heck do you get those hypnotizing avatar animations, and why do you use them as your avatar?


Friends. this month's was sent to me by 911Jason, Next month's was sent to me by JuliannFelicity. The one set for July was from a RL friend. 


> 4. Does the Writer's Cafe ever scare you?


I'm pretty unscareable. (man, there is no way to write that word and have spellchecker say it is not wrong.. ) Um.. sometimes views espoused here worry me, because I don't think some writers realize that being a nitpicky @$$ in a discussion can lead to long term repercussions. I gave a reader's viewpoint on something the other day, and I was quoted and it was said that my opinion was a straw argument. I am a reader, not a writer, therefore my viewpoint IS that of a reader, there is no way around that. KB was created for Kindle lovers not just writers, Writers' Cafe is not just for writers. I stick my admittedly opinionated self in here because many people ARE uncomfortable saying things in here if they are not a writer, and I get PMs from people about weekly thanking me for saying something here.
I must be here a lot because, Firefox has a thing that keeps track of your most visited place.. and the top of that list is Writers' Cafe, followed by the KB main page, then my homepage.


> 5. What's usually the first thing to make you cringe when you're reading an indie book?


Bad editing. Seriously. Argue all you want about it, but it DOES make a difference. I'm not talking a handful of errors in a huge tome, but a handful per page, or even chapter, and you have a BIG problem. I read a book last week that had some sort of error on every page, and not just a nitpicky {oops they forgot a comma/have a typo/whatever error}, these were somewhat major issues. The story was interesting, I finished it because of the story, but I kept thinking HOLY COW, someone needs to hire an editor. Then I was gobsmacked at the end when the page after the story was a Thank You to my Editor "insert name here". A reader should not be thinking about the poor editing when reading a story, they should be lost in its reality, not aware that it IS a story.


> 6. Can you tell me, in under 500 words, just why I'm so awesome?


in under 500? ok.. You just are.
There that's three words.. well under your 500 word limit. 


> All questions but number six are optional, btw.


Oh yeah.. answer to the joke.
Because the fans are all gone.

BTW, just in case any of you were interested and didn't know, on Monday of this week, RedAdeptReviews started a new series of Monday articles. This series is interviews with the reviewers. Monday was Jim Chambers.

ok.. now I choose someone and ask them questions?
I choose Harvey!

And I'm going with the Actor's Studio questions.

1. *What is your favorite word?*
2. *What is your least favorite word?*
3. *What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?*
4. *What turns you off?*
5. *What is your favorite curse word?*
6. *What sound or noise do you love?*
7. *What sound or noise do you hate?*
8. *What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?*
9. *What profession would you not like to do?*
10. *If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?*


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Ah yeah, let's put Harvey under the spotlight.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Ya know.. I really shoulda read the whole thread BEFORE posting my post.. I would have realized I was limited to 5 questions...

Harvey? just pick 5 of the questions to answer.

And Victorine? OMG Girl! That was HILARIOUS! And totally something I woulda done too.


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## Guest (May 25, 2011)

BTackitt said:


> Ya know.. I really shoulda read the whole thread BEFORE posting my post.


Don't worry about it. I definitely didn't.


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## CaedemMarquez (Mar 23, 2011)

BTackitt said:


> Um.. sometimes views espoused here worry me, because I don't think some writers realize that being a nitpicky @$$ in a discussion can lead to long term repercussions.


Now that is true!

I'm pretty sarcastic by nature but I've had to learn to reel it in a bit because even when I'm not trying to be rude, sometimes it can come across that way. My new motto: nice is right.

Caedem - http://CaedemMarquez.com


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Ulp! I've been chosen! Okay, I'm picking five...


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Our next author is a pet psychic and someone who writes from the heart. Her name is JeanneM.

1 JeanneM, could you explain how the pet psychic part of you works, so that we can have a clearer understanding of this Phenomena?

2 How did your book Pet Psychic come about?

3 Will you be writing any other childrens books?

4 Is there an author here on the boards, or out in the world somewhere that inspires you.

5 What will be your next venture concerning books?

Thanks in advance JeanneM

Carl


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Harvey said:


> Ulp! I've been chosen! Okay, I'm picking five...


WOOT Harvey is IN THE HOUSE!


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## JeanneM (Mar 21, 2011)

Our next author is a pet psychic and someone who writes from the heart. Her name is JeanneM. *Thank you for inviting me. 
*

1 JeanneM, could you explain how the pet psychic part of you works, so that we can have a clearer understanding of this phenomina? 
*Because I'm also a Medium, I work through Spirit Guides. I go into meditation and prayer and there is a place I go to in that altered state where I meet with the animals and my guides. Then I have a conversation with the pet just like I'm talking to you now. I hear words, get little film clips and my guides usually fill in information too. *

2 How did your book Pet Psychic come about?
*I had been asked by different clients if I had a book that recounted some of my pet reading stories. After four years, I finally decided one day to sit down and write up some of my experiences from my first year of work. Because I primarily do my readings through email, I have four huge binders filled with my communications. I got permissions and pics and took the plunge into writing. *

3 Will you be writing any other childrens books?
* I'm working on a short story now about magical beings..Fairies (they exist..I saw one once) Gnomes and Fairyland. I have two more outlines for children's verse that I'd like to try again. Writing in verse is so much fun. *

4 Is there an author here on the boards, or out in the world somewhere that inspires you.
*I have never been inspired by an author out in the world, the way I've been inspired here by all of you. Your kindness, your counsel, and your support of each other. It is a lovely place to come to every day. *

5 What will be your next venture concerning books? *I have two outlines that I've been working on. One is a mystery involving a pet psychic...gee what a stretch. LOL The other will be a YA in the paranormal vein. *

Carl *Thank you so much Carl.* I would like to choose Christopher Petersen and will come back with some questions in a few minutes.


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## JeanneM (Mar 21, 2011)

T.L. Haddix...LOL  thanks.  

Here are the questions for Christopher Petersen:

1.  As you know, I read and loved Tear in Time.  Have you always had an interest in the Civil War?

2.  Will Tear in Time be a series?  

3.  The Civil War battle scenes were so realistic.  What kind of research did you have to do to make them come so alive on paper?

4.  Your book Endless Summer is a ghost story and Tear in Time is a time travel.  Have you always had an interest in the paranormal?

5.  What's up next for you?  Are you working on something now that you can share with us?

Thank you so much Christopher.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Harvey must be a slow thinker.. It's not like I asked him HARD questions or anything.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

You are welcome Jeanne.

My next tag is for an author that most people here have either spoken too or taken advice from. She writes of paranormal things but with a sense of humor. I know of her because of this board, but my wife has read one of her books, which is called "Dead (ish)" and the authors name (as if you didn't already know,) is Nomesque. Incidentally, my wife was laughing out loud when she read that book.

1 Do you plan another in the series of "Dead (ish)" Nomesque?

2 What are you working on right now?

3 Have you ever thought of collaborating with another author?

4 I have a dream of one day being asked to a signing, do you have any one particular dream that you'd like to share with us?

5 At what age did you start to write and decided that this is what you wanted to do in life?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## nomesque (Apr 12, 2010)

Oooh, this looks like fun! Carl, thanks for tagging me!



Carl246 said:


> Incidentally, my wife was laughing out loud when she read that book.


W0000t! I love hearing that! :-D Including complaints about coffee-filled keyboards and snorting yoghurt, and even bills for dry-cleaning.



Carl246 said:


> *1 Do you plan another in the series of "Dead (ish)" Nomesque?*


Yes! There are three in the series now, and I have at least one more planned. I'd _like_ to have at least 10 in the series, mind you, but the fourth is slowly materialising in my head.



Carl246 said:


> *2 What are you working on right now?*


Maisy May 2. Maisy fans keep grinding their teeth and stomping their feet whenever I release a new book, and demand I get back to the _important_ series. So I sometimes have trouble getting into the head of a troublesome christian teen with small behavioural issues. Pfffft! But I wrote a thousand words on the train this morning, and I think I have my teen mindset back. By the way, I'm planning to go out and get drunk this weekend, and I won't pack protection. Yep, got it.



Carl246 said:


> *3 Have you ever thought of collaborating with another author?*


Yes, and then I laughed hysterically. I wouldn't impose me on another author in such a project. I'm arrogant, highly opinionated and unorthodox. I'm also a pain in the arse, apart from those other enticing aspects of my personality. 

_Edited to add:_ I forgot 'stubborn' and 'argumentative'.



Carl246 said:


> *4 I have a dream of one day being asked to a signing, do you have anyone particular dream that you'd like to share with us?*


I want to go up to the International Space Station and write a book... in space. No better reason for this than 'it's possible', and I read far too many sci fi books.  Unfortunately, I doubt I'll get the opportunity any time soon. Economic issues aside, I have a dodgy heart that might well mean I'd never be approved for any such lark. Pity.



Carl246 said:


> *5 At what age did you start to write and decided that this is what you wanted to do in life?*


Ummm... 8, I think, on both counts. I learnt pretty early on that I had a talent for taking a Creative Writing assignment topic and turning it on its head. However, I didn't actually make any firm commitment to writing until I hit my late twenties, and had to decide what to focus on in life - maths, science, IT, writing, or art (I'm a dabbler at heart). I realised that no matter how attractive everything else was, I'd always wanted to be a writer - so that's what I focused on. I took the tech writing career path (less pay, less respect, but a chance to right the wrongs forced upon hapless readers of manuals and online help), because I thought it would help me learn to get thoughts from my head onto the screen. Boy, did it ever! It also gave me the skills to proof-edit my own work - there's nothing like causing the critical release of a million-dollar project to be delayed a day because you stuffed up an important piece of info by leaving out a 'not' to teach proof-editing. I started a fiction blog. I had a baby and open heart surgery, which slowed me down enough to get me writing fiction more. Eventually I decided to release an actual ebook.

Right, my questions are for CraigInTwinCities... 

1. So, you've self-published now! How do you feel?

2. Do you find the relationship between your faith and your writing to be an easy one?

3. Will your fiction always contain Christian themes, do you think?

4. What does your family/SO think about your writing - the process, the content, the possibility of finding themselves fictionalised?

5. How many hours a week do you devote to writing?


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

While we're waiting for a couple of authors I thought I'd ask my favorite author a few questions. He is a best selling author of multiple books, such as the "Xanth" series and my personal favorites the "Incarnation" series of which "On a pale horse" I have read about six times. His name is Piers Anthony and was born in the UK.

1 Piers, I know that you have collaborated with other authors on a few occasions. Do you find it as rewarding sharing your work with other authors, as you do writing a book on your own?

2 I've lost count of how many Xanth novels you've written, could you tell us a little about the history of Xanth and why you felt a need to write so many?

3 Of all the series you have written, which was your favorite to write?

4 What are you working on right now?

5 If there was only one piece of advice you could give us indie's, what would it be?

Carl East


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Wow, I'm tagged! Thanks, Naomi!

My laptop battery's near zero, though, so I'll be back in a bit...


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Hey all.

Naomi, thanks for the invite to the party. I'll do my best...

*1. So, you've self-published now! How do you feel?*

In all honesty, it's a whole bunch of emotions at once. I'm thrilled, relieved, happy, intimidated, uncertain, and maybe just a bit scared.  I now have something out there to back up my advice giving and social contributions to KB. And if people decide they don't like it, well... I guess I'll get ignored a lot from now on, hee hee.

Also, see, I joined KB about nine or ten months ago, back in August 2010, and I hadn't had anything out there to define me in people's minds. So I could talk to just about anyone. Now I'm "that guy with the Christian young adult novel" and I'm hoping it doesn't pigeonhole me into being one type of writer.

I think that mostly self-imposed pressure or fear will ease once I get a few more books out and people see my diversity in theme and genre. Hopefully what will come through in all my books is a sense of, "This is someone who is serious about writing well."

I did get one encouraging sign just today, though. I approached my first indie book blogger about reviewing MOST LIKELY, and included a link to my free chapter on my site, and they responded very positively to Chapter 1. Hopefully, that's a harbinger of good things to come.

*2. Do you find the relationship between your faith and your writing to be an easy one?*

Sometimes. Not always.

MOST LIKELY was originally something I wrote 20 years ago for my master's thesis in writing. I was younger in my faith and in a different place theologically, and I was in a university where a lot of faculty and students had a certain mindset about how well "believer" and "writer" mixed. As a result, I think I went overboard trying to prove I could be honest and edgy and present a realistic view of life. As a result, that version of MOST LIKELY probably would have alienated everyone. Too frank for some, too religious for others, no one left in between.

Since then, I've matured in my faith and as a writer and learned a bit more about subtlety and the inherent power in it, in storytelling. So with the help of my beta-readers and my editor, I've pulled back on some elements, strengthened others and hopefully balanced out the book so that it's an enjoyable read for anyone.

Of course, MOST LIKELY is still more of a reflection of where I was than where I am. Balancing my writing and my faith may prove more challenging once I start releasing projects with a paranormal suspense bent, like EMBER.

*3. Will your fiction always contain Christian themes, do you think?*

I think MOST LIKELY will probably be my only novel that is quite so blatantly Christian fiction, even though it's a light touch compared to much of what you'd find in the fiction section of most Christian bookstores. I'm not sure Tyndale House or Multnomah Press or Bethany House would entirely approve, considering some of those houses go so far as to issue "banned words" lists to writers as part of their guidelines, even though MOST LIKELY is relatively modest by mainstream standards.

That's not to put down Christian fiction. There's a great market for it, and when done well, it can be quite moving. But most of my projects that I'm working on next won't line up in that category. MOST LIKELY is my one novel that probably fits into Young Adult Christian Fiction most comfortably.

My next projects include a young adult paranormal suspense series, EMBER, as well as a straight-up suspense novella for older readers, with a working title of IDEA WAREHOUSE. None of those stories will be mistaken as blatantly Christian fiction.

I prefer to write relatively clean entertainment without a lot of course language or graphic descriptions of sex and violence, but these projects will be more intense than the Christian market will normally bear. I'm aiming them at a mainstream audience. If you like Stephen King but wish he'd cuss less, EMBER and IDEA WAREHOUSE might be the sort of books you're interested in.

That being said, my faith is a part of who I am and so broad faith-influenced themes will probably always show up in my work. And one doesn't need to be a believer of any sort to appreciate some of those themes. Themes like redemption can be handled in a broad way that can be appreciated by all audiences, for example.

*4. What does your family/SO think about your writing - the process, the content, the possibility of finding themselves fictionalized?*

My wife has been incredibly supportive. Even since before we were married, she's kept asking me, "Why don't you do more with your writing?" And my general response has been, "I need to work to help keep a roof over our heads and there's only so many hours in a day."

And in the past five years we've been married, I've had a couple really bad jobs where I may as well have been unemployed. So when I was downsized out of my most recent day job, which lasted over three years, my wife sat down with me on our date night and said, "I'm tired of you trying to fit into these other jobs you're not suited for. You've found this opportunity with the Kindle. Get serious about it. We can make a go of it without your income for a year or so, if we need to. Why not write full time?"

And so that's what I've been doing for the past three months and, as a result, I've finally released MOST LIKELY. I could not have done that without being full-time, not that soon at least. So I owe a lot to a very supportive spouse who believed in me more than I did for a while.

As for people finding themselves in my work, I've never been one to fictionalize a specific person I know. My characters tend to be, if anything, amalgamations of several different people, at best. So that hasn't been an issue so far.

*5. How many hours a week do you devote to writing?*

Before I was downsized into writing full time, I wrote a few nights a week for a couple hours before bed. Which is why it was taking me so long to get anything finished, other than my very short story for Amanda Hocking's Zombiepalooza event last October, "Shall Arise First." Putting the finishing touches on 1,200 words is a lot easier, when that's all the time you have, than coming up with a 63,000 word novel like MOST LIKELY.

Since going full time, I keep very odd hours because I hate early mornings and I'm a natural night-owl. So I tend to get up around 11 AM, put on some talk radio or Johnny Cash in the background, and other than a meal break with my father and my wife, I work most of the afternoon straight through until around 5 or 6 in the evening. That's my early shift.

Then I break off and spend time with my wife and father again. We share an evening meal, I try to get my chores done (which sounds silly from an adult, but that's how I think of helping out with my share of the housework, and I probably don't do enough housework). We spend some time watching TV, talking, walking, or whatever. (Well, my dad's 89 this August, so he doesn't walk with us, but you get the idea.)

Finally, around 10 my wife will want to turn in for the night so I walk the dog and do the last of my chores if I haven't yet, and then I'm back in front of my computer for my late shift, which usually runs about 11 PM to 3 AM... sometimes as late as 5 AM or 6 AM, as people who notice the time I post things on KB will point out. But I try to wind down around 3 AM unless I'm close to completing something.

I always take the Sabbath off - the Biblical Sabbath, which is sundown Friday to sundown Saturday - to make room for our spiritual lives, date night with my wife on Saturday, and so forth. So I end up working maybe five and a half days a week. I average about eight to ten hour days.

So I'm putting in forty-five to maybe sixty hours a week. I don't spend all of it writing, because I do some contract editorial work, paid blogging, and other things that keep some money coming in, but I try to devote at least half my hours each week to my own writing. So twenty-five to thirty hours, maybe. It's made a huge difference.

===

Okay, so now we all know why I'm a novelist... I'm a long-winded cuss.

And I choose to tag.... someone whose work might be considered very different from mine, but who I happen to be a HUGE fan of... *David McAfee*, come on down! You're the next contestant on... The Mini-Interview Is Write! 

Mr. McAfee... if that IS your real name... are you now or have you ever been a member of the... oh wait... these aren't the McCarthy hearings, they're the McAfee Mini-Interview... sorry.... 

1) If I'm following things correctly, you recently became a stay-at-home dad and full-time writer. How's it working out for you? How's the response so far from your wife, family, friends?

2) I understand you'll soon have a contribution to THE DEAD MAN series created by MONK writer Lee Goldberg. How'd that come about? How'd he find you?

3) 33 AD is the sort of edgy premise that represents the best of indie fiction, because it's the sort of idea a trad-pub might have shied away from. Yet it seems to have become almost your signature series. I know you have a short novella out, and a sequel on the way. Tell us a bit about those projects, and what your vision is for that series beyond those two works?

4) A change-of-pace question for a horror writer... How did you meet the lovely Mrs. McAfee? (It's fun, I think, to hear how couples met.)

5) You have a unique take on vampire lore and that genre's still hot right now... but are there other interests jumping about in your head that might leap onto the page someday? Is horror your main thing, or do you have other areas you'd like to explore at some point? Is there a WUTHERING HEIGHTS or an OLD MAN AND THE SEA lurking up there in your noggin?

And of course, because I can't resist including a couple silly questions....

6) What was Clark like, when you two were buddies, growing up? Do you still have any kryptonite left?

7) We all know about Daglish and Kermit... but are you ready to tell the world about McAfee and Gonzo?

Thanks for playing, my friend!


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Extremely informative Craig, thank you for being so open. I have to admit a bit of jealousy on my part as well, when you mentioned how supportive your wife has been. I've never had a partner that encouraged me so much. Although to be fair to my wife, she does applaud my successes and helps to edit my work.

Thanks again.

Carl


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

I've been waiting for someone to tag this next author, but no one is coming forward. So, I'm simply going to carry on asking questions of those authors who interest me and there are quite a few.

My next tag is for someone who is clearly a hard worker in life and someone who cares about others. She's intelligent and a pleasure to correspond with. Her name is Sybil Nelson.

1 Sybil, you recently found out that one of your books was set free by Amazon. How did that make you feel?

2 Have you ever thought of a story line that you didn't think you were capable of giving justice too?

3 Do other writers influence you?

4 A lot of people get upset with bad reviews and high with good ones, naturally. How do you handle those types of reviews, assuming you have any of course?

5 Do you write series or one off novels, and what is your current book about?

Thanks in advance for taking part.

Carl


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## Sybil Nelson (Jun 24, 2010)

Okay, I haven't been keeping up with this thread. So now I have to go back and read through and find out about everyone else! First, let me answer some questions. 


Carl246 said:


> 1 Sybil, you recently found out that one of your books was set free by Amazon. How did that make you feel?


I was SUPER excited. And it is the perfect book that's free. It's a collection of short stories that is a great introduction to my main character Priscilla. I can't wait to see what it does for sales.



Carl246 said:


> 2 Have you ever thought of a story line that you didn't think you were capable of giving justice too?


Oh, yeah. I'm struggling with that right now. I have a story that I've been working on for almost a year. It's about the 1917 race riots in St. Louis. I'm so afraid I won't give the situation it's due. But I'm so in love with the characters that I can't stop writing it. I just hope it turns out right.



Carl246 said:


> 3 Do other writers influence you?


Tons of authors influence me. I love Meg Cabot for the flair she gives her characters. I love Michael Crichton for his excellent tension and action novels. I love Ally Carter. I'm a huge fan of British literature. I'm obsessed with Philippa Gregory, although, I don't think she influences my writing too much.



Carl246 said:


> 4 A lot of people get upset with bad reviews and high with good ones, naturally. How do you handle those types of reviews, assuming you have any of course?


Bad reviews always sting. After a glass of wine, I try to extract the constructive criticism and use it to improve. Then I read the bad reviews of some of my favorite authors. That makes me feel better. You can't please everyone all the time.



Carl246 said:


> 5 Do you write series or one off novels, and what is your current book about?


I have two separate series that I'm working on now, Priscilla the Great and The Queen Bee of Bridgeton. I'm on book five of Priscilla and Book 3 of Queen Bee. I'm trying to finish that one first. I'm also working on several singleton books. I'm about 12 chapter in on Shadows of St. Louis which is set in 1917 St. Louis. So I would say I'm simultaneously working on those three books and I have ideas for like three more. I don't have time to write as much as I'd like. I'm in school working on my PhD in Biostatistics.

Okay, I don't know who to tag next. I have to read through the thread and see who hasn't been up. I think I'd like to question Amanda Brice.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Haaaaarveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey...


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## Guest (May 26, 2011)

JL Bryan clearly blew off my invitation. He probably thought I was spamming him.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Half-Orc said:


> Haaaaarveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey...


David, maybe you can help get your twin to respond... where's the other David


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

CraigInTwinCities said:


> David, maybe you can help get your twin to respond... where's the other David


Locked in my basement, why?


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Half-Orc said:


> Locked in my basement, why?


Because I tagged him.

I hated to do this, but maybe THIS will lure Mr. McAfee out for a mini-interview:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,29976.msg1114002.html#msg1114002


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

I let him out of his cage...er, harassed him on facebook. He should show up at some point.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Half-Orc said:


> I let him out of his cage...er, harassed him on facebook. He should show up at some point.


Cool... because there may be video, too! 

(okay, not really)


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

I just received a reply from Piers Anthony and apparently the link I supplied wasn't any good, so he asked me to send the questions directly to him and he'd correspond through email. I just did that and am now waiting for his replies. I'll let you know what he said when I receive another reply.

Carl


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Cool! I loved the interview he did for Red Adept. He is one of my all time favorite authors.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

BTackitt said:


> Cool! I loved the interview he did for Red Adept. He is one of my all time favorite authors.


Tell me you've read "On a pale Horse" my all time favorite book. lol

Carl


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

My next tag is for someone that most people here admire, at least I believe they do. He is responsible for turning the writing world on its head, singelhandedly. He's shown that with perserverance and determination that people can achieve some amazing things. His name is Mark Coker and it would be remiss of me not to include him in this thread.

1 Mark, with all the work you do for indie authors and maintaining your site, do you still write books?

2 How far can Smashwords go Mark. I mean, we're already seeing some pretty impressive numbers coming from your site so what's the future hold in your opinion?

3 Could you explain to us indie authors how affiliates come about, such as your latest Scrollmotion? Do you actively seek them out or is it the other way around?

4 If you had the last four years to do over, would you change anything?

5 If you got so big that other places saw you as a threat and offered to buy you out, would that ever be an option for you?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Definitely! Love that WHOLE series.. well, except for Nox. I haven't read that one. I have more than half of the Xanth series on my Kindle.. 3 of the Do0n Mode series... waiting on the Phaze series.. yeah..Great books.
My grandfather introduced me to Piers Anthony and the Xanth books, when there were only 3 published.


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## nomesque (Apr 12, 2010)

Carl246 said:


> I just received a reply from Piers Anthony and apparently the link I supplied wasn't any good, so he asked me to send the questions directly to him and he'd correspond through email. I just did that and am now waiting for his replies. I'll let you know what he said when I receive another reply.


Awwww... he is such a sweet guy! 

(btw, yes - I've read most of the Incarnations series, most multiple times. The Kindle books are annoyingly hard to buy from Australia though, and the paper books are both rare and pricey. Sigh.)


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

*chanting started*
Harvey
HAR VEY
HAR VEY
HARVEY!!!


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## MarkCoker (Feb 15, 2009)

Carl246 said:


> My next tag is for someone that most people here admire, at least I believe they do. He is responsible for turning the writing world on its head, singelhandedly. He's shown that with perserverance and determination that people can achieve some amazing things. His name is Mark Coker and it would be remiss of me not to include him in this thread.


Thanks for the invite, Carl. Greetings from NYC, where I just wrapped up a fun five days at BEA.

*1 Mark, with all the work you do for indie authors and maintaining your site, do you still write books?*

Funny you should ask. Two weeks ago I published _*THE 10 MINUTE PR CHECKLIST*_ (Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/10-Minute-Checklist-Publicity-ebook/dp/B004ZSYTZA Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/58285 B&N: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-10-Minute-PR-Checklist-Earn-the-Publicity-You-Deserve/Mark-Coker/e/2940012406804). It's a short 7,000-word checklist to help entrepreneurs and business managers execute smarter, more effective PR. My background, pre-Smashwords, was running a Silicon Valley PR firm for 18 years. I've helped dozens of Silicon Valley companies enjoy the magic of strategic PR. I apply these principles at Smashwords. Other PR books I've read fail to convey the essential thinking and ethics that go into effective PR. I hope this might serve as the missing chapter for some. Prior to this, my writing was restricted to the Smashwords Style Guide and the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide, and then of course Boob Tube, the novel that was the mother of the Smashwords invention.

*2 How far can Smashwords go Mark. I mean, we're already seen some pretty impressive numbers coming from your site so what's the future hold in your opinion?*

I blogged the other day that we reached 50,000 ebooks and 20,000 authors. I feel like we've only just scratched the surface of the possible. We've been doing this three years already, though counting the three years of business planning that went into this pre-launch, Smashwords is what I've been dreaming about every night for the last six years. We've got hundreds of items on our roadmap, ranging from simple glitch fixes to big strategic projects. I see a future where the power of publishing shifts to authors, where self-publishing is the norm, not the exception. I see Big Publishing, or at least the Big 6, looking radically different five years from now. They're going to lose many of their best authors to self-publishing, or to something between self-publishing and traditional publishing. As these books go indie, they'll need distribution. This is our business. We provide the technical infrastructure that helps authors deliver ebooks to readers. The other side of distribution, serving the retailers, is also important to us. We're committed to helping retailers efficiently source and sell the ebooks of Smashwords authors and publishers.

*3 Could you explain to us indie authors how affiliates come about, such as your latest Scrollmotion? Do you actively seek them out or is it the other way around?*

ScrollMotion sought us out, though generally its a mix of us seeking distribution outlets and distribution outlets seeking content. We probably maintain the single largest catalog of indie ebooks, and this content is valuable. Without ebooks, all these screens become less valuable. With ebooks, screens - whether they're a dedicated e-reader, a multi-function tablet, a personal computer, or a smart phone - become more valuable. It was back in 2009 when I first decided to expand into distribution. It wasn't part of my original business plan, though in mid-2009 there was an author who wanted his books at B&N, and B&N told him to use a distributor, and he asked, "how about Smashwords?" and so he hooked us up for a conference call. The call went well and we quickly put together a deal. I realized then that Smashwords had an incredible opportunity to create the conduit through which indie ebooks could flow to retailers. Next came Sony, Kobo and then last year, Apple. These guys deserve amazing kudos for their embrace of self-published authors. I'm really pleased with how each of these relationships have progressed, and I expect them to only grow stronger and more productive for our authors in the years ahead.

*4 If you had the last four years to do over, would you change anything?*

Amazon. My biggest disappointment has been not getting Amazon up and running yet. We could be an incredible partner for them, as we are for our other retail partners. We first signed a deal with them 18 months ago and then time raced by, the world changed, and here we are, ready and waiting for their pieces to fall into place. We're told it should happen this year. A cruel irony of this delay is that we've seen multiple instances of criminals stealing free Smashwords books and selling them on Amazon for a price.

*5 If you got so big that other places saw you as a threat and offered to buy you out, would that ever be an option for you?*

I can't imagine selling out. I'm not done. I bootstrapped Smashwords to profitability without venture capitalists or investors, so I have the freedom to run this for the long term without bowing to the short term whims of investors who need to cash out. I report to our 20,000 authors and publishers. I feel a responsibility to lead them to a brighter future, not to the mouths of wolves. Independence is in future I see.

Thanks,
mark


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Mark Coker responded before Harvey?

Smashwords > Kindleboards.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I know.. it's sad.. I even re-Pm'd Harvey today with just the questions  as a gentle reminder... sigh..


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

Half-Orc said:


> Mark Coker responded before Harvey?
> 
> Smashwords > Kindleboards.


Perhaps we must sacrifice a virgin in order to bring Harvey here.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Terrific mini, Mark.

And Mark responded not only before Harvey, but before the Gonzo-appreciating David McAfee!


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## ChristopherDavidPetersen (Mar 24, 2011)

JeanneM said:


> T.L. Haddix...LOL thanks.
> 
> Here are the questions for Christopher Petersen:
> 
> ...


1. As you know, I read and loved Tear in Time. Have you always had an interest in the Civil War?

Always! There's something that compels me to it&#8230; don't know why - just does. I could spend hours listen to and reading about the Civil War. I love all history, but I have a soft spot for that time period.

2. Will Tear in Time be a series?

When I first wrote this book a few years ago, I hadn't really thought about it. It was just for my own entertainment, but recently, I've been receiving a lot of requests/suggestions for a sequel. To be honest, the thrill of writing for others is something that I hadn't anticipated. It really added an exciting element to writing. So, I will definitely be writing a sequel to Tear in Time. I only hope I don't disappoint.

3. The Civil War battle scenes were so realistic. What kind of research did you have to do to make them come so alive on paper?
Before I put "pen to paper", I spent many months researching the net for anything Civil War. I read through volumes of soldier's diaries, visited websites specific to various battles, as well as recorded a lot of general data from books and TV. It was an exciting time learning about the detail of that war.
I remember one time when I took the family to Disney. Before leaving, I printed out a stack of info 4 inches thick. I reading EVERYWHERE: on the plane, by the pool, and especially late at night after the kids were asleep. I don't know which I liked more: reading about the Civil War or seeing Disney.
When you learn that much about something, I think it's pretty easy to write about it afterwards.

4. Your book Endless Summer is a ghost story and Tear in Time is a time travel. Have you always had an interest in the paranormal?

Not necessarily the paranormal, but the unexplained. Anything that has a mystery behind it has ALWAYS fascinated me. When I hear about something unexplained, my imagination travels down wild tangents, trying to find the answers. Ghost, time travel, the ancient unexplained&#8230; that kind of stuff really excites me.

5. What's up next for you? Are you working on something now that you can share with us?

I'm always working on something (I just love to write). I have several different things I'm currently writing, but nothing close to finishing. The closest to completion is an epic tale of a young man who flies his floatplane to the middle of the Caribbean Sea in search of "something". He dives down and finds what he was looking for, only to discover something else: his own floatplane. Due to a freak accident, his plane sank and has now left him stranded in the middle of the ocean. The epic survival scene is just the first 1/3 of the book. I'll let you in on a little secret: he lives - haha. Anyway, the book is broken up into thirds, so the other 2 thirds continue the story with what he found at the bottom of the ocean. I'd like to tell you more, but I really don't want to give any more away.
As much as I'm enjoying that story, I am planning on putting it aside to start the sequel of Tear in Time (strike while it's hot, right?).

Thanks,
Christopher


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

McAfee evidently was on some sort of lengthy drive in a truck. I'll try to poke him again.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Hey he's trying to get Cole to sleep I bet.. When our kids were babies I had one that wouldn't go to sleep at night unless I put him in the car for a ride.. 5 minutes later he was out like a light. At 18 he still goes to sleep easily in cars.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Piers Anthony just replied via email, and here it is.

*1 Piers, I know that you have collaborated with other authors on a few occasions. Do you find it as rewarding sharing your work with other authors, as you do writing a book on your own?*

Yes, I like collaboration almost as well as individual writing. I stopped collaborating for years because of the resistance of publishers to it; they just didn't want collaborations regardless of the merits of the novel. Now with electronic self publishing I can bypass the publishers, and am doing it again. See Question #4.

*2 I've lost count of how many Xanth novels you've written, could you tell us a little about the history of Xanth and why you felt a need to write so many?*

Xanth started when I wanted to work with editor Lester del Rey. He was then the fantasy editor, so I wrote a fantasy novel. Later it turned out that all publishers wanted from me was Xanth, so I wrote more. It's not that I like it better, it's the one series I can sell. I'll be writing #37 later this year.

*3 Of all the series you have written, which was your favorite to write?*

My favorite series was GEODYSSEY, covering the whole of human history for the last few million years. Alas, the market wasn't there and I had to retire it.

*4 What are you working on right now?*

I collaborated with bestselling author of the Vampire PI novels J.R. Rain on Aladdin Relighted, now available on Kindle, self published. Now I am organizing to write the sequel, tentatively titled Aladdin Sins Bad, about Aladdin's association with Sinbad the Seaman.

*5 If there was only one piece of advice you could give us indie's, what would it be?*

If you're serious about writing, have a working spouse so you won't have to try to live on your meager earnings from fiction. Write for the love of it, rather than for money.

Piers Anthony


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## Guest (May 27, 2011)

Thumbs up to Mark Coker here. 

Now I'm tagging *Jeff Bezos*!


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

If memory serves correctly JR Rain is a KB author... I'm about 90% sure...


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

BTackitt said:


> If memory serves correctly JR Rain is a KB author... I'm about 90% sure...


Ask some questions then, they can only say no. lol

Carl


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

My next author is quite frankly unbelievable. She has shown what is possible in the world of self-publishing and is someone I greatly admire. Her name is Amanda Hocking and if I became half as popular I'd be a very happy man. lol

1 I can only imagine what it must have felt like when a publisher came along and offered such a lucritive deal Amanda. How did you handle it and has it all sunk in yet?

2 When you started to write, was it simply a hobby or did you take it seriously from day one? 

3 What's next for you Amanda? 

4 Could you let your readers know what has happened to you since you shot into the limelight and how your life has changed?

5 Have you got any words of wisdom for all the other indie writers out there, who are dreaming of reaching the same heights as you?

Carl


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Thanks to BTackitt for pinging me - and waiting so patiently for my response. 

1. *What is your favorite word?*

"Hope."

2. *What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?*

I feel most energized when I am in creative mode. That could be in writing, in problem-solving at work, in trying to work out something on my guitar, or building something new for the website. You know the feeling when you're completely absorbed in something, and suddenly realize that hours have slipped by, it's 2am, and you need to put the dog to bed and catch some sleep before your morning phone calls? But you're too intrigued with what you're creating to stop. That "in the zone" sensation is very satisfying.  

3. *What turns you off?*

Negativity. I'm a big believer in positive energy. I don't always succeed at this, but I try to be one of the people that adds oxygen to the room.

4. *What sound or noise do you love?*

I love to hear the sound of laughter from my wife and daughters. Especially if it's because of something extremely witty I said (happens occasionally), or something stupid that I did (a more frequent occurrence). 

5. *What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?*

Well, first off, I do love my chosen profession, which is information systems project management. But there are other things I want to do when I grow up or retire, whichever comes first. Probably top of the list is writing. I'd love to write something that my daughters would enjoy reading - and I admire the authors on our site who have acted boldly on their similar dreams. 


I'll post separately my five questions for our next interviewee...!


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Carl246 said:


> My next author is quite frankly unbelievable. She has shown what is possible in the world of self-publishing and is someone I greatly admire. Her name is Amanda Hocking


Good luck, Carl. Amanda's been a very busy woman lately... I think the last time I saw her around KB was maybe January.

We all miss her lots, though. Maybe she'll drop in!


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

CraigInTwinCities said:


> Good luck, Carl. Amanda's been a very busy woman lately... I think the last time I saw her around KB was maybe January.
> 
> We all miss her lots, though. Maybe she'll drop in!


She was procrastinating earlier, according to her tweets. Shame she didn't procrastinate here. 

I've never spoken with her, though I have tweeted a few things towards her before.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Ryne Billings said:


> She was procrastinating earlier, according to her tweets. Shame she didn't procrastinate here.
> 
> I've never spoken with her, though I have tweeted a few things towards her before.


I interviewed her at incredible length once for my blog, just before she took off monster-huge and became the next "author everyone wishes they were."

She's a peach and very down-to-earth, though, and I miss her contributions here.

But I know that 99 percent of it is how busy her life as become. Totally understandable.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

CraigInTwinCities said:


> Good luck, Carl. Amanda's been a very busy woman lately... I think the last time I saw her around KB was maybe January.
> 
> We all miss her lots, though. Maybe she'll drop in!


I hope she does. I sent a polite email to ask her if she'd care to participate in the thread, after describing it to her. I did tell her though that if she was too busy we would understand.

Carl


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Carl246 said:


> I hope she does. I sent a polite email to ask her if she'd care to participate in the thread, after describing it to her. I did tell her though that if she was too busy we would understand.
> 
> Carl


If Amanda responds before David McAfee does, I may have to cancel my pre-order of 61 AD!  LOL


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

CraigInTwinCities said:


> I interviewed her at incredible length once for my blog, just before she took off monster-huge and became the next "author everyone wishes they were."
> 
> She's a peach and very down-to-earth, though, and I miss her contributions here.
> 
> But I know that 99 percent of it is how busy her life as become. Totally understandable.


She does sound like a pretty nice person. On that same note, I'm currently reading one of her books. Before today, I've never read any of her work. In the past, I've made a point to never read anything that lacks page breaks between the chapters. I doubt I'll ever make an exception outside of her books now.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

The next author is simply a nice guy, there's no better way to put it. He's always there with an encouraging word or two and is well known on the board. His name is Brian Kittrell.

1 Brian, when did you first start to write?

2 What are you working on right now?

3 What motivates you?

4 Do you have any personal hero's in the book business?

5 What's your routine, where writings concerned. Do you write a certain amount a day or are you a night writer?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

Ryne Billings said:


> She does sound like a pretty nice person. On that same note, I'm currently reading one of her books. Before today, I've never read any of her work. In the past, I've made a point to never read anything that lacks page breaks between the chapters. I doubt I'll ever make an exception outside of her books now.


How do you know before you start reading? (Just curious! I like page breaks too, but if I read the first chapter and loved it I wouldn't stop.)

Vicki


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Samples Vicki.. Samples, well at least if you are lucky.


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

Victorine said:


> How do you know before you start reading? (Just curious! I like page breaks too, but if I read the first chapter and loved it I wouldn't stop.)
> 
> Vicki


I use samples to find out. Authors that don't use page breaks generally have the first page of the actual story towards the bottom of the copyright page.


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## BrianKittrell (Jan 8, 2011)

Hey, Carl, I appreciate the opportunity to shed some insights.

1 Brian, when did you first start to write?

Well, I've been writing since I was about 12. That was rather terrible in retrospect. lol Over the past 16 years, I've slowly worked on it. I'm certainly not the type of author to produce those epic blockbuster type books (at least not yet), but I have been told a few times that I tell a good story.

2 What are you working on right now?

Right now, there are five books in the works. (Eeek, when you say it like that...) Book #4 of The Survivor Chronicles series to tie it up and finish it; Book #1 of Songs of Sorbia, a fantasy series with a custom world; Book #1 (if it turns out to be a series) of a vampire story that's been floating around in here since I started actually publishing books; A Self-Publishing book (as a result of so many people asking me about how it all works. It's not focused to be a marketing book but more a guide to how to actually get a book from concept to distribution); and the d10 Core Roleplaying Game System core rulebook, which should yield game setting books (like the world Songs of Sorbia is set within) in the future.

My main commitments lie to finishing up The Survivor Chronicles first, and I've been working on getting the roleplaying game system in working order. I don't want to put out the self-pub guide book until Q1 of 2012 at the earliest in case numerous things change between now and then. I don't like releasing books that are obsolete as soon as I hit "Go".

3 What motivates you?

I think my main motivation is my family. I like writing good stories (fiction books) and helping people (non-fiction books), and I like how the marriage of writing to my business sensibilities can help provide a better life for our family. I've always been a proponent of the idea that you don't have to be a mega-best-seller, you just have to use your skills to make enough to make a real impact in your own life. For most people, even an extra $50 in a month can make a big difference. Trust me, I know. I'm above the $50/month mark, but I've been there. We all start somewhere. 

4 Do you have any personal hero's in the book business?

I really like Stephen King's outlook on everything, and, if he weren't in traditional publishing probably for the remainder of his writing career, he could easily be a self-publishing messiah. He has a great mentality on how writers need to focus on their craft and, even if you don't sell billions of copies, "if you get a check for writing and it doesn't bounce, and you use it to pay the light bill, you're a writer."

5 What's your routine, where writings concerned. Do you write a certain amount a day or are you a night writer?

I'm actually in a unique position with my writing. I'm a 911 operator/dispatcher, so I set up my computer while I'm here at work. So long as nothing is going on, we're allowed to do virtually anything as long as it doesn't interfere with our work. Some days, I have time to write, edit, or brainstorm for an hour. Other days, I can play with my manuscripts for five hours or more. It all depends on our work load at the time.

I try to get at least 1,000 words out five days a week if I can, if not more. Some days can get to 5,000 or more, some days I can't write at all. If I ever do write at home or work, it's usually at night - and I can't recall ever starting before late afternoon.

Thanks for the opportunity!!


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## BrianKittrell (Jan 8, 2011)

Hmmmm, this is quite difficult. Most of the authors that I've read are deceased unfortunately.

Here, I'll call out Julie (Bards and Sages) from our boards on this.

1. What is your greatest inspiration for becoming a writer?

2. What is your favorite genre or subject matter to write within? (even if it's not of novel length or publishable. Some of us do enjoy writing things we may never publish.)

3. What aspect of self-publishing do you enjoy the most? The least?

4. What would be your advice to someone just starting out?

5. If you could wish for one thing, that wish would be granted automatically and without reservation, and it could be anything, what would that be?


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Our next author is someone who makes me laugh; she has a great sense of humor. Even her avatar makes me smile, because I keep imagining that she's about to be mischievous and say something funny. Her name is JRainey.

1 Tell me J, do you think you'll always stick to one genre, or is there room for others?

2 When you're writing, do you have a plan of attack, as in a thought out idea before putting pen to paper?

3 Is the one book I see in your signature going to be a series?

4 Can you remember when you suddenly got serious with writing and how it felt to complete your first book?

5 Do you have a kindle? If so, do you read a lot?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## JRainey (Feb 1, 2011)

I was surprised when I got a PM about this; I didn't know I was cool enough to be interviewed. 

*1 Tell me J, do you think you'll always stick to one genre, or is there room for others?*

There's definitely room for others. I'm writing paranormal/urban fantasy fiction with a comic slant right now, but I have a fairly fleshed out idea for a historical/adventure novel in my notes right now, too. It'll probably be a while before I get to that, but I'm definitely open to other genres. Except crime novels. I have so much respect for people who write crime novels and mysteries and such, because I could never do that. Thrillers, too.

*2 When you're writing, do you have a plan of attack, as in a thought out idea before putting pen to paper?*

I always plan it out. If I just run with it, it turns into nothing but banter and the plot doesn't move and I look up and four hours have gone by... and I have nothing but vaguely amusing dialogue!

*3 Is the one book I see in your signature going to be a series?*

Indeedy! I'm working on the first draft of the second book in the series at the moment. In fact, it's sitting down in my toolbar right now, calling, "Jenny... why aren't you working on me?"

*4 Can you remember when you suddenly got serious with writing and how it felt to complete your first book?*

When I was a senior in high school, I was in a writing competition where I wrote a comic short story about a traditional 2-D animator losing his job because his studio was shutting down. It probably wasn't very funny, but I thought it was hilarious at the time (isn't that always the case?) and ended up winning first place in the state with it. It was around then that I really started considering writing as something I wanted to pursue with a little more vigor, I guess we'll say.

Now when I finished my book, that was more of a " GAH! It's about time!" moment than something emotional in any way, haha! I had been editing and re-writing and revising and all that fun stuff for over two solid years after finishing the first draft by the time I got These Hellish Happenings published. It was nice to finally be able to move on entirely.

*5 Do you have a kindle? If so, do you read a lot?*

I do have a Kindle! It's name is Aziraphale, after the angel in Good Omens. I read as much as I can, but I still wish I read more. I just have so much other (not-as-fun) stuff going on!

Well, thanks for asking me all these lovely questions! I shall tag someone and ask my questions in the next post.


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## JRainey (Feb 1, 2011)

Alrighty, I tag *Literarygrrrl!*

And here are your questions:

1. Do you read the same genre that you write?
2. What is your ideal writing environment?
3. What is your least favorite part of being an author?
4. If you could go to lunch with one of your characters, who would it be and why?
5. What's your favorite kind of dessert? (It's late. My brain isn't functioning properly anymore. )


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

This one's for all the readers who are lurking out there.  

1 Do you ever get influenced to buy a book simply by visiting this board?

2 Are you someone who is dipping a toe into the waters of self-publishing and are here to learn from other authors?

3 What genre do you read and who's your favorite author?

4 Have you learnt anything from the boards?

5 Is there anything you feel could improve the boards, if so what would it be?

These questions are for any reader who has not written a book, but who comes here to maybe learn or just read what his/her favorite author is up to.   It can also be answered muliple times by whomever wants to respond. Have a great day folks. Incidentally, you don't have to ask five questions, but if you have a favorite author on the board feel free to do so. Just remember to send him/her a PM to let them know.

Carl


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## LiteraryGrrrl (Jan 24, 2011)

Cool I get to play! 

(1) *Do you read in the same genre you write?*
Absolutely! As you may know I write thrillers--and I've grown up reading the best in the business: King, Barker, etc. But that's not all I read. I adore cozy mysteries, and Dame Agatha Christie is my biggest writing inspiration. I also LOVE memoir-essayists like David Sedaris and Anne Lammot.

(2) *What is your ideal writing environment?*
My apartment, when the kid's at school, the cats are asleep, the radio's tuned to NPR and the coffee pot's percolating. 

(3) *What is your least favorite part of being an author?*
Nothing!  No, but seriously.
I've been a writer my since I was 9, and I sat down with a pencil and a spiral notebook and a library copy of Beverly Cleary's Ramona the Pest and set about to write a book because I knew that I could, too! (My effort was so plagiarized it wasn't even funny. I called my book Ramona the Weird.)
I've always been a writer, but now that I'm getting paid--however small my royalties are--I'm an author and this is my perfect life. This is all I ever wanted.

(4) *If you could go to lunch with one of your characters, who would it be and why?*
Oooohh---fun! I wouldn't want to sit down anywhere with most of mycharacters, because although I love them in the way that the mother of a wayward boy can love her son, most of my characters are seriously damaged people.
I know! I would LOVE to have lunch with Sara Cullen, from North of Forks, because she's a real bad-ass. I love her matter-of-factness.

(5) *What's your favorite kind of dessert?*

Funny you should ask! I just discovered this yesterday. My daughter Meredith and I ate dinner at a local restaurant that was featured on that show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives--Athens Family Restaurant in Nashville. And we ate this stuff that started with a G. It was like baklava, but not. YUM!


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## LiteraryGrrrl (Jan 24, 2011)

Now it's my turn to tag!

Reading through this thread I see most of the BIG names have already been taken. I mean, seriously--MARK COKER

So I'm gonna tag another little name, like me, another short-story writer. Because, I think I've read most of this individual's stories and I think she's one of the most gifted writers here: *Doomed Muse! You're next!*

(1) First, the silly question: Why the negative name? 
(2) Are short stories your primary thing to write, or do you also write novels?
(3) What do you like best about writing short stories? What do you like the least?
(4) The thing that I'm the most in awe about, in terms of your writing, is how you can describe an individual who is in the middle of the most gut-wrenchingly awful situation, and yet the writing itself is simply gorgeous. So my question to you is: can you bottle that whatever-it-is and sell it to me? Just kidding! Kind of. But seriously, how do you do it??
(5) And I'll end on another light note: Do you live to write? Or write to live?


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## Guest (May 29, 2011)

BrianKittrell said:


> Hmmmm, this is quite difficult. Most of the authors that I've read are deceased unfortunately.
> 
> Here, I'll call out ***** (Bards and Sages) from our boards on this.


ACK! I've been summoned!

1. What is your greatest inspiration for becoming a writer?

I just love the art of storytelling. We always say that writing is such a solitary thing, but it isn't. Not if you are talking your readers into account when you right. I want to tell a story that people will enjoy. Knowing folks get attached to characters and enjoy the stories is my inspiration.

2. What is your favorite genre or subject matter to write within? (even if it's not of novel length or publishable. Some of us do enjoy writing things we may never publish.)

I'm a horror writer first and foremost. Even my fantasy novel The Doom Guardian has dark horror aspects.

3. What aspect of self-publishing do you enjoy the most? The least?

I'm a project junkie. I love taking a project from concept to conclusion. It is almost like putting together a puzzle. Finding the right cover art, designing the product, editing, laying out the stories, and then finally having the finished product. I even enjoy the marketing aspects. The only thing I don't like is the mundane administrative stuff, like having to deal with tax issues or legal issues involving copyright and such.

4. What would be your advice to someone just starting out?

If you are going to self publish, do it for the right reasons. Do it because you want to be a business person, because publishing IS a business. Do it because you have a real interest in interacting with the public, because you will have to do so. Do it because you have identified a niche the marketplace is not filling, because if you aren't filling a niche you are just another commodity. Set realistic goals, and realize this is a long-term project, not a short cut to publication.

5. If you could wish for one thing, that wish would be granted automatically and without reservation, and it could be anything, what would that be?

You know, people who play Dungeons and Dragons do not WANT wishes. I don't know a single gamer who hasn't had a Wish spell blow up in his face. It would take me five hours to word the wish, then I'd have to pass it around to five or six other people to make sure they don't see a loophole in the wish that can be used against me, and then I'd probably have to edit it three or four times before I'd be comfortable considering asking for the wish.


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## GayleC (Feb 16, 2011)

I have to tell you all - from the outside looking in, these are a lot of fun to read!


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

The next author is someone who nearly always gets in there first, when congratulating someone's achievements, and for that, she has my respect. Her name is Mel Comley and she writes thrillers.

1 Mel, are you currently working on a third book in the series or have you moved on?

2 Are thrillers your favorite stories and if so why?

3 Have you ever thought of writing other genres in a different name?

4 Can you tell us what motivates you?

5 Do you ever intend to have your books published traditionally?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## BrianKittrell (Jan 8, 2011)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> 5. If you could wish for one thing, that wish would be granted automatically and without reservation, and it could be anything, what would that be?
> 
> You know, people who play Dungeons and Dragons do not WANT wishes. I don't know a single gamer who hasn't had a Wish spell blow up in his face. It would take me five hours to word the wish, then I'd have to pass it around to five or six other people to make sure they don't see a loophole in the wish that can be used against me, and then I'd probably have to edit it three or four times before I'd be comfortable considering asking for the wish.


LOL!!!!!!!! I heard that!


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## cidneyswanson (Feb 1, 2011)

LiteraryGrrrl said:


> . . . I sat down with a pencil and a spiral notebook and a library copy of Beverly Cleary's Ramona the Pest and set about to write a book because I knew that I could, too! (My effort was so plagiarized it wasn't even funny. I called my book Ramona the Weird.)


  This made me laugh out loud. I plagiarized the heck out of Little Women when I was eight.


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## LiteraryGrrrl (Jan 24, 2011)

Doomed Muse said:


> Are all my characters in awful situations? I guess I didn't notice. I try to write about changing points and relationships mostly, so I think that probably is why it seems like my characters are always going through the ringer.


I was thinking mainly of The Insect Effect and Conversations with the Dead. Those both made my skin crawl and gasp from the beauty of the words.

Thanks for your answers!

Shana


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## LiteraryGrrrl (Jan 24, 2011)

cidneyswanson said:


> This made me laugh out loud. I plagiarized the heck out of Little Women when I was eight.


Whew! I wasn't the only one! 

Shana


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## Guest (May 29, 2011)

GayleC said:


> I have to tell you all - from the outside looking in, these are a lot of fun to read!


My person never showed up, so I'll redirect his questions to you! Good luck!

I choose you...GayleC

How did you get started writing?

What sends you into a homicidal rage?

What would be the greatest thing that could happen to you/your writing?

What completely illogical grievance do you harbor in your heart?

How many marshmallows can you fit in your mouth?


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## GayleC (Feb 16, 2011)

Ooooh, someone picked ME! Thanks, foreverjuly - or can I call you For?

My questions/answers:

*How did you get started writing?* I started telling stories when I was old enough to draw a picture. As soon as I learned how to read and write, I began writing them down. But I didn't start writing for possible publication until I had spent almost 30 years as a software engineer. Yeah, I'm a closet geek.

*What sends you into a homicidal rage?* I'm going through menopause, so what doesn't send me into a homicidal rage? Ironically, people who hurt others, or animals, make me want to pound them with a big stick while I yell, "What the f&%@# is wrong with you?"

*What would be the greatest thing that could happen to you/your writing?* I write a mystery series (the second one is coming out TODAY, so it's officially a series), so the greatest thing would be a TV series on the USA network. I wouldn't even care if they took my 5'9" blonde, blue-eyed 50-year old housecleaner-turned-detective and turned her into an African-American little person who used to work in a carny. I'd just take the money and run.

*What completely illogical grievance do you harbor in your heart?* Three words: The Twilight series.

*How many marshmallows can you fit in your mouth?* Minis or regular sized? Actually, the last time I was at the dentist, he was having a hard time fitting my furthest molar for a crown and he said it was because my mouth isn't very big. I, of course, called my husband and said, "I SO don't have a big mouth!" So, I'd guess one big marshmallow. That's, like one hundred minis, right?

Thanks! I'll be back with another post to tag someone else with questions.


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## LiteraryGrrrl (Jan 24, 2011)

GayleC said:


> I write a mystery series (the second one is coming out TODAY, so it's officially a series), so the greatest thing would be a TV series on the USA network. I wouldn't even care if they took my 5'9" blonde, blue-eyed 50-year old housecleaner-turned-detective and turned her into an African-American little person who used to work in a carny. I'd just take the money and run.


ROFLMAO!! 

You're awesome!

Shana


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I am pinging Monique for my five questions: 

1. If you were limited to accessing only 5 websites for the rest of your life, which would you choose? (Apart from KindleBoards.com, of course!!!)

2. What is one of your hidden talents? 

3. You're working on a sequel to Out of Time (which I really enjoyed). What's the hardest thing about writing a sequel?

4. What's your writing routine? 

5. How did you first find out about this website? (I'm always curious about that!)

Thanks, Monique!


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## GayleC (Feb 16, 2011)

I'm tagging theapatra with these questions (why do I feel like I'm choosing a Pokemon?) -

1. What does your typical writing environment look like?

2. Night owl or early bird?

3. What's your favorite video game? 

4. Who was the last celebrity to die who you thought was already dead?

5. Can you describe your current project in five words or less?


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Thanks, Harvey!

What a fun thread. Here goes...

*1. If you were limited to accessing only 5 websites for the rest of your life, which would you choose? (Apart from KindleBoards.com, of course!!!)* Oh, that's a tough one. Ignoring search engines...Gosh, let's see.

1. imdb.com - I'm a tv/movie lover and it seems I'm always on that site for one reason or another.
2. espn.com - I'm a also a sports lunatic and can't live without ESPN in some form. This weekend alone I've watched tennis, golf, nascar, indy racing, baseball and hockey! It's an illness.
3. wikipedia.com - I know it's not the most reliable of sources, but it's ideal for quick answers and I'm full of questions. This spot used to be held by twop (television without pity), but they've lost their snark.
4. amazon.com - I buy more there than I do from brick and mortar stores
5. loc.gov - The Library of Congress website is amazing. I love just browsing there, but for research it's the bomb.

*2. What is one of your hidden talents?* I don't have any. Really. I can't sing or dance or play arm fart music. My hidden talent is, I suppose, that I don't have any. I'm a jack of trades kind of girl. I'm good (not great) at lots of things.

I have been told I do funny one-word celebrity impressions But my friends are not right in the head.

*3. You're working on a sequel to Out of Time (which I really enjoyed). What's the hardest thing about writing a sequel?* Thank you.  Writing it. I wish I were one of those writers that could crank out pages. Other than that, I suppose the hardest thing is how much to explain about the first book. Eez puzzlement.

*4. What's your writing routine?* After a BIG pot of coffee - black - I read over the last chapter and just try to hit the ground running. Sometimes it works, sometimes I fall on my face.

*5. How did you first find out about this website? (I'm always curious about that!)* Good question. I think I was told about it on the KDP community forums. Either that or googled "Kindle... HELP!"

This was fun. Now, who shall I choose....


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Okay, my questions are for the lovely and talented LK Rigel!

1. Your books are an eclectic mix of genres. A) What is your favorite? B) Are you crazy?

2. What authors had the greatest influence on you?

3. Do you have a day job? If so, what is it? 

4. If you could live inside a book, what book would you choose and why?

5. Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what?


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## 13893 (Apr 29, 2010)

*Okay, my questions are for the lovely and talented LK Rigel!* Why, thank you, Monique! ::blush blush::

*1. Your books are an eclectic mix of genres. A) What is your favorite? B) Are you crazy?*

A) Fantasy or the fantastic is my favorite genre. I like to invent something impossible to explain an idea or to look at a situation from an unexpected point of view.

B) Definitely. I was truly crazy to write _Space Junque_, which for some reason everyone thinks is sci-fi space opera (maybe because it is) and yet it introduces a post-apocalyptic fantasy series. Sigh. Advice to authors out there: do not do this.

*2. What authors had the greatest influence on you?*

I got my real start with glom reading on the Grimms brothers' fairytales when I was very young. Once you've gone there, you can never leave the fantastical behind. My sense of the absurd was probably sparked by Laura E. Richards. I can still recite one of her poems by heart - and often do when I've had one too many Long Island Iced Teas:

Antonio, Antonio
Was tired of living alonio
He thought he would woo
Miss Lissamy Lu
Miss Lissamy Lucy Malonio ... (it goes on)

James Michener gave me an appetite for big books with tons of characters that span several generations. I think I've read every James Michener book, _Hawaii_ five or six times. More. Richard Brautigan's _A Confederate General From Big Sur_ was the first book I remember making me laugh uncontrollably, tears streaming down my face. I've always wanted to be funny, like that. (I know I'm not.) A "serious" - as in non-genre - author I admire is A.S. Byatt. I adore the writing of Carolyn See - in particular, _The Handyman_ and _There Will Never Be Another You_. In fact here is a link to There Will Never Be Another You. It's a dark subject, but a wonderful book.

I know Michener and the fairytales and silly poems and Brautigan influence my writing. I hope Byatt and See do.

*3. Do you have a day job? If so, what is it? *

I'm a court reporter. I can write 240 words a minute with 98.5 percent accuracy!

*4. If you could live inside a book, what book would you choose and why?*

As long as I could choose the character, I'd choose to live in Middlemarch and be Dorothea Brooke -- after t


Spoiler



hat horrid husband of hers died and she married Will Ladislaw. She ended up with the love of her life and was in a position to make other people's lives better.


I guess it's really the epilogue I'd want to live in.

*5. Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what?*

I was a musician for several years. I mean professionally. I love music, but I can't listen to it and write at the same time. I start thinking about the lyrics or the notes or the arrangements.

How fun! Now I'm going to go think of who my victim author will be, and which questions to ask ...


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## 13893 (Apr 29, 2010)

Okay, I'm tagging Debra L. Martin with five questions:

1) You write with a partner. What's that like? Who has veto power?

2) What was the hardest thing you've ever written?

3) You interview authors and review books as well as write novels. How do you organize all that?

4)  What did you like to read when you were a child?

5) A: If you could have dinner with three people from any period in history, who would they be and why? B: What would you have to eat?


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Re-tagging David McAfee... I'm nothing if not persistent...

And I choose to tag.... someone whose work might be considered very different from mine, but who I happen to be a HUGE fan of... David McAfee, come on down! You're the next contestant on... The Mini-Interview Is Write! Wink

Mr. McAfee... if that IS your real name... are you now or have you ever been a member of the... oh wait... these aren't the McCarthy hearings, they're the McAfee Mini-Interview... sorry.... Wink

1) If I'm following things correctly, you recently became a stay-at-home dad and full-time writer. How's it working out for you? How's the response so far from your wife, family, friends?

2) I understand you'll soon have a contribution to THE DEAD MAN series created by MONK writer Lee Goldberg. How'd that come about? How'd he find you?

3) 33 AD is the sort of edgy premise that represents the best of indie fiction, because it's the sort of idea a trad-pub might have shied away from. Yet it seems to have become almost your signature series. I know you have a short novella out, and a sequel on the way. Tell us a bit about those projects, and what your vision is for that series beyond those two works?

4) A change-of-pace question for a horror writer... How did you meet the lovely Mrs. McAfee? (It's fun, I think, to hear how couples met.)

5) You have a unique take on vampire lore and that genre's still hot right now... but are there other interests jumping about in your head that might leap onto the page someday? Is horror your main thing, or do you have other areas you'd like to explore at some point? Is there a WUTHERING HEIGHTS or an OLD MAN AND THE SEA lurking up there in your noggin?

And of course, because I can't resist including a couple silly questions....

6) What was Clark like, when you two were buddies, growing up? Do you still have any kryptonite left?

7) We all know about Daglish and Kermit... but are you ready to tell the world about McAfee and Gonzo (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,29976.msg1114002.html#msg1114002)?

Thanks for playing, my friend!


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## Mel Comley (Oct 13, 2010)

Thanks for asking Carl, hey you're not so bad yourself.  

1 Mel, are you currently working on a third book in the series or have you moved on?

It's so frustrating because I finished the third book about a month ago, but just as I was about to upload it an agent contacted me, actually a few agents got in touch. After much deliberation and advice from fellow kindleboarders, I agreed to sign up with NY agent Richard Curtis. 

2 Are thrillers your favorite stories and if so why?

I love thrillers, love the adrenaline rush I get when reading them, but this is nothing compared to the rush I receive writing and creating them. My thrillers tend to contain a lot of blood and tears too. In Impeding Justice, I wrote a scene that had me balling throughout. I love it when our writing affects us so much. 

3 Have you ever thought of writing other genres in a different name?

I have three romances I'm planning on editing this year with the intention of uploading them as ebooks. I'm debating whether to use a pseudonym or not. 
I suppose it all depends on what happens with the agent.

4 Can you tell us what motivates you?

This will probably sound silly. But my main motivation throughout life has always been to make my Mum/Mom mega proud of me. 
She has sacrificed a lot to give me and my brother a decent life. 
My father walked out on her when I was three and we've been through some really tough times, but she's always remained strong and positive. I owe her the world.

5 Do you ever intend to have your books published traditionally?

Hopefully. I received an email from my agent over the weekend to say he'd been at a publishing conference last week, and will be sending my three books out to some interested parties during the week.
If nothing comes of it, I'll upload my third book as an ebook, at least Indie authors have an option nowadays.
Although saying that I do believe some readers will always give Indie authors a wide berth.

Okay enough about me, I'd like to direct my five questions to the bounciest person I know in the community, Sibel Hodge.

1. Sibel, what made you chose to write chick-lit, romance/mysteries and who was your biggest influence?

2. I read on your blog that you live in Cyprus, can you tell us why and when you moved there?

3. If you won the lottery would you still write?

4. What plans, with regard to writing, do you have for the year ahead?

5. Do you draw on your experience as a ex-cop when writing your books?


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## Mel Comley (Oct 13, 2010)

_3. Do you have a day job? If so, what is it?

I'm a court reporter. I can write 240 words a minute with 98.5 percent accuracy! _

Bloomin' heck LK, that's handy when writing your novels! lol


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## Mel Comley (Oct 13, 2010)

_4. What plans, with regard to writing, do you have for the year ahead?
I'm going to write a chicklit comedy called The Hen Party about a group of girls who go to Vegas for...yep, you've guessed it, a hen party, but they get more than they bargained for._

Can I be one of your characters please!


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## Faith (Jan 5, 2011)

sibelhodge said:


> OK, now which victim shall I pick next? Hmm...I'm going to choose my fellow Cypriot resident Faith Mortimer...
> 
> 1) I'm reading The Assassins' Village at the moment (which is fab!), and I would compare you to a modern day Agatha Christie. How do you feel about that?
> 
> ...


Crikey Sibel,

You've caught me on the hop here! I've don't come on here that often and yet this is the 2nd time today...getting to be a habit! I've been so busy I've been neglecting KB... anyway here goes.

1. A modern day Agatha Christie, eh? Well I am stunned and completely bowled over! What a fabulouso comment to make - and I haven't paid you any money. Thank you, Sibel! I feel quite humbled... 

2. If I wasn't a writer? Not absolutely positive. I think I have a split personality. I adore acting and singing and I 'tread the boards' whenever my writing allows me time. On the other hand, I have a biology degree and if I was younger I would have love to have a David Attenborough type of job - Nature, TV and explorer of the World.

3. My biggest writing achievement to date...naturally my two novels (which are doing pretty well, thank you), and probably coming 1st on Harper Collins/Authonomy site last year for best novel. I think actually writing and getting the books out to the public is a achievement in itself considering the huge number of writers around now.

4. Snack on when I'm writing? Depends... I'm trying to keep my weight down at the moment. I can't run anymore (due to a spinal injury), which was a good all round body trimmer etc. I should just eat fruit, but I do adore chocolate, so...occasionally...

5. No! I don't believe in Writer's or is it Writers' Block? Put it this way. Do you ever hear of a surgeon who says he can't perform today as he has a mental block, or a plumber forgetting how to seal a joint? It is all in the mind. If I come to a bit of a hiccup, then I take myself off for a walk, bath, or do some cooking and while I'm engaged thus, the answer invariably comes to me.

Think that covers everything! Thanks for putting me up to this Sibel   .. now I think I'll grab someone else for their turn!! I think I'll ask Libby Fischer Hellman... 

Libby,

1. Where do you get your ideas for your books - (I'm currently in the middle of set the Night on Fire and it has me completely engrossed.)

2. Where do you live and does this feature in your books?

3. What do you feel is your biggest writing achievement to date?

4. If you could turn back the clock, what would you have done with your life?

5. Have you ever written anything else other than novels, a play, screenplay, etc

Thanks Libby over to you!!


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## TheSFReader (Jan 20, 2011)

Carl246 said:


> This one's for all the readers who are lurking out there.


Yeppie ! I got tagged !!!



Carl246 said:


> 1 Do you ever get influenced to buy a book simply by visiting this board?


Definitely. Most of the books (75%) I bought in the last 3 months, I bought based on discussions here. Either directly from authors here (75% of the 75%), or indirectly through references to the author.



Carl246 said:


> 2 Are you someone who is dipping a toe into the waters of self-publishing and are here to learn from other authors?


Nope to the first part, yep to the second one. I definitelly don't have time for writing (nor talent, nor inclination ...), but come here to find out about all the epublishing business, and the newly found "liberty" to publish.



Carl246 said:


> 3 What genre do you read and who's your favorite author?


Mostly SciFi/Fantasy. My 3 favorite authors are C.J.Cherryh, Lois McMaster Bujold, and Jacqueline Carey. Interestingly, The first is "one-third" of a "pure-player" Coop (Closed Circle see link bellow) dedicated to bring back their backlist and publish new books, the second is experimenting on self-publishing her novellas, and the third one seems to be still completely "traditional" regarding ebooks.



Carl246 said:


> 4 Have you learnt anything from the boards?


Absolutely, I wouldn't come back if I did not. I can't however make a complete listing, but just recently mentionned that I learned some regarding Covers typeface choice and composition. I guess I'll have a more "knowledgeable" eye on it from now on...



Carl246 said:


> 5 Is there anything you feel could improve the boards, if so what would it be?


Nope, except perhaps adding a more explicit (although it's quite explicit viewed from the Book Bazaar with the subtitle) sign that "simple readers" are welcome ... perhaps as a sticky ?

I'll now have to find out to whom I'll forward the tag ...


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## SarahBarnard (Jul 28, 2010)

Fantastic idea... I've been reading some of these and they're ace.


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## HeidiHall (Sep 5, 2010)

What a fantastic thread! I feel like a fly on the wall, spying (one of my favorite things to do ). I can't wait for more!!!


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## Debra L Martin (Apr 8, 2010)

LKRigel said:


> Okay, I'm tagging Debra L. Martin with five questions:


Thanks LK, how nice to be tagged! Now to get to these questions.

1) You write with a partner. What's that like? Who has veto power?

My writing partner is David W Small, a retired marine with 21 years of service who is now a network specialist and, btw, he's also my brother. Writing with Dave has been so much fun. We grew up loving the same fantasy, science fiction books and have always passed books back and forth. One day we were looking for something new to read and we just looked at each other and said, "Why don't we try to write our own book?" That was the start of a beautiful collaboration. It was difficult in the beginning to get into a writing rhythm, but eventually, we were able to hit our stride. When it comes to veto power, we both have it. Any idea has an equal chance of being included, but it must be the right fit. If you can't justify why it needs to be in the story, out it goes. Believe me, we've thrown out as many ideas as we've included over the years. We check our egos at the door and work only for the best story we can possibly write.

2) What was the hardest thing you've ever written?

That would be our first book, "Quest for Nobility." When we first started writing, we didn't have the world of Otharia completely developed. That was a mistake because we ended up making the world work for the scene instead of the other way around. That first book went through so many edits to get it right. We trashed most of it, developed our world, then rewrote it again.

3) You interview authors and review books as well as write novels. How do you organize all that?

When I first started interviewing authors on my blog, Two Ends of the Pen, http://twoendsofthepen.blogspot.com/ last year, I just kept a list of authors who had requested an interview on a piece of paper and as I posted their interview, I just checked them off the list. That first list had 50 authors on it and it took me all summer to get through them all. I had done it as a way to pay it forward and help other authors get a bit of recognition. At the same time I also started posting reviews of books that I was reading and from the moment I posted that first review, things snowballed from there. Somehow, word spread that I was a professional interviewer and book reviewer and my inbox exploded with requests. The first thing was to get some guidelines posted on the blog to define what I accepted for review and how to ask for an interview. My inbox is flagged with lots of emails that I need to follow up.

One of the most exciting emails I have received is from Goldberg McDuffie Communications, a publicity/marketing group in NYC. Their VP of Publicity contacted me to review a book for them from a NY Times best-selling author and, of course, I accepted the book for review. That review will post on June 20 for "The Witches of East End." That was so cool to have such a prestigious group contact me. It made my day!

It takes quite a long time to figure out a month's worth of posts on the blog that will be interesting to readers, but it's also fun. I've met so many new and exciting authors as well as guest posters. The sidebar of the blog now contains a myriad of topics such as Popular Guest Posts, Rebecca Writes, The World of Symbols as well as all of the author interviews and book reviews that I've done so far.

The only downside I've found so far to all of the success of the blog is that people see me as a blogger and reviewer first and not as an author. That's a hard balance trying to spotlight both the blog and my books.

4) What did you like to read when you were a child?

I used to read everything I could. The library was at the end of our street so I was there every Saturday taking home the 5 book limit.

5) A: If you could have dinner with three people from any period in history, who would they be and why? B: What would you have to eat?

The first person I would choose is Elizabeth I. What a woman she was making England into a powerhouse while balancing the relationships with the other super powers at the time. There's no one else in history like her and it would be a privilege to be in her company. I'm not sure I would eat anything though. I'm a pretty picky eater.

Next up would be Cleopatra - again, another powerful woman in history although her demise certainly was tragic. My third person would be Marie Curie, a brilliant woman and the first female professor at the University of Paris. Can you imagine being in the company of someone who has won not 1 Nobel prize, but 2 of them--in Physics and Chemistry. I work at a major research university and have met quite a few Nobel prize winners, but no one has ever won 2 of them like Marie Curie.

Thanks LK for tagging me. I would like to tag Maureen Miller next. I'll come back with a set of 5 questions for her.


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## Debra L Martin (Apr 8, 2010)

Here are my questions for Maureen Miller:

1.  What is your favorite part of the writing process?

2.  Do you read in the same genre you write?

3.  Who are some of your favorite authors and why?

4.  You've recently been published by Carina Press.  How is that different than publishing as an indie author?

5.  What do you do for fun?


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Thanks FAITH... This should be fun. I think....

Libby,

1. Where do you get your ideas for your books - (I'm currently in the middle of set the Night on Fire and it has me completely engrossed.)

At the Idea Store, of course. But it's closed today as there's a holiday in the US. 
Actually, I did a video of me trying to answer that exact question. Let me see if I can get it to appear here (...goes to You Tube...)





 Hey! It worked!

2. Where do you live and does this feature in your books?

I live in Chicago and until recently, almost everything I wrote was set in Chicago. I have lived here over 30 years, but I'm not a native. I think -- and hope -- that gives me an outsider's perspective. I'm originally from Washington, DC, but Chicago has proven to be a real city, with real crime, real corruption, and real graft. I love it.

3. What do you feel is your biggest writing achievement to date?

Getting published ten years ago. It was NEVER on my Master Plan. I never thought I'd be a writer. I thought I would be a film-maker, the Lina Wertmuller of the US. But life had other plans for me.

4. If you could turn back the clock, what would you have done with your life?

Not eaten that first bite of chocolate.

5. Have you ever written anything else other than novels, a play, screenplay, etc

What... isn't that enough? Well, yes. I used to work in PR so I wrote a lot of speeches, proposals, manuals, video scripts, and articles.

FUN STUFF! Thanks, Faith... 
I hand off the baton to....

VAL MAARTEN!

1. Give us 3 adjectives that describe you.
2. How did you end up in Florida... aren't you from Canada originally?
3. If you weren't writing, how would you express yourself?
4. What is your ultimate goal in life?
5. Tell us something about you that nobody knows.

Thanks Libby over to you!!


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## Valerie Maarten (Jan 14, 2011)

Oh, how fun is this?  I was watching and laughing along the way, now I get to play.  Yippee!!

1. Give us 3 adjectives that describe you.
Of course we see ourselves in different ways than others.  I would describe myself as helpful, funny and compassionate.

2. How did you end up in Florida... aren't you from Canada originally?
I ended up in Florida because my mother came here on vacation and simply LOVED it.  Within months she was preparing to move.  After about a year with out my mommy ~I know, I'm a big baby~ I packed up and followed her here.

3. If you weren't writing, how would you express yourself?
This is a hard question because I've always used writing as my escape or vice.  It's been my therapy over the years.  But for the sake of answering your question, I would have finally learned to play a musical instrument.  The violin has always been my favorite.

4. What is your ultimate goal in life?
Okaaaay...I guess you're now going to expose the simple things about me.  I don't have any lofty goals, but my ultimate goal in life was to raise successful, independent men ~my sons~ that will contribute positively to society.  I guess I'm almost there.  One is a nurse, another studying to be a pediatrician and my nephew is studying to be a civil rights attorney and eventually wants to be a policy analyst.  So, I guess I'm accomplishing my goals.

5. Tell us something about you that nobody knows. 
If I tell you then everyone will know LOL...okay just one.  I'm a big cry-baby.  I cry when I watch the news or a touching commercial or read a great book.  Just to give you an idea, I love this Publix commercial where the little boy has his mother help her bake a cake for Valentine's day.  When he gets out of the car and she's holding the cake, he looks at her letting her know that SHE was the special person in his life.  I cry every time I see it.  I'm getting choked up just thinking about it now.  So there, the secret is out.

I guess this is where I pick someone.  Give me a moment to think and come up with some fab questions.


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## Valerie Maarten (Jan 14, 2011)

I know who I want to tag.  Sarah Barnard

1. What made you decide you wanted to write under your current genre?
2. Have you ever considered writing under another genre?  If so, which one?
3. If you had to choose your favorite author, who would it be?
4. When you're writing, does the mood have to be just so...or are you comfortable writing under different circumstances?
5. Are you considered organized or do you have to search for your outlines, research, etc?


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## 13893 (Apr 29, 2010)

Mel Comley said:


> _3. Do you have a day job? If so, what is it?
> 
> I'm a court reporter. I can write 240 words a minute with 98.5 percent accuracy! _
> 
> Bloomin' heck LK, that's handy when writing your novels! lol


unfortunately, someone else has to say the words! I can't (always) think of 240 words a minute!


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## Valerie Maarten (Jan 14, 2011)

[quote [/b] Minis or regular sized? Actually, the last time I was at the dentist, he was having a hard time fitting my furthest molar for a crown and he said it was because my mouth isn't very big. I, of course, called my husband and said, "I SO don't have a big mouth!" So, I'd guess one big marshmallow. That's, like one hundred minis, right? [/quote]

LOL...you should have had your dentist record this in case you needed it for future validation. Funny.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

My next guest is an author who seems to be all over the board and is both liked and welcome. Her name is WriterGurl1.

1 What genre is your next book in and why?

2 Do you read as much as you write and if so what's your favorite genre?

3 When did you start to write and did it take you long to decide that this is what you wanted to do with your life?

4 Tell us three things you'd like to see happen within the next year?

5 Who/what is your inspiration for writing?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

I've been tagged by Deb. I guess I'm not moving as quick as I used to. Wait till you see the two of us playing kickball. 



Deb Martin said:


> Here are my questions for Maureen Miller:


1. What is your favorite part of the writing process?
Reading what I wrote. One of those tricks they teach you is to read the last sentence you wrote out loud. Sometimes that process makes me roar with laughter. I sit there and say, "Oh my God, did I really type that?" 

2. Do you read in the same genre you write?
Absolutely! I believe we write what we enjoy to read. But that's not to say that every now and then I want to break with tradition and experience something different. Sometimes we NEED to read, and it doesn't matter what it is. A prime example would be reading some of the pamphlets in a dentist's office. 

3. Who are some of your favorite authors and why?
There are so many, of course, but I have to go back to my roots and acknowledge what am impact the Bronte sisters had on me, with both Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.

4. You've recently been published by Carina Press. How is that different than publishing as an indie author?
I don't have to format the Kindle submission! With Carina Press being a digital press, it really isn't much different at all. Someone recently pointed out a typo in my Carina title, ENDLESS NIGHT, and somehow that made me giggle. Everyone gives Indies such a tough time...it's not much different on the other side.

5. What do you do for fun?
Pick on you, Deb. 

I would like to tag Brendan Carroll next. I'll be back shortly with some questions.


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

My questions for Brendan Carroll:

1.) You have written so many books, how long did it take, or do you write a book a week!?!

2.) Is your character Mark Andrew Ramsay based on a real person?

3.) Do you still enjoy writing?

4.) If Red Cross of Gold was made into a movie, what car would you take to the red carpet?

5.) What is next for Brendan Carroll?


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## Debra L Martin (Apr 8, 2010)

mamiller said:


> 5. What do you do for fun?
> Pick on you, Deb.


You are indeed a funny girl, Miss Maureen! What would I do without you to keep me in line?


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

mamiller said:


> My questions for Brendan Carroll:
> 
> 1.) You have written so many books, how long did it take, or do you write a book a week!?!
> 
> ...


Thank you, Miss Maureen. Let me see...
1.) I do write a book a week if you are using certain Quantum Theory equations. However, in normal space/time, I wrote my series between 1995 and 2005. Right now, I am editing and correcting them and publishing them one by one.
2.) He is a man's man and the guy you always wanted to be, but didn't have the power, the looks, the money and/or the guts to do.
3.) I love writing for my characters and trying out new things like short stories, which is really hard for someone as long-winded as I am.
4.) I would like to arrive in an Audi A8 (like the one from _The Transporter_).


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

My questions are directed at Moses Siregar:
1.) How did you become interested in astrology? 
2.) What do you think of the thirteenth sign: Ophiuchus?
3.) Are you really a Sumo Wrestling fan?
4.) When are you ever, ever going to finish your novel?


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## 13893 (Apr 29, 2010)

Brendan Carroll said:


> My questions are directed at Moses Siregar:
> 
> 4.) When are you ever, ever going to finish your novel?


lol!! (We're going to have to have a huge party ...)


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## HeidiHall (Sep 5, 2010)

Me? It's hard to spy when you're in the spotlight . I knew I shouldn't have commented! Just kidding, thanks for including me and I'll let someone else be the spy for now.

1 What genre is your next book in and why? I am in the process of writing a series about a recovering assassin. I'm finding the genre to be a bit hard to pin down at the moment, but hope that it falls somewhere in the humorous romantic suspense arena. Janet Evanovich is one of my all-time faves, but I find there aren't too many people who write in her genre. I'm definitely not in her league, but I'm going to take a stab (pun intended) at it anyway.

2 Do you read as much as you write and if so what's your favorite genre? I go through spurts where I read everything I can get my hands on and then turn around and write for months at a time. I don't have a favorite, although I lean toward romance, but I am all over the place and will read almost anything. One of my newest habits is to buy at least one book from everyone here on KB. There is so much talent here and you simply cannot beat the price. Even if I never read more than the first chapter, I like having added to the coffers of indie authors. I have a LOT of books on my Kindle.

3 When did you start to write and did it take you long to decide that this is what you wanted to do with your life? I decided I wanted to be a writer when I was about 11, beginning with angsty adolescent poetry. I didn't believe I could ever really do anything with my efforts until about a decade ago, when I began writing novels. I never submitted to a single agent or publisher. Self-publishing and ebooks have been a godsend to me!

4 Tell us three things you'd like to see happen within the next year? I would like to see the economy recover so people can afford to buy more books. I want the Sun Devils to have a decent football team. And, I want to earn enough from my books to write full time.

5 Who/what is your inspiration for writing? I write because I really have to... the voices in my head won't leave me alone. But I also write because I have every hope that one day I will make more money doing what I love than at the 9-5.

Thanks for including me, Carl! My questions are for Lucy Kevin

Hi Lucy,

1) Your covers are fantastic and definitely convey a solid brand, are the novels linked in your signature part of a series?
2) You have found great success self-publishing, were you ever traditionally published?
3) What is your least favorite part of the writing-publishing process?
4) Do you always write in the same genre?
5) What is your favorite type of food? 

Thanks Lucy!


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Brendan Carroll said:


> My questions are directed at Moses Siregar:
> 1.) How did you become interested in astrology?
> 2.) What do you think of the thirteenth sign: Ophiuchus?
> 3.) Are you really a Sumo Wrestling fan?
> 4.) When are you ever, ever going to finish your novel?


Bwhahahaha @ #4


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## cidneyswanson (Feb 1, 2011)

WriterGurl1 said:


> Janet Evanovich is one of my all-time faves, but I find there aren't too many people who write in her genre. I'm definitely not in her league, but I'm going to take a stab (pun intended) at it anyway.
> 
> *Laughing into fingers b/c covering mouth* Just to let you know one person liked your pun!


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## Mel Comley (Oct 13, 2010)

sibelhodge said:


> Some fab questions and answers here!
> 
> Of course! The more the merrier! Do you want to be an indecisive man-hater, or a woman who thinks her husband's having an affair with a friend, or...a hen who gets married to the wrong man?


Ouch, that hurt Sibel, especially as my hubbie run off with someone 

Maybe I'll sit out of this book! lol


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## kyrin (Dec 28, 2009)

Brendan Carroll said:


> 4.) When are you ever, ever going to finish your novel?


Yow! Much danger in this thread.

Hehehehe, I think I'll slink back to the spectators box and get some popcorn.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Our next guest is a mystery to me, so hey, why not interview her? lol

Her name on the boards is cidneyswanson.

1 Cidney, is the book in your sig your first and will there be a follow-up?

2 Could you give us your opinion about the debate over book prices $0.99 verses $2.99 and where you stand?

3 Have you reached any of those achievements yet, like selling your first 100 to 1000 books and what do you ultimately want to achieve?

4 How long have you been on the boards and what do you get out of being here?

5 At what age did you write your first story?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## cidneyswanson (Feb 1, 2011)

_1 Cidney, is the book in your sig your first and will there be a follow-up?_

Yes, and yes. I'm madly editing book two right now. I even think I have a title: The Well of Juno.

_2 Could you give us your opinion about the debate over book prices $0.99 verses $2.99 and where you stand?_

Oh, my. *grabs flame retardant* Well, I love that the audience I write for (young adults) can pick up a book for less than the cost of a latte. However, I also love publishers like Scholastic, Random House, Penguin, etc who brought me the books I devoured when I was that age. I feel a great deal of sympathy for their plight right now, you know? They nurtured me at a time when I needed it. So I have to admit that the "race to the bottom" worries me. I.e., there's no way trad. pub. industry can compete on price. My own decision was motivated by the percentages Amazon has in place. Since everyone agrees you have to play with your price to find what works, I decided to start at 2.99 with that higher percentage. Also, since Amanda Brice mentioned that 2.99 seems to be a good fit for her target audience, I figured I'd follow suit. (She writes YA as well, although we're in different genres, so we'll see!)

_3 Have you reached any of those achievements yet, like selling your first 100 to 1000 books and what do you ultimately want to achieve?_

Um, book's been live for 2 days, so not so much in the 100's. Yet. Ultimate goal is definitely to make a living as a writer. My husband works for love, not money (teacher) and I'd love to ease the burden he sometimes feels. I'm very lucky in that (thanks to him) I was able to quit working over a year ago to focus on writing, but the burden is heavy on his shoulders right now, what with unexpected visits to hospital and this and that.

_4 How long have you been on the boards and what do you get out of being here?_

The support and encouragement are A. Maze. Ing. (Sorry--YA tends to spill over into my own voice occasionally!) To everyone who posts honestly about their struggles and successes, thank you!! It means the world to a newb. I joined the boards in January, but I think it took me a month to start posting. I wanted to get a feel for what was acceptable, expected, etc. These boards rock, BTW.
_5 At what age did you write your first story?_

I was seven when I began writing stories down. (As opposed to telling them aloud.) I had to get to where I knew how to spell a few words and, you know, hold a pencil. Always knew I wanted to be an author.

Now I need to go back through the thread and see who has already been tagged. . .


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## Nathan Lowell (Dec 11, 2010)

I *hadn't* found the thread. I've been head down in LA LA Land for the last few weeks and not keeping up.

I've been through most of the responses and need to find somebody to hit with some questions who hasn't been hit yet. 

Decisions, decisions ...


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## JeanneM (Mar 21, 2011)

For Carl246...Tag you're it!  

1.) What first attracted you to e-publishing.  Any regrets?

2.)  When did you first start writing?

3.)  How many genres do you write in and do you use pen names for different ones?

4.)  Who has had the biggest influence on you? Can be writing or otherwise. 

5.)  You seem to like to help other writers...this thread is evidence of that....Did someone help you and encourage you to keep writing during those dark days we all have?

Thank you so much...Jeanne


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

I thought it might be a wise move to mention all those that have and haven't responded, just so that future posts don't have to do a search.

1 Selena Kitt: Responded

2 Modwitch: Responded

3 JMelzer: Responded

4 PMartelly: Responded

5 Tawny Taylor: Responded

6 CaedemMarquez: Responded

7 Victorine: Responded

8 ForeverJuly: Responded

9 BellaAndre: Responded

10 Bob Mayer: Didn't Respond, I'm guessing too busy.

11 HalfOrc: Responded

12 BTackitt: Responded

13 Jeanne: Responded

14 Nomesque: Responded

15 CraigInTwinCities: Responded

16 Sybil Nelson: Responded

17 Mark Coker: Responded

18 ChristopherDavidPeterson: Responded

19 Piers Anthony: Responded

20 Harvey: Responded

21 Amanda Hocking: Didn't Respond, but again probably too busy.

22 Brian Kittrell: Responded

23 Jrainey: Responded

24 LiteraryGrrl: Responded

25 Bards and Sages: Responded

26 Doomed Muse: Responded

27 Gaylec: Responded

28 Monique: Responded

29 LKrigel: Responded

30 Mel Comley: Responded

31 Sibel Hodge: Responded

32 Faith: Responded

33 SFreader: Responded

34 Deb Martin: Responded

35 LibbyFH: Responded

36 Valerie Maartan: Responded

37 Mamiller: Responded

38 Brendon Carroll: Responded

39 WriterGurl1: Responded

40 CidneySwanson: Responded

41 Nathan Lowell: Responded

42 Kyrin: Responded

43 David McAfee: Responded

44 RhondaStapleton: Responded

45 Arkali: Responded

46 Kathleen Valentine: Responded

47 RebeccaKnight: Responded

48 John Hartness: Responded

49 tkkenyon: Responded

50 Laura Lond: Responded

51 Juliette Dupree: Responded

52 Ladyeclectic: Responded

Carl


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Add David McAfee to that list. Hasn't responded yet, but I'm sure he will eventually.


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

CraigInTwinCities said:


> Add David McAfee to that list. Hasn't responded yet, but I'm sure he will eventually.


Speaking of David #2, I just reviewed Saying Goodbye to the Sun. It was the first 3 star review that I've ever written.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Ryne Billings said:


> Speaking of David #2, I just reviewed Saying Goodbye to the Sun. It was the first 3 star review that I've ever written.


Ummm.... is that a good thing?


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

lol Thanks jeanne

*1.) What first attracted you to e-publishing. Any regrets?*

I had a few stories online that were free when I first heard of e-Publishing and someone came in to review one and asked me why was I giving my stories away for free, when I could be earning good money. I looked into what he was talking about and soon discovered Amazon and Smashwords. I haven't looked back since so no regrets.

*2.) When did you first start writing?*

I was about fourteen when I first wrote something worth mentioning and still in school. I'd written a short story that involved a man coming into a town and witnessing a lynching. This man never got to see who the guy was until the end of the story when he got lynched and saw himself coming over the hill. I had to read that tale out to the whole school during assembly.

*3.) How many genres do you write in and do you use pen names for different ones?*

Erotic/Paranormal sometimes combined and Fantasy as in sword and sorcerer. Only in one name.

*4.) Who has had the biggest influence on you? Can be writing or otherwise.*

I've been influenced by a couple of authors, Piers Anthony is one and Terry Pratchett is another. I'm actually writing a book now that is heavily influenced by Terry Pratchett, I want to capture the humor the way he does.

*5.) You seem to like to help other writers...this thread is evidence of that....Did someone help you and encourage you to keep writing during those dark days we all have?*

I've come across some good people in my past, people like Colleen Thomas who actually cared about others. There are more, too numerous to mention. I was down on my luck for over a year and found it hard to find much charity in this world and when I came out at the other end I was a better person because of it. I help others because it makes me feel good about myself, although I wouldn't count this thread as a good deed. I simply wanted the readers to get to know a bit more about the authors they invest in. It's also been an eye-opener for me as well.

My next guest is someone who tries to give his best advice and most of the time I think it's sound advice. His name is kyrin.

1 Is your chosen genre because you read it or because it sells or a bit of both?

2 When writing your books do you have a plan of action, as in, plotting it out first, or do you wait until something comes to you and then get it down on paper?

3 When did you start to write and would you change anything that you've done over the course of the last year?

4 Do you place much stock in a good review and do you ever respond to the readers?

5 What are you working on right now?

Thanks in Advance.

Carl


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

CraigInTwinCities said:


> Ummm.... is that a good thing?


Nope, but it's not a bad thing either. I still enjoyed the book, and I still plan on reading more of his work.

So perhaps it is a good thing.


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## cidneyswanson (Feb 1, 2011)

Rhonda Stapleton! Tag--you're it!

1) I laugh every time I read the title _Stupid Cupid_. Was that your title or did your publisher come up with it? (And is there a story there?)

2) What are the best and worst things about being both an agent and an author?

3) What motivates you to pick up the pen/laptop/desktop? (Okay, you know what I mean, right?)

4) Music while you write or silence?

5) Whom do you have to thank for your life in "words?"


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## kyrin (Dec 28, 2009)

Thanks for the welcome and the questions. This will teach me to uncloak in a fun and active thread.

*1. Is your chosen genre because you read it or because it sells or a bit of both?*
I like reading sci-fi and fantasy stories and those are the kinds of stories I like to write. I toyed with the idea of writing something that sold better but it would come out as crap. I would rather write something I'm good at and comfortable with even if the landlord thinks the world could use another Twilight ripoff. Lately, I've been experimenting and trying different things. I'm branching out into urban fantasy and I want to try writing steampunk novels one of these days.

*2. When writing your books do you have a plan of action, as in, plotting it out first, or do you wait until something comes to you and then get it down on paper?*
I like to think I have a plan but I don't use the same method for every story and book. Each one is different and requires a different approach. My first book started out as a short story. I found that writing an actual story helped me figure out the setting and the characters I wanted to use. It gave me a handle on the voice, tone and pacing that I wanted. I had a clear idea of what kind of story I wanted to tell and the plot. The second book I wrote started off as a nebulous concept. I knew more about the bad guy that I wanted to use more than anything else so I used an an outline to help me. The current book I am working on started off as a short story. It's taking me longer to write it because I'm building a world from scratch. There are a lot of little things that you need to think about for background purpose. Most of these won't appear in the story but I needed to know them anyway.

*3. When did you start to write and would you change anything that you've done over the course of the last year?*
I started writing just after I graduated high school. I think my reporting and news writing class taught me more about storytelling than my creative writing class did. Both classes helped me out a lot by my creative writing class focused on the craft of writing. My reporting and new writing class focused on grabbing someone's attention and keeping them interested in whatever you had to say. We had to write monologues and tell stories that engaged people. It's why I think I'm a better storyteller than I am a writer.

There are a couple of things I would change. I would have gotten my first book edited again instead of spending money to advertise and market my second book. I'll be correcting that mistake in the near future. I also would have published a number of short stories I had written that tied into my first book. I thought it would be better to hold off on releasing them until I finished writing the sequel until someone pointed out that even diehard fans won't wait forever for a sequel. Sometimes, it's better to give them something especially if it ties into your previous books.

*4. Do you place much stock in a good review and do you ever respond to the readers?*
I place a lot of stock in good reviews. I also place some stock in bad reviews. It's nice to hear what people like about my books but it's just as important that I hear about the things they didn't like. It's the only way to improve. Sometimes a reader or reviewer will surprise me with some of their insights. They'll point out something and I'll go "Wow, they caught that" or "Wow, I wish I had thought of that when I wrote the book. Good thing they told me so I can pretend to be brilliant".

I generally don't respond to readers unless they contact me. If they do, I can be real talkative. I've made a number of friends and because I'm not the best friend to have, I sometimes torture them with more of my books and stories as well as opportunities to beta read if they are so inclined.

*5. What are you working on right now?*
I'm working on a lot of stuff right now. I'm one of those people who like to have multiple projects going at the same time. If I get stuck while working on one, I move to another for a little while. I'm working on the sequel to The Gift of Fury and a follow up to Fall from Grace. I'm also working on an epic fantasy novel. All three books are at the 75% done stage but I find it helpful to take a break and write something short especially if an idea comes of me. I have a series of urban fantasy short stories that I started publishing last week which resulted from one of those ideas. I would have kicked myself hard if I didn't jot those stories down when the inspiration came to me. I figure I can keep publishing shorter works in between full length novels.

Thanks again for letting me babble. I hope I made a little sense. Does this mean I can seek out a victim to tag?

Richard

EDIT: GAH! I looked back at what I wrote. I didn't mean to be so longwinded. This is what happens when I babble.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

kyrin said:


> Does this mean I can seek out a victim to tag?
> 
> Richard


Most definitely

Thanks

Carl


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

Late to the party. Sorry Craig. I was in Dallas for a bit and I didn't have my computer. All I had was my Droid. And I just didn't see myself spending an afternoon clicking away on the darn thing. Hope I'm not too late:

1) If I'm following things correctly, you recently became a stay-at-home dad and full-time writer. How's it working out for you? How's the response so far from your wife, family, friends? *So far, so good. I thought I'd have more time to write and promote, but I was wrong. So very, very wrong.  Still, the tradeoff is that I get to see more of my son, and that's worth it. My wife is very supportive. She seems to think I'll soon be making enough money for her to quit her job, too. Time will tell, but I'm not holding my breath. *

2) I understand you'll soon have a contribution to THE DEAD MAN series created by MONK writer Lee Goldberg. How'd that come about? How'd he find you? *Lee read my novel 33 A.D. and loved it. He even emailed me to let me know how much he enjoyed it. In the past, he's been very critical of indie books, so I considered it quite an honor that he enjoyed mine so much. When he emailed me to ask if I would like to write a story for THE DEAD MAN series, I really felt like this could be real for me. Know what I mean? If someone as well established as he is thought my work was worthy, then maybe I could make a living at this crazy gig, after all.*

3) 33 AD is the sort of edgy premise that represents the best of indie fiction, because it's the sort of idea a trad-pub might have shied away from. Yet it seems to have become almost your signature series. I know you have a short novella out, and a sequel on the way. Tell us a bit about those projects, and what your vision is for that series beyond those two works? *Do you mean NASTY LITTLE F!#*ERS? That was a fun write, let me tell you. It started as a B-Movie type book for my former publisher. When I parted ways with them I decided to clean it up and release it myself. The basic premise is that a group of people get stuck deep in the woods of northern Maine, where they are attacked by a new species of insect larvae that has the unsettling ability to bring dead people back to do their bidding. It's pretty creepy, and more than a little gross, but fun.  33 AD and Saying Goodbye to the Sun are both stories in a much larger story. Both tie-in together (though the reader can't see it yet) as well as to the remaining novels in the sries. I plan to have six altogether, with the very last story told from the perspective of Vincent (the protag from SGTTS). But even after those are finished, I hasve a few other vampire stories to write, so I should be at this for a while.*

4) A change-of-pace question for a horror writer... How did you meet the lovely Mrs. McAfee? (It's fun, I think, to hear how couples met.)*Heh, I met here in a Tampax factory in Maine. Not kidding. She was home for the summer and working as a temp, and I was in charge of the packing department machinery. Her aunt kinda got the ball rolling by telling my roomate she (meaning my wife) was interested in me and giving him her phone number. I called her that night and the rest, of course, in history.  *

5) You have a unique take on vampire lore and that genre's still hot right now... but are there other interests jumping about in your head that might leap onto the page someday? Is horror your main thing, or do you have other areas you'd like to explore at some point? Is there a WUTHERING HEIGHTS or an OLD MAN AND THE SEA lurking up there in your noggin?*Vampires are my first love, but they aren't my only one. I have been kicking around the idea of aan epic fantasy novel, as well as a few others. I have a nice collection of single panel comics I drew back in the 90's, and I've been thinking about turning them into a Kindle book. Also, Jeremy Robinson has commisioned me to write a short novella based on his action/adventure series of books featuring the Chess Team (Good stuff, BTW. If you like Rollins or Matt Reilly, Robinson's a good bet.) Additionally, David dalglish and I have been talking about a coauthor project that is sorta sci-fi, sorta fantasy. We may get the ball rolling on that in the next few months.*

And of course, because I can't resist including a couple silly questions....

6) What was Clark like, when you two were buddies, growing up? Do you still have any kryptonite left? *I wish! Nothing gets hard water stains out of the bathtub likme kryptonite. That stuff's amazing! As for Clark, I am prevented from answering any questions about him by the Restraining Order.*

7) We all know about Daglish and Kermit... but are you ready to tell the world about McAfee and Gonzo?*That cheating bastard? You'll never beleive where he's been sticking his nose, and I ain't tellin'.*

I have not yet written my questions, but I can tell you who my victim will be: Daniel Arenson.

Heh heh. I'm gonna go write them now.


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

Okay, Daniel. Here are your questions. 

1) You went from being traditionally published through Five Star to being an indie. Which do you like better? Why?

2) Tell us a little about your latest book, Blood of requiem. Is it really based on Beethoven's music?

3) Who were some of your writing influences growing up? How do you see yourself next to them?

4) You are an Israeli-born Jewish man living in Canada. How old were you when you moved? Can you tell us about the culture shock?

5) When are you gonna buy that d*mn house, already?  Will you be moving to Missouri to take advantage of the inexpensive real estate, as David Dalglish suggested?

6) What are you working on right now? Can you tell us about it?

7) What's next for Daniel Arenson, writing-wise?


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Great interview, McAfee. And you responded more quickly than Amanda Hocking, so my pre-order of 61 AD stands.

BTW, I was referring to AFTER, not GRUBS (NASTY LITTLE #I#)(#)() 

But thanks for responding!


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## kyrin (Dec 28, 2009)

Arkali, I choose you.

*1.* What genres do you like to read the most?

*2.* What is your favorite desert and why?

*3.* What do you love and hate about reviewing books?

*4.* What motivated you to start your Oops Detection service?

*5.* From a reader and reviewer's perspective, what advice would you give writers?

*Bonus Question:* Will you support me in my next attempt to dominate the world?


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## Rhonda Helms (Apr 8, 2011)

Okay, I was chosen...I feel speshul! haha. Here are my answers:

1) I laugh every time I read the title Stupid Cupid.  Was that your title or did your publisher come up with it? (And is there a story there?)

--Actually, I came up with it. Of course, I didn't "invent" it, as it was a song first, but it fits the series perfectly. The heroine is a horrible cupid. 

2) What are the best and worst things about being both an agent and an author?

I'm actually an editor and an author. The best thing about it is I get how torturous the publishing industry is. Wait, that's also the worst thing, haha. Seriously, sitting on both sides of the editorial desk has taught me how to strengthen my craft, help others identify potential issues, etc. But it's REALLY hard turning that off, especially when it's leisure-reading time...

3) What motivates you to pick up the pen/laptop/desktop?  (Okay, you know what I mean, right?)

--When I'm in drafting mode, I don't wait for inspiration. I make it happen by forcing myself to sit down and do it. I give myself permission to write crap. I can always edit it, but I can't edit a blank page.

4) Music while you write or silence?  

--Depends. Sometimes I like music to help evoke a particular mood. I love creating playlists of "mood" songs.

5) Whom do you have to thank for your life in "words?"

--Everyone. I've gathered inspiration from all around me. And my family has been NOTHING but supportive. I am truly blessed!


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

kyrin said:


> Arkali, I choose you.
> 
> *1.* What genres do you like to read the most?
> 
> ...


Oh, wow! I got tagged... I'm IT! Yay  Okay, here we go:
1. I'm a somewhat eclectic reader. I like romance, particularly paranormal, though I also read other sub-genres. Urban Fantasy probably is a tie for my top fave genre. Follow that up with traditional fantasy, some sci-fi, cozy mysteries, and true crime, plus the occasional young adult fiction or classic and you've gotten a good peek at my bookshelf.

2. Hmmm. The Sahara. I started to say the Mojave, but there's just something about how vast the Sahara desert is. Plus there's all the romance about Bedouins and such.

On the off-chance you meant dessert, that would be ice cream. Well... and cobbler. And it's hard for me to turn down key lime pie or cheesecake. But I love Blue Bell ice cream 

3. Reviewing books is a lot of fun, especially when I stumble over a "hidden gem". On the other hand, I hate when I have to give a negative review. I had to give a book two stars once and it broke my heart. At the same time, it's not fair to readers to be anything less than fair, good or bad, so I sucked it up and wrote the review.

4. Spending money. There, I said it  
Seriously, though - I'm an avid reader and when I decided to go back to school last winter I got the ol' "We need to tighten the belt" speech from hubby. That was followed immediately by "You'll have to cut back on your book budget.". What?!? Impossible! So, I got creative.

I'm one of those people that has an "eye" for proofing - it's very hard for me to ignore a typo or a usage error. I don't claim to be perfect at spotting them, but I think I catch a lot. Couple that with a boom in indie books - well, it made me think. I used to do web site design for home-based businesses (also did design for large corps, but that's another story ) and one thing I know is that when you're just starting out you often operate on a shoestring. A steak may very well be worth $20, but when all you have is $1.50, that's beside the point. I saw an opportunity to provide a needed service for affordable prices and I'm having a blast with it. It's lots of fun, I'm meeting some great folks, and hopefully I'm doing my part to help authors put their best foot forward 

5. Oh, gosh. There are soooo many things. Part of it has to do with proofing - please, please, please, get someone else to do a read on your work. If you can't afford an editor, find beta readers. Trade pies! (shout-out to Julie) but... DO something. Writing talent is something that you can hone, but you either have it or you don't. Correct grammar and spelling, on the other hand... Well, it's like your clothes. You might not be able to afford designer fashion, but you can make sure your clothes are neat and clean, right? I'm reading a novella right now that I grabbed on a whim because the cover caught my eye. Really great characters, dialog, story... but I've come across at least 10 oopses and it's detracting from the reading experience. Am I nitpicker? Sure, but that's me 

Getting off my personal soapbox, and side-stepping to another - read your dialog out loud. There have been a lot of books I've read and everything else has been great but then I get to the dialog and holy cow. Stilted, overly formal, uncomfortable, almost, like being in a scratchy outfit. Reading the dialog aloud helps with flow, I promise!

Lastly - write what you love. It comes across to the reader; it really does. And don't give up. There are a lot of writers here on KB that are AWESOME and don't necessarily have the sales that I, in my infinite wisdom, think they should have  I have every belief, though, that if you keep going and keep writing that it will pay off.

Okay, I'll shut up now. For my victim... I need to catch up on who's been tapped already


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## Rhonda Helms (Apr 8, 2011)

Okay, I tagged Amanda Brice. Hope she can play!


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

David McAfee said:


> *Additionally, David Dalglish and I have been talking about a coauthor project that is sorta sci-fi, sorta fantasy. We may get the ball rolling on that in the next few months.*


Ok.. I am first in line for this.. whatever it may be! Want a beta reader??


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

rhondastapleton said:


> Okay, I tagged Amanda Brice. Hope she can play!


And the five questions are...? lol

Carl


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## Rhonda Helms (Apr 8, 2011)

...uhhhhhhh I didn't save them...so they're MYSTERY questions. haHA! I emailed them to her, LOL. Sorry--I suck at this.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Our next author is someone who is all over the boards and believes in throwing yourself out there to be noticed. Her name is Kathleen Valentine.

1 Kathleen, I see that you are into blogging in a big way, how much, in your opinion, does blogging help an author?

2 Does the constant promoting ever get you down?

3 Describe to us your proudest moment.

4 Do you have any advice for the indie authors who are just starting out.

5 How long does it take for you to write a book?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## Kathleen Valentine (Dec 10, 2009)

Oh my! Well, I'll give it a shot:

1. *Kathleen, I see that you are into blogging in a big way, how much, in your opinion, does blogging help an author?*
I think it is extremely important if you blog consistently and make an effort to supply quality content. Just pushing your books every day isn't going to work -- you have to give readers a reason to keep coming back to your blog. I'm a fan of posting reviews of books by other authors, discussions of unrelated subject matter, and, of course, I promote my fellow indie authors with my For/From Indie Author's feature.

2. *Does the constant promoting ever get you down?*
All the time. I'm basically kind of shy and, while I love to talk about books and book-related stuff, I have a hard time talking about myself. Even writing an author's bio was difficult. I'd rather the emphasis be on my work than on me but a lot of readers want to know who the person behind the curtain is.

3. *Describe to us your proudest moment.*
Oooo, that's tough! I think it must have been when my 83-year old aunt called to tell me how much she loved _The Old Mermaid's Tale_. She said "I wish your mother (her sister) had lived to read this. The other thing I will never forget happened a few months after the publication of my short story collection _My Last Romance and other passions_, which is 8 highly romantic love stories. An older woman came up to me in a coffee shop and told me that, in the final days of her husband's life, she had read him one of my stories every evening. She said, "In the end that was how we made love." I still cry when I tell that story.

4. *Do you have any advice for the indie authors who are just starting out.*
Commit to the long haul and commit to quality -- don't publish until your work is polished to perfection and know it will take time.

5. *How long does it take for you to write a book?*
My two novels each took a few years -- I have to put the manuscript away for a couple months between revisions and I do a lot of revisions. Even my knitting books take close to a year because I have to knit the design, photograph it, draw the charts and write instructions before I even start putting the book together.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Our next author, is a fantasy writer and is enjoying the journey immensely, her name is RebeccaKnight.

1 Rebecca, what's the best part of being an author for you?

2 Do you ever sit back and have doubts about yourself? If so, how do you overcome those doubts?

3 Is the genre you write your favorite to read?

4 How do you approach the start of a new story?

5 What are you writing right now?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## cidneyswanson (Feb 1, 2011)

rhondastapleton said:


> I'm actually an editor and an author.


Doh! *facepalms*


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## RebeccaKnight (May 1, 2011)

Carl246 said:


> Our next author, is a fantasy writer and is enjoying the journey immensely, her name is RebeccaKnight.
> 
> 1 Rebecca, what's the best part of being an author for you?
> 
> ...


Yay! Thanks for picking me! 

I hope by "enjoying the journey" immensely, you don't mean that I'm letting my inner dork creep out in the forums. LOL. I was always the kid who got in trouble for talking or laughing too loudly during class, so it's entirely possible!

1) The best part of being an author (so far) is to actually, finally, be reaching readers with my stories. Don't we all write for our readers? It's absolutely amazing to have people enjoying what I've written. It feels like I'm exactly where I should be for the first time in a long while. I'm achieving my dreams versus standing still waiting for my moment to happen.

2) Dude, of course. All writers are crazy. Didn't you know that?  I've actually been having nightmares this week about my first review for LEGACY and learning that readers hate it.

When I get anxious or doubtful, I sit back and try to think of the worst thing that could happen. It's usually not that bad, and I can move on. I also think about all the positive things that have happened and are currently happening, and am able to give myself a pep talk. My beta readers enjoyed it, I wrote what I love, and I'm my own demographic... things like that. Plus, everyone, eventually, gets bad reviews, and it's all okay . No reason to worry.

3) I absolutely LOVE the fantasy genre, but I'm learning more and more that I'm into all kinds of other genres the more I branch out. I love reading romance, thrillers, historical... even erotica! (ha!) Fantasy will always be my first love, though, and most of the books I re-read year after year are either fantasy or science fiction.

4) I'm a planner, so I have to at least have a rough sketch of the beginning, middle and end of the story before I write. I usually plot out how I get from one major event to the other, and then outline more if I get stuck along the way. I'm a big believer in knowing what you're aiming for when you start so your narrative doesn't wander. I enjoy succinct, tightly plotted books, and I hope my stories and novels turn out that way!

5) Right now, I'm actually working on two more Veronica Grim short stories which I'm going to bundle together as a Volume 2 for NO REST FOR THE WICKED. These stories are action-packed, violent, and hilariously twisted modern fairy tale retellings. I have such a blast writing them. After that, I'll definitely be working on a sequel to LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS that follows up on Torin's story, our guy hero. I don't want to spoil anything, but it will be an interesting project .

Thank you so much for the fun mini interview!

I have to pick someone now... questions coming soon!


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## RebeccaKnight (May 1, 2011)

I want to pick CidneySwanson!  

Cidney and I are book release twins, plus I can't stop staring at her gorgeous cover.  Get in here, Cidney, and answer some burning questions!

1)  What made you decide to take the plunge and publish Ripple?  What was your journey like up to this point?

2)  Who is your favorite character and why?

3)  What was the hardest thing about writing this novel and why?

4)  What are your goals as an author?

5)  What's your favorite part about this whole process?  

I can't wait to hear your responses


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

RebeccaKnight said:


> I hope by "enjoying the journey" immensely, you don't mean that I'm letting my inner dork creep out in the forums. LOL. I was always the kid who got in trouble for talking or laughing too loudly during class, so it's entirely possible!


LOL No, I simply meant that you were enjoying the experience of being an author. Also, Cidney has already been asked five questions but I have no objection to her answering another five if she's willing. I actually think that it's a testament to the author to be asked more than once.

Carl


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## RebeccaKnight (May 1, 2011)

Oops, my bad on the double-Cidney!    I skimmed a few of the pages when I was catching up.  

I think it's a testament, too.  I mean, look at that cover and description!  I want to know more!


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## cidneyswanson (Feb 1, 2011)

No worries!  Rebecca, I'll PM you the answers--how's that for a compromise?  I kind of answered #1 on my blog this morning, interestingly enough!


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## RebeccaKnight (May 1, 2011)

Love it!   Thanks, Cidney!


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

If any readers out there would like to ask an author some questions, just PM me with their name and questions and I'll do the rest. Check page seven first for the list of authors who have already answered.

All the best.

Carl


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## TheSFReader (Jan 20, 2011)

After taking some time to pponder, here are my questions for Brand Gamblin :

1. Can you tell us about your "Writer's history" ? When did you start writing, and did you try "legacy" publishing first ?

2. In the "Criminally underrated indie ebooks" thread (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,69315.msg1123367.html#msg1123367), 
Nathan Lowell mentions your "The Hidden Institute" book. Do you have any idea why it's not taken off yet ?

3. Does part of your professional experience influence your writing or subjects ?

4. What are your Hobbies when you don't write ?

5. Since you're the one who wrote the "Book" on the subject, do you have any advice for our Bear Polo players ?


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## BrandG (Jan 25, 2011)

Thanks SFReader! I'm honored to be tagged for this!

*1. Can you tell us about your "Writer's history" ? When did you start writing, and did you try "legacy" publishing first ?
*I was a video game programmer for about ten years. Then I heard about the National Novel Writing challenge. I joined and wrote my
first full novel in November of 2008. After podcasting it and self-publishing it, I started making enough money to make my car payments each month. After that, I was hooked. I've written two other books since then, and I'm actively working on a third.

I keep thinking about the prestige of "legacy" publishing, but I can't afford to lose the time and money I make by self-publishing. I may do
it someday, when I don't need the money.

*2. In the "Criminally underrated indie ebooks" thread (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,69315.msg1123367.html#msg1123367), 
Nathan Lowell mentions your "The Hidden Institute" book. Do you have any idea why it's not taken off yet ? 
*Dr. Lowell is an amazing writer, and I'm honored that he considers "The Hidden Institute" such a great book. I do think it's the best thing I've ever written. However, it doesn't have the kind of sales that some of my other books have. I think a large part of that is because my earlier cover art was given to me by a Hugo-award-winning artist. "Hidden Institute" is the best book I've written, but "Tumbler" has a more exciting cover.

But everyone who reads THI seems to love the story, so I'm hoping that reviews and word-of-mouth will win over those who are not as enamored by the cover.

*3. Does part of your professional experience influence your writing or subjects ?
*As a programmer, I find that my writing is very structured, with a plot that moves along at a consistent pace and leaves no sub-plots unattended. Most of my characters are pragmatic, and many have the oddly dark sense of humor that all programmers possess.

*4. What are your Hobbies when you don't write ?
*When I'm not writing or playing video games, I produce a YouTube dark comedy named "Calls For Cthulhu". It's a show about an evil alien overlord who answers call-in questions.

*5. Since you're the one who wrote the "Book" on the subject, do you have any advice for our Bear Polo players ?
*Advice for Bear Polo players? Lean into the turn. Trust the muzzle, but keep your hands on the reins until the beast trusts you. And never let your mount lead you, or you're thrown for sure.

Thanks again for letting me join in!


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Our next author is someone who strives to do the best he can, with an upbeat attitude that will carry him far. His name is John Hartness.

1 John, when did you start to write, and what was your chosen genre?

2 You recently stated that your sales were picking up, have you advertised and promoted your work? Any advice to newcomers?

3 Is there anyone in particular that influences you?

4 What are you working on now and in what genre?

5 Is there anything you'd do differently if you had your time over again?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## anne_holly (Jun 5, 2011)

Haha - wow! I just made it through reading this thread... What a chaotic good time. 

I'm glad I already had some coffee in me before I attempted to navigate this one.


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## John Hartness (Aug 3, 2009)

Alrighty, let's see if I can do this without too much muss or fuss

*1 John, when did you start to write, and what was your chosen genre?* I started writing poetry in third grade, because we were given the option of a short poem or a page-long story. Law of conservation of energy says that I must conserve my energy whenever possible, so I went for the shorter solution. Then for the past thirty years I've written off and on. In 2005 I started a blog, then in 2008 I started writing for the internet gaming industry, covering poker tournaments. After three years and 400+ articles on the web, I got tired of that work and focused on creative writing. I wrote The Chosen in the summer of 2009, then published two books of poetry, short stories and narrative nonfiction before I came back to the novel. Then I published The Chosen, and moved straight into Hard Day's Knight and subsequent volumes of The Black Knight Chronicles. I write urban fantasy, because that's what I mostly read.

2 You recently stated that your sales were picking up, have you advertised and promoted your work? Any advice to newcomers? I've tried a bunch of things, but most of it boils down to luck and patience. I did swap excerpts of one book with Derek Canyon, which has had a positive effect for both of us. He put a chapter in one of my books and I put a chapter in his. As a result, we're both all over each other's "also-boughts," so that does have an effect, albeit an immeasurable one.

3 Is there anyone in particular that influences you? There are a ton - Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher, Chris Claremont, Peter David, David Eddings, Kim Harrison, Faith Hunter

4 What are you working on now and in what genre? I just finished the first draft of Knight Moves, Book 3 of The Black Knight Chronicles, so I'm polishing that. And I'm working on the beginning of a post-apocalyptic YA fantasy series called Return to Eden. I hope to have Vol. 1 out later this year.

5 Is there anything you'd do differently if you had your time over again? No. I like who I am and the life I'm living, and I wouldn't be the same person if I went back and changed things. So no, I'll take the ride I bought the ticket for.

Thanks!


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## JeanneM (Mar 21, 2011)

Yay! The interviews are back.  I was looking for them the other night. Let's keep this going.  What a great way to get to know each other.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Our next author is someone who intrigues me, she's a tricky one so watch out for her. lol    Her name is tkkenyon.

1 TK the first and most obvious question is why did it take you so long to be convinced that going down the indie trail was something you should do?

2 Do you write what you love to read, or do you prefer another genre?

3 You said you were influenced by the Kindleboard, but is there anyone in particular here who influenced you more than the others?

4 How long have you been writing and when did you know that writing was something you enjoyed doing?

5 What is your take on the whole pricing issue of ebooks?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

JeanneM said:


> Yay! The interviews are back. I was looking for them the other night. Let's keep this going. What a great way to get to know each other.


Hey Jeanne, ask an author 5 questions, you'll find those that have responded on page 7. They can only say no. lol

Carl


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Our next author is a fantasy writer, which just happens to be my favorite genre. Her name is Laura Lond.

1 Laura, what attracted you to fantasy?

2 Who is your favorite fantasy author and why?

3 What is your favorite book?

4 Do you have any tips/advice for other fantasy writers?

5 When did you finish your very first book and how did you feel upon seeing it released to the general public?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## Laura Lond (Nov 6, 2010)

Carl246 said:


> Our next author is a fantasy writer, which just happens to be my favorite genre. Her name is Laura Lond.
> 
> 1 Laura, what attracted you to fantasy?
> 
> ...


Here I go! 

1 Laura, what attracted you to fantasy?

I think it is a continuation of my childhood fascination with fairy tales. Some people seem to grow out of it, others, like me, don't.  As a reader, I have always loved the element of the supernatural in the story, the "otherworldliness". As a writer, I love fantasy for the freedom of imagination and variety of choices it offers. Not only I can make up a whole new world, I can include almost any sub-genre in the story: mystery, romance, adventure, humor, you name it.

2 Who is your favorite fantasy author and why?

C.S. Lewis had blown me away with his Chronicles of Narnia. I have read many good fantasy books after discovering him, but Narnia will always have a special place in my heart. Aslan the Lion - that image is one of the greatest I've ever come across in a book.

3 What is your favorite book?

It is hard to pick one. I will name my most recent fantasy discovery that I greatly enjoyed - the Elfhunter trilogy by C.S. Marks, also an indie author.

4 Do you have any tips/advice for other fantasy writers?

Write more books. 

5 When did you finish your very first book and how did you feel upon seeing it released to the general public?

My first book was completed and published in 1999. I had found myself in the rather unusual situation of getting an offer for my first book before it was even written. It was from a small press publisher, but still. I even got an advance, so I felt like a big girl and a "real writer".  And of course holding a printed copy of that book in my hands for the first time was absolutely magical.

Thank you Carl!!


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Our next author is a writer of both wit and romance, always a good combination. Her name is LCEvans.

1 I see by your reviews of "We interrupt this Date" LC that people believe this book would make a good movie. Do you believe the same and how would you handle such a proposition?

2 Of all the books you have written which one was your favorite and why?

3 Your BIO states that you've always enjoyed writing, do you have books published the traditional way. If so, how long did it take you to go down that road?

4 What are you working on right now? Is it by any chance a follow up to the last book, and if not, do you intend to write one?

5 Do you set goals for yourself, or are you more an inspirational author? Meaning you get ideas and write them down straight away, as opposed to thinking up a plot.

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## LCEvans (Mar 29, 2009)

Hi, Carl, thanks for including me.

1 I see by your reviews of "We interrupt this Date" LC that people believe this book would make a good movie. Do you believe the same and how would you handle such a proposition? I think it would make a great movie and I see Sandra Bullock in the role of main character, Susan Caraway. I would handle the movie proposition by letting a seasoned screenwriter handle the script, but I'd want to make sure they didn't deviate too much from the book.

2 Of all the books you have written which one was your favorite and why? My favorite is Jobless Recovery, my least popular book, because it's based very loosely (parts of it) on actual events. Also, a friend (lead singer songwriter of the up and coming band Runaway Dorothy) posed for the cover. 

3 Your BIO states that you've always enjoyed writing, do you have books published the traditional way. If so, how long did it take you to go down that road? I had a bunch of short stories and essays published in conventional magazines including big magazines such as Woman's World and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. But my attempts to publish a novel went nowhere for about ten years until my horse mystery Talented Horsewoman was picked up by a small publisher. After that, I decided indie publishing gave me more control and more money. 

4 What are you working on right now? Is it by any chance a follow up to the last book, and if not, do you intend to write one? I'm currently working on a sci fi type romance that's nearly finished and also a sequel to We Interrupt This Date. 

5 Do you set goals for yourself, or are you more an inspirational author? Meaning you get ideas and write them down straight away, as opposed to thinking up a plot. I'm more of the get ideas and write them down. I've tried in depth outlining, but so far have not had success with that method. 

Thanks again, Carl.


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Our next author is a complete mystery to me, but I hope these questions will allow me to see her a bit clearer. Her name is SarahBarnard.

1 Sarah, do you set rules for yourself when you get an idea for a book?

2 When did you start writing and when did you discover self-publishing?

3 Which is your favorite book, both of which you've written and read.

4 Do you get inspired by the kindleboards?

5 What's your take on the whole pricing thing, do you have a favorite price structure?

Thanks in advance.

Carl


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## SarahBarnard (Jul 28, 2010)

Carl246 said:


> Our next author is a complete mystery to me, but I hope these questions will allow me to see her a bit clearer. Her name is Sarah Barnard.
> 
> 1 Sarah, do you set rules for yourself when you get an idea for a book?
> 
> ...


Hi Carl, 
Thanks for the questions (you're distracting me from making jam this evening.)
I think I quite like being a "complete mystery". 
1. Do I set rules when I write a book? No, because I am a compulsive rule breaker! I prefer to let my books evolve by themselves and the only goals I set are those of word count and length, and even those are targets rather than rules. 
2. Ah, that's 2 questions, is that cheating? When did I start writing? Or when did I start writing seriously? Or when did I start writing whole, finished books? A whole heap of different questions. I've made up little stories, scenes, sketches, for as long as I can remember, probably since before I could actually write. But serious, finish a whole proper length book writing? That started in 2005 when a good friend dared me to actually finish something. 
And self publishing? I stumbled across Lulu for print POD in early 2008, when I was still sending my manuscript off to traditional publishers and getting some favourable feedback, but still a lot of No. 
3. My favourite book to read is a series - the Farseer saga by Robin Hobb. I can finish those and then just go straight back to the start and begin again. My favourite that I've written is my latest one, Child of the Portal. I'm really proud of that one, it's emotional, it still makes me well up and I know it's made all my test readers cry - most of them at two separate points in the story. 
4. Inspired by Kindleboards? No. Inspired to carry on writing by the people who frequent Kindleboards, Oh yes! 
5. The whole "pricing thing" is such a huge can of worms isn't it? On the one hand, as a customer I love a cheap bargain. On the other, as the producer of this product, and knowing just how much of my life goes into each book, how much time, hard work and angst I pour into each one.... They're worth so much more than just pennies/cents. 
But I want to sell them and my business head says that some sales at a lesser price are better than no sales at a higher price. I'd love to be selling my work at $3.99 a copy, or $2.99, but I end up having to match the market for at least one of them. So The Portal Between, as the first in the series, is at rock bottom (0.99c/0.70p) in the hope that it might draw readers in to the rest of the books. 
My ultimate answer here is to tinker until I find the balance I need and that I'm flexible in my pricing - but I'd rather be appreciated as worth more. 
I do wonder if the really cheap books out there might be spoiling the market for the rest though.

That was fun!
Sarah


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## Carl246 (Apr 10, 2011)

Juliette Dupree is fairly new to the board, but she is already showing that she has a passion for writing.

1 Juliette what is your first story about and when did you decide it needed to be written?

2 Do you read a lot Juliette and if so who's your favorite author?

3 What are you writing right now and is it a novel or a short story?

4 Do you feel that you will always be passionate about writing in your chosen genre?

5 What are your hopes and dreams from your writing?

All the best.

Carl


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## Juliette Dupree (Jul 12, 2011)

*Carl246:* _Juliette Dupree is fairly new to the board, but she is already showing that she has a passion for writing._

*Juliette:* Thanks for inviting me, Carl!

*Carl:* _Juliette what is your first story about and when did you decide it needed to be written?_

*Juliette:* My first story to be published is _Public Display of Arousal_, which I'm anticipating will be available on September 9th. It's an erotic story (approximately novelette length) that is very sexy, seductive, and arousing. The heroine, Erica, drags her husband Adam out for an anniversary dinner. He's become somewhat of a workaholic and weekend couch potato, and isn't crazy about going out on the town. But shy Erica is about to transform their dreary sex life into a whirlwind of erotic seduction, and bring conservative Adam's most secret fantasy to life. I've written it geared a little bit toward men, but really my hope is that it is a story that will be enjoyed by couples together. It would make a great "bedtime" story...though I must warn you, if you read it together, I doubt you'll make it to the end. 

I've had this story rattling around in my head for a while, just the concept. But recently it all coalesced in my mind, and just forced itself to the front of my attentions. I had to put aside Sexting, which I've been struggling with a bit, to focus on Public, which demanded my attention and just poured out onto the page. I've had a lot of fun with this story.

*Carl:* _Do you read a lot Juliette and if so who's your favorite author?_

*Juliette:*Before I had kids, I read ALL the time. But it's only been the last year, since I bought a Kindle, that I've rediscovered my passion for reading. So I read much more now, though there's never enough time for it, in my opinion. My favorite author--that's a tough question, because I'm reading different stuff now than I used to. I'd have to say that right now I'm on a "search" for a new favorite. I haven't found anyone lately that I absolutely love. I will say that I really like Angela Knight's _Warrior _series.

*Carl:* _What are you writing right now and is it a novel or a short story?_

*Juliette:* Well, I'm just finishing up _Public_, as I mentioned. Then I'm going to work on Sexting, as I've been promising that since July. Summer was kind of crazy. After that, I'd like to work on a series of shorts. If I can manage it, I'd like to put out a short story a week between now and Christmas. But I won't push it--I want the quality of my work to be ever-increasing, so I'll give each story the time it needs to be done right. I'm considering making the next few stories to be similar to Public--stories of sexy encounters in public places--and then bundling them in a collection. I think that would be fun, if there is interest in it.

*Carl:* _Do you feel that you will always be passionate about writing in your chosen genre?_

*Juliette:* Definitely. I typically prefer to write longer stories geared toward women, like erotic romance, but right now I feel myself pulled toward the more erotic short stories. But I also write in other genres, under other pen names. I really enjoy writing erotic romance, and I feel that I have a talent for it, but I also love writing in other genres. If one of the more mainstream genre books I write really takes off, I would probably spend more time writing in that genre, but I don't see myself ever abandoning erotic stories. They're just too much fun!

Hopefully I won't ever burn out--contrary to popular belief, writing a sex scene well can be a real challenge. There is a very limited vocabulary that can be used effectively without sounding silly, if you know what I mean. It's not just "insert tab A into slot B". You have to evoke emotion, especially in erotic romance. You have to touch people's hearts, to move them, and to do it in a different way every time. A lot of famous authors have said that they couldn't write a sex scene to save their life. And some erotica writers have stopped because they just felt that they were too burned out to keep going.

*Carl:* _What are your hopes and dreams from your writing?_

*Juliette:* First, I'd like to write books that make people happy. Life is tough for some people right now, and a really good book that draws you in can help relieve stress, make you forget your troubles, and lift your spirits. With erotic romance, you have the extra benefit of potentially bringing a couple closer together. Life has a way of cutting into our time alone together, and when both people are tired from their daily duties, you can find your sex life falling by the wayside. Reading an erotic romance or an erotica short story together can really stimulate intimacy, and there are books out there for everyone--even some "cleaner" erotica for Christian couples. When you spend time cuddling and reading together--even if nothing else happens--it creates intimacy. And most of us know that men need affection to be romantic, and women need romance to feel affectionate. It's a catch 22, and I think reading erotic romance can stimulate a couple and heighten feelings of affection as well as the desire to create more romance. It's a win-win for everyone!

Second, I would like to find success as an author in order to help my family financially. I would write even if I won the lottery tomorrow, but having a family in need is a real driving force for me. Plus, it would be nice to be the breadwinner in the family for a change! It's always a good thing to be able to feel financially independent for _both _spouses, in case something unfortunate should happen to the other person. Of course, hitting an Amazon bestseller list and getting fan letters and good reviews would be awesome, but the satisfaction of putting food on the table for my children as a result of my own talent and hard work...that is priceless.

Thank you so much, Carl, for the interview. I'm going to link to it from my blog. Thanks for reading, everyone, and have an awesome day! 

ETA: I tag ladyeclectic, AKA Sara Pierce, author of "One Crazy Night," "Don't Tell", and "All Steamed Up."

Ladyeclectic, your questions are:

1. What is your favorite thing about writing erotica?
2. Your books are in the m/m niche of erotica, which many people aren't familiar with. Can you explain what that genre is, who reads it, and why you chose to write for it?
3. What inspires you to keep on going when you hit a rough spot in your writing?
4. What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses as a writer?
5. What are you working on now, and do you plan on sticking with the same erotica niche, or branching out into others?


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## Sara Pierce (May 15, 2011)

Juliette Dupree said:


> ETA: I tag ladyeclectic, AKA Sara Pierce, author of "One Crazy Night," "Don't Tell", and "All Steamed Up."
> 
> Ladyeclectic, your questions are:
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for the tag!  Excellent (and tough!) questions, so let's get straight down to business shall we? 

*1. What is your favorite thing about writing erotica?*

I've always been a fan of writing action scenes. The constant action keeps me as a writer interested in the story and anxious to see (figure out) what comes next. Erotica is much the same way, especially short stories: it's all action, positioning, power tug-of-wars and performances set at a blistering pace. When done right, there's nothing dull about it - it's all action, all the time. Fun fun fun!!

*2. Your books are in the m/m niche of erotica, which many people aren't familiar with. Can you explain what that genre is, who reads it, and why you chose to write for it?*

For those not used to seeing m/m (gay) stories in mainstream literature, you'd be VERY surprised how prevalent it is in online literature and stories. I cut my teeth reading/writing slash (m/m, gay) fan fiction where the various fandom communities would take their favorite male characters and write them into romances. These were generally TV, movie or book characters whose personalities meshed, sparked, antagonized or otherwise interacted to a degree that had people (generally straight women, although there was a homosexual audience as well as a few straight men) wanted to read about them. For a young girl who had grown up in a conservative household and had never known anyone who was gay (or so I'd thought), this was my introduction to LGBT lifestyles, and I've never looked back.

For me as a female, there's a challenge in writing male characters that I enjoy. Men are very different than women; they have more ego and stoicism, and view life and relationships totally different. Female writers like myself have to learn how to see the world through foreign eyes: some can, some can't, and the challenge it often presents is very fun.

As to who reads it? Fan fiction communities often did polls and most of the readers (and writers) were straight women who merely wanted "more of a good thing" (aka, more men!) in their stories.  Gay literature has been a tough sell up until recent decades, but its mainstream distribution and the internet have really allowed what was once a "niche market" to flourish and spread in its own right.

*3. What inspires you to keep on going when you hit a rough spot in your writing?*

Honestly? I throw in an action scene.  "And then s/he pulled out a gun and..."   It's what gets me going through the hard parts, even if I eventually delete it all. One method I always abhorred and only recently grew to appreciate is outlining - not for short stories (I still believe in letting those come organically) but with longer works my tail has been saved numerous times knowing what I'm moving toward, or what scene has to come next. Even when my stories go off on tangents, it can be comforting to know when those paths deadend I know what's still supposed to happen next. 

*4. What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses as a writer?*

Strengths: action-y stuff. Big booms, fast cars, fighting, all the works. I'm also huge on characters; they're the heart of the story, no matter your plot. In my opinion, if I can't care about the characters than I can't care about the plot (take THAT Dan Brown!).

Weakness? Plotting. Rather, I can think of plots but I usually go-for-broke and want my characters to SAVE THE WORLD! ...or something equally big. There's always "Epic" written in any kind of plotted story I start - heck, it's a miracle I can stop myself when I do short stories! They tend to want to keep going, and going, and going and....  

*5. What are you working on now, and do you plan on sticking with the same erotica niche, or branching out into others?*

My original plan was to write YA urban fantasy (yes, what I do now is SO not for young adults!!!) and it's a genre I very much hope to write for again someday. Right after I finally released my last book DON'T TELL, I got a very interesting idea for a dark erotic scifi story. It's DARK too, as in tough even to outline. At the moment I'm bouncing between that and another m/m short story that I hope to complete this month, as well as another short from DT that will be its own standalone story for sale.

Thanks so much Juliette for the interview tag and for Carl for starting (and maintaining!) this thread.


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