1. Tell us about yourself where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)
I worked in casino hotels as an Entertainment Director, Technical Director, Audio Engineer, and other positions most of my life. I have a degree in musical composition and can play multiple instruments.
2. What inspired you to write your first book?
I was reading voraciously after a very painful and unneeded brutal sinus operation and read the first three John Grisham books. Being schizophrenic I challenged myself to write a better book than his.
3. How many books have you written?
Just one novel but many original television screenplays.
4. How do you decide on their topic?
The topics usually come to me as a life-lesson that I want to share. I wish I could write foolish pulp, but my lot is to be a writer of literary fiction. I've tried to be frivolous and scandalous-it's just not what is inside me.
5. What works best to keep you focused and on track?
I keep very busy doing many different things so when I put aside time I must use it wisely or it's lost forever.
6. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
As much as I would love to make money, the passion of writing organized ideas that add up past the sum of their parts and have the ability to make others think, drives me.
7. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
Booksignings are fun, but will not make you any money. Newspaper articles are good, but in this day and age with 175,000 books vying for the same attention I don't think there is a "traditional method" anymore.
8. Do you sell through a website?
I have Amazon and the publisher listed on the website but do not sell directly.
9. Do you plan on writing additional books? Yes as soon as I can get the audio book done on "Only Moments."
Interview Presented By
Nikki Leigh - Author of Book Promo 101
www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Kathleen Gage Interviews Nikki Leigh
The Street Smarts Marketing Blog is for speakers, trainers, authors, consultants and entrepreneurs who want to influence the lives of others with your knowledge through books, information products and presentations - and make lots of money doing it. Strong emphasis on gaining visibility, market reach and credibility through effective Internet marketing.
You have been invited to share your experience with our readers.
Name: Nikki Leigh
1. Tell us about yourself – where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)
I’m from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I started writing when I was a kid in school. But, I didn’t get serious about getting back to my writing until about 15 years after I graduated. A woman suggested that I read The Artists’ Way and that helped me to overcome so many personal concerns and doubts. At that time I joined an online writers’ community and I dove back into honing my craft. In 2005, I was in a position to make a career change and I decided to dive into freelancing fulltime. That has allowed me to work on a wide variety of writing projects and it led to four business books and seven ghostwriting projects. This is in addition to my fiction books which are in print. When I’m not writing, I work with my business clients to do bookkeeping, promotional work and business consulting.
2. What inspired you to write your first book?
I started to form an idea for a book over twenty years ago and finally got back to work on it in late 2002. The story was coming together, but I couldn’t figure out the right place to set the story. In 2001, I visited Cape Cod which was my first idea for a setting. On the same trip, I visited Cape Ann, Massachusetts and that’s when the story really took shape. Since then I’ve released 2 other books set in that area and I’m working on the fourth Misty Cove book.
3. How many books have you written?
I have four novels in print, four business books in print. My first anthology, one novel is being re-released after some changes and my first author promotion book is being released this fall. I’ve created a writer’s resource ebook which I plan to release in October. In my freelancing work, I’ve ghostwritten seven books – five promotional books, a novel and a restaurant management book. One of my recent freelancing clients is talking about putting my name as a co-author on the book I wrote for him.
4. How do you decide on their topic?
My business topics and ghostwriting topics were based on my business and promotional experience. I use that experience to choose the projects I want to work on. All of my novels are centered near the coast and lighthouses. I enjoy history, the coast, lighthouses and the lifesaving service, so I work these topics into my novels.
5. What works best to keep you focused and on track?
Deadlines and the desire to see the project completed are two great ways to stay focused. With my freelancing, bills coming due also keeps me focused to finish projects.
6. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
I tell people that my fiction is a labor of love. At some point, I’d love for my fiction to pay better, but I’m still building readership and visibility at this point. Although my promotional launch for my Cape Hatteras mystery has helped to propel my sales in the last few months. My business and promotional books are more about making money since my freelancing keeps the bills paid. My author promotion book is a combination of the love of writing and making money. It’s an awesome chance to share the things I’ve learned over the last 16 years in promotional work.
7. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
I have an extensive website which features information about each of my books, the settings, the characters and much more. It also has writing and promotional articles for writers and readers. I’ve attended some writer’s events and have held a number of online chats. I send press releases about my books and special events. I’ve got several online message boards that I use to promote my books. I offered to moderate a panel at the Virginia Festival of the Book which helped me meet a lot of people and I had a chance to brainstorm with Dr Bill Bass (of the body farm) and Jeffrey Deaver. In October, I’m scheduled with a couple of friends to do a workshop about setting development in stories. In the past, I’ve taught a series of character development classes that developed and I’m hoping to rework the classes to offer again in the near future.
8. What are some unique methods?
I’m the Self Promotion Topic Editor on www.inspiredauthor.com and this gives me good visibility. I’ve hosted a couple of chats for Inspired Author about writing related topics. When Lilah and the Locket was released, I planned a week at the beach (where the story is set) and I contacted my preferred businesses before the trip. I then visited these stores with the book and they are being sold in 7 stores along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.nikkileigh.com/lilah_launch1.htm.
A couple of years ago, I created a fundraising event for a local animal shelter and that’s where Lilah and the Locket began. Details are posted at: http://www.nikkileigh.com/pets_n_portraits.htm. Lilah and the Locket features a couple and their dog – the characters are based on a real couple and their dog. This was part of the Pets ‘n Portraits event and has opened up interesting ways to promote the book and they just asked if I’d like to write a sequel – of course I said “YES!” I formed an author co-op and we promote one another and the group. The website is www.readersstation.com.
9. Do you sell through a website?
I use my websites – www.nikkileigh.com, www.sandcconsulting.com and there are links from www.readersstation.com to my sale pages. My books are also available on Amazon, Borders, Abe Books and I promote that they can be ordered at any bookstore. The ebook versions of my books are available on many online ebook sale sites.
10. Do you plan on writing additional books?
Most definitely. I’m working on plans for my next two novels, three short stories and the next book in my author promotional series.
Nikki Leigh - Author
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm
"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
You have been invited to share your experience with our readers.
Name: Nikki Leigh
1. Tell us about yourself – where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)
I’m from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I started writing when I was a kid in school. But, I didn’t get serious about getting back to my writing until about 15 years after I graduated. A woman suggested that I read The Artists’ Way and that helped me to overcome so many personal concerns and doubts. At that time I joined an online writers’ community and I dove back into honing my craft. In 2005, I was in a position to make a career change and I decided to dive into freelancing fulltime. That has allowed me to work on a wide variety of writing projects and it led to four business books and seven ghostwriting projects. This is in addition to my fiction books which are in print. When I’m not writing, I work with my business clients to do bookkeeping, promotional work and business consulting.
2. What inspired you to write your first book?
I started to form an idea for a book over twenty years ago and finally got back to work on it in late 2002. The story was coming together, but I couldn’t figure out the right place to set the story. In 2001, I visited Cape Cod which was my first idea for a setting. On the same trip, I visited Cape Ann, Massachusetts and that’s when the story really took shape. Since then I’ve released 2 other books set in that area and I’m working on the fourth Misty Cove book.
3. How many books have you written?
I have four novels in print, four business books in print. My first anthology, one novel is being re-released after some changes and my first author promotion book is being released this fall. I’ve created a writer’s resource ebook which I plan to release in October. In my freelancing work, I’ve ghostwritten seven books – five promotional books, a novel and a restaurant management book. One of my recent freelancing clients is talking about putting my name as a co-author on the book I wrote for him.
4. How do you decide on their topic?
My business topics and ghostwriting topics were based on my business and promotional experience. I use that experience to choose the projects I want to work on. All of my novels are centered near the coast and lighthouses. I enjoy history, the coast, lighthouses and the lifesaving service, so I work these topics into my novels.
5. What works best to keep you focused and on track?
Deadlines and the desire to see the project completed are two great ways to stay focused. With my freelancing, bills coming due also keeps me focused to finish projects.
6. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
I tell people that my fiction is a labor of love. At some point, I’d love for my fiction to pay better, but I’m still building readership and visibility at this point. Although my promotional launch for my Cape Hatteras mystery has helped to propel my sales in the last few months. My business and promotional books are more about making money since my freelancing keeps the bills paid. My author promotion book is a combination of the love of writing and making money. It’s an awesome chance to share the things I’ve learned over the last 16 years in promotional work.
7. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
I have an extensive website which features information about each of my books, the settings, the characters and much more. It also has writing and promotional articles for writers and readers. I’ve attended some writer’s events and have held a number of online chats. I send press releases about my books and special events. I’ve got several online message boards that I use to promote my books. I offered to moderate a panel at the Virginia Festival of the Book which helped me meet a lot of people and I had a chance to brainstorm with Dr Bill Bass (of the body farm) and Jeffrey Deaver. In October, I’m scheduled with a couple of friends to do a workshop about setting development in stories. In the past, I’ve taught a series of character development classes that developed and I’m hoping to rework the classes to offer again in the near future.
8. What are some unique methods?
I’m the Self Promotion Topic Editor on www.inspiredauthor.com and this gives me good visibility. I’ve hosted a couple of chats for Inspired Author about writing related topics. When Lilah and the Locket was released, I planned a week at the beach (where the story is set) and I contacted my preferred businesses before the trip. I then visited these stores with the book and they are being sold in 7 stores along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.nikkileigh.com/lilah_launch1.htm.
A couple of years ago, I created a fundraising event for a local animal shelter and that’s where Lilah and the Locket began. Details are posted at: http://www.nikkileigh.com/pets_n_portraits.htm. Lilah and the Locket features a couple and their dog – the characters are based on a real couple and their dog. This was part of the Pets ‘n Portraits event and has opened up interesting ways to promote the book and they just asked if I’d like to write a sequel – of course I said “YES!” I formed an author co-op and we promote one another and the group. The website is www.readersstation.com.
9. Do you sell through a website?
I use my websites – www.nikkileigh.com, www.sandcconsulting.com and there are links from www.readersstation.com to my sale pages. My books are also available on Amazon, Borders, Abe Books and I promote that they can be ordered at any bookstore. The ebook versions of my books are available on many online ebook sale sites.
10. Do you plan on writing additional books?
Most definitely. I’m working on plans for my next two novels, three short stories and the next book in my author promotional series.
Nikki Leigh - Author
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm
"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
Promotional Interview with Dr Barbara Holstein
Name: Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein
Tell us about yourself – where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)
I've been in private practice for 26 years in Long Branch , New Jersey with my husband, Russell Marc Holstein, Ph.D. I am a positive psychologist, having published my first book in this discipline, THE ENCHANTED SELF, A Positive Therapy, in l997. I focus on helping women be happy, and live meaningful, purposeful lives by reclaiming their talents, strengths and even lost potential. I have also been a school psychologist for over 25 years.
I have a comprehensive website and blog for women at http://www.enchantedself.com/ , a blog, THE ENCHANTED SELF on typepad and conduct seminars, lectures, teleclasses and workshops. I host Happiness, For Women Only, on www.internetvoicesradio.com and THE ENCHANTED SELF Magazine of www.ladybuglive.com
In July, 2007, my newest positive psychology book, The Truth, I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything, was released. You will fall in love with the ten year old girl in this book, who has the courage and the wits to put into writing what every woman should remember about herself, her children and the truths that really matter.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I started to do case study research on women of all ages, about 18 years ago. The research documented that women have a greater capacity for happiness than they realize. I saw that they need encouragement to focus on ways to let happiness happen and even needed a name to name the state of well-being that is a happy state unique to each woman. I called this state THE ENCHANTED SELF(R) and found myself filled with passion to share my information with women so that they could celebrate and document the positive parts of themselves. I was filled with inspiration and that of course led to my first book is titled, THE ENCHANTED SELF, A Positive Therapy.
How many books have you written?
I have written 4 books and edited one other.
How do you decide on their topic?
I have continued my research on women and girls via documenting ways to improve happiness with my clients, and developing materials and techniques for achieving more happiness. Each book I write tackles a slightly different aspect of Happiness. RECIPES FOR ENCHANTMENT, The Secret Ingredient is YOU! does it through storytelling and journal writing. And DELIGHT does it through coming with me on a spiritual journey.. FEEL GOOD STORIES which I edited for Bernice Becker, who is my mother, is filled with the pure humor and happiness of being alive.
What works best to keep you focused and on track?
Definitely a project of some sort. For example, for THE TRUTH, I'm Ten, I'm Smart and I Know Everything! I am already working on the girl's version of the book-for ages 10-14, a Chinese version of the book for school children in China, which will include English and Chinese languages, and the sequel to this book which will take the girl from ages 11 to almost 14.
Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
I would like to say for both, but so far the love is winning out.
What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
I have used publicists, which has led to me being on many, many radio shows over the years. I also keep up a website, www.enchantedself.com and of course, have a blog, http://enchantedself.typepad.com/ I am often quoted in magazines. For example, I was recently interviewed for Time Magazine on the web at http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1631176_1630611_1...
What are some unique methods?
I have hosted a cable television show, entitled, THE ENCHANTED SELF which I have done as a service to the public, but which also has built my reputation and made people aware of my books. You can see some of these shows now on the web at http://www.enchantedself.com/tvandvideo.html
Do you sell through a website?
Yes I do, at www.enchantedself.com and of course on Amazon.
Do you plan on writing additional books?
Absolutely. As I mentioned above, the second book in the series about 'the girl' is already more than half written. It is coming along great!
Interview Presented by -
Nikki Leigh - Author
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm
"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
Tell us about yourself – where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)
I've been in private practice for 26 years in Long Branch , New Jersey with my husband, Russell Marc Holstein, Ph.D. I am a positive psychologist, having published my first book in this discipline, THE ENCHANTED SELF, A Positive Therapy, in l997. I focus on helping women be happy, and live meaningful, purposeful lives by reclaiming their talents, strengths and even lost potential. I have also been a school psychologist for over 25 years.
I have a comprehensive website and blog for women at http://www.enchantedself.com/ , a blog, THE ENCHANTED SELF on typepad and conduct seminars, lectures, teleclasses and workshops. I host Happiness, For Women Only, on www.internetvoicesradio.com and THE ENCHANTED SELF Magazine of www.ladybuglive.com
In July, 2007, my newest positive psychology book, The Truth, I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything, was released. You will fall in love with the ten year old girl in this book, who has the courage and the wits to put into writing what every woman should remember about herself, her children and the truths that really matter.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I started to do case study research on women of all ages, about 18 years ago. The research documented that women have a greater capacity for happiness than they realize. I saw that they need encouragement to focus on ways to let happiness happen and even needed a name to name the state of well-being that is a happy state unique to each woman. I called this state THE ENCHANTED SELF(R) and found myself filled with passion to share my information with women so that they could celebrate and document the positive parts of themselves. I was filled with inspiration and that of course led to my first book is titled, THE ENCHANTED SELF, A Positive Therapy.
How many books have you written?
I have written 4 books and edited one other.
How do you decide on their topic?
I have continued my research on women and girls via documenting ways to improve happiness with my clients, and developing materials and techniques for achieving more happiness. Each book I write tackles a slightly different aspect of Happiness. RECIPES FOR ENCHANTMENT, The Secret Ingredient is YOU! does it through storytelling and journal writing. And DELIGHT does it through coming with me on a spiritual journey.. FEEL GOOD STORIES which I edited for Bernice Becker, who is my mother, is filled with the pure humor and happiness of being alive.
What works best to keep you focused and on track?
Definitely a project of some sort. For example, for THE TRUTH, I'm Ten, I'm Smart and I Know Everything! I am already working on the girl's version of the book-for ages 10-14, a Chinese version of the book for school children in China, which will include English and Chinese languages, and the sequel to this book which will take the girl from ages 11 to almost 14.
Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
I would like to say for both, but so far the love is winning out.
What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
I have used publicists, which has led to me being on many, many radio shows over the years. I also keep up a website, www.enchantedself.com and of course, have a blog, http://enchantedself.typepad.com/ I am often quoted in magazines. For example, I was recently interviewed for Time Magazine on the web at http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1631176_1630611_1...
What are some unique methods?
I have hosted a cable television show, entitled, THE ENCHANTED SELF which I have done as a service to the public, but which also has built my reputation and made people aware of my books. You can see some of these shows now on the web at http://www.enchantedself.com/tvandvideo.html
Do you sell through a website?
Yes I do, at www.enchantedself.com and of course on Amazon.
Do you plan on writing additional books?
Absolutely. As I mentioned above, the second book in the series about 'the girl' is already more than half written. It is coming along great!
Interview Presented by -
Nikki Leigh - Author
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm
"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
Promotional Interview with Diana Laurence
1. Tell us about yourself – where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)
While I am best known as the author of the Soulful Sex anthologies of short erotic romance fiction, that is just a recent incarnation of myself as writer. You’ll laugh at the twists and turns of my writing hobby/career, which began when I was about ten years old when I started writing short stories and poetry. I even penned a silly musical puppet play called “Soggy Wheat” that did a tour of my grade school. When I was 13 I got a short story published in ‘Teen magazine (possibly the peak of my career!). In the four decades since then, my writing has included six novels (half for publication), a book of Lenten devotions, an article on how to make your own sports trading cards, and four years’ worth of a weekly ezine called “Hockey Snacks.” Over my byline there have been countless pieces long and short, published and unpublished, on everything from how to rebuild an old pipe organ, to a layman’s guide to Jungian psychology, to my six Soulful Sex anthologies, to my new paranormal romance, Bloodchained. Call me eclectic.
2. What inspired you to write your first book?
My first full-length book was a mainstream novel with religious themes called Christus Victor. It nearly found a publisher in the early 80s. At the time I was very about that ultimate rejection, but in hindsight, I can see the book was pretty awful stuff! LOL Anyway, I had been chomping at the bit to write a book since high school, but didn’t have anything much to say until that point in my life. I was 23 when I started to write Christus Victor, barely old enough to have enough life experience to write a novel, but I had run into some interesting people during and after college who provided good material.
3. How many books have you written?
Depending upon how you break them out (some of my ebooks have been grouped together for print release), about a dozen; four non-fiction and the rest fiction.
4. How do you decide on the topic of a book?
It’s always a balance between what you feel like writing and what your audience wants to read. It might surprise you to learn the market for a book on how to rebuild an old pipe organ is quite small, while the market for hot romance fiction is much larger. LOL Seriously, though...I got into writing my Soulful Sex series because I posted a couple of erotic stories online and started getting what was basically fan mail for them. When people actually beg you to write more of something, you are pretty motivated to produce it. But that said, within the framework of the genre, I have tried to write about characters and situations that inspire me. I like imaginative fiction--fantasy and science fiction--so I write more of those types of romance tales than I do of contemporary or historical.
5. What works best to keep you focused and on track?
Honestly, I have never had trouble being motivated to write. Barely a day has gone by in my last 40 years of life that I didn’t write something. I need to write like other people need to breathe and eat. Typically while I’m working on my main project, I’m also doing a lot of essay writing and marketing too. I do make a point of always having my next project in mind so that I don’t let the current one linger forever, and I have a timeline that I stick to quite carefully.
6. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
I am fortunate to have a great “day job” that enables me to live quite well. I’m therefore free to write what and when I want, without the pressure of needing to do it for money. I love writing and I adore having readers. There is no greater thrill in the world to me than when my writing works for someone other than myself. That is why it occurred to me to do my current project.
Early in 2007, I had the idea that we now have the technology to make it possible for an author to create a work with input and feedback from readers. I thought, what could be more fun than involving a team of readers and fans in developing and writing a book? So I started the “Soulful Sex Partners Project.” Over 60 people signed up to participate, and it is with their invaluable help that I conceived and wrote my new novel, Bloodchained. This is the first time I’ve had the help and encouragement of readers during the writing process, and it has been an amazing experience. Please visit the Project’s official blog at www.soulfulsex-partners.blogspot.com to learn more.
7. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
With today’s technology there are so many free and inexpensive ways to market your work. I started with a website and promoting myself as much as possible via the key romance sites, in interviews, reviews and essays. I have a newsletter and a blog. I have done chats, spoken at conventions, sent out press releases for web and print media, and done a bit of paid online and print advertising too.
8. What are some unique methods?
My “Soulful Sex Partners Project” is a completely new idea as far as I know. The nice thing about it from a marketing standpoint is that the book has word-of-mouth even before publication, a whole team of people who have taken ownership in the book and have an interest in its success. I also have had a lot of great luck with publishing a group of free ebooks that I sell via the Living Beyond Reality Press READ FREE Project, which introduces my writing to new readers every day. Less successful but certainly unique was my creation of a portrait gallery of all my characters and the production of a set of romance fortune telling cards based upon it.
9. Do you sell through a website?
I have my own Diana Laurence site (www.dianalaurence.com) with buy links that direct readers to online retailers that offer my books. It also directs them to my publishing site Living Beyond Reality Press (www.livingbeyondreality.com). The majority of my sales are via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Powells Books.
10. Do you plan on writing additional books?
Is the Pope Catholic? Yes, of course, and I’m hoping the response to Bloodchained will be strong enough to justify a sequel, because I’d love to write one. So, to anyone reading these words, I hope you’ll click through to www.dianalaurence.com/bloodchained.html and read about this romantic and suspenseful new take on the vampire concept. There are no bats, crypts, or garlic-encrusted crosses in this book, but there is mystery, enthrallment, struggles between good and evil, and sexy blood-drinking. Check out the synopsis, read a sample chapter, and think about reading a book written by an award-winning, critically-acclaimed author with the assistance of a team of 60 enthusiastic readers and fans!
Interview Presented By -
Nikki Leigh - Author of Book Promo 101
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm
"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
While I am best known as the author of the Soulful Sex anthologies of short erotic romance fiction, that is just a recent incarnation of myself as writer. You’ll laugh at the twists and turns of my writing hobby/career, which began when I was about ten years old when I started writing short stories and poetry. I even penned a silly musical puppet play called “Soggy Wheat” that did a tour of my grade school. When I was 13 I got a short story published in ‘Teen magazine (possibly the peak of my career!). In the four decades since then, my writing has included six novels (half for publication), a book of Lenten devotions, an article on how to make your own sports trading cards, and four years’ worth of a weekly ezine called “Hockey Snacks.” Over my byline there have been countless pieces long and short, published and unpublished, on everything from how to rebuild an old pipe organ, to a layman’s guide to Jungian psychology, to my six Soulful Sex anthologies, to my new paranormal romance, Bloodchained. Call me eclectic.
2. What inspired you to write your first book?
My first full-length book was a mainstream novel with religious themes called Christus Victor. It nearly found a publisher in the early 80s. At the time I was very about that ultimate rejection, but in hindsight, I can see the book was pretty awful stuff! LOL Anyway, I had been chomping at the bit to write a book since high school, but didn’t have anything much to say until that point in my life. I was 23 when I started to write Christus Victor, barely old enough to have enough life experience to write a novel, but I had run into some interesting people during and after college who provided good material.
3. How many books have you written?
Depending upon how you break them out (some of my ebooks have been grouped together for print release), about a dozen; four non-fiction and the rest fiction.
4. How do you decide on the topic of a book?
It’s always a balance between what you feel like writing and what your audience wants to read. It might surprise you to learn the market for a book on how to rebuild an old pipe organ is quite small, while the market for hot romance fiction is much larger. LOL Seriously, though...I got into writing my Soulful Sex series because I posted a couple of erotic stories online and started getting what was basically fan mail for them. When people actually beg you to write more of something, you are pretty motivated to produce it. But that said, within the framework of the genre, I have tried to write about characters and situations that inspire me. I like imaginative fiction--fantasy and science fiction--so I write more of those types of romance tales than I do of contemporary or historical.
5. What works best to keep you focused and on track?
Honestly, I have never had trouble being motivated to write. Barely a day has gone by in my last 40 years of life that I didn’t write something. I need to write like other people need to breathe and eat. Typically while I’m working on my main project, I’m also doing a lot of essay writing and marketing too. I do make a point of always having my next project in mind so that I don’t let the current one linger forever, and I have a timeline that I stick to quite carefully.
6. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
I am fortunate to have a great “day job” that enables me to live quite well. I’m therefore free to write what and when I want, without the pressure of needing to do it for money. I love writing and I adore having readers. There is no greater thrill in the world to me than when my writing works for someone other than myself. That is why it occurred to me to do my current project.
Early in 2007, I had the idea that we now have the technology to make it possible for an author to create a work with input and feedback from readers. I thought, what could be more fun than involving a team of readers and fans in developing and writing a book? So I started the “Soulful Sex Partners Project.” Over 60 people signed up to participate, and it is with their invaluable help that I conceived and wrote my new novel, Bloodchained. This is the first time I’ve had the help and encouragement of readers during the writing process, and it has been an amazing experience. Please visit the Project’s official blog at www.soulfulsex-partners.blogspot.com to learn more.
7. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
With today’s technology there are so many free and inexpensive ways to market your work. I started with a website and promoting myself as much as possible via the key romance sites, in interviews, reviews and essays. I have a newsletter and a blog. I have done chats, spoken at conventions, sent out press releases for web and print media, and done a bit of paid online and print advertising too.
8. What are some unique methods?
My “Soulful Sex Partners Project” is a completely new idea as far as I know. The nice thing about it from a marketing standpoint is that the book has word-of-mouth even before publication, a whole team of people who have taken ownership in the book and have an interest in its success. I also have had a lot of great luck with publishing a group of free ebooks that I sell via the Living Beyond Reality Press READ FREE Project, which introduces my writing to new readers every day. Less successful but certainly unique was my creation of a portrait gallery of all my characters and the production of a set of romance fortune telling cards based upon it.
9. Do you sell through a website?
I have my own Diana Laurence site (www.dianalaurence.com) with buy links that direct readers to online retailers that offer my books. It also directs them to my publishing site Living Beyond Reality Press (www.livingbeyondreality.com). The majority of my sales are via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Powells Books.
10. Do you plan on writing additional books?
Is the Pope Catholic? Yes, of course, and I’m hoping the response to Bloodchained will be strong enough to justify a sequel, because I’d love to write one. So, to anyone reading these words, I hope you’ll click through to www.dianalaurence.com/bloodchained.html and read about this romantic and suspenseful new take on the vampire concept. There are no bats, crypts, or garlic-encrusted crosses in this book, but there is mystery, enthrallment, struggles between good and evil, and sexy blood-drinking. Check out the synopsis, read a sample chapter, and think about reading a book written by an award-winning, critically-acclaimed author with the assistance of a team of 60 enthusiastic readers and fans!
Interview Presented By -
Nikki Leigh - Author of Book Promo 101
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm
"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
September Dawn by Carol Whang Schutter
Carole Whang Schutter was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She graduated with a degree in Psychology from the University of Hawaii and is an evangelical Christian. Carole has been a motivational speaker to live audiences, and on TV and radio shows. She now occupies her time writing, skiing and hiking in Aspen. Her enduring interest in religion and passion for history led her to write “September Dawn,” her first screenplay written in collaboration with Director/Producer Christopher Cain which inspired the novel “September Dawn.” Currently, she is working on several screenplays, and a historical novel about her home state Hawaii.
You have been invited to share you experience with our readers.
1. Tell us about yourself - where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)
I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and have always wanted to write. I “wrote” my first story at five and my first novel at thirteen. While in college, I wrote my second novel. It all went up in smoke while I was on my honeymoon. As this was back in the Atone Age before computers, I lost everything. Although I wrote another novel in my late twenties, life, marriage, children, divorce, and remarriage all got in the way. I went through a dry spell and didn't write for at least fifteen years. In the meantime, I led an amazing life. It was a life people dream of having and one people have nightmares about. It also gave me plenty of insight and plenty to write about.
I now live in Aspen where I ski and hike when I'm not writing.
2. What inspired you to write your first book?
The love of writing and a passion for stories.
3. How many books have you written?
If you count the ones that burned up and the ones I shelved, six or seven.
4. How do you decide on their topic?
Inspiration from God.
5. What works best to keep you focused and on track?
Writing late at night, when the phone isn't ringing, people aren't coming to the door. I need to have no distractions.
6. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
For the love of writing.
7. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
Hiring a publicist and a internet marketing expert.
8. What are some unique methods?
I had bookmarks made and while on a cruise to South America, passed them around. I found people wanted to talk about what I did and about my book. With my internet expert, we are working on giving freebies like the bookmarkers to anyone who buys my book. I am including a pdf file ebook of the screenplay which my novel is based on, a pdf file of something called a double blue line one line schedule which is the shooting schedule handed out everyday during the filming of a movie, in this case, September Dawn.
9. Do you sell through a website?
I have a website, http://www.cwschutter.com
10. Do you plan on writing additional books?
Absolutely. “The Ohana,” is a book I'm working on which I wrote thirty years ago and shelved it. Ohana means family in Hawaiian and it is a historical family saga about three immigrant families to Hawaii, Korean, Japanese, and Irish. The Great Depression, World War II, the Vietnam War, and the flower child generation frame the story of how these three families lives intertwine until they find the meaning of family. It is honest look at Hawaii. I hope it exposes the heart and soul of Hawaii without hiding the flaws. One of the side stories is how the “syndicate” which was the Hawaiian mafia, came into being.
I have also optioned another screenplay. It looks like it will go into production next year.
September Dawn -
“I didn’t choose love, it chose me.” Emily Hudson, on September 11, 1857.
Based on one of America’s most horrific, historical events, this is the story of an improbable romance between two nineteen-year-olds from starkly different worlds, Jonathan, the son of a Mormon bishop and Emily, the daughter of a Christian pastor. In a beautiful, pristine valley called Mountain Meadows, surrounded by an atmosphere of fear and hatred, Jonathan, tormented by the execution of his beautiful mother by a lecherous apostle, falls in love with beautiful, spirited Emily. Ordered to spy on the wagon train by his father, Jonathan tames a wild, magnificent black stallion and wins the heart of the girl who has captured his.
The Mountain Meadow massacre was an act so atrocious it was kept shrouded in secrecy for over a hundred years. Mormons, driven by a despotic Brigham Young who thunders chilling messages of Blood Atonement from the pulpit, commit polygamy, murder, and castration in the name of God. But unforgiveness and revenge cannot stop a love so great, it refused to die, or muzzle a story so amazing, it struggled to live. In the end, this is Jonathan’s story. In the midst of the massacre, Jonathan must choose between his brother and his faith, or Emily.
As Jonathan races to save Emily, the reader is left breathless with heart-pounding anticipation as the scope and magnitude of their love amidst the searing fire and ashes of the Mountain Meadow Massacre dramatically, and unforgettably, unfolds.
You have been invited to share you experience with our readers.
1. Tell us about yourself - where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)
I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and have always wanted to write. I “wrote” my first story at five and my first novel at thirteen. While in college, I wrote my second novel. It all went up in smoke while I was on my honeymoon. As this was back in the Atone Age before computers, I lost everything. Although I wrote another novel in my late twenties, life, marriage, children, divorce, and remarriage all got in the way. I went through a dry spell and didn't write for at least fifteen years. In the meantime, I led an amazing life. It was a life people dream of having and one people have nightmares about. It also gave me plenty of insight and plenty to write about.
I now live in Aspen where I ski and hike when I'm not writing.
2. What inspired you to write your first book?
The love of writing and a passion for stories.
3. How many books have you written?
If you count the ones that burned up and the ones I shelved, six or seven.
4. How do you decide on their topic?
Inspiration from God.
5. What works best to keep you focused and on track?
Writing late at night, when the phone isn't ringing, people aren't coming to the door. I need to have no distractions.
6. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
For the love of writing.
7. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
Hiring a publicist and a internet marketing expert.
8. What are some unique methods?
I had bookmarks made and while on a cruise to South America, passed them around. I found people wanted to talk about what I did and about my book. With my internet expert, we are working on giving freebies like the bookmarkers to anyone who buys my book. I am including a pdf file ebook of the screenplay which my novel is based on, a pdf file of something called a double blue line one line schedule which is the shooting schedule handed out everyday during the filming of a movie, in this case, September Dawn.
9. Do you sell through a website?
I have a website, http://www.cwschutter.com
10. Do you plan on writing additional books?
Absolutely. “The Ohana,” is a book I'm working on which I wrote thirty years ago and shelved it. Ohana means family in Hawaiian and it is a historical family saga about three immigrant families to Hawaii, Korean, Japanese, and Irish. The Great Depression, World War II, the Vietnam War, and the flower child generation frame the story of how these three families lives intertwine until they find the meaning of family. It is honest look at Hawaii. I hope it exposes the heart and soul of Hawaii without hiding the flaws. One of the side stories is how the “syndicate” which was the Hawaiian mafia, came into being.
I have also optioned another screenplay. It looks like it will go into production next year.
September Dawn -
“I didn’t choose love, it chose me.” Emily Hudson, on September 11, 1857.
Based on one of America’s most horrific, historical events, this is the story of an improbable romance between two nineteen-year-olds from starkly different worlds, Jonathan, the son of a Mormon bishop and Emily, the daughter of a Christian pastor. In a beautiful, pristine valley called Mountain Meadows, surrounded by an atmosphere of fear and hatred, Jonathan, tormented by the execution of his beautiful mother by a lecherous apostle, falls in love with beautiful, spirited Emily. Ordered to spy on the wagon train by his father, Jonathan tames a wild, magnificent black stallion and wins the heart of the girl who has captured his.
The Mountain Meadow massacre was an act so atrocious it was kept shrouded in secrecy for over a hundred years. Mormons, driven by a despotic Brigham Young who thunders chilling messages of Blood Atonement from the pulpit, commit polygamy, murder, and castration in the name of God. But unforgiveness and revenge cannot stop a love so great, it refused to die, or muzzle a story so amazing, it struggled to live. In the end, this is Jonathan’s story. In the midst of the massacre, Jonathan must choose between his brother and his faith, or Emily.
As Jonathan races to save Emily, the reader is left breathless with heart-pounding anticipation as the scope and magnitude of their love amidst the searing fire and ashes of the Mountain Meadow Massacre dramatically, and unforgettably, unfolds.
Promotional Interview with Billie Williams
Your Name: Billie A Williams
1. Where you are from and where are you now? I’ve lived most of my life on the Michigan- Wisconsin Border with a brief residency in Colorado – the Four Corners Area and I currently live in Northern Wisconsin near the Michigan border again.
2. How did you get started writing? I always loved to read, so I guess it followed naturally that somewhere along the line I’d write the book I couldn’t find, or just that I’d have enough experiences that I thought others might enjoy that something sparked me to write about them. Which is exactly what happened in 1995 when a new friend showed me the book she was writing while I was living out in Bayfield, Colorado it was my signal. It was, if she could I sure could, and why hadn’t I thought to do it sooner? As they say, the rest is history.
3. What do you do when you are not writing? I am an organic gardener in the summer, but I also do all manner of crafts, knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, rug hooking – and to relax I play the piano. I work part time again now so some days I’m at our local café doing dishes, or working in our small grocery store. Meeting people in these ways helps the loneliness and isolation a writer can succumb to in their writer’s cave just writing.
4. What would readers like to know about you? I love to hear from readers. I love to help aspiring writer’s get there wings. I have a bookclub where readers can get to read one chapter a week of a new novel in progress for free. I also have a free 5-week writer’s course both available from my website at http://billiewilliams.com I love what I do and I am open to an online chat, a guest appearance if you are near enough to my home – and any other venue where you would need an author, a writer, a reader to interact.
5. What inspired your first book? It was out in Bayfield Colorado where Death by Candlelight got its start. You might say this is a character driven book because it was a young girl I saw walking from what I guessed to be her apartment above a business place across an over grown field and railroad tracks to the buildings on the other block. I assumed she was going to the grocery store over there. She looked like a waif, a girl in trouble. I asked some ‘what if’ questions of her (in my mind but not in person to her), did a character sketch and began writing her story.
6. How many books have you written? At this time I have more than two dozen in print or as e-books. I have five more under contract to be released next year with half a dozen re-releases expected within the same time frame.
7. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they? Titles: Death by Candlelight, Candlelight and Shadows, Skull Music, The Pink Lady Slipper, Bed and Breakfast Murders, and Small Town Secrets are all Mystery Suspense. Watch For the Raven is a young adult historical adventure, Tung Umolomo, is an adventure/suspense. A Christmas Dream is a 3-Act play. A series of writing books Writing Wide, Exercises in Creative Writing; Characters in Search of an Author; Spice Up Your Writing! Write to Entice; {are currently published} Two Titles in the Works are Mystery, Muse and Manuscript, and Playing With Plays. Fire at Thunder Ridge currently out of print is being shopped around to be republished. I have several books out that the publishers have folded and these books are currently under contract with other publishers to be re-released next year. Those I won’t list here. Feather’s In The Wind, Meanderings Most Museful, are poetry books; Bed and Breakfast Murders Cook Book and Extras and The Golden Kettle Café Cookbook from Small Town Secrets are cookbooks that have recipes and more from the books they are attached to; Adrift is a book of essays, flash fiction and short stories; Magic Carpet Ride is a children’s book; and Wide Spaces is a booklet on writing. Irish Whiskey, Beyond the Shadows, Angeni, Great White Bull, Valentine Express are Romantic Suspense I’ve written under two pseudonyms, Cricket Sawyer and Logan Blue
8. How do you decide on that topic or genre? Actually, the ideas just find me. I could be reading a book, newspaper or magazine and an idea will jump out at me, or I could hear a name and I develop a character in my mind and the story begins. I think the genre decides itself too. I read a lot of mysteries so I suppose I am more apt to write them, but I also read tons of books on the craft of writing so I am drawn to writing them too. I love to try new things so I take courses online or by mail to increase my awareness of other genres I might want to try. I’m dipping my toe in the Romantic suspense genre now, I recently tried writing plays because it fascinated me and I had a book I thought would make a great movie – So I’ve tried my hand at adapting a friends novel to a 3-act play and I’ve begun adapting one of my novels to a screen play. I guess I’m a life time learner and I need to learn and try whatever I can.
9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track? I have a writing schedule and I pretty much stick to it. I have recently decided to adopt a friend’s idea and curtail answering emails to certain days of the week as they can really eat into my writing time. I make a regular daily to do list – and try to write a new chapter a day on my works in progress. I also blog, write articles and work at promoting the books I already have out. So a schedule becomes more and more necessary if I intend to stay on top of things.
10. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing? A little of both. I need to make money in order to stay at home. But if I stay at home without being out in the workforce I’m afraid I’ll become narrow minded and run out of things to write about. So it’s sort of a catch twenty two. I can’t imagine not writing – I love it! But, I need to earn a living too.
11. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used? Marketing – hear a large primal scream here… not something I enjoy doing or am good at. I normally send out postcards to announce a new release, I seek reviews for all my books constantly, visit and join groups that are of similar interest, write reviews for others, write articles and post them where I can as well as on my blogs, Which brings me to blogs as a means of getting my name out there – advertising and promotion. I maintain more than one web site, I manage a writer/reader group called Word Mage and I send a business card, post card in mail leaving my home, or like this past month a calendar planner Every piece of snail mail that leaves my house – that could be bills (the reason I don’t pay some of them on line) letters, Christmas Cards, whatever I send out gets some promo type piece inserted in the envelop. I’ve recently started a book club as mentioned earlier to allow readers to read a chapter a week of my novel in progress, instituted a 5-week writing course both of these are free, and I have two pages of free stuff on my websites so that readers can just grab something that strikes their fancy. I have made video trailers of my books as well as those of other authors and author jewelry makers/artists.
12. What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? I guess the blog or viral tour is new to me, though not necessary unique at this time. I think the bookclub read-a-chapter-a-week is one though Douglas Clegg and Stephen King have done similar things. Video trailers while not new but are pretty unique ways to display your wares so to speak. Joining social groups, marketing groups, and mystery groups on the social networks is quickly gaining popularity places like MySpace, FaceBooks, etc. are good marketing tools. I look for ways to help others, this I think is by far the best return on investment I’ve ever had.
13. Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not? Some of my books I do – with my webstore at http://lulu.com/Billie others like the books from my Wings Publisher it is not feasible though I could supply a link to purchase from my site. Trying to figure out the way to link and hope the page doesn’t change is a challenge I have not undertaken. I guess part of it is not knowing how and the other not having time to mess with it.
14. Where can people order your books? Most of my Mystery Suspense books are available from Wings ePress, Inc http://www.wings-press.com That is probably the best place to start or check out my website for a list with brief summary, prices and locations. http://www.billiewilliams.com
15. What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc? All of the Wings books are available in e-book as PDF, Mobi, HTML and other formats as well as in print. The books from lulu are available in PDF download or print, Others are e-book only. So it really depends on the title the person is looking at. I do not have any audio books at this time.
16. Will you write more books? Absolutely! I cannot help but write more.
17. What do you have in the works now? The Capricorn Goat ~ ~ January Flannel – is the book I’m writing with the bookclub, but I also Tracker another mystery suspense is in the works, then there is a Marketing book, and the next books in the writing series Mystery, Muse and Manuscript, and Playing with Plays. I have been requested to write another adaptation of a novel My Dear Phebe for a friend into a 3-act play for Community Theater also.
18. What does the future hold for you and your books? I hope the New York Times Best Seller list {smile} — Or at least a chance to do some book signings and meet some reader/fans. I would like to increase the number and quality of the books I write. I would like to sell 100,000 copies of one of my books.
19. What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books? I’ve given talks at a couple libraries – one was very well received and I sold quite a few books there. I was a presenter at a writer’s workshop [Obadiah’s Christian Women Writers] which was very well received and I sold many books. I think so far the post card mailings have been the most effective return on investment. I have given away pens, calendar planners, and sold stuff at Café Press, these don’t seem to be as good a venue.
20. What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books? Hired a publicist and then a life coach – still paying those off and it didn’t result in one sale or one new publisher or agent or anything productive that I can put my finger on. A total waste of money that could be the persons I chose rather then saying a publicist or a coach don’t work, because I think they could be very effective if it’s a match.
1. Where you are from and where are you now? I’ve lived most of my life on the Michigan- Wisconsin Border with a brief residency in Colorado – the Four Corners Area and I currently live in Northern Wisconsin near the Michigan border again.
2. How did you get started writing? I always loved to read, so I guess it followed naturally that somewhere along the line I’d write the book I couldn’t find, or just that I’d have enough experiences that I thought others might enjoy that something sparked me to write about them. Which is exactly what happened in 1995 when a new friend showed me the book she was writing while I was living out in Bayfield, Colorado it was my signal. It was, if she could I sure could, and why hadn’t I thought to do it sooner? As they say, the rest is history.
3. What do you do when you are not writing? I am an organic gardener in the summer, but I also do all manner of crafts, knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, rug hooking – and to relax I play the piano. I work part time again now so some days I’m at our local café doing dishes, or working in our small grocery store. Meeting people in these ways helps the loneliness and isolation a writer can succumb to in their writer’s cave just writing.
4. What would readers like to know about you? I love to hear from readers. I love to help aspiring writer’s get there wings. I have a bookclub where readers can get to read one chapter a week of a new novel in progress for free. I also have a free 5-week writer’s course both available from my website at http://billiewilliams.com I love what I do and I am open to an online chat, a guest appearance if you are near enough to my home – and any other venue where you would need an author, a writer, a reader to interact.
5. What inspired your first book? It was out in Bayfield Colorado where Death by Candlelight got its start. You might say this is a character driven book because it was a young girl I saw walking from what I guessed to be her apartment above a business place across an over grown field and railroad tracks to the buildings on the other block. I assumed she was going to the grocery store over there. She looked like a waif, a girl in trouble. I asked some ‘what if’ questions of her (in my mind but not in person to her), did a character sketch and began writing her story.
6. How many books have you written? At this time I have more than two dozen in print or as e-books. I have five more under contract to be released next year with half a dozen re-releases expected within the same time frame.
7. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they? Titles: Death by Candlelight, Candlelight and Shadows, Skull Music, The Pink Lady Slipper, Bed and Breakfast Murders, and Small Town Secrets are all Mystery Suspense. Watch For the Raven is a young adult historical adventure, Tung Umolomo, is an adventure/suspense. A Christmas Dream is a 3-Act play. A series of writing books Writing Wide, Exercises in Creative Writing; Characters in Search of an Author; Spice Up Your Writing! Write to Entice; {are currently published} Two Titles in the Works are Mystery, Muse and Manuscript, and Playing With Plays. Fire at Thunder Ridge currently out of print is being shopped around to be republished. I have several books out that the publishers have folded and these books are currently under contract with other publishers to be re-released next year. Those I won’t list here. Feather’s In The Wind, Meanderings Most Museful, are poetry books; Bed and Breakfast Murders Cook Book and Extras and The Golden Kettle Café Cookbook from Small Town Secrets are cookbooks that have recipes and more from the books they are attached to; Adrift is a book of essays, flash fiction and short stories; Magic Carpet Ride is a children’s book; and Wide Spaces is a booklet on writing. Irish Whiskey, Beyond the Shadows, Angeni, Great White Bull, Valentine Express are Romantic Suspense I’ve written under two pseudonyms, Cricket Sawyer and Logan Blue
8. How do you decide on that topic or genre? Actually, the ideas just find me. I could be reading a book, newspaper or magazine and an idea will jump out at me, or I could hear a name and I develop a character in my mind and the story begins. I think the genre decides itself too. I read a lot of mysteries so I suppose I am more apt to write them, but I also read tons of books on the craft of writing so I am drawn to writing them too. I love to try new things so I take courses online or by mail to increase my awareness of other genres I might want to try. I’m dipping my toe in the Romantic suspense genre now, I recently tried writing plays because it fascinated me and I had a book I thought would make a great movie – So I’ve tried my hand at adapting a friends novel to a 3-act play and I’ve begun adapting one of my novels to a screen play. I guess I’m a life time learner and I need to learn and try whatever I can.
9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track? I have a writing schedule and I pretty much stick to it. I have recently decided to adopt a friend’s idea and curtail answering emails to certain days of the week as they can really eat into my writing time. I make a regular daily to do list – and try to write a new chapter a day on my works in progress. I also blog, write articles and work at promoting the books I already have out. So a schedule becomes more and more necessary if I intend to stay on top of things.
10. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing? A little of both. I need to make money in order to stay at home. But if I stay at home without being out in the workforce I’m afraid I’ll become narrow minded and run out of things to write about. So it’s sort of a catch twenty two. I can’t imagine not writing – I love it! But, I need to earn a living too.
11. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used? Marketing – hear a large primal scream here… not something I enjoy doing or am good at. I normally send out postcards to announce a new release, I seek reviews for all my books constantly, visit and join groups that are of similar interest, write reviews for others, write articles and post them where I can as well as on my blogs, Which brings me to blogs as a means of getting my name out there – advertising and promotion. I maintain more than one web site, I manage a writer/reader group called Word Mage and I send a business card, post card in mail leaving my home, or like this past month a calendar planner Every piece of snail mail that leaves my house – that could be bills (the reason I don’t pay some of them on line) letters, Christmas Cards, whatever I send out gets some promo type piece inserted in the envelop. I’ve recently started a book club as mentioned earlier to allow readers to read a chapter a week of my novel in progress, instituted a 5-week writing course both of these are free, and I have two pages of free stuff on my websites so that readers can just grab something that strikes their fancy. I have made video trailers of my books as well as those of other authors and author jewelry makers/artists.
12. What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? I guess the blog or viral tour is new to me, though not necessary unique at this time. I think the bookclub read-a-chapter-a-week is one though Douglas Clegg and Stephen King have done similar things. Video trailers while not new but are pretty unique ways to display your wares so to speak. Joining social groups, marketing groups, and mystery groups on the social networks is quickly gaining popularity places like MySpace, FaceBooks, etc. are good marketing tools. I look for ways to help others, this I think is by far the best return on investment I’ve ever had.
13. Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not? Some of my books I do – with my webstore at http://lulu.com/Billie others like the books from my Wings Publisher it is not feasible though I could supply a link to purchase from my site. Trying to figure out the way to link and hope the page doesn’t change is a challenge I have not undertaken. I guess part of it is not knowing how and the other not having time to mess with it.
14. Where can people order your books? Most of my Mystery Suspense books are available from Wings ePress, Inc http://www.wings-press.com That is probably the best place to start or check out my website for a list with brief summary, prices and locations. http://www.billiewilliams.com
15. What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc? All of the Wings books are available in e-book as PDF, Mobi, HTML and other formats as well as in print. The books from lulu are available in PDF download or print, Others are e-book only. So it really depends on the title the person is looking at. I do not have any audio books at this time.
16. Will you write more books? Absolutely! I cannot help but write more.
17. What do you have in the works now? The Capricorn Goat ~ ~ January Flannel – is the book I’m writing with the bookclub, but I also Tracker another mystery suspense is in the works, then there is a Marketing book, and the next books in the writing series Mystery, Muse and Manuscript, and Playing with Plays. I have been requested to write another adaptation of a novel My Dear Phebe for a friend into a 3-act play for Community Theater also.
18. What does the future hold for you and your books? I hope the New York Times Best Seller list {smile} — Or at least a chance to do some book signings and meet some reader/fans. I would like to increase the number and quality of the books I write. I would like to sell 100,000 copies of one of my books.
19. What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books? I’ve given talks at a couple libraries – one was very well received and I sold quite a few books there. I was a presenter at a writer’s workshop [Obadiah’s Christian Women Writers] which was very well received and I sold many books. I think so far the post card mailings have been the most effective return on investment. I have given away pens, calendar planners, and sold stuff at Café Press, these don’t seem to be as good a venue.
20. What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books? Hired a publicist and then a life coach – still paying those off and it didn’t result in one sale or one new publisher or agent or anything productive that I can put my finger on. A total waste of money that could be the persons I chose rather then saying a publicist or a coach don’t work, because I think they could be very effective if it’s a match.
Promotional Interview with Amanda Young
Your Name: Amanda Young
1. Where you are from and where are you now?
I was born in Atlanta, Georgia. I now live in Las Vegas, Nevada and plan to move to Florida in near future.
2. How did you get started writing? It began with a dream. Literally. I kept dreaming of a little girl that looked very weak and sick. I finally got an envelope and began writing down the dream hoping that it would help me understand what it meant. I have worked for years as a hospice nurse and even thought she may one day be a patient. I was confused really. That was in 2000 and the title of the book now is ‘Megan’s Unicorn.” It is a story of a little girl named Megan who has leukemia. It is of how a dysfunctional family finds out that a little girl’s faith is the thing that can not only save her life but teach her family to learn to love. But one dies and this helps save another. I am proud of the story. It is in second print through Booksurge.com.
3. What do you do when you are not writing? I enjoy nature. Anything outside. I appreciate nature nowadays. Before I use to try and find ways to rush through nature. Speed along on a bike or run or climb over steep terrain. Now, I like to sit and absorb the beauty of nature. Just appreciate it. I realize now that when I was racing through on my bike I did not see the beauty.
4. What would readers like to know about you? I think that they would like to know that I like myself these days. I do not know if it is because of all of the drafts of writing ‘Silent Prisoner’ which is my story. It is of my life and of surviving childhood abuse and being a survivor of domestic violence. I never thought it was possible to say those words and really mean it but I do like me. And that is such a good feeling!
5. What inspired your first book? As I said, it was a dream I kept having of a little girl that I later called Megan. The name means mighty one. I fought for a long time with the idea that I could put words on paper and turn them into a book. But something inside of me or outside of me believed I could.
6. How many books have you written? I have another one out in January or February at the latest and that will be my fifth. All are with Booksurge.com.
7. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they? Silent Prisoner is true story as I said of my life. ‘Megan’s Unicorn’ is fictional. Tessa Travels to the Great Nature God is fictional, fairy tale for adolescent to older. Tessa Meets the Tree Trunk Children is fictional, fairy tale for adolescent to older. And out in month or two is Life’s
Journey Home is fictional, fantasy for adolescent to adults.
8. How do you decide on that topic or genre? For ‘Silent Prisoner’ which is one I am promoting is easy. It is a non-fictional and autobiography and is of my life and my journey.
9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track? It is hard. Life wants to distract. I have found that writing is the one thing I have done that needs a dedicated and serious focus. Nursing did also but not to the degree writing does or at least for me. I completely understand now when I had seen in movies of writers going off into the deep forest to be far away from civilization to write and find inspiration. I have fantasies these days of being in a log cabin and no phone, no neighbors and no noise. No distractions.
10. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing? Well, I hope that my newly found love for writing will turn into money. But who knows.
11. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used? I have gone onto the internet and gotten address of places that deal with domestic violence. I have sent books with a press release to them. Booksurge.com has some great tools for authors. I have a press kit which includes bookmarks, postcards and had them do a press release. They do great work. I tell others of my book. I feel good about the book, more and more. It took some getting use to I have to be honest. It is of my life and my traumas. I cried a lot and did not think I would be able to go through with putting my story out there to be honest. That is what victims of abuse want to do. Pretend it did not happen. I did not want that for others. Someone said to me that there are many ways to nurse a sick and wounded soul and you did it by sharing your story. I liked that comment. Word of mouth I hope will work for my story too.
12. What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? I sent my book to a state representative with a letter. I have not heard from him or his staff. I saw on a web sight that he was for laws to help further help victims of abuse. I sent to a senator my book. And I sent to a prison warden. Of a girl prison. Nothing back from them either. The books did not come back and so have to believe they made it there. To someone.
13. Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not? I have been asking around and want to do website.
14. Where can people order your books? Amazon.com and Booksurge.com
15. What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc? Print
16. Will you write more books? I don’t know. Maybe.
17. What do you have in the works now? As I said, ‘Life’s Journey Home’ should be in print end of Jan. 2008 or Feb.
18. What does the future hold for you and your books? I hope that they will be well known as I believe in the messages they give. I do not know. Does anyone ever know when they write a
book what will happen?
19. What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books? I have yet to find that out. I like working with Pump Up Your Book Promotion and have been very pleased with them. I could not have found the places they have me on. I am thankful they sent me an e-mail and I responded.
20. What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books? I am not sure. I have found that in life when you think someone did not hear you or they did not like what you said. That is sometimes the person that told someone else they did not like you or your story and that person they told was the one that was suppose to get the message. So, you just never know how the message gets past on to the right person. Life is a mystery to me that I am finding out more and more to be intriguing and a joy to try and understand.
Silent Prisoner synopsis: Silent Prisoner is based on a true story of how one woman, through faith, survived childhood abuse, and later, domestic violence. April follows life’s road as best she can without the benefit of having parents or siblings along the way. On this road of life she encounters a loving aunt, a spiritual mentor, a proper grandmother, and a stoic therapist. Even though these people are only in her life for a brief time, they have planted the seed within her that will sprout forth an inner strength and faith in God and the Angels.
Amanda Young is a registered nurse with a degree in Homeopathy from the British Institute of Homeopathy. Abused by her alcoholic parents and later the victim of domestic violence, Amanda credits the special people in her life and faith in God and the Angels for helping her overcome being a victim and allowing her to thrive. She wrote “Silent Prisoner” in the hope that sharing her story will help those who are silent and suffering to have the courage to find help.
This interview was done in conjunction with Nikki Leigh. For more information, visit – www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm.
1. Where you are from and where are you now?
I was born in Atlanta, Georgia. I now live in Las Vegas, Nevada and plan to move to Florida in near future.
2. How did you get started writing? It began with a dream. Literally. I kept dreaming of a little girl that looked very weak and sick. I finally got an envelope and began writing down the dream hoping that it would help me understand what it meant. I have worked for years as a hospice nurse and even thought she may one day be a patient. I was confused really. That was in 2000 and the title of the book now is ‘Megan’s Unicorn.” It is a story of a little girl named Megan who has leukemia. It is of how a dysfunctional family finds out that a little girl’s faith is the thing that can not only save her life but teach her family to learn to love. But one dies and this helps save another. I am proud of the story. It is in second print through Booksurge.com.
3. What do you do when you are not writing? I enjoy nature. Anything outside. I appreciate nature nowadays. Before I use to try and find ways to rush through nature. Speed along on a bike or run or climb over steep terrain. Now, I like to sit and absorb the beauty of nature. Just appreciate it. I realize now that when I was racing through on my bike I did not see the beauty.
4. What would readers like to know about you? I think that they would like to know that I like myself these days. I do not know if it is because of all of the drafts of writing ‘Silent Prisoner’ which is my story. It is of my life and of surviving childhood abuse and being a survivor of domestic violence. I never thought it was possible to say those words and really mean it but I do like me. And that is such a good feeling!
5. What inspired your first book? As I said, it was a dream I kept having of a little girl that I later called Megan. The name means mighty one. I fought for a long time with the idea that I could put words on paper and turn them into a book. But something inside of me or outside of me believed I could.
6. How many books have you written? I have another one out in January or February at the latest and that will be my fifth. All are with Booksurge.com.
7. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they? Silent Prisoner is true story as I said of my life. ‘Megan’s Unicorn’ is fictional. Tessa Travels to the Great Nature God is fictional, fairy tale for adolescent to older. Tessa Meets the Tree Trunk Children is fictional, fairy tale for adolescent to older. And out in month or two is Life’s
Journey Home is fictional, fantasy for adolescent to adults.
8. How do you decide on that topic or genre? For ‘Silent Prisoner’ which is one I am promoting is easy. It is a non-fictional and autobiography and is of my life and my journey.
9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track? It is hard. Life wants to distract. I have found that writing is the one thing I have done that needs a dedicated and serious focus. Nursing did also but not to the degree writing does or at least for me. I completely understand now when I had seen in movies of writers going off into the deep forest to be far away from civilization to write and find inspiration. I have fantasies these days of being in a log cabin and no phone, no neighbors and no noise. No distractions.
10. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing? Well, I hope that my newly found love for writing will turn into money. But who knows.
11. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used? I have gone onto the internet and gotten address of places that deal with domestic violence. I have sent books with a press release to them. Booksurge.com has some great tools for authors. I have a press kit which includes bookmarks, postcards and had them do a press release. They do great work. I tell others of my book. I feel good about the book, more and more. It took some getting use to I have to be honest. It is of my life and my traumas. I cried a lot and did not think I would be able to go through with putting my story out there to be honest. That is what victims of abuse want to do. Pretend it did not happen. I did not want that for others. Someone said to me that there are many ways to nurse a sick and wounded soul and you did it by sharing your story. I liked that comment. Word of mouth I hope will work for my story too.
12. What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? I sent my book to a state representative with a letter. I have not heard from him or his staff. I saw on a web sight that he was for laws to help further help victims of abuse. I sent to a senator my book. And I sent to a prison warden. Of a girl prison. Nothing back from them either. The books did not come back and so have to believe they made it there. To someone.
13. Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not? I have been asking around and want to do website.
14. Where can people order your books? Amazon.com and Booksurge.com
15. What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc? Print
16. Will you write more books? I don’t know. Maybe.
17. What do you have in the works now? As I said, ‘Life’s Journey Home’ should be in print end of Jan. 2008 or Feb.
18. What does the future hold for you and your books? I hope that they will be well known as I believe in the messages they give. I do not know. Does anyone ever know when they write a
book what will happen?
19. What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books? I have yet to find that out. I like working with Pump Up Your Book Promotion and have been very pleased with them. I could not have found the places they have me on. I am thankful they sent me an e-mail and I responded.
20. What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books? I am not sure. I have found that in life when you think someone did not hear you or they did not like what you said. That is sometimes the person that told someone else they did not like you or your story and that person they told was the one that was suppose to get the message. So, you just never know how the message gets past on to the right person. Life is a mystery to me that I am finding out more and more to be intriguing and a joy to try and understand.
Silent Prisoner synopsis: Silent Prisoner is based on a true story of how one woman, through faith, survived childhood abuse, and later, domestic violence. April follows life’s road as best she can without the benefit of having parents or siblings along the way. On this road of life she encounters a loving aunt, a spiritual mentor, a proper grandmother, and a stoic therapist. Even though these people are only in her life for a brief time, they have planted the seed within her that will sprout forth an inner strength and faith in God and the Angels.
Amanda Young is a registered nurse with a degree in Homeopathy from the British Institute of Homeopathy. Abused by her alcoholic parents and later the victim of domestic violence, Amanda credits the special people in her life and faith in God and the Angels for helping her overcome being a victim and allowing her to thrive. She wrote “Silent Prisoner” in the hope that sharing her story will help those who are silent and suffering to have the courage to find help.
This interview was done in conjunction with Nikki Leigh. For more information, visit – www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm.
Promotional Interview with Yvonne Perry
You have been invited to share you experience with our readers.
Name: Yvonne Perry
Tell us about yourself – where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)
I was raised in Norcross, a Northeast suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. A whole new world opened up for me when I learned to read and write, and I remember my first grade teacher having me show my interpretive expression to the entire class when she caught me privately mimicking the gesture Jane was making in our Dick and Jane readers. I was so involved in the story, I had become the character!
In high school, I had a creative writing teacher named Miss Hallford, who consistently told me that I had a gift for writing. Even though I burned my right hand in a grease fire during my senior year, I made an A in her class by writing my assignments with my left hand. Writing was therapy for me then, and I still carry her encouragement with me 30 years later.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I was going through a difficult time in my life and used my writing as an outlet for release. I hid my pain and frustration with humor as I shared my predicament via daily emails to the friends I had left behind in other states. They kept telling me I should write a book using these stories about raising teenagers, going through divorce and nearly caving in during mid-life crisis. So, I did. I gathered all the emails into a file and started compiling Email Episodes, my first book self-published in 2004.
How many books have you written?
I have personally written or co-authored four non-fiction books and twelve children’s books. I’ve doctored (rewritten, ghosted or performed substantial editing) eight books, and I’ve edited/proofread two more.
How do you decide on their topic?
If it is a client’s book, the topic is already chosen. If it is my own book, I go with an inspired idea and work it into my schedule around client projects.
What works best to keep you focused and on track?
I am extremely self-directed and self-motivated. I am able to multi-task and accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. My problem is, I am so driven I have to make myself take a break
Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
Both. I love what I do, but I also get paid for writing and editing books, articles, newsletter, brochure and Web site text.
What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
Media releases, radio shows, and book reviews to major reviewers. I’ve also hired a book publicist to arrange local book tours and speaking engagements.
What are some unique methods?
Networking groups, newsletters, virtual book tours, book trailer, article marketing and blogging.
Do you sell through a website?
Yes, www.right2recover.com and www.yvonneperry.net/books.htm
Do you plan on writing additional books?
Yes, for clients. I plan to focus on marketing RIGHT TO RECOVER Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America before I write any more titles using my own name.
Interview Presented By -
Nikki Leigh - Author
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm
"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
Name: Yvonne Perry
Tell us about yourself – where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)
I was raised in Norcross, a Northeast suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. A whole new world opened up for me when I learned to read and write, and I remember my first grade teacher having me show my interpretive expression to the entire class when she caught me privately mimicking the gesture Jane was making in our Dick and Jane readers. I was so involved in the story, I had become the character!
In high school, I had a creative writing teacher named Miss Hallford, who consistently told me that I had a gift for writing. Even though I burned my right hand in a grease fire during my senior year, I made an A in her class by writing my assignments with my left hand. Writing was therapy for me then, and I still carry her encouragement with me 30 years later.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I was going through a difficult time in my life and used my writing as an outlet for release. I hid my pain and frustration with humor as I shared my predicament via daily emails to the friends I had left behind in other states. They kept telling me I should write a book using these stories about raising teenagers, going through divorce and nearly caving in during mid-life crisis. So, I did. I gathered all the emails into a file and started compiling Email Episodes, my first book self-published in 2004.
How many books have you written?
I have personally written or co-authored four non-fiction books and twelve children’s books. I’ve doctored (rewritten, ghosted or performed substantial editing) eight books, and I’ve edited/proofread two more.
How do you decide on their topic?
If it is a client’s book, the topic is already chosen. If it is my own book, I go with an inspired idea and work it into my schedule around client projects.
What works best to keep you focused and on track?
I am extremely self-directed and self-motivated. I am able to multi-task and accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. My problem is, I am so driven I have to make myself take a break
Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
Both. I love what I do, but I also get paid for writing and editing books, articles, newsletter, brochure and Web site text.
What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
Media releases, radio shows, and book reviews to major reviewers. I’ve also hired a book publicist to arrange local book tours and speaking engagements.
What are some unique methods?
Networking groups, newsletters, virtual book tours, book trailer, article marketing and blogging.
Do you sell through a website?
Yes, www.right2recover.com and www.yvonneperry.net/books.htm
Do you plan on writing additional books?
Yes, for clients. I plan to focus on marketing RIGHT TO RECOVER Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America before I write any more titles using my own name.
Interview Presented By -
Nikki Leigh - Author
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm
"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
Promotional Interview with Maureen Fisher
You have been invited to share you experience with our readers.
Name: Maureen Fisher
Tell us about yourself - where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)
Born in Scotland, and dragged to Canada by well-meaning parents at the tender age of seven, I survived childhood and adolescence by immersing myself in books. Thirteen years later and a University of Toronto graduate, I convinced the federal government to hire a Fine Arts specialist as a computer programmer. Three years later, I graduated again, this time to full-time homemaker and mom, raising two wonderful sons. Plunging back into the business world, my second husband and I started a small but thriving management consulting company. This marriage survived because we pledged never to work on the same project again. Ever.
After a century in the consulting world, I grew weary of wearing snappy power suits, squeezing into panty hose, and fighting rush hour traffic. I still didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I was certain of one thing -- it wasn't a consultant. I made a life-changing decision, ignored advice to the contrary and quit my day job, and attended a 5-day seminar entitled How to Write a Novel. How hard could it be? Look at the bookshelves. Thousands of authors pulled it off every year, some of them more than once.
Between as much travel as we can squeeze in, my husband and I live in Ottawa where I volunteer for an addiction family program, play bridge, and slave over a computer to improve my writing skills.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My Inner Voice was hollering at me for decades, trying in vain to get my attention. I have a knack for denial.
It's like this. When I was in grade seven, I stood up in front of my long-suffering classmates, heart hammering in my skinny chest, and droned out my first public speaking assignment--a memorized essay I had compiled about dinosaurs. I covered the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous waterfronts. At least ten of my classmates dozed off and one appeared to fall into a full-fledged coma, alarming Mr. Hughes, my teacher. Indeed, my performance was so pitiful, he must have felt sorry for me, because he gave me another chance. “You have until Monday morning to redeem yourself, young lady,” he intoned.
That gave me exactly three days to pull together a brilliant speech.
Being a staunch advocate of pain avoidance and a coward to boot, I turned the problem over to my mother, knowing full well she would jump to my rescue. She rose to the occasion and spent the weekend writing a delightfully funny story entitled, “On Housebreaking a Puppy.” On Monday at 10:00 a.m., I delivered a brilliant essay that knocked the socks off my delighted classmates and a relieved Mr. Hughes. Nobody fell asleep this time. My classmates thought I had developed a sense of humor over the weekend, and my mother and I received an 'A' for our efforts. After that, I figured, why mess with success? My mother wrote another couple of polished pieces brimming with adult humor to round out my primary school writing career in style, and I slunk into high school with high marks and low self esteem. Feeling like a total fraud, I made no attempt to write another creative word outside of essays and technical reports for several decades.
Fast forward many years. In June 2003, a good friend and primo energy healer (she refers to herself as a 'soul healer') called up our spiritual guides, guardians, and gatekeepers to channel an unforgettable session during which I made a life-changing decision. I walked out of her house knowing I would write books. Not dry, boring, technical treatises or management reports, but fresh, funny romantic suspense novels.
How many books have you written?
The Jaguar Legacy is my first book. I am currently in the middle of my second, a romantic suspense with comic elements called Fur Ball Fever.
How do you decide on their topic?
Wow, that's a tough one. With me, each book is different.
My first book, The Jaguar Legacy, is a paranormal romantic suspense that gives voice to my belief in reincarnation. Triggered by the energy of the archaeological dig, my heroine makes the unnerving discovery that in her past life, she had been an Olmec High Priestess, trained to kill at an early age, and thirsting for power. Over the last few months, it occurred to me that perhaps the past life I wrote about was one of my own. Certainly, it was the part of the book that flowed most easily, the only part that required little or no editing.
A newspaper article about a hoity-toity charity extravaganza called The Fur Ball provided the kernel of the idea for my second book, Fur Ball Fever. What could be more fun than a romantic suspense set against a wacky backdrop of animal politics -- a Best in Show (with hot sex) meets the Stephanie Plum Series? I wanted something funny, something outrageous, something zany. I zeroed in on a pet-napping gone terribly wrong (yes, there is a murder). Throw in two former flames as private investigators and reluctant allies, an aging flower child auntie, a phony televangelist, a missing trophy wife, several drag queens, a dominatrix or two, the swinging scene, an underworld of fetishism and bondage, and the result is a zany roller-coaster ride of murder and mayhem, culminating in a Fur Ball extravaganza the locals will never forget.
What works best to keep you focused and on track?
I am a pretty disciplined person, and do my best writing in the morning. I try my best not to schedule any appointments during that time. Whenever life creeps in and I fall off my self-imposed writing schedule, my husband usually steps in and reminds me of my priorities. He even helps me re-shuffle some of his responsibilities and shoulders some of my load.
When I need support, again, the first person I turn to is my husband. He has read every word of my book several times, and has absorbed the tough lessons I learned during the critique and rejection process. Now, not only does he act as my consultant on all manly matters, he, too, can recognize a weak hook, a POV error, motivation that lacks credibility, an opportunity for more humor. In addition, I have a strong support group with several critique partners to keep me focused and on track. Also, I'm a member of the Ottawa RWA, and I attend at least two conferences a year.
Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
I guess the answer has to be love of writing. No one in their right mind would ever become a writer with the express goal of making tons of money. However, I wouldn't turn down nice, healthy royalty checks and adulation from millions of devout fans.
What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
The first thing I did was hire a publicist who knows the business inside out -- something this first-time author did not. If you can afford one, I highly recommend it. She sent my book to several sites for reviews (some free, some for a fee), set up book signings, organized a book tour for several of her authors, hauled me in front of a television camera for an interview about romance writing, arranged for online interviews, and generally holds my hand to guide me through the maze of promotion options. She also has a contact in the film industry, so I am keeping my fingers crossed on that one.
At the same time, I hired a specialist to design and build a website, joined a couple of chat groups, established a presence on www.MySpace.com, and had business cards, bookmarks, posters, and brochures printed up. I am currently participating in a Virtual Book Tour (this interview is one of several in the tour), placed an advertisement in Romantic Times, and contacted the local columnist who wrote a little blurb about my book.
What are some unique methods?
At the New England RWA conference, I dressed as a jaguar for the Saturday night masquerade. I wore a flashy jaguar-print outfit, furry ears, painted my nose black, and drew whiskers on my face with eye liner.
Do you sell through a website?
My website at www.booksbymaureen.com provides links to Amazon in Canada, the US, and Britain.
Do you plan on writing additional books?
Absolutely. I plan to alternate my Condo Capers Series (Fur Ball Fever is the open salvo in this line of comic romantic suspense) with paranormal romantic suspense. I have several good ideas for both.
Interview Presented by -
Nikki Leigh - http://www.nikkileigh.com
Author of the Book Promo 101 Series
Name: Maureen Fisher
Tell us about yourself - where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)
Born in Scotland, and dragged to Canada by well-meaning parents at the tender age of seven, I survived childhood and adolescence by immersing myself in books. Thirteen years later and a University of Toronto graduate, I convinced the federal government to hire a Fine Arts specialist as a computer programmer. Three years later, I graduated again, this time to full-time homemaker and mom, raising two wonderful sons. Plunging back into the business world, my second husband and I started a small but thriving management consulting company. This marriage survived because we pledged never to work on the same project again. Ever.
After a century in the consulting world, I grew weary of wearing snappy power suits, squeezing into panty hose, and fighting rush hour traffic. I still didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I was certain of one thing -- it wasn't a consultant. I made a life-changing decision, ignored advice to the contrary and quit my day job, and attended a 5-day seminar entitled How to Write a Novel. How hard could it be? Look at the bookshelves. Thousands of authors pulled it off every year, some of them more than once.
Between as much travel as we can squeeze in, my husband and I live in Ottawa where I volunteer for an addiction family program, play bridge, and slave over a computer to improve my writing skills.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My Inner Voice was hollering at me for decades, trying in vain to get my attention. I have a knack for denial.
It's like this. When I was in grade seven, I stood up in front of my long-suffering classmates, heart hammering in my skinny chest, and droned out my first public speaking assignment--a memorized essay I had compiled about dinosaurs. I covered the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous waterfronts. At least ten of my classmates dozed off and one appeared to fall into a full-fledged coma, alarming Mr. Hughes, my teacher. Indeed, my performance was so pitiful, he must have felt sorry for me, because he gave me another chance. “You have until Monday morning to redeem yourself, young lady,” he intoned.
That gave me exactly three days to pull together a brilliant speech.
Being a staunch advocate of pain avoidance and a coward to boot, I turned the problem over to my mother, knowing full well she would jump to my rescue. She rose to the occasion and spent the weekend writing a delightfully funny story entitled, “On Housebreaking a Puppy.” On Monday at 10:00 a.m., I delivered a brilliant essay that knocked the socks off my delighted classmates and a relieved Mr. Hughes. Nobody fell asleep this time. My classmates thought I had developed a sense of humor over the weekend, and my mother and I received an 'A' for our efforts. After that, I figured, why mess with success? My mother wrote another couple of polished pieces brimming with adult humor to round out my primary school writing career in style, and I slunk into high school with high marks and low self esteem. Feeling like a total fraud, I made no attempt to write another creative word outside of essays and technical reports for several decades.
Fast forward many years. In June 2003, a good friend and primo energy healer (she refers to herself as a 'soul healer') called up our spiritual guides, guardians, and gatekeepers to channel an unforgettable session during which I made a life-changing decision. I walked out of her house knowing I would write books. Not dry, boring, technical treatises or management reports, but fresh, funny romantic suspense novels.
How many books have you written?
The Jaguar Legacy is my first book. I am currently in the middle of my second, a romantic suspense with comic elements called Fur Ball Fever.
How do you decide on their topic?
Wow, that's a tough one. With me, each book is different.
My first book, The Jaguar Legacy, is a paranormal romantic suspense that gives voice to my belief in reincarnation. Triggered by the energy of the archaeological dig, my heroine makes the unnerving discovery that in her past life, she had been an Olmec High Priestess, trained to kill at an early age, and thirsting for power. Over the last few months, it occurred to me that perhaps the past life I wrote about was one of my own. Certainly, it was the part of the book that flowed most easily, the only part that required little or no editing.
A newspaper article about a hoity-toity charity extravaganza called The Fur Ball provided the kernel of the idea for my second book, Fur Ball Fever. What could be more fun than a romantic suspense set against a wacky backdrop of animal politics -- a Best in Show (with hot sex) meets the Stephanie Plum Series? I wanted something funny, something outrageous, something zany. I zeroed in on a pet-napping gone terribly wrong (yes, there is a murder). Throw in two former flames as private investigators and reluctant allies, an aging flower child auntie, a phony televangelist, a missing trophy wife, several drag queens, a dominatrix or two, the swinging scene, an underworld of fetishism and bondage, and the result is a zany roller-coaster ride of murder and mayhem, culminating in a Fur Ball extravaganza the locals will never forget.
What works best to keep you focused and on track?
I am a pretty disciplined person, and do my best writing in the morning. I try my best not to schedule any appointments during that time. Whenever life creeps in and I fall off my self-imposed writing schedule, my husband usually steps in and reminds me of my priorities. He even helps me re-shuffle some of his responsibilities and shoulders some of my load.
When I need support, again, the first person I turn to is my husband. He has read every word of my book several times, and has absorbed the tough lessons I learned during the critique and rejection process. Now, not only does he act as my consultant on all manly matters, he, too, can recognize a weak hook, a POV error, motivation that lacks credibility, an opportunity for more humor. In addition, I have a strong support group with several critique partners to keep me focused and on track. Also, I'm a member of the Ottawa RWA, and I attend at least two conferences a year.
Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
I guess the answer has to be love of writing. No one in their right mind would ever become a writer with the express goal of making tons of money. However, I wouldn't turn down nice, healthy royalty checks and adulation from millions of devout fans.
What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?
The first thing I did was hire a publicist who knows the business inside out -- something this first-time author did not. If you can afford one, I highly recommend it. She sent my book to several sites for reviews (some free, some for a fee), set up book signings, organized a book tour for several of her authors, hauled me in front of a television camera for an interview about romance writing, arranged for online interviews, and generally holds my hand to guide me through the maze of promotion options. She also has a contact in the film industry, so I am keeping my fingers crossed on that one.
At the same time, I hired a specialist to design and build a website, joined a couple of chat groups, established a presence on www.MySpace.com, and had business cards, bookmarks, posters, and brochures printed up. I am currently participating in a Virtual Book Tour (this interview is one of several in the tour), placed an advertisement in Romantic Times, and contacted the local columnist who wrote a little blurb about my book.
What are some unique methods?
At the New England RWA conference, I dressed as a jaguar for the Saturday night masquerade. I wore a flashy jaguar-print outfit, furry ears, painted my nose black, and drew whiskers on my face with eye liner.
Do you sell through a website?
My website at www.booksbymaureen.com provides links to Amazon in Canada, the US, and Britain.
Do you plan on writing additional books?
Absolutely. I plan to alternate my Condo Capers Series (Fur Ball Fever is the open salvo in this line of comic romantic suspense) with paranormal romantic suspense. I have several good ideas for both.
Interview Presented by -
Nikki Leigh - http://www.nikkileigh.com
Author of the Book Promo 101 Series
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