Dirty Dozen Author Interview – Chris Patchell #Suspense

Author name: Chris Patchell

Please tell us about your publications/work.

I started writing again after a long hiatus. Work. Kids. Life. You know. And when I picked up the proverbial pen once again, I started thinking about what kind of stories I wanted to write. Way back when, I used to write romances, but twenty years later, I realized that I liked to read suspense thrillers. I love the high-stakes, fast-paced stories that keep you up way past bedtime because you just need to know what happens next. So that’s what I write. Suspense stories that run the gamut from psychological suspense to smalltown crime thrillers. Most of my stories are set in the Pacific Northwest, where I currently live.

How did you become involved with bundles? (For Bundle Authors)

It was Fiona Quinn who first involved me in the wonderful world of author bundles. I had met Fiona back in 2015 when both of us had books published through Amazon’s Kindle Scout Program. Fiona introduced me to another one of her author friends, Judith Lucci, and through the two of them, I made other author connections that have seen my work published in a variety of bundles. It’s been a fabulous way to both grow my author network and meet some amazing readers.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your publishing journey?

Don’t worry about the progress you’re making or not making toward whatever your goals are. Just keep going. Keep writing. Focus on bettering your craft. Don’t spend time worrying about what you can’t control.

How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at?

It depends on the book. I’ve attended three citizen police academies in different cities and have learned interesting things from each. I’ve done a lot of reading and research into various topics. I’ve had fun conversations with police officers, firemen, and folks who own gun shops, but probably the most fun I’ve ever had was talking with a man in Portland who runs his own company that does opposition research for political campaigns. It’s amazing the information his firm has uncovered through the course of the campaigns they’ve supported. Fascinating (and at times hair-raising) stuff.

The most interesting bit of research I did though, was for my book, Dark Harvest. This research involved the application of stem cell research in treating degenerative brain diseases. I had done some research on my own, but then I met a friend of a friend who is a genetic counsellor, and she was able to help me did a little deeper into this captivating and complex topic.

What is your writing space like?

I have an office on the ground floor of my house, which has a lovely set of windows. As you can imagine, it has several bookcases, which are mostly filled with books I’ve used while researching my novels. My desk is always more cluttered than it should be. While I try to keep it clean, notebooks and uncategorized stacks of mail litter the edges, while at least one coffee mug, a glass of water, and a gently use tea bag can be frequently found there.

The one thing that I love the most in my office, is my white board, which is where I keep track of my marketing activities, as well as outline plots. When I get stuck, whiteboarding is one of the ways in which I can work through the log jam of ideas and get my storyline back on track. I blame my career as a project manager in the technology sector for falling in love with whiteboards. 😊

Tell us about your latest piece?

The Perfect Brother, which was released in the fall of 2022, is a novel (suspense meets amateur sleuth) in which a brilliant software developer sets out to prove her brother’s innocence when he is charged with killing his secret girlfriend. Set in Vancouver, BC, what I love about this story is the strength of family ties and how the family’s culture sets expectations that result in a series of lies that eventually get exposed. Indira Saraf, the software developer in question, adapts her Artificial Intelligence technology to uncover other suspects in the killing in the hopes of proving her brother innocent. It’s an intricate and engrossing story.

What’s your next writing adventure?

Right now, I’m working on a story where a disgraced cop teams up with an FBI Agent whose career is on the rise, to track down a serial killer. It’s set in Portland, Oregon, and I’m calling it Speak No Evil.

What are your views on authors commenting on reviews?

Personally, good or bad, I don’t comment on reviews. Reviews should embody what the reader thinks of your story, not what you think of what they think about your story. I know that sounds a little convoluted, but there it is. As a writer, all you can do is write the best story you can, send it out in the world, and hope that people like it. If they do, great. If they don’t, then it probably wasn’t the story for them.

How do you deal with bad reviews?

I used to read them in the hopes that I could learn something from them that would make me a better writer, but what I really learned was that most 1 and 2 star reviews aren’t very constructive. They’re usually indicative of what I’ve said above—that for whatever reason, your story wasn’t the right story for them. Even New York Times bestselling novels have bad reviews. The downside of reading bad reviews is that sometimes the mean things that some people say get stuck in your mind, so instead, I’ll have my husband scan bad reviews and let me know if there’s anything constructive there to be learned. That way, if there’s good information, I still get to hear it, but avoid unconstructive comments from lodging themselves in my brain.

Sort these into order of importance:

• Good plot
• Great characters
• Awesome world-building
• Technically perfect

Is this the age of the e-book? Are bricks and mortar bookshops in decline?

As a reader, I love eBooks because they’ve made buying books super simple, an impulse purchase, like bubble gum beside the cash register. I can finish one story at 10 pm and download the next. It’s awesome. I do also love browsing bookstores. I love looking at book covers and reading the descriptions and maybe a few excerpts. As a reader and a writer, I hope we live in the world where both can continue to thrive.

What is your greatest success?

OMG. I can still remember the day when my book was on the Amazon Bestsellers chart beside Stephen King. His book was #12 and mine was #13. I still have screenshots of that event. It felt surreal. Just seeing my book ranked beside some truly amazing and popular authors has been a thrill. But it’s also a thrill to have readers contact me and share how much they’ve enjoyed my stories. Forging that kind of personal connection is special and something I have appreciated throughout this journey of becoming a writer. While writing the Lacey James series, I was touched by the story of a woman who was reading my books out loud to her ninety-two-year-old mother. It’s readers like that who keeps me going when my motivation wanes.

Tell us a silly fact about yourself.

Donald Duck was my favourite Disney character growing up because he was so foul-tempered.

What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’?

I wanted to be an animator for Disney, but I wasn’t gifted with my father’s artistic abilities, so I became a writer instead. 😊

Links to The Perfect Brother: https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Brother-Chris-Patchell-ebook/dp/B0B2CN9M51

Bio

Chris Patchell is an award-winning USA Today Bestselling Author who started writing to curb the homicidal tendencies she experienced during her daily Seattle commute. She writes gripping suspense thrillers with romantic elements set in the Pacific Northwest and believes good fiction combines a magical mix of complex characters, compelling plots, and well-crafted stories.

Dirty Dozen Author Interview – Kathleen Harryman #Suspense #Thriller #HistoricalRomance #ParanormalRomance #CrimeFiction

Kathleen Harryman

Links to book:

Website: https://www.kathleenharryman.com

Kathleen was first published in 2015 and has gone on to win several awards for her books. Developing a unique writing style, Kathleen Harryman grips the reader holding their attention until they become part of the story.

Kathleen Harryman is a talented multi-genre author of suspense, psychological thrillers, crime fiction, romantic suspense, historical romance, and paranormal romance.

Please tell us about your publications/work.

The Other Side of the Looking Glass was my first novel to be published back in 2015. It is a romantic suspense set in York. The Other Side of the Looking Glass Since is written over several POVs, allowing each main character to provide their own thoughts, desires, and fears.

Since 2015, I have gone on to write and publish three psychological thrillers, When Darkness Falls, Darkness Rising (Part of the Darkness Series), and Hidden Danger. There is something about thrillers that allow my creative juices to run. The main character in The Darkness Series is deadly, but also conveys a humorous side. This is something I like to do to break up the suspense, especially as these books are written from the killers’ perspective. Hidden Danger is similar, in that the reader gets a Birdseye view into the killers’ thoughts, but with Hidden Danger it is the relationship between daughter and father that gives it a sense of twisted horror.

In 2019 along with my co-author, and friend, Lucy Marshall, I published my first historical romance, The Promise. This book is based around stories my great uncles have told over the years, and my grandfather, James Chappell, who died during the D-Landings. Though the story differs from my grandfather’s life, it reflects the lives of those left behind at home and who fought on the frontline during World War II. The Promise is written from multiple POV’s and therefore has the intimacy of reading a personnel diary.

Hunted was the first book I ever wrote, even though it was never released until 2021. As an author I felt there was an element missing from the story. Hunted has grown from its first draft. One of the main changes I made, was the introduction of Arthur, a gnome and spy for the Saelee King, and Seberg, a magical staff which causes a lot of trouble for Vampwitch, Alice Quinn. Hunted is the first book in the Vampwitch series and is a paranormal romance.

Life’s Echoes, is a book of poetry, echoing life’s peculiarities, and the personal strength we carry within us.

When I started writing I was determined to become a multi genre author. I have always enjoyed reading a cross reference of genres and it feels wrong to limit my love of writing and storytelling to just one genre.

Do you think the written word (or art) bring power and freedom?

There is always a sense of freedom to be found in the written word. Words themselves are powerful instruments that can bring enlightenment and inspiration. Unfortunately, words can also wound. I like to feel that when we read, we travel with the characters. We live their lives, laugh when they laugh, cry when they cry, and become one with the suspense. What better freedom from life is there than to take that journey into a different world from our own.

Many authors use the power that writing brings. I believe that if I write something, and can feel what the characters feel, then there is no greater power an author can convey to the reader.

What’s your greatest networking tip?

Support others. We all need a helping hand; supporting our fellow authors or businessperson is key to building good relationships.

If you could have dinner with any literary character or author who would you choose, and what would you eat.

If I were to have dinner with a literary author, I would choose Agatha Christie. We would dine on the Orient Express, with afternoon tea. Cucumber sandwiches, scones, jam, clotted cream and tiny pastries.

How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at?

Research is key to making any story credible. Behind every book I write, a wealth of research has gone into it.

The wildest subject I’ve researched would be when I was writing Hidden Danger. I was in Glasgow at the time with a colleague from the gas industry and we were looking how to blow up a house using gas. The catch is that the gas needed to be released over time, the occupants unaware of what was happening. We looked at all the components required, how to get the gas buildup without the smell alerting the occupants of the house, etc. It was one of the most hands-on research I have done. If anyone overheard our plotting, I’m sure they would have found us to be quite mad, and very scary.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing?

Never write like anyone else. You are unique and your writing should be too. I recall a journalist confessing how they had spent years looking for the perfect formula to get them the next bestseller. Writing in many other author styles, believing that this was sure to gain him that unattainable bestseller and movie deal. The thing is, he spent so long researching how to write like others, he never got round to writing. This was years ago, but I never forgot—be yourself, write like you, and feel everything you write.

Which authors have influenced you the most?

Enid Blyton

Agatha Christie

Sharon Kay Penman

What is your writing space like?

Cosy. I’m a neat freak, so everything has a place. There are shelves lined with reference books across a multitude of genres, from serial killers to ancient Egypt. And space for my dog, and writing companion, Reilly Roo to sleep.

Tell us about your latest piece?

I am currently writing another World War II romance due for release mid 2023.

What are your hopes for the coming year?

To keep being creative and to find something in each day that makes me smile.

Tell us a silly fact about yourself?

I still have my teddy bear that Mum and Dad had made for me and my sister when we were born. His red paws are no longer in tacked and his white fur is grey, his head wobbles from side to side, but he still brings me comfort.

What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’?

When I wasn’t pretending to be a writer, I wanted to be a dancer, not that I can dance, but I have always loved the freedom that dancing brings.

The Other Side of the Looking Glass (Romantic Suspense): http://getbook.at/TOSOTLG

When Darkness Falls – Book One in the Darkness Series (Psychological Thriller): http://getbook.at/WDF

Darkness Rising – Book Two in the Darkness Series (Psychological Thriller): http://mybook.to/DR-BK2

Hidden Danger (Psychological Thriller): http://getbook.at/hiddendanger

Hunted – A Vampwitch Novel – Book One (Paranormal Romance): http://mybook.to/HUNTED-BK1

The Promise (Historical Romance): http://getbook.at/thepromise

Life’s Echoes (Poetry): http://getbook.at/lifesechoes

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Dirty Dozen Author Interview – Carmilla Voiez #Fantasy #Horror

Author name: Carmilla Voiez

I got carried away and answered 13, but some answers are quite short.

Please tell us about your publications/work.

Starblood was my debut novel, a violent and erotic dark fantasy which was released first in 2011. Due to a recent publisher folding, some of my work (including the Starblood series) is currently out of print. That series and a new supernatural thriller novel set in a women’s prison have been submitted to publishers for consideration. A co-written Southern Gothic Horror entitled Our Fearful Roots is currently available both in paperback and digital formats. My short story collection Broken Mirror and Other Morbid Tales, and an urban fantasy The Ballerina and the Revolutionary can be downloaded for free from my website (epub) version or can be purchased on Kindle or as paperbacks. Work continues on the third graphic novel in the Starblood series, but the first two, Starblood and Psychonaut, are available in hardcover, paperback or digitally. I will be featured in a new anthology of LGBTQIA+ horror, and my short stories can be found in a number of horror anthologies including Zombie Punks Fuck Off, Elements of Horror: Water, Slice Girls, and D is for Demons.

Do you think the written word (or art) bring power and freedom?

I think they encourage us to find our own power and freedom, partly by knowing others share the same struggles. Horror is amazing because it teaches us how to overcome adversity.  

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your publishing journey?

I’ve learned a lot over the years. To be honest, I am glad I learned it gradually or I might have felt that I could not succeed in an industry where 50% of trade paperbacks only ever sell twelve copies. I will share two pieces of advice: own your words and do not back track when others tell you that you are wrong. This means ensuring that you do not write merely to shock but have a truth you want to share with the reader, something rich that they can take away after they finish the book. It also means avoiding stereotypes, especially of groups whose identity you do not share.  Sensitivity readers are a god send if you write outside your own experience. Understand that if readers do not like your work and write a bad review for your book that’s their right and getting defensive and attacking reviewers is a terrible look and the fastest route to damaging your career, perhaps irrevocably. My second piece of advice is that it’s impossible to spot all the errors in your own work. If you cannot afford an editor, swap with someone who will pick your book apart while you return the favour. As a reader, it is incredibly frustrating to pay for a book that is riddled with errors.

What’s your greatest networking tip?

Be authentic; celebrate the success of others, and cross-promote.

How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at?

I research everything I can, including using Google Maps to walk through images of streets where my story is set. I know all the stages of decomposition and the difference between Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder and the symptoms of each. I read religious and magical texts alongside medical ones. I’ve even studied quantum physics for a short story. Writing, like reading, can open up the world for you if you let it.

How influential is storytelling to our culture?

I would argue that any culture is entirely built from the stories we tell ourselves and each other. It is the most powerful thing we have.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing?

Only you can tell your story. It doesn’t matter if similar stories already exist; it is your voice and your experience that makes your story unique.

If you could be any fantasy/mythical or legendary person/creature what would you be and why?

I would definitely be a mischief making demon. I enjoy challenging assumptions.

Which authors have influenced you the most?

Clive Barker, Thomas Ligotti, and Toni Morrison.

What is your writing space like?

An armchair and laptop with a cushion to support my spine. I’m blessed with hyperfocus, so I don’t need much.

What’s your next writing adventure?

I am working through Venus Virus for re-release then I plan to concentrate on short stories for a couple of years. In my experience, submitting stories to magazines and anthologies provides a more robust financial return than spending years writing a novel.

What are your views on authors offering free books? Do you believe, as some do, that it demeans an author and his or her work?

There are so many authors to choose from, and once we find an author we love, we tend to consume everything they write. I think that offering one or two free books makes financial sense, but I also believe it’s a decision each author should make for themselves.

What are your views on authors commenting on reviews?

I think it’s a terrible idea personally, especially when the author feels defensive.

How do you deal with bad reviews?

I move on. Not everyone will like what I write, but some readers love it, and those are the ones I write for.

Links to all my books can be found on my website at www.carmillavoiez.com

Bio

Carmilla Voiez is a British horror writer living in Scotland. Her influences include Graham Masterton, Thomas Ligotti, and Clive Barker. She is pansexual and passionate about intersectional feminism and human rights. Carmilla has a First-Class Bachelors in Creative Writing and Linguistics. Her previous work includes stories in horror anthologies published by Clash Books and Mocha Memoirs, a series of dark fantasy novels (currently out of print), a co-authored Southern Gothic Horror novel, and self-published graphic novels. Graham Masterton described the second book in her Starblood series as a “compelling story in a hypnotic, distinctive voice that brings her eerie world vividly to life”. Carmilla is also a freelance editor and English tutor who enjoys making language sing.

Dirty Dozen Author Interview – Olivette Devaux #LBGT #Gayfic #Romance

Welcome to Olivette Devaux

What first prompted you to publish your work?

I have a writing mentor who is a NYT bestseller author as well as a former pro poker player. Turns out, in his younger years he was homeless for a few months (not related to poker,) and he was living out of his Porsche. In the desert, no less. The concept of a homeless man living out of a PORSCHE got me tickled pink. I mean, who does that? I ran with the idea and created Sam and his love interest, Theo.

When I write a book, I publish it. In fact, I publish all books I write. What I don’t publish is short stories – those often sit on my hard drive and I trip over them every so often and say, “Oh, yeah. I really should publish this one.” And then I forget again.

I kind of wanted to give a copy of Lucky Starflowers to my mentor, but I chickened out.

How did you become involved in book bundles? Would you recommend it?

Book bundles are a lot of fun! They are a great way for readers to discover new writers in their target genre. They are also a great way for writers to introduce themselves to a new group of folks who might not hear of them before. Collaborating with other writers is also wonderful and creative. What’s not to like?

What other bundles are you involved with?

There have been so many that I forget. I have a book, maybe two, in Burning Rubbers, which features gay romance tough guys. That one was a lot of fun. The name is kind of awful. It’s like a bad Dad joke and I should be embarrassed for even coming up with it, let alone using it!

Are you a ‘pantser’ or a ‘plotter’?

Well…when I get an idea, I let it fester for a while. At least a day. I generate ideas easily, so if it’s still with me the next day, it’s worth thinking about. If it’s with me few days after that, I’ll sit and write. By then, I’ll have established a few, fairly vague milestones along the plotline. I write into the dark, and when I allow myself to cut loose and do that, my characters surprise me. My milestones might shift around as well, but that’s okay. The story always grows something better in their place.

What is your favourite mythical creature? Why is this?

Ah, that would be a Waterkin. It’s a name I made up for a mythical Czech creature I grew up with, although they are known throughout Europe. I have a whole series of stories written about the way they immigrated to the US and now live in the local rivers and try to adapt to modern life. That world is under my Kate Pavelle pen name, though, and it’s not out yet.

What does writing bring to your life?

I love to create things. Stories are just one of the things I make, and I love sharing them with the world. I love injecting a bit of humor into mine, whether it’s a Millenial vampire in search of “ethical blood,” or whether we’re talking about wiseass one-up scenes that ease the tension in a crime suspense story like Breakfall. I love to laugh, and writing stories allows me to share that with my readers.

If you had to pick 5 books to take to a desert island which 5 would it be?

1. A survival manual featuring primitive technologies, 2. A book on yoga or karate, with all the asanas and katas in it, 3. a complete collection of Shakespeare, 4. a complete collection of Western poetry (gimme something thick and it has to have Longfellow and Kipling in it,) and a very thick, empty journal with a bunch of pencils.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your publishing journey?

START AN INVENTORY!!! Seriously, once you write more than a dozen works, it just kind of sprouts and it gets hard to keep track of what is published where, how long is it, and so on. A good, properly crafted spreadsheet can go a long way to sanity when your have more than a hundred works (of all lengths and genres,) floating around the world. They need new book covers every so often, you want to make sure you offer different books into bundles so readers don’t get bored, and so on,

If you could have dinner with any literary character who would you choose, and what would you eat.

I think Gareth, Jack’s partner, from Jackie Keswick’s Power of Zero series. I’d want to show up for their Christmas celebration, when Gareth makes all those meat pies and various other goodies we don’t have here in the States. The advantage of this choice is that I would probably meet the whole cast of interesting characters from that world!

Tell us about your latest piece?

I wrote Buzz, the last stand-alone book in the Vegas-based Happy Hour Inn world. It took me forever (because Covid and real life interefered,) but once I got back to it, I was relieved when it got me to laugh!

What’s your next writing adventure?

My next writing adventure is sharing my rough drafts on Patreon. If you want some free reads, or some reads you’d be happy to support, go have a look at https://www.patreon.com/mugenpress

Is there a message in your books?

Always. But it’s never on purpose. I write something because the topic intrigues me, and only when I reread it half a year later I realize that a tangentially-related “message” had somehow made its way in. And that’s how it should be, because my primary goal is to entertain.

Blurb

Theo and his cousin Rickey inherit a flowershop. Young, sexy, and heartbroken after a rough breakup, Theo throws himself into running a new business.
No more dating!
No more exotic guys!
If Theo caved to romance, his ideal boyfriend would have a stable cubicle job and drive a Kia.
Sam Grey got caught counting cards one too many times. A professional gambler recovering from a bouncer injury, Sam denies that living out of his Porsche counts as a homeless situation.
February freeze in Pittsburgh, a perky florist and a slower, friendlier way of life helps heal his broken ribs – but hurts his heart when Theo thinks of him as just “passing through.”
DISCLAIMER: no real-life professional gamblers had their ribs broken in the making of this sizzling, HEA gay romance.

Excerpt

LUCKY STARFLOWERS

Steel City Stories, a stand-alone novel

Olivette Devaux

Available on all ebook platforms, in paper, and on Audible.

https://www.patreon.com/mugenpress

http://www.mugenpress.com (currently undergoing construction)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/801472633573132 (An Upper Cut, my FB group)

You can best reach me on Patreon or via Messenger.

Bio

Under another name, Olivette Devaux is an award-winning Amazon best-seller. As Olivette, she writes gay romance of many subgenres. If sci-fi, spy suspense, or urban fantasy without hot romance are your desire, look up her other public pen name, Kate Pavelle.

She has been published in magazines including Pulphouse and Heart’s Kiss, and has earned several Honorable Mentions by the Writers of the Future contest under both pen names.

Olivette Devaux is the author of Disorderly Elements, a contemporary urban fantasy gay romance series featuring a curious development of elemental control gifts. You can read the first book, Like a Rock, on her Patreon for free at https://www.patreon.com/mugenpress

Dirty Dozen Author Interview – Danielle M. Orsino – Fantasy

Author name: Danielle M. Orsino

Please tell us about your publications/work.

A fantasy epic adventure of heartbreak, hope and rebirth — Birth of Fae: Locked Out of Heaven. The book was born from my time working as a nurse and treating a patient who needed some distraction during long I.V. treatment sessions. I jump into the  realm of angels, fairies, dragons and mermaids retelling their origins from a new perspective .

How did you become involved with bundles? (For Bundle Authors)

Stephanie Rabell  my PR rep.

Do you think the written word (or art) bring power and freedom? Yes it levels the playing field and gives people a voice.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your publishing journey? so much, there are scammers just waiting to pounce, don’t doubt yourself. The whole “if you write it they will come.” line doesn’t work. YOU have to work at it. The publishing world is a game like anything else and you need to learn it.   

What’s your greatest networking tip? Book clubs, and the bookstagram community are phenomenal be appreciative of them.

If you could have dinner with any literary character or author who would you choose, and what would you eat. Shannon Mayer or Laurel K. Hamilton. I have to know how Laurel writes her sex scenes and how Shannon can write so many different characters and tie her universe together she is truly prolific. A food old fashion Italian family style dinner.   

How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at? I have done a lot of religious text research and looked at tons  of conspiracy theories for book four. So probably the shadow government stuff dealing with the supernatural was pretty weird.  

How influential is storytelling to our culture? It’s ingrained in our culture when you think about it, storytelling was our first real source of verbal entertainment.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing? Be yourself.

What’s the worst piece best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing? Change for your audience.

If you could be any fantasy/mythical or legendary person/creature what would you be and why? A Fae. 

Which authors have influenced you the most? Ann Rice, Laurel K. Hamilton, for their fearlessness. Jim Henson and Walt Disney for their ways of showing how to craft a story.  

What is your writing space like? I handwrite all my books first so my space is anywhere. 

Tell us about your latest piece? I am editing book four, but we are getting ready to release Book two in which the Fae will see what happens when you can’t remember why you started a war and how it has affected their kin and their human worshippers. We will see the Fae in the end of Tudor England and the beginnings of Queen Mary the first.

What’s your next writing adventure? In book Four the Fae will be in the 21st century and I am currently editing book four and about 25 chapters into book five.

What are your views on authors offering free books? Do you believe, as some do, that it demeans an author and his or her work? NO I think the more people who read the better, price and money should never be an obstacle,  reading is not a privilege it is a right that everyone has.    

What are your views on authors commenting on reviews? Depends. if the review is inaccurate and coming from a nasty place and the author feels they are being demeaned it is up to them same if it’s a touching review and they want to say thank you they should. 

How do you deal with bad reviews? I am working on dealing with the reviews. I negate the best and the worst, together. Each review has merit. The ones that bother me are when its clear the person has a bias because I am a female author. An example is the subject of romance; I have had reviews about people wanting more romance. I have said book one has no romance. But because I am a female author they feel I should have romance. The reviews are bad because it is someone else’s opinion about me as a female author and their assumption. The book does not really get a fair shot. I have also had a few people have issues with the religious subject matter so I have warned people of the religious undertones some are offended by that and the violence which once again coming from a woman colours their view and the book. The reviews usually say something like “the religious stuff doesn’t bother me but…” and they go one to pan the book. It is clear the religious subject matter was an issue or “The violence is not appropriate for YA readers.” but my book is not listed for YA, I had someone write “for a woman she is angry and violent.” I am a world-class martial artist of course I write great fight scenes! Those are the types of reviews which bother me but, I am learning to deal with them. Everyone in entitled to their opinion and I respect it.    

Sort these into order of importance:

Great characters

Good plot

Awesome world-building

Technically perfect

With the influx of indie authors do you think this is the future of storytelling? I hope so, I think the big publishing machine has controlled and limited the voices long enough it is time for a change. 

Is this the age of the e-book? Are bricks and mortar bookshops in decline? no I don’t think physical books are in decline but the way we shop is changing, the versatility of e-books can’t be denied. I think to each their own, I love the way a book feels in my hand and the magic of opening it. 

 Are indie/self published authors viewed with scepticism or wariness by readers? Why is this? I believe there is still a stigma and lack of validation that a big publisher did not “chose” you to publish so readers are still unsure to spend their hard earned money on you as an author which is unfair, many indie publishers have educated themselves on the ins and outs of the publishing world and do not want to be anchored to the contracts and want control of their works. 

What is your greatest success? Sitting down to write and having the guts to introduce my version of the Fae to the world.

How important is writing/art to you? it has become like air.

What are your hopes for the coming year? To have more readers enter into the Veil and perhaps forget their reality for a little while. The greatest joy for an author is to be someone’s tour guide into the world they have created.

Tell us a silly fact about yourself. I dressed up as Wonder Woman every year for the first 10 years of my life every Halloween. Then I went to see Lynda Carter perform a few years ago in concert and I dressed up as Wonder Woman because it was a few days before Halloween. Guess what I was the only one dressed up. 

What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’? Wonder Woman I wrote essays about it

 

Links to book

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/birth-of-the-fae-danielle-marie-orsino/1136777080

https://bookshop.org/books/birth-of-the-fae-locked-out-of-heaven/9781734764505

https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Fae-Locked-out-Heaven/dp/173476452X

Dirty Dozen Author Interview – Anthony St Clair

Author name: Anthony St. Clair

 Links to book: https://rucksackuniverse.com/books/the-lotus-and-the-barley/

 Bio: Anthony St. Clair, a freelance writer and entrepreneur, is the author of over 500 fiction and non-fiction works, including novels, short stories, articles, and more. Library Journal calls Anthony’s storytelling “reminiscent of Terry Pratchett,” and his fiction has been celebrated for its “quirk, wit, travel, and magic.” In addition to his global travels, Anthony spent fifteen years in media and business before turning full time to writing in 2011. Together with his wife, son, and daughter, Anthony lives a life of everyday adventure at home in Oregon and on the road anywhere. For more information, see rucksackuniverse.com and anthonystclair.com.

 Tell us a silly fact about yourself: Much to my children’s ongoing amusement, I’m incapable of blowing up a balloon.

Please tell us about your publications/work. My Rucksack Universe series revolves around people who seek to know themselves so that they understand their place in the broader world, be that with a social group or a place they want to live in.

The core of everything I write is an exploration of how we make the decisions that shape our destinies. What are the rules we are told about life and living? How many of those rules help us do what we consider meaningful? What rules deserve to be followed—and which rules should we break or get rid of?

We go through this life trying to find our way, searching out how we fit in. Sometimes we have to push back against presumptions and notions from family or culture, so we can understand and live our own personal truths about the world. My Rucksack Universe series is all about people making those choices.

Do you think the written word (or art) bring power and freedom? Even when we don’t realize it, the written word is all around us. Books and articles are obvious manifestations, but even “visual” mediums such as video have an underlying script or teleplay written element that guides what happens and what’s said. The written word is similar to the atmosphere: All around us and essential, yet easy to forget it’s there.

How did you become involved with bundles? (For Bundle Authors) I got to meet Chuck Heintzelman at Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s and Dean Wesley Smith’s Business Master Class in 2017. I’d been aware of his BundleRabbit platform, but especially after meeting Chuck was so impressed with how BundleRabbit was helping authors develop and participate in ebook bundles. Bundles are such a great way to help readers dive in deep on different variations on a theme, topic, etc., and it’s so fun to work with other authors on new ways to put our work in the world.

 How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at? Travel has always been a big part of my life, and my fiction centers around people who travel as a lifestyle. I include destination research and draw from on-the-ground experience as much as I can too, so I can really evoke that feeling of “being there.”

For my novel THE LOTUS AND THE BARLEY, I drew on my own travels to London, my background covering Oregon’s craft beer industry, and a “what if?” mindset that helped me imagine a London that had built itself up in a different way, but based on landmarks that could be familiar to us in our world.

The beery touches were especially fun. My work has brought me on many a tour of breweries, so I got to bring all that experience together not only into my pro brewer and homebrewer characters, but the beer itself is its own character.

What is your greatest success? Marrying well. I had the good fortune and the good sense to know when I had found my soulmate. Jodie and I met in 2005, got married in 2009. From business to parenting, we bring out the best in one another, and I’m grateful every day that I found her.

Which authors have influenced you the most? If there is one author I wish I could have met, it’s Terry Pratchett. Discworld titles such as Thud! and Witches Abroad are books I re-read and re-read. Pratchett’s characters have to channel other feelings into meaningful action, and his sense of humor and satire is a candy coating that helps us swallow some tricky truths.

What is your writing space like? My wife and I currently share a “corner office” in our house. I usually use the office in the morning for writing and client work, and she uses it in the afternoon for teaching violin lessons. At other times I’ll be set up at our front table, with a MacBook Pro, a mouse, and an external keyboard. It helps me be both focused and flexible—and reminds me that I can work anywhere.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing? If you want others to value your work, time, and expertise, then make sure you show that you value them too.

It’s not uncommon for writers to undervalue their work and underestimate the time and energy it takes to do their work. When I went full-time as a  freelance writer in 2011, I made sure to track my time on projects, agree fair rates with clients and editors, and, above all, to make sure that I always got paid. Writers do work that other people wish they could do—the power and value in understanding that is without equal.

 Tell us about your latest piece? My 2020 novel, STRANGE RIDE, brought me an interesting challenge. The setting was in a walled city full of skyscrapers, and drew heavily on labyrinths, mythology, and the five stages of grief: depression, anger, bargaining, denial, acceptance, collectively referred to as “DABDA.” I had to extensively research labyrinths. Plus, the city where I live—Eugene, Oregon—is home to many indoor and outdoor labyrinths, so I also got to have some contemplative introverted fun going to different labyrinths around town and walking them.

STRANGE RIDE focuses on a 10-year-old girl named Soarsha. She lives in this giant walled city, in a high-rise apartment with her dad. They lost her mother years ago, in the wasteland beyond the city. We meet Soarsha on her tenth birthday, and see her get bullied by her classmates. She seeks refuge in her Wandering Heroes comic books, and in hanging out with her dad. It’s not necessarily a great life, but she has some good things going for her. Until, the next day, she comes home… but her father doesn’t. She sets out to find him, but winds up discovering truths she didn’t even know she was looking for.

What’s the worst piece best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing? There’s this ongoing discussion that it can be really difficult to publish ebooks to different retailers—you know, upload to Amazon, to Draft 2 Digital, to Apple Books, to Kobo, etc.—because you have to enter the same information over and over. The problem isn’t the process, it’s whether or not the writer is organized to handle the process in less time.

 I independently publish my work, and I distribute ebooks to all the channels: Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play, Nook, you name it. I keep a spreadsheet with all the details about every release: publication date, Patreon release date, links to stores, prices for different markets, even the color codes for my cover’s primary color. Once that info is set up, it’s a simple copy and paste job. I can set up a title across multiple channels in less than an hour.

Writers get hung up on the number of stores. That’s not the problem. Most of your time and energy goes into getting the details ready. Actually setting them up is a much smaller fraction of the time it takes than we often think it is.

 What’s your greatest networking tip? There’s an easy way to be remembered by pretty much any presenter at any event. It’s based on a simple principle: Everyone likes knowing their work is appreciated, looked forward to, and will help someone.

Before going to any sort of writing conference, take a few minutes to research presenters whose talks or workshops you plan on attending. Then, contact them—through their website’s contact form, their email, or a social network—and leave a short and simple note, such as “Hi, I’m FIRSTNAME LASTNAME, and I’ll be attending your talk on SUBJECT at NAMEOFEVENT. Just wanted to let you know I’m really looking forward to it.”

Anytime I’ve done this, it’s led to useful connections and worthwhile conversations. Plus, the moment I introduce myself, they say something like, “Oh, I got a note from you, thank you so much!”

It’s a simple but powerful way to help yourself stand out.

Dirty Dozen Author Interview – Rebecca Miller

Welcome to Rebecca Miller

Please tell us about your publications/work.  My writing credits include being a freelance journalist for The Inquisitr, The Weekly Register-Call, The Daily Camera, and the Earthkeeper. My books include Libertine Awakenings: A Psychosexual Odyssey under my pen name, Cat Ravenelle, and Being Max’s Mom under my birth name. These were self-published through IUniverse and KDP, respectively. I also did transcription work for President Obama. The Whisper is my latest novel.

 Do you think the written word (or art) bring power and freedom? Absolutely. Writing The Whisper was incredibly empowering for me and helped me heal from the traumas I’d witnessed as a hospice nurse as well as attending my brother’s death. Writing shapes history facilitates change, educates, and informs. It’s cliché, but the pen is mightier than the sword.

 What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your publishing journey? Buy a she-shed and hide from your family members. Seriously, if I had a nickel for every time I’ve been interrupted….

 What’s your greatest networking tip? The Power of Three. Tell three people three times a day about your book. That can be in a post or a conversation—it’s a bit exhausting, but it works. 

 If you could have dinner with any literary character or author, who would you choose, and what would you eat. Judy Blume. I’d take her to Le French and have some wine and a Salade Nicoise. 

 How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at? WELL, since you asked. For this book, it was my life, so that part was easy, BUT for my erotic fiction, I actually went to swingers clubs and observed. I had a notebook in my purse. It was pretty interesting, and no, I didn’t participate. I’m too much of a germaphobe for that type of behaviour. I found the lack of hand sanitizer and protection disturbing. 

 How influential is storytelling to our culture? It’s essential to the survival of us as a species. We are doomed to repeat history…as evidenced by our current situation. We need to tell our ancestors’ stories to continue that lineage and tell our own stories. As I’ve aged, I’ve noticed how life does spin in a bit of a spiral. Right now, I’m having my students read part of The Decameron and thinking about how they’ve survived our recent lockdowns. We are not that different from our peers in 1300 in how we deal with forced isolation and an invisible enemy.

 What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing? Don’t give up. And don’t be afraid. You can’t please everybody. Like I’ve told my friends, I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, but I am someone’s double vodka. 

 What’s the worst piece best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing? Just publish and don’t worry about being perfect—it was referring toward just barfing words on a page and hitting send. Whereas I can get behind the idea of writing drunk, edit sober, you need to edit again and again—but not get crippled. Finally, letting go of my manuscript and giving it to the world is…was…right this moment, terrifying. 

 If you could be any fantasy/mythical or legendary person/creature, what would you be and why? Wonder Woman. Spin in a circle, and BAM. Outfit changed. 

 Which authors have influenced you the most? Judy Blume was the first author who I blame for my desire to become a writer. I read a TON of feminist lit in college. Books by Ram Dass and Pema Chodron sit on my shelf. All hail Virginia Woolf. 

 What is your writing space like? I have a desk in a shared home office, and I literally have a screen I put up in a vain attempt to send the message to leave me alone. It doesn’t work. I have headphones, and I have to listen to low-fi to block out the noise. I can track my writing sprints by how many coffee cups, diet Coke cans, and wine glasses are balanced around me. I’ve tried writing in coffee houses, my bedroom, even sat on the floor in my bathroom, but they STILL find me. Hence, the request for a she-shed. Might have to put up an electric fence. Too many kids….

 Tell us about your latest piece? The Whisper is a story about love and absolution. More than that, it’s my story. I worked as a crisis hospice nurse for four years. I am Rose McWhorter. Everything in the story is true but written in a way that protects my patients’ identities. In The Whisper, I tell the story about what it’s like to be a hospice nurse and what happens when we die. While it’s not intended to be a religious book, it is spiritual. The whisper I heard to become a nurse, to the final whisper that told me my work was done came from God. I didn’t know it at the time, but my life profoundly changed. I learned self-forgiveness, trust, regained my family and fell in love with being alive.

 What’s your next writing adventure? Probably try to work on Book 2 of Libertine Awakenings. I have it on jump drive but never continued. 

What are your views on authors offering free books? Do you believe, as some do, that it demeans an author and his or her work? Nah. It’s like dark chocolate. If I get it for free, I’m still going to appreciate it. And, if no one eats it, no one gets to experience the sweetness of it. Which reminds me, I have some in my desk drawer.

 My son and I do art shows showcasing young people with autism. The thrill these kids get having their art up for display reinforces my stance on the free book. If no one sees your art, no one can enjoy your art or be influenced by it. I’m delighted to have my work shared. 

 What are your views on authors commenting on reviews? Depends. If someone is a troll, I think you have the right to defend yourself. 

 How do you deal with bad reviews? Weep bitterly and grab my voodoo doll. 

 Sort these into order of importance:

Good plot 2

Great characters 1

Awesome world-building 3

Technically perfect 4

 With the influx of indie authors, do you think this is the future of storytelling? I think it’s great. It’s freeing. The idea of the “vanity press” is an act of, well, vanity is long gone. I think it helps contribute to the diversity of authors and that diversity can show us the world through someone else’s eyes. 

 Is this the age of the e-book? Are bricks and mortar bookshops in decline? As long as there are dinosaurs like me and hipsters like my son, the bookstores will survive. 

 Are indie/self published authors viewed with scepticism or wariness by readers? Why is this? It’s all about myth-busting. So I didn’t get picked up by Penguin. Does that make me any less than a writer? Usually, if I get this type of snark, I’ll ask them about their latest publications. Crickets. To write, and then to publish takes guts. And time. 

What is your greatest success? Being Max’s mom—he is the light of my life. He’s changed me in ways that I cannot monetize. I learn from my son every single day, especially now during COVID. He’s taught me how to use Google Classroom so I can teach my students. 

How important is writing/art to you? During this crisis I have learned that art and music are essential. Writing kept me going. The arts are what makes us human.

What are your hopes for the coming year? Try to survive the last push of COVID19 and all its trimmings, attempt to salvage my son’s senior year of high school, and hopefully get a couple trips in once it is safe to move. I’m not sure what my next move is writing wise. 2020 taught me that plans can change, so go with the flow.

Tell us a silly fact about yourself. I still compete in beauty pageants and I’m a highland athlete. Weird combo.

What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’? Not a nurse! I wanted to be a writer. I ended up a hybrid, that’s ok.

Links to book

The Whisper on Amazon.Com

The Whisper on Amazon.Co.uk

Links —I think you already have them.

Bio I live in Denver, Colorado and I work as adjunct faculty for my local community college teaching nursing arts, anatomy and physiology, and medical terminology. Writing is my side job while I’m on sabbatical. My love, Dennis, and I share our home with three boys, two cats, and have adopted a feral cat named Darryl who lives in our backyard catching mice and chasing bunnies. 

For fun, post-COVID, we look forward to traveling overseas, skiing, taking the kids to Disney, supporting the local arts, but during the pandemic, we love working in our garden, supporting local biz via takeout, and firing up the smoker. We are grateful.

Dirty Dozen Author Interview – Miriam F Martin – #Fantasy #Romance #LBGTromance

Author name: Miriam F. Martin

Please tell us about your publications, specifically the story in this bundle:

Thanks for including my book in the Rainbow Romance bundle. My real name is David Anthony Brown and I write under the Miriam F. Martin pseudonym, and I created the Siren’s Garter branded erotica books. I created the Miriam pen-name to hide my erotica titles from prying coworkers at the day job. It’s not a well kept secret, so I don’t worry about sharing my real identity. (And if somebody at work discovers my erotica, then whose fault is that?)

Rainmaker, included in the Rainbow bundle, is a short lesbian erotic novella set in a fantasy sword-and-sorcery world. I was very much influenced by Xena: Warrior Princess when writing this one. Like a lot of viewers of that show, I found the chemistry between Xena and Gabriella incredibly hot and wondered why they were never more than just friends. While Alana and Paige (the protagonists in Rainmaker) are not Xena and Gabriella, they are both strong, resourceful women who know what they want and are willing to fight to protect those they love.

What first prompted you to publish your work?

I totally went down this path for money. But my path to publication was not a straight forward one. I dabbled with writing in my teens and early twenties, especially after I earned my bachelor’s degree. Writing became a career for me in 2008, because I had a career I didn’t enjoy anyway get wiped away in the Great Recession. I couldn’t see myself working in a “normal” job for the rest of my life and stay sane, especially if everything got flipped upside down again in another recession. So naturally I started writing fiction.

I didn’t jump on the indie bandwagon until after the ebook gold rush was already over. My first indie publication was in 2012, which was a small collection of fantasy and horror short stories. Since then, by my last count, I have over 70 publications including short novels, short stories, and collections.

Are you a ‘pantser’ or a ‘plotter’?

I’m very much a pantser, though I prefer Dean Wesley Smith’s metaphor of “writing into the dark.” I often start with little more than a working title and a character’s name, and make up everything as I go. For me, writing a story is like exploring a dark cave with nothing more than a flashlight—I discover a little bit at a time, often take wrong turns, and have no idea where the story will ultimately take me.

The goal for me is to enjoy the story I writing as if I’m the reader. If I don’t know where a story is going while I write, neither will the readers. If I manage to pleasantly surprise myself, my readers be surprised too. So I never think about the plot beforehand.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your publishing journey?

Two pieces of advice, but they sort of go hand-in-hand.

One, talent is a myth. Nobody is ever born to be a writer. You reach a point in life where you feel ready to take the leap, but the leap is just the beginning of a long journey. If you ever for one second believe you’re “special” or “talented,” you’re done as a writer. You’ll never learn new craft techniques. You won’t take risks. You probably won’t even produce all that much fiction. Writing is a skill learned over many, many years of practice. Talent is just a measure of your current skill level. Everybody pretty much starts at the same place.

Second, be patient with yourself. Nobody expects an undergraduate psych major to be any good as a psychologist. That profession requires a doctoral-level graduate degree and years of experience in the field. Writing is not much different, except instead of going to a college you have to cobble together your own education. It takes years to develop the skills needed to entertain an international audience of millions. So, be patient and keep learning and practicing and publish everything you write.

How influential is storytelling to our culture?

They say history is told by the winners, and that’s true enough, but I’d add that history is told by storytellers. Often what we think we know about ancient cultures comes down to us through stories. Homer was definitely more interested in giving his audience compelling stories that would make them feel good—so in the Iliad and the Oddessey we get tales of men with super-human strength and cunning, though not necessarily historically accurate versions of events.

Storytelling is part of human nature. Whether it’s sharing office gossip or getting lost in a new favorite book, we are all born with an innate desire for story. Story is part of our identity as a culture, and it feeds a deep individual desire for adventure and heroism.

How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at?

Technically, not a lot. But then, after a few of years of focusing mostly on erotica, I haven’t had a book that required deep research. I’m a geek for history and science though, so I spend a lot of time studying subjects that may or may not be ever used in a story. So I’m a bit of a trivia nerd and sometimes that comes in handy when layering in a bit of color to make a story feel right.

Mostly I do five-minute research to find the one detail I need for a story. For example, when I wrote the short novel Never Marry the Femme Fatale, I spent five or ten minutes looking through online gun catalogs to find the sort of gun the main character would carry in her purse. Not real sure if I even used the name of the gun in the book, mostly I just wanted to know what it looked like and what bullets it fired.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time research sex toys. Which is probably why Amazon gives me a lot of strange recommendations.

What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve received about writing/publishing?

Write sloppy. Yeah, I know, this one gets passed around so much it’s cliche and just about everybody believes in it. But I believe writing a shitty first draft harms the story telling process.

Like I mentioned above, I write into the dark and make up the story as I go. What I’ve discovered is that the little details can often change the course of a story in surprising ways. I used to be the type of writer who would bracket things I needed to write later—for example [WRITE SEX SCENE LATER], and then in a second draft come back through and add a sex scene.

The problem with that is the actual sex scene I write might be entirely different from the sex scene I imagined. Plus, especially with sex scenes, the characters often discover things about each other or themselves that become major plot points. I can’t discover those plot points for myself without writing the scene. And if I wrote the scene in a second draft, I might have to change the entire book to accommodate the new discovery. So it’s far, far easier to simply write each detail and each scene as I need it and let the story organically build on itself. My first drafts come out a lot cleaner too, which makes editing go smoother.

Tell us about your latest piece?

On the erotica side of my publishing business, I recently released two new short story collections—Sexy Unusual and Date Night. The first is erotica that features ghosts—the living having sex with the spirits of former lovers and ghosts having ghostly fun. The other is, of course, all about couples having sex after (or during!) a hot date.

Lately, I’ve been busy writing fantasy and science fiction short stories. The plan is to write a three volume short story series called Stay at Home Fiction and publish them by the end of 2020. I’ve got the first volume nearly complete.

What’s your next writing adventure?

I’d been thinking a lot about Rainmaker before you offered to include it in the Rainbow bundle. You see, I always intended Rainmaker to have sequels set in the same world but with new characters, which is why the book is subtitled A Femme Elemental Erotic Novella. I have a bunch of false starts with the sequels, where my creative voice said, “Nope, that’s not the story I wanna tell.”

Now, nearly three years after releasing Rainmaker, I feel ready to write Fire Dancer, the next book in the series. No clue what it will be about, but I recently had an idea for how to open the book, which made me chuckle. For me, chuckling is a good sign I’ve found a story I want to tell.

No promises on when Fire Dancer, or any of the other sequels, will be finished.

What is the last book you’ve read?

Narrate and Record Your Own Audiobook, by M. L. Buchman. It’s exactly what you think it’s about, and I’d recommend it to any indie writers wondering about audio editions. (Personally I’m not ready for audio. Just researching.)

The last fiction book I read… I’ve been really digging Kristine Grayson’s Charming series, and just recently finished the first trilogy omnibus.

Is this the age of the e-book? Are bricks and mortar bookshops in decline?

Tricky questions to answer, and the covid-19 pandemic makes everything in the near future unknowable. E-books are here to stay, but I think it’s safe to say that readers will still demand paper editions for some time yet. Publishers can now use print-on-demand to produce high quality paper books for low cost, without needing a warehouse to store inventory, and allow the reader to purchase the physical book on demand and have it shipped directly to them.

If brick and mortar bookshops continue to exist, they may not ever be the same. It’s not enough to rent a space in the shopping mall and fill bookshelves. All retailers need an online presence in addition to physical presence (whether they sell books or clothes). It’s certainly possible to run a small bookstore that also sells books online (via their own store website, as well as Amazon, E-bay, etc). Is it economically feasible? Maybe not… Only time will tell which businesses survive the pandemic. Personally I think most bookstores will be online, and they’ll sell both paper and e-book editions, but part of me wants to see brick and mortar stores continue to thrive too.

With the influx of indie authors do you think this is the future of storytelling?

Before 2010, books like Rainmaker weren’t possible. It would’ve been too short for a traditional publisher, too long for a short story magazine, and has too much sex for many of the romance imprints. I could’ve pitched it to places like Samhain and Ellora’s Cave, neither of which exist anymore. Rainmaker might’ve been licensed to an erotica e-zine for three cents a word and then forgotten entirely. Or at worst, tossed into a trunk and never seen the light of day.

Being indie, I’ve been able to give the book both paper and electronic editions. I’m in control of the cover design, the sales blurb, where copies are distributed, etc. The book will never go out of print. And now, three years after I wrote it, I can still make money from it. I can still write the sequels if I choose. Also, if needed, I can rebrand the cover design, rewrite the sales blurb, and license it to wonderful bundles like Rainbow. I love that kind of freedom.

The covid-19 pandemic will almost certainly devastate the Big Five traditional publishers in the United States, who depend entirely on paper sales and have way over-priced their e-book editions. But the indie publishers like me will be fine. My entire business exists on a MacBook and operates on a shoe-string budget. And my stories continue to earn me money through the pandemic, and will do so into the future. Being a newer and non-bestseller writer, if I were tied to the Big Five, I’d be going down with the corporate ships. Indie is the most viable way to earn money as a long-term professional writer. Except for sending short stories to magazines, I can’t imagine ever playing in the traditional publishing system.

 

Links

SirensGarterErotica.com Home for everything related to Miriam F. Martin and Siren’s Garter.

danthonybrown.com Main website and blog for David Anthony Brown.

Contact the author directly at david@danthonybrown.com.

Bio

Once upon a time, Miriam F. Martin was a princess who ruled a planet Earthlings call Mars. Her reign ended when somebody decided women were really from Venus. Confused about her identity, she ended up between worlds. Putting away her tiara and scepter forever, she now flattens her ass in a cushy chair while writing smutty erotica. You’re welcome.

Miriam F. Martin is a pseudonym created by David Anthony Brown. He owns Hermit Muse Publishing and writes fiction in other genres, including science fiction and fantasy. He lives in Minnesota.

Dirty Dozen Bundle Author Interview – Michele Laframboise

Author name: Michèle Laframboise

Figure 1 My first novel

What first prompted you to publish your work? The desire to right wrongs, imagine other futures. Often, a gut reaction to a very bad novel led me to create endearing characters that are not stereotypical heroes. For instance, in my Jules-Verne series, the entire narrative POW is from a very shy Martian woman with brittle bones, which gave her a peculiar voice.

How did you become involved in book bundles? Would you recommend it? Bundles allow us to discover new writers: buying for our favourite writers in the lot, then discovering new ones in the same genre. Bundles are a way to mutually enhance our reader’s platforms, doing amiable coo-petition. It is important that the bundle has a shared specific theme that will appeal to readers, and prompt them to try the authors they don’t know, because of the subject.

Are you a ‘pantser’ or a ‘plotter’?

Figure 2  Getting stuck in a plot loop

I had had my heavy-plotter period, outlining, erasing, outlining again, rewriting, and still getting me in a stuck in a corner!

My first novel took 12 years to complete this way. My last novel was longer, but took me about two months.  Now I’m a pantser for most of my works, but I usually have a good idea of what’s cooking ahead, like when you walk in the dark with a flashlight, seeing a few steps ahead. Some times I do not even write my scenes in order. If I’m stuck, I manage to back up and find a way out.

Figure 3 Finding a way out

What does writing bring to your life? First: I love sciences. I graduated in two fields and did research. Alas, the “publish or perish” saying is true, especially for a shy woman.

Academia spat me out like an alien body.

As a “failed” scientist, I discovered I could tell stories and share my enthusiasm for sciences and nature, and also, invent other types of societies.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your publishing journey? Do not spend months polishing a text. Perfection can never be attained. Stop worrying.

Do your best, correct a few typos or get someone to read the text over, and move on to the next story.

Beware of the tiny, high perched signing tables (yes, I fell from those!)

Figure 4 Those high tables are dangerous!

Sort these into order of importance:  Awesome world-building / Great characters / Good plot

(very far after the three first)

Technically perfect

How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at?

Figure 5 Researching for my SF novels

As an ex-scientist, I used to spend far too long researching a novel. Now I do it on the fly, because science changes fast. The specialised research I did 20 years ago for my first novel is totally outdated today. When a new publisher took up the story, I had to redo the research and make some change in the plot.

Subjects:

Ecological space lifts (there’s one described in my SF series)

Black holes and membranes

High-altitude sickness

What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing? Get a copy editor, and a first reader.

What’s the worst advice you’ve received about writing/publishing? You must absolutely get an agent to get published.

Tell us about your latest piece? Ice Monarch follows a lonely cyber-butterfly as he drifts over a planet scarred by climatic changes. A former scientist transplanted into an immortal body, he serves powerful masters from former fossil energy companies. He has to live with the consequences and sacrifices of his past choices, while survivors scrape a miserable existence from the earth. He may get a chance to redeem his past mistakes. But can he? It has been prompted by my long-standing involvement in ecological sciences, and I imagined what a distant future could look like.

What’s your next writing adventure? I am writing the first in a series of steampunk-dystopian SF novels. And I am taking narrative risks, so it can go both ways. My two first readers liked it.

What is the last book you’ve read? The Murderbot Chronicles, by Martha Wells. Just for the title character’s voice!

Are indie/self published authors viewed with scepticism or wariness by readers? Why is this? There were a lot of quality issues in 2010, when electronic books were rare. Now there are millions, and the first wave of get-rich-quick hopefuls have left the field. The quality level is getting better and better, as many writers looking at bad contracts from trad-publishers choose to go indie.

Four of my publishers have gone down in the last five years. I created my own publishing company, Echofictions (dot) com, to get my backlist available for my readers, and to control the publishing process. I love to do the graphical design of my covers.

Figure 6 My table at the last Ad Astra convention in Toronto (pic by the author)

Echofictions specializes in fun and sweet (sometimes bitter-sweet!) stories in multiple genres, from short form to novel-length. Most of my stories have been previously published in pro/semi-pro magazines, so the professional editing/revision steps have been done. The quality is not in question, the challenge is getting the public to discover my brand of satiric and (generally) upbeat SF&F stories.

Links

Author website	https://michele-laframboise.com
Echofictions	https://echofictions.com
AMAZON author page	https://www.amazon.com/Mich%C3%A8le-Laframboise/e/B00JFGLMPM/
SundayArtist blog	https://sundayartist.wordpress.com
Patreon	http://patreon.com/sundayartist

Bio

A science-fiction lover since childhood, Michèle Laframboise sprinkles coffee grounds on her tomato plants to help them achieve consciousness. Beside gardening, Michèle has published 18 novels and more than 45 short-stories, earning some reticent recognition among the literati. You may taste her fiction in magazines like Solaris, Galaxies, Fiction River, Compelling Science Fiction, Abyss&Apex.

Figure 7 A fun picture of me in a first contact situation!

(credits: Gilles Gagnon)

A face pic with my steampunk goggles!

(Credits: Sylvie-Anne Jeanson)

Michele’s story features here:

Worlds on the brink of apocalypse, or already there.

Nature’s wrath and dominion over humanity, and humanity’s folly incarnate.

Dark magic, terrifying tech, greed, ravaged environments, rare courage and grim hope in lost cities and fallen worlds.

Brave new worlds or last best hopes — Dare you glimpse the future?

https://books2read.com/HereBeBraveNewWorlds

Dirty Dozen – Author Interview – Amanda Schmidt

Welcome to Amanda Schmidt

I have published thirteen books.  I have two stories that are two books (Taken, Solace), one trilogy (The Shadow Dragon), one story that will be two books (Rise of Ansea), and the rest are all stand-alone books (Not Human, Heart of the Emperor, The Huntsman’s Daughter, Project 21, and Adventurer’s Spirit).  They are all fictional adventure stories with a love story entwined.  Each story has two main characters: a strong – or will become strong – female and a male that eventually is the perfect compliment to her.  My published stories so far tend to take place on other worlds because I love using my imagination, although some of my stories talk about Earth, or start on Earth, but only one of them completely takes place only on Earth.  I have one story (my trilogy) that is true fantasy – with dragons, swords, magic, lords, wizards…   The books I publish contain the elements that I like to read: action, adventure, twists and turns, love, heroes, vicious enemies, fighting (weapons and hand to hand combat).

What prompted you to publish your work? My oldest son was about ten when he caught me writing.  He was smiling from ear to ear after I confessed what I was doing and he said, “You’re going to be famous.”  I didn’t believe that, I mean, I was hiding that fact that I was writing.  However, his excitement dwelled in my mind and I began to consider maybe I could publish.  I eventually allowed people to read my manuscript and they encouraged me to publish, which clearly I did.  It only took two years for me to gain the courage to do so.

What have you found the most challenging part of the process? Finishing/not having enough time.  I am constantly being bombarded with a new idea, and the ideas do not wait until I’ve completed the previous idea.  So, I’m constantly changing what I’m working on.  Which takes me even longer to finish a story.  Plus, I don’t read as fast as I’d like, so revising takes forever and then, again, another idea pops in for something not related to this story.  It’s a vicious cycle really (but I love it).

Are you a ‘pantser’ or a plotter? Definitely a pantser.  I have never been able to write an outline.  When I had to write papers in school, I usually did it after I finished the paper/story – or had to change the outline when I was done.  When I sit down to write, the moment I begin typing, the story plays out in front of me, and not always in chronological order.  For example, at least three of my books, I wrote the first chapter after I finished writing the rest of it.

What are your views on free books? I’m personally on the fence about that one.  I do not think it demeans the author or his/her work.  Getting your stories out there is an important part of being a writer, especially as an indie author since all marketing falls on the author.  Free books seemed like a great idea when I started.  I was told to make book one free and then they’ll come back for more.   They didn’t, and I struggled again with the idea that maybe my stories are not “good”.   One day someone said to me that they download free books all the time, and they had read very few of them.  However, they did read the ones they paid for… because they paid for them.  And my numbers seemed to reflect the idea that they probably weren’t that far off the mark.  I’ve never had much luck with selling my ebooks for free, and getting sales off my other books, so I stopped.   However, I do tend to give out my paperbacks, because I have made a few fans that way.

How do you deal with bad reviews? I always take my reviews to heart, even the bad ones.  However, depending on what is said, is how I react to it.  I honestly don’t expect everyone to like my stories, because I don’t like all the books I read either.  A review is a person’s opinion and they’re allowed to have one.  I usually take the bad review as constructive criticism, sometimes I can see their point.  Like with the “Huntsman’s Daughter”, I unpublished it and am trying to find the time to tend to the issues that my “editors” and I missed.   However, there have been times where the review kind of hurt, like when they attacked something about a character.  I wanted to be able to defend that character against whatever it was that they were attacked for, but alas I cannot.  Those are the times I make myself warm cookies, grab a glass of milk, and get back to writing.  Or I talk to a friend and vent a little.  The last time I did this my friend said: “writing with your heart again, I see.”  I shrugged, and let that sink in.  Then I realized that person didn’t understand my character’s behavior because they hadn’t experienced a similar situation to what my character was dealing with – or if they had, they dealt with it differently –  and that allowed me to not be so frustrated.

Order of importance?

Great Characters – If I get attached to the characters in a book I will finish reading that book guaranteed.  If the main characters don’t draw me in, I will stop reading the book.   So yes, when I write, character development is huge to me.

Good Plot – If the characters and their development are great, I will be more forgiving of the plot.  I will finish the story and if there’s a sequel I’ll probably read it as well.   As a writer, plot isn’t something I’ve struggled with, I actually don’t think about it too much because the characters tend to write the plot for me.

Technically perfect – I’m not saying it has to be perfect, but if there’s too many technical issues – then I will stop reading it.  I’ve put down a book before because there were a ton of short sentences and my brain was so fixated on the all the periods that it was not picking up any of the story.  I am pretty lax on typos, and am proud of myself when I catch a homophone error, but I am not a grammatical Nazi by any means.  As long as the errors are not overabundant and don’t pull me out of the world the author created, I will continue to read the story.

Awesome world-building – This is not necessary for me as a reader.  I’ve come to realize there are two types of people, those with active imaginations and those who need to be told what to see.  Which type am I?  I’m the type who gets annoyed if there’s too much description.  I have a very active and strong imagination so I don’t need pages of details to see something.  Give me an idea of what you see and my brain will do the rest unless it is important to the story.   Even when I take the time to read all the details an author is giving me, my brain pictures what it wants.  I would much rather the words be used for moving the story along or building the character than telling me about a tree that has little if any relevance to the story.   As a writer, I do draw the scenery, but I’ve had times where my friends have had to remind me that they are not in my head, so I go back and write to help them see what I see.

 

How is storytelling influential to our culture? I believe storytelling is very influential to our culture.  It helps to inspire and motivate people, it gives people a way to escape this world for a while, it gives something for people to relate to.  My older son was not a strong reader, he hated it when he was in early elementary.  We introduced him to comic books and by the time he was in sixth grade he was reading above his grade level, but more importantly, it inspired him to make better choices.  We had a discussion the other day, and he looks at me and says, “Mom, tragedy helps build character.  It sucks, but it’s the truth.  Look at Batman.  His parents were killed, and that’s horrible I know, but look at who he became, look at all the good he did and people he helped.  If his parents hadn’t died he would not have become that incredible man.”   And if you think about Star Trek, and all those devices they used that inspired people to figure out how to create things that were similar… like cell phones.  Storytelling invigorates the mind and encourages us to think differently than we did before.

What is your writing space like? My writing space is anywhere I can sit with my laptop.  In the summer I like to write outside under the trees, but when it’s not nice, I’ll sit on the floor, in my bed, on the couch.  I’ve sat in bleachers waiting for wrestling meets to start, in my car waiting for my kids to get done with class, at the library, at a coffee/tea shop.  I’m really not too picky about my writing space because as soon as I start typing, this world falls away.  Although sometimes if there’s too much talking or the TV is loud, I usually plug in headphones and I’m good.

Tell us about your latest piece.

My most recent story I’ve published is “Adventurer’s Spirit”.  It takes place on another world where two different races of people exist.  Alyxzandra belongs to a people who are in touch with the world they live on, and Jared’s people do not think twice about the planet.  Alyxzandra and Jared meet in the woods when they are young – she was playing a game and he was hunting.  They should have seen each other as enemies, but the moment they saw each other they only saw someone who didn’t deserve to die.  Jared should have killed her that day, and she should have let Jared die when he is attacked by a Zurgala, but instead they keep each other alive not knowing that these two incidents would change everything.  This story follows their journey of friendship as they do their best to protect each other, their sacrifices, and the impacts it has on them and the world they live on.

What’s your next writing adventure? I am always working on more than one thing, but currently I’ve been a bit obsessive over Story 20.  I’m almost 150,000 words in, and the ending is almost complete.  This is an adventure story taking place far from Earth.  It is a story of unexpected love, betrayal, and survival.

Is there a message in your books? I don’t set out for there to be, but they do seem to fall in line with my beliefs that nature is important, that love knows no bounds, that you’re stronger than you know, that men and women are equal and a complement to each other, and survival is possible even in our lowest/darkest moments.

How important is writing to you? The only thing more important to me than writing are my kids.  And they will attest to the fact that when I don’t write it affects everything about me.  I become forgetful and dumb – we joke around that I can’t think straight because of the voices in my head (the story ideas are taking up too much space).  Irritation and sadness tend to take over my mood more easily, and my focus goes out the window.  I love writing, stopping isn’t an option.  It’s my solace, my happy place, my space to challenge myself to think outside the box and become more than I thought I could be.

Links:

Blog: It all started with a dream…: https://amandaschmidt09.blogspot.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaschmidt09/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmandaSchimdtFans/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmandaSchmidt09

Bio

I graduated from Eastern Michigan University and live in Rochester, Michigan. I am a single mother of three amazing children who have helped me rediscover my love of writing. I started writing in 2009 and discovered there were many stories within me that I wanted to share. With the help of my family, friends, and fans, I have gained confidence in myself and in what I love, allowing me to live my dream to be an author who finds inspiration everywhere: my past, listening to music, in laughter, and even random moments while out hiking or practicing Tai Chi.

I discovered the hard way how important believing in yourself and your dreams is. With each story I write, I hope to take my readers into a world that will captivate their attention. I hope my stories remind you to believe in your dreams, allowing you to think outside the box and become more than you thought you could be.