Meet AG Fredericks

As I write this, my kids are mourning the end of summer and preparing for their first day of school tomorrow. So before I head off to wipe a few tears and pack a few lunches, here is this week’s featured author in my Debut Author Q&A series: AG Fredericks.

Name: AG Fredericks

Name of book: The Troy Standard

Book genre: Literary fiction

Date published: May 5, 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace

What is your book about? This is always the most difficult question for me, because the book touches on so many themes and topics, and I just want to get into all of them. The proverbial “nutshell” is never adequate enough for an author, and it’s always tempting to give away too much. But I’ll give it a stab.

The book follows the life of Troy Mulligan as he works hard at achieving a perfectly honest and noble life after an awakening of sorts. In his search for fulfillment, he slowly realizes that he has been at the mercy of the world around him, and he desperately wants to be in control of his own life. As part of this search, he donates his time and money toward charitable projects. Over time, he develops a belief that the base form of finance, the U.S. dollar itself, is unstable and could potentially lead to dangerous circumstances that people just haven’t realized because their heads are just too far in the sand.

A billionaire philanthropist/rogue investor approaches Troy with a plan – to establish a new global currency using a solid base of precious metals. Troy is intrigued and feels that this project may very well be his calling in life. But there are a lot of powerful and ruthless people standing in their way who do not want to relinquish their control over the status quo. Hilarity ensues. (Not really, I just love saying that.)

Why did you want to write this book? I am deeply disturbed when I look at our country’s political and economic situation and the way we arrived at where we are – from both sides, left and right. In particular, I am fascinated about the history of money and its current state in world affairs. The “history of money” seems like it would be a very important topic for everyone to understand. Yet not many people do.

Meet Stephen Edger

Whew! Luckily, I managed to snare Stephen Edger, today’s featured writer, for a chat before Thursday when his second novel is published and, technically, he is no longer eligible to be interviewed for my Debut Author Q&A series. There I go again doing things just under the wire…
Name: Stephen Edger
Name of book: Integration
Book genre: Thriller (Fiction)
Date published: August 2011
Publisher: CreateSpace (Amazon)
What is your day job? I’m a manager in a bank
What is your book about? A Team Leader working in a bank call center is offered 1 million pounds in return for a “favor.” After much deliberation, he declines the offer but this is only just the start of his problems. Money laundering, kidnap, secret phone calls and violence: This is a jam-packed seven days.
Why did you want to write this book? I always thought that I would like to write a book. In 2010, I was on holiday in Spain when our apartment was burglarized. I remember how scary it was when we wondered whether the intruders were still inside. I began thinking that this would make a great opening chapter to a book and began typing off the cuff. What I typed became my first three chapters, and the plot kind of developed from there.
What would you say is the most challenging part of writing a book? Proofreading. My comprehension of language is pretty good, but I still find so many mistakes that I didn’t expect. Thankfully, my wife and mother-in-law aren’t afraid to pick fault with what I have done.
Did you conduct any kind of research in order to write Integration? I work in a bank so writing Integration was quite easy.
What motivates you to write? I have always had a really active imagination and being able to capture that in a story is incredible to me. I loved seeing the finished product, and the feedback I have received makes me want to keep writing.
Did you experience writer’s block? Not really. I didn’t commit to write on specific days, just when I felt the urge. I used to get moments of inspiration where I felt compelled to write, and I would just make the most of those moments.
How long did it take you to write this book? It took three-and-a-half months to write the first draft.
Why did you decide to self-publish? I sent Integration to a dozen UK agents to try and gain representation, but received a dozen rejections. I felt I had put too much effort into completing the manuscript to throw it away so when I happened upon Amazon’s self-publishing tools I jumped at the chance.
Was the self-publishing process easier or more difficult than you thought it would be? It has been a constant learning curve. Let me give an example: I am aiming to release my second novel Remorse this Thursday on several platforms (Kindle, iBookstore, paperback UK and paperback US). Each platform requires slightly different formatting, which I learned after I first released Integration. It is time-consuming to self-publish, but the effort is worth it in the end.
How did you decide on your book cover concept? The current book cover for Integration is the third I have released as I just couldn’t find what I wanted. I eventually found a piece of software that I have taught myself to use in order to create what I want. Integration is about money laundering, so I wanted a cover with money on it.
What was your favorite aspect of the writing process for this book? Hearing such positive feedback from strangers who have enjoyed reading it.
What tools/methods have you employed to promote your book? What advice would you give to writers regarding promotion? I promote through Facebook and Twitter.
How has life changed for you since the publication of your book? I always used to have ideas for stories when I was growing up, and I still get ideas popping into my head every day. The difference now is I have started jotting them down. You never know when one might develop into the next big thing.
Do you find yourself obsessively checking sales stats? I check my sales stats about six times a day (how sad is that?)
As you mentioned, you have a second book, Remorse, coming out this week. Is it another thriller? Yes, Remorse is another thriller but is quite different from Integration. I think anyone who has raised a baby will empathize with the protagonist’s plight. I am due to start writing a follow-up to Integration in January, and I cannot wait to get started as the plot promises to be even more explosive than the original!
My favorite last question: Oprah once famously said that there is no such thing as luck, without preparation and a moment of opportunity. Would you agree or disagree with regard to your own success as a writer? I would wholeheartedly agree!

Meet Wendy L. Young

When Wendy Young, today’s featured debut author, mentioned that she writes in a “very old-fashioned way,” I immediately envisioned the tap-tap-tapping of my college days onto my electric typewriter. But, nope, that’s not what Wendy meant at all…

Name: Wendy L. Young

Name of book: Come the Shadows

Book genre: Mystery

Date Published: July 27, 2011

Publisher: Self-published via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and CreateSpace

What is your day job? I am a contract employee, full time for a confidential company. I stay home with my two-year-old son and fit the work in wherever I can, be it 5 a.m. or 10 p.m.

What is your book about? It revolves around a small town in North Carolina that has lived in anonymity and peace for the better part of a century. Everything is thrown into chaos when bones are discovered in a derelict factory. The fact that it’s the first murder in 17 years is big enough, but there’s a lot more going on than just one simple murder.

What would you say is the most challenging part of writing a book? Editing. Editing. Editing. That’s the hardest part for me, anyway. I haven’t yet developed the hard edge needed to cut all that should be cut. I want to continue to nurture my favorite scenes, and my favorite people, even when I shouldn’t. Some were cut anyway in this book, but I’m sure I could have cut more.

What motivates you to write? I just love telling stories through the written word, and I have an intense desire to create things. I’ve dabbled in just about every craft you can think of before finally admitting that nothing in this world does it for me like writing.

Did you experience writer’s block? On the small scale, yes, I sometimes experience writer’s block. But I think it helps that I don’t start until I know where I want to go. Writer’s block is just another way to say you lost your train of thought. If that happens to me along the way (I write start to finish) then I just make a few notes about the scene or chapter and move on. I can finish it later in the editing stage.

If lack of planning is the problem, which happened to me in a novel I started last year, then it’s another animal altogether. I plan to pick that book up again, but before I do I have to figure out some important aspects of the climactic scenes and “big reveal.” If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re in trouble. Outlining isn’t for everyone but a certain amount of planning is necessary.

How long did it take you to write this book? It took me about ten weeks of writing, fitting it in around my stay-at-home-mom and works-full-time titles. Then it took another two months to edit because I drug my feet so horribly. All in all: four months and change.

Why did you decide to self-publish? I self-published for a lot of reasons, and I wonder every day if I made the right decision. Both traditional and indie publishing routes have their lures and their pitfalls. I think every person has to decide for themselves the right path. Just be sure you don’t self-publish with the idea you’ll be the next John Locke or Amanda Hocking – it takes work and a good stock of written material to make it happen!

What is the biggest misconception about writing a book? The biggest misconception about writing a book, to me, is that people will automatically want to read it. There’s a “selling” aspect to writing that most writers don’t consider. When you start, your footprint in this world is tiny. It takes a lot to be heard in this big, wide world.

What was your favorite aspect of the writing process for this book? The writing, period. I loved my daily write time. I write in a very old-fashioned way – with a pen and a spiral note book – and simply the action of writing, as your hand moves across paper, is fantastic.

What tools/methods have you employed to promote your book? I have promoted my book in a variety of ways – Twitter, Facebook, my blog and word of mouth. I also have several book bloggers lined up who are excited to read it, and one who already has posted her review. Getting my short story, “One Final Night,” free on Amazon also helped tremendously as it brought my name, and a small piece of my work, in front of thousands of readers within just a couple of days.

My biggest advice would be to start promoting before you publish. I was incredibly naive about this aspect and will definitely remedy that when I publish the sequel later this year.

How has life changed for you since the publication of your book? As of yet, not a lot. I’ve only seen a couple of reviews of the work, and I’m still at the very beginning of promoting it. I revel in every review and every word of praise, however. For a long time, writing was a very private thing. I was incredibly nervous to let my husband be the first one to read this. Now that part of me is thrown open to the world, it can make you feel vulnerable and alive at the same time.

My favorite last question: Oprah once famously said that there is no such thing as luck, without preparation and a moment of opportunity. Would you agree or disagree with regard to your own success as a writer? That’s hard to answer at this point – ask me in a year!

But right now I would have to say that I agree with her. I think everyone who wants to transition from writer to book author needs to be well prepared for the work involved and ready to seize those moments – be it a chance conversation on Twitter discussing what has worked for someone else or being fortunate enough to catch a good book blogger on a light stress day where he or she says, “Yes!” Be poised to jump and prepared enough to know how to use the opportunity to your advantage.

Meet Cyndi Tefft

Today’s featured debut author is Cyndi Tefft who lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest where the weather is overcast and rainy, much like the Highlands of Scotland, the setting of her debut novel, Between. Thank you, Cyndi, for such a thoughtful and informative chat!

Name: Cyndi Tefft

Name of book: Between

Book genre: YA paranormal romance

Date Published: June 1, 2011

Publisher: CreateSpace (self-published)

What is your day job? I manage employee benefits for a midsize corporation. I’ve been working in the Human Resources field for the last fourteen years.

What is your book about? It’s a love story between a modern American girl who dies in a car accident and the 18th century Scottish Highlander who comes to take her to heaven.

What was the most challenging part of the writing process? Editing was the hardest part for me. Between was my first novel, so when I finished the first draft, I thought it was perfect. It wasn’t until I started getting feedback from other writers that I realized it needed some work. So I spent a great deal of time reading books about editing and learning all the newbie mistakes (many of which I’d made).

What motivates you to write? A good story spurs me on, to see what happens, to find out how the characters develop and overcome the obstacles. A coworker of mine was interested in reading the manuscript when I was about halfway through with it. She loved it so much (and read it so quickly) that she was always prompting me to keep writing so she could read more. It was a great way to keep me going!

Did you experience writer’s block? There were a few scenes that were particularly challenging, where the words just wouldn’t come. I typically powered through just to get something down and then came back to the scene later, when I’d had a chance to mull it over.

Why did you decide to self-publish this book? I finished the first draft of Between in about six months, and then spent over a year editing it and trying to get it traditionally published. It was a very long year, full of joyous excitement and rock-bottom lows. Readers seemed to enjoy the book, but I wasn’t getting anywhere with the traditional publication route. I finally realized that agents and editors are looking at each manuscript through a critical lens whereas readers are just interested in a good story.

The characters in Between are slightly older than a typical young adult novel, and the storyline doesn’t fit the mold of the romance genre, so agents would have a hard time placing it with a house. Readers don’t have to worry about any of that; they are just weighing whether they liked it or not.

Going the independent route is not for the faint of heart, though. There is no one to come alongside you and tell you how it should be done. On the other hand, indie authors have control over covers, fonts, marketing and such that traditionally published authors do not. One is not better than the other (in my opinion), and I think that sentiment will become more widespread as time goes on.

What is the biggest misconception about writing a book? People often want to know what inspired me to write a novel, imagining that I must have some impressive explanation for deciding to spend hours on end typing away. I guess they figure there must be an incredible impetus for someone to become an author, perhaps because they can’t imagine themselves doing it.

I saw a video with Stephenie Meyer discussing her inspiration for Twilight (a dream), and she looked pretty normal to me. I thought that if she could do it, perhaps I could, too. So I started noodling on what kind of story I wanted to write and then got started. I didn’t honestly think I’d finish it, but I found myself so engrossed with the characters that I didn’t want to stop.

So that’s just it. You don’t need to have a divine inspiration; just start writing for the fun of it, and see where it takes you!

What was your favorite aspect of the writing process for this book? I’d always wanted to travel to France (having taken several years of French in school), but I never had the chance. Writing Between provided me with the ability to go there vicariously through my characters. I spent hours researching what Paris and Versailles were like in the 18th century, and doing so filled a void I’d held within me for far too long.

My husband and I were able to go to France and Scotland last year (after I’d finished the first draft of Between), and it was a dream come true, visiting the sites I’d written about in the book!

Is there another novel on the horizon? After the launch of Between, I will jump into finishing the sequel, Hell Transporter. The first draft is about a third of the way done already, but I haven’t looked at it in a while. I’m excited about spending more time with Aiden and Lindsey and fleshing out the next chapter for them!

What tools/methods have you employed to promote your book? What advice would you give to writers regarding promotion? My marketing strategy has focused mainly on book bloggers. I’ve received a wonderful response from the YA community, with nearly 200 bloggers and individuals agreeing to be a part of the launch in some way.

My advice to writers would be that no matter where you are in your writing process (haven’t started, just finished a draft, ready to go with a polished manuscript), start social networking now if you haven’t already done so. Create a blog and get followers. Set up an author page on Facebook. Play and connect with other writers (and readers) on Twitter. Join communities on Goodreads, LinkedIn, AbsoluteWrite, Authonomy and others. Marketing is about getting your book in front of people, so the more eyes you have access to, the more successful you will be when the time comes. Above all, be friendly and supportive!

Oprah has famously said that there is no such thing as luck, without preparation and a moment of opportunity. Would you agree or disagree with regard to your own success as a writer? Writing is hard work. There are a million other things that you could be doing instead of writing. If, after you finish a manuscript, edit it, and get feedback on it, you are able to land an agent and a publisher quickly, then some would say you’re lucky, that you were in the right place at the right time. That may well be so. Still, you wouldn’t have been there at all if it weren’t for the time and effort you put into the writing in the first place.

Certainly, some writers get lucky, while others are stuck waiting in the wings. It’s not always about the quality of the book. That moment of opportunity may be the self-publishing revolution that allows authors to bypass publishers and take their stories directly to readers. It may be something else entirely. The important thing is to not give up. Being ready when the opportunity comes along is what will ultimately result in your success.

Meet Lee Libro

When asked what her favorite part of the writing process was for her novel, Swimming with Wings, today’s featured debut author Lee Libro says, “For years I carried [my characters] around with me, partly consciously, partly in my subconscious, and now I’ve been able to release them.” I completely relate, having had Baby Grand rolling around in my brain for some 15 years. And isn’t it interesting how after finally getting their lives down on paper, new characters take their place almost immediately?

Name: Lee Libro

Name of book: Swimming with Wings

Book genre:  Literary Fiction / Coming of Age / Romance

Date Published: March 2010

Publisher: Self/CreateSpace

What is your day job? I have several.  I currently split my time as a writer, designer and freelance artist offering graphic services for novelists with my position as a Marketing/Real Estate Assistant in the Sarasota, Florida area.

What is your book about? Sometimes the simplest act of kindness will live on and penetrate through generations of misunderstanding. Swimming with Wings is a young woman’s journey out of grief and the religious and social restrictions of a small southern town in the 1970s. When Lark Jennison meets Peter Roma, one of the misunderstood “river gypsies” in her town, she finds a kindred soul and falls in love, except he misinterprets his inherited legacy of being a mystical healer as a calling to become an evangelical superstar and gets swept up in the craze of the era.  Her compulsion to seek answers to life’s greater questions through a universal spirituality fueled by her artistic drive, clashes with his intolerant religiosity. Love as a romantic notion becomes just that, the false “happily ever after” of storybooks and movies. But their families, thought to have been from such disparate roots, his from Italian immigrants and hers from the gentrified Pre-Civil War south, share an interesting history, one which will reveal a fundamental truth that will bond them forever.

What was the most challenging part of the writing process? Maintaining a taut balance between plot and character. The novel grew from a short story I had written years ago, and because I was compelled to develop the story mainly due to the characters, creating tension in a plot of novel length presented a challenge I had never before attempted.

What motivates you to write? Anything can motivate me to write. Anything from a visual cue to a current event. It usually starts with a sense of a character and then a whole set of ideas begins to conjure up in my head and I have to organize them into a story.

Did you experience writer’s block? I used to experience writer’s block when I first started creative writing back in college, but I’ve learned that writing anything, even if it comes out nonsensically, is better than a blank page, because, regardless, it’s your thoughts manifested. What you produce is like clay that can either be remolded or seed a growing story.

How long did it take you to write this book? As I said, I started Swimming With Wings as a short story back in college, so that was twenty-six years ago. I dabbled with it over the years, but once I finally sat down and made a continuous effort to write the novel, researched it, had it critiqued by several readers, professionally edited and proofread, then edited some more (you know how that goes!) it took about two years.

Why did you decide to self-publish this book? I needed the cathartic process of putting it “out there.” I also knew it would be the first of many other novels I wanted to write. In a way, it was my “training” novel. I’ve learned tremendously from it and though I love the story, just like any child one gives birth to, I know it’s not perfect. Technically speaking, it is well written, has the proper arc of a story, but perhaps leans too much toward the languid pace of some literary fiction for some people’s taste. I know there are areas that could be better.

What is the biggest misconception about writing a book? That the purpose of it is to make some money. While the income producing part of writing is wonderful, I wouldn’t write if I didn’t do so out of a very visceral need to do so. The ideas brew and converge, the characters are born, and the story must be told and told in the most accurate and skillful manner possible. That’s what writing a book is about.

What was your favorite aspect of the writing process for this book? My favorite part of the process was getting to see my characters finally take a role in the little world I created where they were able to grow into full bloom. For years I carried them around with me, partly consciously, partly in my subconscious, and now I’ve been able to release them. They no longer haunt me, so to speak, but most of all they no longer clog up my creative juices with their incessant cries to be born.

What tools/methods have you employed to promote your book? What advice would you give to writers regarding promotion? Well, I’ve incorporated my author persona into my social media activities, but there’s nothing more annoying than blatant self-promotion. Authors shouldn’t set up Twitter accounts, blogs and Facebook pages to serve simply as a billboard for their book. They need to offer truly valuable content and in the process demonstrate the same great writing that one might find in any book they have written or will write in the future.

I’ve participated in blog tours, book fairs, radio interviews and most recently I was interviewed on a “Twitterview” held by NovelPublicity. That was a lot of fun. My advice to writers regarding promotion is to make sure you do enough, but don’t burn out on it. Especially if you are self-published, promotion is entirely up to you unless you hire a publicist. It’s hard to find the right balance between continuing your craft and promoting the book you’ve just completed so you need to tailor your time and energy effectively.

Oprah has famously said that there is no such thing as luck, without preparation and a moment of opportunity. Would you agree or disagree with regard to your own success as a writer? Yes, I would most definitely agree, but I would add that some opportunities we make ourselves. Many view opportunity as something that will fall in their lap as opposed to something to proactively go out and get. As a writer, opportunity can be viewed as being able to attain a select few readers or it can be sealing a deal with one of the big-six publishers and having the next best seller. However you look at opportunity, when it comes to writing, know that the real reward of it lies in the talent itself. Who else can write an untold reality into existence, but a novelist, and be the god of their own universe?

Meet Terri Giuliano Long

Today’s featured debut author, Terri Giuliano Long, tells an amazing story of perseverance for her novel, In Leah’s Wake. Her love of the written word coupled with her optimism and determination should be a lesson to all writers to fight every step of the way for their book — from the writing to the publishing to the promoting. As Terri says: “The reality is, we can either promote the book we’ve put our heart and soul into creating or watch it languish.” Amen.

Name: Terri Giuliano Long

Name of book: In Leah’s Wake

Book genre: Mainstream Fiction, Family Saga

Date Published: October 1, 2010

Publisher: Createspace

What is your day job? I’m a part-time lecturer at Boston College, where I’ve taught writing for 15 years. Other than teaching, occasional marketing or editing work, I spend nearly all my time writing. I’m currently at work on a second novel.

What is your book about? In Leah’s Wake is a story of a family in collapse. Sixteen-year-old Leah, a star soccer player, has led a perfect life. When she meets a hot, older guy, a former roadie in a rock band, she begins to spread her wings. Drinking, ignoring curfew, dabbling in drugs—all this feels like freedom to her; her parents, naturally terrified, thinking they’re losing their daughter, pull the reigns tighter. This is unfamiliar territory for the whole family. Unfortunately, they get it all wrong, pushing when they ought to be pulling, and communication breaks down. Soon, there’s no turning back. Twelve-year-old Justine caught between the parents she loves, and the big sister she adores, finds herself in the fight of her life, trying desperately to pull her family together.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process for you? For a lot of writers, it’s facing a blank screen, revising, dealing with rejection. I struggle with all of this, too, to varying degrees. For me, sustaining belief—not in the project, but in myself—is, by far, the biggest challenge. I wonder if I’m on the right track, constantly second-guess myself, which results in periods of, let’s just say, creative procrastination.

Meet Courtney Conant

A hearty welcome to Courtney Conant, today’s featured debut author and a new voice in the paranormal/urban fantasy genre. There’s a book giveaway going on right now for Courtney’s book, The Blood Moon of Winter, over at Goodreads, but you have to act fast! The promotion ends February 17, 2011.

Name: Courtney Conant

Name of book: The Blood Moon of Winter

Book genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

Date published: January 28, 2011

Self-publisher: CreateSpace

What is your book about? Upon discovering the world in her dreams is actually real, Lilyana is torn by indecision. She is the only one who can save the dying land of Makayra. Yet, to do so, she must leave all she has ever known. She must choose whether her new found love is enough to keep her from performing a duty that has been thrust upon her. To quote one of my reviewers, “The Blood Moon of Winter is an imaginative tale that blends reality with fantasy, darkness with light, and the underlying need to follow one’s heart no matter where it leads.”

What was the most challenging part of the writing process? Making myself stop and sleep! Once I started writing it, I couldn’t stop. The story just kept coming, and I was afraid that if I stopped, I’d lose what was coming next.

What motivates you to write? It’s just something I’ve always done. I started writing around the age of 4 and kept doing it. I had a very active imagination as a child, and since I couldn’t draw for the life of me, I decided to paint the pictures that I saw in my head with words.

Did you experience writer’s block? I had writer’s block for about 10 years. I know it’s a long time but there was a reason… Growing up, I saved everything that I wrote. My words were my pride and joy. My family moved to Arizona when I was 16. I had two boxes filled with things that I had written. When we moved, somehow my boxes got pulled from the truck and placed back inside the house. I don’t know who did it or why, but it happened. My dad was still living in Michigan, because of work, so at least we still had the house. When we got to Arizona, I discovered my writing was missing. My dad swore that when he came back down, he would bring the boxes with him. A few weeks before his trip down, the house burned to the ground and everything was lost. I was completely destroyed and couldn’t write after that. This novel is the first thing that I wrote after the long absence. I’m so glad that I finally got over the hump of writer’s block/depression.

Finding NaNoWriMo was my savior. After many attempts to write, to get past the block, I had given up. On Oct. 30th, 2008, I came across the National Novel Writing Month contest and was intrigued. I never thought that I’d be able to complete a novel, let alone in 30 days, but I figured I’d give it a shot. I guess the push of a deadline was just what I needed. The contest gave me a goal and a date to finish it by. It helped to give me back my dedication to writing.

So you wrote this novel in 30 days? I wrote the novel in 17 days. Once the block broke, the words just flowed out of me and flooded my computer. I’m surprised that I didn’t break the keyboard from working it so much in such a short time.

Why did you decide to self-publish? That was a tough decision to make. I sent queries out to publishers and agents, trying to go the traditional route. Every step of the way, I was told that I had a great concept and that they would be interested in representing me. All I had to do was make my book longer. My novel was complete at 60k words (short and sweet) but because of the genre, they wouldn’t take it unless it was at least 80k. I tried over and over to add in the words that were being requested to no avail. Each attempt that I made took away from the story and changed it in ways that I didn’t like. It also altered the way I had planned for the sequel to go. It took two years for me to finally make the hard choice of either changing the story in a way that I didn’t like or keeping it as it was and publishing it myself. I decided that I’d be happier if I kept the story as is. I’m glad that I finally chose to self-publish. Having to promote it myself is difficult, but fun! I’m getting to meet all sorts of interesting people along the way that are going through the same situation. It’s a long road to walk, but I’m going to enjoy every step!

What is the biggest misconception about writing a book? Just because you write a novel doesn’t mean that it will sell. For me, writing it was the easy part. Getting an agent and publisher is another story. It’s a business, just like any other. There are no guarantees. And while self-publishing might be easy, selling the book is not. It takes a lot of work and a lot of time that most people don’t have. Indie authors have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to make a name for themselves.

What was your favorite aspect of writing this book? My favorite part was being able to sit in bed and have coffee and wine and whatever else I wanted delivered to me, so that I didn’t have to get up and stop! If my ex-husband ever did anything right, that was definitely it.

Oprah has famously said that there is no such thing as luck, without preparation and a moment of opportunity. Would you agree or disagree with regard to your own success as a writer? I definitely disagree with her statement. I think it was luck that led me to NaNoWriMo at that time. I wasn’t looking for anything about writing, but somehow stumbled across it. I did not prepare myself to write my novel. All I had was an opening sentence, and the entire book wrote itself through me. Maybe that was my “moment of opportunity” as she claims, but I think that luck was definitely on my side. The word pool decided that it was time for a storm, and the waves splashed me, inspiring me to create a new world.