Author's Interview
Author: Susan M. Sailors
Author website: http://www/lulu.com/susanmsailors
http://www/lulu.com/susanmsailorsPlease list your books and publishers: Thank the Goddess – Four Girls Publishing Summer Sizzlers – Whiskey Creek Press Torrid Bring Me to Life – Jupiter World Press Tie Me Up – Jovian Pleasures Torrid Teasers – Volume 9 – Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
When and why did you begin writing?
SS: I began writing at the age of eleven. I loved reading, and I wanted to write my own stories. The books I read sparked my imagination, and I soon had so many of my own ideas that I wanted to see where I could take them.
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
SS: I prefer writing speculative fiction. When I write romance, I almost always put a paranormal or fantasy element in. I also love writing horror, when not writing romance.
How does your family and/or friends feel about your writing in general?
SS: My family is very supportive, and my friends, most of them English majors and/or writers themselves, are very supportive as well.
How do you promote your books?
SS: I have a Yahoo group, which can be found at http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Susan_Sailors_Shadows/ and I also make announcements on my site and in the other groups I belong to. I do chats whenever possible as well.Have you ever written a story without describing the main character to leave the image up to the reader?
SS: When I’m writing something besides romance, I sometimes do that, but usually I have a clear image of my characters, so I want to describe them.
Do you lock yourself away when writing? What time of day do you normally write and for how long?
SS: I write at all times of the day. When I’m really into a storyline, I can write for hours, but sometimes I just write for a short time each day. It all depends on my schedule and inspiration….and sometimes deadlines.
If you could bring any character from one of your books to life, who would it be and why?
SS: I would choose Howard from my sci-fi tale “Bring Me to Life.” And not just because he’s one of my only human characters. I think he’s very complex, and I can really relate to him on so many levels. Plus, I love his storyline, and I’d think I’d really enjoy meeting him if he were real.
Do you believe people are willing to purchase erotic books in paperback in the same quantities as they do in e-book? Why?
SS: Well, I would say no only because you can save so much money buying ebooks. I prefer hardcopy, but I love saving money by purchasing ebooks even when print copies are available.
How do relax and pamper yourself after meeting a deadline?
SS: Usually with Godiva chocolate, one of my husband’s daiquiris, and possibly a good horror movie.
Who are your favorite authors and what is it that really strikes you about their work?SS: I love Angela Knight’s sci-fi and paranormal novels. The sex sizzles but the plot is never discounted or neglected. I also love Emma Wilde’s historical romances. She really does her research, and the historical periods come alive.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
SS: Believe it or not, I’ve never really had writer’s block. Hopefully saying that won’t jinx me.
Tell us about your favorite time of year, why do you like it?
SS: I love Autumn. That is partially because I focused on the British Romantics (British authors in the late 18th and early 19th centuries) as an English major. Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats are two good examples. Autumn was often used as a metaphor for inspiration, and I’ve always found it to be a very nostalgic and inspiring season myself.
What are you reading now?
SS: I am reading Judi Miller’s mystery novel “The Phantom of the Soap Opera,” rereading Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” and I just began reading the other stories in the Whiskey Creek Press Torrid anthology Summer Sizzlers, which includes one of my stories.
Can you briefly share a bit of your current work?
SS: I just had an erotic paranormal novella, Eternal Kiss, accepted by Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, and it will be released in May 2007. My first full length romance novel, Night Gardening, will be released by Whiskey Creek Press in June 2007. I recently became part of the Venus Press family, and I’ll have updates on that at my Yahoo group soon. I have lots of upcoming releases at Jupiter World Press and Whiskey Creek Press Torrid in the coming months as well. I’ll be appearing in the Whiskey Creek Press FEAR anthology in September.
Is there anything you would like to tell our readers that I have not covered?
SS: I also work as an editor, not just a writer. I currently edit at StarDust Press, a new publisher that will open up later this year.
Thank you for taking the time to visit with us and our guests here at MayReviews.com.
Author: Julie Cambria
Author Website: www.juliecambria.com
www.juliecambria.comPlease list your books and publishers: POINT BLANK, Whiskey Creek Press
When and why did you begin writing?
JC: I began writing novels seriously about eight years ago. It had always been a dream of mine to write fiction since I was 19 or 20, but I never had the time. I was going to college and then working 12-hour days as a reporter and then managing a television station in West Palm Beach, Florida. When I turned 35, I decided to sit down and write a story I’d been thinking about for quite awhile. It was so much fun, and I knew from that point on I would always write.
What inspired you to write your first book?
JC: I think getting older and realizing that if I didn’t sit down and write the book, I was never going to do it. I finally realized there would always something to get in the way of writing as long as I allowed it. So, I decided no more excuses.
How do you come up with the titles for your books?
JC: Titling is the hardest thing for me. You’d think after writing anywhere from 70 to 90 thousand words, I’d be able to come up with a couple for a title! My critique partner, April Star (www.authoraprilstar.com), is a huge help in this department. Besides being an awesome writer, she has a flair for coming up with titles.If you had to choose, which writer would you consider your mentor?
JC: This is an extremely difficult question for me because I read so much and so many different authors. But if you made me chose one, I would have to say Nora Roberts. She is just so good in every way, and her unbelievable success is a testament to that.
What are you reading now?
JC: I’ve just started The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. I’d heard such great things about it, and it definitely pulls you in right away.
How does your family and/or friends feel about your books and writing?
JC: Both my family and friends are very proud of me…at least that’s what they tell me! I work full time managing a public relations office in the Atlanta area, and am married with three children, so the support of my family is essential to my writing. My husband has always encouraged me to write. He knows it’s a passion of mine. I don’t know what I would do without him. My friends are just awesome. They are always there for me whenever I need them and are my greatest advocates.
Who are your favorite authors and what strikes you about their work?
JC: My favorite authors are: Patricia Cornwell, Catherine Coulter, Eileen Goudge, Iris Johansen, Laurell K. Hamilton, James Patterson, Kay Hooper, Sue Grafton, Scott Turow, Nora Roberts, and the list goes on and on. They are all great storytellers whose novels are character driven. They all write fast paced, entertaining books. I don’t have as much time for reading as I would like so when I do read, I want to be entertained.
How do you promote your books?
JC: I’ve done a little bit of advertising online and a lot of promotion through press packets sent to newspapers. The press packets have really paid off for me. Every newspaper I have sent them to has done something. Some of the papers have done full interviews and some have done just a few paragraphs. I’ve had great success with bookswelove.net. I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from folks who visit that site. We’ve also sent the book out to review sites and the reviews have been very good so that helps as well.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
JC: Sit down and do it. While that may sound simple, it’s not. You have to write every single day whether it is going good or not. It’s easy to come up with excuses. I did for years. But if you’re going to succeed, you must write. I would also highly recommend writers join writer organizations like Romance Writer’s of America, Mystery Writer’s of American, Sister’s in Crime. Organizations like those can teach you so much about writing and the market, and they offer so much support that I think they are essential to any writer.
What is the most recent movie that you have seen?
JC: The last movie I went to see in a theater was Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which I thought was great. I mean who doesn’t like Brad Pitt?
Where do you hope to take your writing in the future?
JC: I would like to get a literary agent with the current manuscript I’m finishing. I would love to take my writing career to the next level and sign a contract with a large publishing house.
If you had an opportunity to travel in time, where would you go and in what time period? Why?
JC: I definitely would not want to go back in time. I like modern conveniences too much! I would travel forward in time 100 years. I would love to see where technology takes us, the advances in medicine, and the politics of the day. All of those things are interesting to me.
If you met your favorite character in real life, what would you say to them?
JC: Another tough question. I read so much and there are so many great characters that have been created by writers that it is hard to choose. But if you’re going to make me chose one, I think the most interesting one right now would be Laurell K. Hamilton’s vampire hunter Anita Blake. I’d ask her for an interview and then I’d write a story about her for a newspaper or magazine
Can you briefly share a bit of your current work with us?
JC: I am finishing up the novel, Flesh & Blood. And no, I did not title it. My critique partner April Star did! The main character is an assistant state attorney who is thrust into a murder investigation that will lead her to buried secrets about her family that will challenge everything she’s been raised to believe about them and herself. There are all kinds of twists and turns in the plot and I think it is a great book.
Is there anything you would like to tell our readers that I have not covered?
JC: I love to hear from readers. It really makes my day when they email me and tell me what they thought of Point Blank. They can visit my web site at www.juliecambria.com or email me at juliecambria@aol.com. Thanks so much for inviting me for the interview. I love to talk about books and writing.Thank you for taking the time to visit with us and our guests here at MayReviews.com.
Today We Are Interviewing
Author: Danna Hobart
Author website: http://www.morningstarliteraryjournal.com
http://www.morningstarliteraryjournal.comhttp://allpoetry.com/poets/Danna%20Hobart
http://allpoetry.com/poets/Danna%20HobartPlease list your books and publishers: Morning Star is my first novel, and it is published by Whiskey Creek Press.
When and why did you begin writing?
DH: I began writing seriously in 2000 when my youngest son went to pre-school. I had always wanted to write, but never really had the time before then.
How do you promote your books?
DH: Well, online is by far the easiest way to promote a book. There are hundreds of forums about almost every subject under the sun. Morning Star is about woman who becomes a long haul truck driver because she is suffering from postpartum depression that teeters on the brink of postpartum psychosis. So I have been promoting it in forums for postpartum depression and forums for truck drivers. I am sending out press releases to all the local newspapers, radio, and television stations. I also take every opportunity to give out a business card, just trying and seize every situation for promotion that I can.
What book have you read recently that made an impression on you?
DH: I recently read Into the Wild by Job Krakauer, which is the biography of Chris McCandless, who walked into the Alaskan wilderness and never came out. I was touched by Chris’ code of honor and inspired by his thirst for adventure. I could identify with his personal quest for meaning in his life, and I could not help but grieve for him.
Who are your favorite authors?
DH: It may sound cliché, but I love Stephen King. I was not allowed to read his books when I was a kid, and now I can’t get enough of them. He crosses that line that other writers are afraid to. I wish I had the courage to explore the darkness that he writes about. I also love to read Michael Crichton. I am a big sci-fi fan.
How does your family and/or friends feel about your book or your writing in general?
DH: Everyone I know is extremely supportive, especially my husband. He supported me by taking over as full-time care-giver for our son while I was driving trucks, and he never complained while I was going to college, even though it was not easy to survive on his income alone. I’d have never had the confidence to finish the novel and follow through with getting it published if not for my college writing professor. He critiqued the story, and gave me so much encouragement. In his classes, I got to know some other aspiring writers and have kept in touch with them. They are my greatest critics and my biggest supporters. My mother is also a writer, and my being published has sort of put her writing into over-drive. She has a great fantasy novel that she is finishing right now called The Domes, and I expect it to be America’s Harry Potter.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
DH: That is a great question. I had several points when I was writing Morning Star when I just seemed stalled, so I would just force myself to write past it, because that is really all you have to do is work past it to get to a point where you feel motivated again. I had to really work hard to contain my own inner-critic while I worked through the writer’s block, or I may have been stuck for much longer. I knew I could always go back and edit out what didn’t work later.
Tell us about your favorite time of year, why do you like it?
Tell us about your favorite time of year, why do you like it?DH: Oh, that is so hard to choose. I absolutely love to swim, and so I love summer, even though it can get unbearably hot here in California’s San Joaquin Valley, but I may love Christmas time even more. I love Christmas songs and start listening to them right after Thanksgiving. I send out tons of Christmas cards to family and friends, and I have saved every card I have received since 1996. Every year I hang them on my walls; all of them. They decorate my home like holiday wallpaper. My children and I look through them every year. My sons are always curious to know who sent them and what they had to say. It creates such a sense of nostalgia, a link to the past, and makes us feel surrounded by the ones we love, even the ones who are no longer with us.
DH: Oh, that is so hard to choose. I absolutely love to swim, and so I love summer, even though it can get unbearably hot here in California’s San Joaquin Valley, but I may love Christmas time even more. I love Christmas songs and start listening to them right after Thanksgiving. I send out tons of Christmas cards to family and friends, and I have saved every card I have received since 1996. Every year I hang them on my walls; all of them. They decorate my home like holiday wallpaper. My children and I look through them every year. My sons are always curious to know who sent them and what they had to say. It creates such a sense of nostalgia, a link to the past, and makes us feel surrounded by the ones we love, even the ones who are no longer with us.
Do you believe people are willing to purchase erotic books in paperback in the same quantities as they do in e-book? Why?
DH: Well, that depends on the person. For some people it is a guilty pleasure, and if they don‘t want evidence of their indulgence lying around the house, they will not purchase paperbacks, but for others, reading erotica is a way to pamper themselves, and holding the book in their hands is part of that luxury.
Do you lock yourself away when writing? And what time of day and for how long do you normally write?
DH: I wish I could lock myself away to write. Our home is very small, and my computer is right in the living room, so I am constantly interrupted in my thoughts by children, husbands, neighbors, telephones, and a cat that thinks all I have to do all day long is hold her. I usually start writing about noon, but I have to pick the kids up from school at 2:30. Then I try to get my housework done, take the kids swimming or help them with their homework and run errands before dinner time, and go back to writing after we eat. My most productive hours for writing though, are after the kids are asleep, from say, 10 pm to 3 am. I know many people write during the day while their kids are in school, but I have just never been a morning person, so I stay up late.
If you could bring any character from one of your books to life, who would it be and why?
DH: I am currently working on my grandmother’s biography. If I could bring a character back to life, it would be her. She died when I was only eleven, and there was just so much more I could have learned from her.
How do relax and pamper yourself after meeting a deadline?
DH: Well, I have a close group of friends that will use any excuse to go out and get drunk! Does that count?
What is the most recent movie that you have seen? What types of movies do you normally like?
DH: We live next door to a drive-in theatre, so we see a lot of movies. I think the last movies we saw were a double feature, Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean. I like all kinds of movies, really, but sci-fi and horror are probably my favorites. I am a thrill seeking-adrenaline junky.
If you had the opportunity to travel in time, where would you go and in what time period? Why?
DH: I would go back to the 1970’s. I was born in 1966, and so I was too young to really enjoy most of the 70’s. I have always felt like I was born ten years too late. I was oblivious to all of the political and social things that were going on when I was a kid. I read about them now and wish that I had been old enough to have understood what was going on when it happened. In so many ways, the 1970’s seem like the last age of innocence to me, where people still believed that their voices could rise and make a difference. I think I would have been your typical flower child, participating in protest marches and sit-ins.
In the 1980’s I was sort of an Air Supply groupie, following them around the country. I wonder who I would have followed around in the 70’s? Probably Donny Osmond! Maybe Tony Orlando. He’s still yummy!
Have you ever written a story without describing the main character to leave the image up to the reader?
DH: Oh, yes! I think that there is nothing cheesier than forcing a description of your blond-haired, blue-eyed protagonist with the long legs and the deep tan into your story. If the description does not flow into the story naturally, I let the reader use their own image.
Can you briefly share what you are working on now?
DH: Well, as I said earlier, I am working on my grandmother’s biography. Her story is amazing. She was such a strong woman, widowed and raising five children on her own in the 1940’s. Bob Hope used to bring young servicemen to her house for a last home cooked meal before they were shipped out. She dated Henry Fonda, and Glen Ford asked her to marry him, but she turned him down and married my grandfather instead, a man seventeen years younger than she was. It is a story of their romance, but it is so much more. It is a story of a woman’s fight against the government for their negligence, which caused the death of her 13-year-old son, and left her 11-year-old son a double amputee. She stood up to that brick wall of bureaucracy and kicked it down. She had a bill passed through congress that changed American history, but nobody knows about it. I intend to change that.
I am also working on turning Morning Star into a screenplay which offers a special challenge. If a screenplay is more than 120 pages long, it has less of a chance of getting made into a movie, because each page represents approximately one minute of screen time, so cutting a 383 page novel down to 120 pages has been a real lesson in minimalism.
Is there anything you would like to tell our readers that I have not covered?
DH: Wow, you left that one wide open for me. I guess I should tell people that Morning Star is more than just a book, it is my biography. I suffered through postpartum depression that was so bad, there was a point when I actually thought my son was the Chucky doll, and I was afraid he was going to kill me. Most people (thankfully) can not relate to that. Postpartum depression is still so misunderstood, even in the medical community. Treatment is often a guessing game if your doctor is not familiar enough with it, and yet, a large number of women who give birth every year suffer from some degree of PPD. It is a subject that gets national coverage every time a woman succumbs to the invasive thoughts that often accompany the depression. A shocked public sees these woman as monstrous, and it is so hard to understand how it could go as far as it did with women like Andrea Yates or Susan Smith. I wrote Morning Star in the first person to put the reader into the head of someone suffering from postpartum depression. I hope that after reading Morning Star, people will walk away with a different understanding, a personal understanding of what women suffering from postpartum depression go through. I also want to make sure that people understand women suffering from PPD are not crazy, even if they suffer from rarest form, postpartum psychosis. It is a hormonal imbalance often made worse by sleep deprivation. My oldest son had colic, and he never let me get enough sleep. For me, inactivity made it worse. Most women do not have husbands like mine, who will take over as primary caregiver to their baby while they go out and become the primary bread winner, but going back to work may help, or becoming active in some other way, and if a woman is having a really hard time, make sure she has support 24 hours a day so that she does not get too overwhelmed.
Thank you for taking the time to visit with us and our guests here at MayReviews.com.
Author: Anna J. Evans
Author Website: http://laughoutloudsexy.com
http://laughoutloudsexy.comPlease list your books and publishers: Ellora's Cave, Liquid Silver books, Whiskey Creek Torrid, Chippewa Publishing
When and why did you begin writing?
AE: I've written as long as I can remember. My 'talent' for the tenth grade pageant at my school was a children's book called 'The Hairy Tarantula' and I have more boxes of journals than I can count. Interesting for a glimpse into my ten-year-old psyche, but heavy to move from house to house, lol. I was also a produced playwrite and non-fiction ebook writer before I turned to writing erotic romance after the birth of my son two years ago. For some reason, motherhood made me feel really sexy, lol, and I just had to get those feelings out on the page.
Who influenced your writing and in what way?
AE: I find that all the plays I read as an actor really affected my writing. I have a passion for snappy dialogue and pay close attention to the rise and fall of dramatic action. As far as my work habits, a workshop I went to in Los Angeles, where multi-pubbed author Susan Mallery was a speaker, inspired me to keep a somewhat grueling daily writing regiman. I'm so thankful for that workshop. The 'butt in the chair, let's make some words' method really works for me.
How do your family and/or friends feel about your books or writing in general?
AE: My family have all been really, really supportive of my work. They're very proud of me and were thrilled that I had my first booksigning a few weeks ago. But because I write erotic romance, there have been a few stories my mom hasn't felt comfortable reading and I don't tell my pen name to my two stepdaughter's friends' mothers. I don't want them to be negatively influenced by my work in any way, and I realize that there are a lot of people out there who aren't as comfortable celebrating sensuality and sexuality as I am.
How do you promote your books?
AE: You had to ask that question.... Okay, I don't promote very well. I've tried a few chats, and a few contests, but so far I've failed to meet the promotional challenge. I have two stepdaughters and a two year old son who all live with me full time and between three loads of laundry a day and the constant clamoring for snacks, I'm lucky to get my edits in on time and a few new pages written a day. Other mom writers have told me to tell the kids to only interrupt me for 'fire or blood', but I've yet to convince my tribe that a desperate craving for my special fruit salad isn't a problem that needs immediate attention. I have vowed to promo more this year, however...as soon as my rugrats are back at school, lol.
Do you feel that personality traits are better descriptions of characters opposed to actual physical looks?
AE: Of course. Physical looks are telling, however, in that they help the reader know how this character is treated in our society. Like it or not, being 'pretty or handsome', does influence how we are treated by those around us. I wish we all thought 'pretty is as pretty does', but that just isn't reality.
Do you lock yourself away when writing? And when writing, how long do you normally write at a time?
AE: I try to lock myself away, but it's difficult. I get the most work done when the older kids are in school and my youngest goes to mother's day out for the morning. I can easily meet my word count for the day (usually 3-5 thousand words) in the few hours after breakfast and take care of edits during lunch and the few hours after. I don't have a set number of hours to write at a time, I have a word count goal and I only get to stop after I've met it, no matter how long it takes.
If you had the opportunity to travel in time, where would you go and in what time period? Why?
AE: I'd go to the future. I'm just dying to find out if we'll ever have a female president here in the States, if we become more eco-friendly, and if any sexy aliens have landed, lol.
If you could bring any character from one of your books to life, who would it be and why?
AE: It would be Cale from "Death by Seduction" (now available at Liquid Silver Books). He's the ultimate alpha male, but with a great sense of humor and a depth of feeling that you just don't find in many men. He's just...dreamy. Of course, my man is even dreamier, lol. (Just had to throw that in...in case he decides to read this interview!)
E-books are a growing product line…do you believe e-books are a good way to publish? Why?AE: I do, especially for erotic romance. Books that women might not feel completely comfortable purchasing at a book store are easily obtained online.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
AE: I refuse to admit the existance of writer's block, lol. I just sit and write. If I get stuck, I work on something else and then come back to the story that was giving me fits. I have too little time to write to let anything stand in my way.
What is your favorite type of music? Do you listen to music while writing?
AE: I love all kinds of music, really almost everything. But I don't listen when I write, it drowns out the sounds of the voices in my head, lol.
How do relax and pamper yourself after meeting a deadline?
AE: Maybe a glass of wine with dinner, or a half day off to go get my nails done, but I don't pamper that much. My family is very importahnt to me and I have just enough time for work and my family obligations. Pampering is something I save for our annual adult vacation in the spring.
What new author has grabbed your interest?
AE: Being relatively new myself, I'm not sure I'm qualified to call another author new, but I really enjoy the work of all of the Indulge Authors (http://indulgeauthors.com). I was lucky enough to be welcomed into this group of up and coming authors and I have had a blast reading their work. There's a little something for everyone.Can you briefly share about your current work?
AE: I'm working on my first 'spaceman' story, lol. All I can say is that it's sexy, a little kookie, and involves a race of alien men with...multiple appendages, lol.
Is there anything that you would like to tell our readers that I have not covered?
AE: I just want to thank anyone who's ever read one of my stories. I'm thrilled to be a writer and the fact that someone out there is reading what I wrote still gives me the best kind of chills.
Thank you for taking the time to visit with us and our guests here at MayReviews.com
