Interview with Perri Birney

What will readers like about your book? 

PURE VISION has a unique storyline weaving myth, history, and political intrigue. It also introduces a strong and powerful female character, Maggie Seline, who is persecuted for of her beliefs. My husband, Lawrence, and I began writing the book ten years ago, and it metamorphosized dramatically along the way. There’s plenty of unexpected twists to the plot, so it’s entertaining, and yet at the same time it really inspires you to think and envision something greater. The book sets you on an adventure — women from all over the world march toward creating an international peace zone — so plenty of actionagainst a backdrop of current and historical events.

Why did you self publish?

Upon finishing the novel, I went the usual route of trying to find a literary agent. I came to find that many agents fear their relationships with publishers, so they usually stick with subjects that have been tried and true for them. Most of them tend to shy away from taking risks on books that look controversial. I decided not to play the waiting game and published PURE VISION myself. If you believe you’ve got something to say, then no one and nothing is going to stop readers from finding your work.

What is your writing process like?

Coffee, chocolate and silence. As you can tell from my answer, I like to stimulate my senses and then get quiet. As for the technical aspects, PURE VISION involved a great deal of research. So there were a few years where I was reading a lot, gathering information and gaining more understanding about subjects that were included in the book. Those were the years where I had to be patient, which was really hard to do. But it was a very important period since all of the material you’re gathering is kind of brewing inside of you. It’s as if you’re cooking with a huge pot, adding all sorts of ingredients to the mix, including the flavoring and the spices. You keep going until you have this incredible meal, and every single aspect that went into it is important to the whole.

What inspired you to write this particular story?

So much of the conflict we’re seeing around the world makes you stop and think about how we can all make a difference. When I hear about and see people hurt by the ravages of war, there’s a part of me that knows I can’t just bury my head in the sand. In my own case, I know I can communicate a story in an entertaining way and be able to reach a wide audience. So that’s how it started. I felt the need to express powerful ideals in a way that gave everyone room to think. When I actually started writing, I was inspired by the stories of great leaders — men and women such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and more currently, Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, who stood against all odds because they had a vision of peace and decency.

What is it that you’re trying to accomplish in the novel and who are you trying to reach?

There’s a real need in the world for strong women characters, in everyday life and in fiction. I believe PURE VISION fulfills that need by providing an intelligent, resourceful, larger-than-life female protagonist who is a force to be reckoned with. On a grander scale, I believe the novel recognizes that feminine energy needs to be embraced — whether we’re male or female — in order to create a more balanced world. The novel also creates a space where we can look at our problems in a new light. Instead of using old, worn-out methods like political divides and military force to attain resolution, we need to include spiritual or higher-minded means in our efforts. Also, art is such a powerful tool and artists are always using it to create change. My hope is that PURE VISION makes its mark and transforms readers, inspiring them to support an ideal beyond division and blame — a vision of peace.

Interview with Gil Hardwick

What will readers like about your book?

Great yarn

Why did you self publish? 

To tap into the growing ebook market, since I already had substantial computing and desktop publishing skills.

What is your writing process? 

I simply write as situations come to me along the narrative trajectory set in the opening chapters. I allow my characters their own space to do what they are going to do, engage conversations, set the pace, and act according to circumstances. I take my own breaks when I need them, get on with my own life, the transcribe what has come to me in the process when I get a chance, usually evenings.

How long does it take you to write your first draft? 

Usually 8-10 months to completion, including all editing and proofing.

What inspired you to write this particular story? 

Public issues, residual childhood memories, reminiscences, characters I’ve met around the bush, sights and sounds and smells coming back to me as I sit remembering. All my writing is like that.

Interview with Guy Harrison

What will readers like about your book?

I think that there's a little something for everybody in Agents of Change. If you like a unique, thought-provoking premise, I believe my novel has that. If you like technology and science fiction, there's some of that. If you like suspense and action, there's definitely some of that. And, if you like an emphasis on character development and human relationships, there is that as well.

Although it's fast-paced and action-packed, relationships are at the core of the story. I think readers will find that if the relationships weren't there, the story would be less engrossing; they really drive the story and the main characters' actions. I also think people will enjoy the book because of its unique protagonist. He's a successful, well-educated African-American man who, while outwardly generous, is selfish in his closest interpersonal relationships.

Overall, it’s a bit of a fun ride for the reader, I think. The protagonist’s journey takes him to numerous locales which make for interesting set pieces (metropolises, beaches, parks, trains) and each brings with them their own unique characteristics, advantages, and pitfalls.

Why did you self publish?

I self-published because, as someone who had previously written several screenplays and tried (unsuccessfully) to get an agent and sell them, I knew that the process was a bit of a lottery; it requires more luck than skill, I think. I haven't completely dismissed someday getting an agent and being traditionally published if the opportunity presented itself but, for now, I feel like I have good stories that are waiting to be told and consumed by the public.

I'll also say that I don't think I ever committed myself to screenwriting the same way that I have as a novelist. Knowing that I am responsible for the finished product, my novel has gone through two drafts, beta readers, a third draft, a proofreader, and then a fourth draft. I didn't do all of that as a screenwriter...

What is your writing process?

...And that leads into this question. I'm not a pantser. I have to outline my story before I start or I'll never finish. Without an outline, the self-doubt that starts to creep in for all writers a third of the way through the book can be crippling. If you don't have an outline, you don't know where to go next and you give up.

After the first draft, I take a look at the story as a whole and outline a second draft, highlighting the major changes that are necessary. In the second draft (which, I believe, is the most important), I specifically try to up the ante for some of the book’s more poignant moments as well as character development. Wherever there are gaps or where you need more oomph to your story, character development is usually a good way to go. Upon polishing the second draft, I ask for help from a few peers willing to beta read for me. I make most, but not all, of their suggestions in a third draft and then send it to a proofreader for punctuation and grammar.

In that third draft, it’s tempting for the majority of writers to make EVERY change that their betas have suggested. In the end, it’s your story. If a suggestion doesn’t feel right to you, don’t make it. And a lot of suggestions are just personal preference and not necessarily something that will bother or stand out to all of your potential readers.

How long does it take you to write your first draft?

It took me a little over a month to write the first draft for Agents of Change. I was encouraged to participate in NaNoWriMo and completed the novel at that time. According to my peers, it's not normal to finish an 85,000-word first draft in that amount of time but I'm the type of writer who, when I get involved in a story, I can do nothing but write. That meant a few sleepless nights and a few all-nighters. My writing kept me awake at times as scenarios swirled around in my head. Thank God my wife was so tolerant of my wacky sleep schedule!

What inspired you to write this particular story?

Agents of Change is loosely based on a television pilot I wrote when I wanted to be a screenwriter. It came about after I asked myself two questions: one, what if there were people responsible for bestowing karma, both good and bad, upon the human race? Two, what if those same people abused their power? I then wanted a protagonist that had special abilities (because, well, I'm into that sort of thing) and Agents of Change was the story I came up with.

Interview with Julie Harris

What will readers like about your book?

No Exit is an enjoyable, fast read, especially for people who have interests in psychic phenomena and appreciate an impossible love story. He’s a Navy SEAL and she is a tree hugging clairvoyant/medium.

Why did you self publish?

Even though I’d been published traditionally numerous times in the past, I wanted more ‘control’; the freedom to do it my way. Long before my agent died I was disheartened at receiving copies of my books in a language I didn’t know, most of them with covers that were mystifying. For instance, one book, published in Germany, was about a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. The cover showed the bottom half a lizard. I gave up writing for nearly fifteen years and got a ‘real job’, but I didn’t like it much. Once a writer, always a writer. I’m happiest under my rock in a land of make believe.

· What is your writing process?

I transcribe the 3D Technicolor movies playing in my mind. They usually turn into historical adventures, paranormal thrillers, or a fictional bio or two. Sometimes it’s an idea — for my first book, whilst gold panning in a creek and I had a ‘what if’ moment, which led to an historical romance adventure, Anna’s Gold, set in the lesser known goldfields of SE Queensland. I tend to have a bit of a personality change when I’m writing, or rewriting and editing, and am often caught in the web of the story and its characters. If I have a problem with a story — plot point or characterization issue — I let my subconscious do the work and usually arrive at a solution in that twilight time just before awakening.

How long does it take you to write your first draft?

The first draft stage varies from 8 weeks to 6 months, depending upon how fast or slow the movie is playing. I see my first draft as a wobbly skeleton in a race to the finish mainly because I need to know how the story ends. It’s always a bit of an adventure. If it interests me it tends to glue readers to the pages, too. Well, I hope it does!

What inspired you to write this particular story?

The idea for No Exit came 20 years ago, via a series of mind pictures/images/scenes about the Scottish witch trials — they wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote them down. These flashbacks appeared in the original story, Encore, a prizewinner. However the backstory was far too complex and the flashbacks have since been deleted to concentrate on the main story of the psychic and the SEAL.

Interview with Shannan Sinclair

What will readers like about your book?

I think everyone at some time has experienced phenomena that doesn’t fit into the confines of logic and science. Every individual has a dream space on a nightly basis and has probably had experiences that have left them wondering at the nature of reality and consciousness.

Dream Walker explores the question: is our mind really only contained to our brain? Or is it possible that space/time/dimension travel, although not yet something we do on a physical level, is something we have always done through consciousness? After twenty years of studying quantum theory, philosophy, mysticism and holistic theology, Sinclair wanted to weave those concepts with some of her own dream experiences into a paranormal, sci-fi thriller.


Why did you self publish?

The whole process of writing Dream Walker has been an intuitive one for me, following inspiration and my gut feelings. From the beginning I was drawn toward the path of self publishing. But after I finished Dream Walker, my head got in the way. I had a fear that I wouldn’t be considered legitimate as a novelist if I didn’t try to go traditional by querying agents and finding a “real” publisher. I felt that I was taking the easy way—coward’s way—afraid of rejection slips and taking my licks. So I started checking the boxes on the “traditional route” task list so I could prove myself.

But each step on that path was like the worst case of writer’s block I ever had. Every move I made in the Trad direction was like walking through sludge. I had zero enthusiasm for it. It seemed all wrong. So I started researching self publishing again.

It is such an exciting time to be a writer! The opportunities and services supporting independent authors are abundant and incredible; workshops, websites, books and blogs specifically geared toward the indie author. It was like the printing press was just now created and the only one deciding if something gets published or not is the writer! I started getting super excited again about taking the D.I.Y. path.

Yes, it is a lot of work. It means I have to manage the production of my book; setting it up for the printing press, converting it for Kindle and Nook, and dealing with the distributors directly. It also means I have to market and promote the book myself. I created my own website. I write my own press releases. I arrange my own book launch and blog tour and build my own author platform. Plus, I am in charge of both quality control and the professionals that I hire to assist me in making my product the best it can be. And on top of all that, I have to write the next book in the series.

So why would I do this Indie thing? Who in their right mind would take all that on? Wouldn’t it be easier to attempt to go Traditional and have someone else do it?

Well, it turns out that most of those tasks would end up on my to-do list anyway. Apparently, the agent gets you the publisher, the publisher prints your book and the rest is up to you. Especially if this is your first time to the rodeo, like me. The likes of Stephen King and James Patterson may get a little more than that. May.

Second, I get to retain the rights to my book. If I got picked up by a traditional publisher they would want to retain the electronic and movie rights to Dream Walker. Sorry, but retaining those rights is important to me. I have a vision, darn it! It involves the Oscars and Tom Cruise.

And rather than the 17.5% royalty a traditional publisher would let me have for my e-book, I get 65-70% by going to the distributor directly. Being that I wrote 100% of the book, I think that is fair.

What sealed the deal for me was a story a friend of mine shared about another author. She scored an agent after six months of pitching and querying. Three months after that her agent found her a publisher. She was thrilled to announce that her book would be available for her fans to read in January of 2014, two years and 2 months from the time of her announcement! I was like, “Oh, heck no! Three of my books could be available to read by then!” That’s when I committed to the Independent, Self Publishing Plan of Action for Shannan Sinclair and Dream Walker.

I immediately went to CreateSpace and assembled my paperback. That took about 2 hours. I uploaded it to their server in 20 minutes. Twelve hours later, I ordered my proof and two days later, my paperback was on my doorstep. As soon as I approved my proof, within 12 hours it will be available to my readers. It was just as easy with converting and uploading for Kindle and Nook.

That was the ultimate deciding factor in going Indie: the visceral rush in having control over my vision and the speed with which I see the results of my work. No waiting 2 to 3 years to hold my book in my hands or have people read it.

What is your writing process?


My first draft is an outline, a very, very rough outline. I have multiple characters with different goals and weaving them together is easier for me if I have a general pattern to follow. I see the outline as a skeleton, some bones I can build flesh around as I write.

Having an outline also helps if I get stuck in a scene. I can choose another scene in the outline to tinker with while the previous chapter incubates a little more. Sometimes taking your mind off of what it is focused on allows epiphany room for its two cents.

My outline is by no means set in stone. About halfway through the first draft of Dream Walker, a character told me they were a different person than my outline expected them to be and I had to go back and rework the plot to make them who they said they were. That also changed the plot moving forward, so I reworked the outline accordingly.

As for revisions, many writers will tell you to write your first draft all the way through, then go back and do revisions. There is wisdom in that. It is really easy to get caught up in a never-ending process of revising. A chapter can ALWAYS be better!

Needless to say, I do not follow that wisdom. I revise a chapter as soon as the first draft of it is done. I print it out, read it through, and bleed on it in red ink. I have to get my chapters solid before I can move forward. By the time I finished “the first draft” of Dream Walker and started revising it as a whole, it was probably a fourth draft.

How long did it take you to write your first draft?


Being that I do not write a real first draft, I can only say that Dream Walker took me exactly 1 year to write. I was hoping to be able to do it in 6 months, but I am a single mother and I work full-time as a 911 dispatcher. My workday is 11 hours long, plus I have a two hour per day commute. And of course the details of life got in the way: I went through a divorce, moved, and still had all the mundane chores that had to be managed; laundry, housecleaning, grocery shopping, and taking care of two dogs, two cats and a goldfish. Finding the time and energy to sit down and write was incredibly challenging. I am amazed it got done at all, let alone in a year!


What inspired you to write this particular story?


Aislen, Raziel, and Sergeant Mathis have tiptoeing around in my head since 2001, sometimes rather loudly. At a very young age, I began experiencing many strange and extraordinary paranormal events, from dream travels, such as my protagonist experiences, to the haunting of my childhood home. I even had the pleasure of a couple of UFO sightings.

As the years progressed, I began to experience psychic phenomena such as premonitions, telepathy, clairvoyance and clairaudience. These occurrences continued to increase and my traditional paradigm couldn’t explain them. This sent me on a quest for knowledge and understanding about the ephemeral phenomena I was experiencing firsthand. After twenty years of studying mysticism, holistic theology, philosophy and quantum theory, I wanted to weave those concepts with some of my own experiences.

I sat down to write Dream Walker the first time in 2003 and got about 12,000 written—a solid start. But a severe writer’s block, locked me up and I set it aside. I tried again in 2005, but remained stuck, really only moving the words around of that original 12,000.

In June of 2010 a series of events rocked my world and through my life into a downward spiral. I reached a very dark place and really question my very existence and purpose in life. While hiding under my bedcovers, I literally heard a voice. “It’s time,” was all it said. Whether it was an angel, a spirit guide, or God itself, who knows, but in that one second, I knew everything it was telling me. it was time to get out of bed and write my book. I also knew in that instant that what I had written prior was the second book, not the first, which was why I couldn’t get past it.

I climbed out of bed and started to write. It literally saved my life.

Interview with Vik Rubenfeld

Vik Rubenfeld created the hit CBS TV series, "Early Edition," starring Kyle Chandler, about a man who receives tomorrow's newspaper today, and uses it to save people.


He is married and lives in Los Angeles.





INTERVIEW WITH VIK RUBENFELD


WHAT WILL READERS LIKE ABOUT YOUR BOOK?
I think it lets you experience what it feels like to be a rock star in a vivid, immersive, almost 3D way. People are telling me that they are thinking about it long after they have stopped reading it. It stays with you. The more you think about it, the more you see in what you've read. It's also exciting. There's a lot of suspense. There's the story of, is the band going to make it? There's the love story between Reid and Kristy, and the question of whether their relationship can survive all the things that happen to a hit band. There's everything that's happening with all the groupies. And there's this animosity between Reid, the bass player, and Clay, the drummer, that puts future of the band in danger.


WHY DID YOU SELF PUBLISH?
Just as I was completing the novel I was very fortunate to speak to indie author Barbara Morgenroth (http://robinoneillebooks.blogspot.com/). She clued me in to everything that was happening with the self-publishing revolution. She sent me the Joe Konrath/Barry Eisler eBook, "Be the Monkey," as well as links to Joe Konrath's blog, and to other sites as well.


Not long ago I would have needed to spend years trying to find a publisher. Then it would have taken another year and a half to get the book into book stores. This way I can get started immediately. It's amazing how quickly you can go from having a completed book, to seeing it being downloaded from the top websites.


WHAT IS YOUR WRITING PROCESS?
This is a big subject for me. So much of writing is, I think, done with your subconscious. I try to embrace that. I find that once I have a specific question about how the book should go, I can do almost anything else - surf the internet, watch TV, make phone calls, work on other stuff - and my subconscious will be working away, looking for answers.


I BELIEVE I NOTICED SOME RUN-ON SENTENCES AND CASES WHERE A WORD WAS REPEATED IN THE SAME PARAGRAPH. WAS THAT INTENTIONAL?
Absolutely. The story is told by Reid Taylor, the bass player for the band. Reid has spent his life around music, not writing. It would have sounded totally inauthentic to me if he had somehow told this story in perfectly crafted sentences. He pretty much is just using the first words that come to hand that say whatever it is that he's trying to communicate. I, on the other hand, had to work hard to achieve this style for his voice. I was inspired by "Catcher in the Rye," "Huckleberry Finn," etc. in using this approach.


WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS PARTICULAR STORY?
I've always been drawn to the world of entertainment. That's part of how I came to create EARLY EDITION, the hit TV show with Kyle Chandler, about the guy who gets tomorrow's news today. It ran for four years in prime time on CBS and has been in 73 countries around the world. I've wanted to write something set in world of entertainment for a long time. I was particularly drawn to what happens when you are on stage. I acted in and directed plays in high school so I had some limited experience with that, and it meant a lot to me. I wanted to communicate what that felt like.


Then there's the "band of men on a mission" thing that appealed to me. Guys who form a band and try to make it a success are really on an epic journey, and this happens in real life all the time.


And then there were the groupies. For some reason I wanted to write a lot of pages about groupies. :)


And one more thing - having lived that entertainment biz thing of trying to do something that seems impossible, and then getting it to happen - getting EARLY EDITION on the air - I wanted to write about what that felt like. I just put it into the life of a rock star.


DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING IN THE TV BIZ THAT HELPED YOU IN THIS NOVEL?
I sure did. In TV you learn how to, as they call it, "break a story." That is, you learn how to tell a story so that it's suspenseful and makes you want to keep watching. By the time I started this novel I had learned a lot about it, and it's one of the things that, I think, makes this novel such a page-turner.

Interview with Rejean Giguere

Rejean Giguere enjoyed a successful business career in Toronto and Ottawa, exercising his creative side as a photographer, sculptor, and painter before the opportunity arose to take the time to sit down and write his first book. His youth spent growing up in Europe and Canada, added to his travel experiences over the years, help to shape his view of the world and give colour and character to his writing.

As the author of 2 novels and 3 books of short stories, Rejean sneaks away from his computer as often as he can to golf, fish, hike, rollerblade, mountain bike, ski, snowmobile and travel. Sunny afternoons will often find him roaring down the road in his vintage Corvette or catching the breeze on his V-Max motorcycle. His third novel will be available in early 2012.


Interview with Rejean Giguere


What will readers like about your book?

A guy's book, Merlin 444 is all about fast cars, fast planes and crazy mysteries. In this character-driven Action/Adventure novel, Bobby starts out as a typical young guy from any small town. Suddenly thrust into an unexpected situation, he has to deal with his own family crisis while resolving a 50 year old mystery. The story keeps up a blistering pace as the action comes hot and heavy, one thing after another.

Why did you self publish?

eBooks have changed the way the publishing industry works. A writer no longer has to face the daunting process of finding an agent and convincing a publisher to take their book. As a businessman I fully appreciate the ability to create, produce and control my own work from start to finish. I am in charge of the entire project and I can ensure that everything from the quality to the promotion meets the highest standards. However, this isn't to say that if a publishing house made me an offer that made sense I wouldn't consider it.

What is your writing process?

For me, a book is all about the character. When I begin a book, I start by working out the concept and the main character's role. Then I create an outline, chapter by chapter of what needs to happen. This allows me to decide what other characters need to be included. When I sit down to write a chapter I already know who is in it and roughly what is going to happen, and I know what things need to be included which will be brought back into the story in later chapters.

How long does it take to write your first draft?

It depends how you measure it. Days spent actually typing? Or do you include the time spent creating the concept, outlining the project and researching the material? Merlin took quite a bit of research time, while I learned about Spitfires and Mosquitos and made sure I had all my facts on The Battle of Britain, Battle of the Atlantic and Battle of the Pacific correct. Actual writing time also varies; I usually write around 2-3,000 words a day, but have had days where the story has taken on a life of it's own and I write 5,000 words or more. Then you start editing; that has it's own schedule.

Interview with Trish McCallan

Trish McCallan has been writing for as long as she can remember.

In grade school she wrote children’s stories, illustrated them with crayons and bound the sheets together with pencil-punched holes and red yarn. She used to sell these masterpieces at her lemonade stand for a nickel a book. Surprisingly, people actually bought them. Like, all of them. Every night she’d write a new batch for her basket.

As she got older her interest shifted to boys and horses. The focus of her literary masterpieces followed this shift. Her first full length novel was written in seventh grade and featured a girl, a horse and a boy. At the end of the book the teenage heroine rode off into the sunset . . . with the horse.

These days she sticks to romantic suspense with hot alpha heroes and roller-coaster plots. Since she is a fan of all things bizarre, paranormal elements always find a way into her fiction. Her current release, Forged in Fire, was the result of a Black Dagger Brotherhood reading binge, a cold, a bottle of NyQuil and a vivid dream.


Interview with Trish McCallan 

What will readers like about your book?

Forged in Fire is a rollercoaster of a romantic suspense with sexy Navy SEALs. If you like military heroes who read like military heroes, a love story with plenty of steam and a plot that will surprise you, you’ll love Forged in Fire!

Why did you self publish?

I hypothesized what the publishing industry was likely to look like two years in the future, which is when the book would have debuted if I had sold it right then, and I believed I’d have a better chance of getting the book noticed and finding an audience if I published it myself. I wanted complete control of the process from cover to price.

What is your writing process?

I fast draft the first draft, and then go back and revise scene by consecutive scene until the scene on the paper matches the image I’ve held in my mind. Then I send the chapters to CPs, and revise again off their feedback. After the book is finished, I let it sit a month, read and revise again, then send it to Beta readers. One last revision off Beta reader feedback and then it goes into production.

How long does it take you to write your first draft?

I took me two months to fast draft the first draft when I worked full time. I’m not sure how long it will take now. I quit my day job for full time writing. This will allow me to put in a lot more hours and should ramp up my production.

What inspired you to write this particular story?

I dreamed the opening sequence, and the story and characters just wouldn’t leave me alone.

Interview with Michael Mustizer

An award-winning independent filmmaker. For the last ten years, Michael has been writing and producing independent feature films and short films that have played in theaters and festivals around the world. 

His feature, The Coldest Winter has won awards for Best Action Feature from Hollywood Digital Fesival and Best Independent Feature from the Fargo Fantastic Film Festival. His earlier work Two Days with Juliet won it's lead actress Laura Yuhasz a Best Actress award in Philadelphia.

Michael is also a musician and has worked with a number of indie bands over the last twenty years as a lead singer and songwriter. His current band, Cooper's Kennel has singles available on iTunes and are currently recording a full length album. The Seven Isaacs is his first novel.

What will readers like about your book?

The book is a fast read. It is action packed and full of heavy cliffhangers that carry you from one chapter to the next. That being said, the real draw to the book is the humanity of the characters. The reader develops a very tight bond to the children who are the center of focus throughout the story and with that bond comes consequences. The children begin as blank slates with a preconceived notion of what the real world is and are thrust into a deep and introspective, and sometimes harsh view, of what their world is and what they have been sheltered from.

Why did you self publish?

I shopped my book around for quite a few months and as the rejections continued to come in from publishers and agents across the industry, I decided that it was going to be far easier and much more fulfilling to take care of it myself. I have used a similar tactic with my films in the past and seeing those residual checks come in over time is nice. It's like Christmas in the mailbox.

What is your writing process?

I have been writing for many years. I have written and produced a number of independent feature films. The biggest bad habit that I developed was that of writing at work. My various jobs have often afforded me time to put my words down on paper. Sometimes handwritten, sometimes typed. For my first novel, the process was no different. This time, the iPad was my muse and gave me the freedom to spew my creativity while on the go. I would tap into that vein in the cosmos that feeds us our words at any given moment and with the iPad, I was able to transcribe those thoughts instantly. I wrote A LOT at my day job.

How long does it take you to write your first draft?

The first draft... well let's see I suppose overall it took me four years to write. In fits and starts. The original idea hit me in 2007, maybe 2008 and I spilled a few handwritten pages down on a yellow notepad. These were pages for a screenplay. A few days, maybe weeks later I pounded out the first three chapters over the course of a day or so. Then, I think I tapped out. I had used up those creative juices. A year later I picked it up and wrote another easy two chapters. The sixth chapter was the one that almost killed it. Writer's block. Divorce. Resistance. A new life. Call it what you will. It almost took me out. It wasn't until I had the iPad in hand that the ideas began to flow fluidly. I chopped away at the remaining chapters over the course of two weeks. At some point the ending hit me full force and then it was all a race to get there. I talk about it pretty in depth at my blog.

What inspired you to write this particular story?

I don't really know what exactly set me on my course with this novel. I had an idea for seven human cloning children set out into the world after their lab had been shut down. I wanted a story that I couldn't put on screen. I knew these children were going to face death, and some not come back from it. I wanted something that was too hard for a regular audience to swallow. Thankfully, that's not what I ended up with. Somewhere along the way, I wrote the most human experience I could ever write and is probably more suitable for the screen than anything I have ever written. Bring it on Hollywood!

Interview with Richard Buzzell

Richard Buzzell enjoys discovering and highlighting the drama that exists in everyday life. Ministry of Morgasm is his first foray into the genre he likes to refer to as “sophisticated pulp.” His previous work, the Wall Street “gang of spielers” novel ZombieStop Parade has been favorably reviewed by the likes of Midwest Book Review, Hartford Books Examiner, San Francisco Book Review, The U.S. Review of Books, Bookpleasures, and The New Podler Review, among others.


Q: Why did you choose to become a writer?

A: I tend to have a wandering mind and a lust for drama, and producing entertainment is one of the few things either of those traits is good for.

Q: What was the hardest part about writing this story?

A: Portraying the female characters was obviously a challenge for me. I’m sure I couldn’t have done it without years of experience at convincing women to open up to me about their personal lives. There are a lot of interesting stories out there for anyone willing to listen.

Q: What do you like most about this story?

A: I like the way the conflict is subtle and sophisticated and yet still provides dramatic impact.

Q: What do you think that readers will like most about this story?

A: I’m not sure. I’m hoping that some readers will appreciate the daring subject matter. I’m certainly hoping that some readers will enjoy the sense of fun in the story. I expect there’ll be a wide range of responses and not all of them positive. I’m okay with that. The story is intentionally provocative so I’d be disappointed if there aren’t at least some critical reactions. This is one of the advantages of being an indie author – I have the freedom to take the kind of chances that a publisher wouldn’t approve of.

Q: How would you describe your writing style?

A: I like to describe it as a “fast fiction” format that respects the desire of busy readers to get to the point. It derives more from oral storytelling than from literary conventions. I try to get every line to have a “speakable” quality to it. A lot of filler gets removed this way and that allows the story to move along fairly quickly.

Q: What inspired you to write this story?

A: There wasn’t any specific point of inspiration. I just started writing to see where it would go and it all came flowing out. The story surprised me as it developed. That’s a fun way to write.

Q: This story is quite different from your previous work. How do you choose what you want to write about?

A: I start with an engaging character and then I need an intriguing topic and then I need to be able to deal with it in a manner that is both innovative and entertaining. This is how I get interested in writing a story and that interest is what motivates me. Mostly I’m trying to write something that hasn’t already been done by a horde of other writers

Q: Do you think you’ll ever become a mass-market bestseller?

A: I can’t see that happening simply because I don’t produce that type of writing. I’d be satisfied to be able to reach a small audience that appreciates my distinctive style of work.

Q: Do you think that this story would be a good choice for a book club discussion?

A: I can’t imagine how it could not generate some of the liveliest discussions that most book clubs have ever had.

Interview with Cecilia Gray

Cecilia Gray lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she reads, writes, and breaks for food.

What will readers like about your book?

It’s a sweet, simple story about two best friends who fall in love. What’s not to like?

Why did you self publish?

My stories tend to be short and sweet, and standard romance novels are 80,000-100,000 words. It made sense to self-publish given the length. Plus, I’m really impatient! Waiting 18 months for a Publisher to bring my work to market would have me clawing my eyes out.

What is your writing process?

I’m really inspired by the stories around me. I’ll see a relationship in real life or on television – one where happily ever after hasn’t worked out, and I’m struck by the need to make it work out in fiction. Oh all right, I suppose that’s a not-so-subtle way of saying I’m engaged in a lot of self-fulfilled fantasizing.

How long does it take you to write your first draft?

Two to three months for the first draft. I’ll usually take a month for editorial revisions, and another two weeks for copyedits.

What inspired you to write this particular story?

I love that moment in movies where two best friends, who the audience knows should be together, also realize they should be together. It’s a really sweet transition from friendship to something more, and I wanted to explore it!

Interview with Bella Andre

Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started writing her first romance novel, she knew she'd found her perfect career. Known for "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publisher's Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they'll love forever, many of her 20+ titles have appeared on Top 50 bestseller lists, including THE LOOK OF LOVE, FROM THIS MOMENT ON, GAME FOR LOVE, ECSTASY, CANDY STORE and LOVE ME.

Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine Red Hot Reads twice (GAME FOR ANYTHING and WILD HEAT) and have been translated into German, Thai, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Ukrainian. WILD HEAT won the Award of Excellence in 2011. The Washington Post has called her, "One of the top digital writers in America” and she has been featured on NPR, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes. If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, knitting, or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

What will readers like about your book?

The Look of Love is the first book in my Sullivan family series, contemporary romances that feature six sexy heroes and their two twin sisters falling deeply in love. Each Sullivan love story is emotional, fun, and full of sparks.

Why did you self publish?

I was between publishers at the time and a friend of my suggested putting something up on kindle. I did and was thrilled by the response from readers. I’ve released six self-published titles in the past year and a half (From This Moment On, The Look of Love, Game For Love, Candy Store, Love Me, Ecstasy), with the next Sullivan book (Can’t Help Falling In Love) coming out soon.


What is your writing process?

I do quite a bit of brainstorming about my characters first. What they love. What they fear. What their past relationships have been like. What their families are like. I love to pair up a seemingly mismatched hero and heroine – like the serious businessman and the pop star in FROM THIS MOMENT ON (Sullivans #2). At that point, I sit down on my couch with my MacBook Air on my lap and start typing.

How long does it take you to write your first draft?

Two to four months, after which I spent 6-8 weeks in edits, copyedits and proofs before publication.
What inspired you to write this particular story?
I really wanted to write about a big, close-knit family like the Sullivans. I really love the dynamics of large families – the closeness, the knock-down-drag-out fights, and most of all, the love.