Simon Royle's Blog, page 19

IndieView: Scott Nicholson, author of, The Skull Ring

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If you're a reader, reviewer or writer, you should spend some time reading what Scott Nicholson has written. And that's all I've got to say about that.

"Some writers say they only write for themselves, but I don't believe in that, either. I think about the story. Tell a good story." – Scott Nicholson 3 December 2010

The Back Flap

Julia Stone will remember, even if it kills her.

Dr. Pamela Forrest is determined to bring Julia's memories to the surface, hoping to heal Julia's panic disorder. The therapist keeps returning Julia to a night twenty-three years ago when Julia was four. A night of hooded figures, strange chants, pain, and blood. The night her father disappeared from the face of the earth.

Julia rebuilds the past a piece at a time during the mind-wrenching therapy sessions. But the line between the past and the present begins to blur. Julia finds a silver skull ring that bears the name "Judas Stone." The same ring had been worn by one of the hooded figures who scarred her both mentally and physically on that long-ago night.

Someone is leaving strange messages inside her house, even though the door is locked. The handyman, who has a key, spends a lot of time in the woods behind her house. Her boyfriend Mitchell becomes distant and violent. And the cop who investigated her father's disappearance has followed her to the small Appalachian town of Elkwood.

Now she has a head full of memories, but she doesn't know which are real and which are the creations of Dr. Forrest. The shadows of Julia's panic are growing larger and darker. But succumbing to madness seems safer than heeding the whispers that claim ownership of her body and soul.

~~~~

A mystery thriller from the bestselling author of DISINTEGRATION, THE RED CHURCH, SPEED DATING WITH THE DEAD, and DRUMMER BOY. Romantic suspense blended with a psychological thriller.

About the Book

What is the book about?

The Skull Ring is about Julia Stone's struggle to deal with terrible childhood memories while trying to reconstruct the past. And as the pieces come together, the past closes in after she finds a mysterious silver skull ring. Julia also has to trust one of the three men in her life, and the wrong choice could cost not only her heart but her soul.

When did you start writing the book?

I wrote this back in 2002, when I was just starting my publishing career. I've revised it several times since, and even did a recent revision where I made Julia a little tougher and stronger.

How long did it take you to write it?

Probably nine months in first draft, and a few months tightening it up.

Where did you get the idea from?

I'd read a little about Satanic Panic, which was largely a 1980's phenomenon, as well as the psychological casebooks of false recovered memories. Satanic cults still exist, though there are no overt supernatural tones in the book. It's a suspense thriller.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I wanted Julia to be weak and vulnerable initially and then grow stronger, but some people felt she stayed too weak, so I took a look at that.

What came easily?

I think the mind games between Julia and her therapist are fun. I've tangled with a counselor or two in my time. My philosophy is to always shrink your shrink until she is smaller than you.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

These guys are fictitious but based loosely on mountain types. I am reporter like Julia and I've been a handyman like Walter, though I've never been in a cult. Of course, that's what all cultists say.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Wow. Pretty much every one, from the imagination of Dr. Seuss to the storytelling genius of Stephen King to the wordplay of Ray Bradbury and Shirley Jackson and James Lee Burke.

Do you have a target reader?

I don't really think about that. Some writers say they only write for themselves, but I don't believe in that, either. I think about the story. Tell a good story.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

Write whenever possible, as much as possible, and then fix it.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just Chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I don't outline. How could I know where the story ends until I tell it?

Do you edit as you go or wait until you've finished?

It depends. I used to edit the previous day's writing as a warm-up act but lately I just have a better feel for it so I just keep moving.

Did you hire a professional editor?

No. I work as a professional freelance editor. I have a few beta readers, and Neal Hock always does a brilliant job on my final drafts.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I often have, but not recently. Routines change as life changes. I need to listen to familiar music so I don't have to "listen."

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Yes, The Skull Ring actually got me my first agent, though we only sent it to one publisher, I think. People worry more about getting agents and book deals than they do about improving their writing. And that's backward.

What made you decide to go Indie? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

It was a combination of panic and calculation. I had a couple of old books with no one to publish them, and the digital stars were aligning in the firmament. I've always been the self-reliant sort anyway.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?

Neil Jackson of Ghostwriter Publications did mine in exchange for some formatting work, though I've taken a crack at a few, but I am not a graphic artist.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I get ads at Kindle Nation Daily and stay active in a number of communities and forums. So I suppose it's a combination. I've been doing this a while.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Turn back. We're all doomed.

What are you working on now?

I am writing a thriller called Liquid Fear and have at least four other books to work on next year. I'm also putting together a couple more collections and a few more children's books.

End Of Interview

Scott posts valuable writing advice at his site Haunted Computer; I recommend you check it out.

You can see all twelve of Scott's books here. Or better yet, a novel idea, you can buy, The Skull Ring, at Amazon, B&N or Smashwords.

Important News from NASA 2pm EST

Image via Wikipedia

Hat tip to Matt Hill in the UK for this one.

Dwayne Brown

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1726

dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

Cathy Weselby

Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

650-604-2791

cathy.weselby@nasa.gov

Nov. 29, 2010
WASHINGTON — NASA will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 2, to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe.

The news conference will be held at the NASA Headquarters auditorium at 300 E St. SW, in Washington. It will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency's website at http://www.nasa.gov.

Participants are:

-     Mary Voytek, director, Astrobiology Program, NASA Headquarters, Washington

-     Felisa Wolfe-Simon, NASA astrobiology research fellow, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif.

-     Pamela Conrad, astrobiologist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

-     Steven Benner, distinguished fellow, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Gainesville, Fla.

-     James Elser, professor, Arizona State University, Tempe

Media representatives may attend the conference or ask questions by phone or from participating NASA locations. To obtain dial-in information, journalists must send their name, affiliation and telephone number to Steve Cole at stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov or call 202-358-0918 by noon Dec. 2.

For NASA TV streaming video and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

END

IndieView: Valmore Daniels, author of, Forbidden The Stars

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As an indie author one of the things you've got to work hard at is making connections and marketing. Just about every forum I've joined, Valmore has been hanging out in the, "Introduce Yourself" thread and has always welcomed me to any new forum. If you head over to KindleBoards, you'll also find, in the Writer's Cafe, that Valmore shares things he learns with other indie authors. Lots of good karma points.

"For Forbidden The Stars I use an online editor program, and that came back to haunt me. From this point on, everything I write I will filter through a professional human editor." – Valmore Daniels 2 December 2010

The Back Flap

At the end of the 21st century, a catastrophic accident in the asteroid belt has left two surveyors dead, but the asteroid itself is completely missing, along with their young son, Alex Manez, who was accompanying them.

On the outer edge of the solar system, the first manned mission to Pluto, led by the youngest female astronaut in NASA history, has led to an historic discovery: there is a marker left there by an alien race for humankind to find. We are not alone!

While studying the alien marker, it begins to react and, four hours later, the missing asteroid appears in a Plutonian orbit, along with young Alex Manez, who has developed some alarming side-effects from his exposure to the kinetic element they call Kinemet.

From the depths of a criminal empire based on Luna, an expatriate seizes the opportunity to wrest control of outer space, and takes swift action.

The secret to faster-than-light speed is up for grabs, and the race for interstellar space is on!

About the Book

What is the book about?

Forbidden The Stars is an epic science fiction journey from the Space Age to Earth's next era – the Interstellar Age. Along the way, I added a few more what-if's to the novel: What if there was an undiscovered element in the asteroid belt that was the fuel for faster than light travel? What if there were tens of thousands of alien races out there just waiting for humans to evolve before making first contact?

When did you start writing the book?

Forbidden The Stars was originally a short story I wrote about twenty years ago, encompassing the last thirty pages of the existing novel. When I presented the story to my writer's circle for critique, they encouraged me to expand it into a novel. I completed the first draft about ten years ago. When Amazon's dtp program launched, I pulled the manuscript out and polished it up.

How long did it take you to write it?

From outline through final draft, I put in about 400 hours of work over a ten-year period.

Where did you get the idea from?

When I watched the Space Shuttle Columbia's maiden voyage into space, my first thought was, How would a teenager, such as myself, get on one of those flights? Simple, hijack the shuttle! And with that kernel of a story, I began to plot Forbidden The Stars.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

The research was particularly difficult, and I had to enlist a nuclear physicist friend to help me with the science.

What came easily?

I've always enjoyed writing fast-paced scenes and action sequences.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

I tend to borrow heavily from people I know, often mixing traits of several different people to come up with the final character's personality.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I'm a voracious reader, and I'm particularly faithful to science fiction and fantasy genres, though I might add the odd horror or mystery thriller just for a taste here and there. The masters of the genres always bear the heaviest influence on me. Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark, Frank Herbert, Robert Heinlein, etc.

Do you have a target reader?

Anyone who enjoys the wonder of science fiction. I kept Forbidden The Stars free of foul language and mature themes so that readers of all ages may enjoy it.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I start with a working title. This embodies the "feel" of the project for me. Then I write my blurb first (this may change a hundred times). Once I have that down, I develop the main characters and outline their primary and secondary conflicts. When I have completed the roster, I do a preliminary outline where I jot down random thoughts and things to include.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just Chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

The outline itself is a very comprehensive document; and only when I feel I've resolved all the major conflicts do I begin the first draft.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you've finished?

I edit as I write, and before each writing session, I go back and re-read what I wrote in the last session. Once I've completed my draft, I will go through the document and do several revisions. A final proofread before I send it off to the editor.

Did you hire a professional editor?

For Forbidden The Stars I use an online editor program, and that came back to haunt me. From this point on, everything I write I will filter through a professional human editor.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I require music while I write. I have thousands of songs in my playlist, and use music appropriate to the mood of the scene I am writing: fast paced for action, softer tunes for characterization and dialog, etc.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No. I honestly thought I would need a body of work completed before an agent would even look at me.

What made you decide to go Indie? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I've always enjoyed being the captain of my own ship. I own my own business, and following the route of an independent author seems very natural to me.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?

I did the design myself, but used a stock photo for the illustration.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

My marketing plan includes getting reviews, creating awareness on forums, and some light advertising.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Research, research, research – and spend money on a professional editor and cover.

What are you working on now?

I just completed the final revision on a new dark urban fantasy series, and have shipped it off to my editor in hopes for a February 2011 release.

Angel Fire: The First Book of Fallen Angels.

Darcy Anderson has a dark gift she has hidden all her life: whenever she experiences extreme emotions, objects around her burst into flame. Returning home after a ten-year absence, she tries to rebuild her life, but when a man from her past seeks revenge, she must learn to control her power before she destroys everyone she loves.

End of Interview

You can find out more about Valmore from his website here. And you can buy the book here.

The Dark Pools of Humanity's Supply Chain; and The Case for a Global Labor Law

Anyone who reads my writing should know that I think our way of doing things has to change to take us to the next level. Basic things that I think are unnecessary to humanity are famine and war. Beyond that I think we should also change how we live as humans. Much too much of our time on Earth is spent on just surviving and getting by.

The Gaps In Global Governance

This very interesting talk by Labor activist Auret van Heerden talks about the next frontier of workers' rights — globalized industries where no single national body can keep workers safe and protected. How can we keep our global supply chains honest? Van Heerden makes the business case for fair labor.

What I found particularly interesting was at 6:19 minutes in,

"So at a national level we have a real problem … and we work in about sixty countries in the world… of a breakdown in the ability of governments to regulate production.

"Governments who are failing at a local, national level, have even less ability to get their arms around the problem, on an International level."

Cultural diversity is something that should be protected, honored and cherished, it is after all, what makes us, 'Humanity'; however, the false constructs of our current way of doing things should be replaced as rapidly as possible. For the sake of our children. I hope, but doubt I'll be lucky enough, to see the day when we really are  a border-less world.

When looked at on a local, national, level some things seem very logical. When you look at those same things from a Global perspective and from a, "So what is it you humans do all day?", point of view the logic seems pretty sad.

A chat between an Alien and an Earthling on a national level:

Earthling – "On a national level we produce lots of weapons, because we have to protect ourselves from other nations."

Alien – "Yeah we have the same problem with other galaxies until we get them to see that the universe is infinite so exploration is a lot better gig than devastation."

On a Global level:

Earthling – "On a Global level we produce lots of weapons, which kill humans."

Alien – "Wow. Why?"

Earthling – "Good question, buggered if I know the answer."

Have a great day wherever you are.

Hope For Tomorrow

It's five minutes long, go on, give yourself a lift. With kids like this in our world we should be thinking about dropping the age to vote down to, "Can you think?"

Everyone's got a stake in this planet of ours, and in my opinion, young Birke there has as much right as I do to affect the choices our leaders make. What do you think?

IndieView: L.J. Sellers, author of, The Sex Club

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One of the things I notice as I trawl the web seeking to expand my knowledge of this business, and make no mistake you have to treat indie publishing like a business if you want to succeed, is that there are tons of people telling you to split your time between writing and marketing. And this is true. What they don't say is you also have to split your time with learning. Learning is at least important as the other two, the three legs of a three legged stool. Without one of those legs you're not going to have anything to sit on.

And that was my motivation for starting these Indieviews. An opportunity to learn and by posting them giving you that same opportunity. Some of these Indieviews will be from 'newbies', why not, we can learn from them too, even if it is just to not make the same mistakes. The majority, however, will be from people like L.J., people who are carefully plotting a new course in how authors interact with readers and sell books. Enjoy!

"I was doing all the work to sell my novels and my publisher was making the money. The only reason I thought I needed a publisher in the first place was for the stamp of legitimacy. I decided that making a living was more important than being traditionally published. Going indie was a great move for me. My books are selling really well, and I'm starting to make a living." L.J. Sellers 27 November 2010

The Back Flap

When a bomb explodes at a birth-control clinic and a young client turns up dead, Detective Jackson is assigned both cases. But are they connected? Kera, the clinic nurse who discovers that the girl's Bible group is really a sexual free-for-all, thinks they are. But confidentiality keeps her from telling the police, so she digs for the truth on her own and becomes the bomber's new target. Soon another girl is murdered. Can Jackson uncover the killer's shocking identity in time to stop the slaughter?

About the Book

What is the book about?

The Sex Club is a provocative mystery/thriller that readers say they can't put down. The tag line is: A dead girl, a ticking bomb, a Bible study that's not what it appears to be, and a detective who won't give up.

Foremost, the story is a murder mystery. The victims are young teenagers who are engaged in unsafe sexual activity. The main characters are a Planned Parenthood nurse and a homicide detective who are each investigating the same group of people. Their stories overlap and come together in an explosive ending.

When I wrote this novel, I didn't know it would become the first book in a series. It was simply a story I was compelled to tell. But I needed a homicide investigator as the protagonist, and I knew he would have the potential to become a series character. So I created a detective I liked well enough to bring back in future books…if readers wanted more. And they did. I've written three more Jackson stories: Secrets to Die For, Thrilled to Death, and Passions of the Dead. Mystery Scene magazine has given rave reviews to all.

When did you start writing the book and how long did it take?

I wrote this story six years ago (during a more conservative government and political climate). I was laid off my magazine job soon after I started the novel, so I was able to complete the first draft in a few months. Then I wrote another draft after I landed an agent for it. So I worked on the book, off and on, for a year and a half.

Where did you get the idea from?

The plot of The Sex Club sprang from a news story that stuck in my mind about a group of sexually active young teenagers, combined with my fears about the effects of abstinence-only sex education. Being a crime writer, I asked the What If? question and threw in a murder or two. Most of my novels are based on real crimes, combined with social issues I feel strongly about.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I struggled with writing the sexual conversations between teenagers. So it's a good thing I didn't try to write any actual sex scenes. I also struggled with getting inside the head of the antagonist and seeing the world from her perspective. I wanted to make her complex and human instead of one dimensional, and it was challenging.

What came easily?

After interviewing several detectives, it was surprisingly easy for me to channel a male investigator, who struggles to be realistic about the people he deals with, while not becoming bitter or judgmental. The research also made it easy to get the details of the investigative process correct. For the follow-up Jackson stories, I continued to interview law enforcement personnel, including a crime scene technician, a medical examiner, and a SWAT leader. I love this aspect of my work.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Some of my characters are completely fictitious, and others are composites based loosely on someone I know, but modified to fit the story or simply my view of the character. Detective Jackson, for example, is a combination of two detectives I interviewed, with some of my husband thrown in. For example, as a hobby, Jackson restores old cars and is building a trike (a three-wheeled motorcycle), which is something my husband does, so I know a little about it. Because I have so many personalities (:)), most of my main female characters have a little bit of me in them.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

As young person, I read Rex Stout, John MacDonald, and Ross McDonald, and I fell in love with crime fiction and private investigators. Eventually, I read Lawrence Sanders, John Sandford, and Michael Connelly and came to love police procedurals. I wrote several suspense stories before I decided to try writing a police procedural, which I'm happy writing in as my main genre.

Do you have a target reader?

The majority of my readers are women between the ages of 30 and 70, in others words, people like me. So I write stories that I would love to read and try not to worry about crafting my stories to fit a particular audience. To be clear, I have plenty of male fans too, but the simple statistics indicate that women read more than men. I do try to create covers that will appeal to both genders.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I do extensive plotting before I start writing the story, so I know all the broad strokes, who the killer is, and roughly how the story will end. I keep adding to the outline as I write and as ideas come to me. The outline is just a guideline, and I make changes as I go along if I get better ideas. I also create timelines because my stories take place in about a week and I want to be realistic about what can happen in the course of a day. I also have character files and note/problem files that I work with as I craft the story. At fifty pages, I stop and clean up what I have, then send it out to three or four beta readers for feedback. I do very little editing in the first draft. The idea is to get the story down as it comes to me. In the next draft, I add detail, do fact checking, and parse words.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Of course! I've worked as a magazine and fiction editor, but no one can thoroughly edit their own work. I not only pay to have it edited, I also pay again for a final proofreading. Even that doesn't find all the mistakes. Editing suspense fiction is more challenging than almost any other type of editing, because editors and proofreaders get caught up in the story too.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I had an agent for this story, but she failed to sell it, even though editors at major houses said they loved the novel and one said she read it in one sitting. Eventually, I connected with a small publisher on my own. At this point, I no longer waste my time querying agents. Although if I could find an agent who would represent my work to foreign publishers, I might be interested.

What made you decide to go Indie? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I decided to go indie this year when I realized I would never make any money with my small publisher. I was doing all the work to sell my novels and my publisher was making the money. The only reason I thought I needed a publisher in the first place was for the stamp of legitimacy. I decided that making a living was more important than being traditionally published. Going indie was a great move for me. My books are selling really well, and I'm starting to make a living.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?

I work with a graphic artist. I find the cover image, send it to my designer, and she does the rest. I feel very fortunate to know this designer and I'm very happy with my covers.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

Marketing is an ongoing process. When this book first came out, I did a lot of research and crafted a very detailed marketing plan. I still use that plan as a blueprint, but I make modifications for every new book and I seize new opportunities as they come up.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Treat self-publishing like a business. Create a production schedule and a marketing plan. Set business goals. Most important, hire professionals for editing, cover design, and e-book formatting. The time you spend getting good enough to do these things for yourself is not cost effective. That's why businesses outsource certain things to other companies that already have the expertise.

About You

What would you like readers to know about you?

I grew up southern Oregon, then moved to Eugene to get a journalism degree at the University of Oregon. I've been here since and my stories are set here. Like all creative types, I worked as a food server when I was young, but I've spent most of my career working for magazines, newspapers, and educational publishers. I also perform standup comedy sometimes, and I'm an adrenaline seeker, who occasionally does things like jump out of an airplane or go parasailing.

What are you working on now?

I'm writing a fifth Detective Jackson story, and I've outlined a futuristic thriller that I'm very excited to get started on. My books are finally selling well enough that next year, I'll give up most of my freelance business and write full time.

End of Interview

This links you to L.J. Sellers Amazon author page from where you can check out her six books.

I & I Press, A Publishing Company is Born

I'm fond, perhaps inordinately so, of double, and when fortune smiles, triple or more meanings in phrases. This fondness shows up in my writing, particularly chapter headings.

So when it came to choosing a name for the World's latest Publishing Company, mine, I had to think really hard about it, for all of two seconds. It came about like this.

I was chatting with Ned. Ned is my designer (that's said with a flick of the hair, in a 'posh' voice with a throwaway hanging lilt to it, and if you want to get really artistic about it you put an 'Oh' in front of Ned's name), and we were chatting about the launch of Tag.

Ned's taking care of the book's design, which is a good thing because I am crap at it and he is brilliant at it. It was midnight Bangkok time and five pm UK time. Ned's up in York. I was on my balcony enjoying a late cognac and the cool night air which was about twenty-three degrees Celsius and Ned was fiddling with the buttons on the heater in his studio in York. We were using Skype, as we do, being the budget conscious Indie that I am, when Ned said,

"So what about the Spine?"

"It's OK. It's taken a bit of battering over the years but I think it'll hold up for a few more."

"I meant the Spine of the book."

"Oh, right, yes, um … what about the spine?"

"Well, imprints, particularly mainstream imprints usually put a logo at the bottom of the spine, it's a useful indicator of which way is up."

"That makes sense." I said, and thought. So we need a logo, which means we need a company, and, the fun part, a name.

"OK," I said, "let's go with I&I, but should it be publishing or press?"

"Press, I think, more niche, sounds better."

"I agree publishing is not exactly a popular word amongst Indies and it's likely to get less popular, particularly amongst shareholders in the not that distant future. Did you know that most publishers haven't got a clue who is buying the books they sell. Yeah, amazing isn't it. Anyway, I digress, let's go with that then, 'I&I Press'."

"Done, I'll work on some logos and send them through."

"Cool, I'll stop bugging you now, and let you get back to the grind. 'Night, Ned."

And hey presto, they've arrived.

Option 1

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[image error]Option 3

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Which one of the above do you think looks best?

And there you have it, the story of how I&I Press was born. Oh, yes, and those double meanings;

Everyone should get the I & I part of being an Indie, and the other meaning,

refers to Jah Rastafari; 'I-and-I' in the first person includes the presence of the divine within the individual…

Have a great day.

IndieView: Vicki Tyley, author of, Thin Blood

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Vicki is currently one of four Indie authors who are Amazon reader's favorites for 2010. The book above has sold over 25,000 copies. By any standards that's a successful book. Whether you're just starting out on the Indie path or the soles of your shoes are worn thin, this interview will give you the inspiration and courage to keep going.

"I'm an Australian writer with an American agent. After a lot of effort, he'd been unable to sell Thin Blood, in large part because most of the publishers refused to even look at the book. "Americans don't want to read Australian mysteries," he was told… As of today, with sales in excess of 25,000 it's an Amazon 2010 Customer Favorite." – Vicki Tyley 24 November 2010

The Back Flap

Craig Edmonds, a successful stockbroker, reports the disappearance of his wife, Kirsty. What starts as a typical missing person's case soon evolves into a full-blown homicide investigation when forensics uncover blood traces and dark-blonde hairs in the boot of the missing woman's car. Added to this, is Craig's adulterous affair with the victim's younger sister, Narelle Croswell, compounded further by a recently acquired $1,000,000 insurance policy on his wife's life. He is charged with murder but, with no body and only circumstantial evidence, he walks free when two trials resulting in hung juries fail to convict him.

Ten years later, Jacinta Deller, a newspaper journalist is retrenched. Working on a freelance story about missing persons, she comes across the all but forgotten Edmonds case. When she discovers her boyfriend, Brett Rhodes, works with Narelle Croswell, who is not only the victim's sister but is now married to the prime suspect, her sister's husband, she thinks she has found the perfect angle for her article. Instead, her life is turned upside down, as befriending the woman, she becomes embroiled in a warped game of delusion and murder.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing Thin Blood in 2005, at which time I'd already written two other novels.

How long did it take you to write it?

Approximately a year, which is about the average time it takes me to write a novel. Saying that, though, my last novel took twice as long.

Where did you get the idea from?

The news. I don't recall the actual news event that gave me the first germ of an idea, but like all my books I start by applying a series of what-ifs. By the time I've finished with it, the news item is so bent out of shape, it's unlikely anyone would recognize the true crime that sparked it. More often than not, it's multiple news items weaved together.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Not so much a struggle, but a panic. I've come to realise now that it is part of my writing journey. About halfway through, I start to panic that there's not enough in the plot and subplots to carry the story. When that happens, I usually go back and read the book from the start. It helps immensely, as rather than seeing the story as a series of scenes, I get a better feel for the book as a whole.

What came easily?

I don't know if easily is the right word, but I enjoy getting inside my characters' heads and finding out what makes them tick.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

My characters are not based on specific people, but rather grow from my observations of people over the years.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I'm an avid reader of crime fiction and have no doubt what I read influences my writing, but there is no individual writer I can point to.

Do you have a target reader?

Anyone who enjoys tales of mystery and suspense, and is looking for an easy, entertaining read.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

My writing process changes with each book I write. Maybe it's because I haven't yet found what works for me best. When I wrote Thin Blood, I started out sketching ideas on a whiteboard and going from there.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just Chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I outline in reverse. That is, I update my "timeline" spreadsheet as I complete each chapter, including such detail as:

Chapter
POV
Date
Time
Weather
Sunset/sunrise (if applicable)
Key points

Do you edit as you go or wait until you've finished?

I edit as I go, reworking each chapter until I'm happy with it before moving onto the next.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes. For me, it was money well spent. Whilst there was little in the way of copy editing required, some structural tweaking added a polish to the novel that it wouldn't have otherwise had.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

No, I prefer silence. I find music too distracting.

What are you currently working on?

I'm about to revisit my first two novels with a view to rewriting them and applying the skills I've gained over the course of six novels. If nothing else, it'll be a good exercise.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to agents?

Yes. And I received enough rejections to wallpaper the office twice over.

One agent, however, went to the trouble to explain his reasons for rejecting the manuscript. When I completed Thin Blood, he was the first agent I submitted the manuscript to. Robert Fleck of Professional Media Services, Las Vegas, now represents me. I don't think I could've asked for a better, more approachable agent.

What made you decide to go Indie? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

It was an experiment. I'm an Australian writer with an American agent. After a lot of effort, he'd been unable to sell Thin Blood, in large part because most of the publishers refused to even look at the book. "Americans don't want to read Australian mysteries," he was told.

Last October, with nothing to lose, we decided to release Thin Blood electronically on Smashwords. That received such a good response that Suspense Magazine selected me as their featured New Author for April. At the end of April, we made the novel available in Amazon's Kindle store.

It's an experiment that's paid off. As of today, with sales in excess of 25,000 it's an Amazon 2010 Customer Favorite.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?

I designed it myself. I considered employing a graphic designer but decided my money was better spent on an editor.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

Winging it. To be honest, I didn't give the marketing side a lot of thought. My plan –if you can call it that – was to announce Thin Blood's release in author threads on forums like Kindle Boards and MobileRead, and take it from there.

I was also very fortunate in that a couple of book bloggers picked up Thin Blood for review. That didn't sell the book, though – happy readers did that. In my opinion, word-of-mouth is the best promotion. That and being in the right place at the right time.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Believe in your product
Learn from the experiences of Indie pioneers. J.A. Konrath's A Newbie's Guide to Publishing is a good place to start;
Brainstorm new untried promotions;
Have fun!

About You

Where did you grow up?

New Zealand's South Island.

Where do you live now?

On a rural property one-and-a-half hour's drive north-east of Melbourne, Australia.

What would you like readers to know about you?

If it weren't for them, I wouldn't write. Blunt but true. I take my writing seriously, but don't see the point of writing if not to be read.

I welcome all comments and emails.

And I love Australia and espresso coffee.

End of Interview

Watch the trailer of the book.Thin Blood by Vicki Tyley

You can get the book here, go buy it, it's a great read, had me guessing all the way to the end.

Learn more about Vicki from her website here.