Amanda Howard's Blog, page 4
August 26, 2016
Author Interview: Joan Zawatzky, Author of Stop Family Anxiety
Hi, I’m Joan Zawatzky.
Thank you Amanda Howard for hosting me on your blog.
This initiative will give many of us an opportunity to talk about our books and writing, and not to leave it out, ourselves. With many of us contributing it should make interesting reading.I write both fiction and non-fiction. My latest book is Stop Family Anxiety, a self-help guide for all family members who are caught in the anxiety cycle. It was released recently.Readers can find out more about me on:
My website: www.placeofbooks.com My Facebook page: Joan’s Place of BooksAmazon and other book distributors.
ON BEING AN AUTHORAt last I have the time to do as I wish and what I enjoy most – writing! After the hectic years of running a full-time psychology practice and then looking after my elderly mother, I am almost retired. Painting is another joy but I haven’t indulged in it much lately as I’ve been concentrating on writing. I started writing my first book about depression and then a novel The Scent of Oranges late in life. I was hooked after that and kept at it. Now I’m working on another. I am married to Hymie or preferably Hy. We are both authors, but on totally different topics, which is stimulating and forms a bond of shared interest for us. We don’t have children or grandchildren, and so our beloved Siamese Tansy, and our books have become our children. Our rambling house allows us to each have a study a distance away from each other. We do meet over lunch and later to chat though. I can’t stop myself from writing, and I’m at it most mornings and some afternoons when I can. There are always stories in my head, my imagination playing out scenes and pictures and often at inconvenient times. I try to scribble down ideas in a journal or they are lost forever. The sound of words is an ongoing song for me. The challenge of wiring, it’s use of imagination and yet structure is what I enjoy most about it.
There are those moments when I curse and wish I didn’t have to do the boring parts like rewriting. I don’t suffer from “writer’s block”. If I don’t feel well or am tired I rework material rather than attempt something new. I find myself slower than I would like to be. If only I could dash off books quickly and get all my thoughts down on the page and not keep changing paragraphs. I’m not easily satisfied with my writing, but once a book has left my hands I can let it go. Writing fiction is for me and my readers, but my books about topics, such as depression and anxiety are intended to fulfil a need in the population and to continue giving back my skills and knowledge gained over the years. .I’m a late nighter and read into well the morning. I read a lot of fiction and some crime. But I’m particular about reading books that I can learn from in style and content whatever the genre. Reading constantly stimulates me and makes me try harder to improve my writing. A long heavy book read recently took my breath away – A Little Life by Hanna Yanagihara. I’ve just finished reading The Dry by Jane Harper and loved it. I’m a late nighter and read into well the morning. Presently I’m reading The Dry by Jane Harper and loving it.
On Characters in my booksAll my characters are extremely important to me. Even their names are important. They all come from me, but not necessary from my experience. In a positive or negative way they are a tiny part of me, male and female or child, whether from the distant past, more recent, or I if can imagine being so in the future. I bond with my characters while writing a book and constantly think of them. I like to give them a satisfactory ending or one they deserve – positive or negative. I do like my character to grow and develop as people through the book.
ABOUT MY LATEST BOOKMy latest book is Stop Family Anxiety released recently. Writing fiction is for my enjoyment and to
entertain my readers, but my books about topics such as depression and anxiety are intended to fulfil a need in the population and to continue giving back my skills and knowledge gained as a psychologist/counsellor over the years. This book took two and a half years to complete which is longer than I intended. I don’t think I will write more non-fiction as I am going to enjoy myself. I had to plan this book carefully as it deals with several anxiety disorders at different ages, the implications as well as suggestions to follow.
My novels grow organically. I have a general plan of the story and how it moves through the chapters, but allow it to grow and change as the characters develop.
Stop Family Anxiety is a breakthrough book that addresses the current problem of anxiety in families, and the suffering of family members from anxiety disorders - parents, school going or younger children, teenagers or grandparents. Step-by-step solutions are offered clearly and without jargon. This book provides families with three major ways of overcoming anxiety:
Practical methods of stopping the cycle of anxiety spreading in families. Anxiety is like a virus. When one person suffers from anxiety, it can spread to other family members without anyone realising it is happening. Loved ones who were not anxious before can develop anxiety disorders. Home life can begin to deteriorate and break down.Ways in which a family can unite to support an anxious loved one. How individual members can help each other to recover.Information about how to cope with common anxiety disorders -generalised anxiety disorder, panic attacks, agoraphobia, social anxiety, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and separation anxiety. Conditions associated with anxiety such as depression, eating disorders, ADD/ADHD are discussed as well.
The issues covered in this book include:The difference between worry, everyday anxiety and anxiety disorders.Understanding relationships and developing stronger family bonds.The causes of anxiety. Changing destructive, anxious thinking with cognitive behavioural therapy.Reducing anxiety by nurturing self-esteem and developing assertiveness.Preventing the anxiety caused by bulling at school and work, as well as cyber bullying.Spiritual belief as a means of finding meaning and purpose.Methods of deep breathing, relaxation and mindfulness.The calming effect of exercise.The effect of substance abuse on anxiety.Exciting current research studies on anxiety giving information and hope.
PLANS FOR NEXT BOOKSLove Heals – Stories of inspiration hope and change (tentative title) The book comprises sixty plus stories, many originally written to help my clients who were experiencing difficult or stress. There are now several new stories as well. I am at the second draft stage with most of the stories. I am enjoying this book immensely and hope that the storytelling will open many windows for readers. I hope to finish it before Christmas.
The Mermaid’s Song I’m working on a novel about the journeys we all take. We are all searching but some of us move to a new country – migrate to do this. It is about a psychologist, her clients and her family and clients. Many of her clients are refugees and immigrants. In contrast to her usual clients, she sees a Danish immigrant for counselling. His background as well her own become the focus of the story. There is romance, intrigue and history interwoven into the story.
MY OTHER BOOKSBook 5The Third Generation (EBook and paperback)
A powerful and uplifting story of enduring love. Vienna 1960. Ella is Jewish and Luke Catholic, but despite their differences their unwavering love continues throughout their lives. They are childhood sweethearts and part several times, through and later marriage to other partners, but they resume their relationship secretly in Vienna and later in Melbourne.
Ella and Luke bear their parent’s scars of World War II, but know little about their past. Ella’s mother is unwilling to talk about Ella’s father, a survivor of Theresienstadt Concentration Camp, died shortly before her birth. When Luke’s mother dies, he is appalled to discover documents revealing his grandparents’ roles as guards in the same Camp in which Ella’s father was held prisoner. Ella is horrified by Luke’s findings, but her love for him does not waver.
By the time they are able to live together openly, both have aged and changed. Luke remains steeped in the guilt of his family’s past, while Ella has become more independent, and decides to learn more about her Jewish heritage, so that she can pass it on to her children.
Book 4Depression: Light at the End of the Tunnel (Ebook and paperback)
This unique combination of several practical tried and tested therapeutic solutions:Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) that breaks down negative, self-destructive thinking and helps to rebuild your life.
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) that continues the good work of CBT with meditation, awareness and acceptance of your thoughts.Healing tales that will inspire you and bring hope and motivation into your life.Case histories and explanations of the forms of depression, its causes, symptoms as well as the most current treatments available – both medical and natural.
If one method doesn’t help you, another will.
In addition, Joan Zawatzky offers methods of understanding and supporting a depressed teenager, assistance with a partner or an older family member who is depressed. She deals with the important areas of turning aggression into assertiveness, improving low self-esteem, encouraging low motivation and keeping your body in tune. The topics of bullying, preventing suicide in teenagers and adults, substance abuse and seeking professional advice are also covered in the book.
Book 3The Elephant’s Footprint (eBook and paperback)
The Elephant’s Footprint is an intriguing crime novel laced with romance and set against a South African backdrop. Linda, a sharp and intuitive detective leaves Australia, to return to her birthplace Rustenburg, amidst the excitement of the World Cup soccer challenge. She finds the once lush farmland crippled by drought, lawlessness is on the rise and disease is rampant. At critical times, such as this, the local community seek help from their healers and witchdoctors. Even Voodoo resurfaces. Her skill in detection is well known, and she is persuaded to join an overworked police force in a murder investigation. Initially, the police believe that an elephant savaged a young woman found dead in a nature reserve. However, it soon becomes clear that sinister human influences are at play.
This is the first in a number of bizarre killings of female healers. Inundated with crime and the added responsibility of security during the World Cup, the police give up the search for the killer and she continues to investigate alone. She meets and falls in love with George, an archaeologist working on rock paintings in the area. With his support, she challenges evil forces trying to remove her from the case. But will her perseverance and George’s scientific knowledge help her to uncover the murderer?
Book 2The Scent of Orange (eBook)
Linda returns to the family orange farm in South Africa to attend her father’s funeral. She is drawn back to her past, to the striking beauty of her homeland and the people who still live and work there, but her country is vastly different to the one she left in 1985. A democratic government has emerged from the shame of apartheid, yet it’s a violent land where extreme poverty, AIDS and TB exist alongside western affluence and where beliefs in ancestral spirits and voodoo still linger below the surface.
Her father’s last wish was for Linda to investigate the murder of her youngest brother and the guilt of those accused. Ghosts of the past guide her search as she seeks the dangerous truths behind each new lead. As the lies unravel her family will be dishonoured, a shameful past will be revealed and yet there is one great hope for reconciliation and the future.
Book 1There’s a Light at the End of the Tunnel (out of print) My first book
ABOUT MARKETING AND PUBLISHING
Self-publishingBoth of our early books were published locally and worldwide by traditional publishers, but as we kept writing we made a decision to start our own publishing company, Veritax Books and self-publish. I especially had a many a sleepless night with feelings of resentment about the way I and my books were treated. The less said the better about this phase in my writing life.
Now we enjoy the control we have over our books and the way we can take them in the direction of our choice. Undoubtedly, more work is involved but we consider it worth the trouble.
Fortunately for me, Hy does most of the marketing to libraries, organisation and so on. We have both given talks. I have told stories to school children but I doubt whether any of it generates much in the way of sales, though it keeps our names out there and the help topics provide a service to people.
We use Lightening Source and Amazon as well as other Ebook distributors and are listed on almost all online book distributors.
Ebooks vs physical books.
I definitely prefer to read physical or real books and most people I know feel the same way. We only read Ebooks on holiday.
FOR NEW WRITERS Write the book you would like to read and you enjoy working on.Pick characters meaningful to you. Give your character a conflict, a special gift- something to propel her/him forward.Make things happen – a plot with climaxes and downs.Make the story believable.Make use of facts and/or imagination in heaps.Do your own thing and don’t copy others in style or content.
Thank you so much Joan for joining me today. It was a really interesting interview, thank you!
If you’d like to be interviewed for this blog, please drop me a line and don’t forget to subscribe for further author interviews.
Cheers,
Amanda HowardThank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
Thank you Amanda Howard for hosting me on your blog.
This initiative will give many of us an opportunity to talk about our books and writing, and not to leave it out, ourselves. With many of us contributing it should make interesting reading.I write both fiction and non-fiction. My latest book is Stop Family Anxiety, a self-help guide for all family members who are caught in the anxiety cycle. It was released recently.Readers can find out more about me on:
My website: www.placeofbooks.com My Facebook page: Joan’s Place of BooksAmazon and other book distributors.
ON BEING AN AUTHORAt last I have the time to do as I wish and what I enjoy most – writing! After the hectic years of running a full-time psychology practice and then looking after my elderly mother, I am almost retired. Painting is another joy but I haven’t indulged in it much lately as I’ve been concentrating on writing. I started writing my first book about depression and then a novel The Scent of Oranges late in life. I was hooked after that and kept at it. Now I’m working on another. I am married to Hymie or preferably Hy. We are both authors, but on totally different topics, which is stimulating and forms a bond of shared interest for us. We don’t have children or grandchildren, and so our beloved Siamese Tansy, and our books have become our children. Our rambling house allows us to each have a study a distance away from each other. We do meet over lunch and later to chat though. I can’t stop myself from writing, and I’m at it most mornings and some afternoons when I can. There are always stories in my head, my imagination playing out scenes and pictures and often at inconvenient times. I try to scribble down ideas in a journal or they are lost forever. The sound of words is an ongoing song for me. The challenge of wiring, it’s use of imagination and yet structure is what I enjoy most about it.
There are those moments when I curse and wish I didn’t have to do the boring parts like rewriting. I don’t suffer from “writer’s block”. If I don’t feel well or am tired I rework material rather than attempt something new. I find myself slower than I would like to be. If only I could dash off books quickly and get all my thoughts down on the page and not keep changing paragraphs. I’m not easily satisfied with my writing, but once a book has left my hands I can let it go. Writing fiction is for me and my readers, but my books about topics, such as depression and anxiety are intended to fulfil a need in the population and to continue giving back my skills and knowledge gained over the years. .I’m a late nighter and read into well the morning. I read a lot of fiction and some crime. But I’m particular about reading books that I can learn from in style and content whatever the genre. Reading constantly stimulates me and makes me try harder to improve my writing. A long heavy book read recently took my breath away – A Little Life by Hanna Yanagihara. I’ve just finished reading The Dry by Jane Harper and loved it. I’m a late nighter and read into well the morning. Presently I’m reading The Dry by Jane Harper and loving it.
On Characters in my booksAll my characters are extremely important to me. Even their names are important. They all come from me, but not necessary from my experience. In a positive or negative way they are a tiny part of me, male and female or child, whether from the distant past, more recent, or I if can imagine being so in the future. I bond with my characters while writing a book and constantly think of them. I like to give them a satisfactory ending or one they deserve – positive or negative. I do like my character to grow and develop as people through the book.
ABOUT MY LATEST BOOKMy latest book is Stop Family Anxiety released recently. Writing fiction is for my enjoyment and to
entertain my readers, but my books about topics such as depression and anxiety are intended to fulfil a need in the population and to continue giving back my skills and knowledge gained as a psychologist/counsellor over the years. This book took two and a half years to complete which is longer than I intended. I don’t think I will write more non-fiction as I am going to enjoy myself. I had to plan this book carefully as it deals with several anxiety disorders at different ages, the implications as well as suggestions to follow.My novels grow organically. I have a general plan of the story and how it moves through the chapters, but allow it to grow and change as the characters develop.
Stop Family Anxiety is a breakthrough book that addresses the current problem of anxiety in families, and the suffering of family members from anxiety disorders - parents, school going or younger children, teenagers or grandparents. Step-by-step solutions are offered clearly and without jargon. This book provides families with three major ways of overcoming anxiety:
Practical methods of stopping the cycle of anxiety spreading in families. Anxiety is like a virus. When one person suffers from anxiety, it can spread to other family members without anyone realising it is happening. Loved ones who were not anxious before can develop anxiety disorders. Home life can begin to deteriorate and break down.Ways in which a family can unite to support an anxious loved one. How individual members can help each other to recover.Information about how to cope with common anxiety disorders -generalised anxiety disorder, panic attacks, agoraphobia, social anxiety, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and separation anxiety. Conditions associated with anxiety such as depression, eating disorders, ADD/ADHD are discussed as well.
The issues covered in this book include:The difference between worry, everyday anxiety and anxiety disorders.Understanding relationships and developing stronger family bonds.The causes of anxiety. Changing destructive, anxious thinking with cognitive behavioural therapy.Reducing anxiety by nurturing self-esteem and developing assertiveness.Preventing the anxiety caused by bulling at school and work, as well as cyber bullying.Spiritual belief as a means of finding meaning and purpose.Methods of deep breathing, relaxation and mindfulness.The calming effect of exercise.The effect of substance abuse on anxiety.Exciting current research studies on anxiety giving information and hope.
PLANS FOR NEXT BOOKSLove Heals – Stories of inspiration hope and change (tentative title) The book comprises sixty plus stories, many originally written to help my clients who were experiencing difficult or stress. There are now several new stories as well. I am at the second draft stage with most of the stories. I am enjoying this book immensely and hope that the storytelling will open many windows for readers. I hope to finish it before Christmas.
The Mermaid’s Song I’m working on a novel about the journeys we all take. We are all searching but some of us move to a new country – migrate to do this. It is about a psychologist, her clients and her family and clients. Many of her clients are refugees and immigrants. In contrast to her usual clients, she sees a Danish immigrant for counselling. His background as well her own become the focus of the story. There is romance, intrigue and history interwoven into the story.
MY OTHER BOOKSBook 5The Third Generation (EBook and paperback)
A powerful and uplifting story of enduring love. Vienna 1960. Ella is Jewish and Luke Catholic, but despite their differences their unwavering love continues throughout their lives. They are childhood sweethearts and part several times, through and later marriage to other partners, but they resume their relationship secretly in Vienna and later in Melbourne.
Ella and Luke bear their parent’s scars of World War II, but know little about their past. Ella’s mother is unwilling to talk about Ella’s father, a survivor of Theresienstadt Concentration Camp, died shortly before her birth. When Luke’s mother dies, he is appalled to discover documents revealing his grandparents’ roles as guards in the same Camp in which Ella’s father was held prisoner. Ella is horrified by Luke’s findings, but her love for him does not waver.
By the time they are able to live together openly, both have aged and changed. Luke remains steeped in the guilt of his family’s past, while Ella has become more independent, and decides to learn more about her Jewish heritage, so that she can pass it on to her children.
Book 4Depression: Light at the End of the Tunnel (Ebook and paperback)
This unique combination of several practical tried and tested therapeutic solutions:Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) that breaks down negative, self-destructive thinking and helps to rebuild your life.
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) that continues the good work of CBT with meditation, awareness and acceptance of your thoughts.Healing tales that will inspire you and bring hope and motivation into your life.Case histories and explanations of the forms of depression, its causes, symptoms as well as the most current treatments available – both medical and natural.If one method doesn’t help you, another will.
In addition, Joan Zawatzky offers methods of understanding and supporting a depressed teenager, assistance with a partner or an older family member who is depressed. She deals with the important areas of turning aggression into assertiveness, improving low self-esteem, encouraging low motivation and keeping your body in tune. The topics of bullying, preventing suicide in teenagers and adults, substance abuse and seeking professional advice are also covered in the book.
Book 3The Elephant’s Footprint (eBook and paperback)
The Elephant’s Footprint is an intriguing crime novel laced with romance and set against a South African backdrop. Linda, a sharp and intuitive detective leaves Australia, to return to her birthplace Rustenburg, amidst the excitement of the World Cup soccer challenge. She finds the once lush farmland crippled by drought, lawlessness is on the rise and disease is rampant. At critical times, such as this, the local community seek help from their healers and witchdoctors. Even Voodoo resurfaces. Her skill in detection is well known, and she is persuaded to join an overworked police force in a murder investigation. Initially, the police believe that an elephant savaged a young woman found dead in a nature reserve. However, it soon becomes clear that sinister human influences are at play. This is the first in a number of bizarre killings of female healers. Inundated with crime and the added responsibility of security during the World Cup, the police give up the search for the killer and she continues to investigate alone. She meets and falls in love with George, an archaeologist working on rock paintings in the area. With his support, she challenges evil forces trying to remove her from the case. But will her perseverance and George’s scientific knowledge help her to uncover the murderer?
Book 2The Scent of Orange (eBook)
Linda returns to the family orange farm in South Africa to attend her father’s funeral. She is drawn back to her past, to the striking beauty of her homeland and the people who still live and work there, but her country is vastly different to the one she left in 1985. A democratic government has emerged from the shame of apartheid, yet it’s a violent land where extreme poverty, AIDS and TB exist alongside western affluence and where beliefs in ancestral spirits and voodoo still linger below the surface.Her father’s last wish was for Linda to investigate the murder of her youngest brother and the guilt of those accused. Ghosts of the past guide her search as she seeks the dangerous truths behind each new lead. As the lies unravel her family will be dishonoured, a shameful past will be revealed and yet there is one great hope for reconciliation and the future.
Book 1There’s a Light at the End of the Tunnel (out of print) My first bookABOUT MARKETING AND PUBLISHING
Self-publishingBoth of our early books were published locally and worldwide by traditional publishers, but as we kept writing we made a decision to start our own publishing company, Veritax Books and self-publish. I especially had a many a sleepless night with feelings of resentment about the way I and my books were treated. The less said the better about this phase in my writing life.
Now we enjoy the control we have over our books and the way we can take them in the direction of our choice. Undoubtedly, more work is involved but we consider it worth the trouble.
Fortunately for me, Hy does most of the marketing to libraries, organisation and so on. We have both given talks. I have told stories to school children but I doubt whether any of it generates much in the way of sales, though it keeps our names out there and the help topics provide a service to people.
We use Lightening Source and Amazon as well as other Ebook distributors and are listed on almost all online book distributors.
Ebooks vs physical books.
I definitely prefer to read physical or real books and most people I know feel the same way. We only read Ebooks on holiday.
FOR NEW WRITERS Write the book you would like to read and you enjoy working on.Pick characters meaningful to you. Give your character a conflict, a special gift- something to propel her/him forward.Make things happen – a plot with climaxes and downs.Make the story believable.Make use of facts and/or imagination in heaps.Do your own thing and don’t copy others in style or content.
Thank you so much Joan for joining me today. It was a really interesting interview, thank you!
If you’d like to be interviewed for this blog, please drop me a line and don’t forget to subscribe for further author interviews.
Cheers,
Amanda HowardThank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
August 19, 2016
Author Interview Karen Hendriks Aspiring Children’s Author
Welcome back readers and bloggers. This week I am interviewing aspiring Children's Author Karen Hendricks.
Thank you Karen for agreeing to be interviewed today.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author? I have always wanted to write for children and often as a teacher I would write little stories or be inspired by the stories that I read to the students. I am very passionate about literacy and children being literate. The most important thing to teach a child is to read and then you open a world of possibilities.
What are the hardest part of being an author? Self Doubt, I know I can write but will It be enough? Perfecting and learning my craft is ongoing and challenging.
What do you enjoy most about being an author? I love the creativity and the magic of writing and the world’s I can explore and share. The social side of writing warms my heart.
What authors/books have had an influence on your writing? From a children’s perspective Enid Blyton Little Golden Books,Doctor Seuss, Ann Frank, May Gibbs, Beatrix Potter and so many today Authors it is impossible to list but I do adore Peter Carnavas and Joy Cowley and Mem Fox and Margaret Wild and Libby Gleeson and there is more.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing? I do get writer’s block and then I question why I am doing what I do. I know it will pass so I have a break or still try and think creatively.
Do you have a particular place that you like to write? By the sea, on my lounge, in bed, at our awesome local coffee shops.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write? Just some time in the day.
How do you like to reach your readers? (Social media? Book signings? Blogs etc) Via my facebook page, school visitis and networking. I still have much to learn in this area.
Can you tell us about your latest book? I do not have a latest book as I regularly write new picture book stories and then hope to revisit them to edit and edit and edit.
How long did it take you to write the book?Some can take a day others are not right even months later, I tend to live in hope that each one will be better than the last.
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work? I love animal stories, humour, friendship, adventure and self education messages . Perhaps I feel strongest about environmental issues and the strong belief that children need to know what is happening in their world, not to be afraid but empowered.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order? I am a person that works an idea in my head and it sorts itself out as I mull over it. Then just flows or other times I start it and leave it and go back to it.
Do you have a plan for your next book? I am always working on a next book hoping it will be the one to crack it for me. I live in hope.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading? Physical books.
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing?What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing? Both as the market is so tight and competitive that you need to do what you can to get your story out there. The industry is constantly changing but so is everything else too.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
As I am an aspiring author keep chugging on and trying and growing and writing.
Thanks again for dropping by Karen.
You can contact Karen via her various social media pages:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Karen-Hendriks-Childrens-Author-1162431593808375/
Just Write for Kids: http://www.justkidslit.com/directory/4184/karen-hendriks-childrens-author/ch
Creative Kids Tales http://www.creativekidstales.com.au/authors-illustrators/ckts-emerging-authors/1819-karen-hendriks
If you'd like to be interviewed for this Blog, please drop me a line. Thanks again for dropping by.
AmandaThank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
Thank you Karen for agreeing to be interviewed today.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author? I have always wanted to write for children and often as a teacher I would write little stories or be inspired by the stories that I read to the students. I am very passionate about literacy and children being literate. The most important thing to teach a child is to read and then you open a world of possibilities.What are the hardest part of being an author? Self Doubt, I know I can write but will It be enough? Perfecting and learning my craft is ongoing and challenging.
What do you enjoy most about being an author? I love the creativity and the magic of writing and the world’s I can explore and share. The social side of writing warms my heart.
What authors/books have had an influence on your writing? From a children’s perspective Enid Blyton Little Golden Books,Doctor Seuss, Ann Frank, May Gibbs, Beatrix Potter and so many today Authors it is impossible to list but I do adore Peter Carnavas and Joy Cowley and Mem Fox and Margaret Wild and Libby Gleeson and there is more.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing? I do get writer’s block and then I question why I am doing what I do. I know it will pass so I have a break or still try and think creatively.
Do you have a particular place that you like to write? By the sea, on my lounge, in bed, at our awesome local coffee shops.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write? Just some time in the day.
How do you like to reach your readers? (Social media? Book signings? Blogs etc) Via my facebook page, school visitis and networking. I still have much to learn in this area.
Can you tell us about your latest book? I do not have a latest book as I regularly write new picture book stories and then hope to revisit them to edit and edit and edit.
How long did it take you to write the book?Some can take a day others are not right even months later, I tend to live in hope that each one will be better than the last.
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work? I love animal stories, humour, friendship, adventure and self education messages . Perhaps I feel strongest about environmental issues and the strong belief that children need to know what is happening in their world, not to be afraid but empowered.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order? I am a person that works an idea in my head and it sorts itself out as I mull over it. Then just flows or other times I start it and leave it and go back to it.
Do you have a plan for your next book? I am always working on a next book hoping it will be the one to crack it for me. I live in hope.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading? Physical books.
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing?What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing? Both as the market is so tight and competitive that you need to do what you can to get your story out there. The industry is constantly changing but so is everything else too.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
As I am an aspiring author keep chugging on and trying and growing and writing.
Thanks again for dropping by Karen.
You can contact Karen via her various social media pages:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Karen-Hendriks-Childrens-Author-1162431593808375/
Just Write for Kids: http://www.justkidslit.com/directory/4184/karen-hendriks-childrens-author/ch
Creative Kids Tales http://www.creativekidstales.com.au/authors-illustrators/ckts-emerging-authors/1819-karen-hendriks
If you'd like to be interviewed for this Blog, please drop me a line. Thanks again for dropping by.
AmandaThank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
August 12, 2016
Author Interview: Crime Fiction author JM Peace
This week, I am interviewing author J.M. Peace.
J.M. Peace is a serving police officer who would rather be an author. She writes her police procedurals with the voice of authority. Her first novel 'A Time To Run' was released in July 2015, with the sequel 'The Twisted Knot' released this year.
Thank you for joining me this week for an interview J.M.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author?I’m a police officer who would rather be an author. I’ve been a copper for sixteen years, so crime was the logical choice when I sat down to write a book. Having a book published was the realisation of a lifelong dream, and I’m working towards giving up my ‘day job’. I’ve had two novels released by Pan Macmillan. They are both police procedurals, making the most of my ‘voice of authority’.
What are the hardest part of being an author? For me at the moment it is finding the time to write. I have two young children and find that juggling family responsibilities and work with writing is a big challenge. I still treat it as a hobby and it tends to get jammed into the cracks of my life. And then when I do find time, the second hardest part is not getting distracted…
What do you enjoy most about being an author?I most love it when the characters take on a life of their own and the story seems to unfold of its own accord. It is this creative process that I most enjoy about being a writer.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?Although the volume I write fluctuates dramatically depending on what else I have going on, I don’t really get Writer’s Block. I let myself take breaks when my head is not in the right place for constructing the story. My favourite writing saying is “you can’t edit a blank page”. I will often just write anything in order to get words on the page and start the flow. Once I get writing, it normally triggers ideas and I can keep going.
How do you like to reach your readers? (Social media? Book signings? Blogs etc) I’m a little hamstrung by identity problems. I write pretty much anonymously under a fake name because I am still a police officer and need to keep that job in order to pay the bills. There is a potential conflict of interest with me writing crime. Although my stories are fictitious, I have knowledge of the inner workings of policing. Before I signed the contract with the publisher for the first book, I attempted to clarify my position with my bosses and the union, but no one seemed entirely certain on whether there would be a problem. So I just attempted to bypass it all by pretending not to be me. It’s a bit odd, and keeps me away from public appearances.
Can you tell us about your latest book? (is it part of a series, genre)
My latest book is a police procedural called ‘The Twisted Knot’. It is the second in the series, following loosely on from my debut ‘A Time To Run’. The lead character is Constable Sammi Willis who polices in a small (fictitious) town in Queensland. In ‘The Twisted Knot’, she gets caught up in the suicide of a local man suspected of sexually abusing young girls, and has to sort out the facts from the rumours to unravel what really happened.
How long did it take you to write the book?I worked on this book under a tough deadline from the publisher whilst editing my first novel. The initial draft I submitted was rushed and confused. I had to rip 30,000 words out of it and re-write them. So the editing process probably took even longer than writing the initial draft.
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work?I find it intriguing writing from the offender’s point of view in each story. It’s interesting to try to understand what motivates people to commit a particular crime and how they justify it to themselves.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order? I have been making a conscious effort to try to plan, but my mind just doesn’t seem to work like that. I start with the crime or conflicts in the story, then build the characters and sub-plots around that. I write segments as they occur to me, which is rarely in chronological order.
Do you have plans for further installments? I’m currently writing the third book in the series. It begins with a death in custody and the resulting fallout at both the police station and within the small town community.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?Physical books always. Although I have an ebook reader, I don’t often use it. I’m not very good with technology and my kids aren’t quite old enough to sort things out for me. Also there is nothing quite like holding a paperback in your hands. Especially with your name embossed on the cover – even if it is a fake name…
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?I have only been published by a traditional publisher but I have to say that it is not really what I expected. Sometimes the level of control you would have when self-publishing seems attractive to me. I think self-publishing has become a lot more accessible to writers and acceptable to readers.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
I have had an easy run getting published and I think one of the reasons was my ‘backstory’ as a police officer. My advice is to find the story that you are the best person to tell.
Thank you so much for visiting today J.M. I don't know about anyone else but I am a little intrigued. I used to work in the Police Service myself and I wonder if I might know you.
Anyway, whilst I go to do some detective work myself, I want to thank J.M. for dropping by.
If you're interested in checking out her books, you can find her here....
Website: www.jmpeace.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmpeaceauthor/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmpeaceauthorAmazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/J.M.-Peace/e/B010NLO31C/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13830099.J_M_Peace
Thank you again everyone for dropping by. If you'd like to be interviewed on this blog, please drop me a line. Please don't forget to subscribe for further interviews.
Thank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
J.M. Peace is a serving police officer who would rather be an author. She writes her police procedurals with the voice of authority. Her first novel 'A Time To Run' was released in July 2015, with the sequel 'The Twisted Knot' released this year.
Thank you for joining me this week for an interview J.M.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author?I’m a police officer who would rather be an author. I’ve been a copper for sixteen years, so crime was the logical choice when I sat down to write a book. Having a book published was the realisation of a lifelong dream, and I’m working towards giving up my ‘day job’. I’ve had two novels released by Pan Macmillan. They are both police procedurals, making the most of my ‘voice of authority’.
What are the hardest part of being an author? For me at the moment it is finding the time to write. I have two young children and find that juggling family responsibilities and work with writing is a big challenge. I still treat it as a hobby and it tends to get jammed into the cracks of my life. And then when I do find time, the second hardest part is not getting distracted…
What do you enjoy most about being an author?I most love it when the characters take on a life of their own and the story seems to unfold of its own accord. It is this creative process that I most enjoy about being a writer.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?Although the volume I write fluctuates dramatically depending on what else I have going on, I don’t really get Writer’s Block. I let myself take breaks when my head is not in the right place for constructing the story. My favourite writing saying is “you can’t edit a blank page”. I will often just write anything in order to get words on the page and start the flow. Once I get writing, it normally triggers ideas and I can keep going.
How do you like to reach your readers? (Social media? Book signings? Blogs etc) I’m a little hamstrung by identity problems. I write pretty much anonymously under a fake name because I am still a police officer and need to keep that job in order to pay the bills. There is a potential conflict of interest with me writing crime. Although my stories are fictitious, I have knowledge of the inner workings of policing. Before I signed the contract with the publisher for the first book, I attempted to clarify my position with my bosses and the union, but no one seemed entirely certain on whether there would be a problem. So I just attempted to bypass it all by pretending not to be me. It’s a bit odd, and keeps me away from public appearances.
Can you tell us about your latest book? (is it part of a series, genre)
My latest book is a police procedural called ‘The Twisted Knot’. It is the second in the series, following loosely on from my debut ‘A Time To Run’. The lead character is Constable Sammi Willis who polices in a small (fictitious) town in Queensland. In ‘The Twisted Knot’, she gets caught up in the suicide of a local man suspected of sexually abusing young girls, and has to sort out the facts from the rumours to unravel what really happened.
How long did it take you to write the book?I worked on this book under a tough deadline from the publisher whilst editing my first novel. The initial draft I submitted was rushed and confused. I had to rip 30,000 words out of it and re-write them. So the editing process probably took even longer than writing the initial draft.
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work?I find it intriguing writing from the offender’s point of view in each story. It’s interesting to try to understand what motivates people to commit a particular crime and how they justify it to themselves.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order? I have been making a conscious effort to try to plan, but my mind just doesn’t seem to work like that. I start with the crime or conflicts in the story, then build the characters and sub-plots around that. I write segments as they occur to me, which is rarely in chronological order.
Do you have plans for further installments? I’m currently writing the third book in the series. It begins with a death in custody and the resulting fallout at both the police station and within the small town community.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?Physical books always. Although I have an ebook reader, I don’t often use it. I’m not very good with technology and my kids aren’t quite old enough to sort things out for me. Also there is nothing quite like holding a paperback in your hands. Especially with your name embossed on the cover – even if it is a fake name…
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?I have only been published by a traditional publisher but I have to say that it is not really what I expected. Sometimes the level of control you would have when self-publishing seems attractive to me. I think self-publishing has become a lot more accessible to writers and acceptable to readers.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
I have had an easy run getting published and I think one of the reasons was my ‘backstory’ as a police officer. My advice is to find the story that you are the best person to tell.
Thank you so much for visiting today J.M. I don't know about anyone else but I am a little intrigued. I used to work in the Police Service myself and I wonder if I might know you.
Anyway, whilst I go to do some detective work myself, I want to thank J.M. for dropping by.
If you're interested in checking out her books, you can find her here....
Website: www.jmpeace.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmpeaceauthor/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmpeaceauthorAmazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/J.M.-Peace/e/B010NLO31C/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13830099.J_M_Peace
Thank you again everyone for dropping by. If you'd like to be interviewed on this blog, please drop me a line. Please don't forget to subscribe for further interviews.
Thank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
Author Interview: JM Peace
This week, I am interviewing author J.M. Peace.
J.M. Peace is a serving police officer who would rather be an author. She writes her police procedurals with the voice of authority. Her first novel 'A Time To Run' was released in July 2015, with the sequel 'The Twisted Knot' released this year.
Thank you for joining me this week for an interview J.M.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author?I’m a police officer who would rather be an author. I’ve been a copper for sixteen years, so crime was the logical choice when I sat down to write a book. Having a book published was the realisation of a lifelong dream, and I’m working towards giving up my ‘day job’. I’ve had two novels released by Pan Macmillan. They are both police procedurals, making the most of my ‘voice of authority’.
What are the hardest part of being an author? For me at the moment it is finding the time to write. I have two young children and find that juggling family responsibilities and work with writing is a big challenge. I still treat it as a hobby and it tends to get jammed into the cracks of my life. And then when I do find time, the second hardest part is not getting distracted…
What do you enjoy most about being an author?I most love it when the characters take on a life of their own and the story seems to unfold of its own accord. It is this creative process that I most enjoy about being a writer.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?Although the volume I write fluctuates dramatically depending on what else I have going on, I don’t really get Writer’s Block. I let myself take breaks when my head is not in the right place for constructing the story. My favourite writing saying is “you can’t edit a blank page”. I will often just write anything in order to get words on the page and start the flow. Once I get writing, it normally triggers ideas and I can keep going.
How do you like to reach your readers? (Social media? Book signings? Blogs etc) I’m a little hamstrung by identity problems. I write pretty much anonymously under a fake name because I am still a police officer and need to keep that job in order to pay the bills. There is a potential conflict of interest with me writing crime. Although my stories are fictitious, I have knowledge of the inner workings of policing. Before I signed the contract with the publisher for the first book, I attempted to clarify my position with my bosses and the union, but no one seemed entirely certain on whether there would be a problem. So I just attempted to bypass it all by pretending not to be me. It’s a bit odd, and keeps me away from public appearances.
Can you tell us about your latest book? (is it part of a series, genre)
My latest book is a police procedural called ‘The Twisted Knot’. It is the second in the series, following loosely on from my debut ‘A Time To Run’. The lead character is Constable Sammi Willis who polices in a small (fictitious) town in Queensland. In ‘The Twisted Knot’, she gets caught up in the suicide of a local man suspected of sexually abusing young girls, and has to sort out the facts from the rumours to unravel what really happened.
How long did it take you to write the book?I worked on this book under a tough deadline from the publisher whilst editing my first novel. The initial draft I submitted was rushed and confused. I had to rip 30,000 words out of it and re-write them. So the editing process probably took even longer than writing the initial draft.
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work?I find it intriguing writing from the offender’s point of view in each story. It’s interesting to try to understand what motivates people to commit a particular crime and how they justify it to themselves.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order? I have been making a conscious effort to try to plan, but my mind just doesn’t seem to work like that. I start with the crime or conflicts in the story, then build the characters and sub-plots around that. I write segments as they occur to me, which is rarely in chronological order.
Do you have plans for further installments? I’m currently writing the third book in the series. It begins with a death in custody and the resulting fallout at both the police station and within the small town community.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?Physical books always. Although I have an ebook reader, I don’t often use it. I’m not very good with technology and my kids aren’t quite old enough to sort things out for me. Also there is nothing quite like holding a paperback in your hands. Especially with your name embossed on the cover – even if it is a fake name…
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?I have only been published by a traditional publisher but I have to say that it is not really what I expected. Sometimes the level of control you would have when self-publishing seems attractive to me. I think self-publishing has become a lot more accessible to writers and acceptable to readers.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
I have had an easy run getting published and I think one of the reasons was my ‘backstory’ as a police officer. My advice is to find the story that you are the best person to tell.
Thank you so much for visiting today J.M. I don't know about anyone else but I am a little intrigued. I used to work in the Police Service myself and I wonder if I might know you.
Anyway, whilst I go to do some detective work myself, I want to thank J.M. for dropping by.
If you're interested in checking out her books, you can find her here....
Website: www.jmpeace.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmpeaceauthor/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmpeaceauthorAmazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/J.M.-Peace/e/B010NLO31C/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13830099.J_M_Peace
Thank you again everyone for dropping by. If you'd like to be interviewed on this blog, please drop me a line. Please don't forget to subscribe for further interviews.
Thank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
J.M. Peace is a serving police officer who would rather be an author. She writes her police procedurals with the voice of authority. Her first novel 'A Time To Run' was released in July 2015, with the sequel 'The Twisted Knot' released this year.
Thank you for joining me this week for an interview J.M.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author?I’m a police officer who would rather be an author. I’ve been a copper for sixteen years, so crime was the logical choice when I sat down to write a book. Having a book published was the realisation of a lifelong dream, and I’m working towards giving up my ‘day job’. I’ve had two novels released by Pan Macmillan. They are both police procedurals, making the most of my ‘voice of authority’.
What are the hardest part of being an author? For me at the moment it is finding the time to write. I have two young children and find that juggling family responsibilities and work with writing is a big challenge. I still treat it as a hobby and it tends to get jammed into the cracks of my life. And then when I do find time, the second hardest part is not getting distracted…
What do you enjoy most about being an author?I most love it when the characters take on a life of their own and the story seems to unfold of its own accord. It is this creative process that I most enjoy about being a writer.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?Although the volume I write fluctuates dramatically depending on what else I have going on, I don’t really get Writer’s Block. I let myself take breaks when my head is not in the right place for constructing the story. My favourite writing saying is “you can’t edit a blank page”. I will often just write anything in order to get words on the page and start the flow. Once I get writing, it normally triggers ideas and I can keep going.
How do you like to reach your readers? (Social media? Book signings? Blogs etc) I’m a little hamstrung by identity problems. I write pretty much anonymously under a fake name because I am still a police officer and need to keep that job in order to pay the bills. There is a potential conflict of interest with me writing crime. Although my stories are fictitious, I have knowledge of the inner workings of policing. Before I signed the contract with the publisher for the first book, I attempted to clarify my position with my bosses and the union, but no one seemed entirely certain on whether there would be a problem. So I just attempted to bypass it all by pretending not to be me. It’s a bit odd, and keeps me away from public appearances.
Can you tell us about your latest book? (is it part of a series, genre)
My latest book is a police procedural called ‘The Twisted Knot’. It is the second in the series, following loosely on from my debut ‘A Time To Run’. The lead character is Constable Sammi Willis who polices in a small (fictitious) town in Queensland. In ‘The Twisted Knot’, she gets caught up in the suicide of a local man suspected of sexually abusing young girls, and has to sort out the facts from the rumours to unravel what really happened.
How long did it take you to write the book?I worked on this book under a tough deadline from the publisher whilst editing my first novel. The initial draft I submitted was rushed and confused. I had to rip 30,000 words out of it and re-write them. So the editing process probably took even longer than writing the initial draft.
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work?I find it intriguing writing from the offender’s point of view in each story. It’s interesting to try to understand what motivates people to commit a particular crime and how they justify it to themselves.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order? I have been making a conscious effort to try to plan, but my mind just doesn’t seem to work like that. I start with the crime or conflicts in the story, then build the characters and sub-plots around that. I write segments as they occur to me, which is rarely in chronological order.
Do you have plans for further installments? I’m currently writing the third book in the series. It begins with a death in custody and the resulting fallout at both the police station and within the small town community.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?Physical books always. Although I have an ebook reader, I don’t often use it. I’m not very good with technology and my kids aren’t quite old enough to sort things out for me. Also there is nothing quite like holding a paperback in your hands. Especially with your name embossed on the cover – even if it is a fake name…
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?I have only been published by a traditional publisher but I have to say that it is not really what I expected. Sometimes the level of control you would have when self-publishing seems attractive to me. I think self-publishing has become a lot more accessible to writers and acceptable to readers.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
I have had an easy run getting published and I think one of the reasons was my ‘backstory’ as a police officer. My advice is to find the story that you are the best person to tell.
Thank you so much for visiting today J.M. I don't know about anyone else but I am a little intrigued. I used to work in the Police Service myself and I wonder if I might know you.
Anyway, whilst I go to do some detective work myself, I want to thank J.M. for dropping by.
If you're interested in checking out her books, you can find her here....
Website: www.jmpeace.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmpeaceauthor/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmpeaceauthorAmazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/J.M.-Peace/e/B010NLO31C/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13830099.J_M_Peace
Thank you again everyone for dropping by. If you'd like to be interviewed on this blog, please drop me a line. Please don't forget to subscribe for further interviews.
Thank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
August 5, 2016
Author Interview: Lo-arna Green
Welcome to Lo-arna Green, this week's feature author.
Lo-arna is an Australian author who believes in happily ever after (most of the time) and some of the time participates in reality.
Thank s for dropping by today. It is indeed a pleasure to have you here.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author? I’m a mixed bag. Truly. I write mainly romance but I love to go darker with my short stories. This year I gained a highly commended award with Stringybark Publishing and was published in their 2015 Short Story Award anthology that was published in May. That was a huge honour, there was some seriously talented authors in that bunch.
What are the hardest part of being an author? When the words play on the edges of your mind, not writers block as such…just they won’t play the game.
What do you enjoy most about being an author? Finishing and believing in it. I used to throw my work out when I was done. I purely wrote to empty my head. I didn’t want to share. It took me a while to come to that point.
What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?I adore Amy Harmon. Her books always sucker punch me.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?Of course! I spend more time than I would like to admit just staring at a word document, or the wall. Or one word on the word document, convinced it isn’t even a word.
Do you have a particular place that you like to write? Sometimes my best writing comes when I am out and about with my kids. That’s when I let them go nuts playing and I write on the notes app on my phone. A session doing this sometimes sees me reaching 3000 words.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write? Usually just when the kids are at school.
How do you like to reach your readers?
I’ve found readers on Twitter just by being my (nutty) self on there. Not to mention other writers who have become friends. I learnt pretty quickly it is much better to just interact in a real way rather than to flood people with promo images or posts. Facebook is much harder to reach people successfully day in and out because of audience reach. I do have a blog and I try to post weekly. I tried vlogging once and I just ended up swearing at the camera. I will try again one of these days.
Can you tell us about your latest book?
All The Games is the third book in my series. They are all NA romance. The first book had a heavy colour theme, I basically used the colours as metaphors for emotions and vibes. All The Games doesn’t play with colours as much, it is more light hearted though.
How long did it take you to write the book? 6 months. I really struggled with it. The first two only took a few weeks. It took me a while to figure out why I found it so challenging. It didn’t go deep enough. I need a decent amount of heartache with the sunshine for my writing.
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work? A few readers have pointed out all of my characters are strong females. I didn’t even realise until it was pointed out.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order? I’m a total pantser and I write in all kinds of areas of the story and then thread together.
Do you have plans for further instalments? I have one more planned for the series and a possible “tie-up” novella down the track. There are a few things from the first book that didn’t really have a resolution.
Do you have a plan for your next book? My next release is called Paper Dreams and it is a historical romance. I’m really in love with it. There is a really sentimental element in it so I think it will be my favourite forever.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading? Ebook for convenience but they don’t smell like physical ones. I prefer library books.
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing? Definitely self-publishing. I don’t know if I could hack the restrictions of traditional publishing. There is obviously pros and cons to both.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors? Don’t give up. You will never please everyone so write from the heart and stay true to you.
Thank you so much Lo-arna for dropping in today. How can readers find you?
Website: www.lo-arnagreen.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/loarnagreen Twitter: www.twitter.com/loarnagreen Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B016YKZP0Y Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14249199.Lo_arna_Green
Thanks again to all the readers and writers out there for supporting Killing Time Blog. If you'd like to be interviewed here, please drop us a line. Don't forget also to subscribe to keep in touch with our weekly interview.
Keep Writing!
AmandaThank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
Lo-arna is an Australian author who believes in happily ever after (most of the time) and some of the time participates in reality.Thank s for dropping by today. It is indeed a pleasure to have you here.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author? I’m a mixed bag. Truly. I write mainly romance but I love to go darker with my short stories. This year I gained a highly commended award with Stringybark Publishing and was published in their 2015 Short Story Award anthology that was published in May. That was a huge honour, there was some seriously talented authors in that bunch.
What are the hardest part of being an author? When the words play on the edges of your mind, not writers block as such…just they won’t play the game.
What do you enjoy most about being an author? Finishing and believing in it. I used to throw my work out when I was done. I purely wrote to empty my head. I didn’t want to share. It took me a while to come to that point.
What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?I adore Amy Harmon. Her books always sucker punch me.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?Of course! I spend more time than I would like to admit just staring at a word document, or the wall. Or one word on the word document, convinced it isn’t even a word.
Do you have a particular place that you like to write? Sometimes my best writing comes when I am out and about with my kids. That’s when I let them go nuts playing and I write on the notes app on my phone. A session doing this sometimes sees me reaching 3000 words.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write? Usually just when the kids are at school.
How do you like to reach your readers?
I’ve found readers on Twitter just by being my (nutty) self on there. Not to mention other writers who have become friends. I learnt pretty quickly it is much better to just interact in a real way rather than to flood people with promo images or posts. Facebook is much harder to reach people successfully day in and out because of audience reach. I do have a blog and I try to post weekly. I tried vlogging once and I just ended up swearing at the camera. I will try again one of these days.
Can you tell us about your latest book?
All The Games is the third book in my series. They are all NA romance. The first book had a heavy colour theme, I basically used the colours as metaphors for emotions and vibes. All The Games doesn’t play with colours as much, it is more light hearted though.How long did it take you to write the book? 6 months. I really struggled with it. The first two only took a few weeks. It took me a while to figure out why I found it so challenging. It didn’t go deep enough. I need a decent amount of heartache with the sunshine for my writing.
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work? A few readers have pointed out all of my characters are strong females. I didn’t even realise until it was pointed out.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order? I’m a total pantser and I write in all kinds of areas of the story and then thread together.
Do you have plans for further instalments? I have one more planned for the series and a possible “tie-up” novella down the track. There are a few things from the first book that didn’t really have a resolution.
Do you have a plan for your next book? My next release is called Paper Dreams and it is a historical romance. I’m really in love with it. There is a really sentimental element in it so I think it will be my favourite forever.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading? Ebook for convenience but they don’t smell like physical ones. I prefer library books.
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing? Definitely self-publishing. I don’t know if I could hack the restrictions of traditional publishing. There is obviously pros and cons to both.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors? Don’t give up. You will never please everyone so write from the heart and stay true to you.
Thank you so much Lo-arna for dropping in today. How can readers find you?
Website: www.lo-arnagreen.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/loarnagreen Twitter: www.twitter.com/loarnagreen Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B016YKZP0Y Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14249199.Lo_arna_Green
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Keep Writing!
AmandaThank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
July 29, 2016
Author Interview with Karen J Carlisle
Welcome again,
Today’s author is Karen J. Carlisle.
Karen J Carlisle graduated in 1986, from Queensland Institute (now University) of Technology with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Optometry. She lives in Adelaide with her family and the ghost of her ancient Devon Rex cat.
Karen first fell in love with science fiction when she saw Doctor Who as a four-year old (she can't remember if she hid behind the couch). This was reinforced when, at the age of twelve, she saw her first Star Destroyer. She started various other long-term affairs with fantasy fiction, (tabletop) role-playing, gardening, historical re-creation and steampunk - in that order.
Karen writes speculative fiction including steampunk, Victorian mystery/crime, gaslight and fantasy. She published the first of The Adventures of Viola Stewart series, Doctor Jack and Other Tales, in 2015. She has has had articles published in Australian Realms Roleplaying Magazine and Cockatrice (Arts and Sciences magazine). Her short story, An Eye for Detail, was short-listed by the Australian Literature Review in their 2013 Murder/Mystery Short Story Competition. Karen's short story, Hunted, is featured in the Trail of Tales exhibition in the Adelaide Fringe, 2016. She currently writes full-time and can often be found plotting fantastical, piratical or airship adventures. Karen has always loved chocolate - dark preferred - and rarely refuses a cup of tea. She is not keen on the South Australian summers.
Thank you for joining me today on the blog Karen.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author?Why didn’t I do this earlier?! (well I did. Sort of.) I’ve always loved books. When I was in high school I wrote a SF/comedy – typed on my portable typewriter. It’s in the shed. Somewhere. I was gently persuaded to follow a stable (paying) career, did university and spent the next twenty-seven years being an optometrist. During this time, I wrote research articles for historical re-enactment and costume newsletters. I had articles published in the (now defunct) Australian Realms (Roleplaying magazine). I even did some artwork for a local indie comic. Life happened. I put away my pens and continued in Optometry. In 2012, life hiccupped in a most spectacular manner, resulting in leaving my current seventeen-year position. Let’s just say I needed a massive sea-change. I was advised to follow my bliss. There was no question what that was – writing and art. So, after a few false starts, I found myself writing again. In 2013, I entered over twenty short story competitions. I was short listed in Australian Literature Review’s 2013 Murder/Mystery Short Story Competition. This year, I was asked to feature one of my shorts, Hunted, in the Trail of Tales exhibition in the Adelaide Fringe.
I not only write steampunk (Victorian steampunk mysteries, steampunk adventures and gaslamp) and fantasy – all of which have proven cathartic and excellent anxiety-busters – but also do my own photography, artwork and book trailers. Art + writing = my creative heaven!
What are the hardest parts of being an author? My chief issue is procrastination, procrastination and health issues, procrastination, health issues and not enough time to write all the stories I get ideas for. Er… My chief issues are procrastination, health issues and not enough time to write all the stories I get ideas for. And my proclivity for Monty Python quotes.
Seriously though, fighting procrastination is a constant battle for me. I am often found spiralling down the research rabbit hole, and enjoying the ride (there are so many fascinating things in the world!). Health issues are an ongoing issue; I suffer from anxiety (reason for quitting my previous career), anaemia and recurring migraines. This has led to over two months lost writing-time so far, this year. I’m just about to have major surgery which (hopefully) will help relieve some of the underlying causes.
Some writers fear running out of ideas. I have enough to last the next decade (and possibly beyond, if they all pan out). I have notebooks full of scribbled titles and story seeds and boxes (both digital and physical) to compile notes for various projects. I need to constantly remind myself to finish one project before flitting off to new adventures and characters. This is one problem I hope I will never lose. (see previous comment on writers’ fears of running out of ideas.)
What do you enjoy most about being an author?I love creating and I love learning. When I don’t create, I get grumpy (just ask my husband). I feel complete, I am less anxious. And I can’t deny the buzz I get when someone likes my characters or stories.
Research rabbit holes are a two-edged sword. I learn something new every day, which comes in handy for quiz nights. I love the serendipity of finding a fact, which sparks an idea, which (in turn) leads me on a trail of discovery. So many of my stories get filled with little tidbits I find on my journey. It’s like weaving a tapestry – and I love it!
What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?Realistically, every book I have read has influenced me – even the bad ones. I was an avid reader of Doctor Who and Star Wars novels, as a child. I love the epic themes of Lord of the Rings, the adventure in Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, Gail Carriger’s humour, Simon R Green’s voice… I could go on.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?Yes. I’ve read so many articles on writers’ block. It’s a curse. It’s not real. Go for a walk. Get over it. Everyone has a theory. Whatever you call it, I get stuck – usually in the ‘soggy middle’ or when I know I have to do something I don’t want to (like kill a character). I usually switch gears and write a short story, do a writing challenge (where I have to work to a brief), read a favourite book, watch a favourite movie or television show. Mainly, I drink copious amounts of tea and scoff down dark chocolate while the original story bubbles away in my subconscious until it is ready to spill.
Do you have a particular place that you like to write? I have a standing desk with a view of the front garden. At the moment it is covered in notes. I have a sewing table that gets bathed in light, with a view of the garden too. Right now I am sitting at the kitchen table, watching the birds in the back garden. When the weather is pleasant I write under the verandah, with a view of the back garden. Is there a running theme here?
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?In the morning and early afternoon, before school pick up or in the evening. I often get inspiration late at night (especially after a long, hot shower). I really should get more sleep.
How do you like to reach your readers? I love meeting people. That was the great part about my old career. I love to gasbag. I attend local steampunk events, local conventions and do talks. Most of my social media conversations revolve around FB, twitter or various forums.
Your latest book: Can you tell us about your latest book?
My latest book is the second set of Viola Stewart’s adventures, Eye of the Beholder & Other Tales. It is a Victorian steampunk mystery with elements of gaslamp. It will be released as two eBooks – Three More Shorts and Eye of the Beholder(novella), followed by a paperback compilation, Eye of the Beholder & Other Tales. I wrote out of my comfort zone with Three More Shorts, which has a strong romance theme – a comedy of etiquette. Eye of the Beholder returns to the gaslamp feel with mummies, murder and madness.Blurb:The Men in Grey return – with plans for Viola.
Will the lure of technology seduce Viola? Will she lose Henry forever?
With her friend, Doctor Henry Collins, at her side Viola runs foul of mummies, curses and the paranormal. But this time, the threat of Bedlam looms over them…
How long did it take you to write the book?Technically about a year. Actual writing time was six months. As a self publisher, I also do my own photoshoots, cover art and design, film and edit my book trailers. Then there is setting up marketing (which I am still learning).
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work?I am increasingly drawn to psychological ambiguity of stories. How characters manipulate others. Villians are intriguing. They are the heroes of their story. If I can just get the reader to understand the villain – for even just a second – I am ecstatic. It’s the “oh poor, Jack… you evil bastard” moment. I love to show their point of view – show both sides of the story and let the reader make up their mind who they are rooting for.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order?Hi, my name is Karen. And I’m a (mostly) pantser. I enjoy the discovery of a story. My process goes like this:· Get an idea or title· Scribble down notes and shove them in a folder. I will often have a ‘feel’ for the story, a visual – like the opening scene of a movie, an idea for a gadget, a specific plot point I want to weave in, or a plot twist.· Do background research – usually on the original history of an event, person or area involved in the story. I like to check scientific facts (I even bought a book on the Chemical Analysis of Firearms, Ammunition, and Gunshot Residue.)· I write down ideas I get for characters, possible clues or plot points as I go.· I usually have an idea of characters (sometimes they come to me complete with names and faces), sometimes they are vague ghosts· Sometimes I just start writing. · Most stories are in vague chronological order. I will skip some scenes due to procrastination or its vision hasn’t yet solidified in my mind’s eye. When things are progressing well, I can see the story, complete with music track, and occasionally the dum, dum, dum of the cliff hanger. · I wish I could plot more. It would speed up the process.
Do you have plans for further instalments? Journal #3 of The Adventures of Viola Stewart is scheduled for release in 2017. It will complete the Viola-Henry relationship and address the long story arc concerning Viola’s sister, Anne. (Spoilers!). I won’t rule out future adventures or short stories.
Do you have a plan for your next book? The next series planned is The Department of Curiosities, set in the same steampunk world. A steampunk tale of adventure, a heroine, mad scientists, traitors and secrets. All for the good of the Empire.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?Physical books: I get eyestrain reading eBooks. I love the smell of books. I do have eBooks – mostly reference or shorts, but I will buy a physical book if I get the option and can afford it. Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?I self-publish. I did a lot of research on this very question. The industry is changing. Traditional publishing doesn’t provide the same level of editing and marketing as in the past. Most require the author to do their own publicity. If I’m going to do most of the effort, I would rather self-publish and get a better royalty for my effort, even if that means the hassles of doing my own marketing.
I get the freedom to create my own covers and trailers and control my own deadlines. This allows me to work around my anxiety and health issues. I may be a control freak, but self-publishing creates less stress as I am not being pushed to adhere to others’ timetables.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?Write because you love it. Not because you want to make a fortune. That doesn’t happen often. Only 5% of those who want to write, actually write. Of that, only 5% finish their story. Don’t give up. Write your story. Finish your story. That puts you ahead of the pack. Write because you love it
Thank you so much for appearing on my blog today Karen. I have found this very interesting and I think readers will too. So how can readers find you?Website: www.karenjcarlisle.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/KarenJCarlisle/Twitter: www.twitter.com/kjcarlisleAmazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/karenjcarlisleGoodreads: www.goodreads.com/KarenJCarlisle
Thank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
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July 22, 2016
Author Interview: Award winning author Rosanne Dingli
This week, please welcome esteemed international author Rosanne Dingli.
Rosanne is sought by an international audience for prize-winning short stories and intricate novels, Rosanne Dingli has published fiction successfully for over 25 years. Most of her body of work is available in paperback and ebook.
The author's fiction centres around the classical Arts, such as painting, music, and literature. She also uses locations and their allure to anchor her stories and give them substance. Folklore embellishes some of her works.
In 2015, this author wrote, produced and published three full-length novels; A Funeral in Fiesole, which a family-oriented novel that takes place in Italy. Adult siblings gather for their mother's funeral, where new attitudes and opinions supplant old perceptions. How to Disappearis a novel in two parts that concerns the drudgery of some modern-day relationships and also the migrant experience. And The White Lady of Marsaxlokk is a paranormal historical novel. It once more features an Australian protagonist experiencing an adventure in Europe.
The Hidden Auditoriumappeared in July 2013. It is a cultural adventure that takes an antiques dealer on a quest for a secret about a famous composer. He thinks a beautiful pendant contains an important clue. It received a BRAG medallion in 2015.
Camera Obscurais the third on this author's shelf of novels. A romantic adventure using photography, art theft, and fascinating locations, it takes the reader on one of this author's breathless chases, which are now well-known and loved by her readers. It has been short-listed in the 2013 Kindle Book Review Awards.
The novel According to Luke was released in 2010. This exciting and controversial novel has been described by some as a combination of religious thriller and romantic suspense. It received a Noveltunity award in 2015.
Her work in progress is a family-oriented novel that takes place in Italy. Adult siblings gather for their mother's funeral, where new attitudes and opinions supplant old perceptions.
Rosanne Dingli now writes full-time after retiring from teaching in 2009. Her out-of-print short fiction and poetry is once more available in handy easy-to-read volumes that do not cost the earth. She gives occasional workshops on writing and publishing.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author?I started in New South Wales in 1985, two years after moving to Australia from Malta, and immediately my short pieces were published in literary journals, anthologies, newspaper inserts, and more. My collected published and awarded poems came out as my first book in 1991, when Literary Mouse Press launched it at the Perth Old Observatory. Everyone came. My first novel saw more than two dozen publishers before Jacobyte Books in South Australia accepted and published it in 2001. They went on to take two of my story collections. When they closed in 2005, they passed me on to the British publishers BeWrite Books. Today, I have seven novels, six story collections, a few novellas, and that first lucky poetry book available under my own imprint, Yellow Teapot books.
What is the hardest part of being an author? It’s all very hard, but discoverability is probably what approaches being impossible to achieve in these days of widespread independent publishing. The democratization of publishing means almost everyone is capable of putting out a book or six – and they do. As a result of this, getting noticed is rather difficult, and unless readers notice a book, however wonderful it might be, they cannot read it.
What do you enjoy most about being an author?Autonomy is something I love. I can dabble, or I can be as professional as I like … always or in turn. And the consequences are all mine to own. Hard work, when I can do it, comes easily. Doing nothing, or reading the books of others, is also possible and gives great pleasure. Being my own boss appealed to me when I freelanced as a journalist, literary editor, and columnist back in the 1990s. Autonomous authors can measure their success as an outcome of their own efforts, so it’s very rewarding.
What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?Rather than on my writing, the authors I read have an influence on the broadness of my outlook, the depth of my cultural understanding, and the eclectic array of subjects into which I like to delve. John Fowles, AS Byatt, and Ian McEwen are all intellectually stimulating authors whose topics are very relevant and interesting to me. The reading I did as a young adult also proved important as I discovered what I wanted to write about. Robert Goddard, John Dickson Carr, Georges Simenon, and Georgette Heyer were only four among dozens of authors whose books filled my bookcases. I am now reading everything by Peter Robinson, seeking the fascinating undercurrents in novels that to others might appear simple or boxed-in by genre.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?I am not one of those writers who have a daily schedule. I go for months without writing, since I do not compose if there’s nothing to write. My 30 years of writing professionally have taught me to understand the kind of writer I am. I work when there’s a strong premise that won’t leave me alone, and when I find the words with which to present it. I am not a strong believer in “story”, yet I do not write navel-gazing philosophical recitals and chronicles that are just display cases for acquired knowledge.
Do you have a particular place that you like to write? My office is great. I’ve always had one, and will always have one, wherever I live.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?The best is always the time when I am most likely to be interrupted. The middle of the afternoon, when the family return home, when dinner needs cooking, when the phone rings non-stop; that used to be the most fruitful time for me. Now that the nest is empty, the place is quiet, and my partner, who is rather self-sufficient, doesn’t need stuff in the middle of the afternoon, I find it hard to write. I need interruptions, it seems.
How do you like to reach your readers? I engage on Facebook, which I use for nothing else. It’s not for family or friends, but is the vehicle for making myself and my books known. All I do there is about books, writing, reading, and neutral but fascinating topics that connect to what interests me. So this necessarily excludes anything to do with politics and other controversial topics. I also like to respond to queries on LinkedIn. Since the LinkedIn format changed, so did the nature of the discussions. I must remember to find better conversations to join.
I do quite a number of public appearances every year. About four or five workshops at libraries and writing organizations, and many talks and signings. These are excellent occasions to sell and sign, and readers who meet me eyeball-to-eyeball never fail to follow me on social media, so the enjoyable public events are also very useful. I have been speaking and reading publicly since 1987, and when I lectured in Creative Writing at ECU in the years that followed, I discovered some good techniques to engage an audience of readers.
Your latest book:
Can you tell us about your latest book, A Funeral in Fiesole?A Funeral in Fiesolewas one of three stand-alone novels I wrote, produced, and published in 2015. It’s what I like to call ‘location fiction’, based on a particular place that has fascinated me in the past, when visited personally. I love Italy, and speak the language fluently, so I often include the country in my writing. Fiesole is a village built into the hills above Florence, where beautiful villas catch the eye among the trees. This particular novel was a challenge from the outset, because it is narrated by four separate protagonists, all in the first person. They are four adult siblings who meet for their mother’s funeral and the reading of her will. They bring along emotional and financial burdens, which are disclosed as they find out how unreliable memories of one’s youth and childhood can be.
This novel is aimed at people of a certain generation. I am fascinated by baby-boomers, their concerns and peculiarities as a group. I also love that aspect of the human condition – relationships – which will always fascinate us. How couples bond or separate, how adult siblings relate. These are topics my readers love. When incorporated into a piece of location fiction, they really resound and stay in the memory.
How long did it take you to write the book?It took about 5 weeks to set down the first draft of A Funeral in Fiesole. I do not plan my novels, but this one was fairly easily kept in my head, and it all came tumbling out of my typing fingers in a very short span.
Do you have a favourite character in your work?The best character I have ever created – in all my writing life – became a real person in my mind. He lives inside two of my novels, According to Luke and The Hidden Auditorium. His name is Prof Bryn Awbrey, a Welsh eccentric who is very good at solving mysteries, especially if they relate to art, history, music, and related subjects. He is a loveable old man – the kind of uncle everyone needs.
Do you have a favourite topic in your work?My favourite topics are Bryn Awbrey’s topics! My tertiary education consisted in Fine Arts, and History of Art and Architecture. I also love music and the lives of the composers. I read a lot of biographies. So it’s only natural that I should take these beloved subjects into my fiction without very much effort. Researching within these subjects is also very pleasurable, and sometimes preferable to writing.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order?Although it’s vital in fiction, storyline is not what comes first. I first seek a strong premise, give it a good base in the human condition, lace it with a lot of history, music, art, literature and so on … find the correct words with which to frame the narrative, seek some wonderful characters to bring it all to life, and it takes form, very swiftly, in my head. Then I hold my hands over the keyboard, and they do the rest.
Do you have plans for further instalments? No. Occasionally I write a book and my readers ask for a sequel, so it does occur to me, but that’s not enough. I must have all the ingredients I mentioned above. When that happens, and another novel can be constructed on the tail of another, it’s a fine thing. It’s only happened once so far. But watch this space.
Do you have a plan for your next book? I’m the kind of author who doesn’t plan. My life is too full of complications for that. If I applied the same structures and schedules to my writing as I must to what I call my real life, writing would cease to be enjoyable.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?I read paper books for one simple reason – most of my day is spent in front of a computer screen for one purpose or another. Relaxing with a book means lying down with a paperback for me.
There will always be a place for both electronic and physical books in the reading world. Many readers love both, and some have a distinct preference for one or the other. Low cost makes ebooks wonderful, and without that stream, my books would not sell so widely or so well. I find, however, that people often buy the whole set of my paperbacks after they have bought an ebook or two … when they have come to love my characters and the way I write. Collectors love books they can place on a shelf.
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?The industry – if we can still call it that – started to change sometime in 2008-09. That was the period my publishers started to telegraph a sense of excitement to me. Amazon started to tap into the groundswell of independent writers and small publishers, and suddenly there was a big inundation of new works that travelled well without the need of agents or established publishers. Wow. I took my backlist and published two or three volumes myself, gaining a lot of useful experience as I did it. When my last publishers folded, I was poised to fly. Rights were returned to me and within a fortnight ALL of my books were self-published and selling under my own imprint, Yellow Teapot Books. I have never looked back.
The last seven or eight years have been incredible – not only have mainstream publishing had to take a long hard look at what is happening, but traditional publishers found that participating pays. It’s not easy for them, and it’s not easy for small publishers and those who do it on their own. But the book world is not an easy place to inhabit. It’s always been a hostile place, almost impossible to navigate. Those who survive are the quick learners who are also patient and perseverant. There will always be a place for both trad and SP, but they will both evolve as we go, and the most likely way is in different directions, for different markets. I found it was wonderful to transition between one and the other. I was a hybrid author for a few years. It was what perhaps got me started so well on my own path.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?Seriously? I suggest they never touch writing and publishing unless they are immune to frustration, doubt, and extreme difficulty. They must have minimal hope in making it pay financially, and be prepared for endless unpaid hours of not only drafting, editing, correcting and rewriting, but also innumerable hours of promoting, promoting, promoting, and finding new ways to make one’s books discoverable. It’s not for everyone. First, one must be a capable writer, and that takes decades to perfect. Then, one must be open to constant change. One must also be able to understand the book world, understand that ‘marketing’ is not a simple subject one can learn in one weekend; and that just a handful of books will never be enough to cut it in such a ferociously competitive marketplace.
My advice is – if you want regular money, stick to your real job. If you want quick results, reliability and predictability, avoid working in the arts. If you think it’s all about storytelling, delve further into the book world. If you think the life of a writer is uncomplicated and fairly simple, ask someone who does it full time. If you think success as a writer doesn’t involve luck, ask someone whose books are doing well. If you think a good book will automatically find readers, think again.
And finally, how can readers find you?Website: www.rosannedingli.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/rosannedingliTwitter: @rosannedingli (rarely used)Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/Rosanne-Dingli/e/B002BOJFCMGoodreads: https: www.goodreads.com/author/show/2743619.Rosanne_DingliBlog: www.rosannedingli.blogspot.com
Thank you for this opportunity, Amanda. I like reaching new readers, and your generous offer was very timely.
Rosanne Dingli
Thank you for visiting Rosanne. This was an incredibly stimulating interview. Amanda
Thank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
Rosanne is sought by an international audience for prize-winning short stories and intricate novels, Rosanne Dingli has published fiction successfully for over 25 years. Most of her body of work is available in paperback and ebook. The author's fiction centres around the classical Arts, such as painting, music, and literature. She also uses locations and their allure to anchor her stories and give them substance. Folklore embellishes some of her works.
In 2015, this author wrote, produced and published three full-length novels; A Funeral in Fiesole, which a family-oriented novel that takes place in Italy. Adult siblings gather for their mother's funeral, where new attitudes and opinions supplant old perceptions. How to Disappearis a novel in two parts that concerns the drudgery of some modern-day relationships and also the migrant experience. And The White Lady of Marsaxlokk is a paranormal historical novel. It once more features an Australian protagonist experiencing an adventure in Europe.
The Hidden Auditoriumappeared in July 2013. It is a cultural adventure that takes an antiques dealer on a quest for a secret about a famous composer. He thinks a beautiful pendant contains an important clue. It received a BRAG medallion in 2015.
Camera Obscurais the third on this author's shelf of novels. A romantic adventure using photography, art theft, and fascinating locations, it takes the reader on one of this author's breathless chases, which are now well-known and loved by her readers. It has been short-listed in the 2013 Kindle Book Review Awards.
The novel According to Luke was released in 2010. This exciting and controversial novel has been described by some as a combination of religious thriller and romantic suspense. It received a Noveltunity award in 2015.
Her work in progress is a family-oriented novel that takes place in Italy. Adult siblings gather for their mother's funeral, where new attitudes and opinions supplant old perceptions.
Rosanne Dingli now writes full-time after retiring from teaching in 2009. Her out-of-print short fiction and poetry is once more available in handy easy-to-read volumes that do not cost the earth. She gives occasional workshops on writing and publishing.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author?I started in New South Wales in 1985, two years after moving to Australia from Malta, and immediately my short pieces were published in literary journals, anthologies, newspaper inserts, and more. My collected published and awarded poems came out as my first book in 1991, when Literary Mouse Press launched it at the Perth Old Observatory. Everyone came. My first novel saw more than two dozen publishers before Jacobyte Books in South Australia accepted and published it in 2001. They went on to take two of my story collections. When they closed in 2005, they passed me on to the British publishers BeWrite Books. Today, I have seven novels, six story collections, a few novellas, and that first lucky poetry book available under my own imprint, Yellow Teapot books.
What is the hardest part of being an author? It’s all very hard, but discoverability is probably what approaches being impossible to achieve in these days of widespread independent publishing. The democratization of publishing means almost everyone is capable of putting out a book or six – and they do. As a result of this, getting noticed is rather difficult, and unless readers notice a book, however wonderful it might be, they cannot read it.
What do you enjoy most about being an author?Autonomy is something I love. I can dabble, or I can be as professional as I like … always or in turn. And the consequences are all mine to own. Hard work, when I can do it, comes easily. Doing nothing, or reading the books of others, is also possible and gives great pleasure. Being my own boss appealed to me when I freelanced as a journalist, literary editor, and columnist back in the 1990s. Autonomous authors can measure their success as an outcome of their own efforts, so it’s very rewarding.
What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?Rather than on my writing, the authors I read have an influence on the broadness of my outlook, the depth of my cultural understanding, and the eclectic array of subjects into which I like to delve. John Fowles, AS Byatt, and Ian McEwen are all intellectually stimulating authors whose topics are very relevant and interesting to me. The reading I did as a young adult also proved important as I discovered what I wanted to write about. Robert Goddard, John Dickson Carr, Georges Simenon, and Georgette Heyer were only four among dozens of authors whose books filled my bookcases. I am now reading everything by Peter Robinson, seeking the fascinating undercurrents in novels that to others might appear simple or boxed-in by genre.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?I am not one of those writers who have a daily schedule. I go for months without writing, since I do not compose if there’s nothing to write. My 30 years of writing professionally have taught me to understand the kind of writer I am. I work when there’s a strong premise that won’t leave me alone, and when I find the words with which to present it. I am not a strong believer in “story”, yet I do not write navel-gazing philosophical recitals and chronicles that are just display cases for acquired knowledge.
Do you have a particular place that you like to write? My office is great. I’ve always had one, and will always have one, wherever I live.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?The best is always the time when I am most likely to be interrupted. The middle of the afternoon, when the family return home, when dinner needs cooking, when the phone rings non-stop; that used to be the most fruitful time for me. Now that the nest is empty, the place is quiet, and my partner, who is rather self-sufficient, doesn’t need stuff in the middle of the afternoon, I find it hard to write. I need interruptions, it seems.
How do you like to reach your readers? I engage on Facebook, which I use for nothing else. It’s not for family or friends, but is the vehicle for making myself and my books known. All I do there is about books, writing, reading, and neutral but fascinating topics that connect to what interests me. So this necessarily excludes anything to do with politics and other controversial topics. I also like to respond to queries on LinkedIn. Since the LinkedIn format changed, so did the nature of the discussions. I must remember to find better conversations to join.
I do quite a number of public appearances every year. About four or five workshops at libraries and writing organizations, and many talks and signings. These are excellent occasions to sell and sign, and readers who meet me eyeball-to-eyeball never fail to follow me on social media, so the enjoyable public events are also very useful. I have been speaking and reading publicly since 1987, and when I lectured in Creative Writing at ECU in the years that followed, I discovered some good techniques to engage an audience of readers.
Your latest book:
Can you tell us about your latest book, A Funeral in Fiesole?A Funeral in Fiesolewas one of three stand-alone novels I wrote, produced, and published in 2015. It’s what I like to call ‘location fiction’, based on a particular place that has fascinated me in the past, when visited personally. I love Italy, and speak the language fluently, so I often include the country in my writing. Fiesole is a village built into the hills above Florence, where beautiful villas catch the eye among the trees. This particular novel was a challenge from the outset, because it is narrated by four separate protagonists, all in the first person. They are four adult siblings who meet for their mother’s funeral and the reading of her will. They bring along emotional and financial burdens, which are disclosed as they find out how unreliable memories of one’s youth and childhood can be.This novel is aimed at people of a certain generation. I am fascinated by baby-boomers, their concerns and peculiarities as a group. I also love that aspect of the human condition – relationships – which will always fascinate us. How couples bond or separate, how adult siblings relate. These are topics my readers love. When incorporated into a piece of location fiction, they really resound and stay in the memory.
How long did it take you to write the book?It took about 5 weeks to set down the first draft of A Funeral in Fiesole. I do not plan my novels, but this one was fairly easily kept in my head, and it all came tumbling out of my typing fingers in a very short span.
Do you have a favourite character in your work?The best character I have ever created – in all my writing life – became a real person in my mind. He lives inside two of my novels, According to Luke and The Hidden Auditorium. His name is Prof Bryn Awbrey, a Welsh eccentric who is very good at solving mysteries, especially if they relate to art, history, music, and related subjects. He is a loveable old man – the kind of uncle everyone needs.
Do you have a favourite topic in your work?My favourite topics are Bryn Awbrey’s topics! My tertiary education consisted in Fine Arts, and History of Art and Architecture. I also love music and the lives of the composers. I read a lot of biographies. So it’s only natural that I should take these beloved subjects into my fiction without very much effort. Researching within these subjects is also very pleasurable, and sometimes preferable to writing.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order?Although it’s vital in fiction, storyline is not what comes first. I first seek a strong premise, give it a good base in the human condition, lace it with a lot of history, music, art, literature and so on … find the correct words with which to frame the narrative, seek some wonderful characters to bring it all to life, and it takes form, very swiftly, in my head. Then I hold my hands over the keyboard, and they do the rest.
Do you have plans for further instalments? No. Occasionally I write a book and my readers ask for a sequel, so it does occur to me, but that’s not enough. I must have all the ingredients I mentioned above. When that happens, and another novel can be constructed on the tail of another, it’s a fine thing. It’s only happened once so far. But watch this space.
Do you have a plan for your next book? I’m the kind of author who doesn’t plan. My life is too full of complications for that. If I applied the same structures and schedules to my writing as I must to what I call my real life, writing would cease to be enjoyable.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?I read paper books for one simple reason – most of my day is spent in front of a computer screen for one purpose or another. Relaxing with a book means lying down with a paperback for me.
There will always be a place for both electronic and physical books in the reading world. Many readers love both, and some have a distinct preference for one or the other. Low cost makes ebooks wonderful, and without that stream, my books would not sell so widely or so well. I find, however, that people often buy the whole set of my paperbacks after they have bought an ebook or two … when they have come to love my characters and the way I write. Collectors love books they can place on a shelf.
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?The industry – if we can still call it that – started to change sometime in 2008-09. That was the period my publishers started to telegraph a sense of excitement to me. Amazon started to tap into the groundswell of independent writers and small publishers, and suddenly there was a big inundation of new works that travelled well without the need of agents or established publishers. Wow. I took my backlist and published two or three volumes myself, gaining a lot of useful experience as I did it. When my last publishers folded, I was poised to fly. Rights were returned to me and within a fortnight ALL of my books were self-published and selling under my own imprint, Yellow Teapot Books. I have never looked back.
The last seven or eight years have been incredible – not only have mainstream publishing had to take a long hard look at what is happening, but traditional publishers found that participating pays. It’s not easy for them, and it’s not easy for small publishers and those who do it on their own. But the book world is not an easy place to inhabit. It’s always been a hostile place, almost impossible to navigate. Those who survive are the quick learners who are also patient and perseverant. There will always be a place for both trad and SP, but they will both evolve as we go, and the most likely way is in different directions, for different markets. I found it was wonderful to transition between one and the other. I was a hybrid author for a few years. It was what perhaps got me started so well on my own path.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?Seriously? I suggest they never touch writing and publishing unless they are immune to frustration, doubt, and extreme difficulty. They must have minimal hope in making it pay financially, and be prepared for endless unpaid hours of not only drafting, editing, correcting and rewriting, but also innumerable hours of promoting, promoting, promoting, and finding new ways to make one’s books discoverable. It’s not for everyone. First, one must be a capable writer, and that takes decades to perfect. Then, one must be open to constant change. One must also be able to understand the book world, understand that ‘marketing’ is not a simple subject one can learn in one weekend; and that just a handful of books will never be enough to cut it in such a ferociously competitive marketplace.
My advice is – if you want regular money, stick to your real job. If you want quick results, reliability and predictability, avoid working in the arts. If you think it’s all about storytelling, delve further into the book world. If you think the life of a writer is uncomplicated and fairly simple, ask someone who does it full time. If you think success as a writer doesn’t involve luck, ask someone whose books are doing well. If you think a good book will automatically find readers, think again.
And finally, how can readers find you?Website: www.rosannedingli.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/rosannedingliTwitter: @rosannedingli (rarely used)Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/Rosanne-Dingli/e/B002BOJFCMGoodreads: https: www.goodreads.com/author/show/2743619.Rosanne_DingliBlog: www.rosannedingli.blogspot.com
Thank you for this opportunity, Amanda. I like reaching new readers, and your generous offer was very timely.
Rosanne Dingli
Thank you for visiting Rosanne. This was an incredibly stimulating interview. Amanda
Thank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
July 15, 2016
Author Interview Blog: Faye Hall, author of Shrouded Passions
This week’s author is Faye Hall.
Faye Hall is a published author of Historical Erotic Romance novels & e-books. Faye's passion driven, mystery filled books are set in small townships of North Queensland, Australia during the late 1800's.
Each of her novels bring something symbolically Australian to her readers, from Aboriginal herbal remedies, to certain gemstones naturally only found in this part of the world.
Each of her books tell of a passionate connection between the hero and heroine, surrounded and threatened by deceit, scandal, theft and sometimes even murder.
These romances swerve from the traditional
romances as Faye aims to give her readers so much more intrigue, whilst also revealing the hidden histories of rural townships of North Queensland.
Faye finds her inspiration from the histories of not only the township she grew up in, but the many surrounding it. She also bases most of her characters on people she has met in her life.
Faye was able to live her own passion driven romance, marrying the love of her life after a whirlwind romance in 2013. Together they are raising their nine children in a remote country town in northern Queensland, Australia.
So thank you Faye for blogging with me today.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author? I write about murder, lies, deception, and love set in the outback under the Australian sun. My passion driven, mystery filled books are set in North Queensland, Australia during the development of the townships at the end of the 19th century.
What are the hardest parts of being an author? Trying to keep constant original ideas that will draw the readers to my books. That and finding time to write.
What do you enjoy most about being an author?Being able to create people and being able to manipulate their lives knowing they will always have a happy ending.
What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?Amanda Quick novels have to have been my biggest influence, though I find inspiration in most published authors.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?I’m not sure about writers block, but I get frustrated with so many aspects of writing at one time or another. Usually talking through whatever I’m currently working on with my husband is enough to get me through my frustrations and back on track.
Do you have a particular place that you like to write? I do most of my writing on my computer which is in my bedroom, however I do also write on my phone whilst waiting for my children at school.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?I have many family commitments so I write where and when I can. Finding time to focus on writing is a luxury for sure, so I try to make good use of night time after my children have gone to bed.
How do you like to reach your readers? Social media is my most used way to reach readers. I’ve also done several interviews for the local paper in my town, as well as quite a few appearances on various blogs. I even had the chance to do an appearance with several other local authors in the local library.
Your latest book is Shrouded Passions. It was released in May 2016. Can you tell us about your book? It is a historical romantic suspense set in 19th century Australia. The hero, Devon, is distraught when he is made to believe the woman he loves is killed. When Lotte returns to him though, their second chance is marred by the vengefulness and ruthlessness of Devon’s wife.
How long did it take you to write the book?A couple of months. I aim for 3 – 4 months to complete a book, but as I don’t have the luxury of non-stop writing, sometimes things don’t go to plan. This particular book had very few interruptions though so it was completed rather quickly.
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work?It’s hard to pick a favourite character in this particular book. I loved writing them all. I enjoyed Devon’s broodiness and desperation to have the woman he’d lost returned to him. Lotte was also an enjoyable character as she enabled me to share some old native Australian myths and traditions with the readers. Then there was Elizabeth, a character driven by her own greed so much so that she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. All three characters were just so enjoyable to create.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order?As with most of my work, I wrote a rough plan around pieces of dialogue and possible ideas. The rest just changed and flowed then as I wrote.
Do you have plans for further instalments? Not for this particular book, at least not at this stage.
Do you have a plan for your next book? I do. It is titled Heart of Stone, and is a tale of unusual love story tangled together through the scandal of the Australian slave trade.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?Though my works are all ebooks at this stage, I still prefer to read physical books. I like the feel of the pages beneath my fingers.
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?Yes I feel the industry is changing, both for the good and bad. I admire anyone who has the strength to self-publish in an already flooded market.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?If you love to write, then write and try not to get too disheartened along the very bumpy road to publication.
Thanks for visiting today Faye. How can readers find out more about your books:Website: www.faye-hall.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/fayehallromanceauthor/Twitter: www.twitter.com/FayeHall79Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/-/e/B00DPIMSMWGoodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/6882637.Faye_HallThank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
Faye Hall is a published author of Historical Erotic Romance novels & e-books. Faye's passion driven, mystery filled books are set in small townships of North Queensland, Australia during the late 1800's.Each of her novels bring something symbolically Australian to her readers, from Aboriginal herbal remedies, to certain gemstones naturally only found in this part of the world.
Each of her books tell of a passionate connection between the hero and heroine, surrounded and threatened by deceit, scandal, theft and sometimes even murder.
These romances swerve from the traditional
romances as Faye aims to give her readers so much more intrigue, whilst also revealing the hidden histories of rural townships of North Queensland.
Faye finds her inspiration from the histories of not only the township she grew up in, but the many surrounding it. She also bases most of her characters on people she has met in her life.
Faye was able to live her own passion driven romance, marrying the love of her life after a whirlwind romance in 2013. Together they are raising their nine children in a remote country town in northern Queensland, Australia.
So thank you Faye for blogging with me today.
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author? I write about murder, lies, deception, and love set in the outback under the Australian sun. My passion driven, mystery filled books are set in North Queensland, Australia during the development of the townships at the end of the 19th century.
What are the hardest parts of being an author? Trying to keep constant original ideas that will draw the readers to my books. That and finding time to write.
What do you enjoy most about being an author?Being able to create people and being able to manipulate their lives knowing they will always have a happy ending.
What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?Amanda Quick novels have to have been my biggest influence, though I find inspiration in most published authors.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?I’m not sure about writers block, but I get frustrated with so many aspects of writing at one time or another. Usually talking through whatever I’m currently working on with my husband is enough to get me through my frustrations and back on track.
Do you have a particular place that you like to write? I do most of my writing on my computer which is in my bedroom, however I do also write on my phone whilst waiting for my children at school.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?I have many family commitments so I write where and when I can. Finding time to focus on writing is a luxury for sure, so I try to make good use of night time after my children have gone to bed.
How do you like to reach your readers? Social media is my most used way to reach readers. I’ve also done several interviews for the local paper in my town, as well as quite a few appearances on various blogs. I even had the chance to do an appearance with several other local authors in the local library.
Your latest book is Shrouded Passions. It was released in May 2016. Can you tell us about your book? It is a historical romantic suspense set in 19th century Australia. The hero, Devon, is distraught when he is made to believe the woman he loves is killed. When Lotte returns to him though, their second chance is marred by the vengefulness and ruthlessness of Devon’s wife.How long did it take you to write the book?A couple of months. I aim for 3 – 4 months to complete a book, but as I don’t have the luxury of non-stop writing, sometimes things don’t go to plan. This particular book had very few interruptions though so it was completed rather quickly.
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work?It’s hard to pick a favourite character in this particular book. I loved writing them all. I enjoyed Devon’s broodiness and desperation to have the woman he’d lost returned to him. Lotte was also an enjoyable character as she enabled me to share some old native Australian myths and traditions with the readers. Then there was Elizabeth, a character driven by her own greed so much so that she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. All three characters were just so enjoyable to create.
What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order?As with most of my work, I wrote a rough plan around pieces of dialogue and possible ideas. The rest just changed and flowed then as I wrote.
Do you have plans for further instalments? Not for this particular book, at least not at this stage.
Do you have a plan for your next book? I do. It is titled Heart of Stone, and is a tale of unusual love story tangled together through the scandal of the Australian slave trade.
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?Though my works are all ebooks at this stage, I still prefer to read physical books. I like the feel of the pages beneath my fingers.
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?Yes I feel the industry is changing, both for the good and bad. I admire anyone who has the strength to self-publish in an already flooded market.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?If you love to write, then write and try not to get too disheartened along the very bumpy road to publication.
Thanks for visiting today Faye. How can readers find out more about your books:Website: www.faye-hall.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/fayehallromanceauthor/Twitter: www.twitter.com/FayeHall79Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/-/e/B00DPIMSMWGoodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/6882637.Faye_HallThank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
July 8, 2016
Kirsty Ferguson, Author of The Little Dead Girl Series
As promised, I have decided to turn my neglected blog into a place where authors and readers can meet. Each week I will highlight an author and discuss with them their books and their experience.
My very first guest it Kirsty Ferguson.
Kirsty Ferguson is a crime, mystery and horror writer who lives in Melbourne, Australia. She has been writing stories ever since a life-changing brush with Stephen King’s Cujo. When she’s not writing about unspeakable things, reading or cooking, she can be found spending time with her son, teaching him about the joys of reading and writing.
As you can see, Kirsty is a woman after my own heart, we both share a love of Stephen King and spend a lot of our time writing about the horrors that humans can do.
So on to the questions:
Welcome Kirsty,
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author?I write crime and mystery novels that are set in rural Australia. My books always have a few twists and turns woven throughout them which will keep you guessing until the end.
What are the hardest part of being an author? Finding time is definitely the hardest part of being an author. You are always pulled in so many different ways with family, work or study.
What do you enjoy most about being an author?Creating a book from just a spark of an idea. I also love when people tell me they’ve read my books and enjoyed them.
What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?Stephen King’ Cujo will always hold a special place in my heart as will Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind for helping me fall in love with books and the art of writing. I love reading Australian authors as well such as Helen Garner and Carly Lane.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?Yes, there is such a thing as writer’s block, I’ve felt it before. I found that writing something completely different helps clear the block away. I also find that reading the news is helpful. That’s how I got the idea for one of my books, by googling an old crime. The book took a very different turn but it helped me write again.
Do you have a particular place that you like to write?I made an office for myself and hung inspirational quotes on the wall. It’s my favourite place to write. I also find inspiration while walking so I use my phone to write down plot ideas.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?I find that I am quite motivated after school drop off or late at night.
How do you like to reach your readers? I use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to reach readers. I am also in the local Collins Booksellers store and in three libraries.
Please tell us about your latest book:My latest book is called Little Girl Revenge and is the second book in the Little Girl Dead series (Little Girl Dead is the first book). It is a crime and mystery series that focuses around the events immediately after the death of a sixteen-year-old girl named Cassie Grace. The reader follows her mother Lila Grace as she unravels the mystery behind Cassie’s death.
How long did it take you to write the book? It took me a month or so to write Little Girl Revenge.
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work? Lila, the main character is my favourite, mainly because after a horrific incident, she takes her life in her own hands and does what needs to be done.
What was your writing process like? I had an idea of where I wanted the book to go and I just meandered my way there. I don’t write with a plan, I just go where the story takes me. I let the characters decide what they want to say and when.
Do you have plans for further instalments? Yes. The next book in the series is called Little Girl Silent and will be out early 2017. The final instalment is called Little Girl Lonely and is a prequel.
Do you have a plan for your next book? My next book is called Severed Heart. It is a cozy mystery which is set on a rural farm and focuses on events surrounding a decade old death. It will be released on the 3rdNovember 2016.
Just a few final questions about writing and the industry…
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading? I see the benefits of ebooks and I do read on my phone, but I am a lover of real books that I can hold and smell. (A woman after my own heart…. Amanda)
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing? I have self-published my books and will probably continue to do so as it is easier and more flexible and I can do it to my timeline. I feel that self-publishing is becoming more widely accepted. Once, it was seen as only for people that couldn’t get a traditional publishing deal but that’s not the case anymore. Anyone with a passion for writing can release books now.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors? Just write. You will never finish a book if you don’t start it.
So where can readers find you?Website: www.authorkirstyferguson.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/authorkirstyfergusonTwitter: www.twitter.com/danesha24Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/kirstyfergusonGoodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/14343302.Kirsty_Ferguson
Thank you Kirsty for being my first visiting author. I wish you the very best of luck and I hope to see you back here in November when you release Severed Heart.
Thank again readers for visiting, please check out Kirsty’s books!
Until next time, happy reading!
AmandaThank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
My very first guest it Kirsty Ferguson.
Kirsty Ferguson is a crime, mystery and horror writer who lives in Melbourne, Australia. She has been writing stories ever since a life-changing brush with Stephen King’s Cujo. When she’s not writing about unspeakable things, reading or cooking, she can be found spending time with her son, teaching him about the joys of reading and writing.
As you can see, Kirsty is a woman after my own heart, we both share a love of Stephen King and spend a lot of our time writing about the horrors that humans can do.
So on to the questions:
Welcome Kirsty,
Can you tell us a bit about you as an author?I write crime and mystery novels that are set in rural Australia. My books always have a few twists and turns woven throughout them which will keep you guessing until the end.
What are the hardest part of being an author? Finding time is definitely the hardest part of being an author. You are always pulled in so many different ways with family, work or study.
What do you enjoy most about being an author?Creating a book from just a spark of an idea. I also love when people tell me they’ve read my books and enjoyed them.
What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?Stephen King’ Cujo will always hold a special place in my heart as will Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind for helping me fall in love with books and the art of writing. I love reading Australian authors as well such as Helen Garner and Carly Lane.
Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?Yes, there is such a thing as writer’s block, I’ve felt it before. I found that writing something completely different helps clear the block away. I also find that reading the news is helpful. That’s how I got the idea for one of my books, by googling an old crime. The book took a very different turn but it helped me write again.
Do you have a particular place that you like to write?I made an office for myself and hung inspirational quotes on the wall. It’s my favourite place to write. I also find inspiration while walking so I use my phone to write down plot ideas.
Do you have a favourite time of day to write?I find that I am quite motivated after school drop off or late at night.
How do you like to reach your readers? I use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to reach readers. I am also in the local Collins Booksellers store and in three libraries.
Please tell us about your latest book:My latest book is called Little Girl Revenge and is the second book in the Little Girl Dead series (Little Girl Dead is the first book). It is a crime and mystery series that focuses around the events immediately after the death of a sixteen-year-old girl named Cassie Grace. The reader follows her mother Lila Grace as she unravels the mystery behind Cassie’s death. How long did it take you to write the book? It took me a month or so to write Little Girl Revenge.
Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work? Lila, the main character is my favourite, mainly because after a horrific incident, she takes her life in her own hands and does what needs to be done.
What was your writing process like? I had an idea of where I wanted the book to go and I just meandered my way there. I don’t write with a plan, I just go where the story takes me. I let the characters decide what they want to say and when.
Do you have plans for further instalments? Yes. The next book in the series is called Little Girl Silent and will be out early 2017. The final instalment is called Little Girl Lonely and is a prequel.
Do you have a plan for your next book? My next book is called Severed Heart. It is a cozy mystery which is set on a rural farm and focuses on events surrounding a decade old death. It will be released on the 3rdNovember 2016.
Just a few final questions about writing and the industry…
Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading? I see the benefits of ebooks and I do read on my phone, but I am a lover of real books that I can hold and smell. (A woman after my own heart…. Amanda)
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing? I have self-published my books and will probably continue to do so as it is easier and more flexible and I can do it to my timeline. I feel that self-publishing is becoming more widely accepted. Once, it was seen as only for people that couldn’t get a traditional publishing deal but that’s not the case anymore. Anyone with a passion for writing can release books now.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors? Just write. You will never finish a book if you don’t start it.
So where can readers find you?Website: www.authorkirstyferguson.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/authorkirstyfergusonTwitter: www.twitter.com/danesha24Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/kirstyfergusonGoodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/14343302.Kirsty_Ferguson
Thank you Kirsty for being my first visiting author. I wish you the very best of luck and I hope to see you back here in November when you release Severed Heart.
Thank again readers for visiting, please check out Kirsty’s books!
Until next time, happy reading!
AmandaThank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
June 30, 2016
WHAT'S NEXT?
I have been extremely busy with so many different projects that I sometimes think that my head is going to spin off.
At the moment, I am preparing for a number of events and publicity interviews for my upcoming release: Rope: A History of the Hanged The book actually moves away from the usual serial killer topics I write about and examines the interesting events related to hangings, from botched executions to daring escapes. When I started thinking about the book, I really thought it would be dry, but it was so thoroughly interesting, and at times, though mostly tragic, it was quite funny.
I am also waiting for the final edit of my 4th in my fiction series and then that can also b
e released. I can't wait to share more details with you on that book, but for now, I will let you know that those that have read it have called it a "real page turner" and that is something every author wants to hear.
I've also been working hard on my YouTube Channel and that has taken me in a few different directions, but I am still, after a year trying to find my feet, though with more than 2.1 million views, I must be doing something right.
As well as writing and YouTube, I am also nearing the half way point in my Masters Degree in Writing at University. I've done well so far and it is really challenging my skills as a writer, pushing me out of my comfort zone and into genres and topics I don't normally find interesting.
So with all of that on my plate, as well as working full-time and raising a fantastic family, I've decided to branch out into hosting other authors on my blog. It will be kind of a Q&A scenario, where authors will get to showcase their new books and tell us a bit about their writing processes and other interesting tidbits. I think it will be a great experience for me as well as the other authors and of course my readers. So let's begin a new journey.
Thanks reading!
Amanda
Rope: A History of the HangedThank you for visiting Amanda Howard
Check out my site at http://www.amandahoward.com.au
and
My Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e...
