The Author Interviews, Round 1: #1: Andria Redlin

The Author Interviews was a hugely popular mini-series on my blog in 2016. So I'm continuing it in 2017! Round One kicks off this year withAndria Redlin, author of For Her Courage, and The Ruffian Redeemer.You are living in the world from your latest novel. Where are you? What is it like?Picture a remote town in the mountains with a small population and a large amount of supernatural activity, and you get Holly Hollow, a place steeped in hundreds of years of American history. This is a place where the dead occasionally make themselves known to the living, residing in the ancient graveyard on the mountain slope above the town. But it is not only the dead who haunt this region that is so closely tied to the next world. Others with access to both worlds will try to move the pieces of the chess board as well, and change the lives of the residents of Holly Hollow forever with their refusal to leave things as they are. Would you live here?You are your most recent protagonist. Who are you? What is the first thing you do?My name is Alfred Owens. I am 18 years old, struggling to keep my family from starving during the Great Depression. Today, I plan to lead my gang into the general store to try and steal things we can sell to trade for food. The youngest member of our group is only thirteen and prone to sickness. I refuse to let him become ill and die like my younger brother did two years ago in 1930! I will get him whatever he needs to ensure that he lives, no matter what that involves. I will not let him die because of poverty!Who is your favourite author? Why?My favorite authors are Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, co-creators of “The Edge Chronicles,” a thirteen-book (soon to be fourteen) middle-grade fantasy series that I’ve been a fan of for the last ten years or so. Their work is probably the most original I’ve ever seen in the world of literature. The unexpected always happens, and characters always have to rely on their own abilities, not luck to get out of the precarious situations they find themselves in. Also, the illustrations “draw” you right into the world of the Edge, a place filled with fantastical creatures and a unique science system involving floating rocks that are used to power sky ships. Stewart and Riddell are the most talented and underrated writers in the business. I had the pleasure of competing in one of their Facebook writing contests last fall and coming in fourth place as the third runner-up. I was awarded a signed book plate and a few kind words from Team Edge regarding my 1000-word submission:“…Paul Stewart was particularly impressed by your work, and this was his feedback:An extremely well-written account of the deal that Smeal and Havelock make, using colourful language to highlight Smeal's treacherous character. The excellent opening sentence immediately draws the reader into the story…”Where do you get your ideas?My ideas come from everywhere, including dreams in the dead of night, which is why I always carry a pen and paper with me to write them down. If I don’t, I’ll forget them.Why do you write?I write because it’s the only way to shut up all the voices and ideas crashing around in my head, battling for my attention. Writing them out gives me a little peace from it all.How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?I read it, consider the advice and criticism carefully (because sometimes it’s spot-on), and then I move on. Every writer gets bad reviews occasionally. It’s part of the business. You can’t please every reader out there, but what you can do is put out the best-quality work possible and learn as much as you can about the craft of writing. Then just keep writing.What do youfind difficult about writing?Being original. Being born after several thousand years of writers, it’s difficult to come up with anything that hasn’t already been done before.What do you love the most about writing?I enjoy making people fall in love with reading again.Do you ever outsource (editing and cover design) your work?I will never outsource anything, ever. I believe that people need to be paid a decent wage for the work that they do.What is your opinion on the indie vs traditional publishing argument?I chose indie publishing because I needed to have complete creative control over my work, from the story inside the covers, to the cover itself. I’ve been an artist nearly as long as I’ve been a writer, and I like to be completely involved in the process. I design all my own covers, and I want them to reflect what is in the book accurately. Traditional publishers do have their benefits, but no one tells you that they will change parts of your story to what they think is more fitting. Normally, I would not have a problem with this if it was something minor. But since I write almost exclusively in series format, any large change in the plot could mangle the events of future books in the series.Talk us through your creative process from start to finish.When I get an idea for a book, I first begin with a one-sentence summary of what the book will be about. I usually spend some time brainstorming the idea to see if it has potential, making notes if needed. If I think the idea is worth pursuing, I write a highly-detailed outline of the plot and all its main events, tweaking them as needed. I then use this outline as a guide or a map in writing the book. Each main event typically gets its own chapter. When the book is finished, I let it “cool” for a few months while I work on other writing projects. Then I can begin to edit it with fresh eyes. After the first edit is complete, I repeat the cooling and editing process a few more times to make sure everything is just right. Then it’s time to start formatting and planning the cover design.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Read, read, read, as much as you can. Good readers help to make good writers because you will become familiar with the correct mechanics of writing. It will also help you find out which genre you enjoy the most. Why write in a genre you hate? Also, if you want writing to become your job, you must treat it like one. Write every day, starting with small word-count goals and working your way up to 1000-2000 words per day. If you have a second writing project in the works, this will prevent you from becoming burnt out from the first piece, and vice-versa.Give us your top three book marketing/ promotion tips.One:  Sell yourself, not your book. When people really like you, they will be interested in what you like to do in your free time (i.e. writing books), and may prove to be potential customers.Two:  Maintain an online presence in social media. This helps a lot with number one. When you participate in conversations online, offering free advice, tips, and general help (on everything, not just writing), people will start following you.Three:  Do as many interviews and book signings as you can, whatever you can do to get your name out where the public can see it.Would you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?Of course. To me, a book is worth nothing if I’m not thinking about it long after reading “The End,” planning a time when I can start it over again.What do you look for when shopping on Amazon for a Kindle book? Are any of them more important to you than others?I read a lot of reviews, both the good and the bad (and the ugly). Reviews will tell you a lot more than the book’s description because the readers are not afraid of telling the truth.Do you have a favourite genre?I enjoy middle-school fiction the best because it has plots that are complex enough for the adult mind to enjoy, yet it is devoid of things that ruin books for me, such as sex scenes, profanity, etc. I also find that books aimed at this age group are still full of the levels of creativity that you find in children’s books. Adult books seem to lose the creativity and playfulness.What would it take for you to leave a book review?A free copy of the book, preferably not in e-book format.After downloading book one of a series for free or discounted on Amazon, do you ever go back and pay more for book two? If not, why?I’m not a fan of e-books, but if the first book was intriguing enough, I would pay more for the remaining books of the series.Do you ever visit an author's website? If so, what do you look at?I look for all the things they write about themselves, such as their writing habits, other interests, favorite foods, etc.If an author offered you a free book, would you sign up to their mailing list?Yes, if it was a book I think I would enjoy reading.Do you ever enter giveaways and/ or order signed copies?I enter giveaways and enjoy signed copies of books because they seem more special.Are you more likely to buy a book if there are various formats available?Yes, because I generally prefer hardcover. I have found that many readers out there are not fans of e-books.What are the biggest giveaways that a book is self-published?The cover. Crappy covers practically scream “self-published.” The other dead giveaway is the onslaught of errors, typos, and grammatical calamities on the first few pages of the free sample chapter.Many thanks to Andria Redlin for this interesting interview. You can support this author by downloading her book below.