Author Interview: A.M. Boyle
I had the pleasure of meeting Ann Boyle at the Write it Right writers conference in April, sponsored by the Black Diamond Writer’s Group. Ann was the keynote speaker and her talk on The Changing Literary Landscape was both thorough and inspiring. A former trial lawyer, Ann is now a freelance writer and novelist and works closely with the Wolf Pirate Project. What’s that, you ask? Read on!
First, tell us where we can find you online such as blogs, websites, Facebook, etc.
You can find my website at www.amboyleauthor.com. It has a link to my Author page on Facebook and also to my blog. I’m on Twitter as @amboyleauthor. Hopefully, I will soon figure out how to get the Twitter link onto my webpage as well!
Before becoming a full time writer, you were a trial lawyer for 17 years. Have any of your experiences in the legal profession made their way into your writing yet or possibly in future projects?
Absolutely not. Working as a trial lawyer was extremely demanding and exceptionally stressful. I needed to find some way to escape from it in order to stay relatively sane. Writing always served as that escape hatch. When the rigors of the profession got the best of me, through my writing, I could always slip off into my own private dimension, take something of a mental vacation. If I wrote about the legal profession or brought it into any of my stories, it would be like giving the fox access to the rabbit hole. Consequently, I purposely avoided writing about anything legal. None of my characters are lawyers, nor will they ever find themselves in a courtroom for any reason. Otherwise, I’d have to go there with them. I think I made one reference to a “possible lawsuit” in SENTRY’S PAST, but that’s as close as I’ve ever come to mixing law with writing. I have tremendous respect for authors like John Grisham and Scott Turow who have the fortitude to write such incredible legal thrillers drawing upon their own experiences as attorneys. However, I can’t for the life of me understand how they can do it without overdosing on the legal profession. I guess they must love it that much. Maybe that’s the problem—I never did.
Your first novel was Turn of the Sentry (Wild Wolf Publishing, May 2009) which you have re-written and re-titled as SENTRY’S PAST: Veil of Darkness (Wolf Pirate, March 2012) to be the first in a trilogy.
The original story was born of characters that have lived in my brain for a while. Those characters compelled me to write the book. In that sense, it was not so much “inspired” as handed to me. I didn’t have much choice in the matter. You see, when I write, I am more of a spectator/transcriptionist. I watch the action on this private movie screen in my head, and take down what is happening as I see it. The characters tell the story. I don’t interfere. My job is just to paint he picture with words for others to see as well. It’s at once very entertaining and thoroughly frightening. I had a very basic, bare-bones idea of what the story was about before I began writing (much like how you might know vaguely what a movie is about before you enter the theater), but in order to get the details and find out what happened, I had to write it. The events that took place were as much a surprise to me as they occurred as they will likely be for my readers.
What compelled you to rewrite it as a trilogy?
It’s an odd story, and a long one, but I’ll try to be brief. Before the original book (TURN OF THE SENTRY) was picked up by a publisher, I went through an intensive workshop sponsored by The Wolf Pirate Project (then called Wolf Pirate Publishing). Originally, I had submitted the work for publication through Wolf Pirate (then working as a micro-press publisher), but it was rejected. I wouldn’t let it rest and wanted to know why it was rejected. Aside from some other comments, I recall the chief editor (Catherine Rudy) indicated that certain aspects of the book were (and I quote) “cheesy.” This made me angry but also incited stubborn determination. I wanted details about what she considered cheesy. We went back and forth for a while until Catherine finally invited me to submit the work to their writer’s workshop. The rigorous workshop was free to writers who showed potential, enthusiasm, and a strong work ethic. When the book was done, though, Wolf Pirate still refused to publish it. Within six months, however, it was picked up by Wild Wolf, UK.
In the meantime, I started my second book, which was also accepted into the Wolf Pirate workshop. It was during that time that Wolf Pirate went through the transition from micro-press publishing to non-profit charitable organization. Catherine Rudy (who, by this time, had become a good friend of mine) indicated that she loved the second book and would consider taking both the first and second ones into her program on two conditions: I agree to rewrite the first to her satisfaction, and I agree to write a third to make it a trilogy. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, I agreed to both conditions. We then went through the first book, chapter by chapter, and she explained exactly why she didn’t take it the first time, and what I needed to do to fix it.
In the long run, the mythos of the book is much richer and the peripheral characters have much more substance and depth. The settings are more vivid and the motivations of the characters have been explored with greater intensity. Additional chapters have been added for the sake of clarity. Certain aspects also had to be changed to bring the first book more in line with second. All in all, I must admit that it is a much better book and I’m almost embarrassed to have people read the first version.
Catherine is a phenomenal editor. I don’t know what I’d do without her. We still laugh about the “cheesy” comment.
When is the second installment, SENTRY’S TIME: Veil of Redemption, due for release?
We don’t have an exact date, but barring any unforeseen calamity, the second book should be released in late fall, early winter of this year (2012).
Do you have a time frame for the final book?
With any luck, the third book SENTRY’S RETURN: Veil or Reason (working title) will be released within nine months of the second (late summer/early fall of 2013).
Tell us about the Wolf Pirate Project and how you became involved with them.
Well, I mentioned in a previous answer how I first found Wolf Pirate. Back in 2008/2009, they were listed as a micro-press publisher, and I submitted my work to them. Although they refused publication, my book was accepted into their workshop. About a year or so ago, Wolf Pirate turned from traditional publishing and became a nonprofit organization devoted to the promotion of literature as an art form. They are devoted to helping readers find great writers, while helping talented writers get recognized. Aside from a very selective intensive workshop—definitely not for the thin-skinned—they will produce a saleable book for any author in their program. They give each author a stack of author copies for their use and authors are free to sell/market/give-away their books as they see fit. In the meantime, Wolf Pirate prepares “publishers packages” and tries to place the books with large publishing houses so that writers can have a shot at getting into the “big leagues,” so to speak. They don’t take any fees whatsoever from either the authors or the publishers (they have nonprofit status), and they hold themselves out to the publishing houses as something of a screening service, so that a publisher knows that when a book comes through Wolf Pirate it is basically “shelf ready,” and meets the highest of literary and editorial standards. Naturally, a lot of authors and publishers are suspicious because it sounds too good too be true. But it is true, and I think in the future, we will see other philanthropic organizations such as this develop, with the goal of promoting reading and giving talented authors a leg up.
After the SENTRY series, what can readers expect next from you?
I don’t really know. It depends on which of the characters in my head voice their story the loudest. One thing I do know is that I will keep writing. I can’t NOT write. I think if I tried, I’d end up locked up in a white padded cell somewhere.
What does Ann Boyle do when she isn’t writing?
Of course I like to read, but I am a very, very picky reader. The story has to be strong enough to distract my from my tendency to analyze the writer’s style. Aside from that, I love to cook and create my own recipes. I love music and enjoy strumming on my guitar or puffing on the harmonica, so long as no one is listening. I enjoy just relaxing with my family and watching a good football game or movie.
