Interview with Regina Duke

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book?

Calin’s Cowboy, is a sweet romance and a cozy mystery.




Calin Holliday’s life is finally
almost normal. Memories of the high school accident and family tragedy that
turned her world upside down have been conveniently hidden away in her
subconscious. But when her beloved Chinese crested hits the wrong key on the
computer, she is forced to face the past whether she likes it or not. And
thanks to her Facebook blooper, she needs a cowboy fiance for the weekend!




Derek Longley grew up on a ranch,
but yearned for the Hollywood life. Too bad he got more than he bargained for.
As a result of a decision made in crisis mode, he is forced to work for a shady
investigator on a special assignment. His future and his reputation are on the
line, but he couldn’t leave that poor injured dog on the side of the road. He
steps into Dr. Kay’s Veterinary Hospital to save the dog’s life and ends up
using his acting skills to play Calin’s fake cowboy for her class reunion.
Little does he know that fate has some surprises in store for both of them. And
so does Cupid.




Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e.
querying agents/publishers?

Oh, yes. I’ve been writing
since my teen years, but the first four novels were beginner efforts. I began
submitting with novel number five and submitted for over 20 years, collecting
some lovely rejection slips along the way. When the opportunity to publish
ebooks came along, I decided it was now or never. I would fulfill my dreams, or
at least know that I made every effort possible to do so.




How are your story ideas born?

There are so many sources of
inspiration! Stories unfold in my mind all the time. They even pop out when I’m
having a “normal” conversation. So pinpointing inspiration is difficult.
However, when I need to sharpen a hook, I spend two or three days asking myself
questions. Why would she do that? What allows him to know this? Who are the
background characters? Where do they live? Who were their parents? Their
siblings? By answering those questions (and more), the story idea grows and
matures until I am ready to write.




Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped
improve your writing?

My “critique group” is
spread all over the country. They help me spot plot holes, which I am famous
for digging. And they bring me up short when I get lazy with a scene or when my
character motivation sounds all wrong to them.




What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

Getting into the flow of the
story. There comes a moment when the characters talk to me! They make some
decisions on their own. That’s when I know I have living, breathing people on
my hands.




What factors influenced your decision to self-publish
to Amazon?

A big factor was retirement.
I realized that if I was old enough to retire, I didn’t have the time to wait
for New York anymore! I wanted to know whether my books would be appreciated by
readers. I wanted to reach my readers, build an audience. Amazon gave me a
chance to do that.




Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript
before publishing?

I have an editor who works
on all my books, and I have readers as well who offer their advice. I use 98
per cent of all the input I receive in order to improve my final product.




What have you learned during your self-publishing
journey?

I have learned that people
really love to read my stories, and that has helped my self-confidence no end!
I cannot wait to add to my list of titles with strong, enjoyable characters and
great stories. I believe in happy endings, whether I’m writing romance or
mysteries. And my dog books also focus on the positive.




Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

I am beginning to list
titles at Barnes & Noble as well. Calin’s
Cowboy is also available there.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/calins-cowboy-regina-duke/1111101474




What advice would you give a new author just entering
into the self-publishing arena?

I disagree with those who
say that beginners should wait until they have three or four books ready to go
before publishing. In my experience, the learning curve is so great with regard
to marketing, finding editors, and experimenting with sales techniques that I
feel the sooner you get your feet wet, the better. I learned so much by
preparing and publishing my first title North
Rim Delight! It helped me tremendously with all my other books. So I advise
newbies to jump in.




What’s next for you?

I am preparing another cozy
mystery and a new romance for publication. Fingers crossed! At least one of
them will go live in August. I will keep writing and I work hard to make every
new book better than the last.




You can check out my website
here: http://www.reginaduke.com