UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion
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Lorraine - Lover of Jellybeans wrote: "Do you think you'll always write genealogy related things, or will you surprise us with something totally different one day ?Me hoping you'll get an excellent horror book out one day :)"
I hope I'll write something else one day. If all goes well though I think JT will keep be busy for a few more years yet. Maybe I'll have a break between series one and two. I loved writing the WW2 stuff for TTG so maybe I'll do a series set entirely in that time. Or something else entirely.
Pat (Scorpio) wrote: "Sorry to be late. I would like to know if you have decided where book no 3 is going to be set. UK or USA or even both. Thanks."Hi Pat. It's set in the UK. I don't know anything further ahead than that though, but a US setting is definitely on the cards - maybe another country too.
Steve wrote: "Stuart wrote: "I very much admire the way you organise not just your work but the way you conduct yourself! I have alot to learn from you mate! On a side note, I just wondered whether you have read..."That's the one - it really is stunning!
Steve wrote: "Hi Pat. It's set in the UK. I don't know anything further ahead than that though, but a US setting is definitely on the cards - maybe another country too. "Have you done anything on book 3 yet (thinking/planning/drafting)?
Stuart wrote: "Steve wrote: "Stuart wrote: "I very much admire the way you organise not just your work but the way you conduct yourself! I have alot to learn from you mate! On a side note, I just wondered whether..."Thanks for the tip, Stu. I'll see if I can get it on Audible.
Philip (sarah) wrote: "Have you already decided on JT's parentage? or is it still developing in your mind as you write each book?"I've no Idea Sarah. I decided I didn't want to see too far ahead because I feel that while JT doesn't know, it would be better if - while I'm writing his character - I didn't know either. We kind of making the journey together I suppose.
Have your books inspired anyone to check into their past, do you know? It seems to be quite a popular thing to do now a days.
Lorraine - Lover of Jellybeans wrote: "Steve wrote: "Hi Pat. It's set in the UK. I don't know anything further ahead than that though, but a US setting is definitely on the cards - maybe another country too. "Have you done anything on..."
I've got most of the story and a lot of the writing down already. I can't say much about it yet though of course and it's all subject to change as I go along. I'm going to hunker down to it a full time very soon now until I've got a first draft I'm happy with.
Steve wrote: "I've got most of the story and a lot of the writing down already. I can't say much about it yet though of course and it's all subject to change as I go along. I'm going to hunker down to it a full time very soon now until I've got a first draft I'm happy with. "Clapping hands... Happy !
Hi Steve,ITB was a lucky first book selection for the group. Thanks for sticking with us for a whole year....
Have you attempted to get a traditional publisher since your ebook success? Do traditional publishers put any value on self publishing success do you think?
Pat (Scorpio) wrote: "Have your books inspired anyone to check into their past, do you know? It seems to be quite a popular thing to do now a days."I don't know, Pat. I can't recall anyone saying my books had inspired them like that, but you never know. I'm sure they've made a few people wonder what skeletons are in their family history closet.
Simon (Highwayman) wrote: "Hi Steve,ITB was a lucky first book selection for the group. Thanks for sticking with us for a whole year....
Have you attempted to get a traditional publisher since your ebook success? Do tradit..."
Thanks for making me feel so welcome this past year. :o)
I've not tried to get a mainstream publishers since I turned indie. I like what I'm doing now. I like the control I have over what happens and I like interacting as much as being an indie perhaps allows me to. I've had some nice emails from my agent who represented ITB. She ends me her congrats and tells me she's keeping an eye on my. In her last email she asked if I would want to go with a mainstream publisher if an offer came along and I said several things and that I wasn't sure and ended saying that it would be a nice bridge to cross if ever I came to it. I think you have to get into the top ten and stay there for a fair while to get anyone's attention. It's a shame they don't monitor what books are selling on Amazon France!
Just arriving back after feeding myself. Excuse whilst I drink cold can of D & B.
Ann wrote: "What gave you the idea of writing a genealogical thriller? I don’t think I have come across any others. Have you?"Good one, ann. Got me thinking...
The thriller elements was a by-product of the story really, so the idea came as a natural treatment to the story that was being told. The idea was that I had a genealogist going about digging into pasts that other people would rather he left alone for some whatever reason. They would therefore try to stop him, which is clearly thriller territory.
Jay-me (Janet) ~plum chutney is best~ wrote: "Just arriving back after feeding myself. Excuse whilst I drink cold can of D & B."
Hi Janet! I hope you've brought your emoticon bag with you.
If someone came to you with their family history and asked you to turn it into a book... would you do it?
How do you pick your locations, and are they critical in how the story forms?
Steve wrote: "Jay-me (Janet) ~plum chutney is best~ wrote: "Just arriving back after feeding myself. Excuse whilst I drink cold can of D & B."
Hi Janet! I hope you've brought your emoticon bag with you."
There you go - me drinking my D & B
Lorraine - Lover of Jellybeans wrote: "If someone came to you with their family history and asked you to turn it into a book... would you do it?"Hmm... Only if I thought it was A. A really good mystery to solve. B. I could make it fit with the series. C. It was a big enough story to tell over a whole book. D. I felt I could do it justice. Bit different when it's someone's 'real' ancestry. Or maybe I could just take the idea and make the rest up and the person didn't mind that.
Rosemary wrote: "How do you pick your locations, and are they critical in how the story forms?"The location for ITB was picked because of the verse that was written by the farmer about the drunken ferrymen who operated the Helford river ferry in 1803. That much from ITB is really true so I wanted to keep it in Cornwall - and I love Cornwall to that was easy.
With To the Grave I looked for the past story first and I discovered my GI character, Danny. I needed a unit that was settle somewhere for several months and that was the 504th PIR and they were in Leicester.
I don't think I'll ever just stick a pin in a map. I think a story can feel more real to a reader if there's some truth behind things.
As you (might) know I'm keen on family history myself and have spent a lot of time in libraries and record offices as well as on the internet, so I can follow JT's progress think "Yes I would have tried that" or "Lucky so and so - my lot were particularly bad at staying in the same place/spelling their name the same way each time/remembering how old they were" So what I would like to know is = When you were writing your books did you check the genealogy websites as though you were actually trying to trace somebody or just look at all the sites to see how they worked and the sort of information that can be found on each one?
Jay-me (Janet) ~plum chutney is best~ wrote: "Steve wrote: "Jay-me (Janet) ~plum chutney is best~ wrote: "Just arriving back after feeding myself. Excuse whilst I drink cold can of D & B."
Hi Janet! I hope you've brought your emoticon bag w..."
Haha. I had a beer earlier. Now I'm lisening to jazz with a glass of red. Cabin doors and window flung wide to let the dusk in. I'll have to light some candles now. :o)
Steve, do you sometimes find it hard to get motivated to write?
Uh oh Goodreads is glitchy, please bear with us ....
hmmm, it looks a bit like we have teminated you Steve.
Lorraine - Lover of Jellybeans wrote: "Steve, do you sometimes find it hard to get motivated to write?"Not really. Some days are better than others of course and there are parts of the process I like more than others, but I'm writing full time. It's my job. My wife's out working full time and then some. She can't just walk away because she doesn't fancy it on any given day. It's easy to stay motivated when I think how much Mrs R has supported me. I'm largely driven by me need to return that support.
How is TTG comparing to ITB during it's first 8 weeks of sales?
Simon (Highwayman) wrote: "hmmm, it looks a bit like we have teminated you Steve."Lol !
Steve, just because of all the trouble that's just happened, please don't forget Janet's questin in post 78 :)
I see you're a fan of audio books from your blog Steve - who would you like to read yours?
TTG has sold more copies than ITB did in it's first 8 weeks, but that's not really fair as no one knew me then. ITB is currently outselling TTG though if I take worldwide sales into account. TTG is higher in France. In the UK they are about the same. In the US it's about 3 ITB to 1 TTG.
Coming up to two hours in the event now, last chance to ask any questions ! Goodreads is not on our side tonight :(
Jay-me (Janet) ~plum chutney is best~ wrote: "As you (might) know I'm keen on family history myself and have spent a lot of time in libraries and record offices as well as on the internet, so I can follow JT's progress think "Yes I would have ..."Sorry Janet. I did answer this, but now I see nothing's appeared. it was a long answer too.
I do all the research JT does in the books, at least to the point that I know it works and from that I get all the terms I need etc. I've learnt so much in the past 7 years that I don't need to research quite as much now - not the basics anyway - but each story is different and I learn what I need to as I go by going through the same things a genealogist would - and potentially hitting the same brick walls.
Steve, Lorraine will keep you talking until your wife comes to the cabin and disturbs your poor dead skeleton if you let her!
Simon, I'll have you know that I've always treated our authors very nicely :)There's just Rosemary's question to answer, I'm all out of questions myself, don't know about anybody else ?
Rosemary wrote: "I see you're a fan of audio books from your blog Steve - who would you like to read yours?"I really don't have a voice in mind, but I think I'd have to check them out first as a bad voice actor can really kill audiobook sales. When you pick an audio book you not only have to like the sound of the story but the reader too.
Does anyone else have someone they think would be good? Would they be American - Or just someone who does a passable accent?
Patti could do it..... She might add a bit too much swearing on the other hand
Simon (Highwayman) wrote: "Steve, Lorraine will keep you talking until your wife comes to the cabin and disturbs your poor dead skeleton if you let her!"Mrs R is here in the cabin with me, sitting on the sofa. I'm at the desk.
Morgan Freeman would work for me Steve:@)
Simon (Highwayman) wrote: "Patti could do it..... She might add a bit too much swearing on the other hand"Can she do deep voices for the male lead?
Thank you Mrs. R. for sharing Steve with us tonight :)Oh and as a voice, if I could have Sean Connery's I'd be in audiobook heaven :)
Philip (sarah) wrote: "Morgan Freeman would work for me Steve:@)"I like that one. Very distinct. I could really listen to him reading a book.
Morgan Freeman's has quite a deep voice though. I'm not sure he could do a very good Mena.
Sean Connery reading Shteve Robinshuns latest book....Might work :)
OK, Thanks so much for running this again for us Lorraine. Sorry Goodreads didn't behave tonight...Especially, thanks to Steve for giving us his time.
I have opened the post event drinks bar so head over there if you want to keep chatting.....
Yay! I've not missed it completely!Looks like the live chat is really going well!
Will go back to the beginning and start reading now. :)
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on your teeshirt then!"
Lol, you should patent that.