Putting Together an Audio Book, Interview with JM Surra

I understand you are doing an audio version of your book, Angels and Their Hourglasses. Tell me about the process. Are you using commercial grade recording equipment for this?

I’m using a Yeti Blue microphone, and yes, it’s a professional model which I bought at a musical specialty store like Sam Ash. It’s as good as a microphone gets. I record directly onto my computer using a program called Audacity, which can be found online.

It’s a big job. I’m no professional recording technician, and I have to do my own editing. It’s slow going for me. Add into the mix my propensity to mumble when I talk (mumbling = retakes), and it takes me twenty to thirty hours for every finished hour of recording. The completed audio book will be an estimated ten or eleven hours long.

How many CD’s will that end up being?

Audio Book CDs provide just about an hour and five or six minutes per disk, so this book will take about the same number of CDs. Figuring that there are ten hours, that extra 6 minutes over the course of that many CDs will use up an hour, so it should be ten or eleven CDs..

Are they also done like POD?

Though my books are available through Amazon as a POD, I also had a large shipment of about a hundred books sent to me. I use those books for gifts to people who played a special role in helping me to complete my book. I also send them out to the newspaper book reviewers, other authors who might wish to read it.

A well-known author writing a favorable review for you is a big deal, of course. I also keep enough of them around so that I can do a personalized signature on a book and send it out to fans who want that. I've had special bookmarks made that I include with those book as a special gift, because they took the time to ask.

The audio books will be done somewhat differently. There are far fewer reviewers, and most of the folks have already been thanked for their help.

So far I haven't found any places that provide the audio books on demand, at least none where the author can walk away with a few dollars from each sale. So, until I can identify a good source of distribution, I'll be marketing and selling those directly.

How will you set up your initial order for the CD’s?

It will mean having a big run of them done, and I'll store and ship them myself as well. I don't really want to do it that way, but audio books are often sold in places like truck stops, and once you've developed a market to those, you sell them by the half-dozens or dozens. They're smaller and not difficult to handle or pack, so it's not too hard.

What have you discovered in your research to do audio sales?

I still have a lot of research to do on the audio book sales, and I'm hoping that some better options - at least better than what I've described above - will be found. One of my distributors for eBooks - eBookIt - also offers distribution for audio books and says they can provide me with that service, but to date I haven't fully explored that. Too often my research reveals that these distributors charge extra because you didn't record it using their artists or their automated voices.

I'm not opposed to using a "voice" to read my books. I heard Terrence Mann read a Grisham novel, and Terrence is a trained stage actor with an amazing 'voice.' I'd love to have him read mine! But this time, I'm going to take on this challenge and I feel confident that I can prevail. 

As you can usually read excerpts from a book, will you be able to listen to an excerpt from the audio?
I've seen sites where you can do just that - listen to an excerpt. However, I should qualify that by saying that I don't know what sites I'll be using to sell the audio books. I've been researching those aspects as I've been working on the audio book, but my spare time has been gobbled up by the editing and preparations for publishing the paperback.

I think of those commercials with the words “There’s an app for that.” Is there an app for an audio book?

eBookIt has an app that will read your book and it uses an artificial voice. There are choices of men and women, a couple of each. Theirs is about the best. I suppose I could use it, but I'm thinking about how folks might not like it too much. I worry that I'll drive away folks before I ever get them used to me.

That completes our two-part interview with JM Surra. If you would like to learn more about his writing or buy his books, here's a link to do just that. 

Interview with JM Surra, author of Angels and Their Hourglasses,

You’ve recently released your first novel, Angels and Their Hourglasses which is the story about a pilot who goes back in time. What motivated you to write this story? What was your inspiration?

The story came to me all at once. One second I was watching television, and the next second I was up and running for a legal pad and a pen. There was this complete, fully fleshed-out story in my head, and I wanted to get it down on paper, in case it disappeared from my head. 2 hours later, I printed out a typed-out outline of the story.

In the story your pilot crashes his plane near his hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts; instead of being in the present, it is now 1929. How much of an aeronautical buff are you? What type of research did you have to do to recreate this time frame?

The plane wasn’t invented or planned in, I saw him in that plane in the story. As the written story progressed, I was amazed at how perfectly the Waco biplane fit into the story. It was almost scary.

I’m a hopeless aeronautical buff, and for most of my life I’ve lived, eaten, and breathed airplanes. I’m much like my protagonist Ben Ryan. I spent endless hours as a young man talking about airplanes, Golden Age racers, and World War II. Even so, with a story so complex and interwoven with the actual history, I spent a great deal of time researching everything from military airplanes to the geographical features of Molokai Island.

You might say that I was Ben, and I had to learn many of the same things he learned. When something surprised him, as often as not that same thing had surprised or amazed me during my research.

When did you actually start writing this book?

I first started writing Angels and Their Hourglasses on May 25th, 2010. I finished the first draft on July 1st, 2010.

Did you ever consider just dropping it?

I never for a single minute gave a thought to dropping it, because of the rich history and heritage involved in the story. I have another novel titled Stalker of Death, which I started right around 1995. It’s a great story, but problematic enough so that I have to work pretty hard when I do work on it. I’ve used any number of excuses to put it back on the shelf.

When I got the idea for Angels, I was working on Stalker. Then, after finishing Angels, I took Stalker down and read it to get back into it. It’s a great, inspiring (and scary!) story to read, and I dove back in. I finished another 5, maybe 6 chapters before I got this great idea for TITOR, my newest novel, and zzzip, back on the shelf goes Stalker.

Who would you say is your target audience for this book?

Because Angels and Their Hourglasses touches on so many different subjects, it has the potential for widespread appeal, and the target audience is a wide one. Anybody who likes a good adventure story, or who likes airplanes, Golden Age racers, World War II, time travel or a story with a good love interest should enjoy it. And there’s so much more.

What surprised me most during the test readings (I had readers throughout the US and Canada give me their honest opinions) was the female response. I fully expected the women who read Angels to not particularly like it. Instead, the response was positive. I recall one woman who I was giving a bit of a nudge to, so she would finish, and she finally confessed. She wasn’t rushing through it because she loved the story so much, she would miss the characters afterward and she would feel like she was losing some good friends. She didn’t want it to end.

On the other hand, Viet Nam vets wrote me and admitted they cried like babies. They loved it. I was humbled.

How many rewrites did you do?

I think the answer is going to shock you. Fifty-four. Yeah. I went through the book with Erika, my editor, and I re-read the book fifty-four times. During those re-reads, we edited constantly, and we worked on every aspect of the book, and rewrote scenes to make sure the speaking characters were clear, made sure the details were accurate.

Why so many times? There are a few reasons. First, I knew that this project was going to require much more attention from me than working with an agent and publisher would. I was determined to produce a product that was as professional as any publishing house ever released. This was my learning curve, and it required my strict attention. The next time will probably only require twenty times through.

What sort of writing credits did you have prior to doing this book?

Angels and Their Hourglasses is the first book I have penned for publication as J.M. Surra. I also used to write columns for a radio-control online magazine. I studied at F.I.T. Manhattan, and SUNY Oswego.

Your book is a Global eBook Awards winner. How did you first hear about this award process? What did it entail?

 I found the Global Awards online. They didn’t have any big requirements, I believe the book had to be in PDF format, it must be on sale somewhere online, and there was an entry fee of (I think) around seventy-nine dollars, which is pretty typical. On the day I finished the eBook version of Angels, the deadline was just three hours away. I completed my entering of Angels into the competition with 45 minutes to spare.

There’s a funny story about that. It takes about three days to get a book up for sale and showing as for sale on Kindle, and I knew I wasn’t going to have three days, so I took the previous ‘edited version’ of Angels and published it up to Kindle, errors and all. Then I waited for the PDF file to come out at the last minute, and entered in the contest. Within a few days, Erika had reformatted the PDF to Kindle and I switched out the old version Kindle book.

I didn’t think I’d sell any, but I found that I’d sold 3 books in those first few days, and to this day I have to wonder who are the 3 unfortunate readers who got stuck with that screwed-up Kindle version! I can just hear them say, “He won an AWARD! For this mess?”

I had no expectations of a win, but I knew the story was a good one. I allowed myself to hope that I might be a finalist, but I had no expectations. I think that made the win sweeter.

What sort of impact has it had for your book sales?

I had a big spike in sale right after that, and some good reviews came in. I think that winning the award was a personal milestone for me, more than anything. I realize now that, had I been able to offer a paperback version then, I probably would have gotten more activity. But I had to make a judgment call, and I chose to wait on publishing the paperback until the book was professionally edited. I have to credit Erika with encouraging me to “wait and work” on the project.

Now it’s published, and whereas I might have sold some paperbacks at that time, I think that the paperback as it is now will make a much bigger and better impression. The Award is an enhancer to that, and should help sales once I can get it onto stores shelves. I’m actively promoting right now, and some large newspapers have agreed to read it for a book review. A few good reviews could help with getting it from here to the bookstore shelves.

I see your cover has a review blurb from the Kansas City Examiner Newspaper. How long did it take to get a review from them so you could have something for the back of the book?

Pat McGrath and I were in contact and she reviewed Angels before I actually released the book in its first incarnation as an eBook. That wonderful review was not a paid review, and it was done before the book was entered in the Global Awards competition.

The Examiner did a follow-up story after the competition where they indulged in a bit of well-deserved crowing for having favorably reviewed the winning novel well before the Global Awards validated their claims. I got the review back in about a month or two. By the way, I learned that reviewer Pat McGrath is a writer of murder mysteries, with a cute little dog sleuth at the center of each story. Murder Takes a Ride is one of the series.

Do you write with a completed outline or more by the seat of your pants style?

The book flowed like a river from me, and nobody was more amazed than me. That’s not normal, though my present book is flowing the same way. I most enjoy writing a book when the story grows to maturity in my head (which I seem to use for little else, so why not?), so I’ll have to admit to having a preference for flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants writing.

How open were you to your book being edited?

I have a wonderful editor, Erika Stokes, and she lets me be myself, for the most part. I don’t usually mind being edited, as long as my ‘writer’s voice’ and the story’s integrity remain strong. I also found that having a great editor improved the overall crispness and readability of the story. Do we argue? Sure. But no Donnybrooks, or anything like that. At times it can be a lot of fun.

We’re both good listeners, good observers, and complement each other well. She admits that pulling a full-length novel out of her head just isn’t something she can do. Her strengths lie elsewhere. She knows more about making my book a professional piece of work than I could ever know. When a phrase isn’t right, she doesn’t always fix it. Sometimes she points it out to me and sets me loose on it, because she senses it needs an author’s touch.

Sometimes when I’m ripping and shredding, cutting the fat out to keep the story lean enough, she hollers at me and tells me to put back some passage that she felt personified the whole book or that chapter. She has a great eye. I think that having a book edited is a delicate process, and I think that without Erika whipping me into shape, it wouldn’t be nearly as good as it is. I have learned a lot from her, and my first drafts now are better than my 4th or 5th drafts used to be.

What is the best piece of editorial advice or other writing advice you have received?

 You get out what you put in, and if you expect it to be a professional product, you’ll probably put in a substantial amount of time and hard work, and a fair amount of money.

Now that you have published your first book, what do you wish you might have learned earlier about writing and publishing?

I think the most important thing I could have learned, I was fortunate enough to learn in good time.  You can’t ‘buy’ your way into writing and publishing a good book, but those who think they can take a shortcut are usually soon parted from their money. Take your time, and do it right.

Nobody gets rich overnight writing, so don’t do it if you’re not passionate about it. Because there are tens of thousands of writers out there every day, and they’re all trying to do the same thing. You have to bring something better, or fresher, and you can’t pay anyone else to do that for you. Blood, sweat and tears is the way.

You are writing another book dealing with time travel, where are you in that process?

The next book is TITOR. I have completed the basic story framework and character direction planning. I’m presently developing the characters and their personalities. I’m also completing some research online to know more about a few aspects of the story.

That's it for today's interview with Jim. Hope you'll come back on Thursday when we continue the interview and discuss what goes into making an audio book. In the meantime, if you would like to know more about him, here's a link to his site where you can also buy his book

Deciphering the Code - A Beginner’s Journey to Publishing - Guest blog by Terrie Thorpe

Today I'll be handing over my blog to another writer as part of a continuing "how to" series on publishing. I will be interweaving these columns with my author interviews to help my readers learn and grow in their writing craft. And now here's Terrie and her thoughts on publishing.

It’s been three years since I finally decided to get serious about submitting my stories and articles for publication.  Being a web-a-phobic, I began with what I knew about research, visiting the public library. I found a plethora of how to’s on publishing, but none explained the terminology. It’s a secret language of editors and publishers that I needed to learn.

At first, the phrases boggled my mind. What in the world we’re they referring too?  It’s been a few years since my journalism days in high school, but those terms didn’t even strike a chord in the file cabinets of my mind.

Diving deeper into this new terminology, I begin by relating this new language to things I already knew. It wasn’t long before I began to decipher the code. Submitting articles to a publisher is similar to looking for a job, which I am quite familiar with. The terms started to fall into place, it was easy to equate publishing terminology with job-related terms such as:

Publisher: The person or organization that buys, prints, and pays for your work- Similar to your employer or organization who employs you.

Editor: The person who reviews your work and matches it with their product line – Similar to a supervisor or manager who does the interviewing to see if you are a fit for the company

Genre: The type of audience you want to reach – Similar to your field of expertise.

Query Letter: The letter of introduction to the editor describing what you are writing and why it should be of interest to them –Similar to a job seeker submitting a cover letter to an application.

Guidelines: The specific requirements to submit your work for consideration – Similar to a job listing detailing the scope of the job, hours and days of the week they are seeking.

Agent: A professional that connects your work to an editor or publisher – Similar to an employment agency that finds work for you, for a fee.

Simultaneous Submission: Submitting an article/story to several publishers for consideration – Similar to sending a resume to several employers.

Subsidy Publishing: A company that will publish your work, but you pay all the costs – Similar to self employment, you’re the boss, but absorb all the risks and costs.

Proposal: Marketing package for a book that describes your story, audience, competition, your credentials- Similar to a resume which describes your interest in their company, work history and education.

POD: Print on Demand. Rather than paying for books to be printed in advance, they are only printed when ordered by the consumer. Similar to ordering food at fast food outlets which don’t make it until you order it.

ISBN: The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric indentifier for a book. Every book sold needs to have one. Similar to your credit card number which is unique to you and the banking company.

TOC: Table of contents. This shows your prologue, each of your chapter headings, and bibliography index if needed with a non-fiction. – Similar to writing a term paper.

This is the short list in the beginner’s journey into the publishing world. There is still a good deal to learn about the legalities of publishing and your copyright protection under the law. Learning the basics of any career can be an exciting adventure. After discovering the Rosetta stone, it’s not such a scary place after all.

Terrie Thorpe lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of 22 years. Is a member of ChristianWriters.com, ACW and other writing organizations.  Here's the link to her blog.

Am I Really Saved? Answering Questions of Christians - her book is available through (www.amazon.com).

Interview with Elizabeth Matson, Author of Historical Fiction Novels

You’ve now written four novels, each with a historical theme either up front or in the background. What draws you to doing historical research?

Historical research has always been my first love, more specifically, the history of America. As a child our family made several moves due to my father's military service, and being of a curious nature, I quickly discovered each new home brought about a new set of history. In fact, in college I received a major in the subject purely by accident because I had taken so many of the history courses.

My family says I write because I must have an outlet for all the research. I suppose what draws me into doing such are the stories hidden between the facts, the stories the people who are gone might sit and tell us if they could do so. As odd as it might sound, I can spend hours in a cemetery wondering about the folks beneath the stones, wishing they had a button on the tombstone which I could push to hear their tale. 

Have you been to the locales you’ve used for your books or is it purely research?

Regarding the locales, for the most part, yes, I have been to many of them, having lived many years in Hawaii, the setting of 'Tuffy'. In regards to 'The Favor', I have visited the Mississippi area several times. The same can be said about 'Pieces of the Past'.

I love visiting historical places, museums, graveyards, etc. As for the Oregon Trail ties in 'The Contract', that Trail is one my daddy and I always talked about following and one I have a great interest in. I hope to take that trip someday and thus touched on it in 'The Contract' and traveled back in time upon it in a story I plan to publish at a later date. 

When did you start writing?

Oh goodness, it seems as if I have been writing forever. I had columns in our high school paper and then in college I had a terrific Creative Writing professor who encouraged me to share my writing. Publishing my works, however, is another story.

After college I got married, had a son, and was engrossed in a both life and a teaching career, life sort of took up any spare writing time. It wasn't until after I retired and my son was grown, I met a wonderful man who inspired me to take up writing once again and this I did more as a hobby than with the mindset to publish.

When did you feel you were ready to take the plunge and publish a book?

Whenever a friend or family member had a birthday I would give them a printed out copy of a tale I had finished. When I hit a milestone birthday, I decided to forgo the planned trip to Disney World and use the money to give my supportive family and friends a surprise gift-- publishing Tuffy without telling anyone and sending it to them around my birthday. They were thrilled, however; now I received requests to publish The Favor, then Pieces of the Past, and the same with The Contract, as each were someone's favorite tale. 

What inspired you to write your novels?

Regarding inspiration, well, each story has its own. Tuffy came about when my neighbors gave me an old, rusty, olive drab painted wheelchair they had found at a yard sale. The more I sat in it, the more I wondered about the person that might have used it. One thing lead to another. It was a similar type of inspiration for The Favor. We all do favors for our friends and that got me thinking about what would be the greatest of all requests.

Pieces of the Past is the favorite of many of our “War Between the States” friends. My husband and I are Civil War re-enactors. Just sitting around the cook fire or watching a battle unfold presents all sorts of ideas. I also have a passion for old houses, old barns, and like the stories hidden in a cemetery. I wonder about what the old, forgotten walls would say if they could.

I can't pin down how The Contract came about, but I believe it was inspired by one of the characters in the book, Carl, who came out of nowhere and just started talking. 

I was recently chided by another writer not understanding the difference between self-publishing and print-on-demand services with a publisher. What would you say your publisher, Xlibris is?

I would say Xlibris is a combination of both, as the writer,you retain all the rights, and whenever you need copies of the book, you have them printed.

Do you consider yourself an indie-writer?

Indie - writer? No, I consider myself an author, a writer, a tale spinner, plain and simple. There seems to be some stigma regarding those who self-publish, something I was unaware of when I set out to print my novels. Well, in short, it does not matter how one publishes, it is the story being told that matters. 

 

Could you go over what exactly Xlibris provided for you?

Xlibris provides a variety of service packages, giving the author full rights and creative input. You pay upfront accordingly. They will design the cover for you, however, I had a photo for each. The photo on the front of Tuffy was taken by my great aunt during a visit to Hawaii. The photo for The Favor I took on a trip through Mississippi and Louisiana, while the cover of 'Pieces' was a contest I ran on Facebook. Readers voted on the sunset cover for The Contract, so I had ideas I wished to use. Before the cover went to press I was asked to approve or change. Only when I was happy with it did it go to print.

Who provided editorial services for you?

As for the editing services, they do provide it, and I did use them for Tuffy, however was not satisfied. They were expensive and I do not believe they understood certain dialogue. Sadly, editing has proven to be the most frustrating part of the process. I know my weaknesses and trust others who assist to be good at what I am not. This has not proven a very reliable method, however, each time I learn something and believe each novel has gotten that much better. 

What has been the most enjoyable part of the publishing process, other than seeing your book in print?

The most enjoyable part, outside of seeing my book in print? I would say the delight I get in hearing that my readers have enjoyed the story, found an escape from their daily grind. I am blessed in the fact that nearly all my readers are repeat buyers who cannot wait for the next novel to drop.

Do you belong to any critique groups?

I do not belong to any groups, per se. However, Authonomy is one of my favorite critique groups online. There you can post your whole book, if you wish, and the readers can give you feedback. Most of those reviewers are fellow writers. 

I see you are also a member of AgentQueryContect.com. That is a new blog site for me. How did you hear of it? How have they helped you in your writing?

I discovered Agent Query after I published Tuffy and started thinking about finding an agent. There are a great deal of helpful forums or help areas on the site, all geared towards the 'traditional' ways of publishing. For me personally, Authonomy.com has been the most helpful.

On your website you refer to Writer’s Digest judges. Was this part of a writing contest?

Writer's Digest holds a yearly contest for self-published authors. Their review of my writing was very helpful. It was exciting to read notes, from those who truly know the art form of story telling, saying they enjoyed the books. 

What are some of the best pieces of writing advice you’ve received from either editors or agents?

I suppose that came from my father, who always told me to believe in myself and whatever it was I choose to do, then follow through to the best of your ability and no one can say you did otherwise.  

What are some of the most productive ways you’ve promoted your books? You do a giveaway on Goodreads for your books, but how does it work out in getting actual book orders?

Goodreads giveaways get folks talking, as does the attending of festivals, book clubs, or posting pages of a story. Offering story related trinkets, free shipping, my web page, and announcements on Facebook, all seem to help as well.

However, the most productive ways of promoting my books is word of mouth. If folks like what they read, they will tell someone else. The trick is getting them to read the book to start with. All of the items mentioned help to draw attention to the fact. 

If you would like to know more about Elizabeth’s writing or to buy her books, here are some options. her website, her blog, or Facebook.. You can also find more about her on Goodreads and Authonomy. When you buy her books directly from her site the books will also be personally autographed – not an option with regular purchase at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

If you would like the opportunity to win a FREE BOOK...Sourcebooks has graciously offered a giveaway of one copy of A Light on the Veranda by Ciji Ware. If you would like to win a copy of this book please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the this book or this discussion with Ciji Ware by clicking here..

Virtual Book Tour - by Nancy Sanders

Here's some details on a book tour from Nancy Sanders, who is a prolific children's book author. If you are not familiar with her writing, here's a link to an interview I did with her last year.  

For my Virtual Book Tour this week, we're celebrating my book, D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet. Plus, the goal of this tour is to help get the word out about my book so that it can get into the hands and hearts of kids all across the nation.

To help spread the word, I want to invite you to join the contest I'm hosting here on my blog. I'm offering a a great prize that fits on everyone's wishlist: a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble! You can use this at your local store, for an online purchase, or on your Nook!

Just e-mail 5 or more friends today (hopefully writer friends) to visit my blog and join my Virtual Book Tour. Then come right back here today to post a comment here on my blog to let me know you did this. You can send your own message or copy and paste the following:

Hop on over and join the Virtual Book Tour of author Nancy I. Sanders at her blog at www.nancyisanders.wordpress.com. Join in on her contest to see if you can win a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble!

Writing Under a Deadline, Interview with Traci Bonney

If you've ever seen the words NaNoWriMo and wonder what they mean, let me explain it to you. It stands for the National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write a 50,000-word novel (or more) in a 30 day period with only an outline in hand and research notes done. It doesn't have to be polished, just completed and verified by a word count which needs to be done on the NaNo site. 

This concept started with just a few friends signing on, but it's grown tremendously over the years. The count for participants in 2010 was 200,530 who had written 2,872,682,109 words. There were 37,479 writers who achieved the 50,000-word goal. No details yet for this past year's numbers. If you ever needed a motivation to start that novel, begin putting your outline together. My chat today is with a writer who completed this task twice. 

What made you want to do NaNo the first time?
Years ago, I worked for newspapers. I knew I could write on deadline; in fact, I tend to do better with a definite time limit. Also, I had tried unsuccessfully to do a 30-day novel a couple of years earlier. I couldn’t leave the challenge unmet.

Why did you decide to try it for a second run?
After the first success (completing a novel in 18 days) I knew I could do it again, and I wanted to write a sequel to the first year’s novel. The second time, it took me most of the month and the words didn’t flow as easily, but I did finish the book.

This writing challenge is always in November. How do you find time to write in November?
I approach it the same way I approach reading a book; I let it take over my day for a few hours at a time. It helps to get ahead on the word count early in the month, too; that way you have a cushion built up if you have to skip a few days later because of holidays or other life events.

It's what around 1,800 words a day? How long does that take you to write?
Actually, it averages out to 1,667 words a day, although I try to write at least 2,000 a day during NaNo to get ahead. If the ideas are flowing, I can knock out the daily requirement in an hour or so.

How did you stay focused to write when the words wouldn't come?
I found that if the words didn’t come easily, it was usually time for a break. By that, I mean a stretch/bathroom break, a kitchen run for a cup of hot tea, a quick stroll around to work out the kinks in the legs and back, or a break in the writing.

I tend to write to the end of a scene or chapter before stopping, so if things weren’t flowing well, I’d push through to that ending point, then stop and do something else for a while. Brainstorming and research breaks also helped; sometimes thinking up a plot twist or introducing a new character was what I needed to get the words going again.

How do you not edit as you write or go back and re-edit what’s been done in that time?
It’s not easy. I’ve always corrected my mistakes as I went and I don’t even try to resist that habit. However, I don’t let myself read what I’m writing; otherwise I’d spend all my time trying to perfect it.

There is one exception: At the beginning of each new writing session, I’d re-read the last few paragraphs of my previous day’s work just to retrieve my train of thought. I occasionally changed a word or two, but I didn’t do any major editing. That’s one of the tenets of NaNoWriMo: silence your inner editor for 30 days and just write.

Each time you wrote a different book? What became of each of those?
I did. They are the first two novels of what will most likely become a trilogy or series. I enjoyed writing them so much I can’t imagine just letting them die in my hard drive.

Tell me about the book that is being published. Give me a short synopsis? What inspired you to write this book? Is this a genre that you read a lot or not?
The novel is Chantal’s Call, a contemporary story with a dash of mystery and romance and a strong theme of redemption. Chantal Atherton reluctantly returns to her Mississippi hometown when her father suffers a heart attack and asks her to come home and help at the bank he runs. Shortly after returning, she finds herself embroiled in a drama involving a corpse in the kudzu (an invasive vine that covers anything in its path), a cult that has ensnared her younger sister, and a handsome young deputy.

The story was born in my Sunday school class. I was teaching a series on Christianity, cults and other religions, and I found myself thinking, “We live in the ‘Bible Belt,’ yet there’s so much we don’t know about this stuff. “ The murder mystery angle came in one day not long after that when I started wondering what would happen if someone dumped a body in a kudzu patch. Kudzu (“the vine that ate the South”) grows up to 18 inches in a day during the summer, so it wouldn’t take it long to completely cover a corpse. That “what if?” gave rise to the book’s prologue.


For years, I thought I would be a science fiction or fantasy writer; those were my preferred reading genres so I was sure they would be my best writing genres. When I started writing longer fiction, though, every story I began hit a dead end at some point – until I wrote Chantal’s Call. It’s the first novel-length story I’ve been able to write to completion. Back in high school if anyone had told me I’d be writing contemporary fiction with a Christian world view, I’d have laughed at them. Now, I have plans for three more books in the Atherton Women series and ideas for two stand-alone novels (Jersey Girls and The Story Keeper).

Ironically, once I started writing contemporary fiction, the fantasy stories came easier. Both of my NaNo novels are comic fantasy stories.

Where are you in the publishing process? What has surprised (good/bad) you about the publishing process?
I’m not as far along as I’d like to be. I need to finish editing and create a cover, pick a publisher, and format and upload the book. I’m planning to self publish it in both e-book and POD (print on demand) hard copy formats.

What is your weakest point in writing?
Editing isn’t easy for me. I can do the small edits – proofreading and adjusting words here and there – but making major changes is something I don’t like to do. It comes from my journalism training; we had to write our articles quickly, make them accurate and attention getting, and send them to the printer to be set on the page. We didn’t have time for prolonged editing. As a result, I tend to think what I’ve written is good as it is.

How do you plan to promote your book? What advice have you been given about marketing the book?
I’ve been promoting it on my writing blog Tracings and my Facebook page. I’m planning to eventually create a Twitter account and promote it that way as well. I’ll probably buy a domain name and build a website at some point in the near future too. Those methods seem to be the most recommended ones for online promotion.

Who is your publishing source? How did you come to work with them? What is some of the best editorial advice you've been given?
I don’t have a publishing source yet, but both Amazon and Barnes & Noble offer free e-publishing options, so I’m considering uploading Chantal’s Call and my other books to both platforms.

As for editorial advice, the best I’ve been given is to read my work as though I didn’t write it. It’s never easy for writers to distance themselves emotionally from their stories, but to edit effectively, you have to be able to read objectively.

Tracings – www.tracibonney.wordpress.com
If you would like to take on the challenge to write a book in a month, here's the link to the NaNo web page.

Interview with Author, Debra Ann Elliot, on Poetry and Prose

You’ve now written two books with the first being, Life Through the Rearview Mirror, which is a reflection of your life. What made you decide to put your life in print for all to read?

I had a lot of poetry gathering dust and when my mother-in-law passed away I had written a poem about her death and decided I wanted to create a lasting memory for my words and thoughts. The book was put together for myself, but I was thankful that others did want to read my honest words.

This book is about the brutal honesty of life. Life isn't all a bed of roses, it's also the thorns. And those thorns make a person stronger and I hope that's what this book did or will do. 

Your website lists it as only 57 pages? Is that correct? How did you decide to price the book?

Yes, the publisher only required 50 poems and I didn't set the price as I didn't self-publish.

I see it is published by Publish America. What was your process in choosing a company to publish your book?

I chose PA because I wanted to set my words to print. PA is not a self-publisher. I didn't pay them, but they are almost like a POD(Print-On-Demand) publisher. I really didn't have much say in the process.

You also have a 2nd book called Turning Leaves which is a book of poetry. I’m always in awe of those who write poetry as I wonder about how you handle meter and all the rest that goes with writing in a poetic style.

Turning Leaves was completed over a year ago. I had more poems I wanted to put together in a book and PA afforded me the opportunity to do so. I don't really have a 'magic' formula per se as to how I write my poetry. I write what's in my heart and soul. I was blessed with a God-given talent and I just write. Sometimes I do say a word out loud to find a rhyme for it. I like to use off-beat words to make my words flow.

 I see you’ve also contributed to several anthologies. What advice would you give others who might consider writing a piece for one of these type books?

My advise is to write what you feel. I don't follow rules. When I sit down to write the words just flow. My rejections do outweigh my acceptance, but that's part of the writer's life and I am O.K. with that aspect.

I also see a link to “Oasis for YA.” Are you considering writing for the YA genre?

I had been considering that genre, but now my plate is full with life and I no longer work on it.

You also have a COEXIST side banner on your blog. I’ve always thought of that as being the thinking that all religions have equal value and worth. That one is just as true as another. What does it mean to you?

I think all peoples should coexist, whether it is religion, culture or community. We all came from the same place and we all are looking for the same things (peace and freedom). One of my favorite poems that reflects what it really means to coexist is “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus which is on a plaque at the Statue of Liberty.

What do you do to promote your books?  

I was never active in promoting by book except through word of mouth and my websites.  Writing is a funny business and I wish I had paid more attention to the business aspect. 

What writing tips would you like to share with others?

Buy books on your craft. Write what you know, but also what you feel.

Thank you for the interview. If you would like to learn more about Debra’s writing, here is a link to her blog.

Interview with Children's Chapter Book Author, Julie Scott

The beauty of the internet is that I can do interviews around the world. I've chatted with authors in the United States, Canada and Great Britain. Today we will discussing writing with an author in New Zealand, which is a lovely country that I have had the pleasure of visiting and hope to again someday. So let's get on to the interview...And at the end there is an opportunity to win a free book!

How did you come up with the idea of your current book?

My current book, Milly and the Chittens is a chapter book aimed at 7-10 year olds. It is about a young girl, whose room is so messy that it becomes a hatching-ground for mysterious garbage-eating creatures. Milly then has to come up with ways to persuade her Mum to let her keep them.

Not surprisingly, the idea for this book came from my daughter's messy room when she was younger. I told her there might be creatures living in there and she wanted to know what sort of creatures. Of course, in the story everything is exaggerated. The room got messier and messier; the creatures got more fantastic. 

How much did the story change if any in the process?

When I first wrote it, it was quite short, only a few thousand words and I submitted it to Penguin NZ for a series they were producing of very simple chapter books for beginning readers. The publisher liked it, but thought that the language was a bit complex for their target audience. I wanted to keep the style of writing so I developed the story into something longer and a bit more complicated.

I see the book is in both eBook and standard print format but it is soon coming out in audio as well. Did you do the audio yourself?

The audio book is still in development, but we're planning to get an actor to do the voice - something I'm very happy about! I think a lot of acting skills are involved making a good audio book and that's not really my forte. For example, Oscar nominated actress Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whalerider) has recorded the audio version of one of the Pear Jam titles, Aroha, so Milly will be read by someone at that level.

Did you send this book out to other publishers prior to going with Pear Jam Books? 

Milly and the Chittens went out to a couple of publishers prior to Pear Jam Books. And although this is the first book I've had published, I have written several others, so I've had my share of rejection letters.

What kept you going in spite of rejections?

I think the most important thing as a beginning writer is to make contact with other writers. They can give you much better feedback than friends and family. When you find someone whose opinion you trust and who is willing to be open and honest about your work, it is incredibly helpful.

You have to learn to accept the negative as well as the positive comments, but at least you know that when they tell you to keep sending work out, they really do mean it. Rejections do hurt, so you need someone who believes in what you have written and won't let you just slip it into a drawer and forget about it.

Prior to writing this book, what other writing credits or writing background did you have?

I have been writing for a while, mostly children's books, but for a slightly older age group than Milly and the Chittens. I have done a several writing courses, had a play published in the NZ school journal, and been short-listed for the Tom Fitzgibbon award which is for a novel by an unpublished children's writer. In 2010, I did a Masters in Creative Writing, which involved classes and mentoring by an established writer.

I see that Pear Jam Books does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. It shows that you have to go through their affiliated company, Write Good Stuff Writing Consultancy. What was this process like for you?  

Pear Jam Books is a wonderful publishing company. It was started just over a year ago by Jill Marshall, a well-known children's author, who is also a manuscript assessor and writing teacher. She got into publishing initially as a way of raising funds for people affected by the big earthquake we had in Christchurch last February, producing a picture book called Curly from Shirley and donating the proceeds to the relief fund.

From her writing courses and from doing manuscript assessment, she knew a lot of people with unpublished, but really good manuscripts. Having become frustrated with the difficulty that some of these people had in getting published, she decided to create her own publishing company, but one centered on the authors. 

How did you first get acquainted with the publisher?

I met Jill several years ago when I did one of her courses, and I had shown her Milly and the Chittens, although she never officially assessed it for me. She had liked it so much that she recommended I try sending it to her publisher, but that didn't work out.

When she set up Pear Jam Books, she asked if she could publish it herself. So my route into finally being published has been rather unusual. No submitting a manuscript and waiting weeks to hear; lots of consultation and advice; and only about 6 months from signing the contract to the eBook coming out and then the print book a couple of months after that.

Jill still runs her writing courses, coaching and manuscript assessments through Write Good Stuff and selects books to publish from those she’s seen, partly because she knows the quality of both the writing and the writer, and partly because it’s a way to take a few strong writers from first thinking about writing on a course, through mentoring and coaching, to the final goal of publication!

What are some of the most productive things you have done to promote your book?

I am still learning about the promotional side of writing. So far one of the best things I have done is the Goodreads giveaway. It was very easy and certainly seems to have increased awareness of my book. I had not realized quite how much self-promotion is involved after the book is written.

What has surprised you the most (in a good or bad way) about the publishing process?

As I said, my experience of being published is probably not typical. When I talk to friends who have been published by more traditional publishers, my experience has been much more inclusive and enjoyable. I have been very lucky in that the other authors involved in Pear Jam are extremely supportive and I have learned a lot from them.

What is some of the best advice you’ve been given on writing?

I think probably the best advice I was given was not to rely on the opinions of your family and friends - they won't tell you what is wrong with your book.  And also, read! As much as you can!

Do you have any special advice you’d like to give other writers?

Something that I find works really well for me is to read my work out loud. It helps me hear when the writing is awkward or uneven. This is especially useful if you are writing for children, but it also helps for adult writing. It was great when my kids were little as I had the perfect audience, but now they are too big. Teenagers don't let you read to them!

 

Do you have any other books in the process of being published?
I'm currently working on a sequel to Milly and the Chittens, which I'm hoping will be out by the end of the year.

That’s it for today’s interview. If you would like to be entered to win this story as an eBook, then leave a comment below. We will choose a winner from there. If you would like to learn more about Julie and her writing, here is a link to her website and the publisher

BONUS GIVEAWAY! Enter to win another children's book called Cows Can't Quack here
or enter for a chance to win The Pea in Peanut Butter by clicking here

 

Giving You Something to Savor

  Once again it's time to begin a new blog chain for the month of March. As the saying goes, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. I want you to look at this month with relish and excitement. This is a new month full of opportunities to grab the gusto. I want you to taste all the good things life has to offer...

Now if you think I'm going a bit over the top, I'm doing it deliberately to highlight this month's topic which is savor!

What do you savor? Do you enjoy cooking like the foods in the luscious barbecue picture above? I know I do - but I don't 'cue. There's just too much good bbq here for me to compete so I do my cooking indoors. My husband once won a local award for his chili, but I'm still entering contests and trying to win. If you want to show off your cooking skills - savor the chance to win a prize for your cooking. Here's a couple of contests to do just that
If you have a great family recipe you'd like to share to win
http://www.justapinch.com/contest/heirloom-recipe-contest

If you just want to review recipes for a chance to win try
http://velveetarotel.promo.eprize.com/weeknightwow/

But if cooking or recipes aren't something you savor, then how about showing off your photography skills?
The picture to the right is one option, though it does have a $25 entry fee. Here's their link for more details. http://www.photocompete.com/

There's no fee for this entry. You just need to send a photo of hard working hands and explain why they are the most hard working. The link is http://www.okeeffescompany.com/index.php?page=contest


Perhaps you savor a getaway, but don't have the funds? Enter this contest and you can dream about your own special B&B weekend of your choice. Here's the link http://www.womansday.com/sweepstakes/21731

If a trip to Hawaii is more to your liking then savor this contest and if you win, you can take three other people with you -- http://www.pediped.com/HawaiiGiveAway.aspx 
( I personally have won 2 vacation contests, so they are my favorite)

All the above contests can be entered through the end of March. Yet if the above doesn't entice you and what you really savor is to be published, then here's some options for submissions.

If you have a Christian themed book you might want to consider Harbourlight Publishing http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/write-for-us 
All stories must be Christian fiction between 25,000 and 80,000 words.

If you write for children, you may want to consider Charlesbridge. Their site says they publish "high-quality books for children, with a goal of creating lifelong readers and lifelong learners." Submissions are accepted by mail only.

http://www.charlesbridge.com/client/client_pages/submissions.cfm

For those of you with the skill of poetry who would like to enter a free contest, but only one poem, you may want to consider the 2012 Foley Poetry Award

http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=10540

This is a Catholic publication and you are limited to 30 lines. You can review copies of poems used in their magazine by reading the back issues online.

That's my list for you to savor. If you would like to read other posts with a savoring theme, just click on the list to the right as part of the Christian Writers Blog Chain.