Writing in Multiple Genres: Author Interview with Michele Brouder

Your bio lists you as penning women's fiction, contemporary sweet romance, holiday romance, and young adult paranormal. Which genre is your favorite and/or easiest to write?
I wouldn't say any are easy to write. There's a level of difficulty to each genre. For me, I write what I feel like writing at that particular point in my life. I started with young adult paranormal because that was the popular at the time and I was reading a lot of YA paranormal. But I had also been writing this one romance for years that I really liked. That book became my second published book, A Whyte Christmas, and it exceeded my expectations so I wrote more in that genre. The Christmas books were fun to write because I love Christmas. 

Then I decided to write a romance series based in Ireland, because I love Ireland. When my mother passed away in 2018, I began to think of the relationships among women; mothers and daughters, sisters, and friends. When she was dying, my mother made a throwaway comment about how old friends were the best of friends. 

That was the seed for the Hideaway Bay series. It focused on 3 sisters and their grandmother and her two friends. It showed the lifelong relationship between the grandmother and her two best friends, especially since all three are vastly different characters in background and temperament. Today, my favorite genre is women's fiction. It could be something else tomorrow.

It looks like your first series was Soul Savers. What drew you to writing YA? Had you planned on it being a series? 

At that time in my life, I was reading a lot of YA paranormal. And one day, I was standing outside, staring at a cloud, waiting for my husband to pick me up and I could see so clearly, this snarky heroine, Claire Daly, and thus Soul Savers was born. I had planned on it becoming a series but paranormal is a lot more difficult to write than you could imagine. I had planned to write a 3 book series but alas, we're stalled at 2. I hope to someday get back to it and wrap it up as I hate loose ends.

Many of your books are based in Ireland which is where you currently live, but you grew up in the US. Do your reviews for your Irish books on Amazon come more from UK readers or US readers? Why do you think readers like your Irish stories?

The majority of the reviews are US based. The series was written intended for Americans, especially those who love all things Irish or have been to Ireland. So most of the reviews are coming from the US. I think because I live here in rural Ireland, I'm able to give some authenticity to the story in regards to the setting and some of the characters. A lot of Americans visit Ireland and this allows them a further behind the scenes look. Now in saying all that, the core of the story is romance and even if you're not that keen on Ireland or have ever been here, the romance is there.

You’re an indie author, which means you’re in charge of everything from writing to publishing and marketing. Other than writing, what other parts of the process do you personally do or hire others to do?
Indie writers wear multiple hats. The most important thing is the writing. If no books are being written and released, nothing else matters. I do not rapid release. I don't have the stamina for it. I release about 3 books a year and I'm happy with that schedule. There is so much to do, it never ends. From marketing (book promos, AMS ads and FB ads) and I like to take courses. (Would highly recommend Sarra Cannon's HB 90 course. Game changer).

Then there's the formatting (I use Atticus, which I also highly recommend).  I'm also trying to open my store on Shopify. (took a course for that, too) Then there's the newsletter (which is the most important tool after the actual writing) and there is something to do every day other than writing. I have several people who help me out. There's Jessica, my editor, who's been with me since book 1. Our effort is truly collaborative. My sister, Bec, does my book covers. And I have a VA, Erynn, who helps with a lot of the behind the scenes work, like creating landing pages for Unbounce and uploading content to LULU and sorting out my Shopify store and creating images, etc. All 3 are invaluable to my business. 
 
What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?

The night of my high school graduation, my English teacher approached me after the ceremony and said that she'd hoped someday to see my name in print. I never forgot that. What a difference that teacher made. I was recently made aware that she celebrated her 95th birthday and I was able to get a signed copy of Coming Home to Hideaway Bay to her and she was delighted. I'm fortunate that there are people who write the most amazing reviews of my books and that really encourages me to keep writing.

Marketing is the biggest key to making sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produced more sales rather than just clicks?
Getting a Bookbub had been by far, the most instrumental in increasing sales and moving my books up in rank. I've taken some FB ads courses but the one course I'm still working through, AMMO (Author Marketing Mastery Optimization) taught a really detailed section about FB ads and testing, testing, testing. The cost was worth it for that alone. It's a course about direct sales. 

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?

That you don't know what you don't know. I made so many mistakes in the early years of my career. I genre hopped, cycling initially between Christmas and YA paranormal. Instead of having a continuing series, I made them all standalones. But the biggest doozy was switching genres within a series (do not recommend), the first book in my Christmas series is a romantic comedy and the rest are sweet romance. I've made so many mistakes it would stagger your imagination. But live and learn.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?

Never, ever give up. Believe in yourself. Learn everything about your craft and your business. It took me years to get to a level where my income is where I want it to be. I was not an overnight success (like my sister) but I just kept writing and publishing, believing that I had a story to tell and that my readers were out there and I just had to find them.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?

I love this piece of advice from one of my favorite writers:  Jojo Moyes said, 'Give your readers something they didn't know they wanted.'

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?

The next book is coming out September 15th, it's the 3rd book in The Lavender Bay Chronicles, titled Second Chances in Lavender Bay. It's another dual timeline story focusing on the 3rd Cook sister, Angie, and her grandmother Diana, both who have life changing events which turn their lives upside down.

That's all for today's interview. Hope you'll check out her books. I'm already a fan of her Irish books! Here's how you can learn more about them.
Bookstore: www.michelebrouderbookstore.com

Website: www.michelebrouder.com

Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/michelebrouder

And here's a bonus for my readers... Leave a comment on this post and we'll pick one reader who'll receive a copy of one of  Michele's eBooks of their choosing. So do that now. It can be as simple as I want to be in the giveaway. We'll chose a winner next Friday!

Creating the Mystery Puzzle: Author Interview with Larissa Reinhart

You’ve now published three mystery series, but what inspired you to write that first book?
My first published book was PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY, the first Cherry Tucker Mystery. I wrote it while living in Japan, soon after I lost my dad. I’m from a small farming town and had been to a lot of funerals. That’s part of small town life. My dad’s funeral made a huge impression on me. The line of people waiting to pay their respect took hours. Some people drove hours to come — people my mother hadn’t seen in years. My dad was a retired teacher but didn’t teach in my hometown. He taught in the “city.” He hadn’t been mayor (although he did a stint on the town board once. And hated it.) or anyone “important” in terms of social standing. But he was a good man. Dependable, honest, and everyone liked him. That was a funeral to be proud of. 

At the time, Miranda Lambert’s “Famous in a Small Town” was a popular song on my playlist. Thinking about my dad’s funeral and that song had me reflecting on another kind of small town funeral. So while I stayed with my mom for a few weeks, I let that idea play in my head. I hadn’t entirely known I was going to write a mystery at the time. Before his funeral, I’d been thinking about a somewhat dysfunctional but happy family living in rural Georgia. In Nagoya, I had a lot of thinking time while driving my youngsters to school every day, particularly on the way home. The 4 miles took 45 minutes.

I’m not really sure how it happened, but those two ideas merged to create Cherry Tucker and the murder, resulting in her portrait of a dead guy. It was published about a year later!

You mention the Sisters in Crime critique group on your website for writer’s help. For those who aren’t active with a writer’s group, what would you tell them about joining one?
I joined Guppies when I first looked for a publisher back in 2011-12. The Guppies were a tremendous help. It’s an online chapter of Sisters in Crime, meant for beginning mystery writers. I highly recommend Guppies (Guppy Online Chapter - Sisters in Crime). 
Besides SinC, over the years I’ve been involved with various local writer’s group and national organizations. At any stage in your writing career, I feel it’s important to connect with other writers. You need to network for business reasons, to better your craft, and to connect with people who understand the joys and difficulties of writing. Only other writers will understand what you’re going through! 

How do you go about plotting your mystery? Do you pick the victim or the murderer first? 
I’m more of a “pantser” or discovery writer. An idea for an inciting incident kicks things off for me, but plotting everything out hasn’t worked for me. I like to make it a puzzle for myself, I suppose, so I come up with the original crime and take it from there!

What do you think makes for a perfect murder mystery?
A perfect murder mystery has a good twist, some clever red herrings, and an interesting subplot that’s connected to the main mystery. Even if I figure out the whodunnit before the end, I will enjoy the story tremendously if it’s engaging and written well.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
I’m always encouraged when my readers write to me. I like emailing with my readers. It’s a good way to get to know them individually. Many times, they are dealing with a difficult situation — whether their health or the health of another family member, or something else — and reading is an escape for them. Nothing gives me greater pleasure to know I helped someone smile.

Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you’ve used that has produces more sales rather than just clicks?
I feel like I’m not a good marketer (read my chapter in PROMOPHOBIA, the SinC mystery writers marketing book edited by Diane Vallere and you’ll get that!). I’ve got wonderful readers who’ve stuck with me over the years and that’s been a slow build. 

I think having preorders for upcoming books and letting my readers know the book is coming up has garnered most of my sales. I have a monthly email for my VIP Readers I send out with my book news, a few personal things, a link to my monthly blog with my friends’ new releases and book deals, and a fun giveaway. I’ve kept that up because I like doing it. I’m not so great at being consistent on social media because I don’t really like it.   

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
I actually wish I’d go back to writing like I did 10 years ago. I wrote faster and with more freedom. Now I’m too careful. I slow myself down with fact-checking or getting stumped on using the right word and similar things. It’s harder to read and write now because I over-analyze everything. I think some of my friends feel that way, too. Maybe it’s our age. Or maybe it’s the fear of our editors. LOL  

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Find your voice and use it consistently in whatever genre you write. This way your readers identify with you as an author — not just your series or a certain character — whether they realize it or not. How many times have you fallen in love with a book or series and immediately looked to see what else the author has written? I do it all the time, and I think I’m a pretty typical binge reader. 

To be honest, I find this idea of “voice” a little difficult to explain. I’ve got three protagonists in my three series. Their personalities, physical traits, and backstories are very different. The way they talk is different. Even the tempo, beats, phrasing, and structure of my writing is different for each series. But readers know they are my books because of some quality in the way I write. I couldn’t tell you exactly what the quality is. 

For example, when I read Meg Cabot, who writes series in very different genres, I always know it’s Meg Cabot. Same for Elmore Leonard, Joshilyn Jackson, Agatha Christie, or whoever. 

I think it’s important to be widely read — in-and-out of your genre. We’re told to read our “comp” authors (authors comparable to you or your genre), to keep up with what’s going on in contemporary writing. That’s important for meeting readers’ expectations. Books are much more fast-paced than they used to be. We’re competing not just with movies and TV, but with phones and apps. Our attention spans are shorter. You’ve got to hook readers right away. I can tell within a few pages, whether I want to continue to reading. 

To stand out, you need to find your own voice. Reading will spark ideas for your writing. It should anyway. Everything you read is getting filtered into your subconscious, stirred together, and mixed with your personality. That will somehow appear in your writing in a way that readers will know it’s uniquely you.  

What else would you like to tell my readers about your writing?
Joining my VIP Reader’s newsletter is the best way to stay in contact with me. I’ve always been a letter writer, so email me and I’ll write you back! (I don’t use any messenger or DMs on social media, although I do post on Instagram and Facebook).

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
I’m working on 21 GUNS, the next Maizie Albright Star Detective (#10) now. It’s in the early stages, so I don’t have a release date or synopsis yet. I’ve also got some other projects in my pockets — a few Cherry Tucker Mysteries and the next Finley Goodhart Crime Caper — that I work on when I can. I am reviewing the audiobook for 19 CRIMINALS now, too, so that will release soon. 

Here’s a brief synopsis for 19 CRIMINALS, Maizie Albright Star Detective, which released a few months ago.

Turner & Hooch meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith for the ex-celebrity-turned-private detective’s latest investigation. Maizie’s new partner is canine. Her ex-partner Nash is on the wrong side of her infidelity case. But it’s more than her career and their relationship at stake. Maizie’s life is on the line when she looks into old secrets connected to Nash’s investigation into her father’s company.

Sounds like there are a few twists and turns in that plot. If you'd like to learn more about Larissa's writing here are some links to get you started.
Website: http://larissareinhart.com/

Newsletter: https://www.larissareinhart.com/larissasreaders
Instagram: http://instagram.com/larissareinhart

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLarissaReinhart/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/larissa-reinhart
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5806614.Larissa_Reinhart
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Larissa-Reinhart/e/B008EME5MA/

And here's a bonus for my readers...Larissa is offering a free eBook of the first book in the Maizie Albright Star Detective series, 15 MINUTES.  is free on most e-readers. Here is a link to all stores: http://books2read.com/15