From Newspapers to Novels: Author Interview with Michele Huey

Your background includes writing for newspapers and doing a radio program. What made you decide to take the big step and write a novel?
After over a decade writing nonfiction (devotionals, articles), I felt I wasn’t developing the talent God gave me. I love to read fiction—why not try to write it?

Who helped you with the editing? 
I belonged to an online critique group when I wrote my first two novels and when I began the third one, Getaway Mountain, my critique group partners helped with the initial drafts. Marsha Hubler edited The Heart Remembers and Before I Die when they were published by Helping Hands Press.

I published Getaway Mountain as an independent author/publisher, and I hired Barbara J. Scott, a freelance editor who edited for a major Christian publishing house for decades before going freelance, to do a developmental/substantive edit.

Your books fit a very specific niche - with your protagonists in the retirement age. Since that is out of the normal 30 and under character leads, what was the feedback you received from agents and editors?
I really didn’t pursue traditional publishing after I dropped my agent, and even then I got few comments about the older protagonist. I’ve never been a jump-on-the-bandwagon person, and I’m not a “formula” writer (I do follow structure). I’ve read and immensely enjoyed fiction with older women protagonists, so I followed my own advice to write what’s in my heart.

Are you currently active with any writing groups? 
Yes. I looked for an online critique group after the one I mentioned above became inactive, and finally (just last month) became part of a new online critique group.

Who encouraged you along the way?
My husband, my brother, my best friend, friends, my critique group partners, writing colleagues/friends I met at writing conferences, my CWG mentor (I took the Craftsman fiction course) and my fellow Craftsman classmates. I’m sure there are more, but too many to mention.

How do you get past writer's block?
Write. Write. Write. Just get words onto the page (screen) and don’t try to edit.

What are some of the more difficult aspects of writing a romantic mysteries?
This is my first romantic suspense book in the series. I’ll let you know when I write the second book in the series.

Have other novels been started and stopped along the way?
One—Whiskey Run —which I plan to return to and finish as a novella (have 18k words now). It’s a historical novel based on a real coal boom town in western Pennsylvania by that name. I plan for two more novellas in that series. I also started a novel based on WWII and the Battle of Attu. But the characters weren’t coming into focus, so I moved on. I plan to return to that, if the characters cooperate.

You also write daily devotional books. It looks like the first one was only 25 pages and the next one 112 pages. Was the first book testing the waters to see what feedback you would get?
No. I published Minute Meditations: Meeting God in Everyday Experiences and I Lift Up My Eyes: Minute Meditations Vol. 2 with Ampleos Press in 2000 and 2002, respectively. They are compilations of my weekly newspaper column, which was “Minute Meditations,” which later became “God, Me & a Cup of Tea” when I went to another newspaper. The column won second place in the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association’s Keystone Press Awards in 2009.

I published the books because my readers were telling me they cut out my column and sent them to people they knew. One lady (who lived in a skilled living facility) cut them out and out them in a scrapbook. I decided to compile 50 of my favorite columns and publish them as a devotional book. They still sell well at my book table when I speak at Christian conferences. I continue to get comments on them. Even after 16 years, God is still using these books to touch people.

God, Me & a Cup of Tea was published by Helping Hands Press at their request. The publisher wanted to do ten devotionals in one eBook to start. When he’d published five eBooks (total 50 devotionals), he published a print book with all 50.

I’m currently in the process of typing the Minute Meditation books to publish as eBooks (Kindle edition).

How do you promote these books?
Through social media, direct mail, e-mail, newsletter, press releases . . . Whatever way I can. I’m still on the learning curve.

What do you know now about writing/publishing now that you wished you had known sooner? I wish I’d have believed in myself when I was younger (right out of college). I didn’t get serious about writing until I was in my forties. But then, I believe in God’s timing. I had more fodder and life experiences when I did start writing in earnest. I’ve enjoyed the process—both writing and publishing—each step of the way.

What other books do you have in the works?
Book 1 of the “Almost” Angel series and Book 2 of the PennWoods Mystery series. And the eBooks of my meditations.

What is the best advice you’ve been given about writing or that you’ve learned that you would like to pass along? 
Write what’s in your heart. Anything else will sound fake. Write the first draft from the heart. Lock up the editor and let the muse dance. You can let the editor out when you’re ready to revise.

Are there any other notes you’d like to add? 
Buy my books. Please.

That's all for today's interview. If you would like to know more about Michele's current and upcoming books, use this link:  https://michelehuey.wordpress.com/

I See a Mystery in my Future: Author Interview with Amber Foxx on Her Psychic Detective Series

What drew you to the idea of writing a mystery series with a psychic?
I read mysteries, and I have a minor psychic gift myself— dreaming the future. I gave my protagonist a different ability. She can see the past and the present, but not the future, and needs to hold an object related to the person whose information she seeks. It gives her limitations that add tension to a story. I met a woman many years ago who had that ability, and I never forgot her.

Was there a specific book that made you think –I could write a mystery?
What if I said the Nancy Drew books? Really. I wrote my first mystery when I was about eight or nine, and sent it to my grandfather, a retired English professor. He encouraged me to keep writing.

 Do you have a favorite mystery author?
It’s a three-way tie: Nevada Barr, James D. Doss, and Tony Hillerman. Doss is my strongest influence because of the mystical elements in his books. I admire how Barr writes a series in a way that a reader can enter with any book and be fully immersed, neither lost for lack of background nor swamped in backstory. I’ve tried to model my series on that. The settings all three use, as well as characters and style, captivate me.

How long did it take for you to write the first book? Was it harder or easier to write your second book?
All my books take at least two years, sometimes three. The first one was harder because it had a larger cast of characters and more subplots. I had to keep track of it on a grid. The second was simpler structurally—more chamber music than symphony.

What were your writing credits before publishing these novels?  I published a few academic articles on yoga teacher training and yoga therapy, had a short story on the NPR Three Minute Fiction web site, and I had a short story published in a magazine when I was twelve. All of them are under my other name, which I don’t publicize. I decided to take a pen name for privacy when I wrote my first novel.

 Are you active in any writing critique groups?Yes. I’m a member of Sisters in Crime, and am active in a critique group through that organization.

What type of research do you do for your books? Tell me about the process.My research approach varies from books on crystal healing to scholarly articles on shamanism and what academics call psi phenomena, distant nonlocal awareness, and nonlocal healing. I also do both in-person and on-line interviews with experts. For example, for accuracy on Dana’s Air Force service concerns for The Calling, I interviewed a former airman. I’ve visited psychics and energy healers as well as reading the literature on their work. I keep notes on everything I’m going to need to verify as I’m writing, whether it’s a major plot issue or a detail about a character’s job. I taught a course like the one Bernadette teaches in The Calling, and have held a fitness director job like Randi’s, so my professional training and experience was my research.

How much “artistic license” do you use in creating locations for your stories?
I created fictional towns in Northeastern North Carolina for The Calling, based on several small towns in the region. I didn’t want to use real ones because the towns don’t come off looking very good. I loved the place, but my protagonist doesn’t. In Shaman’s Blues, I used the real cities of Santa Fe and Truth or Consequences, but I invented the restaurants, mall, and art galleries, and changed the houses on Delgado Street in Santa Fe so that the book wouldn’t be set in anyone’s home. In Norfolk and Virginia Beach in The Calling, also I used the real cities and streets, but invented the college and the businesses involved. I even moved some large rocks in the Santa Fe River in Shaman's Blues for plot reasons.

Did you go through the normal process of pitching your book to agents and traditional publishers? What feedback did you get?I don’t know that’s “normal” anymore in the sense of being the norm. Based on my research into the pros and cons of traditional publishing vs. indie, I chose to skip that. I already knew that I wanted to self-publish.

 What made you decide to self-publish?
1. I used to work in a bookstore, and saw how hard it was for a new traditionally published author to break through. Good books without big publicity campaigns didn’t have much chance to get a footing. If they didn't take off fast enough in large enough numbers, they went into returns, and then remainders, and then out of print. I wanted to control the lifespan of my book, expecting that it could take time to be discovered.

2. I don’t conform to genre expectations. My mysteries have no murder and blend elements of other genres. My research made me think agents wouldn’t want to take the risk. I could spend years looking for an agent—or years building my own audience. I chose the latter.

3. Traditionally published authors are being asked to do a lot of their own marketing now. If I was going to do that, I might as well keep more of the royalties.

 Did you review other indie publishers before deciding to go with CreateSpace?
I do most of my distribution through Draft2Digital, which includes publication in paperback through CreateSpace, as well as e-books on Kobo, B&N, Apple, and Inkterra. I upload my e-book to Amazon Kindle on my own. I looked into Smashwords, researched what was involved in dealing with each e-book retailer individually and doing paperback publication as separate step, and researched Draft2Digital’s reputation. I’m very satisfied. They have amazing customer service, and I spend less time managing accounts and more time writing.

How much time daily do you have for writing?
Anywhere from eight hours to one, depending on the day of the week and whether or not college is in session. I’m a professor, so I write a lot more in the summer.

How do you write? Did you do an outline first? Did you do individual character development before doing the full plot?
I start like improv theater—intuitive, spontaneous. I’m a former actor and I loved improvisation and creating characters and scenes on the spur of the moment. Then I do background “discovery” on characters after they arrive. Once I’ve done some creative flying by the seat of my pants, I look at what I’ve got, what’s worth keeping, and what I need cut or rearrange. Then I start to outline. I’d describe myself as a “panster” for the first draft and a plotter for revisions.

 How much does social media play in your promotion of your books?
My preferred social media are the book-related sites—Goodreads and Booklikes. I review, discuss books and writing, and promote when it’s appropriate, but I make sure I don’t overdo it. I use Facebook and Twitter but not as much as these sites, and I write a blog, which is my strongest platform.

What suggestions do you have for enhancing a writer’s social media platform?
I’ll pass on the advice I’ve been given by other writers who’ve been around longer. Do what you enjoy and you’ll be effective. If you force yourself and feel artificial, it will show. For example, I’m a strong essayist but uninspired for the kind of short material that goes on FB and Twitter, so I put my emphasis on blogging, discussions and reviewing, rather than trying to be someone I’m not.

What type of publicity do you do to promote your book?
Blog interviews, guest blog posts, giveaways, Facebook and Twitter announcements when appropriate, and simply being present and involved on book discussion sites—not always marketing. Over-marketing can actually drive readers away. I give promotional paperbacks to people I think can be influential in talking about my work, and I have my bookmarks in places here people are reading or buying books. I have a list of other things I need to get around to, like Pinterest.

What has worked best for you in generating sales?
These are my top two:
My free short story, The Outlaw Women. Here’s the blurb:
Folk healer and seer Rhoda-Sue Outlaw Jackson knows her time on earth is running out when she hears the voice of her late husband telling her she has only but so many heartbeats left. She’s had a troubled relationship with her daughter, and has little hope of passing on her extraordinary gifts, either to this difficult daughter or to her granddaughter. With the final hour around the corner, she brings her family together for one more try. Can she leave the world at peace with them, as well as with her legacy?

This prequel to the Mae Martin Psychic Mystery Series introduces Mae at age ten, as seen through the eyes of her grandmother. I can easily measure the spike in sales since I released it.

The other is being a guest on the right blogs. I can see the effects when a blog reaches the target audience for my books. 

What do you know now about writing/publishing now that you wished you had known sooner?I haven’t run into any surprises, to be honest. I planned well. Sisters in Crime has been a great resource. I found my editor, cover artist, and proofreader through them. I found writers who know the craft who are my beta readers for second and third rounds of revisions, as well as my critique group who help me with the first round.

I knew going into this that selling isn’t my natural talent and that I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as writing. I’ve had mostly good reviews, but having been an actor and choreographer, and a professor who gets student evaluations, I came into writing with plenty of experience that prepared me not to overreact to the inevitable bad ones every writer gets. I was mentally ready for all of it, and financially ready. I set up as a sole proprietor business, and had money saved to finance the start-up of the business.

What is the best advice you've been given about writing or that you've learned that you would like to pass along?
Join a professional organization for writers in your genre. (SinC, RWA, etc.) Don’t rely on social media alone for this kind of support and education, or on people you randomly find on the net. These other writers will be your mentors in every step of the process, whether you’re seeking an agent or going indie.

What other works do you have in the process?
The next book in the Mae Martin series, Snake Face, comes out in November. It’s in the final editing process now. I’ve finished the second draft of the fourth book, the first draft of the fifth book, and am up to chapter eight in the sixth book. I also have first drafts of a horror short story and a paranormal (non-mystery) novella that are outside my series, waiting for me to have time to work with them.

Are there any other points you’d like to cover?
I’d better not. I have given long enough answers to everything else!

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Amber and her books, here's some options to help you do that.

http://amberfoxxmysteries.wordpress.com

 The Calling - Book one in the Mae Martin psychic mystery series
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-calling-amber-foxx/1117552975?ean=2940149023905&itm=1&usri=2940149023905

Shaman’s Blues - Book Two in the Mae Martin psychic mystery series
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IJMZP60

The Outlaw Women - free prequel to series
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-outlaw-women

Creating Suspense: Guest Blog Post by Dan Andriacco

Recently, while preparing a series of talks for the Mad Anthony Writers Conference in Hamilton, Ohio, I’ve been thinking a lot about suspense.

Story structure is the skeleton of a work of fiction, but suspense is its life’s blood. Twists, subplots, clues or foreshadowing, red herrings, and conflict – all those essential ingredients are designed to increase suspense.

Suspense isn’t just an important in mysteries, thrillers, or novels of romantic suspense. All fiction needs it, and all successful novels – even the ones we studied in school – have it.

“Suspense is the art of marking the reader care what happens next,” Marie F. Rodell wrote in her
classic textbook Mystery Fiction: Theory and Technique. “Mystery alone – merely something hidden or disguised – will not include suspense unless the reader is made to care about finding the truth.” 

It’s not enough that the reader doesn’t know what’s going to happen next. He or she must also want to find out. That only happens if he or she identifies with the characters.

In the original 1956 edition of The Mystery Writers Handbook edited by Herbert Brean, a now-forgotten writer named Eleazor Lipsky had a short article on suspense that was the most insightful I’ve ever read. He said that what he called “storytelling doubt” arises from the reader’s emotional identification with a character’s doubt. That’s why a suspenseful story retains its suspense on multiple readers.  

Will the protagonist’s goal be reached? Will her boyfriend succeed in making her his next victim? As readers, we know may know the answer – but the protagonist doesn’t, and we identify with her. That’s also how we can be in agonizing suspense over the fate of a series hero like Jack Reacher, Aloysius Pendergast, or Dirk Pitt who certainly will survive the novel to make more money for his author.  

How do we create that doubt about the outcome that leads to suspense? 

Story structure is based on crisis and resolution. In a novel there are many minor goals on the way to the main goal of solving the murder or finding the treasure. There is suspense in this anticipation, this doubt over each minor goal. “When anticipation ends, the story is over,” Lipsky notes. 

But until that point, each resolved crisis leads on to a bigger crisis for the protagonist. How will it turn out? The protagonist, whom we care about, doesn’t know – and therein lays suspense. 

Want to learn more about Dan and his writing? Here's three options:

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