Workshop Your Story: Author Interview with Heather B. Moore

Today's interview is with a five-time USA Today bestseller and award-winning author of more than 70 publications.She writes historical novels and thrillers under H.B. Moore, such as Finding Sheba, Lost King, and Esther the Queen. She also writes women’s fiction, romance, and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, including the Pine Valley series, Prosperity Ranch series, and the Amazon bestselling Timeless Romance Anthologies. This lady keeps busy. Read on to discover how she keeps all those books rolling out!

In your website bio it says that it wasn't until your third book was finished that you got your first book contract. What kept you going after getting numerous rejections from the first two to continue writing a third book? 
Writing a my first novel at age 30 was a strange phenomenon for me. I became hooked on writing. I found that I was willing to sacrifice my down time in the evenings when the kids were in bed to write instead. Writing really became my passion so I was willing to keep working at it and improving until I could earn a publishing contract. 

How many more books did it take before it became a full-time writing career?

I feel like my writing turned into a career in 2012 when I started self-publishing along with trad publishing. I was able to write more and publish more, instead of being restricted by gatekeepers/

You write in multiple genres from historical novels and thrillers to women’s fiction, romance, and inspirational non-fiction. Is there one genre you feel more comfortable in writing? 
I love to write them all, and I feel comfortable writing them, but I think what sets them apart is the time investment. Thrillers take a lot of time because they are so intricate and technical and the suspense has to keep climbing. Inspirational non-fiction is more a matter of determining the viability of the subject and its angle on what I want to present. Women’s fiction and romance are deep-dives into the motivations of the characters and their emotional journeys.

How do you keep the writing fresh and contemporary after so many books?
Perhaps switching genres does help. I do love series, though, but they can be challenging to make sure I’m staying in the same world and not writing myself into a corner. I create playlists for the different genres that I write, and I feel like that helps set the mood and tone of each book.

Since you write historical novels, you’ve had to do a lot of research over the years. During that time can you think of times when the results surprised you in a special way?
I’m always surprised (and I shouldn’t be) at how much there isn’t always a black and white, right and wrong, to a historical figure. Whether the character is the protagonist or the antagonist, there are a lot of shades of gray making up that person. I find the backgrounds, childhoods, and circumstances surrounding iconic figures fascinating.

Which book style sells better for you -- eReaders or paperbacks? How are the sales for your audiobooks? 
I sell more e-books with my indie books, and more paperbacks and audios with my trad books. I have produced several audio books, but they do take several months to earn back the production cost, so it’s a constant cycle. There are a lot more resources to advertise e-books than there are audio books, so that has been a challenge.

You’ve received numerous awards for your writing over the years. Is there one that stands out with special meaning for you?
Any award I’ve been given has been such an honor. I remember when I was awarded a Whitney Award for my novel, Condemn Me Not—Accused of Witchcraft. This award meant a lot because it was a self-published book I’d written about my 10th great-grandmother who was accused of witchcraft in the Salem Witch Trials. I felt like it was an honor to the hardships and sacrifices my ancestor had made.

You also have an editing service. How does that work?
Yes, I run the freelance editing company Precision Editing Group. I do some editing still, but not when I’m dealing with writing deadlines. I do contract with other freelance editors so that we can serve more genres and offer various types of editing.

What is some of the best writing advice that you’ve received or could give?
Treat your writing like a business even if you’re not self-publishing. This means that you should have goals and plans, as well as back up plans when you get something rejected.

Are there any other points about writing that you would like to add?
Always workshop your story—whether it’s hiring an editor, using beta readers, or swapping chapters at a critique group. Don’t grow out of getting feedback on your writing before submitting. And always submit and/or publish your best work.

Can you share a short synopsis of the next book that is coming out?
Sure, my upcoming fall release is called In the Shadow of a Queen, which is the story of Princess Louise who was the 4th daughter of Queen Victoria. Here’s a snippet: In the Shadow of a Queen is the story of an epic battle of wills between two women: a daughter determined to forge her own life beyond the shadow of her mother, and a queen resolved to keep the Crown’s reputation unsullied no matter the cost.

Sounds intriguing! If you'd like to learn more about Heather's writing, here are some links to get you connected.

Website: https://hbmoore.com/

Blog: http://mywriterslair.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @heatherbmoore

Instagram: @authorhbmoore

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/37783537691/

Going Over the Hurdles to Publishing: Author Interview with Michael Stafford

What made you decide to write your novel about a battle of epic proportions between good and evil?

In 2017 I went to a class reunion at my university and connected with Don Gladden.  We had played football together and stayed in touch after that meeting. Don called me one day and asked if I would be interested in working with him on a book he had self-published called Jones’ Corner.

I took over the re-writing of the book and did 6 drafts.  For Don’s original characters of Jones, Abby, Ellie, Sonta, Koal, and others, I fleshed out their characters, added battles, locations, more characters, and events.  That is what became the book, Oblivion’s Reach.

How long did it take you to write your first book?

My first novel was Between the Walls of Time, which is literary fiction about a man who starts a major third party in America, called The Front. It took me four years to write.

What made you choose the indie-publishing route?

We had no agent and 38 rejections from Christian Literary Agencies. Everyone from Donald Maass to WordWise declined to read it or offer representation. With no other real opportunities for a book we really had begun to like, I told Don about The Shack and how they had sold 800K copies, or more, from their garage.

We had access to Alto Pass Publishing, an IBPA company located near us, so we went that route. Before we finished that process, everything changed. Along came a good friend that was a part of my support network who had a client that had been associated with the Left Behind series. She loved the book and referred us to KPA (Koechel Peterson) in Minneapolis.

My son Logan and I were asked up to see them. We went. These two men are legends in Christian publishing.  They are primarily printers and interior formatters. They have worked with Max Lucado, Dr. Billy and Ruth Graham, Rabbi Jonathan Kahn, Tim LaHaye, Joyce Myers, and many more. They asked me if I would consider them for representation. The world turned that day when they told me of the projects they had done with Tyndale, Bethany House, and Kensington. Now we are close to signing a publishing contract with a major house.

What was the hardest part of publishing for you?

Everything is difficult and uncertain. My other book, which has gained favor and will have its own publisher soon enough was rejected by 236 literary agencies. It’s all way too hard, which is why so many good books are self-published and largely ignored. Self-published books have a much harder time getting reviewed, or not at all. Who has the budget of a Kensington or Hachette? Not most writers.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

It took me four years of concentrated effort and study to learn sentence development, structure, sequencing, acts, and more. I learned about how to develop conflict and tension. I enrolled in MBA 101 for writers, studied The Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, who definitely was uninterested in my efforts, and Robert McKee, author of Story. I spent, and still spend, extensive time on my outlines. If you can’t outline it you can’t expect much, in my opinion.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?

That would be getting 5-star reviews from national reviewing agencies and people I did not know. Lots of reviews. We are after 2,000 reviews on Goodreads and have sent out over two hundred reviewing copies, given away 5 free copies and gotten 1274 shelvings, if I am interpreting the numbers correctly.

Now we are repeating the process. People all over the country are trying to buy our book. We have not been able to get the major churches onboard but maybe our publisher will do that. The Christian Ministries are certainly desirable, and my hope is some of them will hear about the book.  

What do you hope your readers will take away from reading your books?

They tell me they love the story of a man who loses his faith, and his wife, and fights to get it back. They tell me the angels are among us and, make no mistake, these angels are warriors fighting a powerful enemy. The power of prayer can’t be missed. Those are the three major themes of Oblivion’s Reach.

We have all experienced rejection. How have you learned to write past it?

As I said before, I had 236 and 38, respectively. I kept going and look what happened.

What has surprised you the most in writing/publishing?

How difficult it is to break in, all factors considered, if you do not fit a certain profile.

What frustrated you the most?

Getting all those rejections. Then one day an agent told me that 130+ literary agencies had rejected Harry Potter. Then I knew it is happening to everyone, not just me. It is difficult to break in and easier to publish a known name. In my opinion, you have to get a break, somewhere, like I did by getting referred. Agents aren’t going to read your book. Every form rejection letter makes a point of telling you they are overwhelmed. I believe that.

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

I did not realize how big having "a platform" was to the industry of agents. I also did not realize that before anyone sends out a query, the book needs to be absolutely ready -- not 90%, not 75%. Two agents went out of their way to tell me what a beautiful story and style I had but my book wasn’t ready.  I took the message to heart and started working. 

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

Find someone who has published at a major and is willing to be your mentor, to critique your writing, and listen to what they have to say. No matter how hard it is, find someone, unless of course, you have exactly the correct demographics then maybe my experience will be irrelevant.

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

Work every day. Treat it like a business for the day will come when you will have to do exactly that.

When is the next book coming out?

Our publisher will decide that. In the next two years more than likely

Can you give me a short synopsis of that book?

Oblivion’s Storm expands the conflict between Heaven and Hell. There is no going back, God has been quite specific about that. 

That's all for today's interview. If you would like to learn more about Michael's writing and buy his books, here are some links to get you started. 

Website: https://www.johnmichaelstafford.com/

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/38tcvf6

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ayKQvc