My interview today is with Dr. Richard Mabry a retired physician turned writer. His books have been finalists in competitions      ranging from ACFW’s Carol Award to Romantic Times’ Inspirational Book of the Year. His novel, Lethal Remedy, won a 2012 Selah Award from the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. 

You retired from a full-time career as a physician, but instead of taking up golf, you decided to write. It looks like your first book was The Tender Scar, which is about surviving your spouse. Why did you write this book?
When I retired from medicine, I had no intention of writing. However, my wife of 40 years, Cynthia, had passed away in September of 1999, and as part of my grieving process, I committed my feelings to computer entries. As I accumulated material, one of my friends suggested I turn it into a book. Unfortunately, as anyone who wants to write about personal experiences will find, it’s not easy to write a book, and even harder to get it published.

After attending a Christian writers’ conference and studying every book I could find on the craft, I finally completed The Tender Scar. At that time, it was possible to submit directly to publishers, and after numerous rejections I received an acceptance from Dennis Hillman at Kregel Publishers. The Tender Scar was published in 2006, and continues to minister to people to the present.

What did you learn from having it published?
I learned absolutely everything about writing, since I started from ground zero. Publishing has changed a great deal over the past ten years, and I’m trying (sometimes without success) to keep up with those changes.

What made you take on the challenge and write a novel? How long did it take to write your first novel? How many rewrites did you do on it?
At the same conference I mentioned above, Alton Gansky and James Scott Bell challenged me to try my hand at fiction. I decided to do just that, and it was tough. I wrote (including numerous revision) four novels that garnered forty rejections over a four year period before I got my first contract, a one-book deal from Barbara Scott, who was just getting the fiction line at Abingdon Press started.

Who encourages you in your writing? Are you involved with any critique groups or writing groups?
I’m not a member of any critique groups—I guess I’m too much of a loner. However, God has blessed me once more with the love of a wonderful woman, and my wife, Kay, is my first reader for everything I produce. She’s the reason I can write scenes from a female point of view that are accurate.

By the way, you’ll notice that the protagonists of my first four books are female. I started out with a male protagonist, but it was soon apparent that female leads were more popular—with editors and later with readers. After I had a few novels published, I’ve had sort of co-protagonists, and that’s worked well.

Fatal Trauma will be your eighth novel published since Code Blue in 2010. Are you that quick a writer? Or had they been in the works for a while?  I don’t know how long I labored on that first novel, but it seemed like forever. Since then, I’ve generally had between six and nine months to get a novel ready to send to the editor. I’d like longer, but it doesn’t work that way. My work, like every other writer’s (except those that self-publish), has to be fitted into the publisher’s release                                schedule.                                                   

How do you write? Did you do an outline first? Did you do individual character development before doing the full plot?
I’m a definite seat-of-the-pants writer. I start with a premise…what Al Gansky calls a “what if?” question. Then I populate the story, although the characters may change as the story progresses. I always have an opening scene, a middle-of-the-story surprise, and what Jim Bell calls a “knockout ending.” After that, I just write. On more than one occasion, I’ve scrapped up to ten thousand words when a book just didn’t seem to be going well. And hitting the “delete” key is hard. 

What have you learned about writing you would like to pass along? What is the best advice you’ve heard about writing?
You begin by learning the craft. Read books—good books—on plotting, character development, point of view, etc. Read Elmore Leonard’s ten rules for writers. Read books—good ones, so you’ll know what’s good, bad ones so you’ll know what’s bad. Then sit down and write. Get the work critiqued by someone who knows what they’re doing. Rewrite. Revise. Lather, rinse, repeat.

What’s coming next for your readers?

My next novel, Fatal Trauma, releases on May 19. It begins in an ER, where a physician and nurse are held at pistol-point by a man who seems to have nothing to lose. I hope my readers like it.

Sounds like an interesting read and definitely a page turner. Thanks, Richard. All the best for your continued writing.

 If you'd like to learn more about Richard and his writing. Here's the way to get started:  Check out His website. Keep up with him on his blog, his Facebook fan page, and Twitter, as well as Goodreads. 

Interview with Suspense Writer, Larry Sheridan, author of A Work In Progress -- Part 2 0f 2

Today we're continuing with my interview with Larry Sheridan. If you haven't read part 1yet, click to the previous post. Now let's get back to the interview in progress...

When did you start writing this book?

I started writing this book in Feb. 2010 and then finished it, the 3^rd or 4^th version in August 2010.  I then worked with my editor (aka my sister, Kathleen Sheridan) for about 3 months on the editing.  Then I shelved the book and was done.  My goal was to write a book and finish it.  I had done that. 

With some encouragement from family and friends I decided to go ahead and publish the book.  This was in late April, 2011.  The book is doing okay but getting word of mouth about your work is by far the greatest challenge to me.

How did the story evolve? 

For me the process is one of a movie playing in my head.  I am either a detective or a voyeur trying to capture every last detail so you can see what I am seeing.  It seems that some people struggle with this type of writing style while others really like it.  In the end you have to be writing for yourself, for your own enjoyment because if no one likes it, you have to be able to find some peace in that. The only way I believe you can do that is to write for you alone and maybe some other people may decide they like it too.  

Are you an avid reader of thriller/espionage books?

I am a reader with very bohemian tastes.  I like all sorts of things.  The key for me is that the author has to find the melody to the words or the beat of the language.

Who are your favorite authors? 

I hate to say that certain authors are favorites of mine because I may not have even found my favorite author yet and there will inherently be some who I leave out.  I think Newt Gingrich does an incredible job with his historical fiction, like the recently released Valley Forge. A newer author, Gregory David Roberts, who wrote Shantaram is a brilliant writer.  He brings the characters to life in such a caring and real way. 

Then I also like the series Captain Underpants and Harry Potter.  I have a lot of different appetites I want whetted when I read and depending on what I am hungering for will depend on who my favorite author is at that particular time.  What I treasure the most is honesty in writing; I hope that is something I bring to my work.

In the Amazon excerpt, you have your protagonist listening to music by Davin McCoy, which is your son’s name.  How much of you and your family is in this book? 

It is actually Davin McCoy and The Coming Attractions which, yes, is my son’s name but is also the name of my son’s band.  As I mentioned, my writing is an attempt, hopefully a successful attempt, to describe the movie I am watching in my head.  Well, during this part of the movie there was actually music playing and it was Dav’s band and one of their songs.  It was also a way to give a shout out to him. 

There was also a sinister aspect to the shout out…I would know if he actually read the book or not because I knew if he saw it he would say something to me. Hahaha, I know, my life is a bit of a conspiracy theory isn’t it!  The band is really doing well though and their manager is a guy by the name of Artie Kornfeld who was the creator of Woodstock.  It is a very cool group, an incredibly well read group of guys – probably one of the most literate group of twenty-somethings not majoring in literature I have ever met – and they make beautiful music.  Check them out at www.davinmccoy.com – there I go again, giving another shout out and shamelessly promoting family members!!

Are other people in your life also interspersed in the book? 

I think any fiction author brings aspects of his or her life into their work.  Everything I write is a culmination of millions of tiny experiences, either witnessed or actually gone through, that becomes packaged for the story.  Every person I have ever met makes up a portion of the characters I write about. I may give a character a name in honor of a friend or something like that. 

The main character has a trait dedicated to the character Mark Harmon plays in NCIS.  In an earlier life of mine I was an actor and did a scene for a film with Mark.  After the scene was over he asked me if I wanted to have breakfast with him in his trailer.  Of course I said yes and it was the two of us talking about sports and regular stuff.  He is a true first class individual and though I am sure he doesn’t remember me from Adam we still shared a pretty cool event, at least it was for me so I put that in there as a way to say “Thanks!”  It would be cool if he came across it and remembered the scene. 

Your main character drives a Jeep which contrasts his polished work appearance. Does this resonate with your life?

I also drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee and love my ride.  It is old and a bit of a contradiction to “my job” but is real as it relates to me the individual.  I’m not into image and tend to march to the beat of my own drummer.  One of the characters in my book is named after an actor who is a friend of mine.  I just wanted to give him a shout out too.  The character isn’t like him but the name fits so there you go, hey it’s my world I am creating here so I get to do it the way I want to, right?  Those are some of the ways I have fun with the writing side of book.  Some people ask me who is who in the book and no one fits one person, so there are no “real” people replicated but sometimes there are situations or personalities that I try to capture.  I hope all that makes sense.

Is the scene in the high rise office building taken from your own work? 

No, absolutely not.  I do like watching it rain and I do work some crazy hours sometimes but absolutely nothing related to my work is in the book.  That would be a huge betrayal of a client’s trust as well as a betrayal to keeping the writing world and my financial advising world separate.  So, to answer you more directly: absolutely not.

Your protagonist, Jeremy, is all about the image as he dresses for his business meeting in designer suits and platinum cuff links, yet he drives an old jeep which is far from a power broker’s car. Why such a dichotomy? 

You caught that, huh?  Great!  I think you may be the first person to ask me that question.  I think life is a dichotomy.  How many individuals do you know, I mean really know, who try and keep a little part of themselves separate from their professional life.  It can be tough at times but it is something I think we all try to do.  I also think we are all dichotomies, contradictions between who we are, who we want to be, who we think we are and who everyone else thinks we are. 

I work hard to be extremely honest in all aspects of my life and at times this honesty can become self-effacing.  It is like the title of the book, A Work in Progress.  I believe we are all A Work in Progress as we go through the life, facing the challenges and hurdles life throws at us while either accepting or rejecting the blessings we come upon along the way.  I think we begin to die inside when we stop this growing process.

I would like to believe that there is more depth in the individual who is less concerned with image and more concerned with being the individual that they are. I also believe that the only difference between me and the homeless guy on the corner of the street is that I have not had that one event happen to me that would push me over that invisible line between us.  I don’t think it is a very thick line either. I don’t look down on the homeless person but I do wonder what the event was for them. 

What has surprised you the most in getting the first book published? 

How aggressive some people become who don’t like my writing style; that has been very surprising.  It’s not that I’m surprised people don’t like the way I write or how I tell a story, I expected that.  What has surprised me is that some people seem to take the fact they didn’t like the book very personally and use the review process as a format to attack me. 

It is always interesting when someone writes a negative review and talks about grammatical errors but their review contains them.  I think that is sort of humorous and it is all I can do to not respond and correct them; but based on the tone of the review I don’t think they would appreciate my dark sense of humor.

What has been the best way you’ve found to promote your book? 

I use the social media networks a lot and rely on word of mouth.  It is a tough process because as an independent author I am also chief janitor, chief marketer, chief everything and then I want to continue to write as well as do my real job and more importantly be a husband/father/grandfather and then a son to my parents.  Wow, I’m tired just saying that!! 

I have done several blog-talk radio interviews, a newspaper interview and then this blog-interview which is my first of this type.  So, thank you for your interest, I appreciate it!  I have also read John Locke’s book which describes his marketing plan and it is a very good one.  It has helped me in areas I am really weak in, not sure if it has helped me in the areas I am totally incompetent in but it couldn’t have hurt either!

What are some of the best writing tips you’ve learned that you would like to share with others? 

When you write you need to be honest with yourself as to the reasons you are writing.  I write because I enjoy it and it relieves stress (most of the time) for me.  So, I am writing for myself.  There will be people who don’t like my style and there will, I hope, be people who do. In the end, I need to always be clear that I am writing for myself.  Don’t believe all the good things people are saying about your work. Also don’t believe all the bad things people are saying about your work.

You have an interesting website as well that has some good graphics in it. It makes me think of the beginning graphics in Covert Affairs. 

Thanks, I appreciate that.  I like the show and see what you are talking about but I designed the website prior to my watching the show.  Glad you like the website though – it could still use some additional work…a lot of additional work actually but either way it is something I did on my own so I’m continuing along the learning curve with it in the best way that I can.

You’ve also written a book of short stories. How did that come into being? 

Short stories are challenging in that you have to create the scene, describe it then write the story and finish.  You don’t have the ability to add another chapter to help flesh out parts of the story that were lacking.  A short story is sort of a sprint while a novel is more of a marathon which would mean that the novella is like a mini-marathon.  I wanted to see if I could be a sprinter as well as a marathoner.  Some people like the short stories better than the novel.  I had hopes the short stories, at 99 cents for the digital copy, might be a way to increase my audience for the novel.

I will have a print copy available but the cost will have to be a bit more, so I will probably add another couple of stories to it.  In fact, I’ve already done them but am just waiting to get all the editing done.

What other works do you have in progress? 

I am working on a sequel to A Work in Progress but don’t want to give the title as it might give something away with the book.  The story is designed to become a series of stories so I am excited about getting that done.  I was about 1/3 of the way through but then I think the story changed on me, so I’m having to go back and regroup before I can bring the story forward.

That’s it for today’s interview. Here are some helpful links to learn more about Larry and his writing…  
For his webpage click here.  For his blog, click here.
Larry's Facebook click here To buy the book on Amazon click here.

Find him at Goodreads here,  Smashwords here and Twitter 

Interview with Suspense Writer, Larry Sheridan, author of A Work In Progress -- Part 1 0f 2

 

Reading your bio on Amazon it says that you “traveled the world tracking and helping capture diamond smugglers.” Is this for real? Or is it something to add to the mystique of the book?  

Actually, Chris, the bio is for real.  I only did a couple of jobs for this group though but there were definitely some interesting situations.  I would never let my kids do this but I was a lot younger then and didn’t think that way.  My job was to find them, figure out which room in which hotel they were in and then verify they actually had the diamonds with them or, at the very minimum, were keeping them in a safe place. 

Once that was done my job was to bring the people back to the states.  If they didn’t come back then I wouldn’t get paid so their coming back to the states was not something I felt to be negotiable.  But you’re right, it does make the book sound cooler, but actually, believe it or not, it is “for real.”

I love the design of the book cover where you reversed the blood splotch. It’s very eye catching. How many different cover designs did you go through before you decided on this one?  

Thanks, I’m glad you like the cover.  I have no idea how many different designs I tried but the cover was very important to me and had to fit the image I had in my head especially since the cover is the first introduction, generally, a reader has with the book.  I think it turned out pretty good as well but it is always nice to know that other people like it too. 

I knew what I wanted the cover to look like as I had an image in my mind though it wasn’t totally clear yet.  I first tried taking the pictures using various cut out shapes of white printer paper which I would arrange in a lot of different ways.  Then, once the picture was taken I would go and use a photo program to “fill” the white with the blood.  I couldn’t get it exactly the way I wanted it to look…basically, nothing was really working for me so I asked my youngest son to help me. 

We spent a while getting a lot of different shots and the cover shot was an angle he wanted to try.  When we looked at the pictures on the computer and I saw his foot was in the picture I knew it was the basis for the cover.  His foot being in the picture was purely accidental but it worked and fit with the theme of the book. 

I discussed what I was trying to do with my sister who is also my editor and she played around with it.  What ended up happening was she came up with the idea of flipping the cover from a floor with blood splotches on it to a lot of blood with some of the floor and other items visible – I liked that better and felt the cover worked for the story as well as for the initial connection with the reader.

Your bio says you work for a financial services company. How did you make the leap from that to writing a novel? 

The financial markets have been stressful these past few years and writing has been something of a stress release.  I feel lucky to have realized it.  My work is very demanding so if anything has to take a backseat due to my schedule it is the writing.  At times that can be frustrating but hey, you just have to find ways to work with the situation you are in, know what I mean? 

I do have some rules that I make myself abide by.  The main rule is that my work with my clients must be my priority and that I don’t allow myself to write during my working hours.  If I am on vacation or have taken a day off then that is different but outside of those circumstances I don’t allow my writing to interrupt the days. 

When I’m in the middle of a “writer’s storm” which is what I call it when my mind is racing and my fingers are dancing across the keyboard as fast as they can to keep up with the story I am watching unfold; it can be challenging to not get caught up in the story. I have to remember that my main focus is the work I do as a Financial Advisor.

Have you always been a writer or is this a mid-life career decision? 

Early on in life I was an actor trying to make my way in New York City.  I began working with a terrific playwright there, a guy by the name of Tony Sportiello.  In some ways I believe Tony helped shaped this creature in me, the writing creature that is, and the one which is trying to break through my skin right now.  Life is something I feel we go through trying to maintain some semblance of balance – the writing is one of my items to be balanced.

Prior to writing this book, what other types of publishing credits did you have?  

None really.  I did write a letter that TV Guide published when I was 13 or so.  Pretty funny when I look back on it.  Maybe somebody at TV Guide knew something that was going to take me another 35+ years to figure out!

What made you decide that self-publishing was the route for you? 

I found the process that is in place for authors to get representation and then to possibly get published did not work for me.  Although I probably seem very laid back and easy going I can also be extremely impatient and demanding.  I found the process to be lacking in structure, timeliness and efficiency.  I wasn’t even going to publish the book but then my son sent me an article and I discussed it with my wife.  Based on those discussions I decided to take the plunge.  So, if you don’t like my writing style and wish I had never been published you can blame them!

Prior to self publishing, did you contact any other publishers to produce your book? 

I tried a little bit but found I didn’t want to play the game of submission and waiting.  I felt that by doing that process I would be waiting for months, if not years, to get the first book published so I just tried to jump start the whole thing and do it myself.  Now, when I say do it myself that doesn’t mean I was alone in the process.  I had an excellent editor in Kathleen Sheridan and I tested the book out on a number of people as I tried to work through the kinks in it.  Hopefully you will think I was successful if you read any of my work.

What surprised or frustrated you most about the indie-publishing aspect? 

As stupid as this answer sounds it is probably the most honest and candid answer I can give this question.  Everything surprised and frustrated me AND nothing surprised and frustrated me.  I have tried to find an opportunity to learn and grow, improving my craft as a writer, with each stumble and obstacle laid out in front of me.  Also, starting at ground zero, or ground negative number, makes it very difficult to have a clear and rational perspective of what numbers constitute success in regards to the book and my work as the author.  I hope this answer makes sense but if it doesn’t then maybe it actually answers the question more accurately.  Uh oh, now I’ve confused myself too!

What do you wish you could do over from what you’ve learned in putting together this book? 

My life!  Haha, just kidding!  Would there be things I would do differently? Yes. Would I want to go back to do them differently for the first time?  I don’t know. Those mistakes are what have probably taught me the most with the process. I believe we learn more when pain is involved in the process than we learn when there is no pain experienced.  Trust me, I have had some painfully embarrassing moments due to some of the mistakes I have made in this process.  Probably better for me to do that now than later when there are 10,000 people watching my actions, right?

Your sister was your editor – any sibling rivalry come into play with your collaboration? 

Having my sister as my editor was awesome and yes, at times it was also awesomely painful.  My older sister has no problem asking me what in the heck I am trying to say or laughing at my terrible grammar.  The editing process as a whole was like birthing an elephant through a straw. 

Without question, the editing process was the most difficult for me.  I would recommend her to anyone and she is working with me on my current projects as well. Personally, if both people can be professional, then working with a family member can be pretty cool and something I can always look back on with appreciation. 

Was she a hard or easy editor? 

Did I mention that she is an excellent editor?  She was brutally honest when she needed to be and it usually coincided with my being stubbornly pig headed.  She was also very gentle when she could tell I was getting tired of being beaten up.  There are some things each of us just doesn’t do well…mine is working with consistent verb tenses.  As you can tell in my responses, she has not edited this!

That’s it for today’s interview. Come back on Thursday for the second part of the interview where we go into more detail about the book. In the meantime, here are some helpful links to learn more about Larry and his writing…For his webpage click here.  For his blog, click here.

Larry's Facebook click here To buy the book on Amazon click here.

Find him at Goodreads here,  Smashwords here and Twitter