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Author/Attorney Frank R. Southers
Author of "The Grievance Committee"
Genre: Legal Thriller/Literature
It is an honor and with Great pleasure to Interview Frank R. Southers. Thank you for today's Interview. I wish you much success.
**AUTHOR INTERVIEW**
What inspires you to write?
I enjoy sharing my knowledge and helping people learn, understand new concepts and ideas, and re-discover old concepts and ideas with a different twist. As a trial lawyer, I know that story-telling is a necessity to persuade and convince the audience, judge and jury, since most people avoid focusing on abstractions instead of requiring a parable to grasp the offered theme. I also know that the possession of insight helps me understand people's wants and desires, their belief systems, their philosophy, and their values. I enjoy sending the reader to a new and different venue or world, such as viewing the legal disciplinary system from the inside, or such as viewing an organized religion in a different light, such as Catholicism and presenting the reader with a challenge to his or her intellect. I suppose I am a teacher at heart.
How important is a book cover?
We've been taught almost from birth, 'you can't judge a book from its cover.' But, as adults we understand the psychology of the obvious and the covert and the way the images, colors, arrangement and size of the print can easily manipulate our need to possess this trinket which will both entertain and teach us something new. So, very important.
Did you enjoy reading as a child?
Yes. As a child, my reading included the fairy tales; the Hardy Boys; Nancy Drew series; Black Beauty; some Western novels; and lots of comic books. The usual stuff in high school English classes such as Hemingway; Faulkner; Shakespeare; lots of poetry from Keats to Hopkins to Frost, etc. As an English major, the range changed, although I still read all of Faulkner and Conrad, and Joyce. Kurt Vonnegut always gave me a laugh. I enjoy a wide, wide range of literature. My favorites now include: Ken Follett; Scott Turrow; John Grisham; Jodi Picout; Dan Brown.
Describe your perfect writing place.
My Study on the back side of our house in Austin is quiet, and with needed stuff readily available.
Do you have current work in progress?
Yes, Book Two is being edited, and we should have the results very soon. Book Three has been re-written and is almost ready for an editor and I am about forty-percent finished with Book Four, all about the Texas Grievance Committee in San Antonio. For your reading, the first chapter of Book Two is on my website at: http://www.southers.com
It is an honor and with Great pleasure to Interview Author Peter Darrach. Thank you Peter for today's Interview. I wish you very much success.
Genre: Science fiction
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"AUTHOR INTERVIEW"
What inspires you to write?
Actually, I have two degrees in literature(a B.A. in English and an M.A. in German), so I have a pretty fair background for writing. However, probably so much literature turned me off for a while, twenty-five years to be precise, until suddenly I had this consuming idea about a man injured while asteroid mining and then repaired by aliens. I don't know exactly where the idea came from, but I sat down and wrote a chapter a day for a month, and boom, the first book was born. Yes, I spent some time afterwards polishing, editing, and reducing the work to its current form. But, the idea flowed out of me as if I had tapped a hidden spring. I do a fair amount of research, of course, to get the astrophysical and physics details right.
The next two books in the series followed on a little more systematically. I gave more attention to plot development, to pacing, to characters, but the actual writing was quite similar. More of a gush, like striking oil, as if it was all coming from some pre-formed deposit. I guess this is what it feels like to be aligned, or in communion with one's muse, choose your preferred metaphor.
Did you enjoy reading as a child?
Very much so. I read vociferously from the age of five or six, until the age of fourteen or fifteen, when I suddenly developed other interests. My reading covered the fiction of the day: Tolkien; C.S. Lewis; Asimov; Bradbury; Dick; Anderson; and many more. But also: science; particularly astrophysics; paleontology; archeology; physics; and explosives, etc.
How important is a book cover?
As long as the people who read it are human, which seems to be most of the time so far, readers will be subject to the same immediate assessment and judgement of a book's face as is normal, when-ever two strangers meet. First impressions are critical. The cover is almost inevitably the vehicle for this first impression.
Describe your perfect atmosphere when writing.
Where I am physically is not so important. I have written while on vacation in Florida, while at home in Austria, in multiple hotels, and airports around the world. The where is not so important. But, I do need quiet, or perhaps non-vocal, preferably classical music in the background and minimal interruption to really let the words flow. The time of day is also not too important to me.
Do you have current work in progress?
Book three in the Second Skin sequence, Tavern On The Edge Of Time, will arrive in December. Here is a synopsis:
During the year 2125, former asteroid miners Max Cody and Elaine Zhou never get a moments rest. No sooner have they doused the flames of war between Earth and Mars, or returned from their first trip to the Tavern on the Edge of Time, when they are called upon to help fit out the fledging Martian colony orbiting Jupiter's moon Callisto.
In parallel, Earth extradites the war's formenter, ex-billionaire arms merchant Xanthus Rex, hoping to gain from his insights into Martian teleportation technology. But, he manages to turn Earth's resources toward private revenge against Max, Mars, and the Callisto Colony.
In the meantime, aliens are leaking into the Earth-Mars continuum from the Tavern, whose proprietor repaired and upgraded Max, after accidentally injuring him during an asteroid mining expedition. Max's enhancements help, of course. But when strange beings with the power to animate matter, the Assemblers find their way to Earth, Max, Mars and humanity are sorely beset.
Worse yet, the Tavern itself is becoming unstable. Its acquisitive host having overstretched his considerable powers. His prospecting for collapsed neutron matter has also opened portals between continua, inadvertently adding still more aliens to the mix. That's when the Assemblers' overlord arrives and Max finally meets his match. Oh, and Elaine is expecting their hybrid baby. Yes, you might say these are difficult times at the Tavern on the Edge of Time.
Beyond that, I have begun to sketch out a possible fourth book in the current series. It exists more like the ribs of a boat in a boatyard, the superstructure reasonably well defined. But the planking and caulking, not to mention the running tackle, sails, rudder all must be defined.
It is an honor and with Great pleasure to bring back author Eve Paludan. Thank you Eve for today's Interview. I wish you much Success!
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~~~Author Interview #2~~~
What does it take to become successful?
A lot of authors will tell you it takes hard work and a burning desire to become successful, and to that, I would add, you need a plan. This plan should consist of three steps, because not only do you have to envision what you want from your career, you have to figure out how you can achieve what you want. Let's get started:
You need to establish a web presence. Besides your own dedicated web site for the people who are not glued to social networks, the primary social networks are: Facebook; Goodreads; Twitter; Google; and Pinterest. When you establish your web presence, you need to provide interesting content that is amusing, educational, thought-provoking, and has cool graphics. Your content should be relevant to your books in some way, even distantly. You can get more traffic to your site or page by offering occasional freebies. Always have positive interaction with your online fans, and try to answer questions and emails in a timely way. Encourage people to share your posts on Facebook, and ask them to RT(retweet) on Twitter, so that you are crowd-sourcing your fans and friends, but still giving them a lot back. There has to be value to what you offer online, and I discourage subscriber-only information, because people are less willing to give out their email addresses than in times past. If you have a newsletter, you should post it publicly online as well as emailing subscribers. Always say thank you to compliments, and try to be interested in other authors' books and promotions too. Get these cross-promos going with other authors to build your readership and fan base. Be as positive as you can when dealing with others. Taking the high road and keeping politics and religion off your page, unless you are a faith-based author, or a political novelist, will take you a long way with readers. Aim for a mainstream audience in your topical discussions, when possible.
Your realistic plan for success should include how you will support yourself, until your books take off. I chose freelance novel editing, because it dovetails reality with my writing career. It provides a way for me to learn from other authors' mistakes and triumphs, and editing improves my craft, while other people pay me to learn how to become a better writer, by editing their work. I really enjoy it too, am experienced, and apparently very good at it. Several of my editing clients are on the top one-hundred list of indie authors in terms of sales, and make their own living as Kindle authors. I am very proud of my client list, and I appreciate their trust in my skills. I also do a bit of ghostwriting(anonymous writing) and I only do that when it pays well. I have eliminated freelance editing of academic manuscripts from my writing-based services, because editing fiction pays about ten times more, when my hourly rate is figured in. Truly, academic editing is much more time-consuming, and for me was only a way to make a living, until I could break away and become independent of a day job. I don't recommend that people leave their day jobs, without a savings cushion, a plan, and clients for your services already established. Always, have a plan for income, while you are writing your books. Please don't put all the burden on your spouse either. You have to have income, while you are writing novels.
No matter what genre you write in, I'm going to encourage other authors' to write series novels. I can tell you that book series have a much higher audience draw, and repeat customers than single titles. It is not just me, who has figured this out. I love writing single titles, but they do not perform like series titles, at least not for the people I know, and for myself.
Of all the books you've had published, which one was the most enjoyable to write?
'Tara Takes Christmas.' It's the first time that I have written the second book in a series, and it was so much fun to take my characters further into their love story, and really build on what I started in the first book. I knew my characters very well already, so when I started the second book in the series, I didn't have to create a whole new cast or a new setting, just a new adventure for them. It was very freeing as a writer to have these building blocks already in place and just concentrate on the further development of a love story, and posing new conflicts that threaten to tear apart my hero, and heroine. It was a very easy book to write, and so pleasant. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, and the characters were just waiting to play in a new adventure. I love this series, and it is really beginning to establish my brand identity as an author. I have the framework for the whole series planned out, what main events will happen in each book.
Describe your perfect writing atmosphere.
I like it perfectly quiet, or sometimes write with music. I live alone, so I can write at night, which is my preference. My creativity seems to be pretty high, between midnight and 2 a.m. I write best, while wearing pajamas. I like snacks when I write, not messy ones, though. I have a really comfortable rolling office chair. It's leather, and has arms. I prefer Logitech key boards, because of their springy touch. My rolling-cart style desk is a curb find, but it is the perfect height for me. I have a twenty-three-inch wide screen monitor plugged into my laptop, and I love seeing the words at a larger size. This helps avoid eyestrain. I also have a lap desk that I use in bed, and have another laptop computer set up in my bed, almost all the time. I have taken my computer to the beach, but it's too bright outside, or even in the car to see the screen. If I want to write at the beach, I just do it on paper, and type it when I get home.
How important are promotions to a book?
Very important, very. If you don't promote, you probably won't sell a dozen books in a month. It's a must.
Are your characters created from real-life events?
I have a disclaimer in my novels that the characters are fictional. I should probably stick to that statement.
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~~Author and Publisher~~Gayle Hayes
~~Author of: "The Sunset Witness"
Drama/Contemporary fiction/Suspense
It is with Great pleasure and an honor to Interview Author Gayle Hayes. Thank you for your time Gayle. I wish you much Success.
~~~Author Interview~~~
What inspires you to write?
The inspiration has been different for each novel that I have written. 'The Sunset Witness' was inspired in part by a small seaside town that I discovered on our trip in our RV. I remarked to my husband that I thought it would be a perfect place for a protected witness to disappear. As I wrote the novel, I experienced inspiration that was new to me. As I was describing Rachel's beach house, I had the idea to include something offbeat. It became a major focus of the story. The novel that followed was 'The Scrimshaw Set.' I wanted to write a 'what if' someone left an inheritance that depended upon spending time with friends of the deceased? In the process of researching the story, I had the idea to use Scrimshaw as part of the inheritance.
Who is your favorite author?
My favorite author is anyone who can keep me reading, instead of fidgeting, or thinking about something else that I should be doing. Sue Grafton does this consistently. I am anxious to get back to the story. That doesn't happen too often.
How important is a book cover?
I think a book cover should catch your eye, but I never choose a book, based upon its cover. My covers reflect something about the content. 'The Scrimshaw Set' has a balsam-root on the cover, because Billy's Balsamroot Cafe is the scene of several encounters in the novel. I was able to photograph a balsam-root one evening on my bike, and didn't have to worry about permissions from other photographers. 'The Sunset Witness' features a rocky coast at sunset that I took last Fall. The arched rocks in 'The Sunset Witness' help define the setting. I spend a fair amount of time choosing the right photo and tweaking it for color, etc., and selecting the right kind of graphics. Paying for a book cover is not in my budget right now.
Did you enjoy reading as a child?
I don't recall that there was much emphasis on reading outside of school as a child. Reading was a task that was connected to homework for the most part. I never devoured books in the way I hear some describe their passion for reading. Many of the books that were required reading did not appeal to me. Yet, for some reason, I have always been fascinated by authors, and have always wanted to be one. English was my best subject, so majoring in English was a given. I would have to say my college years, more than my childhood, were responsible for my interest in what makes a good book as well as my desire to write one. I have always finished whatever book I started, until recently. Perhaps, because I'm older, and feel time is more precious. I give each book a fair chance, some more than fair, and then send them to the archive, or delete them from my kindle.
Do you have current work in progress?
I published the 'Scrimshaw Set' at Amazon, after 'The Sunset Witness.' It was not my intention to do a sequel to either book. However, two of my Scrimshaw readers appealed to me to write a sequel. I was surprised at how easy and enjoyable it was for me to pick up where I left off, and now I'm on chapter fifteen of 'The Scrimshaw Set:Book 2.' Although I enjoy writing, I would not continue to write stories if no one read them. My readers are important to me, and I'm just hoping these two readers enjoy the second book as much as the first.
It is with Great Pleasure and an honor to welcome back Author Cindy Davis. Cindy is also an editor, and has edited over 150 books. She is the author of 5 novels, and 3 non-fiction books. Be sure to check out her new release, A Page From The Past, and watch for her sequel to the Angie Deacon novel, 'Play with Fire.'
Thank you Cindy for today's Interview. I wish you much Success!
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"A LITTLE MURDER" ~~Mystery
~~~Author Interview #2~~~
What is your comfort zone for writing?
I used to be able to write anywhere, anytime. Whether it's age, or a response to my detailed plot twists, these days, I need quiet time. Of course, it could be because my recently retired husband has become my shadow.
Do you plan on writing a book every year?
I prefer not to, but one of my publishers has me on a nine month schedule for the mysteries. Otherwise, I write when the feeling grips me.
Of all the books you've written, which one was the most enjoyable?
I think it was FINAL MASQUERADE, my first published novel. The story was loosely based on a woman, who lived near us at the time, so in a way, it was like putting her life on paper.
If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?
I wouldn't write in a different genre. Smile. If there was one I preferred, I would do it. Seriously, I've worked in most genres. Besides the mysteries and women's fiction, I have a middle-reader adventure series, a young adult fantasy trilogy, several non-fiction books and an erotica series of short stories.
In your opinion, what is success?
I think it's different for everyone, and I guess I'm easy to please. For me, it's a feeling I get inside at the completion of a project, or a positive book review.
It is with Great pleasure and an honor to Interview author Amy Croall. Author of 'A Cure For The Condition.' Thank you for your time Amy, and I wish you much Success!
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'A Cure ForThe Condition'~~~Historical fiction/Romance
~~~Author Interview~~~
What inspires you to write?
Honestly, anything and almost everything. It could be watching someone drive down the freeway, and wondering what song they're listening to, or a mother and her son having dinner, and talking like they're best friends. Currently, I'm working on a YA novel, based on pieces of my life as a teenager. Of course, the paranormal aspect of death, rare souls, and alter-dimensional beings is embellished to a point.
Who is your favorite author?
This question is so difficult, because there is not just one author I admire. I could name a million, but those who have directly inspired me to write are: Rachel Vincent; Leigh Bridger; Dianna Wynne Jones; Judy Fitzwater; and William Peter Blatty. I guess it just depends on what I'm currently reading.
Did you enjoy reading as a child?
Very much so! By the age of three, I was already reading picture books.
How important is a book cover?
A book cover is extraordinarily important. If I represent even a small portion of readers, a book cover is what draws me to pick it up off the shelf. The elevator pitch is the second most important as it is the second thing you see when you turn the book over, wanting to know what it's about.
Do you have current work in progress?
I have several works in progress. Currently, I'm working on a Young Adult Paranormal series, with at least three books in the making. Also, I have a horror/thriller in the works, but it's on hiatus, until I finish the 'Death Series.'
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It is an honor and a Great pleasure to Interview an author who travels around the world for the many years that I have known this talented writer. Thank you Steven for Today's Interview. I wish you much Success.
~~~INTERVIEW #3~~~
Describe your perfect writing atmosphere.
I like to write with the lights low, and music in my headphones that fits the scene I am writing. Music takes me beyond where I am, and into the story. I am a bit unique in that I do not think in words as much as in pictures. I can mentally visualize a scene, or a whole book, and write it in great detail, because I always see it before I write it. Music, quiet and dimmed lights add to my depth, so that I can get out of the world and into the one I am creating.
Have you had the pleasure to discuss your books with a fan?
When I was writing The Second Republic, I chose several friends to read what was going forward in the book. One of my biggest fans all the way from Spain wrote the following:
"Fischer Harrison appears again in the second part of the Patriot Acts Novel, 'The Second Republic' as brave, smart, and a good man as he was in the first one. You get involved in the story from the first line, and after all, this fiction novel is characterized for being so realistic, that it's almost scary." Paula Sanchez-Spain
Of course, such words from a reader is like medicine for a tired mind. It greatly encourages and strengthens us. Here are a few more statements I have received:
"You lead such an interesting life, and observe so much that is topical. Your writing makes the stories and issues come alive. Thank you. I am in awe."
"Full of complex machinations and apocalyptic visions of a possible future, 'Nimrod Rising' is a thought-provoking work of epic proportions. Steven Bradley has shown us different, and quite frankly, a frightening way to look at world events. His characters show a depth and complexity that bring them to life in our world, and show an eerie similarity to many of today's world leaders. Reading the newspaper will never be the same again."
-Ronald W. Adams, author 'Lake Effect' & 'Key Lime Squeeze.'
How important are promotions to a book?
Oh my! There can be no great amount of recognition that a book even exists, without marketing and promotions. I have a pretty good following, but I would have already finished another whole series if I had someone to promote. Almost all that I have done in marketing my books has been done by me, and it does make it hard for the author to come out of the writer's chair, and into the promoter's chair so often. Someone like you Geri is a Godsend to writers. I am sure there are thousands of great books out there that few people know about, which no one was willing to take a chance and promote. I am excited to get my books before the readers. We of course want to make money, but real writers want them just to be read and analyzed more than the money.
Do you think that a book cover is of interest to potential customers?
Every good book is a metaphor. I have the pleasure of designing and using each of my book covers for my novels. When someone see's an author's book on the shelf or in an online store, rarely will the reader take a moment to contemplate how much time and effort went into developing and producing a first-class cover.
Most likely, a reader rarely realizes how long an author will just sit and stare at their proposed cover to make sure everything is placed right, that the colors are perfect and that the cover tells a synopsis of the book, before it ever gets purchased. Yet, nothing is more vital and amazingly powerful than the photo that adorns your book, and which is perhaps the greatest incentive to drive readers to invest in your book.
A great cover paints an atmosphere, a feeling that is intense and full of calamity, or loving and romantic. If those are the images my metaphoric picture conjures up as you view it, then that means I infused your mind with the thoughts and feeling I wanted to portray.
What were your favorite books as child?
Definitely, the two books or series were 'The Chronicles Of Narnia' and 'Nancy Drew' mysteries. I will confess that I was a weird child, Geri. I preferred to digest volumes of World Book Encyclopedias than stories. I was always interested in travel and other parts of the world. But, that does serve an example of how what we read can guide out lives. I have visited thirty-four countries, and it all started from 'World Book Encyclopedia.'
