Andy Rane

The Same Six Questions - Sean Van Damme

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to The Same Six Questions! Please welcome today's guest, Sean Van Damme!

Hi there, Andy! I'm a 27 year old TV news video editor who has always loved writing and movies. I grew up moving all over the country in a military family before finally settling down in Richmond, VA. I met my lovely wife while in school, and have now been drawn into her dog sports world. When not writing I'm playing too many video games or watching TV mostly sci-fi, we named our dog Gaius Baltar. I had wanted to do movies for a long time, but couldn't get into film school which is what led me to working in TV and lucky I love it so things do work out. Now, I'm hoping things will work out again.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Yes. The Long Night came out in October 2011 and is my first novel. I have it up right now on Amazon and B&N. Darkness has fallen over the land, unleashing maddened monsters from the depths of the earth and raising the dead. A group of heroes must come tighter to fight the evil, while at the same time trying to put their past prejudices behind them and work together.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I knew I wanted to become a writer in Middle School, even though I had been writing shorts since I was a child, little books with horrible illustrations about pirates and space men. I have always had stories bouncing around in my head, and would just zone out while riding in the car as they played in my head like little movies. Once I started sitting down and writing the stories I became hooked on writing and knew that was what I wanted to do. That and a big handful of loose leaf paper or a screenplay tucked under your arm is a great conversation starter. It wasn’t until early in 2010 that I knew for sure that I wanted to do novels, even though that is what I started with back in the mid 90’s, scripts are a very addictive thing; easy to write hard to prefect.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

My first long piece of fiction was a story that I still haven’t finished, that haunts me to this day. In school I used to draw space ships all over my school work. One day, during a practically dull lecture in health class, I started writing a story to go with those ships. I kept working on it for the rest of the school year, tucking the sheets of loose leaf in my binders, and pulling them out every time I was bored in class which, sadly, was often. I left the story alone during the summer and started working on a sequel during 8th grade, and I kept working on it for the rest of the year, amassing quite a collection of paper covered in my chicken scratch. That story still, to this day, hasn’t been finished, even though I have started and stopped work on it three or four times with a few rewrites. In High School, I outlined it breaking the story into a massive four-book cycle. The last time I worked on it was early 2011 starting from scratch again and blitzing through 40,000 words before being scared again, but I will finish that book, mark my words.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

For years, I was afraid I couldn’t write a complete novel. I had failed with my sci-fi and gotten into screenplays where I struggled to reach the 90 page minimum to be a real script. After a long drought of not writing, partially because of depression, but mostly because I was completely addicted to World of Warcraft. When I decided I was going to write a novel again, in the fall of 2009, I set an end date for myself and just started working, writing and writing. I didn’t look back. I didn’t stop when I crossed the one hundred page mark in word. That is when I realized that I could do this. I attribute my inability to finish a novel in high school to a lack of maturity, which I have built up over time now so that I can see the end of the road and know roughly how long it will take to get there.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I don’t know if I really would want to meet any of my characters. The people from The Long Night are grumpy and broken from the get go, and Hobbs is a complete cynical basket case. I have learned that I can only stand one grumpy person at a time, and that person is usually me. This question just illustrates the fact that I need to write a cheerful witty person that I would want to get a drink with.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

A zombie scratching at the door, moaning for brains, out of everything in this world, real or imaginary, zombies are the one thing that scares me more than anything else, because they are plausible, and they trigger an utterly unwinnable situation.

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Mmmmm...brains. ;-D Thanks for sharing with us, Sean! For more of Mr. Van Damme and his writing, be sure to check out his Facebook page, Twitter account, and blog.

Thursday, my guest will be Jim Bruno! See you then!

The Same Six Questions - Ami Blackwelder

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hello there and welcome to this March 1st edition of The Same Six Questions! My guest today is

Hi Andy! My name is Ami Blackwelder. Yep, Ami with an i. So, google me with an i, or you won't find me. ;) I love cats and dogs and own one cat named Lotus. His name came from the Buddhist belief that life is like a Lotus flower. Some below the water not seeing the truth, some just at the surface about to see truth, and some flowering well above the surface of the water seeing truth more clearly. I lived in Thailand for six years and fell in love with it. I consider Thailand my second home and will return in a couple years. My cat is also a Siamese! Named after the Thailand country which used to be called Siam! Though no one really knows where Siamese cats came from. They are really loud and cry all the time just like a baby, so be prepared if you get one! LOL

Currently, I am studying the Montessori style of teaching and it takes two years! You can do it in one, but I have a life and need two. :) Once finished, I want to return to Thailand and teach there permanently, and also travel and teach in Tibet (which I've been to once and will blog about on my blog) and other Eastern countries.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Yes and no. I first published through an epublisher named ireadiwrite publishing. That was for The Gate of Lake Forest which was my first full length novel written in 2009. (I've been writing poetry and short stories all my life) . Then she also picked up the sequel Prisoners of Pride. Not sure if that counts, since that is epublishing, not print publishing.

Then, I wrote The Day the Flowers Died and sent it off to Whiskey Press which they accepted, but then I looked them over and realized they were pretty much like an epublisher or small press and my book would never see the inside of a brick and mortar store.

So, since 2010 rolled around and Amanda Hocking was making it big and other success self-publishing stories kept coming up as well as the Kindle and Nook, I decided to go my own way and not sign with them. I knew self-publishing would soon be seen as Indie Books, like Indie films are now seen.

Now, I self-publish everything. I love it. My sales have grown from a handful into 100 plus a month. (By the way, I sell just as much or more on my own as I did with my epublisher). I have a team of editors, graphic artists, cover designers, formatters, and a list of distributors which work well. And I work my butt off. I didn't really get serious about sharing my professional work and promoting it until mid 2010. So, I've been actively perfecting my craft and promotional efforts for about a year and a half now.

I realize most writers began writing full-length novels at 18 or 20 and took 5-10 years of hard work to be able to live off their work and so I am willing to put in my full ten years. Three years done and seven more to go. :) I hope to write enough to be able to live off my books come retirement (like social security) which I won't ever see...

I am looking into finding an agent, and have gotten my Shifters of 2040 written into a screenplay which has been circulated at Cannes, Hollywood, and locally in Florida. I am actively sending books or scripts to Hollywood types and am also searching for a GOOD epublisher/small press for some of my future novels. I'm aimed at Entangled Publishing currently. Just to give more 'oomph' behind my name and books.

Here's some info on my latest, The Mers, a YA Mermaid Dystopian (Mer Chronicles Book #1):

Mira always knew she was different. Growing up with Mers, she never quite fit in. When Mira breaks the rules and takes Niren across the border that divides Ellis Island and New Jersey, a border that divides two vastly different worlds, she thought the journey to find out who she really is would be an easy one.

But as the world in Jersey proves to be a convoluted mix of Aristocrats who hate the Mers, Pirates who want to sell them, and Magi who want to use them...finding her true identity will be a challenge, especially when her best friend Niren is a Mer willing to fight to the death.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I've always written since I could pick up a pen. But I stuck to short stories and poetry. My novels and full length nonfiction books began in Thailand. Nonfiction at 30 and fiction at 34.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

The best I can remember it was a piece about a paper bag come to life. I wrote it for English class in the third grade. Though I'd been telling stories before that time. I had it for awhile, but then it got lost. I tried to rewrite it as one of my children stories and can be found on my blog for sale. Written by a teacher for children.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

Well, I've always loved writing and wrote. But I didn't really consider full length novels until I turned 34. After I finished my spiritual journey and wrote three books on that, I wanted to continue writing. Loved it. Then the movie Twilight came out and I had heard of Stephanie Meyers for the first time while in Thailand and she inspired me honestly to just do it. Didn't matter if I made millions or not. Writing has always been a part of me and a forgotten part of me for too long, and so I decided to write full length novels. Self-publsihing also was starting (though not big until a year later in 2010) and so I thought I had everything I needed to get my words and stories out there. A temptation I could't resist.

Plus, many people don't realize this, but writers like Beatrix Potter and Virginia Woolf even self-published. Jane Austen's work took 14 years to see the light of day!

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Such a good question! I would love to meet either one of my shifters perhaps April or Brendan, OR a Mer, perhaps Nerin or Nerissa. They would have such interesting physical characteristics!

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Its Ed McMahon and I've just won a million dollars! LOL

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Thanks for sharing with us today, Ami! For more of Ami's work, be sure to check out her Web site, Facebook page, and Twitter account.

See you back here on Monday when my guest will be Sean Van Damme!

To Select - Second Free Run Results

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 01:55:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I decided that, given the success of my first free run with Amazon's Select program, I'd give it another shot. Being a bit of a pessimist, I was more than a little apprehensive about doing it again. I'd had pretty good success on my first run, but would lightning strike twice for the same book? I learned a lot from my own experience and those of my fellow authors who keep a running thread of stats over on the Kindleboards. There's enough statistics on going free over there to drive you up a wall and back down. My first run had been a single day and was on a Saturday. This meant that the magical 2-3 day post-free sales bump occurred between Monday and Tuesday. My theory was that a free run that occurred on a mid-week day would then land the bump on the weekend, closer to the time when I figured more people would be buying.

I scheduled my second free day on February 22nd. I notified a slew of websites over a week in advance. There are really only two that matter; pixelofink.com (POI) and ereadernewstoday.com (ENT). POI and ENT are bastions of freebie-loving readers. Each site has 200,000+ loyal followers on Facebook and their legend among indie authors grows. They post free books throughout the day on their blogs and Facebook. To be included in these posts can mean the difference between giving away 1,000 and 10,000 copies. And, that can mean the difference between selling 2 dozen copies post-free and selling 200. In my first run, which was only a day, I only managed to have one site mention me, but it was still all I needed for a great 1-day total. I thought, this time, I'm much more prepared. But, there was still the unknown element of going free with the same book for a second time. I'd not heard any results and had no evidence that it would be as successful as the first time.

When I woke up on Wednesday morning, I was a bit dismayed. At 7 AM I had apparently only given away 5 copies. It was more of a slow start than I'd expected. Of course, being home sick from work that day (really!) was of no help...as I was able to watch the numbers on an almost constant basis. By 3 PM, the numbers were respectable and actually better than my first run at the same time: 1181 "freeloads" in the US. My UK and DE numbers were much weaker this go round. I have no explanation for that, except that maybe the Brits and Germans keep their book buying for the weekends. I got picked up by ENT that evening, but by 8:30 PM, I knew my day was not going to be as successful as my first run: 2722. At that point, I had yet to break into the Top 100 Free books on Amazon, something I had determined to be an important milestone. I made an executive decision that night. I was going to add another day and remain free through Thursday. By Friday morning at 3 AM ET, when the switch back to paid should have occurred, I'd given away 6970 copies and stood at #90 in the Top 100 Free. I'd actually been as high as #57 earlier in the day, but the onslaught of new freebies had pushed me down. I was satisfied, but not really thrilled that it had essentially taken two days to do what one had done last time. The best moment had been the realization that someone in France decided to download my book for free; a first for me to have anything from that store.

Now, the last time I'd gone back to paid status, the sales came in fairly quickly. There was no lag. I didn't see a flood of sales, but it had moved along nicely that first day (a Sunday) before really picking up between Monday and Tuesday that week. I made it as high as #742 on the Top Paid list at one point and finished consecutive days in the 800s. Well, I watched my sales number throughout the day and got scared. It barely moved. One sale...maybe two. I thought, the magic is gone. I had been a one and done. The Amazon algorithms had changed and I'd just given away 7000 books for nothing. Then, I took a deep breath and reminded myself that patience was a virtue when it came to this game. Saturday came and all was right with the world. By 7 PM Saturday evening, I'd sold 60 copies and had 5 borrows. On Sunday, I climbed to my highest rank of #1,831 overall paid. Not as high as last time, but not too shabby. It stinks being in a category like Suspense. Lots of competition...lots of good competition (on any given day, the worst book in the Top 100 in Suspense is #1400 overall in the entire store; other categories, some of the more obscure ones mind you, can have folks who are ranked as high as #20,000).

Not sure if this is legible as is, but it's supposed to show my last month of sales activity. Click to enlarge.

It's now Tuesday night and I've been back to paid for 5 days. I've sold a total of 169 copies and had 13 borrows in the US. I've had no paid sales in the UK this time round and saw very little action at all in the German store. Nowhere near as successful as my first attempt, but I still consider it a success. Still sold more books in five days than all of last year, so there must be something to this. I've now sold 377 copies of my book in the month of February and have 73 borrows. That follows up 201 and 12, respectively, in January. 578 and 85...not too shabby. Sure, I had to give away 14,000 copies, but c'mon!

Things I've learned:

1. A POI or ENT mention is critical to success. It's as simple as that. Yes, you might reach a few thousand "freeloads" without them, but to really get the big push, you need their quick access to heavy firepower. Hundreds of thousands of readers all itching to pick up free books...even if they never intend to read them. I think POI needs upwards of 3 weeks' advance notice now...and even that may not guarantee you a spot. I've given them 4 weeks for my next free day.

2. Reaching the Top 100 Free is a necessity. If you're close and you were only going free for a day, book a second day so you get there. If you're already there on your first day, keep going! The higher you climb free, the more you'll get into the Amazon algorithms and, subsequently, the more you'll be seen afterward.

3. There is little you can do to control what happens on your free day. Just roll with it. What happens happens. It's not a personal affront to you or your book...really. Deep breaths. Remember, you have 5 free days and after 90 days, you can get out of Select if you're really not that happy with it.

4. There is nothing more addicting than having the ability to see your sales updated in real time. It's an awful, wonderful, horribly fascinating and terrifying thing, but you already knew that.

5. Everyone has a different experience. Some folks have gone free and struggled to give away 500 books one time, then turned around and gave away 5000 their next. It's a process. Give it a chance. Be patient with it if you can. It can and has worked for many.

So far, I'm happy with the Select system. It's worked for me. I think it's the ideal mechanism for promoting a first-in-series book. But, at the same time, I don't think I'll be enrolling books 2 and 3 in the trilogy. We'll see though. Now that I have two runs under my belt, I'm trying to apply everything I know for the last free run of my first Select 90 days. I'll keep you posted. ;)

The Same Six Questions - Kate Ellison

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Where is the time going? Another month is coming to a close and guess what? I've almost run out of interviewees! Yep, it's time to open the submissions back up! If you're an author and interested in taking part, please head over to the main Same Six Questions page. In the meantime, welcome this week's guest, Kate Ellison!

Thanks, Andy! I live in Atlanta, Georgia with my husband and our two bad cats. When I'm not writing, I enjoy playing strategy board games like Settlers of Catan, watching NBC comedies like Parks and Rec *fist pump* and gardening. I am a fan of the serial comma, but I couldn't figure out how to gracefully insert it into that sentence. Oh well. I'm not a perfectionist, you see.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

I have! Several, in fact. The first book I published was The Curse Girl, a YA paranormal fantasy. It's a modern, loose adaptation of Beauty and the Beast with a twist. In this version, Beauty and the Beast are trying to break the curse by figuring out a mysterious riddle and outsmarting the witch who cursed him, not by falling in love (although they MIGHT do that anyway). The book is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Since I was six years old. I've always been scribbling stories down on paper, and I started saying I wanted to be an author when I grew up as soon as I knew what that was.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)?

My first lengthy piece of fiction was the mystery series I started writing at age eight. It probably sounds extremely precocious, but it wasn't really. Each "book" had three chapters and was three pages long. I styled them like Nancy Drew, and the adventures were set all over the world. I believe I wrote ten or twelve of them. I've still got them in a box somewhere.

The first one was called The Secret Room.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

When I was around ten or so, I wrote something for a class and my teacher went nuts over it. She even called another teacher over to read it too, and they got all wide-eyed and told me I was a good writer. Seeing an adult get that excited about my writing gave me a lot of confidence in myself.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Probably Bee, my main character in The Curse Girl. She's not a very girly girl, and she likes to be logical and smart about stuff. We could have some good conversations, I think.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

A box from CreateSpace with the proof copy of my latest book!

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Thanks so much, Kate! For more of Kate's work and writing, be sure to check out her blog and find her over on Twitter.

See you back here on Thursday, when my guest will be Ami Blackwelder!

The Same Six Questions - John Mefford

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:29:00 +0000

Hi there, and welcome to another exciting episode of The Same Six Questions! ;) Today's guest is John Mefford. Welcome!

Thanks, Andy. At different points in my life you could call me a West Coast person or an East Coast person. I moved eight times by the seventh grade, finally laying roots just outside Dallas, Texas. Being the new kid was somewhat of an albatross, but the plethora of geographic and architectural settings, weather patterns, and cultures of each home city and state resonated with me. Now grateful for the experiences, I use my recollection of people and their lives to help me devise characters and storylines for my writing. Only my family gives me a better high than spending a day creating something that will hopefully evoke an emotional reaction by a future reader.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

My debut novel, Committed (The Michael Doyle Chronicles), is now available on Amazon. It’s about sinful deception, a malicious corporate takeover, a grisly murder, and unrelenting greed. We all have that inner voice, the one who knows all but refuses to let even our closest confidantes inside. The one we must calm when we’re most unsettled. The one who seeks to understand our path, our destiny.

Michael Doyle lives in emotional anonymity, resistant to fully devote himself to anyone or any cause. Without warning, a technology conglomerate acquires Michael’s company, and he quickly sees through the fog of political posturing: false hope, layoffs, and blatant dishonesty.

Then, death reaches up and grabs him. Shaken to the core, Michael leans on his live-in girlfriend, who has touched his heart like no one else. But her haunting past resurfaces, and she’s pulled into a seedy web by an outside force so cruel, so cunning it destroys every soul in its path.

Can Michael rise above his greatest fear to uncover the truth about a murder and save the life of the person he loves most?

Committed is Book One of The Michael Doyle Chronicles.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Twice in my life writing has called my name. Right out of college I took a job as a newspaper sports writer. My competitiveness pushed me to consistently “scoop” the competing paper and to hone my craft. I had never written a story prior to that first job. What seems like a couple of lifetimes later, I quit my regular day job, fed up with corporate BS and greedy a-holes who reminded me of The Penguin from the first Batman movie. I needed a creative outlet. I started writing, pouring out my thoughts into something that resembled fiction. That’s when I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

I wrote various magazine articles over the years, but, of course, those were non-fiction. Other than some elaborate fictional doodling (not sure they quite reached 1K words), my first piece of fiction was an early version of my just-released novel, COMMITTED. The difference between version 1 and the published version is similar to comparing a slab of concrete to a piece of sculpture created with a metal-bristled toothbrush. Massive effort and painfully elaborate. But worth it.

4. When was your first indication, “I can do this (write)”?

I remember the day vividly. Parked in what has become my writing chair, I had just completed the first twenty pages or so of my first novel. I slowly read through the draft and took a deep breath. My pulse started to pick up speed and a realization clicked in my brain with the exact quote you have above. “I can do this.”

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Without a doubt, Arthur Spanarkel, the publisher. We know enough about Arthur to be intrigued, just by walking into his office. He’s met so many people, seen so many things across the globe. He’s open-minded, but gritty and strong-willed in his own, educated way. Yep, he’s the guy.

6. It’s a dark and stormy night...you’re alone in the house...there’s a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What’s on the doorstep?

A note from Tony the Neanderthal Bastard (character from COMMITTED) that says: I will find you. I will kill you. The paper message disintegrates the moment I finish reading the note and the remnants fall between my fingers like sand. I’m not sure if I scream or if my heart stops!

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Thanks for stopping by and sharing with us, John! For more of John and his writing, check out his Web site, Facebook Author page, and Twitter page.

For more indie author interview goodness, be sure to stop back on Monday!

The Same Six Questions - E. Stoops

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:47:00 +0000

Welcome to this President's Day Holiday version of The Same Six Questions! My guest today is E. Stoops!

Hello Andy, I’m a geek from the Pacific Northwest. I work for a small business in the software industry up here and own a fixer-upper house, with a fixer-upper yard. I’m not sure it’s ever going to make it to “fixed up” – maybe just “working condition” – I get distracted by everything else I need to do. Like writing.

The Same SixQuestions

1. Have youpublished a book yet?

Yes. I’m the house author for a tiny start-up called Small Tomatoes Press. The lead editor calls their vision a “confederacy of authors.” That means I also work for them as an editor/reviewer, theoretically. Right now, however, we’re not to that point. They have two of my books, but today I was going to talk mostly about Pocket in the Sea (Pretense of a Paranormal Present) which is a piece of speculative fiction I wrote in 2010. This book stemmed from a conversation I had with a submariner, and then had a lot of later input from my friend who is a retired marine. The book imagines a world where The Great War (WWI) was ended when the allies invaded Germany and brutally broke the country, at about that same time paranormal abilities like telepathy had become a measurable talent in a very small pool of the population. Then it asks, over a hundred years later, where are we? Well, we’re on the verge of a naval war with China and we’re already losing. The book focuses on the events that befall only a few characters, on a single submarine. They are recently sprung from prison, specifically to man this ship that has been hauled out of who-knows-where-the-Navy-stashed-it. They don’t really trust each other except for a few connections, they are utterly lacking confidence in their boat and they universally despise the captain. It’s not a recipe for success. And then it gets worse when the character in charge of keeping everything in order loses it after his best friend dies. It’s a powder keg, and the Navy lights the fuse when they send a seer out to keep a physical and metaphorical eye on things. The characters of course, are cursing their luck, but after the seer arrives, they find the will to power through and save themselves.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I always enjoyed telling stories. I knew in high school that I eventually would write something that would be too good to keep to myself. I didn’t know what it was going to be, but it was going to hit the page and take off running. Then I wrote Being Emelle in college. It lived in my bottom drawer for a long time, but my friend and my mother eventually got to me. “You want to be a writer, you have a book, what are you waiting for?” So I threw it out there. I guess that was the moment I confirmed that, yep, I definitely wanted to be a writer. I don’t think I could say, looking back, that I was a writer until I hurled my work into the universe and prayed.

3. What was yourfirst lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? Whendid you write it? Do you still have it?

The first lengthy piece that I finished was about a modified Nintendo Powerglove that took the users to a digital arena that felt, looked, and even smelled real. I wrote it for a freshman English class, so I actually had to keep it much lighter than I think the story was meant to be. It was really dark now that I think about it. The main character is in what she thinks is a battle to the death with a bully of a classmate, and thinks that he is cheating, because he has more controls than her. Only at the end did she find out that, like all video games, she would have re-spawned if she’d “died.” Unfortunately, I lost my copy in a computer crash, but I do remember it vividly. At the time, it was a reasonable novel idea, but the story seems stale now, so I don’t think I’d rewrite it.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I don’t think that I ever had a moment where I thought I couldn’t write. But it was always in the future that I would write a magnum opus. When I was growing up, the fantasy/sci-fi market was pretty well saturated with manly men, corseted, more-or-less mannered women and a lot of magical beasts. Even in Star Trek novels, which were better than most, there were a lot of clichés, and a lot of overused tropes. It came to a head when all I was reading was L.E. Modessit and Robert Jordan because there was just so much junk out there and I was getting bored. That’s when I realized that the market needed new voices, and it looked like it was going to be up to me to write it. Fortunately, other people got the same vibe as I did and did something about it. But it’s up to everyone to make sure it doesn't get moribund again.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

From Pocket in the Sea, I'd choose Jensen. I think if I could convince him to talk to me, he’d have wonderful stories to tell me. He’s not a very extroverted character, and that means, in the book, he doesn’t drive the story much, and he’s also a very private individual, which means his background is murky. But I have this feeling that he’d be very interesting and with the right encouragement, very funny. He’s very much a rare breed – a frontier doctor. And I do have some questions, even having written him – why would a talented trauma surgeon go into the Navy? And, why does he have such a lousy relationship with his family? I’d also like to know how he landed himself in prison. He’s the only character I’ve dealt with that is deliberately an unreliable narrator. Usually, if a character tells me their story, they tell me the truth as best they know it. Not Jensen. I think he needs to be nailed to the floor and interrogated.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Well, we’d have to assume I was waiting for someone, because I don’t generally answer the door unless I am. But say I was, so I would answer the door. I think the zombified remains of a much beloved pet would definitely do it. Especially if they were happy to see me. You know, in all ways acting just like themselves, but mold-coated and rotting away. Ugh, and maggots. Don’t forget the maggots. That would thoroughly terrify me more than any demon, monster, or alien.

____________________________________

Oh my! That's a vivid image. Thanks for sharing with us today, E! For more of E. Stoops' writing, check out his publisher's blog

See you on Thursday, when my guest will be John Mefford!

The Same Six Questions - Paul Price

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:07:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to another edition of The Same Six Questions! Today's guest is Paul Price!

Hello Andy! I've worked as a software developer for the past nineteen years in the DC area. Before that, I was in the submarine Navy for twelve years. I was born and raised in Miami, but I don't speak Spanish very well anymore.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

My latest eBook, When Do I Get to Live My Own Life?, (also available at Smashwords) was published in October. Its theme coincides with a Steve Jobs quote many articles cited following his passing: "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." The difficulties I've experienced in doing just that are expressed in ten personal stories. Stress and its effects have been a life-changer from my earliest history, and have been the primary obstacles in the way of me living my own life. I published eBooks #6 and #7 during 2011. Books #1 through #5 were published pre-Internet during the late 1980s as consumer education titles, and I sold them primarily to libraries.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I only want to write when I feel that I have information to share that could really help people, and when reliable information on the subject isn't easy to discern.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of writing (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

I wrote a piece in tenth grade at age fifteen for my English teacher, Ms. Jasiecki. She was a single woman who was being treated for cancer, and did what she could to influence kids' lives by assigning books that challenged us. After my mandatory review of Camus' The Stranger, I continued by rewriting its theme in a hopeful vein. No extra credit, though, for hopeful existentialism. She's still alive 42 years later, and on Facebook.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I often wrote long papers in eleventh and twelfth grades for another English teacher, Mr. Obrentz, so I developed confidence in my writing skills during high school.

5. What's your next book going to be about?

I've jotted down a few themes, but none of them are compelling me to start writing my next eBook yet. I'm currently catching up on my reading from all the great indie authors' eBooks I have on my laptop! I get ideas and feelings by reading other authors, though it's not necessarily what the authors intend. For example, about a third of my way into reading a science fiction eBook over last weekend, it dawned on me that, through the interplay of the characters and environment, the author was indirectly describing her feelings about some of her childhood experiences. That got me thinking about the similarities of people in a spaceship with my experiences in submarines, and more specifically, scenarios when someone feels the need to escape from their present circumstances. The difference in the way that I approach feelings when they rise up is that I try to express them directly. A direct expression helps me, and may provide a clearer opportunity for other people to connect with what I express as a shared human experience.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

A man on his knees with his guts spilling out! The perpetrator lurks.

________________________________

Thanks for sharing with us today, Paul! For more of Paul and his writing, check out his blogs: Getting Well for the First Time and When Do I Get to Live My Own Life?.

Stop back in on Monday, when my guest will be E. Stoops! See you then!

The Same Six Questions - S.M. Boyce

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Welcome to another round of The Same Six Questions! Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Did you remember to get your significant other something special (if not, here's an idea ;)? For today, let's meet our guest author. Welcome, S.M. Boyce!

Thanks, Andy! I’m sarcastic and strange, and I love to hike, rock climb, exercise, and listen to good music. I’ve
lived all over the east coast and have a dual degree in Marketing and Creative Writing from Florida State University, which was a lot more fun than it sounds. Lying out in a hammock with a book, my husband, and a glass of pinot grigio is my idea of heaven.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

I have! The Grimoire: Lichgates (The Grimoire Trilogy) is the culmination of six years of writing, plotting, and development, so I hope you like it.

It’s about a hidden pocket of the Earth and the magic a human girl named Kara discovers when she finds an old book called The Grimoire. It turns its own pages and can answer any question asked of it, so she has no idea what she’s getting herself into when she actually opens it. Because of the Grimoire’s magic, most of the creatures in this terrifying new world want to control her – but everyone is trying to find her. She learns pretty quickly that there is no going back once you open the Grimoire.

It’s a fresh, fun and exciting story about magic and monsters and crazy new things, but if you look a little deeper than just the plotline, I think you’ll like what you see.

It’s available now virtually everywhere, though of course I have a soft spot for Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Click! Click now!

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Writing was never really a choice. I know that one of the main lessons in The Grimoire trilogy is how life is full of choices , but if I’m not writing, I feel kind of empty. It’s something I have always been driven to do and I’m just not complete unless I’ve written something today.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

Oh man, memory lane. My first story was about a pickle who was the last one in the jar, and the poor little thing just wanted to be eaten. It was weird, I know. I was six. It’s in a box somewhere, and I think we bound it with cardboard and glue. (chuckles)

I should hope that my stories have improved somewhat since then; my illustrations, however, have not. That’s why I have Rob Meridy to do my cover artwork and the assorted character sketches available on the Grimoire Books website.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I think feeling as though we’re “good enough” will always be a painful concern for writers, but my first unwavering confirmation that I was at least a decent writer was in one of my writing classes at FSU. A classmate wrote on the bottom of one of my stories:

“You’re my favorite writer in this class. Whatever you do, don’t ever stop writing.”

I kept that piece of paper because it was validation that someone outside of my family (who are a little biased) liked my work, which is always a stellar sensation.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I would want to meet Deirdre, who is a vicious, sexy, evil demon woman and my all-time favorite. There are so many levels to her insanity that I would love to sit down with her and analyze her warped perceptions of reality, right, and wrong, but I know that I probably wouldn’t survive the meeting. It’s probably safer that she’s fictional.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

The 50k word story that I wrote for my first Nanowrimo. Holy hot wings, Batman, it was just bad.

Well Andy, thanks so much for your time! And guys, if you want to learn any more about my work or just want a good laugh, I like to throw all sorts of strange (but fun!) things on the internet:
Main website & Blog, Grimoire Trilogy website, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Goodreads.

________________________________

Well, my work here is done! Thanks so much for stopping by Sarah!

Thursday, stop back and meet Paul Price!

The Same Six Questions - Charlie & Diane Winger

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Same Six Questions! Today, we've got a little change of pace. Charlie and Diane Winger bring to us their nonfiction writing. Welcome!

Thanks, Andy! We live in western Colorado and are authors of recreational guidebooks that reflect our passion for hiking, climbing, camping, traveling, and spending as much time outdoors as possible. Recently, we took the plunge into self-publishing with Charlie's highly-adventurous autobiography. We're both retired computer geeks who refuse to act our age.

The (Sorta) Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Yes, after going the traditional route on our 3 guidebooks, we opted to self-publish Charlie's autobiography, Two Shadows - The inspirational story of one man's triumph over adversity. We wanted the editorial control that we knew we wouldn't have through a traditional publisher, and felt that Diane's experience in publicizing our earlier books, along with her proofreading experience, made it feasible to self-publish.

Charlie originally conceived of Two Shadows as being a fictional account based on his adventurous life. After a surprising incident when he was traveling to Canada for an ice climbing adventure, but was refused entry due to a felony conviction 50 years earlier (yes, that's 50 as in "half a century"), followed by two life-changing events, we agreed that his story should be told "straight up" as a memoir.

This autobiographical book is filled with Charlie's adventures during 35 years of mountaineering, climbing rock & ice, and world travel. People who have met Charlie, attended one of his slideshows, or read our guidebooks will recognize his knack for telling stories. Some are hair-raising, some are a little crazy, and some will have you laughing out loud.

Two Shadows is about more than climbing. It is the story of a boy who grew up in an atmosphere of neglect and abuse. He made numerous bad choices in life which resulted in his being sentenced to prison at age eighteen. While incarcerated, Charlie turned his life around. Upon his release, he began a successful career in information technology. He also discovered a passion for the mountains, and went on to climb peaks all around the world, as well as literally hundreds of summits within the United States.

Two Shadows is available through The Winger Bookstore, as well as through major booksellers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

2. When did you know you wanted to be travel writers?

While we've both dabbled in writing things like technical articles and articles about our climbing adventures, we didn't really think of ourselves as "travel writers" until a local small publisher asked us to write a guidebook on climbing peaks in Colorado. We convinced them to let us change the topic to cover the highpoints of the 50 states, which worked out beautifully since we had recently decided that we wanted to climb (or visit -- the highpoint of Kansas is hard to classify as a "climb") each of those highpoints anyway. Traveling and compiling all the information turned out to be great fun, and collaborating on writing the book was an enjoyable adventure of its own.

Another publisher -- more suited to adventure travel -- picked us up and we talked them into letting us write guidebooks about other places we loved to visit. Fortunately, that publisher also enjoyed our humorous writing style and gave us free rein to keep the books fun and to express our own personalities in our writing. There was a lot of work involved, but we had a blast working on the books.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of writing (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

Charlie has been writing short stories for decades, many of which he thought might morph into chapters for a fictional version of Two Shadows. Many of these accounts dealt with his experiences in prison as a young man, but paled in comparison to the real events. Some of these may be tucked away in filing cabinets stored in our garage, but probably only if they were misfiled.

Diane played around with writing and badly-illustrating stories geared toward children while she was still just a child herself. She realized long ago that she is not an artist, and disposed of those early attempts by the time she was in high school. However, she is pretty darn handy with creating graphics like maps and diagrams -- just no snuggly bunny rabbits. Her first published work was a technical article on programming techniques and graphical user interfaces. Fortunately, she's lightened up her writing since that time.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

Perhaps the true "I can do this" realization was not so much grasping that we both could write, but realizing people would want to read what we wrote. It's hard to pinpoint a specific, first indication. We have both written short articles for newsletters and other publications, and received compliments on our writing styles and especially our clarity of describing places. In terms of writing guidebooks, clear descriptions of how to find a place, enticing explanations of why you might want to go there, and keeping the whole experience light, fun, and interesting are all crucial attributes. We believed that we could do those things very well, and our readers have confirmed that for us.

When it came to translating those writing skills to an autobiography, Charlie also called upon his many years of verbal storytelling. Transferring his chatting-around-the-campfire tales of mountain climbing into the written word was challenging at first, but soon seemed natural.

5. If you could go somewhere tomorrow, no limits, all expenses paid, where would it be?

The moon. Wouldn't that be an amazing guidebook assignment -- and we certainly couldn't ever manage that trip without all expenses being paid.

But if we were picking a place here on earth, New Zealand would be our choice. We've visited before, but would love an in-depth exploration of the gorgeous Southern Alps, the fjords, lakes, and rivers, and to re-visit the ultra-friendly towns with an eye to passing along our favorite discoveries to others. We've found that we observe so much more about a place when we're writing about it than when we are simply visiting. And thank goodness for digital cameras, since we have often taken over 1,000 photos of a place in preparation for the eventual guidebook, which may end up with only a few hundred photos in it.

Perhaps a special section on the finest restaurants in New Zealand should be included -- with photos and reviews of the meals we've sampled, of course. You did say "all expenses paid," didn't you?

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Charlie's late Aunt Gertie, a.k.a. The Beast, wielding an axe and crowing, "Here's Johnny!"

______________________________

Thanks so much for sharing with us today! For more information about the Wingers and their books, check out The Winger Bookstore, their Two Shadows Facebook page, their Amazon author page, or follow them on Twitter.

My guest on Monday will be author S.M. Boyce. See you then!

The Same Six Questions - Robin Reed

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hi there and welcome to the first day of the NFL offseason! ;) I know, what are you going to do on your Sundays now? Well, you could read a good book. My guest today has a few to choose from. Welcome, Robin Reed! In her own words:

Robin Reed was born on the south side of Chicago, lived in Egypt for a year at the age of five, traveled through Europe at eleven, and went to India when she was eighteen. After that, things went downhill. Robin was an avid reader at a young age and started writing while in grade school. She also wanted to be a cartoonist, and drew cartoons instead of listening to her teachers. As as an adult, she cared only about pursuing these artistic fields. She never wanted to enter any career that would be hard to leave when the big break in writing or cartooning came. As a result, she has had only low level, low paying jobs all her life. The big break still eludes her. She currently lives near Los Angeles and, while the entertainment industry ignores her, she has made some progress in writing, with a number of short stories published and five self-published books available on Amazon.com and other outlets.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

I have published several Mama is the story of two families. The Conovers are moving from Los Angeles to Chicago because Jeff Conover's career as an actor has gone nowhere. His teenaged daughter Alison, his nine year old son Michael, who is obsessed with insects, and his wife Lee sit in the car, each stewing in their own resentments. Along the way they attract the attention of Mama and her three kids, who seem to be a slovenly and ugly family, but are truly something else. Mama uses the Conovers as a lesson for her kids, like a lioness teaching her cubs to hunt. When the Conovers start to fight back, Mama gets really mad. Mama is published under my pen name for horror, Robin Morris.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I became an avid reader at a young age, and within a few years started writing. I wrote short stories before I was ten years old. Not good ones, mind you, but I wrote them.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

Oh, gee, that's hard to remember. I was also a cartoonist, and I did a cartoon book when I was in high school called "The Cocktail Party." I wrote a fantasy short story around age thirteen that I thought was a devastating satire of the of the educational system I was forced to endure every day, but my parents didn't understand the satire part.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

Probably when my father, an anthropology professor, showed a story of mine to his colleagues. It was humor, something about an ancient species that was an ancestor of humans.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Xanthan Gumm, from my first novel. He is an alien who comes to Earth to be a movie star. I put a lot of myself into his character.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Nothing. Then I close the door and the knock comes again. I open it and see nothing. I close the door. Knock knock. Now I am afraid to open the door. The knocking continues. I fling the door open and only the rain and wind greet me. I stare into the heart of the storm for a while, daring who or whatever has been knocking to face me. After a while, I close and lock the door. I am sure I have rid myself of the mysterious knocker. I sit down and relax. I almost fall asleep. Knock knock, harder and louder than before. That's when I scream like a little girl.

____________________________________

Thanks for stopping by and sharing with us today, Robin! Be sure to check out more of Robin's work on her blog and Facebook page.

Be sure to swing back on Thursday when my guest will be the Wingers, Charlie and Diane! See you then!

The Same Six Questions - John Blackport

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hi there! Today's guest on The Same Six Questions is John Blackport. Take it away, John!

Thanks, Andy! I'm a New England attorney who likes to keep his professional identities separate from one another. I have three kids, including two 1-year-old twins. My hobbies include history, math and gaming.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Yes, I've published Raingun.

Here's the blurb:

Rick Rivoire is flush with money, women, and prospects. He protects his country as one of the Rainguns, an elite regiment of spellcasting cavalry.

But national policy drifts ominously into slavery and religious persecution, sparking rebellion. Joining the rebels could land Rick on a prison ship, in slave-irons--or atop the same gallows where he watched his father hang.

The alternative looks no brighter. The status quo imperils Rick’s hard-won self-respect. Supporting tyranny would doom his dream to emulate the valiant swordswoman who braved a den of monsters to rescue the lonely, terrified nine-year-old boy he once was.

Rick can’t stay above the fray forever. He must either defend a government whose actions disgust him--or risk everything he has.

This story unfolds in a world of bloodthirsty pirates, brave musketeers, and vile monsters. Its target audience is anyone who has ever wrestled with questions of whether, and how, to risk opposing the actions of their country.

Half of this e-book's royalties will go to the Scleroderma Research Foundation. The book is dedicated to my late brother-in-law Perry, and I'd like the book's revenue to help fight the disease that killed him.

If Raingun has a target audience, I guess it's for anyone who's ever loved their country, and taken pride in it, but also been disappointed by their country's actions--and wondered what exactly to do about it. America's wars of the past ten years polarized the public, provided an inspiration for a story set in a fantasy world. I think a lot of this polarization comes from the tendency of human beings misusing Occam's Razor--preferring easy answers over the hard ones. It's always tempting to believe that the world is very simple, and that all of its evil comes from one place. When it comes to the interaction of religion, politics and money, I feel that the world truly is as complicated as it appears. There is no single source of evil (or all good, either). I thought at first that a fantasy setting would put me a great disadvantage in addressing this--a lot of readers like their fantasy enemies to be monolithic Dark Lords that are simply pure malevolence--but that preference isn't as strong as it used to be.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Oh, I think I always wanted that. Well, I must have been at least eight. Before that I wanted to be a veterinarian.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

My first lengthy piece of fiction was inspired by Battlestar Galactica. It involved me shooting evil robots with lasers mounted on my sled while speeding down the hill in my backyard.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

Hmmm . . . I'm not sure that's happened yet!

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I'd like to meet Colonel Altiro, the commanding officer of the hero --- and cajole him into teaching me magic.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Hmm . . . I think it's those nanite spider minng robots, methodically breaking up all the planet's solid matter to re-make into copies of themselves with the same mission.

______________________________________

Thanks for sharing with us today, John! For more of John and his writing, be sure to check out his Web site, Facebook page, and check out a sample of the book at Kindleboards.

Come back on on Monday when my guest will be Robin Reed! Have a great weekend!

To Select or To Not Select, That's the Question - Revisited...Again

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:30:00 +0000

BEWARE! LARGE AMOUNTS OF STATS AHEAD! Ok, so you might have perused my previous post on the subject of Amazon's new KDP Select program. Well, I folded and joined the club. Here's my experience...

I decided to use a single day to test the waters. You might remember that being part of Select gives you 5 every 90 days of exclusivity. My intention was to pad my readership with a freebie day prior to releasing the sequel. Then, once the sequel is ready, I would have free days with the first book 4 more times to help move the second book. After reviewing many results on one of my favorite online haunts (kindleboards.com), I was a little wary about going free for only one day. The results seemed to be a bit of a mixed bag. But, I figured, if things weren't going as planned, I could always jump in and add an extra day.

So, let's lay some pre-free groundwork. On the evening of January the 27th, my book was approaching a ranking of #300,000 in the Amazon store and had sold a whopping 5 copies for the entire month of January. What's worse is that those 5 copies were sold in the first week. Oh, and no Select members had borrowed my book. Yeah, not so hot.

The book went free at ~3 AM EST on the 28th.

I woke up late and checked my numbers:

10 AM EST
Amazon US
Best Sellers Rank: #1,861 Free in Kindle Store
#57 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Genre Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Suspense
274 "sales"

Amazon UK
Best Sellers Rank: #351 Free in Kindle Store
#25 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Thrillers > Suspense
75 "sales"

Amazon DE (Germany)
Bestseller-Rang: #395 Kostenfrei in Kindle-Shop (Siehe Top 100 - Kostenfrei in Kindle-Shop)
Nr. 5 in Kindle-Shop > eBooks > Fremdsprachige eBooks > Englisch > Krimis & Thriller > Thriller > Spannung
14 "sales"

I was pretty geeked to see that some German customers had picked up the book. Though I've had a couple sales in the UK in the past, I'd never touched the German market. I was also kinda surprised to see that almost 300 people had picked up the book. Not that I was being a pessimist, but I had tried desperately to keep my expectations in check. There were stories about people giving away +10k in a day, that were only slightly tempered by the stories of folks who'd only managed to give away 500. I think that was the goal in my head. 500 additional readers is nothing to sneeze at. It was hard to not check throughout the day, but I won't bore you with too much minutiae (postscript edit: I lie...minutiae to follow). My numbers climbed steadily throughout the day at about 100 copies per hour. By 5 PM, this is what it looked like:

Amazon US
Best Sellers Rank: #298 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
#18 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Genre Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Suspense
918 "sales"

Amazon UK
Bestsellers Rank: #182 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
#13 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Thrillers > Suspense
188 "sales"

Amazon DE
Bestseller-Rang: #384 Kostenfrei in Kindle-Shop (Siehe Top 100 - Kostenfrei in Kindle-Shop)
Nr. 3 in Kindle-Shop > eBooks > Fremdsprachige eBooks > Englisch > Krimis & Thriller > Thriller > Spannung
23 "sales"

Not too shabby. As you can tell, it doesn't take as much to climb the UK and DE ranks, as there aren't as many transactions happening in those stores. So, at this point, I was pretty darned happy. I'd given away almost one thousand copies of my book. I hadn't seen nothing...anything...erm...you know what I mean. Lightning struck. One of the more popular websites that lists free books sent out a Facebook post with my book as their "cover" image. They have over 170,000 followers on Facebook just waiting for freebies. I suddenly went from 100 copies an hour to ~26/minute.

6:00 2498 copies
7:00 3186
8:00 3919
9:00 4466
11:30 5788

This was the last time point for which I recorded the ranking:
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
#6 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Genre Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Suspense

It might have gone higher, but I wasn't that desperate to stay up to record the data. Which is why, at this point, the data gets a bit fuzzy. According to Amazon, the final number for the 28th was 6681 freebies given away. However, the free promotion doesn't necessarily turn off at 12 AM on the dot. So, the numbers to start on Sunday are a bit fuzzy.

When I first woke up (time unknown), I picked up my phone and checked my ranking (not my sales). Just as I had expected; I had returned to my previous ranking before going free...plus some. Yep, I was at 340,000. YIKES! Quite a let down from the excitement of the day before. I rolled over and went back to bed. By the time I motivated myself to check my numbers, I was pleasantly surprised. The total number for the month of January at 9:30 AM on Sunday morning was 6733, which meant there were some phantom numbers in there that may or may not have been sales. At least a couple were paid sales because my ranking climbed to #40,000 overall in the hour or so since I'd checked. I'd also received my first returns! I assume that these were people who had clicked a link to my book, figured it to still be free and only found out afterward that it wasn't. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I then waited for the slow dropoff. The agonizing slide back to where my book "belonged"; wallowing in obscurity in the 100,000 to 200,000 ranking range. It was not to be. Sales came in steadily throughout the day on Sunday; 33 to be precise. It pushed me up to a rank of #2,948 Sunday night.

Ok, then perhaps Monday would prove to be the day of fade. No such "luck"; between Sunday night and Tuesday morning, I sold another 51 copies and got my first Select borrows! The most I had ever sold in one month was ~50. I'd now managed that in one day.

As I post this, early on Wednesday February 1st, a full 72+ hours after going free, I have sold 180+ copies and 15 Select members have borrowed the book (which I'll be compensated for). The book's current rank is:

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #967 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#82 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Genre Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Suspense

I'm there, hanging with the likes of Dean Koontz, Lee Child, and John Locke, even if only for a moment. If there was ever a time for the book to really take off, it's got the best chance it's ever had.

Obviously, in the short term, the results look good. I'm now eclipsing the number of books I sold all of last year (5-1/2 months on sale), in a matter of days. Did I give away a lot? Yep. But, I look at the freebies as going to people who never pay for books. If my gift to them helps me get the book into the hands of folks who are willing to pay the $3, I have no problem with that. And, if perhaps I can get a percentage of those 6700+ freebie folk to actually purchase (God forbid!) the sequel, well...I can dream, can't I?

I'm sure I'll revisit this topic. For someone who has seen just brief glimpses of sales success in the past, it's a potentially strange new world to venture into. I already consider it a large success. I've got pretty lofty goals to be able to call it an overwhelming success, but stranger things have happened. ;)

The Same Six Questions - Liame Dethridge

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Welcome back! Can you believe it's the end of Janaury already? I just had an exciting weekend with my first "free" day through Amazon Select. Hope to post some results later this week. But, this is The Same Six Questions and it's not about me. Welcome aboard Liame Dethridge!

Hello, Andy! I live in Ipswich; a weird place in the South East of The United Kingdom. I spend all day, every day writing fiction and non-fiction, composing and producing jazz and electronic music and producing large-scale abstract expressionist artworks. I have been many things in my life, and I've undertaken many different jobs and vocations. I currently devote myself entirely to creative pursuits. I enjoy writing immensely; it is something that I feel I would like to do for the remainder of my days. I was diagnosed with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder in 2007 and this has had a profound impact on my day to day life. Most notably, however, bipolar disorder has introduced me to an exceptional creativity; one that makes creative writing an especially rewarding pursuit. I have a wild and expansive imagination and my works are often infused with a spectrum of diverse literary colours. I have a sense of humour and it's one that generally finds its way into my fiction and non-fiction alike. I like smoking too much, pushy women and David Lynch films. Nice to meet you.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

I have not yet published a book. I have, however, written a 128,000 word screenplay that intentionally blurs the boundaries between off the shelf fiction and movie narrative. It is entitled 'Interrupted Darkness' and it is my intention to collaborate with a gifted filmmaker in its production. I have composed and produced the film soundtrack for Interrupted Darkness too, in addition to the overall sound design for the production.

My current work in progress is entitled Bad Jimmy.

Jimmy Franklyn is borne of a character that we have all come across in the course of our lives, but one we have seldom understood. He is the misunderstood prodigy; the young eccentric; a boy with a passion for the finer things in life and imbued with an unreservedly direct way of attaining them. He's the boy next door ... the unusual, perplexing and somewhat surprising boy next door.

It is my hope that Bad Jimmy will one day soon achieve mainstream literary circulation, and in so doing, furnish me with the private helicopter I have craved since infancy ... the one with the tinted windows and the mini-bar.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I first had the inclination to write creatively when being berated for truancy at school. I had an on/off relationship with school attendance from the age of 14 and, as a result, I faired less well academically than would have been hoped for. My English tutor retained her belief in my abilities however, and encouraged me to focus on what she believed was a defined area of skill; English Language. Her approach and her encouragement would lead to a newfound belief in my abilities and I have thanked her ever since.

The definitive moment of realisation however, would come some years later; when I met my former wife, Anne-Marie. I would create bizarre stories on the spot and calmly relay them to her as if from memory; non-sensical and deliberately tangential tales that would digress into weird and speculative territories before returning to make an overall poignant moral point; something to lend context and meaning to the absurdities of my former words. Anne-Marie would patiently entertain my stories and, now and again, interject questions designed to throw my prose and form; seeing if I could recover from the change in direction. Sometimes I would stumble, sometimes I would recover. From that point on, I made it my mission to always creatively recover. One stressful day when, in hindsight, I had not timed my offering particularly well, she would simply say;

'Can't you write a book or something?'

I remember thinking 'You know, that's not a bad idea.'

And so here I am; subjecting the world to my unique lunacy, with a kind-hearted moral undertone. Thanks Annie ... and I'm sorry.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

My first written fiction was entitled 'The Intravenous Theatre.' It was very dark in nature and, in truth, it was rather ill-conceived.

It had some very unsettling undertones. It was written during a particularly bleak period in my life and it heavily reflected my somewhat pessimistic outlook of the time. I allowed two people to read it. One of these people loved it and gave me glowing feedback, whereas the other person found it repellent and disturbing. 'Horrifying' was the exact word that they used. Given the 50/50 nature of the feedback, I felt none the wiser. I asked the two people concerned to read it again, but this time included the cover art; A collage of brooding imagery and themes by the same name.

I recall the reaction vividly. I was taken to one side by the father of my then girlfriend, during a birthday celebration, and told in no uncertain terms to place a sizeable distance between myself and his daughter. Given the nature of his words, which I won't divulge, and the subsequent parting of company, I felt it might be for the best to radically alter the piece. The other person enjoyed it all the more second time around and gave me equally glowing feedback for the accompanying cover art.

Given that 50% of the market had seen it fit to disown me, I burnt it, along with the accompanying art piece. Whilst I still sometimes regret this action I do think that perhaps it was for the best. If nothing else, it served to illustrate that you can ostracize people if you don't consider your subject matter carefully. In retrospect, I am glad that it met with immolation and glad that I was able to move on from it.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

My first indication of being able to write something that someone else would enjoy, occurred during a stay in Marylebone, London, at the age of 15.

I was staying at a friend's who lived above a very busy pub and I was struggling to find the money to travel from one part of the city to the other via the tube network. I remember sneaking into the pub one night at around two in the morning, borrowing 10 GBP from the cash register and writing a note as to my intentions, for the owner.

The note simply read;

'I have taken Ten Pounds without asking. I know this wasn't technically the right thing to do but I've been eating bits of cold ham for 5 days and I need to eat something that smells normal. I'm going to Camden to sell my skateboard and when I return I'll give you the money back. Sorry ... that kid with the hair from upstairs.'

Written in all earnest and completely unaware of the reception I'd receive, I reluctantly returned with a pocketful of change and a sorry look on my face. Far from the reception I expected, the owner actually poured me a drink and said I could keep the tenner. He framed my note and put it on display behind the bar, saying that 'it was the best thing he'd read in a long time.'

Apparently, it raised a few smiles for some years afterwards.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I'd like to meet Emily Barr-Featherham from my book Bad Jimmy.

I could elaborate, but I don't think I will.

You'll have to read it. You won't forget her, I feel sure.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

There's a monkey without a face ... just an endlessly black hole where its mouth should be and a movement under its skin that suggests that its facial features are somehow intact beneath its taught layer of newly-formed facial tissue. There are different voices emanating from the endlessly deep hole in the centre of its crude face and they're whispering over one another; sometimes audible and sometimes drowned out by a chorus of similarly abstracted voices, but there's a faint impression of high-pitched Victorian Era circus music also; coming from deep inside the endless black abyss.

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Thanks so much for sharing with us, Liame! Good luck with the book. Sounds like you're on your way. For more of Liame and to keep up with his writing exploits, check out his Web page or follow him on Twitter.

Be sure to stop back in on Thursday, when my guest will be John Blackport! See you!

To Select or To Not Select, That's the Question - Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Last month, you might remember that I wrote a post debating the merits of getting involved in Amazon's Kindle Select program. I hemmed and hawed about it, but eventually fell victim to a sense of "missing out." So, I pulled my book from B&N and Smashwords (which had, combined, generates <10 sales over the last 3 months) and enrolled it into the Select program. On Saturday, January 28th, I'll be taking advantage of the program's biggest draw; the ability to sell my book for free. I get 5 days out of 90 to do so and I'm testing the waters with a single day this weekend. If you've considered buying my book in th epast, well...now is your chance. No buyer's remorse here. Heck, you don't even have to read it! Just picking up the freebie will help me out immensely. As always, it can be found here on the Amazon US site (it will be free on all Amazon sites, though, so those in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain will have a fair shot as well). Obviously, the hope is that the "sale" of freebies will propel the book into the upper rankings and result in added real sales when it comes off of free. That's the hope. ;) So, spread the word and pick up a freebie. If you like it, the sequel isn't too far away. After my free run, I'll probably gather some numbers and report on my take on the process next week.

The Same Six Questions - Eileen Granfors

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Another round of The Same Six Questions! Today, my guest is Eileen Granfors. Welcome!

Thanks, Andy! I live in Santa Clarita, California. A former army brat born in New Orleans, we lived in Germany after World War II. Our family settled in Imperial Beach, California, where my mother’s love of body surfing turned me into an avid surfer girl. I am a proud UCLA alumna, who taught high school English for many years. When not reading or writing, I can be found walking my dogs or taking them to the dog park, scrapbooking, or traveling to see friends, family, and our darling grandkids. My husband and I hope to retire to our home on Table Rock Lake (Missouri) in the coming year or two.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

I have published four books. Two are anthologies (1 poetry, 1 short stories).

My most popular novel is a YA multicultural, Some Rivers End on the Day of the Dead, perfect for learning about the Hispanic Day of the Dead while following the journey of a plucky, kind, ninth grader (Marisol) in the midst of some snarky classmates and a California wild fire.

My newest novel is Stairs of Sand (All of my books are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions). This is the book I wanted to write from the beginning, but it took me five years to get the two main characters right: a perfectionist mother (Jolene) and a free-spirited, adult daughter (Zoozle), a woman who continues to make bad choices. The title comes from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, about how outer appearances deceive, how what’s underneath could be as false as "stairs of sand.” Readers have written to me the honesty of this portrayal and the emotional link they felt about the family’s problems. I love hearing from fans.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

As a child, I had a love for books before I could even read. I would pour over books looking for words I might know. All my life, my love of books has grown. The summer my mother died, I wrote a brief memoir for family members about my mom. I found that helped me with grieving her loss. Once I retired from teaching, I felt an urgency to write more, beginning with poetry and short stories and moving on to the novels. I still write flash fiction as a means to capture a scene and give it muscles.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)?

My first short story, Side by Side, was a memory of childhood in Germany where my father was stationed after World War II. I remembered our German maids and the deep forests and our big house. I focused on my busy parents. My brother and I were left in the care of our German housekeepers more often than not at a time when the Germans had no great love for Americans.

I wrote the story in 2005. I still have it, and now that I have more writing experience, I can see where the story needs editing and focus. I sent it out to a few hundred magazines. I think I’ll have better luck with it when I get time to edit and re-submit. One major literary magazine wrote a note, “Interesting, but not there yet.” I think I can get it there!

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)?"

My UCLA Extension teachers in the Writers’ Program encouraged us to “submit, submit, submit.” I had two short anecdotal pieces accepted for the Cup of Comfort series, edited by Colleen Sell. The first, Bruised But Not Broken, is the story of how my first marriage fell apart. The second was published in the Military Families anthology and focuses on my father’s strict discipline. Once those were published, I could see what editors were looking for and how to achieve a stronger storyline and more vigorous prose. I also learned a lot about how my family reacts to my writing—some fans, some infuriated.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Wow, this is a very difficult question. I feel as if I know Marisol and her whole cast of characters from Some Rivers End on the Day of the Dead, so I’m ruling out that book. I like Chloris a lot from Stairs of Sand. She is a Somali immigrant to the United States. She works at a hospice. Her spirit of gentle strength encourages everyone she befriends. She has a charismatic humor, a beautiful singing voice, and likes to wear loud colors. I would like to spend more time with Chloris because there are days when I really need her optimism and kindness, her belief that the world can be made a better place by one person acting in a hopeful, supporting way.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

On the doorstep of a dark and stormy night, I answer a knock at the door. I scream and scream and scream, each scream higher and shriller. In front of me stands Sydney Carton (from A Tale of Two Cities), holding his head in his hands (he was beheaded at the guillotine). Once I stop screaming, I welcome him in with a towel under his dripping neck, because he is the subject of my next book, a historical novel, and I really need some information from him about his cryptic words of time spent in Paris (“. . . picking up some French law, some French, and some French crumbs.”)

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Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Eileen! For more of Eileen and her writing, be sure to check out her book blog, review blog, and Amazon author page.

Next Monday, stop by and meet my guest, Liame Dethridge!

The Same Six Questions - Keith Weaver

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hi there! Time for another round of The Same Six Questions! Welcome aboard, Keith Weaver!

Thank you, Andy. I was born in the small town of Erie, IL. I now live in Bettendorf, IA with my wife of 10 years, Stephanie. We have two wonderful boys; Keaton is six and Hudson is four. Besides reading and writing, I love to watch movies, listen to music and sports. Being a college athlete, I still love to play basketball and train in MMA for fun. On Sundays, you can bet I’m watching a lot of football.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Yes, I self published The Nefarious: Prince of Shadow right after college with no real knowledge of what to do; just wanted to see my name in print. Eight years later, I’ve redone my work and re-edited and now have my first eBook on the market.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I guess the first time I realized I wanted to be a writer was in college. I’ve always loved books, but took a real interest in writing in college, gave me a good release to pass time. I also took a Mystery Novel class where we read, discussed and wrote our own stories. That might have been my favorite course in college of all things.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

My first real full length fiction was my current book, The Nefarious. It started out as a way for me to pass the time in Biology class in college, I am ashamed to say. I would write a couple of pages every class. It’s about a supernatural being that haunts the people of a castle hotel. Its original inspiration comes from the 1995 horror fest Castle Freak with Jeffrey Combs. In an attempt to be original, though, I went with my own ideas.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I was always good in school at writing, whether it be book reports, journals or essays. I’ve always had a creative mind and been able to put that to words, drawing no, but writing yes. I see the same thing in my oldest son; he had the best story in Kindergarten last year for Young Writer’s week. Plus, my roommate and Mother got a hold of my notebook and saw my story, and thought it was good and that I should really make something of it.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I would definitely like to meet Prince Nefarious, before he became evil. For one, I would have to time travel back to the 1600’s, which would be a trip. But also to warn him of the misfortunes that may be coming his way and to get an idea of what made the man so mad.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Doc Brown from Back to the Future! I’ve seen what happens in those movies every time he shows up. I would be worried that he was going to take me to the future to see what I’ve become, or take me back in time and make me relive it all again. I’m looking forward to writing my own future with the people I have in my life.

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Thanks so much for sharing with us, Keith! For more of Keith and his writing, be sure to check out his Web site and Twitter page.

Don't forget to swing back on Thursday when my guest will be Eileen Granfors. See you then!

The Same Six Questions - Robert Lamb

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to The Same Six Questions! Today's guest is Robert Lamb! Welcome, Robert!

Hello, Andy! I teach writing and American literature at the University of South Carolina, in Columbia. I'm a native of this state, but I grew up in Augusta, Georgia, and am a graduate of the University of Georgia. I'm a jazz fan, like good movies, and enjoy sports, especially collegiate basketball. I also enjoy reviewing books and I do it for the New York Journal of Books.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Yes, three novels and a book of stories andpoems. The first novel, Striking Out, a coming-of-age novel, was published in 1991 by The Permanent Press and was nominated for the PEN/Hemingway Award. The second, Atlanta Blues, is about the search for a missing college girl by a newspaper reporter and two cops. Published by Harbor House Books, it was a Southern Critics Circle Selection and was named in a year-end round-up as "one of the best novels of 2004 by a Southern writer." The third novel, A Majority of One, was published in September 2011, by Red Letter Press. The fourth book, due out soon, is also from Red Letter Press. It's title is Six of One, Half Dozen of Another (Stories & Poems).

Synopsis of A Majority of One: When preachers in a rural Georgia town move to ban some classic American novels from the high school curriculum--and post the Ten Commandments in every classroom--only one person stands up to them: English teacher Anne Brady, an “outsider” from Atlanta who champions great literature (and the separation of Church and State). Refusing to “go along to get along,” she soon finds herself in a fight to save her job and reputation. For help, she turns to another outsider, lawyer Eugene Shapiro, who as the county’s only Jewish attorney knows all too well what his client is up against. By the time Anne’s struggle spills into court from a heated school-board meeting, the mood of the county points toward a legal lynching – or worse, as some of the more zealous defenders of the faith have drifted beyond the reach of law or reason. This novel is a powerful reminder that not all religious fanatics live in the Middle East. America has its own home-grown variety. (Available at Amazon for the Kindle and smashwords.com for all other ereaders).

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

At age 10, I saw a movie, "Gentleman's Agreement." Starring Gregory Peck, it was about his work as a magazine writer exposing, in this case, anti-semitism. I was smitten. I grew up to become a newspaperman (The Atlanta Constitution) and then a novelist and short-story writer.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

It was my first attempt at a novel. It was about a teacher who gets into trouble because of his/her unorthodox religious views. I began it as a college student, probably in my junior year. I still have the original, written in a notebook, around here somewhere; better still, I finally got that novel written (though changed in material ways). It's the novel titled A Majority of One.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I've always been able to write. As far back as grade school, I wrote creatively, and my classmates and teachers encouraged me to do more. But I knew how to write long before I knew how to write a novel. That first attempt at a novel, when I was in college, sputtered out at about 50,000 words – because I didn''t know what I was doing. Novel-writing is a craft. One must learn the craft or trust to blind luck for success. The latter approach, when it works at all, often leads to what's known in writers'circles as the sophomore jinx: the second book bombs because the author didn't know how he did it the first time.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I've already met some of them. The two cops in Atlanta Blues were based on cops I actually knew and worked with as a reporter. In Striking Out, Johnny Kelly was based on a childhood friend whom I knew well. But Shapiro, in A Majority of One, is a fictitious character I'd like to meet in person.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

I can't imagine screaming like a little gir, but I might do it if the people from Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes were there, holding a big, big, check made out to me.

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Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing with us today, Robert! For more of Robert and his writing, be sure to check out his blog, Red Letter Press, and Twitter.

Monday, my guest will be Keith Weaver! See you then!

The Same Six Questions - Samantha Warren

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hello there! Welcome to this Martin Luther King Jr. edition of The Same Six Questions. Today's guest is Samantha Warren. In her own words:

Samantha Warren is a fantasy and science fiction author who spends her days immersed in dragons, space ships, and vampires. With her pet dragon, Anethesis, she ventured to the ends of the universe, but the cost of space travel cut into her sock fetish fund, so she sold her ship and returned home. When she isn’t writing, she’s milking cows or trying to feed them Pop-Tarts. She spends a lot of time in her weed patch (aka: garden), watching any show featuring Gordon Ramsay, or posting random things on her blog

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Yes, I have one fantasy novel and four urban fantasy novellas. The novel, Blood of the Dragon, is available on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords (be sure to check Samantha's Amazon page for all of her books). The novellas are all part of a series about a vampire named Jane who decides to become an assassin. The first novella is available for free on Smashwords, but it is also available at Amazon and B&N. The other three in the series are available in all three places and I will continue to publish more. All of my books are also available on my website. I'll be finishing a sci-fi novel for NaNo 2011, so that should be out early in 2012.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Well, here's a secret. I hated English in high school, with a capital H. I loved to read, always have, but I hated the papers and reading books that they forced me to read. Nothing is worse than being forced to slog through a book that you find completely and utterly boring, simply because someone said you had to. But I devoured fantasy and sci-fi books, especially Star Wars books. I loved those, still do. But in college, after trying half a dozen other majors, I was reading through the Forgotten Realms series and found twelve mistakes in eight pages. Drove me nuts. At that point, I was looking for a new major, so I switched to English. And surprisingly, I loved it. I loved the papers, I loved the reading, I loved the classes, I loved it all. But I thought I wanted to be an editor, so I focused on that. A couple more years passed and I realized I didn't particularly like editing other people's work. I didn't have the freedom to fix what I felt really needed to be fixed. So after a couple previously failed NaNos and no other really hardcore creative writing (I didn't even take a creative writing class), I determined that I was start and finish NaNo 2010. And I've been writing fiction happily ever since. So, long story short, I've known for just about a year, and that's how long I've been a writer, as well. Not very exciting compared to most people's "I've known my whole life", but that's the truth of it.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

I usually call my first "real" attempt at writing my NaNo (Nanowrimo) 2009 piece, which incidentally became my Jane novella series (the first book of it, anyway). But if I really think back, I have another vampire novel that has maybe five chapters and was inspired by Underworld. I should hunt that down and see if it's salvageable.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I've always been told I'm a good writer, and I did well in English, when I put in the effort. But the first time I thought "Maybe this would be a good career" was just before NaNo 2010 when I was plotting. I thought, "This is fun, I enjoy it, I wonder if I could do it full-time." I didn't decide to go it "alone", aka: self-publish, until February or March of this year (I wrote a blog about my decision process, so I won't bore you with it here), and after that is when I truly started to feel like a writer.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I would probably meet Jane. She's snarky and can kick some major butt. She's also a lot like me, if I were an awesome vampire assassin chick, of course.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl/boy (they kinda scream the same anyway). What's on the doorstep?

A copy of Star Wars: Galaxies *shudders at the thought*

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Thanks for stopping by and sharing with us, Samantha! For more of Samantha and her writing, be sure to check out her Web site, www.samantha-warren.com.

See you on Thursday, when my guest will be Robert Lamb!

The Same Six Questions - Michael Parker

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hi there and welcome back to The Same Six Questions! My guest today is an author who has been published several times over. Give a warm welcome to Michael Parker!

Hello, Andy. I have been married to Pat for 51 years now. We have four sons and ten grandchildren. We have lived in Spain for fourteen years now, but are planning to return to the UK. I’m a Londoner. My wife is from Portsmouth. We met when my family moved down there. Pat was fourteen, I was fifteen. My hobbies are writing (naturally), snooker (I play every week), football (don’t play: too old), Speedway (500cc. bikes but I’m not a rider!), and keyboard playing. Pat and I are born again Christians and attend a Christian fellowship here in Spain where I played keyboard for the last seven years or so. We live in a lovely villa with superb views across the countryside, but like a lot of pensioners, we think it’s time to downsize and spend the kids’ inheritance.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

My first novel, North Slope, was published in 1980 by Macmillan of London. I have since had six more novels published by Robert Hale of London; the same publisher who will be releasing my next book, The Boy From Berlin in December this year.

North Slope is about a small oil company drilling for oil on the North Slope of Alaska. There is a killer loose on the camp who is determined to stop the company finding oil. In the bitter cold of the Arctic slope, Fyffe Oil battles against time and a ruthless murderer in an attempt to find oil before their licence, and their money runs out. All the big oil companies have left because they consider conditions are not right and the oil is too deep. The owner, Andrew Fyffe, knows there is only one man who can replace his chief driller who has been murdered, and that man, McKinnon is a drunk and a dropout. But he’s the finest wildcatter in the game. McKinnon is dragged from a bar in Juneau by a giant of an Indian called Skookum and flown up to the rig where he must battle against the elements and a ruthless, determined killer.

The story is inspired by the fact that Atlantic Richfield discovered oil on the slope in 1968. All the big hitters had left the area and stored their equipment at Prudhoe Bay for the winter. Richfield had six weeks to find oil. They called their well ‘The Last Chance’, and the rest, as they say, is history.
NORTH SLOPE is also available on Amazon in paperback. I have also released A Covert War and will have Roselli's Gold available soon.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

It was probably in my late teens. I was always happy to write compositions and essays at school. The English language never fazed me, and I always marvelled at how some of my favourite writers could keep me spellbound with the way in which they wove their stories.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

My first attempt at a full length novel was when I was in my twenties. It was called The Perforated Edge, and was about an assassination attempt on the West German Chancellor. It was a poor effort. I was stationed in Germany at the time, hence the subject matter. My sister typed the manuscript up for me. Strangely, she came across it when she moved house a couple of years ago and sent it to me. That was forty years after it was written. I read through it and realised that I had a long way to go (at the time). I still have it.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

As a young adult, I always assumed that only the ‘educated’ people could write books. They all spoke ‘posh’ and had been to university. I left school with no qualifications and lived on a Council estate. It wasn’t until I had been married a year or so that I realised I had the talent, and it didn’t need a university education or an upper class upbringing to write stories. Even though my first attempt fell at the first and subsequent hurdles, I never gave up.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Hannah Bowers of Hell's Gate. When I created her, I based her on a well-known, attractive, no, gorgeous, ballerina. Trouble is; I don’t think my wife would like me to meet her!

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Another bloody rejection!

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Thanks for sharing with us today, Michael! For more of Michael and his writing, be sure to check out his Web sites (www.michaeljparker.com and www.acclaimedbooks.com).

Be sure to stop back on Monday when my guest will be Samantha Warren.

The Same Six Questions - Ruth Barrett

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:45:00 +0000

Welcome back to The Same Six Questions! Give a warm welcome to today's guest, Ruth Barrett! In her own words:

Ruth Barrett was born in Pointe Claire, Quebec, and now makes her home in Stratford, Ontario. Between then and now, she studied English Literature at Trent University and the University of Leeds, and classical acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Ruth pursued an acting career in Toronto where her love of the stage saw her perform in everything from Shakespeare to sketch comedy, eventually settling into voice-over work. Transforming herself into a writer has provided a rewarding new way for her to explore character and spin tales. Ruth has published numerous short stories in various anthologies and periodicals, and she formed her own Spirited Words Book Co. in Summer of 2011. In her spare time (HA!), she enjoys theatre, live music, wine, food and friends.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Base Spirits is my first novel. If you like ghost stories with a dash of history and a theatrical twist, this may be your cuppa tea (at Smashwords and on Kindle; also available in paperback in local Stratford, Ontario bookshops: Callan Books and Fanfare.).

‘Murder has took this chamber with full hands
And will ne’er out as long as the house stands.’
~A Yorkshire Tragedy, Act I, Sc. v

In 1605, Sir Walter Calverley’s murderous rampage leaves a family shattered. The killer suffers a torturous execution… but is it truly the end? A noble Yorkshire house stands forever tarnished by blood and possessed by anguished spirits.

Some crimes are so horrific, they reverberate through the centuries.

As an unhappy modern couple vacation in the guesthouse at Calverley Old Hall, playwright Clara, and her scholar husband, Scott, unwittingly awaken a dark history. Clara is trapped and forced back in time to bear witness to a family’s bloody saga. Overtaken by the malevolent echoes, Scott is pushed over the edge from possessive husband to wholly possessed…

Inspired by a true-life drama in Shakespeare’s day, this is itself a play within a play: a supernatural thriller with a historical core.

Only one player can survive.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

When I was very young, I used to play out elaborate scenarios with my dolls and stuffed animals as well as my friends. The story-lines could span several days. My mother read to me a lot from day one, and I started writing my own stories down as soon as I learned how to write. Apparently a teacher in Grade 2 got in touch with my mother asking if the story I'd written for class was actually by her-- she thought it was too good for a young child to have written!

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

The first long piece I remember writing was when I was 12 or so-- I loved the TV show M*A*S*H*, so I wrote my own ongoing original 'script' for it, but it was in more of a fiction format as I knew nothing about how to compose a real TV script. I hand-wrote it on a stack of oversized yellow paper, and I'm sure it was well over 150 pages. I think I still have it in a box in the back of the closet somewhere.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I never thought I couldn't write. Maybe that's the key!

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

The Base Spirits gang are in turn terrified, depressed, drunk, possessed, insane, trapped, murdered, tortured and humiliated--it's a bit of a tough choice! All things considered, Emma Thornbury is a pretty cool lady. She's warm, intelligent, generous, sexy, funny and an awesome cook. I think she'd be excellent company. I like the main character of Clara too, but she has a lot of baggage.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

A federal Conservative candidate going door-to-door. Terrifying!

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So nice of you to share with us, Ruth! For more of Ruth and her writing, check out her blog, Twitter page, and Facebook page.

The Same Six Questions - Borislava Borissova

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:46:00 +0000

Welcome to a special weekend edition of The Same Six Questions! I've got a pretty straightforward process for keeping track of interviewees, but I never said it was flawless. ;) Welcome today, Borislava Borissova!

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Affairs of The Heart is my second published book (also in paperback). It comprises two novellas, the contemporary love drama "The Last Secrets of The Ancient Island" and the historical love drama "A Love In Time of War”. In the two love-dramas lives all passion I have for history and adventures, time-traveling and thrillers, mysteries and great love.

In "The Last Secrets of The Ancient Island," a series of mishaps in an old town casts suspicion on a number of residents. Provoking changes in an adopted practice of the underground world to put hands on the worthy relics, a young graduate of a university proves the last mysteries of ancient sights in the nearby National Park are yet unexplored by historians and archaeologists. Facing professional adventure he comes along personal secret of his older brother, along whom appears an unknown driver, who has a tragic motivation to take his and another life. We were born alone, we die alone, but life is our chance to live in love. If we don’t lose the chance, if know why love is the most desired legend in our life.

In "A Love In Time of War” first they faced the war… the love followed later. Peace was somewhere in between. One day he could have killed her on the other side of the front, on the next day he fell in love and what would happen in the day after it? All efforts to remain enemies appeared to be in vain. The borderline between their ability to hate or to love appeared a thin one. Differences abound in cultures, religions, languages, traditions and so on but a young Bulgarian girl and a Turkish officer met many more obstacles to overcome. Kidnapping her or escaping together provoking political scandal between the warring countries? His life had become like a Byron’s passionate poem and he entered in it madly and bravely. The war became past, the past became history and through the years only love is still alive in a very beautiful tale to remember.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

In my childhood I started with verses. I still love poetry, love interesting stories and legends, adventures that take us through the ages and help us to experience countless earthly and celestial places. I hope I am good telling them to others. But when the last sentence is written; the pages are wrapped with beautiful covers in warm colors… I have a strange feeling. There is a sense of sadness because the journey with these heroes and their story is over.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

You could not believe me but it is published already, my first book. I wrote it since my young years and in 2010 The Starlight Prince walked along humans on the planet Earth. Of course, the final version of the story is very different from what I had started long time ago.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I have never lived with the thought “I can do this.” In my case it is always the sense “I need to write, I want to write.” Unfortunately there are still moments when I ask myself "to write or not to write"; "to start a new book or never start a new book"... But I believe that when one loves to do something - to climb mountains, to play a game of soccer or to write - he or she just does it because of the pleasure and despite the result. Of course, there is a thought about success in everyone.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Once I saw a Russian play at a theatre. Its playwright claimed there is a tunnel, a gap in the time and it is there that the writers meet their characters. That evening I thought I would like to meet my characters in real life if it was possible. I would love having them among my friends. I am thankful to my imagination because it had created them. They have been my very friendly company during the long and sometimes boring hours of writing.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl/boy (they kinda scream the same anyway). What's on the doorstep?

I smile, it is very similar to a scene from The Starlight Prince:

Being outside on the threshold The Starlight Prince did not hear the scream going from inside nor saw at that moment that a small bell over the grand door of the castle started moving slightly, its pendulum swaying to and fro while simultaneously, a similar but larger bell over the heavy door of the nearby family burial vault began swaying along with it as if measuring time, too.

The starry boy had an ear only for the ominous voice of the storm, the gale and the wind. He stared into the steadily falling snowflakes to pick out who opened the door but nothing was visible. Harassed by the blizzard, he bravely entered into it as the greatest adventure of his young life to seek a help or to face menace from the habitants. Once inside, his scared shadow snaked over the walls.

He found no one.

Why and how he heard the scream was a mystery. There was no sign of life, except the fact that everything was in perfect order.

In that moment, the bell above the vault turned round its axis and darkness crept out around it. Some intangible steps led out.

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Thanks so much for sharing with us, Borislava! For more of Borislava and her work, be sure to check out her Web site, Facebook page, Twitter page, and Goodreads profile.

Thanks for stopping by! See you soon!

The Same Six Questions - Caddy Rowland

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:31:00 +0000

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2012 and all that it has to offer! Today's guest on The Same Six Questions is Caddy Rowland. Welcome!

Thanks, Andy! I am a writer from Minnesota who is married to her high school sweetheart. I would love to live somewhere much warmer, but my husband is Minnesotan through and through. I kinda like him, so here we are. We are owned by two parrots, who do talk.

For fun, I love to read, write, paint, hike, walk, enjoy nature (but NOT camping), play Texas Hold 'Em, movies, and just kick back with friends.

When I lost my job in February of 2011 it gave me the opportunity to try to make a go at truly becoming an "indie". I have to tell you, the book formatting was a challenge for me. I don't think with that side of my brain at all.

I have always been a nonconformist and into art. Many times I feel that I have landed on the wrong planet, but I do have a lot of great friends who put up with me, even though I can be quite bizarre. Even a few family members put up with me!

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

Yes, I published my first novel on August 1, 2011. Gastien Part 1; The Cost of the Dream (Kindle, Nook, and paperback) is a drama/romance that takes place in France during the late nineteenth century. It will be a series of at least four novels. This series is not a “typical” romance and is enjoyed by men as well as women.

Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream is about Gastien's coming of age, his horrible struggles to become an artist after leaving an abusive home, and learning to become the greatest lover in France. That was not hard to do. For the most part, men did not care if women enjoyed sex during that time period. Gastien wanted to make sure they did.

I released the second book in the series, Gastien Part 2: From Dream to Destiny on December 13th 2011 (Kindle, Nook, and paperback).

Gastien Part 2: From Dream to Destiny takes off where Part 1 left off. It has the “big” romance in it. However, be forewarned that Gastien was a true nonconformist. He stayed true to that and this romance reflects that. It is not at all a typical romance, but Gastien finds himself loved in spite of his terms.

Part 3 of the Gastien series will come out in the spring of 2012.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I had always wanted to write fiction, ever since I was in grade school. I had a stack of books that reached almost to the ceiling before I started kindergarten! Books have always been my best friends.

Through the years, I started and quit several stories. Life just seemed too busy! Then, I got breast cancer about 1 1/2 years ago. I am now fine, they caught it very early...but it really brought home the fact that if something is important to you then don't wait until "later" to do it.

So, in November of 2010 I promised I would write for at least an hour a day, five days a week, no matter what. That opened the whole world of writing for me, one that I always wanted to be a part of, but had never been disciplined enough to join.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

It was a book for children, titled One Little Snowflake. I am a painter, so I also did all of the illustrations for it. Although it is not a lengthy book, the time put into it was lengthy because of all of the paintings.

It is about the circle of life, and it is meant for children with terminal illness, although adults with terminal illness would benefit from it, too. Spring is coming, and the little snowflake is melting. He is scared and does not understand why winter has to end. An icicle helps him understand how we pass on the gift of life over and over through dying.

I wrote it about twelve years ago. I just gave up on it, and I don't know why! I am waiting to hear from a publishing company about it right now. Someday, I may self publish it, if it does not get picked up somewhere else.

Right now, though, I have all of the Gastien Series in my head, and a couple other adult fiction novels that I started and stopped, waiting to be finished.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

In junior high, I wrote a lot of poetry. I always felt I could write, but...you know...fear...self doubt...

I did some past life regressions in August 2010 and that opened up creative doors for me. I was filled with an urgent need to tell this story. When I sat down in November of 2010 and the words just came faster than my hands could type, I knew I was supposed to write.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

Gastien. I would love his talent for painting! I can paint, but that man COULD PAINT! He was one in a million, one of those who could see things in a way others had never thought of yet.

Life was cruel to him in many ways. I would love to let him know how valuable, how wonderful he was. Not just for his looks and painting. He was worthwhile just as a human being. Not many communicated that to him.

Still, he was very good looking. He would be lovely to look at daily. My husband would possibly feel different about having young Gastien around, though.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Dead parrots. Since we have two parrots, I used to have a fear that someone would break in and do something violent to them. About that time, I quit reading horror novels, at least for the most part.

__________________________________

Yikes! Thanks for sharing with us today, Caddy! You can keep up with Caddy on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog.

Remember, new indie authors every Monday and Thursday! See you next week!

The Same Six Questions - Chrystalla Thoma

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:40:00 +0000

Welcome to this final Same Six Questions interview of 2011! What a long strange year it's been! Today's guest is science fiction author Chrystalla Thoma. Welcome!

Hi Andy! Yes, my name is Chrystalla Thoma, and I’m a Greek Cypriot. Bouzouki music is part of my upbringing, as is smashing plates and drinking ouzo. I own no cats (alas! not yet), I drive a hybrid energy car (Toyota Prius!) and currently work as a freelance translator. I studied languages and speak 5 of them (Greek, English, French, German and Spanish). My favorite cuisine is Indian/Thai, and I am addicted to chilies, especially jalapenos!

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

I am very pleased to say I recently published Rex Rising, a Young Adult, Science Fiction novel (available exclusively on Amazon and free to Amazon Prime members). The story is about Elei, a young aircar driver in a world where parasites create new human races. He leads a peaceful life — until a mysterious attack on his boss sends him fleeing with a bullet in his side. Pursued for a secret he does not possess and with the fleet at his heels, he has but one thought: to stay alive. His pursuers aren’t inclined to sit down and talk, although that’s not the end of Elei’s troubles. The two powerful parasites inhabiting his body, at a balance until now, choose this moment to bring him down, leaving Elei with no choice but to trust in people he hardly knows in a mad race against time. It won’t be long before he realizes he must find out this deadly secret – a secret that might change the fate of his world and everything he has ever known – or die trying.

I am currently writing the sequel and have published a novelette set in the same world.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I think I was about ten when I made my first pathetic attempts at writing stories, but it wasn’t until I was thirteen or so that I wrote my first novel and the idea lodged itself in my head that I would work as a writer when I grew up. A few years later, I was told firmly that being an author is not a job, and that I should get my head down from the clouds and think of studying for a real job. Duh. This I did, and only found myself revisiting my dream long years later. I still work doing other “real” jobs, but I do hope some day soon to make my childhood dream come true and become a full time writer.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

Oh, yes I still have it! I wrote it when I was twelve, and it’s a (hold your breath) 700 page, medieval fantasy novel! Unfortunately, my mother tells me it’s my best piece of fiction so far :( I hope that isn’t true, lol.) It’s a wordy epic following the adventures of Taran, a young man, across a country heading to war, told from multiple points of view, with head-hopping and lots of telling, including also many Tolkienesque poems and songs. I am saving it because it really was a turning point for me as a writer. After all, I proved to myself I could write a novel, which was an amazing thing. It is handwritten and I even made a cover for it back then! (I guess I always was an Indie at heart...)

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

When I was sixteen, I wrote a short fantasy novel (in Greek) which won the national young author prize in Cyprus and was published. I guess that was the first time I ever saw my words published in a book, and it was a great moment. But I still didn’t think I could ever be a professional writer. I think my reluctance to accept my true “writerly” nature also comes with my geographic origin: I used to write in Greek, and I’m not even sure there are any professional writers in Greece. Maybe they are – but just how many copies can you sell to 11 million people, most of whom don’t ever read fantasy and science-fiction?

So, to finally answer your question, I guess my first “I can do this!” moment came when I started having short stories (in English) accepted in literary journals and my YA Urban Fantasy Dioscuri was accepted for publication by MuseItUp publishing last year. That was a revelation.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

This is a tough one... I guess it would be Kalaes, from my novel Rex Rising. I admit I find him fascinating, and he’s, well, quite handsome... *blushes* You know, he’s got this wild black hair and two longer, braided strands hanging on one side, and gorgeous dark eyes, and a wide grin, and lots of tattoos. But he’s too young for me, unfortunately (only about 19 years old) – and I also don’t want to cheat on my husband who is my favorite person in the whole world!

Kalaes is a very intriguing character. He’s been through a lot in his past, but he hides his traumas behind a cheerful facade and won’t talk about it (not even to me!), so I need to get him out of his shell and have a long discussion with me. I really need to get to know him better because I’m also writing his story, which forms a prequel of sorts to Rex Rising.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

*wonders what would make her do that* Hm. Legolas? Aragorn? Brad Pitt as Achilles? No, wait, you said “scream” not “squeal”. I got it now, lol:

It’s a snake. A huge, undulating, hissing snake. I have a deeply-seated fear of snakes and all slithering things, including fish and worms. They used to haunt my dreams a lot in the past, now they’re either gone, or I don’t remember my dreams anymore. Which is just as well. :)

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Thanks for stopping by today, Chrystalla! For more of Chrystalla's writing, be sure to check out her blog, Facebook Page, Twitter, and Google+. Be sure to check out the trailer for her book here.

My first guest of the New Year will be Borislava Borissova! See you on the other side!

The Same Six Questions - C.R. Paynton

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:05:00 +0000

Happy Boxing Day to my Canadian and British readers! Happy post-traumatic Christmas recovery Day to my American readers. And, welcome to another edition of The Same Six Questions. Today's guest is fantasy author C.R. Paynton. Welcome!

Thanks, Andy! I am from British Columbia, Canada, and I live in the Rocky Mountains where I work as a police officer. When I am not writing, I enjoy hiking, working out, eating organic food, spending time with my girlfriend, family and crazy dog, snowboarding and reading.

The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

I have published my first book, Wolf Guard Encroaching Dark which is a fantasy about a wolf shape shifter who is destined to lead the Druid people of the forests to victory against a demon Vampire and his Troll armies. The novel is filled with battles, magic, and a little bit of romance. In addition to Amazon, the book is currently available for Nook and other ereader formats and is available in print as well! The second novel in the series, Wolf Guard Unleashing the Underworld is also set to be released very soon!

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I believe my desire to be a writer started when I was around 7 years old. I had come home from school after either reading a certain book or hearing about an author (I cannot recall) and decided I would make my own picture book. I ended up writing and illustrating the book which was about a boy and a dog. Since then I have written in my spare time for fun. It was only recently that I decided I would make an attempt to become a published author.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

There have been far too many to count! I have had the horrible tendency in the past to start a piece and then never finish it, thus I had a number of partially completed pieces that have since disappeared! I have written a number of short stories although those as well are unaccounted for!

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I believe the realization came one night as I was searching for a good novel to read online. I remember sitting back and saying to myself “Why don’t I create my own novel?”

After that I set a goal for myself to write a chapter as often as I could and before I knew it I had accomplished my goal of writing a novel! After completing the novel and going through the publishing process I realized how much I truly enjoyed every second of it and knew that it was what I wanted to do.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I think I would like to meet Hershel, he is one of the more important characters of my novel and I happen to think we would get along quite well. He is a stag though so I would have to make sure I brushed up on my ability to speak to animals…

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

A person holding my novel with a marker asking for an autograph…I am screaming out of excitement.

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Thanks so much for sharing! For more of C.R. Paynton, check out his blog and Twitter page.

I hope this holiday season finds you well. Be sure to stop back on Thursday when my guest will be Chrystalla Thoma. See you then!

Top Six of the Same Six - 2011 - Favorite Covers

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Mulraney) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Merry Christmas! The last of my Top Six from the Same Six Awards (from my Same Six Questions interview series) go to my favorite covers. Of the 45+ authors who graced my blog this year, these covers stood out the most. Winners are listed in no particular order. Click on the author's name to read the original interview.

1. Jennifer Rainey

2. Annette Lyon

3. Jennifer Chase

4. Ruth Madison

5. Nancy Fulda

6. Bill Grasso

I hope you've enjoyed my little end-of-year top 6 recap series. I'm looking forward to meeting more indie authors in the coming year. I wish you a happy and healthy Holiday and New Year.

If you missed any of the other awards, check them out here and here. ;-D