Interview with author Sarah Whelan

It is my great pleasure to host an interview on the blog today with author Sarah Whelan, with whom I had the privilege of working on her debut novel, The Struggle Within, an adult contemporary novel about a prison counselor who finds herself the unwitting instigator of a prison riot. Her book is currently available in paperback and ebook formats on Lulu and Amazon.

Congratulations on publishing your first book, Sarah! Thank you for making time in your busy schedule to do this interview. First things first: what was your inspiration for The Struggle Within?
Thank you, Sione. I appreciate the opportunity to introduce your readers to my debut novel. The concept for this book came from my love of stories with strong female characters and my lifelong ambition to understand and relate to people with diverse backgrounds. Since my work and interests revolve around the criminal justice system, the experiences of prisoners and the counselors who support them are particularly captivating.

I envisioned a situation where a well-meaning but idealistic advocate might inadvertently inspire a powerful, strong-minded prisoner to use violence to force the system change. This is exactly what happens to my protagonist Beth Sharpe and the formidable José Ayala.

Interview with D Gilman Wakeli

Happy book birthday to How to NOT Write a Book, a nonfiction book about the myriad ways we create obstacles between our creative imaginations and the page! I'm thrilled to welcome the author, D Gilman Wakeli, back to the blog today for an interview about the book and her writing process.

Congratulations on publishing your first book! Tell us about that intriguing title: Why a book about *not* writing? 
I’d studied a lot—an entire universe full of a lot—about *how to* write. But *not* writing was the truth of my writing experience. Not writing wasn’t the defining fact about me, thank goodness, or I wouldn’t be here. But I had unknowingly created a cluster of mis-perceptions about myself and writing that lived inside me as unappeasable ghosts, and left me struggling and over-thinking and not writing. I was tired of trying to figure out how to write. Tired of mentally struggling to make words up then pressure them onto a page only to later destroy them or leave them abandoned. I had lost the ability to write simply, with purpose and intent. When I determined to write again, I had a growing sense of how those internal perceptions operated inside me and manipulated me into not writing. But no matter how distorted my perceptions were, my experience of not writing was honest. It came as a wonderful surprise, a paradox really, that when I started exploring everything I was doing to not write, words came, and in a purposeful way, a way they hadn’t come before, and I wrote those words down. I took those purposeful words as a sign that this was it. Ether write this idea about not writing all the way to the end, or STFU already.

Guest post: How author Maree Miller defines success as a writer

Where I am in my Writing Career
Early stages of my next novel. I studied an anthropology major, and so I’m drawn to historical fiction exploring different cultural perspectives. This sort of stuff is research intensive, but it’s what gives me tingles down the spine - which means I'll probably stick with it for a while.

What being a Successful Writer Means to Me
Well obviously once I am so rich from the bajillions of books I plan to sell I can employ a slew of ghost writers. Then I will spend my days perched on gold throne.

I won't have to do a thing, apart from give the occasional direction.

"TYPE FASTER, UNDERLINGS."

Haha.

No.

Guest post: How author Nancy Christie defines success as a writer

“Success.” Now there’s something that most, if not all, writers think of, yearn for and at times doubt their ability to achieve. And when Sione asked me how I define success as a writer—a question I always ask writers when I interview them!—I came up with more questions than answers.

For one thing, defining success implies that there is a yardstick out there against which you can measure your own achievement. But whose yardstick is it: the reading public, reviewers, your own?

And what are the tick marks on that yardstick: number of sales, amount of income or royalties, size of fan base or following, number of pages written or writing projects completed, regardless of published status?

So what does make me feel successful as a writer—specifically as a fiction writer? What measuring stick do I use?

My definition of success as a writer

Since deciding to make writing a much bigger part of my life two and a half years ago, a few of my poems, short stories and creative nonfiction pieces have been published. I'm currently working on a collection of short speculative fiction stories and two books of poetry, which I haven't yet decided whether to self-publish or query. In addition, I've self-published three novellas and a collection of short stories under my pseudonym, with another novel and a few short stories on the way in the first half of 2015.

But getting my work out there isn't enough for me. For me, success as a writer is about money, influence, and growth.

Guest post: How author Scott Burtness defines success as a writer

Am I a successful author? I have no frickin’ idea. Honestly, I still have trouble deciding if I’m actually an author. At the moment, I have one novel finished (Wisconsin Vamp), a sequel on the way (working title, The Book that Comes After Wisconsin Vamp That I Really Need to Get Done, Dammit!), and a sci-fi short story that’s been shortlisted for an upcoming anthology. Seems like I should be able to say with some confidence, “Yep. I’m an author,” but I haven’t rounded that corner yet. For the most part, writing and all the marketing I’ve done to promote myself and my work has just been something fun to do while drinking coffee.

You see, writing was never a dream of mine. I’m pretty sure that when the teacher asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said, “astronaut,” or, “the guy in the coffee commercials.” I remember these commercials featuring a guy that was all rugged-handsome and dressed in a heavy, cable knit sweater, who travelled the world and took amazing pictures of amazing places. In the commercials, he’d bump into some nice family and they’d invite him in for a cup of instant coffee. I wanted to be that guy, or an astronaut. But a writer? Never crossed my young mind.

Guest post: How author Ebony Williams defines success as a writer

The guest post series about success as a writer continues today with a contribution by radio personality and author Ebony Williams.

"It’s not about how many words are on a page, or how lengthy your book is, or whether you’ve put out tens to hundreds of books...." So then how does Ebony, who is on the verge of self-publishing her third novel, define success for herself as a writer? Read on to find out.

I wrote my first book when I was six. My mother found it the other day and was talking to me about it, laughing about the subject and hand drawn illustrations. It was about 30-35 pages, but for a six year old that’s not bad. I slowly started to fall in love with poetry, the art of making it rhyme and then not rhyming brought on a new sense of creativity for me.

Guest post: How author Ruthanne Reid defines success as a writer

Science fantasy author Ruthanne Reid has three novels out - The Sundered (which is a great read, btw), The Christmas Dragon, and Strings - all with high ratings on Amazon; a fourth on the way, Notte; and a slew of short stories available on her website.

But none of that matters. Read on to find out why.

How author Ruthanne Reid Defines Success as a Writer

Contentment.

That's cheating, perhaps, to use one word, but it's true. Let me explain.

When I started this whole writing thing, I really had no idea how publishing worked. I wanted to write, find an agent, and then see my books on the shelf at Barnes & Noble, where they would inspire potential movie deals and copious amounts of fanfic.

Interview with E. S. Gibson

I met Liz through her aunt and uncle, who had invited me over for dinner one night. A self-possessed, intelligent young woman of fifteen, she was introduced to me as a writer. "Do you have something I can read?" I asked her. She did. The first few pages of her novella, Splinter. I started reading silently and was soon laughing out loud, at which point I insisted on reading aloud to the whole party. The narrator was intelligent, emotional and charming in a self-deprecating, self-aware way, perhaps a bit like Bridget Jones or like Iris in the movie The Holiday (played by Kate Winslet).

Fast forward a year or two to November 2014, and Liz - after much work - has self-published Splinter, a young adult speculative fiction novella. But I'll let her tell you more about that in her interview, which I'm honored to bring you today.

Congratulations on publishing your first book! Will you tell us a little bit about it?
Splinter follows the story of a girl caught in the web of a corrupt, futuristic entertainment industry. The whole idea is that as the outside world falls apart, so does the inside. Although most of the plot takes place inside the movie, one can determine what’s going on behind the scenes by watching the events that unfold in Eve’s world. A lot of the content in the movie may seem meaningless and sporadic, and sometimes just downright wrong (believe me, Bathos’s scenes were no cakewalk to write), but I encourage readers compare the subject matter to that which is seen in film today—I think many will find it eerily reflective.

How author Kiersi Burkhart defines success as a writer

It's been a big year for my friend Kiersi Burkhart (aka the Prolific Novelista), co-author of the middle-grade series Second Chance Ranch. Not only did the series, which she co-writes with her friend Amber J. Keyser, get picked up by publishers in both the U.S. and Europe, but she also signed on with agent Fiona Kenshole at Transatlantic Agency. To many an aspiring author, this sounds like the Holy Grail of writerly success. Does Kiersi consider it won and done? Read on to find out!

How do you define success for yourself as a writer? How do you know when you're successful?
For me, success is writing for a living—subsidizing my life with my work and being able to write (and do all my blogging, social media, promo, etc.) full time. At least, that's what it looks like from this vantage point; I think what counts as "success" tends to change according to where you are in the process. A while ago, "success" was having a book contract. I imagine in a few years, my idea of what makes success will change again. I'm excited for that.

Is it something achieved and done with, or does it have to be maintained?
I think success is always evolving. In my version, it needs to be maintained, because one needs an ongoing income in order to survive; so just one book deal isn't going to cut it long term, unless your book somehow magically sells gangbusters forever. (I am prepared for this should it happen!) 

How author Kristen Strassel defines success as a writer

Over the last few years, I've self-published three books under pseudonym and have had some of my short stories, a poem and a creative nonfiction piece published under my own name. Not bad. But I don't feel successful as a writer. Which has led me to ask: How does one define success as a writer?

Obviously there's no one right answer to this question; it depends on the writer, why they write and what their goals are. For today's guest, Kristen Strassel, "[s]uccess is a moving target." By the end of the year, Kristen will have published seven books, with more on the way next year. This on top of a demanding day job. What drives her and when will it be enough? Read on to find out.

How do you define success as a writer?
This is a great question, and it’s not easy to answer. Every writer is going to have a different answer. For me, right now, it’s to have people reading and enjoying my books.

But that wasn’t always the answer. As I worked on the first book, it was to just get it done. I’d tried so many times to write a complete book and failed about a quarter of the way through. After that, it was to get it out in the world. Writing the book the fun part. It’s after you finish the first draft that the rules kick in. Revisions and editing. Traditional or Indie? I’ve become a very strong advocate of independent publishing. It was the right path for me.

Interview with writer Aaron Simon

Today I'm happy to welcome my friend and fellow writer Aaron Simon on the blog. (Don't let the grumpy face fool you; he's actually a very kind person. But we won't let on that we know that...)

I met Aaron through a former roommate when he first moved to Portland nearly a year ago. Aaron was a recent transplant from Nashville, but he'd also lived other places, including England, where he earned his Master's in Creative Writing at the University of Kent.

An enlightening anecdote about Aaron: While in his Master's program he wrote, directed and acted in a 20-minute spoof werewolf film. The part of the werewolf was played by a friend's dog (footage of the dog playing, rolling over, panting, etc). The part of the military personnel and innocent victims were played mainly by non-native speakers of English whose dialog was incredibly difficult to follow. And if memory serves, there actually was no protagonist, only extras. I believe this was all intentional.

Which is all to say that Aaron Simon has a sense of humor that is evident in his work. Gotta love that.

And now to the interview!

What do you write? 
I write bodice-rippers set in 13th century France (of course, it wasn't quite France then, but you get my drift), centered around the abbot of Cluny and a local peasant's daughter, Marguerite, who... Nah, just kiddin. I don't have a specific genre - or medium, for that matter - but I tend toward magical realism and short stories. Throwing spirit-possessed dogs into the mundane, conversations with muses, long-dead prophets trying to get through Immigration, that sort of thing.

Thematically, one of my profs called my style "utopian nihilism." Essentially: Camus, but with jokes! There's no point to life, so why not have fun with it - and make the world as good a place - as much as you can?
 

Crowdfunding interview with Janine A. Southard

a guest post by Andrea Scovel (@AndreaScovel1)

How did you decide that your project would be good candidate for crowdfunding?  
Aren’t all creative projects good candidates for crowdfunding?
 
Less facetiously, my recent professional background has all been in gaming. (I’ve worked in creative content for a variety of Seattle game companies since 2008.) Crowdfunding has exploded for the gaming community, and hearing those stories inspired me to try the same.
 
Plus, there’s very little risk with choosing to crowdfund a project. If you don’t make your monetary goals, you haven’t lost anything. If you do make them, you’re financially better off. Either way, people who will be interested in your project have heard of your name and your work!
 
How did you decide what to include in your budget?
My first project: I included EVERYTHING I could think of. And then I learned that first-timers with no audience can’t expect to make a lot of money. (I see this a lot on Kickstarter, actually. There are always people asking me for advice reaching their goals, and the goal is $100K for their first picture book, and I’m like, “be realistic.”)

Interview with author Jeanie Grey

a guest post by Andrea Scovel (@AndreaScovel1)

I’m so excited to announce that this week I was able to interview feminist romance author Jeanie Grey. Jeanie takes romance to a new level with her vampire series, The Lilly Frank trilogy. I love how she created a strong female character that has a heart for social issues. The depth of her characters - paired with a steamy, fantastical plot line - is a recipe for a compelling story. Even if you’re not into romance, her books are still worth a read. Read on to find out some of her secrets.

When did you decide that you wanted to write books?

I’ve been writing stories since kindergarten, but it was only in 2012 that I decided to get serious about it and just make it happen already. I found the prospect of finishing and publishing a book really daunting because I’m never satisfied with what I write, but I also knew that if I didn’t write something and publish it anyway, despite its flaws, I’d never move beyond my perfectionism paralysis. So I finished & published Awakening.

Why romance?

Introducing Andrea Scovel, my intern!

I have an intern! *happy dance, happy dance!*

Photo by Stephanie Richey

It is with great pleasure and much excitement that I introduce Andrea Scovel. Andrea, an English Literature and Writing major with a concentration in Creative Writing at Marylhurst University, is an aspiring freelance writer and author of children's and young adult fiction. She lives in the Portland, Oregon area with her husband and three children. Andrea will be working with me over the next couple of months to bring you a series of blog posts about writing and indie publishing. Some of the topics we've discussed so far include:

• The low-down on distributing your ebook through Smashwords
• Crowdfunding your book project
• Options for self-publishing a print book (as opposed to ebook)
• Writing fellowships and residencies open to emerging writers
• And more!

So be sure to keep an eye out for Andrea's guests posts, coming once a week starting this Monday, April 28, with a post about distributing your ebook through Smashwords.

I feel that no introduction on this blog would be complete without at least a brief interview so you can hear Andrea's voice yourself. Read on to find out more about what she writes, what she reads, and whether she'd take ten million dollars to never write another word in her life.

Interview with author Kristen Strassel

This week's interview is with my friend Kristen Strassel, whom I met on Twitter. Kristen is one half of The Undead Duo who runs deadlyeverafter.com, the other half being Julie Hutchings, whom I interviewed back in July.

I love Kristen not only because she and Julie helped introduce me to some important writing communities on Twitter and have supported my writing on their blog but also because her tweets are interesting and often hilarious. Unlike some authors on Twitter who are just there to push out tweets about their writing, Kristen engages with people and interacts as a whole, real person.

And so it brings me great pleasure to present Kristen's interview, in which she talks about her books, her unorthodox approach to self-publishing, her marketing strategies, her writing process, and more. Enjoy!

Interview with author Dylan J. Morgan

I met Dylan J. Morgan the same way I meet a lot of my author friends these days: through Twitter. Dylan is a Kiwi who was raised in the U.K. and now lives in Norway; a prolific indie horror author - he has nine books out, including his newest, Flesh, which he just released on January 11th - who's supportive of other indie authors; and an all-around nice person.

Thus, it is my pleasure today to bring you the following interview, wherein Dylan reveals where his story ideas come from, why he self-publishes, and how he markets his work, among other deep, dark secrets. (Okay, maybe not so deep or dark, but he's a horror author. I'm trying to create a mood here, people.)

*Ahem* The interview. *Spooky noises in the dark*

What possesses you to write horror? 
I write horror because it’s an exciting genre and one that encompasses all others. I feel it’s the only genre where you can get away with including horror (obviously), mystery, thriller elements, science fiction (to a point), romance, and erotica. It’s easy to add humor to horror—the genre is so versatile, and even though I classify myself a horror writer I don’t feel my stories are limited by any boundaries.

Interview with author Tuna Cole

This week I'm pleased to bring you an interview with Tuna Cole, a friend and fellow self-published author living in Portland. In his interview, Tuna explains why he chose to go the self-publication route, why he chose to publish with Lulu, what the consequences are to publishing a book with two different covers (one on the front and one upside down on the back), and much more.

Enjoy!

For those readers of this blog who are unfamiliar with your work, would you please briefly describe the three books you have out so far? 

Oregon Book Award finalists

Jay Ponteri

Woot! Woot! Today I was excited to find out that friends of the blog Jay Ponteri and Scott Nadelson are both finalists for the Oregon Book Award for Creative Nonfiction. Congratulations, Jay and Scott! And congrats to their publisher, Hawthorne Books!

And in case you haven't read my interviews with them yet:

Scott Nadelson

Interview with author Jay Ponteri Part I & Part II

Interview with author Scott Nadelson

And here is my interview with their publisher, Rhonda Hughes from Hawthorne Books.

Interview with author Bill Cameron

The news is all good: I survived the Christmas holiday (specifically, the trip to and from the family gathering) - yay! - and today on the blog I bring you an interview with mystery author Bill Cameron - hip, hip, hooray!

Photo by Jill Cameron

I first met Bill, an award-winning mystery writer, a few years ago when my genre fiction writing class (taught by Chuck Caruso at Marylhurst University) went to his reading of Day One at Powell's Books and he joined us afterwards at a nearby restaurant for a drink and to talk about the writing and publishing biz. After that, I followed him on Twitter, ran into him at Wordstock once or twice, and then stumbled across the reading series he started at Rain or Shine, at which point I became an official fan of Bill Cameron.

On to the interview!

You're, like, one of the nicest people I've ever met. I literally can't even imagine you hurting a fly. You'd probably trap it in your hands and set it free outside. Why do you write noir crime fiction?