Author Spotlight: Belinda Missen

This week we welcome Belinda Missen to Killing Time Blog. She has some amazing news she wants to share with us. 

Belinda, welcome and please share with our readers your amazing news, 

Books have always been a part of my life. From a young age, the best thing ever was the Scholastic Book Fair, or the monthly book club orders. I read everything I could get my hands on, often snaffling Dad's library card on weekends to check out more books than I could possibly read. I wrote when I was a teenager – mostly stuff that would classify as fanfic, or really melodramatic 'romance'. It was terrible, and I put it away in an attempt to be an adult and get a 'proper' job (whatever they are).

In 2013, I quit my job on the spot and started writing. It was the best thing I ever did. What started as fanfic became full blown stories with colourful characters and exotic destinations. I released my first self-published book, Red, in April 2015. Five more books followed – about one every six months – until, in November 2017, I signed a contract with HQDigitalUK (HarperCollins).  They optioned to publish a new book I'd written and submitted to them, as well as taking on all of my self-published works. 

Wow Belinda that is HUUUUUUUGE news. Congratulations and we all look forward to watching you grow as an author. 

How long have you been writing, and how did you become involved in writing?
I feel like I've been writing forever, and that I'll keep writing for as long as I possibly can. I love the ability to create worlds, to see characters come to life on page (and inside my head), and sharing them with those who want to read my work. It's a constant thrill.

I guess I became involved in writing because I wanted more stories. Writing my own became something I did to keep myself occupied as a young teenager. At least when I ran out of books to read, I had my own there to spill out onto the page.

What are you working on at the moment? I've just finished copy edits for A Recipe for Disaster. Next up is a rewrite of Red. I'm also hoping to start writing another book in between the rewrites.

Did you have any goals with writing, and if so, how well do you feel you’ve achieved them? What do you hope to achieve in the future? Originally, my five year plan was to get an agent in 2017, and workshop a book until it was ready to submit in late 2018. I kind of bypassed all of that by signing with HQ, so I need to reassess. One of the things on my 'hitlist' is to write a screenplay. If SunnyMarch were to buy/opt/produce it, that would be all my five year plans written off in one fell swoop.

How long does it take you to write a book? About six weeks – if the inspiration is good.

What are the hardest parts of being an author for you? I'm my own boss, so the motivation to keep going. That can be particularly hard if faced with 'writer's block'.

What do you enjoy most about being an author? In complete contrast to the above answer, I love that autonomy. I'm my own boss, and answer only to my publisher – which is amazing.

Do you have a spot where you like to write? In my office, door shut, music up, and world drowned out. Having said that, if ideas strike on the train, or on a trip, or walking around anywhere besides the office, I'm glad for the note function on my phone. Large chunks of Red were written on mobile phone .

Besides writing, what do you love doing?
Family history, genealogy. I can get lost for days and weeks researching the tiniest detail, record, or an obscure person who's popped up on my family tree. I think it's incredible to know where I've come from, and to see just how much other people have influenced my life – whether I'd ever met them or not.

What books or authors have had the most influence on you as an author? There are a few, I think. One of the first books I binge read was Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton. I was eleven years old at the time, and I remember thinking how wonderful it was. Judy Blume was another favourite as a young reader. In the last few years, I would say Lindsey Kelk, Mhairi McFarlane, and Christina Lauren have been huge influences. I think it was January 2016, I binge read all of Christina Lauren's books, and I could see a huge improvement in my writing afterwards. There's a lot to be learned about the craft of writing from all three of those authors.

What did you find most useful when you were learning to write and expanding your skills? Reading. So much reading. I'm still a voracious reader, and often lament that I don't have enough time to both read and write. I can't do audiobooks, so that makes it hard.

What are your thoughts about ebooks vs. print books? I am a traditionalist – I do love a good paperback, except that add massive weight to luggage allowances (you should see what I've picked up in London this time). EBooks have a place for me in that, if I'm not sure about a book, then I'll grab an e-copy first. If I love it, then I'll grab a print.

What are your thoughts about self-publishing vs traditional publishing? Both is good. What works for one doesn't always work for the other. Me? I'm not great at blowing my own trumpet, so I've always failed at the marketing side of self publishing, but I can see how other authors have thrived from it. They're both equally valid, and both hard work.

How often do you write, and how do you find or make time to write? Daily. I start writing at about ten in the morning, stop for dinner when my husband gets home from work. We eat, we chat, we catch up, and I'm often back in the office from about ten p.m to midnight, maybe later. It depends on the story.

Do you plan your whole book out in advance, or just let it flow? What does your writing process look like? It's a little bit of both for me. Originally, I didn't like plotlining, because I'd find I'd become bored a I wrote, because who wants spoilers? Not me. However, I now use cue cards – scenes ideas I've had, and I slot them in where they best fit in the story. So, it's a plot line, but it's flexible.

What's a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? I write in my office, surrounded by books and Marvel trinkets. There's lots of coffee, pyjamas, swearing, and being distracted by the internet.

Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? I'm not sure if it's writer's block, of if I'm just letting myself be distracted by the internet.

Do you read your own reviews? If so, how do you deal with bad reviews? I used to. Not anymore. You can't please everyone. I just like to hear from people who enjoyed my book, to make contact with them, and to have a good time.

Other than reviews, do you hear from your readers? What kinds of things do they say? The most amazing contact I had was when I first released Red. I was contacted by a reader who *loved* the story, and were so moved they wrote me a letter and sent me a candle. It was absolutely wonder. I keep that tacked up on my corkboard for whenever I feel like a bit of a fraud.

What are some ways in which you promote your books? What have you found most or least effective? I'm probably not the best one to ask about promotion. I suck at it.

How easy or hard do you think it is it to make a living as an author?
To make a living? I hope it's achievable, but it's such a huge market now, so we'll see.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to be an author? Keep reading. Read all the things, read all the genres, read for fun, and read for learning the craft. And write. Write the garbage as well as the good stuff.

Tell us a random fact about yourself I'm currently sitting in an Airbnb in Dagenham. It's a lot of fun. That's not really a 'fact', though, is it? Not about me. Fun fact: I would be chuffed to write a film for Hallmark. Because why the hell not? (Amanda note: Me too, I want to write a Christmas special)

Thank you again for dropping to share you news with us.  How can readers find out more about your and your books?

• Website: belindamissen.com 
• Facebook: facebook.com/BelindaMissen 
• Twitter: @belinda_missen 
• Amazon Author Page: 
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/bmissen

Author Interview Jennifer Burge, author of The Devil Wears Clogs

Happy New year Everyone. I really hope you have had a great time away from the hustle and bustle. Had time to rejuvenate and get started on those new plans for 2017.

I am continuing with the hugely popular interviews of authors across the globe and this week I invited Jennifer Burge for an interview on Killing Time Blog.

Jennifer Burge understands the challenges of life abroad. Having documented the pitfalls of taking her career from the United States to Europe in her first memoir, The Devil Wears Clogs, it’s hard to imagine she would be confounded by the complexity of another foreign culture—yet that is exactly the case. Her understanding of Asian tradition is a mirage appearing and disappearing with each new interaction.

Moving to Singapore when the rigidity of European life began to wear on her seemed to be the perfect solution. A sophisticated modern condo in the heart of a developing nation was the answer to her prayers—or so she thought. The entrance of the Global Financial Crisis compounded the already-challenging international job search to an unprecedented level. Living in her fourth country without her professional status or a peer network leaves Jennifer to question her identity. Solo travel across Asia allows her to create an authentic one.

Can you tell us a bit about you as an author?
I’ve always had an interest in writing, but for years that took second place to my number one addiction which is traveling. In order to finance my aspirations of world travel, I worked as an IT project manager and consultant for nearly 20 years. Assignments during that time took me to ten different countries with me taking up residence in five of them.

In 2012, I made the leap from corporate rat-racer to full-time author because I wanted to write about what it truly means to have an overseas career. It is rarely as glamorous as it sounds and it is NOT for the faint of hearts.

During the past few years, I have become an active member of the Queensland Writer’s Centre and the Australian Society of Authors which helped enormously in understanding an industry in which I was a complete foreigner. The Devil Wears Clogs, about life in Europe, was first published in 2014 and Singapore Salvation, on life in Asia, entered the world in late 2015.

What are the hardest part of being an author?
Sitting down and doing the work! As I mentioned, I am travel-obsessed, which means I have an aversion to sitting still. A quick look at my blog is proof positive. Other than that, I think writing memoir is a very tricky business. You have to be careful writing about the people and events in your life while being honest—sometimes brutally honest—and that is far from easy.

What do you enjoy most about being an author
When I sit down to write about a particular event, the telling of it rarely goes as I expect. The story takes me where it wants me to go and I am honestly just the channel. It might sound odd, but there is a certain sort of magic that shows up when I am in the flow. It is a feeling that cannot be duplicated.

What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?
Joan Didion, Mary Karr, Jeanette Walls, Caitlin Moran—all excellent female memoirists & non-fiction authors.

Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?Only when writing about something that bores me. If I’m excited by the story, it doesn’t happen to me.

Do you have a particular place that you like to write? My home office in a bushy suburb north of Brisbane is perfect. I watch the birds and my own personal rain forest. It’s the first place I’ve ever had where I can truly sit and think with zero distraction and for me, I require silence. Others can write with music blaring, but I’m not one of those people.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write?Afternoons. In the mornings, my mind is simmering on something and by the afternoon, it’s ready to be served.

How do you like to reach your readers?
Social media, author talks, blogs, book tours---you name it, I do it. I think it’s the only way to truly discover what works for you. There is so much “advice” out there that you have to find your method in the madness.

Can you tell us about your latest book? 
Singapore Salvation is the second in a set of three books about work and life abroad. It is the sequel to The Devil Wears Clogs. In 2017, the final installment about life in Australia will be published.

How long did it take you to write the book?Singapore Salvation took two years to write. The Devil Wears Clogs, my first book, took six. On average, I am only ready to write about what has happened about seven years after it happens. That’s how long it takes me to gain enough perspective on these situations to make sense of my part of the equation.

Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work?

I call these books my ‘How NOT to Live Abroad’ guides as I basically share all the mistakes I’ve made in not understanding other cultures. When I left the United States for work in Germany in 2001, we didn’t have all this information about other nations and cultures at our fingertips as we do today. We still had analog internet! When I was looking for any sort of book that would tell me what my life and career would look like in another country, I was unable to find it. That’s why I’m writing these now.

What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order?
Luckily, digital cameras DID come into the world not long after I began my global misadventures, so I have an incredible archive of photos. As they are arranged by date, this helps provide the outline for the story as well as the basis for a lot of my setting description.

Once I have outlined, including the story arc, then I fill in the content.

Do you have plans for further instalments? The Python in My Driveway is my working title for the book about Australia that I am currently working on. For an American, a five foot snake in the driveway on a trip to the mailbox is far from a “normal” occurrence!

Do you have a plan for your next book? Too many to count!

Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?
I read both. When traveling I tend to read ebooks and at home I often read physical books.

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?I started with a publisher and switched to self-publishing. I have never worked harder, but I have never had more fun at work. I think you have to truly evaluate how much time you are willing to put into activities that aren’t writing/editing. If you don’t have an entrepreneurial spirit—do not self- publish.

And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Don’t give up. If you love it, stick with it no matter what. If you don’t love it, this game probably isn’t for you.

If you'd like to know more about Jennifer's work, you can find her here:

Website: http://www.worldwisepublications.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/worldwiseJen/ (author Page)

               https://www.facebook.com/SingaporeSalvation/ (book page)

               https://www.facebook.com/devilwearsclogs/ (book page)

Twitter: @jenniferburge

Instagram: @jen_burge 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Burge/e/B00NHDVL6E

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8456235.Jennifer_Burge

Author Interview: Philip J Bradbury author of 53 Smiles

Welcome once again readers, it is time to interview another fantastic author.  This week, I have Philip J Bradbury here to answer me questions.

 Philip is a recovering accountant, banker, corporate trainer and lecturer who turned to writing. and somehow found himself involved in (or informed about) international intrigues, dishonesty and fraud, involving banks, governments and police forces. He thought it was time to turn them into stories so everyone can experience the "other side" of life.

Having run personal development courses in several countries (and being a student of A Course in Miracles) he couldn't help but bring in the spiritual element to his stories, giving characters (and readers) ways of dealing with stressful situations.

Life is far too interesting to be fluffing about on the sidelines and he (and his characters) are determined to live it to the fullest, even if it means a little danger, stress and uncertainty at times!

Thanks for joining me this week, can you tell us a bit about you as an author?

I write in every genre but there is one theme – to help you find peace, your place in the world and to rediscover the you that you lost. I share your hope that my words will help you unlock the prison you’re in, the current drama you can’t find your way out of. I share your hope and willingness to find your passion, your wings and take on the life you’re born to experience. It's my hope for me as well.

I spent twenty years in the wrong occupation. One year of accounting and I knew we didn’t fit each other. Why did I stay? Years later, I found I’d stayed bored and desperate to please my father and my wife. I couldn't please them. I can only please me.

Once I’d realised I was in a rut – a grave with the ends kicked out – I was stuck. I didn’t know what else to do. Also, the accounting income provided for my family. I had responsibilities and had to go on. I couldn’t let them down. But I let me down.

I’d followed my father's example – sticking in a job that sucked me dry – and became more angry and depressed.

The divorce was traumatic, sad and releasing but, work-wise, I quietly slipped sideways into teaching and writing and then, because of my 20 wasted years, facilitated personal development courses and men’s groups ... and wrote books on that. I quickly realised I was a lousy accountant and slowly realised I was a good teacher and writer. I loved them both and, 20 years later, still do.

If you’re misaligned you can't give (or receive) your best till you get wise about the choices you’re making in your actions, words and thoughts. I hope my words can help bring you back to wisdom, home and to the peace you know is there.

The dream I’ve realised for myself is the dream I have for you. I write for both of us.

What are the hardest part of being an author?

Finding a publisher or writers agent. Writers are good at writing and most of us are terrible at marketing/promotions. We need someone else to do that part but there’s so many more books and writers than publishers and agents. So, in the meantime, we try to do the marketing by self-publishing.

What do you enjoy most about being an author?

Writing! Just being in the space of writing, with the words flowing through. Impossible to describe though nothing should be impossible for an author to describe!

The other real buzz is hearing back from happy readers. Some have told me they were going to commit suicide, found my blog and my words saved them and set their lives on a more positive track. That kind of feedback – and other, less dramatic, reactions – are what give me the juice to carry on.

What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?

Paulo Coelho,

Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?

I used to get writers block and finally realised I was getting in the way. Actually, the first book I wrote was about me and I didn’t know it. I learned to meditate and, while meditating, I’d get these words in my head. They’d stay there, nagging me for days till I wrote them down. Then more words would turn up. So I’d write the sods down. A few months later, I decided to read the drivel I’d written and discovered it was my own life, beautifully told as a novel.

The lesson I learned from this is that I don’t write – I allow my pen to move to the music that flows through. When I get writers block, it’s when I’m trying to control the process. I’ll get frustrated for a while, trying harder to think of what to write and then realise I’m getting in the way. Then I let go, start writing drivel, anything nonsensical, and, soon, the better words start coming through again.

Do you have a particular place that you like to write?

Cafés. Don’t ask me why but there’s something magical about being surrounded by happily chatting people, the orgasmic aroma of coffee, pen and paper and my muses … the writing always flows in those exquisite places.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write?

I’m often up at 4.00 or 5.00 am with words swirling in my head and I’ve learned that, if I write them down straight away, they fall more beautifully, more naturally, than if I leave them for hours or days. Sadly, cafés aren’t open at those times but I do make a point of going to a café at least twice a week with pen, paper and an empty mind, just to see what turns up. Something always does.

How do you like to reach your readers? (Social media? Book signings? Blogs etc)

Right now, without a publisher, I reach readers via social media, blogs and through the various writing classes that I run. I would, however, love to travel around the globe, doing seminars and book signings.

Can you tell us about your latest book?

From the back cover:

53 SMILES is about life – your life, my life, our lives – and its tiny stories address the big questions of the human condition and tell of our simple greatness, our foibles and how to let go of the need to be something for somebody else. This book, then, has many uses ...
• An exquisitely simple gift,
• A coffee table book,
• A Conversation starter,
• For daily meditations,
• For personal/spiritual development workshops,
• For Life Coaching,
• Teaching children (of any age) life lessons,
• To remind you of who you are each day – simply exquisite!

53 SMILES – 53 Special Moments In Life’s Exquisite Simplicity – is 53 53-word stories, along with illustrations and photos. I hadn’t heard of flash fiction till October 2015 when I stumbled on a flash fiction competition run by a Brisbane book store – the best 100-word (or less) story. I didn’t win but, realising nothing is for nothing and everything counts, decided not to waste my words. Three days later the idea popped in that I could write a book of 53 stories … 53 of them. I just liked the number 53 and the challenge of writing tiny stories – quite different from the 100,000-word books I’d previously written – appealed. I determined to write one a day and so it took 53 days! All were about personal or spiritual development and how to live a bigger life (or how not to live a smaller life) and, as a non-artist, relished the challenge of adding illustrations for the first time.

I’ve since written 97 SMILES, a 97 97-word book and who know what will come out next! 97 SMILES should be published in September.

How long did it take you to write the book?
53 days … and then a little longer to do the illustrations and assemble the photographs I’d taken over many years.

Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work?
My favourite (only?) topic is about being at the cross-roads of life – be that divorce, redundancy, financial struggle, health problems and so on – and about making wise choices when life turns to mush and turning it into fertilizer.

What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order?

Whether it’s a novel, non-fiction book or something else, I don’t seem to be able to plan anything – just not how I’m built. I just let it flow the way it wants to. It’s only after it’s finished that I release my logical brain and do the editing, that I start deleting, adding and rearranging words, phrases and chapters.

Do you have plans for further instalments?
I suspect I’ll write a few more flash fiction books but, right now, I’m focussing on the series of short story books.

Do you have a plan for your next book?
My current project is five books of short stories. I recently found 290 stories (fiction and non-fiction) all over the place in my computer and so I’m collating and sorting them to create five books on different topics - 40 Moments With Writing, 42 Moments With Men, 50 Moments With Fables, 55 Moments With God, 65 Moments With Self. That’s the plan, anyway …

Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?
I only read paper-back books. I suspect I’ll get an electronic reader someday but, till then, there’s something tactile about a “real” book – the smell, feel, sight …

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?
There’s no doubt that there’s change but the direction is debatable. Internet sales and self-publishing took over the traditional model but there’s evidence of the regrowth of bricks-and-mortar book stores again with, for example, Amazon’s plans to open 400 new book stores in USA. I self-publish and make a living out of that but would prefer to hand over the marketing to someone else so I’m looking back to the more traditional model … and I have no idea where we’re headed next.

And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Keep writing, listen to everyone and all the rules and then decide for yourself what’s best for you. All the rules are begging for you to break them. The internet is rife with “experts” who’ll guarantee you unlimited success but it’s impossible to know how successful they really are. Listen to it all and then tur to your gut, your intuition, and walk the path that brings your greatest peace … and don’t hesitate to call out for help as the community of authors is one of the most supportive I’ve ever known – we’re all here to help but can’t if you don’t ask! (I totally agree - A)

Thanks so much for dropping by Philip, where can readers find you?

Website: www.philipjbradbury.com
Linked In - Philip J Bradbury … https://au.linkedin.com/in/philip-j-bradbury-16a53127
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPhilipJBradbury/
Wordpress blogs:  https://flashfictionfanatic.wordpress.com/  https://pjbradbury.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilipJBradbury

Thank you Philip for joining me this week, and again thank you to my readers for dropping by. 

If you'd like to be interviewed for this blog, please drop me a line. 

Until my next blogging moments, 

Cheers!

Amanda

Author Interview: A Hell of a Ride with author Emma James

Welcome again readers, 

I love an interview that starts with a warning: 

Emma's writing contains adult situations which may offend and graphic violence, but it is one hell of a fictional ride. Strap yourself in. For mature aged readers 18 +. 

Now that we've got your attention, let me introduce Emma to you all,

Writing has been a part of Emma James' life for many years until she decided to take a leap into the self publishing world and see where that journey takes her.

Writing words on paper is as important as the air she breathes. There's nothing more satisfying to her than writing all day to bring to life amazing characters who will stay in your heart.

Emma writes in both adult contemporary romance with her Men Of Ocean Beach series and dark suspense romance ( with MC influence ) , with her Hell's Bastard series. She is very passionate about writing and enjoys the discipline needed to line all those ducks up in a row to get a book over the finish line and published.

Life is about finding that one thing that you know you can do well and living it.

It's never too late to find it.

Thanks Emma for dropping in this week, can you tell us a bit about you as an author?

Writing has been a part of my life for many years until I decided to take a leap into the self publishing world and play for real and see where that journey took me. In my early twenties I started typing away on a spanky new electronic typewriter, ( as I said many years) and thought up beachside romance stories. Nothing I would release now. All was very raw and probably naive. I do have a paranormal series I have plotted out into a seven book series and actually stole one of the characters names. I’ll tell you it was Text. I’ve been wanting to be brave for a very long time.

Writing words is as important as the air I breathe. There's nothing more satisfying to me than bringing a story to life and letting the characters work their way into the reader’s heart.

What are the hardest part of being an author?

Back in 2014 when I was self publishing my very first book, A Little Faith, there was a steep learning curve with anything to do with the whole process. It was like climbing a writer’s equivalent to Mt Everest. Being a housewife and mum to three kids at the time and all of a sudden having to learn the ins and outs of releasing a book was pretty intimidating. I am still learning and fine tuning parts of the writing and marketing process as we all are.

What do you enjoy most about being an author?

Putting words on paper and then rereading those words and reworking them until eventually I have something I am proud to release into the book world. I enjoy bringing characters to life and letting them talk to me. There’s something very satisfying about being able to tell a story that readers love as much as you do. I love it when they fall heavily for certain characters. That means I’ve done a good job. I particularly enjoy seeing who they cast in their mind for the main characters and sub characters.

What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?

I try to write as original a story as I can. I try to make my own mark. Every author I have ever read has given me a little push to break through my invisible barriers I had constructed and to give it a go for real. I am inspired by Colleen Hoover and J.K Rowling every day and in particular the many talented Australian authors who have blossomed and gone onto publishing contracts as well as holding their own ground in the self publishing world. These authors are smart. They learn to work the system to their benefit. They are in control of their books by setting up deals that will work for them. They aren’t letting the publishing world control them as much as it used to.

Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?

I certainly believe there is such a thing as writer’s block. Touchwood I currently have so many ideas for stories filling my notebooks that I have the beats down to get me started. Nothing is easy about writing. Words don’t always flow naturally, but when I am having trouble expressing myself, I will go lay down on my bed, shut my eyes and just think. Let my thoughts get calmed and I play about inside my head with some scenarios and see where that takes me. It’s not writer’s block, it’s more getting my head around a scene that I need to get right. Then I grab for the notebook and get my thoughts noted down. Then I hit the keyboard again. For me personally, I need down time. I can’t write for ten hours straight. What works for me is about five hours at the keyboard, Monday to Friday. I give myself a weekend off to do other things related to releasing a book and that helps me.

Do you have a particular place that you like to write?

I wouldn’t say I like to write here, but it is my only choice at the moment. I don’t have a laptop, I have a desktop and it is in my middle man child’s room. I write while he is at school. I have been promising him for 5 books now that I will make it out of his room. He is very patient, most of the time.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write?

10.00am to 3.00pm mostly. Sometimes I may start earlier and finish earlier. It gives me time to get the housework done before I start.

How do you like to reach your readers?

Book signings are fabulous and they have really worked for me. Social media I chat on and answer PMs at all hours of the day/night.

Can you tell us about your latest book? (is it part of a series, genre)  

Warped is part of the Hell’s Bastard series and book # 2. It will be a five book series, at this stage. Wrenched, book # 1, put me on the reader map and I am ever grateful I took a chance on the dark romance genre. I really enjoy delving into this side of my writing. It really is a wonderful challenge walking that fine line between going too dark and giving the reader a ride they want another ticket for. I get the most excited PMs about my characters in this series. I like to bring some light among the dark and I do that with Miss Catherine. She is Cajun and she has her own way of talking. I find it such fun to write and gave her a much bigger role in Warped.

Warped is as the title says, very warped. The hunt is on for Whisper and Edge isn’t letting anything or anybody stand in his way. He has his own hurdles to get over and he does. He teams up with Miss Catherine and together they make the most unlikely duo, but it works. It gave me a chance to show another side to Edge and to really cement in the readers mind how awesome Miss Catherine is. Whisper has her own problems and she is such a strong female lead. I adore writing her. I put her through a lot and she just rolls with the punches. She’s a survivor. Contorted is the book I am most excited to write in this series as I know what is gonna happen and it is going to be very contorted and action filled with a healthy side order of alpha men. HB series is very intense and I love the reviews coming in where the reader writes down all their emotions whilst reading the books. I want readers to feel and take a ride with me.

I also write in adult contemporary romance with the, Men Of Ocean Beach series. Both series are very different to each other. Men Of Ocean Beach has the ‘feels’ and the laughs. My reader audience has thankfully taken to both series. The ladies in my closed group who hadn’t yet delved into dark romance, gave Wrenched a shot and found they really do like this side to my writing and since branched out into the dark romance genre.

How long did it take you to write the book?

Warped had a bit of a delay as my eldest son passed away unexpectedly, he was nearly nineteen. I stopped writing for three months. It should have taken around 4 months to write and be released.

Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work?

I adore all the men of Ocean Beach. I simply can’t choose a fave. Miss Catherine from the HB series is so much fun to write. Edge is complicated and alpha and Whisper is smart and strong. Simply too hard to choose a fave character. I will tell you, Keanu from Men Of Ocean Beach series ( MOOB ) has a great deal of me in him.

What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order?

I am a PLOTTER. Man, do I plot. I plot six months in advance for a book I have scheduled to release in the near future. I can be plotting in notebooks three or more books at a time. I choose music early and have spotify playlists. HB series has a deep plot over the course of the series. I have to plan it out or I could potentially box myself in. I need to know what is roughly going to happen in all the books. I choose titles in advance for all books in a series. I am a little OCD with my writing process. Only with my writing. Put me down for a heavy plotter. I am flexible as I am writing if I think the story is starting to talk to me in a different way and I will go with that, but the outline is definitely in place for a whole series, if not more. I do write in chronological order.

Do you have plans for further instalments?

I have so many plans. I have spin offs, of course already outlined. I have stand alones for certain characters. Some novellas planned.

Do you have a plan for your next book?

Contorted, Hell’s Bastard # 3 had to be planned so I knew to drop what seeds in Warped. Suspense romance I simply can’t wing it. It has to be planned out so I get everything right for the finale.

Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?

I have a house full of paperbacks and I have a Kindle full to the brim of Ebooks. I mix it up on a weekly basis. I prefer a paperback as the battery doesn’t run out, but my shelf space in my house is no longer available. I am waiting for my dream of my own office space and three walls of floor to ceiling shelves where everything can be neat and orderly. I love paperbacks for their smell. Yes, I am a new book sniffer and I am proud of it. My daughter taught me to appreciate a cover. I run my hand over it, feeling the work that has gone into it. Can’t do that with an Ebook. They both have good things going for them especially for a self published author who can’t get a book in a bookstore but we can get it onto an ereader in the tap of a finger.

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?

The industry has been changing for a long time. Many self published authors are really shaking up the system by selling beyond their wildest dreams and making it onto the bestseller lists. I think there is a happy medium in there somewhere. More and more self published authors are getting traditional publishing deals and also still writing and releasing self published books under the rules of their contract. We all want to be able to say we are traditionally published as it takes a lot of the work away, but it can take a certain amount of control to. I would love to be traditionally published and also have the freedom to self publish. I like to be in control of my work and release dates. Some authors get to have the best of both worlds. Self published is all hard work and learning how to market and promote yourself. Everything about self published is all on you the author and making all your hard work float in the ocean of new releases and hopefully sell. You might get a traditional publishing contract, doesn’t mean your book will have great sales. You hope it will but it doesn’t guarantee anything.

And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Be your own worst critic. Use beta readers. Don’t take short cuts with plot. Give your characters a real voice. Make your work something you are proud of. This author gig is hard work. Plain and simple. You want to be able to make back all your professional costs and the rest is icing. You may not be able to support yourself for a couple years as a self published author, you might be an overnight success and you might unfortunately have trouble finding your feet, either way we are all working towards that goal, that dream of having our work read. We work for months maybe years for nothing, until we release that book. Don’t give up, but learn to listen to constructive criticism. Learn to be a better writer. Soak up any advice authors are putting up on their web sites. I read J.A. Huss’s author postings all the time and I listen to what she has to say. Be professional on social media. Stay away from drama. Don’t be a drama-lama. The way you present yourself is the way people will perceive you. You sometimes have to earn the right to get onto readers author lists because there is only so much time in their reading day. So much money each month allotted to purchasing books for their enjoyment. Make yours count and be one they want to throw onto their monthly purchases. You may want to follow the ever changing reading trends. Be observant and stay current with what is going on around you. Be brave and be different. There is so much advice authors can give aspiring authors but it all comes down to hard work and determination to succeed. You have to have passion. Don’t be writing to make a buck, write because you are passionate about your story and then work hard to be heard.

The Hunt Is On.

WHISPER

I was never meant to be free.
Evil has taken from me again.
I’ve lost the two people I’ve grown to love because another of Hell’s bastards has staked his claim on me and stolen me away.
What gives another human being the right to take another’s innocence and try to destroy their soul?

EDGE

We were never meant to meet.
Our lives collided and spun out in different directions.
Now it’s a race against time.
Time she doesn’t have.
This is on my head.
I f*cked up.

What happens when a Soulless Bastards MC enforcer is on the hunt for the f*ckers involved in taking the sweet and wild girl?

No Mercy happens.

You can connect with Emma here:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/emmajamesauthor?ref=hl

TWITTER: @emmajamesbooks

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8415027.Emma_James

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Emma-James/e/B00NH7AVGG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION (FREE) : http://facebook.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=bdbd5d58f4f50eecc6a604947&id=e88c9e2a77

CLOSED GROUP – EMMA JAMES’ SISTERHOOD : https://www.facebook.com/groups/763744350386831/

and you can find her books here:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/29HNTkq

Amazon UK : http://amzn.to/29T82rc

Amazon AUS : http://amzn.to/29GvSUx

Amazon CAD : http://amzn.to/29ZS66K

iBooks : http://apple.co/29Orpih

B & N : http://bit.ly/29J8kOS

KOBO : http://bit.ly/29TIE4k

Ok, time to take a breath! A great interview again this week and I thank you all for strapping in and coming for the ride 

If you'd like to be interviewed for this blog, or have a great story to tell, please drop me a line. 

Until next week guys!

Cheers

Amanda

The Author's Journey: Part 3: The Creative Process - The Trials and Tribulations

Welcome again to the third edition of The Author's Journey.

I am writing this as part of my Master of Arts (Writing) under the subject PWR70002 - Online Writing and I want to share with emerging writers as well as those who are keen to further their own writing.

I have already put out the request to my fellow authors for help once again creating some helpful advice, honest insights and tips and tricks for those who are on their own journey of writing. The comments and emails are coming through and I am finding that some of my peers have some incredible ideas that help them in their creative endeavours.

This week's topic was actually a suggestion by my lecturer who prompted me by saying, I needed to further examine the "complexity of creativity as part of the human condition." (Clover, 2016) And so that is where today's post goes. We have already looked at what inspires the writer, but now we must further investigate the trials and tribulations of the creative process. How we create, how we design and how we research the idea that inspired us.

We all have our own complex processes. Those things that help us work through a problem, or perhaps it is a point of reference that will always be a guiding light for our creative processes.  We can decide to travel to different countries or even different worlds, we can create new places, new processes, new ideas and even some authors have gone on to be the inspiration for inventors. Our creative process allows us to fly, to be free of constraint, we push boundaries and we make our characters suffer, in the name of our creative process.

Amy Wright, owner and author over at Murder Library and Serial Killer GPS app and the associated Facebook page which is incredibly informative explains her creative process...

Once I have an idea and start to put it on paper, I like to look at photos of the subject. I usually print them out or save them to a document, and start writing down words or phrases that come to mind when I'm looking at them. I often put the photos into a timeline, and write underneath. Eventually I can mix it all together to form my piece.

Musician and author Peter Altieri has a different approach to his creative process

For me, silence is golden. I get creative most times when I'm ready to write and the house is quiet. The next best thing is putting on headphones and listen to thunderstorm noise. With kids and grandkids, I've had to get creative over the years in many ways.

Charlotte Frisby  shares a similar approach to Peter, in preferring silence to create, both in mind and body.

Creativity comes often after the initial idea has formed in my mind, when I listen to a particular piece of music that 'fits' the story - always classical. Then sections of the story will flow in my mind. The house has to be empty and tidy - not sure why but if I have other things to do, that intrudes on the process and instead of figuring out how the character could be killed, the character drifts off to do housework or something equally odd. 

Authors are well known procrastinators. I cannot tell you how many times I have paired all the socks in the odd-sock basket, purely to avoid having to face the dreaded realisation that I have a void of ideas and I know that I should be writing.  I find the cleaning bug often strikes too when I have spare time and the opportunity to get in some extra writing time. We can find some extremely creative ways to avoid the fear of writing.  Of course these days we also have social media, for most of us it's a new way to avoid writing, and it can be extremely detrimental to the writing process, but sometimes the creative process can be so extremely enjoyable that nothing can get in our way when we are writing. It is those moments that makes it all truly worth it. Even looking through older status on my facebook I find some amazing comments that make me love the creative process of pulling ideas together.

 Tegan Barber another of my "serial killer" friends (in that she writes about serial killers, not that she is one)

My creativity comes to me from the real world and real people. I commonly find myself sitting in a public place like a cafe and writing down random bits of conversations I overhear or things I see that I like such as hair colour, tattoo ideas or building design.

Author David Russell goes a little deeper in his thought process on how he works through is early creative process,

Creativity is imagination, and the imagination is the creativity. The two go hand in hand.
For me, creativity isn't the process of putting the words down, it is what happens in the mind. After that comes the transition from mind to paper, the hard work. I visualise the things I want others to see, and describe those things as best I can. I'd like to think that more often not it works out okay.

Award winning author Rosanne Dingli explains

Inspiration means as little to me as "idea". Until either has been solidified into a good concept, with a solid premise, some tangible leads forward, and a proper understanding of what their whole might become, I trust neither ideas nor inspiration.

My life has shown me that idea-driven projects fail unless that ethereal inspired fragment has been taken and made real. Inspiration must be acted upon, and not only by putting the thought in writing. One must tackle the topic, see what others have done before, work on what emerges using analytical principles, and THEN one might have something worth developing.

A dear friend, author Karen Carlise has gone all out when responding to the question I posed. I think
it really highlights the pure joy of the creative process of an author and why we come back book after book, spending hour after lonely hour pulling together incredible ideas and amazing storylines.

Ah, research. Now you’re talking! This is the fun bit.

Once I have the seed of an idea, I need to let it grow. I try to immerse myself in the atmosphere, the mindset and the mechanics of the story. For me that is often nineteenth century, with a twist. But to know where to twist reality, and still keep the reader’s suspension of belief, requires a lot of background information.

First I gather up as many visuals as I can find (I’m a visual person: possibly the artist in me?): photos, maps and books written on my chosen theme/subject for a story. Fortunately, there are many virtual tours of historical buildings and ‘Victorian lifestyle’ documentaries available either online or on DVD. I sometimes make drawings of specific contraptions or characters...

For Doctor Jack, I read books and articles, and watched a slew of Jack the Ripper documentaries (including one with you, Amanda - you can watch it here). Currently I am reading Magic: stage illusions and scientific diversions, including trick photography (published in 1897) for the third book in my current series.

For the ‘smells and bells’, I do as many road trips as I can afford. I’ve done photoshoots in historic areas of Adelaide and, earlier this year, our local library did a bus tour of early historic buildings in the area; we were permitted to walk through some privately-owned buildings and discuss their history with the owners and local historian. I’ve even had a guided tour of ‘behind the walls’ at one of the Medici palaces in Florence. That will likely feature in another story that’s been bubbling away...

When I can’t physically experience something, I return to my default: do research... I’ve been fortunate to have experienced many things in my lifetime. I have friends who have done research or lecture in the most amazing (or obscure) subjects and are willing to share their experiences. This helps to germinate the seeds of my ideas. Then I just need to feed them with research and hope they grow.

So pushing further into this process, I want to share my own, explaining that first concept when inspiration has already struck and now the creative process begins, using my most recent true crime book, Rope: A History of the Hanged.  The concept and inspiration was the easy part, write a book on hangings, but then I needed to get creative, writing about a dozen or so people being hanged would be very very dull. So where did I take that?

WRITING NON-FICTION
Though I will go into research in a lot more depth later in the Author's journey, I will touch on it slightly here also. Having written many true crime books, I have some incredible resources to fall back on, working through piles of historical reading material I let the stories become part of my creative process. Finding themes, such as people that had been hanged wrongly, and wrongly hanged. Stories of escape. There was no writing just yet, just getting the ideas flowing, using some records as a basis of the book, and then searching through my own assumed knowledge that floats around my brain I was able to start bringing together some great ideas. I began with some very rough chapter headings, murders by hanging, suicides, escapes, the creative juices quickly began to flow as I recalled cases that would fit perfectly into the various chapter headings I had penciled in.

WRITING FICTION

Now I hear you now... "But Amanda, I am not writing a book on hangings, I am not even writing a non-fiction, so how does this help me?"  Recently someone asked how different is it writing in both fiction and non-fiction, and my response was that they are both challenging in their own ways. Non-fiction requires that massive amount of research and references and various amounts of checking and cross checking, with fiction you are free to write whatever you want and then get stuck when your muse is not talking to you. So whilst in non-fiction the 'story' is already there, it is restrictive, and in fiction it is non-restrictive, but you need to ramp up the imagination and creativity. This can be tricky. I often collate a pile of ideas and notes (see previous posts about inspiration and where to be begin) and then it's time to get creative.

Even when I am working in fiction, I put together a chapter list, a list of ideas, a brief explanation of what I want to happen and when, including the ending if I have it. Now it may begin as a list of 15-20 linked ideas, for instance various victims (I write thrillers so there is always a body count), a couple of red herrings, some personal events for the main characters, a few diverging issues that keep the story interesting. Often these little tantalizing ideas will get the creative process bubbling along. I work out how the killer become entwined with the story line, how they are caught. Of course it sounds a lot easier than it is in process. Often I will find massive gaps and need to work on that process. I talk to family, friends and readers about ideas, seeing how far I can push the boundaries. Still no story line detail is written, just working out that first creative journey.  If I am stuck or frustrated, I will often go for a run, often with my phone to my ear, talking through ideas with those who understand my process, bouncing ideas, asking advice. I need to find the skeleton (pardon the pun) of the story line before I can start.

Though I have mentioned earlier that writing in fiction is much freer than non-fiction, there is still plenty of research that can go into a story. I've freaked out my neighbours by conducting blood splatter experiments in my back yard. I've spent countless hours talking to serial killers, getting into their minds, learning the way they speak, it is those kinds of creative details that can make the stories more believable and in my case, (hopefully) far more chilling.

This is the joy of a writer when the process is working and working well. It can be just as exciting as the actual writing. I have marvelled at artifacts from history as I have travelled to different countries in search of research material, I have stood where many a criminal was hanged and felt the chills wash over me. A moment in time can inspire a hundred story lines if you get creative with your processes.

I know many of you are extremely keen to talk through what happens when the muse is mute and writer's block strikes. That will be another topic coming soon, so be sure to keep visiting for more.

WRITING TASK
Until next time, I leave you with a little writing task, something to get those creative juices flowing.  This was something I did earlier in my Master's degree and found the responses quite amazing. Write about a first in your life. First kiss, first tragedy, first fear, first bike, first friend, first book, first loss... Make it something that is outside of your comfort zone and also write outside your genre... if you write humour, write something tragic, if you write romance, write something horror. Go to the opposite end of your scale and see what you can create!

HAPPY WRITING





Cheers,

Amanda Howard

If you'd like to be involved in this blog, be interviewed about your latest book or if you have a story to tell. Please contact me via the links below.

Links:
Amanda Howard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandahowardauthor/
Amanda Howard Twitter: https://twitter.com/amandahoward73
Amanda Howard's books (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Howard/e/B001JP7X7I/

Author Interview: Award winning author Leonie Rogers

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for joining us again this week.   

This week, I am interviewing Leonie Rogers.

Growing up in Western Australia, Leonie was an avid reader from an early age. Her mother vividly recalls her stating “I can read faster with my eyes than you can with your mouth, Mum…” at around the age of six. Her parents and great aunt encouraged her interest in literature, providing her with books of many different genres, and . She began writing during high school, placing in the Western Australian Young Writers Award in 1980, and she fondly remembers several of her English teachers, who encouraged her to write, both fiction and poetry.

Leonie trained at Curtin University as a physiotherapist and moved to the remote north west of Western Australia, as a new graduate, in late 1986. She continued to write poetry for herself and for friends. Living in the remote northwest, she had the opportunity to work with camels, fight fires as a volunteer fire fighter, and develop vertical rescue and cyclone operation skills with the State Emergency Service.

After relocating to NSW with her husband and two children, Leonie continued to work as a physiotherapist, while still dabbling with writing. Finally deciding to stop procrastinating, Leonie decided to write the novel she’d had sitting in the back of her head for the last twenty years. Her husband and two teenage children have been extremely tolerant of the amount of time she has devoted to writing in the last few years.

Can you tell us a bit about you as an author?

I’ve always written, however there was a bit of a hiatus when the kids came along. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I required a knee reconstruction after a skiing accident, and finally had enough time to write the book I’d been thinking about for twenty years. It’s now published, and called Frontier Incursion - Book 1 of the Frontier Trilogy.. It’s officially YA Sci-fi, but seems to read well with most ages and also cat lovers.

What are the hardest parts of being an author?

The hardest part for me, is simply having enough time to write as much as I’d like too!

What do you enjoy most about being an author?

I love it when the ideas flow, and the story unfolds itself. I also love people enjoying my work - I know how much joy other authors have brought into my own life, and to provide such enjoyment for others is a privilege.

What authors/books have had an influence on your writing?

C.S.Lewis said he wrote the books he wanted to read. I think that was excellent advice. I also suspect that pretty well every author I’ve ever read has had some kind of influence on the way I write in some way or other.

Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing?

I’m not sure it’s Writer’s Block as such, but more a moment in the story when I’m not quite certain which direction to take. Usually I either write something different, or just work my way slowly through dialogue and see what the characters think about what’s going on. Subsequent drafts are for fixing what doesn’t work.

Do you have a particular place that you like to write?

I usually write at home, but I really enjoy writing in cafes and on long car trips in the car. (I am not the one driving at the time!) Sometimes I park myself and my laptop in one of the local cafes and just write and drink coffee.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write?

Morning’s are good, and afternoons, and evenings :)

How do you like to reach your readers?

I like to reach my readers on social media, and also face to face where possible. I live in a rural area, so social media works well. I hang around on Facebook and Twitter, and love being on Goodreads. I also blog.

Can you tell us about your latest book?  

My latest book is called Frontier Defiant, and it’s the last instalment of the Frontier Trilogy. It’s officially YA sci-fi, and features, Shanna, her starcats, and invading aliens.

How long did it take you to write the book?

Definately probably took about six months in first draft form, but then there were the other drafts…

Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work?

The Frontier books are full of starcats - glow in the dark one hundred kilogram cats. I actually wish they were real, and apparently so do my readers. I love writing them, because they’re super cat-like, but even more special. They can vanish at will, travel rapidly, and protect their friends from the dangerous wildlife of Frontier. However, they do like to sleep on the bed, just like normal cats, so it might be problematic if they were real.

What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order?

I’m a combination panster/planner. I always know the beginning and the end, but what happens in the middle happens as I write it. I generally have a few things I know need to happen along the way, but for me it’s a bit like watching a movie unfold. I see the pictures inside my head and then I write them down. Sometimes I have to go back and delete a few.

Do you have plans for further instalments?

There are a few Frontier plots rumbling around inside my head, and I think I will be revisiting the characters sometime in the future, but for the moment I’m working on a completely different project.

Do you have a plan for your next book?

My next book is already written, and I’m part way through the second one in that series. It’s a fantasy this time, and will also (at this point) be a trilogy. I’m also part way through writing a space based sci-fi.

None of these have a publisher at this time, but I’m hopeful. My test readers have enjoyed them, and have been helpful in refining them.

Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading?

I love both. I’m mostly reading eBooks at the moment, because they’re so easy to cart around - I can carry hundreds of books in my handbag! Having said that, I love to purchase favourites in physical form so I can enjoy both the lovely cover art and the smell and feel of the paper. On the other hand, when you fall asleep reading a massive book electronically, it doesn’t usually concuss you when you drop it on your head.

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing?

I’m traditionally published by small press (My Frontier Series) and also have a couple of short stories in two self published anthologies. I think the industry is changing quite rapidly, and that we don’t really know where it’s going yet.

I’ve read some absolutely excellent self published authors, and some absolutely excellent traditionally published authors. I’ve also read some not so great books in both formats.

I suspect that there will be room for all formats in the future, and I think that many self published authors are taking a much more professional approach to their work, which is a credit to them.

And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?

I’d suggest that aspiring authors work on the basics - spelling, grammar, showing vs telling. Think about plots, engage with your characters, and have a circle of helpful, honest readers who aren’t afraid to tell you what they really think. And when those same readers tell you what they really think, take it on board, and listen - don’t be offended. As writers, it’s what we all need.

Thank you so much for joining me this week Leonie. 

If you'd like to connect with Leonie, you can find her here:

Website: www.leonierogers.me

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leonierogersauthor/?fref=nf

Twitter: @RaeYesac

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Leonie-Rogers/e/B009JXIRUY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1468911875&sr=8-1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6542929.Leonie_Rogers?from_search=true

If you'd like to be interviewed for this blog, or have an interesting story to tell, please drop me a line.

Until next week! See ya

Cheers

Amanda 

Author Interview: Gregory A. Fournier, Author of Terror in Ypsilanti

Gregory A. Fournier was born in Trenton, Michigan in 1948. He grew up in the Downriver Detroit area and graduated from Allen Park High School in 1966. When he read Lost Horizon as a young teen, he decided then that he wanted to be an author. That novel transported him to Shangri-La, and he's been trying to get back there ever since.

He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in English Language Arts and sociology from Eastern Michigan University. After teaching at Ypsilanti High School for seven years, he moved to San Diego, California, and taught Language Arts in public school for another thirty years. He also taught night school and weekend college during that time as an adjunct professor at Cuyamaca College for ten years. Now retired, he is living his dream of becoming an author.

In addition to his debut novel, Zug Island: A Detroit Riot Novel, Greg writes a weekly blog at fornology.blogspot.com, He joins us today to talk about his new book Terror in Ypsilanti.

Can you tell us a bit about you as an author? 

I began my writing career in 2009 after a career teaching English in San Diego. My first book Zug Island: A Detroit Riot Novel was published in 2011. My current work is a true crime treatment about a little known Michigan serial killer. Terror in Ypsilanti: John Norman Collins Unmasked, is newly released and available online. For the last six years, I’ve been writing a blog entitled Fornology in support of my writing. I want my writing to stand for something beyond the story. As an author, I want to accomplish more than being in the boredom-killing business. I want my work to have intrinsic meaning and value beyond the page.

What are the hardest parts of being an author? 

 Publishing and promotion. Writing is a challenge, but the commercial end of the business is inscrutable. Traditional publishers are losing their grip on their market share, and independent publishers and digital printing are changing the game. The writer is caught in the middle.

What do you enjoy most about being an author? 

The sweet agony of creating meaning out of thin air and having my readers respond favorably to it.

What authors/books have had an influence on your writing? 

My primary inspiration was James Hilton’s prophetic Lost Horizon. Later in life, Night author Elie Wiesel taught me the power of memoir and the writer’s responsibility to the testament of truth. But the author that has had the greatest impact on my writing is Stephen King. His On Writing may be the finest book ever written about what it takes and what it means to be author.

Do you ever get Writer’s Block? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you believe there is such a thing? Brain freeze? Everyone gets it. Walking away from my writing for a day or two to let my subconscious go to work sometimes helps. More often than not, I write a blog post and have a couple of beers.

Do you have a particular place that you like to write? 

Yes. In front of my desktop computer at home. The problem with working at home are all the daily distractions.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write? 

I prefer to write in the morning after I check my social media until early afternoon. The middle of the night works great when I can’t sleep.

How do you like to reach your readers? (Social media? Book signings? Blogs etc) 

I’ve been building an audience for over five years on social media and my blog. Now, I have an author website which is showing positive results.

Can you tell us about your latest book? (is it part of a series, genre) 

Terror in Ypsilanti: John Norman Collins Unmasked is a long overdue, nonfiction treatment of a serial killer case from the late 1960s. Collins was the poster boy for the new age of serial killers before the term serial killer was coined. More isn’t known about him because the Charles Manson Helter Skelter murders occurred just as the Collins case went to trial and drew all the national press to Los Angeles, California.

How long did it take you to write the book? 

Five solid years of research and writing.

Do you have a favourite character/topic in your work? 

No. This was a difficult story to tell. John Norman Collins is the central figure in the book but far from my favorite. He is a psychopathic murderer.

Tell us about John Norman Collins. 

JNC was the prime suspect in the murders of seven young women in the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor, Michigan between the summers of 1967-1969. Washtenaw County prosecutors tried and convicted Collins of his last murder—the sex slaying of Karen Sue Beineman. The other murders became cold cases.

Why isn’t Collins better known? 

The week the Beineman case came to trial, the Helter Skelter [Tate/LaBianca] murders happened in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. Overnight, Charles Manson and his family drew national attention to Southern California. The Collins trial became a war of attrition; the Manson trial became a three ring media circus.

What genre is your book and who is your target audience? 

It is true crime. Terror in Ypsilanti strives to restore the lost history of these cases. The trial transcripts were purged from the Washtenaw County files shortly after all of Collins’s appeals ran out in the mid-1970s. I initially wrote this book for the people of Ypsilanti to pay a debt to history, but young people going away to college will find the story instructive and cautionary.

Can you briefly summarize the content of Terror in Ypsilanti? 

Part one tells the story of the murders as the details unfolded before the police and the public. Much of this information has never been made public before. Part two reconstitutes the most infamous criminal trial in Michigan history from hundreds of vintage newspaper articles. Part three tells the story of Collins’s years in prison, his efforts to circumvent his life sentence, and his attempts to manipulate public opinion through the media.

What qualifies you to tell this story? 

While these murders were happening, I lived one block up the street from Collins and had several negative encounters with him. It wasn’t until I saw his face plastered across the front pages that I realized I recognized him. I knew people he knew, and I knew friends who knew some of the victims. Going to Eastern Michigan University and teaching at Ypsilanti High School gives me a detailed knowledge of the area and its people. The non-fiction story of what actually happened needed to be told before these events become lost in the fog of time. I’m uniquely positioned to do that.

Has this story ever been told before?

 Brief surveys of the Collins story have appeared in crime magazines and internet articles—usually with faulty information and without the benefit of hindsight. Five years after these events occurred in 1976, Edward Keyes published a cozy mystery called The Michigan Murders, which used pseudonyms for the victims, the witnesses, and the convicted murderer. Keyes wrote his book as a novel, but it did more to obscure the real history than add any insight. Terror in Ypsilanti is a very different treatment of the subject matter. I take a terse journalistic approach.

What was your biggest challenge writing Terror in Ypsilanti? 

Getting official information on the trial. The Washtenaw County Court files were purged in the mid-1970s, and nobody in authority would comment on that. I had to create a patchwork of facts from hundreds of local newspaper articles to tell the broad outline of the trial.

Does your book leave readers with a message? 

Yes, if something doesn’t feel right about a person, trust your instincts. Don’t place yourself in a compromised position and recognize danger before it’s too late.

What else have you written? 

My first writing effort after I retired from teaching was Zug Island: A Detroit Riot Novel. It tells a multicultural story of the clash between urban and suburban cultures. Main character Jake Malone gets a crash course in race relations and learns that the face of racism comes in every shade of color. I also write a weekly blog entitled Fornology [fornology.blogspot.com] about my news and views.

What was your process? Did you plot out the entire book, or just let the storyline flow? Do you write in chronological order? 

I use a chunking technique at first. I get an idea of where I want the writing to go, and I write a few chapters. From there, I chart out a preliminary outline and write each chapter like it was a stand alone short story. Once on the writing treadmill, I continually rewrite until I come up with something I like.

Do you have plans for further instalments? 

I may write a follow up about some prison letters of John Norman Collins. Several people have given me caches of his letters, but for now, I’ve had my fill of him.

Do you have a plan for your next book? 

Yes, an unsolved murder of an eight-year-old boy found frozen under a bridge in the rural town of Ypsilanti, Michigan. The Ypsilanti Historical Society asked if I might be interested in writing a piece on little Richard Streicher.

Ebooks vs Physical books? Do you have a preference when reading? 

I prefer the look and feel of books. I like to go back and forth when I read and turning pages works best for me.

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing? What are your thoughts? Do you feel that the industry is changing? 

What has happened to the broadcast television networks, the movie business, and the auto business is happening to publishing--decentralization. The digital revolution is a game changer. Why be on the ragged edge of traditional publishing when I can be on the cutting edge of independent publishing. Either way authors go, promotion is their responsibility, so why not cut out the middleman?

And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors? 

Write, write, write until you can’t help yourself anymore. Then find a competent editor to help guide you. The eye sees but doesn’t see itself.

How can readers find you?

Website: gregoryafournier.com
Facebook: facebook.com/gregoryafournier
Twitter: www.twitter.com/GAFournier1

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Gregory-A.-Fournier/e/B00BDNEG1C/
Goodreads: goodreads.com@gregfournier
Gmail: gregoryafournier@gmail.com

Thank you Gregory for dropping by. As a fellow true crime author, I found this a fascinating interview. I am one of the few who know of the crimes of John Collins, so it was great to see another author's journey with such a violent killer.  Amanda

If you would like to be interviewed for this blog or have a great story to tell, please drop me a line.  As always thanks for dropping by and see you next week. 

Cheers!

Amanda Howard