What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

Gate of Tears is a topical techno-thriller set in the Red Sea region, with action in the Yemen and Djibouti; there is also political, espionage and financial/gold trading action in London and conflict with China. Emerging technology and Chinese powerplay completes the overall context. The action spans the period from the war in Serbia through to 2017, with extrapolation of the growth of worldwide Chinese economic and naval power and its consequences for the West.

Charles Tobin, an Australian gold mining entrepreneur is followed through his formative years as he abandons his family in Australian and becomes a gold miner in Alaska. He develops biogenetic technology for extracting gold from seawater.

Maruška Pavkovic is a psychopathic female terrorist damaged by her childhood in Serbia who comes into conflict with a British single handed sailor in Djibouti, where conditions are ideal for Charles Tobin’s gold extraction.

Tell us something about yourself.

My original background was in science and oceanography. Then I became a chef, then a milkman. I built my own computer in 1979 (from a kit I should say), and wrote some software for my milk business. That led into IT and I specialised in software development and manufacturing systems.

A spell of almost six years with a large international consultancy led me to working in the Middle East, Kazahkstan, Scandinavia and the US. I also spent a couple of years in Russia just as Yeltsin came into power.

I started writing in 2004.

What inspired you to write this book?

An old interest in gold from sea water, and a way of making a living whilst living on my boat (which I do at least six months of the year). I’d written a lot when I was a marketing manager (including press articles), and economy of words was important, without dilution of the message.

How did you choose the title?

It chose itself, out of the geography of my book – I still believe that extracting gold from sea water might be economic one day!

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?

The usual ones of finding an agent and publisher. I’m a largely self-reliant person, and if there’s an obstacle I’ll try to find a way around it, and do things myself. The new publishing technology has helped me do that.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you get started?

I’ve always been an avid reader – got that from my mother – and devoured all the classic thriller writers in my teens. As I said above, I enjoy crafting a piece of writing to minimise the use of words, but still retain effect. I see myself as more of a story-teller than an ‘artist’.

Patience too, I learned that. Put the main character in an impossible situation and then spend 3 weeks working out a way forward! I walk and take a notebook with me when I’m stuck like that, but I also move to writing another part of the book. I write ‘threads’ and then weave them together during the final editing.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I need peace and solitude, and try to write and average of 1,500 words a day when I’m in ‘writing mode’ – I’m not terribly good at multi-tasking. At the moment I have two books underway, and write on one in the morning, and the other in the afternoon.

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

People I have known, but some just appear from the ether. For foreign names I research the most popular – that’s easy on the web.

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book? What?

A great deal. I learned that I CAN write, can tell a story, and understand the process.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

Great question. I think I would engage a professional editor earlier in the process, so as to refine the MS before I sought an agent.

What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

Thrillers of any description, though I’m not wild about dungeons and dragons. Techo is my real preference, but I love sci-fi too. Clancy, Craig Thomas (he’s Welsh too). Recently I got into James Lee Burke and Lee Child too, and I’ve read nearly all their output.

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

I’m working on two. ‘Sicilian Channel’ is a follow up to ‘Gate of Tears’. I fell into another project this summer when I was introduced to a man with a difficult childhood – and I do mean difficult! He was committed to an adult mental ward when he was nine years old, and recovered to become a successful engineer. So, ‘Susan’s Brother’ is his story. Non-fiction, and a wholly different scenario, with subject interviews and painful memories to uncover and for me to write about.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Don’t dither. Sit down and write. Start marketing as soon as you can. Write a ‘blurb’ about your book, even if you haven’t written it – the process will help you get started.

Get a good cover – don’t skimp. Launch on Kindle, but before you do, research the Kindle marketing world and learn how to maximise your chances of success.

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

Someone who reads the authors I read.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

At my website http://www.jamesmarinero.com
At the book’s website http://www.gateoftears.com
And my blog http://jamesmarinero.blogspot.com

I can also be found easily on facebook and twitter.

In the world of mystery fiction you need a heroine, a criminal and a victim. Sometimes these descriptions overlap and the heroine is also a victim trying to get revenge. Or the criminal had been a victim in his past and now has a warped sense of right and wrong. Sometimes the victim was a real jerk and got her comeuppance by one of her victims. Or, sometimes it’s quite simple: the hero really is a hero, the victim an innocent bystander and the villain a very bad person.

Whatever the plot, it is fun to dig into the psychology of each character and twist their motives around. After all, we rarely meet real people that are one-dimensional and shallow so why should our characters be? Crafting memorable characters that are realistic is challenging but worth the struggle. A well-defined character can thaw your heart or launch tentacles of fear down your spine. Think Christopher Robin. Now think Hannibal Lecter. Big difference.

Create your characters to make a difference to your story, be it good (that would be Christopher) or bad (that would be Hannibal). Both are memorable in their own special way. Personality traits should be strong—or weak—depending on their part in the plot. Quirks are fabulous, after all, most people that we meet have their own quirky behavior whether it’s talking with their hands or constantly clearing their throat or incessantly hugging or touching other people. Don’t hesitate to take your characters to the max; they’ll be a lot more memorable that way.

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

This Time You Lose is an intense read. It is the terrifying story of Lisa Kaamp, who operates a small childcare business out of her home in the sleepy little town of Nogeksum, Michigan. Highly respected and known for going the extra mile for her daycare kids, Lisa thought she had handled every daycare emergency possible.

But nothing prepared her for the nightmare she now faced. Lisa awakes one morning to find herself bound and gagged, four strange men in her home, and the daycare children being held hostage in the next room. Terrorized by her captors as the authorities work to meet the ransom deadline, she tries negotiating with the men for the release of the children, and soon realizes that at least one of them has no intention of letting anyone go. With the deadline quickly approaching, Lisa must do the unimaginable to protect the children and get everyone out alive.

Tell us something about yourself.

I never intended to be a writer. Short-order cook, security guard, safety officer, childcare provider, and teacher were all titles I’d worn – but never writer. Then I entered an essay contest for “The Worst Vacation Ever” and won. Writing became my new hobby, and soon I had several articles in print with local publications. This was followed by a short story, The Khaki Pants, which was published by RDR Publishing in an anthology that went on to sell over a million copies.

A suspense thriller was my next undertaking, and in 2008 This Time You Lose was named a finalist in the TNBW Strongest Start Novel Competition. Four months later it earned the distinction of being a TNBW Readers Choice Top Ten Novel, and has remained on the Top Ten list ever since.

I continue to work full time, raise a family, and occasionally put pen to paper in my endeavor to appease the Muse within. I live in Michigan with my husband and family.

What inspired you to write this book?

Years ago, a neighboring community was plagued with a series of home invasions. A childcare provider myself at the time, I wondered what would happen if one of these invasions occurred in a childcare home. A woman home alone, caring for up to a dozen children in a deserted, middle-class neighborhood made the perfect target for one of these invasions – and thus my story was born.

How did you choose the title?

I changed the title of this book numerous times as I wrote, edited, and then rewrote all or parts of it. Originally, I’d titled it Daycare Nightmare, then Every Parent’s Nightmare. However, some of my first test readers were men, and they pointed out those titles could pigeon-hole it as a woman’s book. They noted that while they really liked the story, with either of those titles, they would never have picked it up off the shelf. So… I gave it a lot of thought and finally settled on the title This Time You Lose – which is actually a line of dialog in the story.

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?

The first draft was completed in 6 months, but it took another year and a half of editing and rewriting to get it to the point where I felt confident sending it out. After many, many, many rejections I finally got an agent in New York. She sent it out to all the major publishers – who rejected it, but offered constructive comments. I then reworked the story based on their comments and my agent resubmitted it. This time most of the publishers really liked it, but still turned it down. My agent explained that it had more to do with the current economy than the writing….the big publishing houses just weren’t taking many chances on unknown authors right now. She suggested shelving it for a year or so, and trying it again later. So I put it away for awhile. Then after much thought and research, I decided not to wait. I didn’t NEED a big publishing company to get my book out there. I could do it myself. So I decided to self publish, and went with a print-on-demand publishing company. In less than two months I had my finished book in my hands. Of course 100% of the marketing is also in my hands, and that has proved to be more difficult than writing the original story.

Do you have any writing rituals?

My only writing ritual is copious amounts of coffee – and Tootsie-roll pops! If I’m writing in the morning, I need LOTS of coffee. If I’m writing in the evening, I require a tootsie-roll pop in my mouth at all times. Oh, and editing requires potato chips. J

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

None of my characters are named for real people. I just used names I liked, that were dissimilar enough to keep them straight in my head.

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book? What?

Writing is the easy part, and the most fun. Editing is hard. Getting published is tough – even with an agent. Marketing is by far the most difficult part of the whole process.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

I would try to have a specific time & place available to me for the purpose of writing, editing, etc. Much of this book was written in the car, in the stands, even in the bathroom. (the only room in the house with a lock on the door!) As a working mom, the distractions were constant. A nice private island with a palm tree would be perfect!

What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

I love suspense thrillers. I also like comedy, and true crime, and horror.., hmmm, I guess I like just about everything except romance and vampires!

I grew up reading Stephen King, and continue to do so. I am currently reading James Patterson and Dan Brown

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

I am currently spending most of my spare time marketing this book. However, I do have my next 2 books planned in my head. One will be another suspense thriller, with a writer as the protagonist. The other will be an anthology of real life stories – more of a humor collection.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Don’t give up on your dream. Join a writers critique group – in person or online. Step back from your work occasionally and really consider what others say about what you’ve written, BUT never let others tell you that you can’t do it. Keep plugging away, and don’t be afraid to put your work out there.

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

My book is perfect for those who like an intense read. It keeps the reader on edge and tense all the way through. Not for the faint of heart!

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

Readers can learn more about me, This Time You Lose, and related products at any of the sites below.

Website: www.thistimeyoulose.com
Amazon.com
Facebook fan page: This Time You Lose Fan Page
Twitter: @chrisstralyn
Email: chrisstralyn@gmail.com

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

My latest (and second) novel, West of Wawa is about a young immigrant woman named Benny. Benny comes to Canada from Australia, thinking that she’s running to something while actually, she’s running away; running away from a marriage that ended badly and from a failed dream of being an artist. She’s in a lot of pain and she numbs herself with hard work and prescription meds – she’s very adept at self-medicating, a tendency that increases during her journey. West of Wawa is a road-trip adventure and Benny’s a feisty girl, but she’s also foolhardy and she learns a few tough lessons along the way. This book is very much about life handing out hard knocks, and having to fight and find a way to self-realization. Benny isn’t perfect; she makes a lot of mistakes but she does find her way.

Tell us something about yourself.

I’m originally from South Africa and I came to Canada in 2000. I was looking for a job as a magazine art director in New York and I got offered a job (with then McCall’s) but I couldn’t get a visa. While I was waiting to hear about my visa, I got a job here in Toronto and I fell in love with Canada and I stayed. I got transferred to London (England) for three months and I couldn’t wait to get back to Canada.

I’ve been writing all my life. Really! And it was always a given in the family that I would become a writer. I studied English and Philosophy at university but then I found writing as a day job much too stressful. I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity in art directing and that’s been my day job and a huge love of my life for the past twenty-three years. But I’ve always written; short stories, poems, long wordy novels. I’ve typewritten, hand-written, computer-written, daydreamed and nightmared my writing ever since I can remember.

Hmmm, anything you might find interesting… let me think… I have a brown belt in karate? Ah, I think you mean writing-interesting! Okay, well, here’s something I’ve never shared on a blog before (at least I don’t think I have!) – I love Stephen King, I feel like his books are my guilty pleasure. I love the way he can paint the picture of seemingly-peaceful and perfect suburban life with a rotten undertow that drags you into an abyss.

What inspired you to write this book?

Books choose us – I really believe that. But we can choose to go on a date with the book or not… It really is like being given the opportunity to make a new friend. We can always say no. But sometimes you think hey, this person’s really interesting so I’m going to take some time to hang out with them. It was the same thing with West of Wawa. The book came to me and said, “here I am, can you do something with me, can you help me live?” and I said yes and I never gave up on it, not even when it seemed like I was following an impossible dream. (More about this below in answer to Question 5.)

How did you choose the title?

Again here’s something I’ve never shared before – the original title was West of Wawa and Why Eve Ate The Apple…I’d been struggling to find a title, struggling mightily, and I’d been trying out different ones for what seemed like months. As always, I ask the opinion of every person I meet (which means that a lot of people see me coming and run in the other direction…) anyway, I was at a guitar lesson, bemoaning my title-less fate and my teacher said “take it from the book,” (he knew that each chapter had its own title) and one was West of Wawa and Why Eve Ate The Apple, and that one popped into my head. So there it was, but I later shortened it to just West of Wawa. The ‘Why Eve Ate The Apple’ bit is still in the book and I invite (and hopefully entice) readers to discover that bit for themselves!

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?

The obstacles in getting this book published could have paved Benny’s entire journey from the east to west coast of Canada.

The book was quickly accepted for ebook publication by a wonderful little publishing company on the east coast. We spent a year working on edits and revisions and proofs and galleys and the like, and we even finished the cover artwork and it was all going swimmingly well. Then, two weeks before launch date, the company ran out of funds and closed up shop. Talk about disappointed! Actually, make that crushed and devastated. But, I thought, at the very least, I had a polished manuscript in hand that I could shop around. And I did that, submitting it a publishing house that I had wanted to work with for ages. I waited on tenterhooks for the long six months it took them to read it (they’re also a small house and had quite a backlog so it took a little longer than usual for me to get feedback.) I wasn’t too worried though – the book had already been previously accepted and so I was 80 percent sure that the news was going to be good. But then, another crushing blow – feedback told me that while the scenery was great, the character was vacuous. She professed to learn and grow on her journey but her actions didn’t support this. Once again, a crushing blow.

I gathered my energy and swallowed my pride (vacuous? My character was vacuous?) and started from scratch.

During this time, I had been working with my current, wonderful publisher and so of course, when I was finished reworking the novel, I sent the book to her. Three months later I got the good news: “the book’s a terrific read!”

So, it all turned out well in the end. West of Wawa emerged, a print book, and with a much better story and it’s true that there really are silver linings to the darkest of clouds.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I love a good ritual! The answer is yes, absolutely. I light candles or incense. I wear a particular hat, I arrange bowls of chocolates and my desk needs to be just so. In the past, I wasn’t able to work unless all the dishes were done and the house was spotless but I’m delighted to say I’ve overcome that and now I can work with the sink piled high and the stairs badly in need of a vacuum. My very sweet husband has kindly picked up a lot of my slack, which I greatly appreciate. Still, he was the one who told me that I couldn’t do everything and that I had to prioritize – well, I did!

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Try to get a grip on the rules of editing and grammar. I’m still struggling with it; run-on sentences (I’m horribly guilty), commas (I use too many), semi-colons (an eternal mystery), colons (in need of irrigation?) and rules for internal narrative versus dialogue. Just to mention a few. Because these days, you’re expected to show up all polished and shiny – there is no ‘later’ and there is no ‘them’ as in ‘they’ll fix it later’. I still hear people saying that, and I’ve pretty much given up explaining that they’re shooting themselves in the foot by not working it harder upfront, because they look at me with pity, clearly thinking that my work must lack the immeasurable value that theirs has.

Seriously though, learning how to edit your own work is invaluable. So that’d be my Tip Number One. Followed by Never Give Up. Followed by Find Yourself A Great Mentor If You Can. And then, there’s the old goodie; Learn Something New Every Day.

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

Ah, my poor characters. Imagine they’re real people and I’m trying to find the perfect outfit for each of them – I drag them to shopping mall after shopping mall, and make them try on different suits and dresses and shorts and skirts and blouses and t-shirts and ball-gowns and raincoats – and that’s without even having started on the purses, shoes, belts, scarves and hats! I’m utterly relentless. I lose a lot of sleep over character names. I have to work with them for a while and see if they fit. Benny had quite a few names before I hit upon Benny and I can’t recall exactly how that came to me. I know I saw her serious little face (yes I know she’s not really real!) watching Benny and Joon and then I just knew she was Benny. She picked her name herself. Her ‘real’ name is Bertha Gertrude and I tell you, it took quite some doing to find that one! So in this instance, there are names even within names and stories around her name, so it was particularly important I get it right.

I look through books on baby’s names and I generally start there. Then I page through books, dozens of them, just looking at names. Then I scour the TV program credits and movie credits. I type arbitrary names on Google. I watch the newsreels for interesting names. I think about the names of people I work with. I think about people I went to school with. I think about movie stars. Sometimes when I’m talking to people, I’m thinking about their names and I get distracted and lose track of the conversation and I can’t exactly say ‘oh sorry, I was wondering if your name would work on this character I have…”

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book? What?

The biggest lesson I thought I learned was with regard to weaving my travel into my fiction writing. I say ‘thought I’d learned’ but actually I hadn’t! Readers, I hope you’ll join Cathy and me again on March 26, when more will be revealed on this topic!

What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

I’d very much like to invite readers to visit me on Twitter for the answer to this question because I post a new quote every day from a writer who inspires me. And here are just a few that I’ve had so far (and they’re a mix of contemporary Canadian writers as well as some of the all-time greats from around the world); D.J. McIntosh, John Irving, Earnest Hemingway, Hugh MacLennan, Dylan Thomas, Alan Paton, Olive Schreiner, Salman Rushdie, Hunter S Thompson, Danila Botha, William S Burroughs, Kathleen Winter, Beverly Ackerman, Edgar Allan Poe, Stuart Ross, Harry Crews, Dawn Promislow, Jean-Paul Sartre, Charles Bukowski, Ken Babstock, Carole Giangrande, Lisa Young and Kateri Lanthier. Here’s my Twitter link: http://bit.ly/v5Rk08

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

I would love to tell you about it! My next book is a murder mystery set in Namibia, which is a tiny country on the border of South Africa. The novel is very much Agatha Christie style; a busload of tourists set off on a holiday of murder and mayhem. There’s lots in there about the Bushmen, witchdoctors, muti killings and things like that, as well as the murders. I am coming into my fifth year of working on this novel and my publisher is hopeful that it will see print next year, if I make the right rewrites – so, fingers crossed!

This is also a good example of my travel being woven into my fiction writing and I’ll talk more about that in the blog on 26^th and I hope you’ll all join us there.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

Get a copy of the book:

amazon.ca: http://amzn.to/xu637D

Amazon.com

Indigo/Chapters: http://bit.ly/sVmWzv

Reading on YouTube: http://bit.ly/u5eyG2

Trailer on YouTube: http://bit.ly/qXrJLn

Visit my website: www.lisadenikolitswriter.com for reviews, comments, photographs and more.

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

My most recent book is titled, The Devil’s Workshop. It’s a thriller set in Santa Fe, St. Paul, and Santa Elena, Mexico, a city based on Guadalajara. The story concerns a revenge plot that’s been more than 400 years in the making, pitting one branch of a family against another.

Tell us something about yourself.

I grew up in Minnesota, and my first job out of college was as a writer/editor in the mental health field. I wanted to write fiction. I did two bad novels and, realizing they weren’t any good, utterly ran off the rails. When I tried to go back to it, I found I was totally blocked, and was unable to write another word for 37 years. Going back to it in 2005, after a career in business, I wrote 16 books in six years. There was a lot built up behind the dam.

What inspired you to write this book?

I bought a painting in Santa Fe depicting a young man who appeared about 94% human. As I looked at it over the years I wondered what kind of world he inhabited. It would be much like mine, but not entirely so. His world became the basis for The Devil’s Workshop.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you get started?

Even in high school I had a strong way with words. I began writing short fiction then and my teachers encouraged me. It continued in college.

Do you have any writing rituals?

After my long blockage, I’m pleased to say I have no rituals and no fears. I simply trust my process. I sit down each day and write. If nothing comes immediately, I go back a few pages and polish what I wrote the previous time. This usually carries me forward. One key is that I realized it’s not about me––it’s only about the material.

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book? What?

I learned to trust myself more, after going through a series of sessions with a book doctor who felt she could help me improve it. Some of her advice was helpful, and I put it to good use, but most of it wasn’t.

What types of books do you like to read? Why?

I read mostly mystery writers because I like to see what they’re doing. I’ve done so much writing now during the last six years that it’s easy to see the bones and structure in other people’s work. I try to avoid the errors I see, and I like to be sure that my work is different from anyone else’s. My own books are set mostly in Mexico, because that’s where I live, and so it’s easy to give them a different flavor. My mysteries are in a series, using a main detective character, Paul Zacher, who’s an artist. He’s drawn into the first case because he might see things differently. He does.

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

I’m working on the ninth book of my mystery series, titled, The Theft of the Virgin, about a group that steals the Our Lady of Guadalupe image from the cathedral in Mexico City and substitutes a copy.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Work as hard as you can, make no excuses, show your work in progress to others who are serious readers and solicit their comments. Listen hard, and use what you can. Most importantly, Never Give Up!

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

The perfect reader for my books is a person who wants to accompany me into a slightly different world, one with humor, adventure, surprise, and humanity. Someone who likes art, culture, romance, and using her own imagination to fill in those tiny openings in the text with her own thoughts and ideas. I try to leave space for this kind of participation, and I think of it as having stories with a bit of ‘air’ in them.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

Readers can readily find me at my website, www.sanmiguelallendebooks.com, and at Amazon, and at my Amazon author page.

They can also contact me from my website. I love to hear from them and I answer all emails.

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

My most recent work is Past Lives, the first book in a series about a man who discovers under hypnosis that he is a reincarnated serial killer.

Tell us something about yourself.

Born in Kansas the son of an army ranger and Black Hawk pilot, I had the wonderful opportunity to grow up in both Kentucky and Germany. I started writing early with short stories for middle school like “The Candy Cane Man” and one gloriously unfinished fantasy novel cryptically titled “The Tower of Gold.” Fast-forward a few years and I graduated from Murray State University with a degree in Communication, which I used most recently as a national trainer and speaker. I have presented at the local, state and national level on writing, marketing, relationships, culture, body language, and influence. My work has been published in various newspapers, newsletters, and The Writer’s Journal. I am the author of the nonfiction book, 101 Ways to Pray Better and Get Faster Results, and the Past Lives novel series.

What inspired you to write this book?

Believe it or not, the story is inspired by true events. In the early 1900’s, a man named Edgar Cayce discovered an uncanny ability to put himself into a deep state of hypnosis. In trance, he delivered diagnosis and other health advice that cured the sick even though he had no medical training. He also demonstrated physic abilities, and even spoke of reincarnation. From the seed of this true-life story, the idea for Past Lives germinated and blossomed over time.

Also, most people who believe in reincarnation claim previous lives as celebrities and royalty. Although as a Christian I don’t ascribe to reincarnation, I do find it a fascinating idea. I wondered what would happen if someone found out that they were something terrible, even horrific in a past life. How would that affect a person? How would someone handle that truth? The novel is my answer to those questions.

How did you choose the title?

The title fell into my lap form the story premise. All those previous lives discovered and explored screamed for the title to be Past Lives. Past Lives is also the catalyst for the major story conflict and question. When it first came to me, it seemed like the only title that fit.

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?

I started writing the novel eight years ago. It was my first, and I struggled through three years of slow writing and rewriting. The novel must have gone through at least 20 versions, if not more. Like many writers, I sent out dozens upon dozens of query letters. Rejections filtered in as I kept revising, tweaking, and fiddling with the story. As I continued to seek publication, I wrote a second novel (which, coincidently, might be published in 2012). In 2010, through the leadership and public speaking organization, Toastmasters, I met my publisher, Dave Mattingly, who runs Blackwyrm publishing. He requested to see my first novel, accepted it, and published it in July 2011.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Yes, I write almost exclusively in the morning, when my focus and creativity are at their peak. With a wife and young child, this usually means getting up at 4 am. I start by reading what I wrote the day before to get myself back into the characters, the story, and whatever particular scene that I’m currently writing. I keep thesaurus.com open and use it regularly as I write. My current process is to write slowly, revising as I go.

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

I try to pick names that “fit” the characters, both in personality and meaning. Eric Shooter just sounds cool to me. It’s simple, and I hope memorable. James Wolfe is actually a famous British general, which goes along nicely with my Detective’s love for everything war. The guy has two pit bulls named Napoleon and Caesar, after all.

How did you decide to write a series?

Past Lives begun as a standalone novel that included an extra character and ended very differently than it does now. Over the years, the story has remained the same, but characters have been deleted, scenes added and the end rewritten. Truthfully, I resisted the idea for a series at first because of my chronically low attention span. I thought I’d never want to stay with one idea, or one set of characters for very long. I decided to write a series for Past Lives because I think there are still unanswered questions at the end of the novel, and I still get excited about the characters and the story lines.

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book? What?

I learned that I am able to write a novel-length story. I learned about characterization, conflict, voice, the joys and challenges of plotting and revising. I’ve learned how much effort it takes and how long it can take to go from finished novel to published novel. I continue to learn more about writing and marketing every day.

Your novel addresses many controversial topics like hypnosis, reincarnation and harm to innocent victims (i.e., a pregnant woman is attacked in the prologue!) Were you nervous about including all these elements?

Yes, I knew the risk of writing a novel grounded in so much controversy. Personally, I hope those elements make the story more interesting to readers. They are different, unique. To the point about innocents, I wanted to show the brutal ugliness of evil, the vile nature of it. I certainly do not mean to offend, while firmly believing (and wanting to show) that evil is often offensive.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

My writing style has changed over the years, so I would probably rewrite the story with my current, more descriptive style. I still really like short, punchy chapters. I might delve into Eric’s character a bit more, but the good thing about a series is that I have future books to explore his past and personality.

What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

I love to read thrillers and suspense novels. I read the spectrum of authors and am constantly on the look out for new authors to read. In my humble opinion, it is hard to find a writer that is both a great storyteller and a great writer. I think Dean Koontz is one of those rare writers, although his endings sometimes leave me wanting more. He writes with a poetic description that I greatly admire. I also like Dan Brown, the Jason Bourne Series, some books by Stephen King, and a wide and diverse assortment of other writers. Most recently, I finished the Frankenstein series by Dean Koontz and thoroughly enjoyed it. I just started reading The Language of Flowers. So far, the story is engrossing.

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

My second book, Dark Halo, will likely be out in 2012. It is a standalone thriller about a father trying to reconnect with his estranged wife and daughter in a town that has lost its guardian angel.

I am also half way through writing the sequel to Past Lives.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

About writing: I heard it for years and never really got it, but in my opinion nothing beats lots of reading and writing. Creative writing is a talent honed by practice, practice, practice. Don’t get overly discouraged. Keep at it. You will get better, and you will get your break.

About publishing: start your marketing six months to a year in advance. Create a list of media (i.e. newspapers, blogs, radio stations). Create a list of bookstores and other venues to do readings and signings, and start contacting them now. Build relationships. Create flyers and other promotional material like poster-sized images of your book cover. Get a nice poster easel and smaller book easels, maybe a tablecloth for signings. Join Toastmasters and brush up your public speaking skills. Make friends, network, help other writers, be a good person, set your priorities and don’t neglect your family. Keep first things first.

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

I’d say someone over 17 years of age that likes thrillers and suspense novels, particularly with paranormal elements. There is no profanity or sexual content in the novel, but there is a healthy dose of violence. Someone who likes the short chapters of James Patterson might really enjoy the writing style.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

Read the first chapter of Past Lives at Amazon.com. The novel is also available at blackwyrm.com, most other online booksellers and by order virtually anywhere books are sold. Keep up with the series at http://www.facebook.com/Ckauthor

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

Actually I’ve got the first two books in my lighthearted paranormal mystery series out as a Back To School Special (because I think the sting of going back to school pretty much lasts all year). They are both available in eBook and in trade paperback.

The first book in the series, EPIC award winning Underdead, is about newbie science teacher Jo Gartner who is bitten by a vampire–only he doesn’t quite do the job, leaving her almost undead or “underdead”. And then things really get out of control. Dead bodies. Police. Undead. Outrageous lies to her mother. But then someone wants Jo dead…the traditional way!

In the sequel, Underdead In Denial, Jo is having a wonderfully quiet year until she volunteers for the Haunted House fundraiser. That’s just asking for the vampires to show up and of course they do. Then there’s another dead body. And more cops. And Jo is forced to decide which side she’s on before someone gets rid of her permanently.

Tell us something about yourself.

Does my vast chocolate consumption while writing qualify as interesting or is it merely horrifying?

Like Jo, my first job right out of college was teaching middle school science. I adore math and science and currently work as a financial analyst. But my first love has always been writing and I make time to do it. Always. I will say here that teaching is the hardest job I’ve ever done. Hands down. I was one of those kids in school that was a bit of a handful for my teachers and boy did the universe circle back to make me pay for it. I miss teaching and my students but I do not miss the grading. It’s a great joy to go to coffee shops just to go and not because I’m chaining myself to a table to get papers graded.

What inspired you to write this book?

The teacher part is based very loosely on my experiences. And the vampire part? I could make the argument that teaching is all about dealing with bloodsucking monsters (one need only think back to their own middle school experience to know this is true). But quite honestly I got the idea for Underdead after a punchline from a comedian’s stand up routine got stuck in my head one afternoon, the way annoying songs do. I don’t remember the joke, of course, just the punchline, about something being underdone-done-done. It twisted around and around in my head and somehow became “Underdead” and the idea for an almost undead science teacher was born.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I write better at night (must be all those years of putting homework off to the last minutes before bedtime) and have a superbly messy desk. Every so often I organize my papers and clean every inch of my desk and it slowly turns back into a trash heap.

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

This is one of the hardest things for me. So hard that I blogged about it. I have baby books and I look up names on line and I watch credits on TV and movies for ideas. And when in doubt, I ask my mother.

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

I’m deep into the third Underdead mystery and I plan on at least one more. I have also written the first book in a YA series, and it is coming soon.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Learn. Take classes. Hang out with other writers who are driven to improve and motivated to write as a career. On my website I have a list of classes and books that have helped me, and I explain why they’ve been a help. I’m terrible at remembering book titles and names so I add more as I remember them.

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

I like the sort of book that you can curl up with on the couch after a rotten day and flip pages and giggle and that’s the sort of books I write. My novels are cozy mysteries with a romantic love triangle…and vampires! Teens tend to like the books for the vampires and steal it from their mothers. Who are the sort who will steal it right back. They also appeal to teachers and students because they identify with Jo. However, the books are PG and I’ve got fans of all ages and both genders.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

Both of my books are available in eBook and in trade paperback. You can easily find links to the way you want to read the books on my website.

My website: lizjasper.com
I’m bumping up against the Facebook friend ceiling so I’ve started a page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Liz-Jasper/114356318669137
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/AuthorLizJasper

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it

Starting in the 1950s but time-traveling through a parallel universe to the 21st century, my “Fifties Chix” series chronicles the adventures of five diverse girls – each having her own talisman and special talent needed to navigate in the new 21st-century world to find a way back home. Friendship, romance, mystery, fantasy and a bit of history mix together in this series for young teen girls.

The series’ first book, Travel to Tomorrow, is the start of the time-travel story about five mismatched high school classmates whose lives change forever after receiving an assignment from their teacher, Miss Boggs, asking them to predict what life will be like 55 years into the future. The morning after they are given the assignment, tomboy Beverly, studious Mary, artistic Ann, moody Maxine and high-spirited Judy find themselves transplanted a half a century into the future. Once they discover what the future holds, they wonder if they even want to go back home.

What inspired you to write this book?

I’ve always loved to tell stories, whether it’s through words or through painting and drawing. I was inspired to write the Fifties Chix series after first drawing the five different characters–one girl obsessed with Hollywood and the movies, one girl who is a tomboy who loves sports, another who is a homemaker who enjoys sewing and cooking, one girl who is concerned about social issues and a girl who is very artistic and loves to paint. I imagined how they would act and what they would think–and even how others would perceive them–if they were to be dropped right in present day straight from the 1950s.

Why did you select the 50s to write about?

The 1950s is considered by many to be a “golden era” in America that will never be seen again. America had come out of World War II and The Great Depression and people were starting to find success and prosperity. It was a time of hope and dreams. In many ways, there was a picture perfect image of the American Dream being lived out. At the same time, there were many issues like women’s rights and racial equality that were coming to a head. I thought it would be interesting to compare and contrast the 50s with present day because we all want to fit in–and the 1950s was so much about conformity; and we also all value individuality and uniqueness–which is such a focus today. I thought it would be fun to see how these characters in the Fifties Chix went on a quest to find their place within themselves, with each other as friends, and in society.

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

My ideal reader for the Fifties Chix series is a middle school girl who craves adventure, is intrigued by history and treasures the relationships in her life. She has an active imagination, wants to do the right thing, but has a rebellious streak at the same time. She doesn’t like to be told what to do because she wants to figure it out for herself. She tries to remember to value people for who they are on the inside, even thought the world is constantly shoving superficial standards at her. She wants to make a positive difference in the world, but she also just wants to day dream and have fun letting her mind meander!

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

I’m currently working on the third book in the Fifties Chix series (“Third Time’s a Charm”) and without giving too much away, I’ll just say that three characters time travel to the Civil War era. I am having so much fun researching the 1860s! I never knew I would be getting such an education writing this series. I’m working on two other books (both first of series; my husband’s refrain is, “Can’t you just write a single title??” But I can’t help it, I love to read series, so I love to write series!). The second Fifties Chix book, “Keeping Secrets” is due out at the beginning of 2012.

Tell us something about yourself.

I’ve always loved creative writing. I used to entertain myself by writing stories and drawing pictures. I just came across a school assignment from third grade with vocabulary words. I used each word in a sentence and as a “bonus” illustrated every sentence. I did that constantly–I loved to create scenes (in more ways than one!). I looked to be a creative writing major in college, but got sidetracked with art and theater. Ironically, it was while working in the art gallery that I owned with my husband that I started writing stories based on characters I would sketch. It all came full circle!

My writing continues to take on new meaning for me; while it’s thoroughly enjoyable, it is also the vehicle for what I am passionate about. For example, I am heartened by the growing movement which is a rebellion against the superficial and hyper-sexualized portrayal of girls and women in the media. I am passionate about this cause that “redefines girlhood” and I champion “Good Books x Strong Girls” on my blog and in my books. So while I write fiction (that is fun and uplifting), I write with the intention of creating strong female characters that offer an alternative to the often discouraging and demoralizing portrayal of girls and women.

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?

When I first started writing the first Fifties Chix book, I didn’t think too much about how I would publish it; like all of my writing projects, I’m compelled to write them because I love the concepts and characters. The further I got along in writing the story, though, the more I wanted to share it. I realized the quickest way to get it out to most people was to publish it on a blog. My husband set up a website using images of the Fifties Chix characters that I had sketched when first conceiving the concept. People subscribed to the blog posts and I posted sections of the story as I wrote them and included diary entries of the characters, which continues to be an integral part of the story. It was satisfying to immediately start building a community around the Fifties Chix by publishing to the web; the downside was that the posts weren’t professionally edited like my books are now! I try not to think about that aspect too much because it makes me cringe. I guess it wasn’t that bad because the original readers are still fans!

Do you have any writing rituals?

When I’m writing I can’t listen to music at all. Background noise is OK, but if there’s music, I’ll get too easily distracted. I also have to be chewing something. Unfortunately, sometimes my fingernails take the brunt of this, which is why having either gum or sunflower seeds on hand is essential! It’s taken me years to figure out (and not feel guilty) that my best time for writing is in the afternoon. No matter how early I get up in the morning, I just can’t get in a good writing zone until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. I’ve finally given up fighting it and now can have very productive writing sessions (followed usually by a late dinner which is cooked and served by my husband if I’m on a really good jag).

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

I’m always thrilled to meet someone who says they are working on writing or publishing a book and I get emails constantly asking for advice, which I am happy to give. The publishing industry is undergoing huge changes right now and I forever remind myself and others that this means there are more opportunities than ever. A writer who is working to get published should be like a tree, rooted and grounded in the love of their writing, strong and always reaching out, but flexible when the big storms (rejection, unforeseen obstacles, etc) come. My mantra is “Keep going!” Though, I guess if we’re talking about being a tree, “Keep growing!” is more accurate! My favorite advice, which you hear from authors time and again, is to write what you want to read. I think this is really important because then you’re being authentic and continually refining your voice and message. When your writing is coming from a place of love, you’re assured of success.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

The Fifties Chix website at www.FiftiesChix.com has information about the characters in the series, an active fan club and even fun facts about the 1950s, including slang terms. Because I’m a word nerd, there’s also a wiki with supplemental ideas for learning, games, even cooking and entertaining: www.fiftieschix.wikispaces.com I blog regularly about things close to my heart: “Good Books x Strong Girls,” the writing and publishing process, creativity, and observations about life in general. I also have a very extensive FAQ page (with links to my popular ehow publishing videos) available for a resource for writers who are looking to be published or are just getting started with their book projects at www.AngelaSageLarsen.com. On Twitter: @AngLarsen and @50sChix. On Facebook: facebook.com/FiftiesChix

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

Nikita

The President of Iran sits down with a wealthy and powerful Russian appointed by a corrupt United Nations’ Secretary General to oversee attempts by Iran to develop nuclear arms. The topic they discuss is the brokerage by the Russian of 4,000 nuclear warheads, manufactured by the former Soviet Union and a perfect fit for Iran’s Shahab-3 ballistic missiles. These warheads are sitting in Russian warehouses and are being offered for sale by a rogue Russian official.

The same Russian broker orchestrates the actions of the President of the United States in lockstep with the Secretary General of the United Nations to execute a campaign of actions designed to create and maintain chaos in the world of international relations, a campaign to distract the world from the nuclear proliferation, taking place in the Middle East.

The ambitions of the Russian broker and his colleagues are focused on generating tens of billions of dollars in profits and the global consequences are of no interest to them.

The only way to stop the inevitable disaster is to stop the flow of the money.

Anna and Hugh Masterson, the sleuthing couple from the Anna & Hugh Masterson International Mystery Series, find themselves the unintentional gatekeepers in this horrific plot of unbridled nuclear proliferation and both are at risk of losing their lives under violent and very personal circumstances.

It is a saga that could be…but we pray will not!

Tell us something about yourself.

I was born in The Bronx, NY in the early days of WWII and attended Catholic schools through college, all boys from the sixth grade.

On graduating from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1956, I attended Manhattan College where I earned a BBA in accounting. After a tour of duty with the U.S. Army Artillery, I started my career in 1962, as an accountant with Haskins and Sells, one of the international accounting firms that were then referred to as the Big Eight.

By 1979, I had progressed through a career in finance and the use of technology in financial management to the position of Chief Financial Officer of Citibank’s Visa and MasterCard business.

In the first half of the 1980s, I oversaw, as Chief Executive Officer, the growth of a $459 Million regional mortgage company to a $7.5 Billion Federal Mortgage Bank, one of the largest in the country at that time.

In 1985, together with my wife Susan, a computer scientist, I founded a consulting firm specializing in technology-based solutions to processing and security issues in the Financial Services Industry. From 1985 through 2000, the firm serviced the largest financial organizations in the world, including, Barclays Bank, J.P. Morgan & Co., Citicorp, Merrill Lynch & Co., Credit Suisse, Prudential, Standard & Poor’s and ING Barings.

In the year 2000 two events that were to have a major impact occurred:
My wife left the company to pursue (successfully) a complete career reinvention as an actress, model and author and…
I won the bid on a long-term contract (six years) to reengineer the way the United Nations moves money and information globally.

The UN contract and my wife’s new career required us to be in New York City every day for long hours so we rented an apartment on East 46th Street.

During the six years of the contract, a scandal erupted at the UN surrounding the Oil for Food Program. This was a UN administered effort that permitted the embargoed Hussein run Iraq, isolated after the invasion of Kuwait and the first Iraq war, to sell oil to the world. The funds were to be used to buy food and medical supplies to provide the Iraqi people with the necessities of life, thereby reducing the impact on them of the embargo.

October 27, 2005, a committee headed by Paul Volker issued a report of the audit conducted into the corruption in the program. It was almost 700 pages but the real meat for me was in two sentences. “…the Government of Iraq sold $64.2 billion of oil to 248 companies. In turn, 3,614 companies sold $34.5 billion of humanitarian goods to Iraq.”

The difference between the income from oil sales and the outgo to buy humanitarian goods was 29.7 Billion Dollars. I was deeply involved in the movement of money by the UN and I couldn’t stop asking the question, “What happened to that $29,700,000,000?”

Sometime in the late fall of 2005 I was leaving my apartment building for work by way of the rear entrance through a small park on 45th Street. I was stopped by security personnel because a man had jumped out of the twentieth story of one of the buildings that like mine, bordered the park. When I looked out through the door I saw the body splattered in the park (20 stories is a long drop). However, more disturbing was the fact that on his way down a golden silk robe had been torn from his body and was caught in the branches of the forty-foot high trees that were all over the little park. As I walked to the front entrance of the building, I kept thinking to myself “Who the hell puts on a silk robe to jump out a window, I don’t think it was a suicide”.

Over the thirty years that I was in the consulting business, I traveled about 50% of the time and read an untold number of mysteries.

From that day in the fall of 2005, I knew that there was a great mystery in connecting those last two events, 29.7 billion bucks gone missing and a guy dropped out of his twentieth story apartment window.

The contract with the UN ended September 30, 2006 and on November 6, 2006, I decided to reinvent myself as a mystery writer and connect those two events with the workings of my imagination.

I have never looked back.

I was fortunate in that through my wife’s established associations in the media industry I was introduced to an experienced agent who, on reading my mystery had nothing but praise and promise. On meeting with three publishers, I came away with a great many trepidations about signing a contract with guys much bigger than me and with much deeper pockets when I could not pin them down as to what they were going to do to promote my book. Everything I heard and saw led me to believe that they interpreted their responsibility to begin and end with getting my book into about five hundred bookstores across the country and Amazon. They would look to me to provide most of the marketing and promotional horsepower. The line of all three when I questioned this issue was essentially, “Well after all you are an unknown; most of our promotional dollars goes to proven authors.”

I thanked them and decided to seek alternatives. I will add here that I received a great deal of encouragement from my agent. He felt that the publishing industry was on the cusp of its greatest upheaval and that they were about to experience the revolution of disintermediation that music experienced in the preceding ten years. It was late 2009.
~~~
It is now 2011 and here are the results of our (my wife joined me in this independent publishing endeavor) efforts:
We have independently published my first mystery Treachery In Turtle Bay, the sequel Treachery In Turtle Bay II and Look For The Hook (My wife, Susan Jane Bodell’s self help book).

All three are available in Trade Paperback on Amazon, on Barnes & Noble internet site, through Barnes & Noble stores, through hundreds of other bookstores (via Ingram\Lightning Source POD) and to Libraries via Baker & Taylor. In Kindle e-book format in the Amazon Kindle Store, e-Pub e-book format at the Barnes & Noble Internet Store, e-Pub e-book format from Google Editions.

We have sales every day from somewhere in the world. We market globally and our distribution partners provide global delivery.
We speak at libraries, book clubs, bookstores, spas and resorts. Susan also runs a program on Look for the Hook in rehabilitation centers.
On November 6, 2011, exactly five years to the day after writing my first paragraph of my first novel we published Nikita, the third novel of the Anna and Hugh Masterson Series.

What began as an attempt to write a simple mystery soon escalated into what has become the most exciting adventure of my career.

What inspired you to write this book?

The plot and original high-level outline was developed in late 2008 at about the same time as book two was being finalized.

I saw turmoil on the horizon given the US political climate in late 2008 and the rather 20th century eastern European rhetoric being a keystone of a campaign.

I also recognized the unfolding of seriously worrisome developments in the Middle East, developments that would dwarf the Iraq wars not only in the length and cost but also in the exploding effect on global security. Where there is smoke there is fire I thought and the makings of fertile ground for the sleuthing couple Anna & Hugh Masterson. Thus, book three of the Anna & Hugh Masterson International Mystery Series was conceived.

Over the three years the book has been in development it evolved; the intrigue and mystery grew more sinister, the political background took on the elements of satire, the commitment of the Mastersons to each other became more intense and the action follows the James Bond formula.

How did you choose the title?

It started out as ‘Treachery In Turtle Bay III – Nukes, Dollars, Diplomacy and the Sinister One’. Wow! That’s a mouthful.

I took an afternoon about six months before publishing and researched successful authors’ title conventions. One word, two maybe three, but that’s it. I then got the idea that since the series was named after the heroine and hero, the books should reflect the challenge more closely.

Nikita is the lead bad guy in this and the two prior books in the series. He has become Anna and Hugh Masterson’s Professor Moriarty. In this book, he takes his evil over the top.

The name was found!

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published?

None! Not because I became so well known or popular, but because we own the publisher.

In reciting my journey to writing and being published, I noted that we (my wife Susan and I) formed a publishing entity (imprint) Sprig Media Group and established relationships with facilitating organizations, Amazon CreateSpace; Kindle; Barnes & Noble Nook, Google e-books, etc. We never sought another publishing channel after we made that decision in 2009.

I did encounter the usual learning curve when seeking a publisher for the first book. Over 100 rejections and 3 ‘interested’.

How did you overcome them?

We learned the business, not the mechanics of making sure the books are available globally, that is now pretty easy with the upheaval in the publishing industry as a result of technology, but the ‘how to drive readers to our books’.

We believe in our books, mine as entertaining and Susan’s as informative and helpful to folk seeking a toolset to think positively in the face of adversity.

Each day we learn new ways to get that belief out to potential readers. Once we learn these new techniques we implement them.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I didn’t until the age of 68 when circumstances gave me both the opportunity and created the need.

How did you get started?

I explained earlier how the idea for the first book developed. I did not think at the time that my days as a technology solutions consultant had come to an end, but I soon found out there just isn’t much demand for grey haired techies.

I realized about a year into the development of book one, if I wanted to continue being on the cutting edge of a business, it better be one in which age didn’t matter.

The evolution from author to publisher created that opportunity…in both phases of authorship/publishing.

The requirement (personal development and financially) to have a business I could stay in until I wanted to end it, not have it ended for me created the need.

I am grateful and happier than I have ever been.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I really never changed my work habits. I am intense and disciplined. This I believe is a backlash of an earlier period where I was …let’s just say neither intense nor disciplined.

Each day begins with a read through and editing for content of what was written the day before. Sometimes this results in completely scrapping what was written the day before.

It works for me, but is not for everyone.

While writing, from idea through publishing I work 8 to 10 hours a day on the project. Using Nikita as an example, I will now work 8 to 10 hours a day for a year on promoting it and our other books.

Sometime at the end of 2012, I shall start on the next book.

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

My books take place on an international landscape and have characters from around the world. If the character is Russian, I research Russian names (first and last) and create one that I like. It’s the same for each character.

The principals of the series Anna & Hugh Masterson are modeled loosely on my wife and I and the names came from family names.

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book? What?

I will have to expand on this question to include the series because the learning process is ongoing and I have learned a great deal. What I have learned relates to fiction and fiction that is seeking a commercially viable audience. I will list the top five in order of importance:

Write about what you know. You can research support, but not the basics of the plot.

Listen to, analyze and react constructively to criticism. My agent pointed out that my first book described in detail the contents of every meal where a scene took place. His words I will never forget. “You are a thin guy who eats very plain food, where the hell is this elaborate description of every meal coming from? Get rid of it.” I did and it has never found its way back into my ‘International Crime Thrillers’.

Outline your story, first broadly then in ever more granular detail. In complex mysteries at least, I find this a must. It will save you from scrapping an entire plot…and you will have a visual of the storyline when you finish.

In Nikita, three plot channels on a course to converge. They are made up of 65 scenes taking place in varied parts of the globe from The Cayman Islands, to Iran, to Russia, to Indonesia, to New York. The scenes are each set by an opening heading denoting place and time. (These replace chapter headings). The scenes are time sequential. It was complex to write, but my feedback says it is easy and fast to read and difficult to put down once you start.

From their mouths to God’s ears!

Understand who your target audience is and adjust your style to capture their interest. I particularly like a paragraph I wrote to describe in pre-release promotions of Nikita.

Over the three years the book has been in development it evolved; the intrigue and mystery grew more sinister, the political background took on the elements of satire, the commitment of the Mastersons to each other became more intense and the action follows the James Bond formula.

It evolved because we listened to my critics, good and bad, and my readers and evolved the style to meet what they would like to see. Each of those characteristics of Nikita is a result of analyzing feedback.

Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit and then edit again.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

This may sound arrogant or ignorant, but nothing.

I believe very strongly that we are the sum total of our experiences. I could not have written earlier in my life, the ‘stars were not aligned correctly’. It had to happen when it happened and the way it happened.

What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

Mysteries/Espionage
Cozy
Action
Adventure
Sleuth
Authors
Anna Katharine Green
Agatha Christie
PD James
Ellery Queen , (Actually Daniel Nathan and Emanuel Lepofsky)
Anne Perry
Tom Clancy
Why

Diverse styles, pace, plots and scene development. I learn from each, elements of successful writing.

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

No. That will not start until the end of 2012. Current events will play a role in three alternative plots I am playing with for the Mastersons. All three are very different from each other.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Define the objective of the writing; ego, fun, gain or agenda.

Commit enough time to permit the possibility of success.

Give the process three years minimum (full or part time) to make a decision if it is where you want to take your life.

Focus, order and discipline

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

A thinking adult
A global fan base

http://www.thebooknikita.com