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An Interview with Corrales Writing Group: On Group Structure and Indie Publishing

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Corrales Writing Group is a closed group of six members who encourage each other in their individual writing journeys and together produce an annual anthology of essays and short pieces of fiction and memoir. The current group is made up of authors Christina Allen, Maureen Cooke, Sandi Hoover, Thomas Neiman, Jim Tritten, and Patricia Walkow. Their third anthology, Currents, was published in 2015. You can visit Corrales Writing Group on Facebook. For part two of this interview, go to “On Writing.”

Currents Corrales Writing Group 2015 Anthology200If you were pitching your anthology to an agent, how would you describe Currents?
Currents is an anthology to which six writers have contributed. All contributors live in the Village of Corrales, on the western flank of the Rio Grande in New Mexico. The members of the group share a love for New Mexico, and in particular, a love for the Village. Currents is the third anthology the group has produced, and over time, the constant flow of ideas and critically valuable suggestions has enriched not only our writing, but also our lives.

It’s typical for works in an anthology to share a common theme, but this isn’t true of your anthologies. Why did you decide not to write to a theme?
While it is true most anthologies share a common theme, the only common theme in ours is the place where the writers live—Corrales. One of the benefits to this approach is that the anthology may offer something for everyone. Another is that the book’s targeted audience does not expect a single-topic theme.

The members of your group do all the work necessary to bring your books to market. What kind of learning curve did you go through to accomplish this? What was your most helpful resource?
Although all members of the group are comfortable using a computer, there are varying degrees of computer literacy within the group. Three of the members spent many years working with computers and applications in their chosen professions. These were the first editors, and they found the process quite straightforward, without specific training needed. The other members of the group are learning from their experience, as the first three editors have prepared guidelines and processes for the subsequent editors to follow. We explored various independent publishing options and selected CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing based upon ease of use. Frankly, anyone can master their templates.

Each year your group rotates the duties necessary to publish your books. Why did you decide to do this?
We decided to rotate the duties so that: (1) every member of the group gains the knowledge necessary to do each task required to publish a book, and (2) the same task does not fall on one or two people all the time. Editing is quite time-consuming and involves not only the technicalities of grammar and punctuation, but also the layout of the book, developing back and front cover options, the assignment of work, and the development and management of a schedule with a publication date at the end. The editor manages the work to meet the scheduled publication date. The members of the group meet their due dates on their tasks. It’s a project, and the editor is the project manager.

How long does it take to put the anthologies together after the stories are complete? What is your typical editing/publishing timeline?
The writing and review process for the coming year’s anthology begins in December, right after the current year’s anthology is published in November. So the timeframe to write all the pieces and review them runs from December of one year through mid-July/early August of the following year. The editing process begins in August, and involves not only the editor, but each member of the group who is given specific editing assignments managed by the editor.

Each piece in the anthology will be critiqued a minimum of two times within the group before the piece is considered for publication in the anthology. During the creation of the book itself, each submission is reviewed probably another four times to include thorough reviews for formatting, grammar, and consistency with other chapters.

Usually at the end of all the editing, proof copies are produced and another round of editing is done. A second proof is always produced, and sometimes a third. Kindle editions are not produced until the final paper version is ready. Proofs for Kindle editions are handled online. Members share the responsibility of reviewing the final product in all the different Kindle platforms offered. The final paper version is not published until the Kindle edition is approved since we have learned that many formatting issues are not seen until reviewers look at the various Kindle platforms.

Corrales Writing Group 2014 Anthology150What marketing strategies have brought your anthologies the most success?
Our business plan was to establish an LLC (Limited Liability Company). We market our products through Amazon, Kindle, local retail sales, Facebook, Goodreads, newspapers, local media and launch parties. Since we have remained financially solvent every year, the group’s plan is to continue independently publishing our books (paperback and Ebooks) into the future.

What are the goals of your writing group? How do you ensure potential members are a good fit?
Individual members of the group have their own goals, but as a cohesive entity, the group seeks to achieve recognition in the writing community, as well as win awards; awards, however, are not the primary focus. Developing our craft of writing is very important to our members. In addition, in order to continue operations, the group needs to maintain fiscal solvency. Costs are constrained to permit continued annual self-sustained publication within realistic expectations of annual sales.

We have learned it is best to have potential members of the group attend a meeting and decide if what we do and how we do it is something they might be willing to commit to, long-term. Commitment is a key success factor for our group. We review each other’s work before a meeting, come prepared with each piece critiqued and commented. On the rare occasion members can’t attend a meeting, they’re still expected to send their comments to the writer. Common computer literacy is another requirement of being a part of the group. It includes the use of Microsoft Word not only to write, but also review and critique. Electronic file organization is required as is the ability to effectively use websites, such as CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing. Although reviews are done face-to-face at our meetings, the actual comments and critiques are sent to each other electronically.

We are a closed group and no longer accept beginning writers. As a group we have come far from those early days, and we’ve learned it’s not productive for our members to be teaching a new writer all the time. Nor is it fair or healthy for a prospective writer to be overwhelmed. However, we do encourage new writers to form a group of their own, and will help them with what we have learned along the way. We have taught writing classes in New Mexico at the Corrales and Meadowlark Senior Centers.

Take us through a typical group meeting. How are your meetings structured?
We meet every two weeks, usually at a restaurant. Sometimes we rotate our meetings in members’ homes. One person is the facilitator of each meeting. Another person is the scribe who keeps the notes. We start by doing our reviews of new and 2nd review work. Usually we do about three to four reviews at each meeting. We use a structured process we adopted with the assistance of Rachel Hillier (associated with Central New Mexico Community College), who the original group hired to help with some aspects of writing. From our six weeks with Rachel, we have a set of standard questions we consider each time we review a piece. Writers are free to have each reviewer answer additional questions, also. Once the reviews are completed, we begin the business meeting. The Corrales Writing Group is an LLC, and we review old business and discuss new business. We assign dates for people to present their work and make any other assignments necessary for the group to function.

Corrales Writing Group 2013 Anthology150What makes a good critique group member?
Adhering to our process is a great help to the writer. We expect our members to use our standard critique questions. Not that those questions stop a reviewer from making other comments. The reviewer needs to critique the writer’s work in a way that makes it clear what is working well in the story, as well as what is unclear or repetitive, and to let the writer know what the reviewer thinks the story really is all about. The objective is not to tear anyone down, but to build up the writer. The writer always retains the right to make or not make changes based on the critiques. In general, if two or three reviewers find the same problem, the writer really should pay attention to it.

For those who might want to organize their own writing group with the goal of publishing, what steps do you suggest they take?
Hire or consult with someone who leaves you with a viable critique process. Make sure everyone understands being a member of the group is a commitment. Learn from those who have already independently published. Consider hiring a publishing entity, if necessary.

One of the strengths of your group is how well you get along—you even socialize and travel together. What do you attribute this to?
The members of the group respect our different backgrounds, opinions and experiences. It is key to our getting along…along with wine and lots of laughter. The process we use helps. Nothing is personal—it’s about the writing. We know each other’s strengths and use them effectively.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. She has a new speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.



An Interview with Author Jasmine Tritten

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Jasmine Tritten is an author and artist whose grand adventure from her native Denmark to the Americas was decided by the flip of a coin. She now makes her home in Corrales, New Mexico with her husband, her very own Prince Charming. The memoir Journey of an Adventuresome Dane (2015) is Jasmine’s debut book. You can find her on Facebook and LinkedIn, and see examples of her oil paintings at New Mexico Artists’ Market. For a complete listing of Jasmine’s published work, go to her SWW Author Page.

Journey of an Adventuresome Dane200What is your elevator pitch for The Journey of an Adventuresome Dane?
I left my home country Denmark at age twenty-one seeking adventure. I took chances and overcame fears and obstacles. My memoir depicts my evolution—an odyssey across time and space.

When readers turn the last page of your book, what do you hope they will take away from it?
Inspiration to write about their own lives. Maybe the courage to take the risk of changing their lives for the better.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
I had to decide how vulnerable I wanted to be and dig deep into my memory bank to find the most life-changing incidents.

What was the most rewarding aspect of writing your memoir?
Getting an overview and perspective of my life, processing emotionally charged episodes by reliving them.

Tell us about your process in putting the book together.
It took me about three years to write the book. I already had most of the stories in my head. The details came from two sources: journals I had written since I was a teenager and letters I had written to my mother every two weeks since I left Denmark in 1964. She kept all the letters in an old oak trunk. Each time I visited my mother in Copenhagen during the last four years, I brought some of the letters back with me to New Mexico. For the editing cycle, I belonged to a critique group for one and a half years. Also several times I put my writing away for six months, then looked at the work again with new eyes and revised it over and over again.

What makes this book unique in the memoir market?
There are not many written immigration stories except for the obvious Roots. Also, I am the first person in my Danish family, going back hundreds of years, who immigrated.

When did you know you wanted to write your story? What prompted the final push to begin?
Just before my 70th birthday, I waited to zip-line in Angel Fire at 10,600 feet. When I looked down, I saw my life in front of my eyes and decided to sum together those highlights in a book.

What did writing your memoir teach you about yourself?
I am a strong, optimistic, creative person with a positive outlook and a zest for living life to the fullest. I am not afraid of tackling what life has to offer.

How has your artistic nature helped you in your writing journey?
Some people tell me I paint pictures with words. I am an ultra-sensitive soul. Maybe because of that it is easier for me to describe what I see and feel.

What part do beta readers or critique groups play in your writing process?
Both are extremely valuable to my writing process, and I am grateful for each person who volunteers to critique my writing. I try to help other writers in a similar way and learn a lot from each person.

What is your writing routine like?
I don’t have a schedule. Since I am both a writer and an artist, I switch between the two. Many times I wake up at four in the morning with great ideas. Quickly I put them down on paper to be typed later. In 2014, I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) as a Rebel [choosing to write other than a novel] and wrote over 50,000 words toward my memoir.

If you suffer from writer’s block, how do you break through?
By journaling.

Who are your favorite authors, and what do you admire most about their writing?
I greatly admire fellow Dane Karen Blixen (also known as Isak Dinesen) who wrote Out of Africa, for her strength and adventuresome spirit. She wrote such wonderful descriptions. I identify with her in many ways. Also, Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat-Pray-Love for her sense of humor, and Wayne Dyer for his honest, spiritual, and inspirational approach in all of his books.

What do you think draws readers to memoirs and biographies?
Personally, I am interested in other people’s lives, how they got to where they are, and how they overcame their obstacles or fulfilled their dreams.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. She has a new speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.



An Interview with Author Lee Higbie

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Lee Higbie is a past president of SouthWest Writers and co-founder/author liaison of Scribl, a new e-publishing company. A former computer engineer, he now writes fiction under the pen name BJ Creighton. His standalone novel No Sanctuary was published in 2015. You can find Lee on LinkedIn and at HigbieAuthors.com, the website he shares with his wife Betty.

NoSanctuary200What is your elevator pitch for No Sanctuary?
Paul Capodicasa, a wealthy benefactor of Rowe Sanctuary, is bludgeoned to death in one of its blinds. Detective Bobbie Lee must solve the murder while avoiding interference from the Mafia and her district attorney uncle. She must also confront the possibility that her son is the murderer.

What inspired you to write the book?
While volunteering at Nebraska’s Rowe Sanctuary, I was inspired by its photo blinds—much smaller than a jail cell. Two people are locked in these blinds from late afternoon until mid-morning the next day. One look and it was obvious the photographers could be at each other’s throats by the time they were let out.

What makes this novel unique in the murder mystery market?
The detective is forced to confront the probability that her son, given up for adoption 22 years earlier, is the perp. Much of the story revolves around rape—the detective’s rape (leading to the son) and the murderer’s rape in jail, both as teenagers.

What challenges did this work pose for you?
Writing from the point of view of a woman. Initially, Bobbie Lee behaved too much like a man. In early drafts, her behavior was not believable.

Why did you decide to use the particular setting you chose?
Rowe Sanctuary chose me, not the other way around.

What is your favorite scene in No Sanctuary?
The scene where Bobbie Lee nearly drowns trying to cross the Platte River.

Why did you decide to use a pen name?
Two reasons, the first is personal that I won’t go into. The other is that my wife Betty helped me with the novel, and I created a pseudonym that is a combination of our names. From a purely marketing perspective, there are advantages to using different names for completely different types of books.

What first inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve been writing for decades and working on fiction for more than ten years. I wrote several science fiction novels, but those were exercises that helped me learn to write fiction.

Who are your favorite authors?
My favorites vary. I’ll go through a period of reading a bunch of novels by one author, but when I start to see the patterns repeating, I often entirely stop reading their work. I have no literary aspirations, only genre fiction.

Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently if you started your publishing career today?
Let me quote Dorothy Parker: If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with a copy of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now while they’re happy.

Why did you decide to take the indie route to publishing?
Mostly because I am not yet good enough—I haven’t written any bestsellers—to be noticed by the legacy publishing establishment.

What part do beta readers or critique groups play in your writing process?
Critique groups were very important some years ago, but I haven’t found a group since moving to New Mexico. Now I use editors instead.

How do you break through writer’s block?
Butt In Chair, Hands on Keyboard (BICHOK).

If you had an unlimited budget, how would you spend your money for marketing and promotion of your books?
I’d hire someone else to market and promote my books because it’s something I’m not good at it.

What are your strengths as a writer?
My strengths are probably my work ethic, knowledge of grammar, and the ability to synthesize research results.

Tell us about Scribl, the e-publishing company you co-founded.
Scribl.com, formerly Scribliotech, is a new publisher of ebooks and audio/ebooks with a unique linking of audio and ebook formats and unique pricing and royalty structures. Scribl started with patented technology to set prices based on popularity. Many authors juggle the prices of their books to increase readership because they’ve found setting a low price can increase sales long after the price has returned to normal. CrowdPricing does this by adjusting the pricing depending on sales. Scribl allows readers to rate books, but we factor in the price a reader paid because readers may think a novel is great for $0.99, but not for $5.99. In addition, we distribute to hundreds of book sites (including Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo), so listing a book with us gives it the widest possible distribution. Also, because some sites sell below wholesale, our royalties can be higher than some competitors in some situations.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m just finishing two nonfiction books that I plan to publish in 2016. The first is about wine and is celebratory in tone. It has a lot of illustrations in addition to text. The second is about writing. One of the chapters in the book was published in SWW’s The Storyteller’s Anthology. Both of these projects will end up being about half the size of a novel—more like booklets. I plan to start with print-on-demand, probably through IngramSpark, and e-publish through Scribl once we broaden our list to nonfiction titles (in the very near future).

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. She has a new speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.



An Interview with Author Parris Afton Bonds

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Parris Afton Bonds is the cofounder and first vice president of Romance Writers of America, as well as a cofounder of SouthWest Writers. A New York Times best-selling author, she has published over 40 novels and volunteers to teach creative writing to grade school students and female inmates. Indian Affairs (Paradise Publishing, 2013) is one of her most recent novels. You can find Parris on LinkedIn, Facebook, and her website at ParrisAftonBonds.com.

IndianAffairsParrisAftonBondsWhat is your elevator pitch for Indian Affairs?
Turning conventional wisdom on its head, Washington socialite Alessandra O’Quinn and Indian shaman Manuel Mondragon, defy time and space and politics and families to come together in the sweeping canvas of the 1920’s outpost of Taos, New Mexico. But can they defy Destiny to stay together?

Tell us about your main protagonists, their flaws and strengths, and the hurdles they’re trying to overcome.
Physical hurdles, such as tuberculosis, and the emotional/psychological ones like submissiveness in the face of male/military domination actually compel Alessandra to take on the U. S. government in defense of the peaceful Taos people. And for Man, the assumption that he has only one destiny—to lead his people in the peaceful way of the heart—is challenged by his confrontation with the outside world in the form of Alessandra.

Why did you decide to use Taos, New Mexico as the setting for the book?
Since I was five or six years old, during a visit to Carlsbad Caverns, I instinctively knew that the desert Southwest was where I belong. It was like a tsunami of a metaphysical impact. Taos Puebloan history—its peaceful battle for its sacred Blue Lake—provided the perfect setting for the story I wanted to tell. In Indians Affairs (originally titled When the Heart Is Right(, I included this quote that I feel is a perfect summation for my novel: “La Querencia, that was it. The soul’s comfort, the heart’s joy. Where one was drawn by an attraction without logic, yet with an undeniable force. La Querencia. That was Man and northern New Mexico.”

Will those who know you recognize you in your main protagonist?
Yes, my characters are compelled, despite their flaws and fears, to create a meaningful life.

Is there a scene in your book that you’d love to see play out in a movie?
Naturally, I would be dancing on sunshine if the entire story of Indian Affairs was made into a movie, but if I had to pick one scene, it would be the Senate confrontation where Man presents his impassioned testimony for this people’s right to their homeland. Homeland. For me, the word says so much.

What makes this novel unique in the historical romance market?
I think Indians Affairs possesses one unique and strong element that makes it different from other novels in the historical romance market: its metaphysical approach to the combined dynamics of history and romance.

What sparked the story idea?
I actually moved from Texas to northern New Mexico and spent two years there researching. I dedicated Indian Affairs to a phenomenal person and writer, a Southwest Writers Workshop member, Hana Norton, whose beautiful spirit led the way to this story. It was she who gave me the germ of the basis for my novel.

Do you have a message or a theme that recurs in your writing?
Yes, that sacrifice for the sake of a large issue is always worthy of a reward.

When did you first know you were a writer?
I wrote my first story (actually typed it on an old Remington) when I was five years old. My mom saved the story, and I have it packed away somewhere. I have always written. But it wasn’t until I moved to Mexico City, that I actively began to write professionally. My first sale netted me $85 for a piece I did for Modern Secretary about a U.S. Embassy secretary. (I loved getting patted down by the handsome Marine guard). That was 43 years ago, and I am still obsessed/possessed by the writing demon/angel—a curse and a blessing.

DancingWithWildWoman150You’ve written several series (Midsummer Madness; Kingdom Come; Blue Bayou; Janet Lomayestewa, Tracker). What are the challenges in writing a series? Who is your favorite character from one of your series?
Writing a series has its benefits in that you know the character as well as you know the lines in the palm of your hand. However, that is also its drawback—the challenge to create and explore is somewhat mitigated. I have to guard against this laziness when writing a series. Most likely, my favorite character is Janet Lomayestewa, Hopi Indian, because she is so human. She has such inner demons to fight, and she fiercely (but not fearlessly) takes them on: “All right,” she mutters, as I find myself doing sometimes, “bring it on. ”

Of all the stories you’ve written, which one did you enjoy writing the most?
I had the most fun writing Blue Moon. It just seemed to have a will of its own and wrote itself. I merely looked on, mouth open, as magic took over.

Who are your favorite authors?
I love the Old Guard authors: Edna Ferber, Frank Yerby, Rafael Sabatini, Thomas Costain, and Dale Van Every. I was weaned on them. But there are also many present-day, talented writers I enjoy as well, among them Ken Follett. Mitch Albom, and John Grisham.

What are your strengths as a writer, and what do you do to overcome your weaknesses?
My weakness is I tend to overwrite. My strength is my perseverance to create the best story of which I am capable. That means rewrite, rewrite, rewrite—and read, read, read. Everything. Every day.

What percentage of your time is spent writing, and what percent is spent on the business-side of writing?
I tend to take care of the business-side of writing the first hour or so in the morning. Doing so paves the way for the commitment to the creative aspect of my writing, which usually takes anywhere from six to twelve hours, depending if I am on a roll in my writing.

What are the hardest kinds of scenes for you to write?
I find the most difficult scenes to write are those that demand I dig deep into the character’s psyche. If I have to struggle to find the kernel that chafes my character, then I have to acknowledge I don’t really know my character. Deeper drilling to the core is necessary. For me, this is a real angst.

What advice do you have for beginning or discouraged writers?
I offer two pieces of advice for beginning or discouraged writers: (1) write for yourself—what others think of your soul’s outpouring is none of your business; and (2) the cliché to never give up—it is a powerful elixir (see my answer to the last interview question).

What are you working on now?
Currently, I am finishing up the 5th book (The Banshees) in The Texican series, a historical (not historical romance), which begins in 1835. Book five takes The Texican’s Paladín family through 1963. This will be the first time I have collaborated on a book, and my partner in crime is my former agent, Chuck Neighbors, another Texan.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Like some people believe in ghosts, I believe in magic. And I believe if you never, never, never give up, your magic is given its chance to work.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. She has a new speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.



An Interview with Author Keith Pyeatt, Part 1

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Keith Pyeatt is an engineer turned novelist who writes paranormal thrillers with a psychological twist that he calls “horror with heart.” Living for ten years in an isolated cabin in Vermont may have influenced his choice of genre, but his empathetic nature is what helps him create a variety of characters — “likeable, despicable, tortured, and those ‘gray’ characters you can’t quite decide whether to love or hate.” Keith has four published standalone novels including Struck, Dark Knowledge, and Above Haldis Notch, with Daeva (October, 2015) being his most recent. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, and his website KeithPyeatt.com.

daeva-front-200What is your elevator pitch for Daeva?
Daeva pits supernatural manipulation against human devotion when a powerful demon with a grudge against mankind stands ready to gain access to the world.

What sparked the initial story idea for the book?
My working title was Imagination, and my plan was to write a novel that showed how a strong paranormal influence would change different characters over the years. I decided a young boy would receive what appeared to be a great gift: a friendly entity who lived inside the boy’s mind and could grant him the power to make things happen. The boy accesses the power by using his imagination, which is fun and exhilarating at first, but the “gift” is actually a demon with his own agenda. The storyline expanded quickly as I wrote the first draft and developed the different characters’ motivations. The initial idea that sparked the novel is still there, but it became a launching point for a much more intricate plot.

Tell us about your main protagonist, his flaws and strengths, and the hurdles he tries to overcome.
Chris was raised to host a demon in his head, an upbringing which gave him some interesting personality defects. He’s inherently a good guy, and his sister Sharon helps pull out his best side, but he keeps many secrets and doesn’t allow anyone to get too close, partly out of need, partly out of habit. Unfortunately for Chris, even a lifelong commitment to being fair and strong can become a character flaw when a demon knows your every thought, desire, and need. And this particular demon has thousands of years of experience manipulating men, and he can dangle a mighty big carrot in front of his host to help lead him astray.

Why did you decide to use the particular setting(s) you chose?
For the macro-settings, Connecticut gave me elements I needed for a general location, and the time period seemed to take care of itself. I went into the past to set up a history for the daeva and moved forward from there. About three-quarters of the novel takes place in late 1992 and early 1993.

The micro-settings were really the key to creating atmosphere in Daeva. Minnie’s cabin in the woods gave me a combination of beauty and eeriness as well as the atmosphere of cold isolation and loneliness that I needed in Part 1. Rowena’s cluttered little house became the next important setting. It helped create the right atmosphere while characters frantically worked to piece together information and plot a course of action. A rural wooden bridge spanning a stream added an atmosphere of danger and mystery to the ending.

DK-cover-150Of the four novels you’ve published, which one did you enjoy writing the most? Who is your favorite character?
I liked editing Daeva the most (good thing!), but I enjoyed writing the first draft of Dark Knowledge the most. It just poured out of me, and it showed me how fun it is to create complicated and engaging “gray characters,” the ones you can’t quite hate and can’t quite love. Lydia is my favorite character in that novel, and if there ever was a gray character, it’s her. She comes across as completely despicable initially, and she definitely enjoys her evil moments throughout, but there’s more to her than is shown in those early chapters. A great joy I have is when someone finishes reading the novel and tells me, almost reluctantly (as if they expect me to be disappointed) that they don’t hate Lydia. A little voice inside me yells WooHoo!

What is your writing routine like? What is your writing process like?
I write in long stretches. Ideally, I like to write every day, but sometimes reality interferes with creating fiction. My process is to start by creating some primary characters and a rough outline (with an ending). I write a first draft that’s loose and sloppy. It will wander. There will be repetition, inconsistencies, time frame problems, and gaping plot holes. There will be a huge number of typos, weak sentences, clichés, and vague notes like “fill in details” or “modify motive” or “fix time frame.” Sometimes I back up and change something to keep the first draft moving toward the ending (or revised ending) I have in my head, but I try to keep moving forward. I keep notes as I write so I’ll have an outline of what I actually wrote that’ll be more accurate than the outline of what I had planned to write.

I always edit novels start to finish, then I begin again. First edits are slow, with a lot of fresh writing and rewriting and deleting chunks of text. Successive edits tighten things up, and after several edits, they start going faster, which is important to get a good feel for the novel as a reader. I keep editing until I’m happy. Then I go away for a while, come back, and find myself shocked with the number of new things I find to fix and old problems that still need attention. When I can leave the novel alone for a while, come back, and still feel good about it, I’m getting near the end. Only a few dozen more edits to go. *smile*

If you suffer from writer’s block, how do you break through?
I’m of the mindset that you don’t wait for inspiration; you go after it…with a club. When writing a first draft, I generally muscle through a “block.” I’m not afraid to write something I’ll later delete or rewrite. It’s important to me to keep the process going, and I’ll usually stumble onto something that works if I keep hammering away. In editing, if I just can’t seem to make a paragraph or section flow and convey what I want, I’ll take a break for a few hours to workout, run, hike, play with the dogs, read, or do some project around the house.

What advice do you have for beginning or discouraged writers?
Write what you enjoy writing (which is probably what you enjoy reading), even if it’s not currently a hot-selling genre.

To learn more about Keith and his writing, including what he’s working on now, go to Part 2 of “An Interview with Author Keith Pyeatt” on klwagoner.com.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. She has a new speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.



An Interview with Author Irene Blea

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Dr. Irene Blea is a native New Mexican with a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Colorado-Boulder and is the author of three novels, seven university text books, four poetry chapbooks, and over thirty academic articles. She developed and taught Mexican American Studies for twenty-seven years before retiring in 1998. In May 2009 she was recognized by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of New Mexico for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement. Daughters of the West Mesa (ABQ Press, 2015) is her third novel. You can find Dr. Blea on LinkedIn, Facebook and her website IreneBlea.com.

DaughtersOfTheWestMesa200What is your elevator pitch for Daughters of the West Mesa?
Daughters of the West Mesa is a work of fiction based on a true story of the discovery of 11 female remains, and an unborn fetus, west of Albuquerque. I fictionalized a single mother of two daughters; one of them has been missing for several months.

What do you hope readers will take away from it?
My goal is to humanize the impact of this serial killing on the families and the community from which the murdered women emerged.

Tell us about your main protagonist.
Dora is a single mother of two daughters who has struggled to negotiate out of poverty, while experiencing racism, sexism, family and religious resistance, and the embarrassment of having her daughter addicted and missing.

Did this work pose any unique challenges for you?
This work took me to some dark places in the lives of the murdered women, their families, the communities, and myself. At no time was I fearful, but I frequently was out of my comfort zone when I drove the dark streets were sex workers work at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m., and when I attended biker functions in biker bars.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing this book? The most satisfying?
The most difficult aspect was the pain of the mothers, fathers, children, aunts, uncles, cousins, and community. It was widespread. The most satisfying is that these hurting people were able to vocalize their experiences to me.

What kind of research did you do for the book?
I conducted a literature review on serial killers, especially those committing matricide. I read newspapers and Internet accounts of America’s unsolved serial killer mysteries, and visited the 100-acre dumping site a few times. I also attended indigenous prayer rituals, victim’s funerals and public information sessions that became rallies and protest sessions, toured the crime laboratory and interviewed victim’s family members and talked with Spanish-speaking media persons from Univision. I’ve kept a journal since 1979 and documented my experience.

Tell us more about putting together Daughters of the West Mesa.
It took two years to complete from beginning to end. This was one of those novels that demanded to be written. I wanted to write my third Suzanna novel, but Daughters of the West Mesa kept gnawing at me. In the editing process, we struggled through which Spanish words to italicize. It is difficult to accept that no matter how many times I edit my material, how many times two or three other persons read and commented on it, there were still errors and minor inconsistencies that needed to be addressed.

Suzanna150Do you have a message or a theme that recurs in your writing?
Justice. The message in Daughters of the West Mesa is that the murdered women were not the only persons victimized. Those related to them suffered shame and disappointment, and felt victimized by legal and media representatives constantly referring to their loved one as drug addicted and prostitutes. This is a complex cultural issue that affected the community. I felt it needed a voice. In addition I did not want the case to go cold. It is important to keep it alive and find the perpetrator.

When did you know you were a writer?
I was born into a storytelling family, into a tradition that is Native American and northern New Mexico, mountain, Hispanic. At the age of seven I entered the public school system, learned to speak English, and fell in love with the magic of writing and reading. I did not like summer vacation from school. As a graduate student I wrote three different term papers for three graduate seminars. Thus, I am now aware of systematically, gradually, becoming a writer; there was no one pivotal moment.

Who are your favorite authors, and what do you admire most about their writing?
I enjoy the clarity and creativity of the magic realism of Central, South American and Spanish writers. Juan Rulfo and Pablo Neruda’s poetry is grounded and dynamic in such a forceful manner. Carlos Fuentes, Isabel Allende’s magical realism is intriguing and spiritual. Of course, what is not to love about the storytelling genius of the Nobel Prize winner, Miguel García Márquez. In addition, I admire the revolutionary nature of the highly influential work of Federico García Lorca.

How has your work as a poet influenced your fiction writing?
My love of language and code switching in ways that touch the heart and stir the soul is always there. I strive to be my most poetic self when I write about the land, the moon, the sun and the sky. I want the world to love and recognize all their relations: those that walk, crawl, swim, and fly.

What can fiction writers learn from nonfiction writers? From poets?
The truth is filtered through the storyteller’s lens, and that is their truth.

What is the greatest tool in your writer’s arsenal?
Being bilingual and tri-cultural, a Spanish-English speaking Native American that struggles to speak Italian.

PoorPeoplesFlowers150Looking back to the beginning of your writing career, what do you know now that you wish you’d known then?
I wish I had known to write earlier in my life. I wish I had known to start young to write what I know as my truth with no concern about whether the work is commercial or not.

What is the best encouragement or advice you’ve received in your writing journey?
Write. Write what you know and research what you don’t.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing the third novel in the Suzanna series, untitled at this point (Suzanna was published in 2009, Poor People’s Flowers in 2014). The most difficult thing for me to write is titles. I cannot make up a title. It has to come from life; the life of my characters or my life. Thus, at this time I fail to have a title for the third Suzanna novel, but I have written five chapters.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Yes, the person next to you has a story to tell, and it is most likely unlike yours.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. She has a new speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.



An Interview with Author Robert D. Kidera

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After a short stint in the film industry and a long (nearly forty-year) career as a teacher, Robert Kidera finally did what he’d always wanted to do—write fiction. He is an active member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and SouthWest Writers. The first installment in the McKenna Mystery series, Red Gold (Suspense Books, 2015), is his debut novel. You can find him on Facebook and his website RobertKideraBooks.com. And check out his SWW Author Page.

Red_Gold_200What is your elevator pitch for Red Gold?
When the road leads through Hell, keep going…

What sparked the initial story idea?
I wanted to tell a story that blended history with mystery. I wanted a hero who was strong and smart, but vulnerable as well. It was from those criteria that Red Gold evolved.

Who is your favorite character in the book?
I like all my characters or they wouldn’t be in the book! Seriously, there is a core of characters upon which the story—and the series that follows—rests: Gabe McKenna, first of all, then C.J., Sam, and Rebecca Turner. My readers can expect to meet them in each of the stories.

Will your friends or family recognize any part of you in your main protagonist? What about your antagonist?
Of course. Gabe and I spend a lot of time together. As a nod to all my fellow history teachers and professors, I made Gabe one of us. I don’t drink nearly as much as he does, BTW. But we think alike and have some of the same Attitude. As for my antagonist, I sure hope not. He’s a real SOB!

Is there a scene in your book you’d like to see play out in a movie?
I tend to write visually, cinematically. Perhaps that’s because of my background in films. Every scene in the book is something I have watched unfold in my head. If I had to pick a single one, it would be the showdown scene in the cave at Baldera Volcano.

Why did you decide to use New Mexico as the main setting for Red Gold?
Two reasons: first, I live here and make it a point to visit every site I use in my books, to get my feet on that ground. The spirit and history of this area is something I feel very strongly. New Mexico is one of my main characters, you could say. Second, is there any better location for a story? New Mexico has history, romance, danger, beauty, people of all types, and absolutely anything can happen here.

What first inspired you to become a writer?
My father inspired me to write. He was a professor of journalism at Marquette University and one summer wrote a textbook called Fundamentals of Journalism that was widely adopted by colleges coast to coast. It put food on our table! I watched him write that book, and I thought it was pretty cool. So I decided then—as a six year-old—that one day I would become a writer too. My dream was realized on April 21, 2015 when Red Gold debuted.

What are your strengths as a writer, and what do you do to overcome your weaknesses?
At my current stage, I’m more aware of my weaknesses than my strengths. If I had to choose one thing, I’d say my greatest strength is I know how to tell a story, how to develop it and make it whole. The weakness I have worked hardest on is dialogue. I tended at first to write characters who were too verbose. I took courses on dialogue writing, eavesdropped on a lot of conversations, learned how to self-edit, and read some of the masters of dialogue to improve my style.

Who are your favorite authors, and what do you admire most about their writing?
In my genre, I have two favorites: Raymond Chandler and Donald Westlake. Chandler is quite simply a master. He has style, setting, dialogue and a great protagonist in Philip Marlowe. And he started writing late in his life, as I have. He is my inspiration. Donald Westlake’s books are so much fun to read; I imagine he had a ball writing them. His style is crisp, funny, brilliant. And his characters inhabit a completely whacked-out world. I love his work.

What part do beta readers or critique groups play in your writing process?
They have played an enormous role in my development. When I started out a few years ago, I really had no idea if what I was writing was any good. I was writing the best I could at the time, but would others find it worth reading? I dedicated Red Gold to all the members of my various critique groups and to SouthWest Writers, without whose support I could not have finished the book. I’m not afraid of constructive criticism, I need it.

What part of the writing process do you enjoy most: creating, editing/revising, or research?
I absolutely enjoy it all. Writing a novel is a thrilling and all-consuming endeavor. Except for all the pain.

If you had an unlimited budget, how would you spend your money for marketing and promotion of your book?
Wow. If I had a truly unlimited budget, I’d hire somebody else to do my marketing and promotion. Then I’d take the rest of the money, buy a mountain cabin where I could write undisturbed, do a lot of traveling and research all the locations of my stories.

Do you have a message or a theme that recurs in your writing?
There is one main recurring theme in my first three books: Life is a struggle to find the truth and there is an inevitable loss of innocence along the way.

Which point of view do you like writing the most (first person, third, etc.)?
For the McKenna mysteries, I chose to write in first-person. It was the best way for me to write my protagonist from the inside out and to really inhabit the scenes of the story. My fourth book will be written in the third person. It’s historical fiction.

How has your experience as a teacher affected your writing life? Do you ever get hung up on the rules?
I saw myself as a story-teller all the years I taught history. I presented a Grand Narrative, whether it was American History or Western Civilization. All the elements were there: great ideas, great characters, drama, triumph and tragedy. As a teacher, I never got hung up on the rules, which is why I got along better with my students than with administrators.

What advice do you have for discouraged writers?
People who write are called writers. People who wait are called waiters. I’d advise you write every day, if only for the sheer pleasure of it. Don’t worry about the Great American Novel, etc. Enjoy what you do! Or find something else to do, life is too short.

What writing projects are you working on now?
Get Lost, the second McKenna Mystery is coming out on March 8, 2016 from Suspense Books. I am working on the third novel, Cut.Print.Kill. and hope to have that out early in 2017, God-willing. My fourth book will be historical fiction, an elaboration on and extrapolation of several short stories from Black Range Tales, a fabulous depiction of 19th Century New Mexican mining days, written in 1936 by James A. McKenna.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
I’d like my readers to know how grateful I am for their faith in what I write. I will try to continue to spin some tales they will find uplifting, enjoyable and worth their valuable time. Thank you, one and all.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. She has a new speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.



An Interview with Author Susan C. Cooper

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Author and artist Susan C. Cooper worked as an environmental engineer for 17 years after earning a BS in biology, MS degrees in physiology and geological engineering, and a Ph.D. in physiology and biochemistry. Born and raised in Milwaukee, she now makes her home in Albuquerque. Her first book, The Truth About Mold, is in its third edition. Football Facts for Females, published in 2014, is her second book. You can find Susan on Facebook and her website FootballFactsForFemales.com.

FootballFactsForFemalesWhat is your elevator pitch for Football Facts for Females or If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em?
Starting with the basics and merging into more complex details such as strategy, this book combines information about football with humor to make it fun to read. It also includes a chapter about the importance of choosing a favorite team and players and how to do that.

What inspired you to write it?
I wanted to improve my relationship with my husband Randy, a relationship that was really quite good—except for football season. Many years ago, Randy was willing to learn about classical music for me; why couldn’t I do the same thing for him with respect to football?

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
I started writing the book nearly 20 years ago, when there was no Internet, only newspapers, magazines, and books—and all of which were written without humor and assumed the reader already spoke footballese.

I found an agent, who took all the humor out of the book (except for the glossary), and he found a publisher. But when Football for Dummies was published, my publisher lost interest. I shelved the manuscript temporarily, but it was always at the back of my mind. Then Randy and I went to Craig Duswalt’s RockStar Marketing Bootcamp—which has its own publishing house. I started working on the manuscript again, revising and updating it. My last hurdle was my own fault caused by my perfectionism. I didn’t want to send the manuscript in to be published until it was perfect. One of my new friends from the bootcamp pushed me to go ahead and publish it. I did.

One of the endorsements on the back cover is from football legend Joe Theisman. How did that come about?
Craig Duswalt is distantly related to Joe. He suggested it. So I sent Craig a copy of the manuscript, and he sent it to Joe. I also have a testimonial from sports newscaster Jim Nantz who wrote, “Super job, Susan! Kudos!” That came about because an elderly man at my church bought a copy for his daughter—and fell in love with it. He bought another copy to send to Jim Nantz with whom he sometimes corresponds. (I received this testimonial after the book had already been published, so it doesn’t appear in the book itself.)

I have received a couple of other testimonials that are important to me. One was from one of my reviewers who worked at the House of Football. Levi Doporto has played the game, coached it, and refereed games. He was amazed that a woman could write a book about football—and not sound like a woman. He learned a number of new facts about football, and every time he questioned something I wrote, he looked it up and found I was right. (How cool is that?!) The other important testimonial was from James Malinchak, a motivational speaker known as the “big-money speaker.” He’s friends with Joe Theismann and was also impressed with Football Facts for Females. He told me how much Joe loves the book.

What inspired you to become a writer?
I’m afraid I’m not the typical writer who just has to write or she will die. But I’ve been writing (and editing) for many years—grant proposals, a chapter of a book on rickettsial diseases as a ghost writer, translations of several scientific papers, two theses and a dissertation, articles for publication, reports and other documents as an environmental engineer, etc. Later, I wrote articles about restaurants for PrimeTime and articles about art and photography for The Pastel Journal. When I worked for the board of REALTORS in Albuquerque, I wrote two articles every week for the local real estate magazine, helped develop a course on mold, and wrote the first edition of my book about mold (The Truth about Mold), along with an online course for continuing education for REALTORS®. Writing was just something I did.

You’ve been a member of Toastmasters for about 30 years. How has participating in that organization helped you in your writing and publishing journey?
Toastmasters has helped me develop confidence and given me a better insight into using humor effectively (which I couldn’t use in any of the three editions of my mold book, but I certainly did use in my football book).

Who are your favorite authors and what do you admire most about their writing?
Janet Evanovich for her humor. James Patterson—I love any author who writes well enough to keep me from putting the book down. I love his short chapters and his ability to keep me reading because of the tension he puts into his chapters. And his productivity? Holy cow! Even though he has so many co-authors working with him, his novels are all consistent with those characteristics and interesting plots. And they’re never boring, even though he obviously uses a pattern for his novels.

Why did you decide to take the indie route to publication?
Opportunity led me to publish The Truth about Mold with Dearborn/Kaplan, a standard publisher that focuses primarily on books dealing with real estate and finances. For my book about football, I tried the whole mess of looking for an agent nearly 20 years ago, and I just didn’t have the energy to do that again. Football Facts was actually published by RockStar Publishing House, a kind of hybrid of indie and traditional publishing. They have everything available in house—you just have to decide what you want done, and then pay for it. It turned out to be an expensive proposition because the book was longer than what they usually publish, and has a lot of illustrations, an index, and a glossary. I am pleased with the overall product, but I’m looking forward to publishing at least one book via CreateSpace and not having to pay an arm and a leg for it.

TruthAboutMold180And now to The Truth About Mold, your 2013 book full of important facts about…mold. There’s a running joke at many SWW meetings where many writers (especially Jon Miller) make reference to mold when they’re plugging their own books. Many visitors to SWW meetings probably don’t understand the reference. Would you like to explain?
Somehow, I am able to make mold funny, even though mold really isn’t funny but can be a serious problem. I’ve done that enough at SWW meetings that a number of our members (like Jon) have picked up on it and embellish it. And I absolutely love that feedback, which they all seem to know and appreciate!

So far you have published only nonfiction books. Do you have plans for fiction projects? What are you working on now?
Randy and I are working together on a novel titled Moment of Death based on an idea he had years ago. Randy has been a sculptor for about 20 years. The main character in Moment of Death is—big surprise—a sculptor! One of his clients dies because of a freakish set of circumstances, teaching him a valuable lesson to use in his sculpting. We’ve been working on this novel for a long time and are hoping to finish it this year. I also want to write a book about mold for the public—one with humor in it but covering some important information that is often not talked about. After taking one of Betsy James’ courses, I discovered the snark in myself and that writing fiction is even more fun than writing nonfiction. Last year I wrote a science fiction novel. It’s something I still want to get back to and publish. I have also written other stories I’d like to develop; there are a couple of them I think have a lot of potential.

What advice do you have for writers still striving for publication?
“Don’t wait until it’s perfect, because it’ll never happen.” Obviously, it’s necessary to do a thorough job editing, but it’s too easy to get hung up on minor things and never get the job done, especially for someone anal with perfectionist tendencies, like me.

Also, beware of critique groups and how you deal with them. Yes, they can give you invaluable insights into your book, but remember it’s YOUR book and your ideas, not theirs. You have to make the decision as to what you want to say instead of allowing yourself to be led astray by the ideas of other members of your group.

And if you’re a writer who gets discouraged, like I do, I find it helps to read. I have books I’m reading on each of my two Kindles, my cell phone, my iPad, and my Galaxy tablet. (And I always have at least one “real” book going.) I’ve read good books and really bad ones through my Bookbub subscription, but even the bad ones are useful—”this is what a writer shouldn’t do, and here’s a good example of why.” Or “here’s something that works really well. Great idea.”

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. She has a new speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.



An Interview with Author Shirley Raye Redmond

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Shirley Raye Redmond is an award-winning author of dozens of nonfiction children’s books, several historical romance novels, and over 450 articles. Two of her children’s titles have sold more than 200,000 copies each. Her newest release, Viper’s Nest, is a romantic suspense novel set in Jacksonville, Illinois. She is also a conference speaker and has taught courses at many venues across the U.S. including the University of New Mexico–Los Alamos campus and the Tony Hillerman Writers Conference. You can read Shirley Raye’s contributions to the Stitches Thru Time blog, and visit her at her website, on Facebook, and WriteChildrensBook.com.

VipersNest200What is the elevator pitch for your newest novel, Viper’s Nest?
A handsome history professor and his widowed research assistant find themselves in danger when they explore an old insane asylum slated for demolition, unearthing a scandal someone is willing to kill for to keep secret.

Tell us about your main protagonists and how they differ from those in your other novels.
Most of my other novels are historicals, so Wren and Allan differ mainly because they are contemporary characters. It was a relief to work with personalities living in the present day. I didn’t have to concern myself with accidentally using anachronistic language, for instance. Also, Wren is a widow with a young daughter. This made for some interesting motivational considerations as I wrote the story.

Why did you decide to use the particular setting you chose?
I actually had a private tour of the Jacksonville Insane Asylum many years ago before it was torn down. The history of the place intrigued me, as well as the logistics of its once-bustling kitchen with small underground railroad cars used to transport meals throughout the institution via tunnels. Also, Mrs. Lincoln was a patient there for a while following the death of President Lincoln. The old place oozed dramatic possibilities.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
Originally, I wrote about my tour of the asylum for an SWW nonfiction contest many years ago. The article about humanitarian Dorothea Dix took second place. I later submitted the same article to a Writer’s Digest contest, and it earned an honorable mention. Both judges encouraged me to “do something” with all the historical information I’d collected. Trying to transform an article into the basis of a suspense novel was a real challenge.

This seems to be a departure from your previous fiction projects of “sweet” romance and inspirational historical novels. Why did you choose to go in this new direction?
There is a romance entwined in the plot of this book, too. Actually, my very first novel for grown-up readers was a romantic suspense, Stone of the Sun, with a lot of historical detail about Cortez and his Aztec mistress. In a way, Viper’s Nest is the same sort of novel—romantic suspense with all the historical trimmings—even Nazis, everyone’s favorite villains.

fairies150You also write nonfiction books for children. Explain why your latest children’s title Fairies! A True Story (Random House) was one of those “think outside the box” moments that really paid off, and why you love talking about this book.
Fairies! A True Story is my fourth nonfiction Random House title. I was browsing in Page One bookstore some years ago and noticed their pirates and fairies sections—hot topics for kids’ books at the time, and I wanted to do something along those lines, too. My editor warned me that the market was glutted with books on those subjects. So instead of trying to write a whimsical tale to rival the Tinkerbelle ones, I started doing research on fairies and fairy sightings. I was surprised how much information there was out there—too much to cover in one short children’s book. When I bought a used copy of Jerome Clark’s book Unexplained and read about the Cottingley fairy photographs, I knew I had something I could sink my teeth into. That was the “think outside the box” moment for me: instead of writing about fairies in a fictional way, I would report on an actual event and write a nonfiction books about fairies. The Frances and Elsie fairy story is fascinating because it could only have taken place when the technology of photography was fairly new. I was delighted when Random House bought the rights to one of the actual Cottingley fairy photographs to use at the back of the book.

What would you say to someone who says writing for children is easy?
Many people have mistakenly suggested that writing for children must be easier than writing for adults. That’s not always true. For instance, Random House is extremely dedicated to facts and truth for young readers. I had to document every fact, every bit of information in the fairy book for my editor, who then had the material vetted by an expert in a related field. Also, the clothing and artistic depictions in the illustrations had to be as accurate as possible. For instance, the illustration of the camera used by Frances and Elsie when taking the Cottingley photos is based on an old photograph of the actual camera they used. It can be a challenge to come up with text and illustrations that are both accurate and appealing for young readers while still creating a mythical mood or playful tone. When writing a novel like Viper’s Nest, the historical information can be tweaked here and there and editors usually don’t get their knickers in a twist over it.

What first inspired you to become a writer?
As soon as I read Little Women when I was in the 6th or 7th grade, I knew I wanted to be a writer like Jo March. When I sold my first newspaper articles to the Pacific Stars and Stripes and The Morning Star (I was a teenager on Okinawa at the time), I knew I was a writer. There was no turning back for me from then on.

What would you do differently if you were starting your publishing career today?
I would attend more writing conferences and take more courses in marketing. I started out as a journalism major and later earned my M.A. in Literature. I did take one marketing elective ages ago. Everything I learned in that class is still useful for me today. But as a lit major I never even learned how to write a synopsis or book proposal or query letter. Thank goodness for SWW conferences and workshops! That’s where I learned those valuable skills.

Of the 32 books you’ve written, which one did you enjoy writing the most?
I have a sentimental attachment to Stone of the Sun, which was my first novel. It opened many doors for me, including write-for-hire projects. But writing and researching Patriots in Petticoats, Heroines of the American Revolution (Random House) was probably my favorite writing project. I wanted to include lesser known girls and women, such as Kerenhappuch Turner and Dicey Langston. These women were from the southern colonies—one tends to think of Betsy Ross and Abigail Adams and others from Pennsylvania and New England as our only colonial heroines. I visited out-of-the-way battlefields and small historical societies and enjoyed lots of little adventures along the way. I have received many delightful letters from girls writing social studies reports about one of the obscure heroines I mention in the book and was so pleased when the Bank Street College of Education in New York named the title as one of the best children’s books of 2005.

What can fiction writers learn from nonfiction writers?
As a journalism major, I was taught to get to the who, what, when, where and why quickly and succinctly—in the first paragraph, if possible. Some fiction writers forget to answer those questions within their stories. Frequently, I have found myself wondering what happened to a secondary character that appeared in the first half of the book but simply disappears in the latter half, and what about that missing locket alluded to in the third chapter? Keeping the 5 Ws in mind when writing and revising would be helpful for fiction writers, I think.

Also, nonfiction writers are taught to write magazine articles with enticing lead paragraphs that lure busy editors. I have tried to use intriguing opening lines in each of my novels, too. Stone of the Sun begins with, “She’d witnessed a murder—or so she’d been told—and nothing would ever be the same again.” My Regency novel Prudence Pursued opens with, “You should not wear that to the pox party,” Prudence Pentyre said, indicating her younger cousin’s dress of light green Italian silk. “I recommend something with short sleeves which allows you to expose your forearm to the lancet.”

What advice do you have for writers who are still striving for publication?
Set both weekly and monthly goals/deadlines for yourself. Write them down and work diligently toward achieving them. Buy an appointment book and schedule time for writing, rewriting and research. Your “great expectations” will be easier to achieve when you have established in writing what they are.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. She has a new speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.



An Interview with Author Gale O’Brien

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Gale O’Brien is a cancer survivor, motivational speaker, wellness advocate, and the award-winning author of Transformation: Creating an Exceptional Life in the Face of Cancer, available in both English and Spanish. She is also a Certified Professional Life Coach who empowers others to pursue a passionate, exceptional life after a serious illness or profound life event. Visit Gale at GaleObrien.com.

What is your elevator pitch for Transformation?
Transformation: Creating an Exceptional Life in the Face of Cancer is an honest, revealing, no holds barred description of my transformational journey to survival and how I finally gave myself permission to start living life fully engaged.

Tell us what inspired you to write it.
In talking with many cancer survivors, I discovered that some of them have no drive, ambition, or direction. They simply exist from one medical appointment to the next. They have allowed their cancer diagnosis to dominate their daily life and, in doing so, I believe they may be setting themselves up for reoccurrence. This is not an exceptional life to live. This is a doomed existence. I was inspired to write this book to encourage survivors to look outside the normal context of life and to create an openness toward what could lie ahead in their life after cancer. I wanted to encourage patients, survivors, caregivers and anyone encountering a serious illness to view disease as a phase to pass through with the hope of knowing that an exceptional life is waiting ahead.

In planning the book, what was the first hurdle you came across?
Deciding whether my book would be unique and necessary. I had to make sure that the book I was planning to write was not only unique compared to the other books on cancer recovery, but also necessary before adding one more title to the staggering number of books in print.

What was the most rewarding aspect of writing Transformation?
When I was writing the book, I was totally immersed and living it in my head. When my book was finally published, it felt like I was being let out of a cell, so to speak. I felt alive again! Writing a book is an achievement. The most rewarding part is the number of readers who have responded positively and thanked me for writing the book.

Is there a book that has transformed your own life?
On Becoming Fearless…in Love, Work, and Life by Arianna Huffington. Ms. Huffington wrote a quote that has stayed with me long after reading her book:

“When we know who we are, we can overcome our fears and insecurities. We surpass our smaller selves who suffer the slings and arrows of our conditioned reality, and we move to the unconditional truth of our larger selves. The answers to the questions of what to say, what to do, whom to let in, and whom to keep out become a clear and simple matter of listening to our hearts. That inner voice helps us align with our purpose, because each of us has a purpose, even if we judge it to be insignificant. The voice is there. We just need to listen to it. When we do that, we live in fearlessness.”

What do you want to be known for as an author?
Not just a purveyor of information and advice, no matter how useful those may be, but a writer. Someone who cares about, and crafts, words to bring people into the story; to take the reader on a journey. Personally, I want to be known for living my life in fearlessness. To have inspired a generation of cancer survivors to look beyond their diagnosis and to create an exceptional life afterwards.

Which have you found to be the most challenging, writing or marketing?
Marketing has been more of a challenge. Learning to overcome my fears that the book might bore people; that the book might not sell; that I might freeze during an author event and forget what I was going to say to the audience. People underestimate the amount of continuous marketing that must be done in order to turn one’s book into a blockbuster. As authors, we must shamelessly promote our book at every opportunity that presents itself.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently writing an online course for cancer survivors available October 2015.

Do you have advice for discouraged writers?
Learn to reject rejection. Get used to the idea that there is going to be a lot of rejection along the way. The secret is to never give up. If one person tells you no, ask someone else. Someone, somewhere, sometime will say yes. Move on to the next person. Someone is waiting to say yes.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. She has a new speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.



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