An Interview with Enigmatic Author Poppet

By writing magazine articles about the health benefits of bananas and coconuts, to methods of overcoming erectile dysfunction, to the use of mistletoe as a possible weapon in the battle against cancer, author Poppet has devoted many years of her life to bettering the health and well-being of the world around her.
So, how does an individual go from writing articles of such goodness, to suspenseful and terrifying tales such as the novels DARKROOM and WOMANISED?

I wanted to know too.

Visit Poppet, her stories, articles, and recipes at http://authorpoppet.wordpress.com/category/author/

Q) What first spurred you to begin writing?

A) I wrote my first book at age twelve. It was appalling. I gave up the dream of being a writer, until I became paralyzed by the Guillain-Barre virus. I was one of the lucky two percent that only have one side of their body paralyzed; this left me with my left hand to do work. I lost my job and considered my options as a halfling. One thing I could do slowly, and in my own time, was sit as half a vegetable at my computer, and type. I am naturally right handed, so learning to write and do all the usual things was humorously challenging with my left hand.

I have always been interested in food as a key to health, and became quite passionate once my mother was cured of cancer by a homeopath after the doctors had given up on her. So I took my time and started writing for two magazines, and was surprised that they both took me on without hesitation. I research my health articles thoroughly, using only medical science as my reference. I like to provide my readers with proof, and “The Journal of Natural Medicine,” who I wrote for, lists all references, as they target people in the health industry. I'm not qualified as a health specialist; I'm just really good at research.

I've been a vegetarian from the age of twelve and did bodybuilding as a vegetarian, so my own experience and research for my own ends have come in handy as a health writer. My passion is obviously food and how food contributes to illness or good health. Ignorance is the biggest cause of disease. I've always felt that if I could save just one person from unnecessary death, the work is worthwhile.

Three years ago I turned my attention to writing fiction, returning to the dream. I wrote four books in a series and joined Authonomy. My work lacked polish and professionalism and the brutal opinions from other writers gave me quite a shock. But they were priceless in my growth as a writer. The fifth full length novel I wrote is “Womanised.” I decided to go back to one of my passions, helping humans, and “Womanised” examines how women get caught in abusive relationships when they are too young and have no reference to compare Mr. Perfect with. A young girl is a prime target to get caught up with a bad seed. “Womanised” follows a young woman's journey through what she considers love, until she discovers what love really is. It's a rite of passage story, which most women should be able to identify with, but it serves as a warning inside fiction, for a younger and older audience to recognize the signs of domination of a detrimental kind in a partner. It's told in a humorous way because the content at times is quite heavy.

This book received a gold star on Authonomy, and at the same time, I got an agent for it. Leaving it in the agent's hands, I continued writing as my health was greatly improved and the bug had once again infected me (the writing bug). “Seithe” followed, and after that “Darkroom.” I write a novel in approximately three months, so these all received peer reviews on Authonomy, and most were complimentary and favorable. And here I am, still writing, and signed with Rebelepublishers. However my agent didn't get me signed, and I continued submitting queries myself.

Q) Well, let’s get right to it. What was the impetus that drove you from writing about healthy lifestyles to the satirically romantic WOMANISED and the psychological thriller DARKROOM?

A) My muse wanted me to write fiction. So I trusted this urge and am so very happy I did.

Psychology fascinates me. My father was abusive and I've known many women in abusive relationships. I partially answer this in my previous answer. I believe fiction should mirror reality. Thus, I wrote “Womanised” as a “Bridget Jones” meets “Nine and a Half Weeks” type read, with a serious moral and message beneath it all.

”Darkroom” was a challenge. I love horror and was afraid of being typecast as a one-genre writer. I especially love psychological thriller / horrors and wanted to see if I could write one. It did originally have a contributing author, but we chose to go our separate ways, and I rewrote the sections he wrote so it would stand alone as my own work. The concept and plot were both mine, so this wasn't a problem. “Darkroom,” I find, is all the more horrific because it's plausible and examines two mindsets. That of a victim, and that of the psychopath, and how two people can view the same incident with completely opposing viewpoints. I found the *two minds* and points of view, both challenging and intriguing to write.

”Seithe” is my step outside reality book. It's the tale of a fallen angel trying to become mortal, wrapped up in a dramatic love story.

They do say that variety is the spice of life, and I do love spice.

Q) You are a poet. And that fact shines through with a pleasant effervescence in your novels. Each sentence is carefully designed to flow… to merge with the next. It has been said; the best novelists were once poets. Would you agree? And why or why not?

A) I have to agree simply because I am a poet. For two years I had poetry published in “Mobius Poetry” magazine in NY. I ranked well in the Bookhabit international poetry competition in 2008 (run in New Zealand). I came 27th worldwide overall. And I was just approached by “SNM Horror Mag” to publish my dark poetry. August is the first month that my work will be in their zine, and they have enough material from me for a year. They are apparently publishing one of mine a month. Although I never expected to become known for my poetry because I indulge in it just for fun.

Q) You are so talented, and have such diverse interests in writing, where do you see your prose taking you in the future?

A) Honestly, I have no idea how to answer this question, and thank you so much for your kind praise. I would like to continue writing edgy romance; and separately, horrors. I like books that make the reader think and feel a part of the tale. Which is why I can't write straightforward romance. I like to address issues that matter. My book “Pieces” for example examines a cougar with a younger man who cuts himself when stressed. It addresses AIDS and how it affects a couple. Sticking to my creed that fiction should mirror reality. I hope to keep writing novels that my publisher will want to publish.

One day I also hope to write a recipe book, which includes the health information from my articles. But right now it's just one step at a time.

Q) What advice can you offer those who believe they would like to write a book?

A) Write where you feel passion. If you feel strongly about the subject, your work will connect with the reader. Never give up. Seek the reviews of your peers because their insight is invaluable. Never see rejection from an agent or a publisher as a reason to give up. Rejection should simply spur you to keep knocking on doors. The more you knock, the greater the odds of one of them finally opening. However, look for agents that specialize in the genre of your book.

It takes months, sometimes years, for someone to write a book. The fact that you did it means you have the will to succeed. Polish your work, go back to it again and again and remove excess words, make sure it's original, keep trying to outdo yourself. And in this day and age, you can publish yourself. If your work is polished, and you believe in your product, and you aren't afraid of hard work, there is no reason why you shouldn't succeed. Keep writing, and keep shooting for the stars, because you just may catch one that lights up your life.

An Interview with Erotica Author Evanne Lorraine

In Seattle, Washington, a gentle, demure lady quietly goes about the business of lovingly tending her flower garden. Her dog, having taken refuge from the sun under a tree, idly watches. Knees sore, back strained, she leaves her gloves on the gardening table, trades shoes for soft slippers, hangs her straw sunhat on a hook, pours a glass of lemonade, and sits down at her computer. The tranquil, flower horticulturist immediately transforms to Evanne Lorraine, a leading author of the books you don’t tell your friends you read.
Whether the characters are lonely businesswomen in search of what can’t be found from 9 to 5, dangerous men and the women who deserve them, or water demons who taste like chocolate, Evanne’s skillfully written novels capture the imagination, steal your breath, and set your heart racing.

You can find Evanne, her flowers, and her novels at http://www.evannelorraine.com/

Q) When did you decide you wanted to be an author?

A) During the process of planning for retirement, I realized the thing I would miss about working as an accountant was the work. Although I love numbers and am very fond of money, I wanted to do something different. Something involving words and reading. I seriously considered a career in library sciences, but found the challenge of writing even more seductive.

Q) You truly possess an affinity for flowers and spend hours researching them and tending to them. Given your expertise, have you considered writing a book on horticulture?

A) I like to keep my hobbies and my work separate. Tending the landscape refreshes my spirit, If I wrote about my passion for gardening the process would become work rather than play.

Q) Your characters are solidly constructed, barely fictional. Where do you draw inspiration from for them?

A) Everywhere and anywhere, while the fictional people may be a tad larger than life, and their outsides a little more than ordinary, on the inside they are everyman.

Q) As well as the “Enyo Chronicles” series, the “Wicked” series, and the “Dangerous” series, you have written numerous single novels such as "Pirate Rules" that take us from the bedroom next door to ethereal worlds we could never envision ourselves. Please describe for us the process you use to construct your settings, be they our hometown, or a race of lusting demons searching for love.

A) Many of my stories are set in places I've been fortunate enough to visit. It's a personal treat to return to a tropical paradise. I usually write those stories during the rainy season. In Seattle the rainy season is most of the year, leaving plenty of time to write about exotic locations. The futuristic story settings are imagined terrains, constructed of dreams.

Q) What advice can you offer those who believe they would like to write a book?

A) Write the story you want to write. Really. There's no substitute for writing. There is also much benefit to reading--widely and often, English degrees, and creative writing courses.

An Interview with Rising Star, Laura Whitcomb

“Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you’re dead.” Thus begins the journey into Laura Whitcomb’s novel, A CERTAIN SLANT OF LIGHT.

Pigeonholing Laura as an author of ‘Young Adult Fiction’ in the paranormal/fantasy genre is a misnomer committed by those who have not read her work, though that is the bookstore shelf where a seeker will find her.

In reality, she is an artist. The English language is her brush, and the blank page her canvas. She paints a mural of love and how nothing - be it time, distance, or even death – can wither our need for it, or prevent us from finding it.

That constant theme is the basis for her second novel, THE FETCH, as well.

If you believe in love, if you long for love, if you seek love, I urge you to read the unforgettable works of Laura Whitcomb. http://www.laurawhitcomb.com/

Q) What was the defining moment or event that sparked the desire to become a published author?

A) There wasn't an exact moment. I always wanted to be a writer. When I was three my mother let me dictate stories to her. I remember in elementary school hoping that a story I was writing about a witch would be on display in the children's section of the library someday. I probably wanted to write books because we had so many books around our house and because I was read to every night when I was little. What could be a better job?

Q) Your life transformed from “this” (this needs to be done now, this needs to be done next…) to “dis” (disorganized, discombobulated, ‘dis’ ain’t gonna happen) with the birth of your son. Congratulations by the way. He, obviously, and rightfully so, holds your heart and occupies a place in your every thought. How will he affect your writing? Will he influence the themes and paths of future novels?

A) I'm sure Robinson (I call him Binny) will indeed influence my work, but it's hard to tell this soon because the project I'm rewriting (a sequel to A CERTAIN SLANT OF LIGHT) was already drafted before he was born. My guess is that he will make everything in my life more joyful, vivid, and meaningful. (And fun.) One added aspect I already notice is that I think, "I better get writing so I can afford formula, diapers, wipes, and eventually college tuition." =)

Q) Writers write about what they know. You pen tales of love. But your tales incorporate emotions spanning the void between life and death. Where does that inspiration come from?

A) That's hard to answer. I'm a romantic, so I enjoy spending time in a love story. And I've loved tales of the supernatural since early childhood. As a storyteller, I've probably been inspired, and influenced, by tales I read or heard or watched through the years. Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Daphne du Maurier's REBECCA, Henry James' TURN OF THE SCREW, etc.

Q) Youth and innocence play a part in your works. What is it about the pre-twenties age group that draws out of you the desire to use that assemblage as the basis for your main characters?

A) I actually didn't start out to write SLANT as a YA novel. My agent sent the manuscript to both adult and YA editors. But when it sold as a teen book, it made perfect sense. The ghosts are trapped in the world of teenagers and have to deal with those teenage problems, limits, challenges. Also, being a teen is a little like being a ghost -- you feel invisible and powerless at times. You want to be seen for who you really are. Often you are drifting in the margins of life, heavy with emotions and passions unexpressed, waiting for that one person who can truly understood you to look you in the eyes and love you.

Q) What advice can you give to a struggling writer trying to become published? (Feel free to plug your ‘how to’ books here)

A) Well, yes, I did co-author YOUR FIRST NOVEL with my agent Ann Rittenberg and a couple years later I wrote NOVEL SHORTCUTS -- there's plenty of useful advice in those books, but the short answer is . . . read a lot, practice writing a lot, read the kind of books you want to write and read writers you admire. Rewrite and refine your manuscript until you love every part of every page. Get an agent rather than sending your work directly to publishers. Research the agents you query before you write to them. Make your query letter no more than one page long -- make sure that it tells the agent who the story's about, the setting (place and time), and what the main problem of the book is. Don't wait to sell the first book before you start writing your next one. (You'll just keep getting better and better.) And don't give up.

An Interview with Award Winning Author Barbara D'Amato

Barbara D’Amato’s many Awards include a Mary Higgins Clark, a Carl Sandburg, a Macavity, 2 Readers Choice, 2 Agathas, and 2 Anthonys. Her current novel, Foolproof – co-written with Jeanne M. Dams and Mark Richard Zubro- is a tale of suspense centering on a plot to steal the Presidency of the U.S. Barbara’s web site is barbaradamato.com.


Q) What was the defining moment or event that sparked the desire to become a published author?

A) Early on, I was an avid reader of Agatha Christie, then when I had read them all, Ellery Queen and John Dickson Carr. I loved the puzzles. But Joseph Wambaugh became a favorite, too. After a while I wanted to try writing traditional puzzle mystery, and wrote two, THE HANDS OF HEALING MURDER and THE EYES ON UTOPIA MURDERS, published in 1980 and 1981. The Cat Marsala mysteries sometimes involve puzzles--HARD TACK is a locked-room mystery. I got interested in police produrals later on. But it started with the challenge of producing a puzzle that was fair but hard to solve.

Q) As a writer you have penned numerous graphic and riveting murder mysteries, which include Death of a Thousand Cuts, one we could easily discuss for hours on end. As a musical playwright you cater to children with successful efforts such as The Magic of Young Houdini. What within you draws you to such extreme genres of writing? And how do you remain focused without allowing one to infuse into the other?

A) My husband composes music and he got me into writing the books [scripts] for musicals. The requirements of keeping audience interest between acts and between scenes is more urgent than keeping a book moving. A book has to make the reader want to turn pages, but there is nothing as urgent as keeping interest going when the lights go down between one scene and the next at intermission. Doing plays made me more conscious of forward motion, which helped me in writing books.

Q) Naturally I have to ask, as a playwright, novelist, and crime researcher, which one, if any of these three, are your ‘first love?’

A) I am happiest writing novels. Plays and musicals are subject to the input of actors and directors. There's nothing more exciting than hearing an actor give more meaning to a line than you even knew was there. But in writing books you have more control over what the reader sees.

Q) A prolific and gifted writer, you aren’t shy about making it clear that it is hard work that produces success. Amongst the many experiences in your resume is ‘assistant tiger handler.’ Would you share with us how that came about?

A) I became an assistant to our tiger handler during the run of "The Magic of Houdini," a musical comedy that my husband and I wrote. The stagehands didn't want to get near the tiger--actually a black leopard, one of the stars of the show. He was used in the illusion where the young lady enters the cage and is turned into a leopard. We've all seen this performed, I think. With the stagehands unwilling to help, I learned how to be the handler's aide. But I have to emphasize I was the assistant. The handler was the person who really knew how to handle the animal.

Q) What advice can you give to a struggling writer trying to become published?

A) It would be great to have magical advice to give unpublished writers, but I haven't any. Maybe this, though: 1. Every published writer was unpublished once. 2. Write every day, even if you have to throw it out. 3. Edit. Not necessarily right away. Write the whole book and then edit, if you like to work that way. But rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. I don't remember who said "Easy reading is hard writing," but it's true.

An Interview with Multi-Award Winning Author, Robert J Sawyer

I know what you had for breakfast and what your friends think about you. I know your schedule, your bank account passwords, what your home looks like, what you look like, who your children are, and I know all of their dreams and fantasies. I'm the World Wide Web... and I just woke up.

Such is the genius of best selling author Robert J Sawyer in his latest novel and the first of a new trilogy, WWW:WAKE. With twenty novels, dozens of awards including a Hugo, Nebula, John W. Campbell Memorial, and ten Auroras, in addition to other top honors in the United States, China, Japan, France, and Spain, as well as his home country of Canada, Mr. Sawyer is without a doubt not just a premier science fiction author, but one of the truly great literary talents of our time. http://www.sfwriter.com/

Q) What was the defining moment or event that sparked your desire to become a published author?

A) The very first science-fiction book I ever read, back when I was 12, was a novel called Trouble on Titan by Alan E. Nourse. My older brother gave me a used paperback he'd acquired somewhere. It began with an essay by Nourse (whose last name was pronounced "Nurse," and who was a medical doctor) entitled "I've Never Been There," about the joys of being a science-fiction writer. In that essay, he encouraged others to give it a try -- so from the very first time I read a science-fiction novel, I knew it was something I wanted to do, and indeed was being encouraged to do. I regret that Dr. Nourse passed away without me ever getting a chance to thank him.

Q) Your wife, Carolyn Clink, is a published science fiction poetry writer. Dinner conversation at your house must be an event most of us would buy tickets for in order to have the opportunity to listen in. What activities do the two of you enjoy together when you want to 'step away' from the chaotic world your writing and research immerses you in?

A) The publishing game is so competitive and in such dire straits these days that I really don't feel I can relax too much; you've got to make hay while the sun is shining. But my job does let us travel a lot, and we often try to tack on a few extra vacation days. We both love visiting archeological sites -- whether it's a Native Canadian dig in Saskatoon or Greco-Roman ruins in Turkey. And we both like live theatre; just yesterday, we went to see a gripping production of Glengarry Glen Ross here in Toronto.

Q) Your work is not "classic" science fiction. It is a rational analysis of our past, present, and the future we mold daily. In my opinion, cataloging your writing as "science fiction" is as accurate as saying da Vinci was nothing more than the Jules Verne of his era. If you had the power, what new literary category would you classify your writing as?

A) Thank you for the kind words. I like to think that what I write is philosophical fiction -- "phi-fi," not "sci-fi." It's a rational, intelligent exploration of ideas and very fundamental questions, such as where did we come from, where are we going, why are we here, and what, if anything, does all of it mean. That said, I'm proud to be known as a science-fiction writer. My website is sfwriter.com, my corporation is SFWRITER.COM Inc., and my vanity license place says SFWRITER.

Q) As one of the few authors able to rely on and enjoy the income from your writing, you do not rest on your laurels. Instead, you make yourself available as a guest speaker around the world, readily communicate with fans, and openly share your interests and life with anyone interested. How do you maintain that level of frenetic activity, find the time to write, and still stay sane?

A) Sanity fell by the wayside long ago! Seriously, I remind myself every day of just how lucky I am. Yes, I work hard, and yes, I'm talented -- but so are lots of other science-fiction writers. I was lucky to win the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America's Nebula Award for Best Novel of the Year back in 1996; any of the other nominees that year -- John Barnes, Nancy Kress, Walter Jon Williams, and Gene Wolfe -- would have been an equally credible winner. I was lucky that ABC actually made a prime-time TV series out of my novel FlashForward; that virtually never happens. And so on. So, whenever I find myself complaining about having to take another trip, or give another talk, or go to another Hollywood pitch meeting, I remind myself that there are thousands of other people who would kill to have the problems I have. I'm a lucky son of a gun, and I know that.

Q) What advice can you give to a struggling writer trying to become published?

A) First, the tough-love: if you can think of anything else that would make you happy, do that instead, because just about everything else is easier and has a higher likelihood of success; writing fiction is a business in which there is no clear career path, and no correlation between how good you are and how much you'll make -- it's practically random.
Next, the pep-talk: write every day. Don't talk about writing, don't read books about writing, don't take courses about writing. Just write -- lots. Make the sacrifices -- give up vacations, or lunches, or nights out with friends -- so that you can find the writing time. Nothing is more effective at improving your writing than actually writing large amounts of material.
Finally, write things you're passionate about. Don't write to make a buck, write to change the world -- and, if you're good, and if you're lucky, the money will follow.

An Interview with Best-selling Author C.J. Box

Award-winning author C. J. Box is the author of eleven novels including the Joe Pickett series. He’s also won the Anthony Award, Prix Calibre 38 (France), the Macavity Award, the Gumshoe Award, and the Barry Award. BLUE HEAVEN, Box's first stand-alone novel, won an Edgar Award for Best Novel of 2008 and has been optioned for film. THREE WEEKS TO SAY GOODBYE, was published in January of 2009 and debuted on the NY Times extended bestseller list. BELOW ZERO, Box's ninth Joe Pickett novel, was published in June of 2009 and has become the biggest bestseller to date.


And this international fame allows him to do what he loves best… fish, ride horses, and spend time with his wife and three daughters.

A world traveler at home in the mountains, I met Mr. Box in Muskego, Wisconsin, where he had sojourned to do that which most of us think an internationally renowned figure wouldn’t do. He was there to meet and shake the hands of his fans.

C.J. is a gentleman and one of the nicest people any of us could ever hope to meet.
http://www.cjbox.net/


Q) What was the defining moment or event that sparked your desire to become a published author?

A) In high school, I was reading Joseph Heller's Catch-22 at the same time I saw a movie at the drive-in theater in Casper, Wyoming with a screenplay by Thomas McGuane. The combination of these things made me think for the first time that maybe I could do this.

Q) You are in reality a very quiet and reserved man whose love of the outdoors is second to none. Yet you make yourself available across the country to your fans. How do you balance that part of you that relishes the solitude of fly-fishing and the open spaces of Wyoming with the demands of public appearances?

A) Trout rivers and streams ice up over the winter in the Rocky Mountains, and there is no fishing -- or anything else except skiing -- to be had. That's a good time to get out and about and meet readers, which I love to do. 

Q) Your latest release, NOWHERE TO RUN, which once again has garnered you a much-deserved place on the NY Times Best Seller list, is the tenth Joe Pickett novel. What is it about this character that inspires such marvelous tales of mystery and suspense within you?

A) I always start with an issue or controversy: from eco-terrorism to hunting ethics to global warming to (in the current book) the encroachment of a growing government on citizens. When I've researched the issue I figure out how to build a plot that will, in effect, pull the reader through that concern in an interesting, page-turning way.

Q) This question is a bit contrite, but I have to ask it to satisfy my own curiosity. Your books have been translated into twenty-four languages. How does it feel to know you have works out there that you wrote, but can’t read? Also, did you have to make changes to any of your books in order to be published in certain countries?

A) It is strange to hold editions of my books published in Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Bulgarian ... and hope the translator I've never had any contact with has translated the work well. No, I've never made any changes in the manuscripts to adapt to overseas markets.

Q) What advice can you give to a struggling writer trying to become published?

A) Read! Read widely and deeply and don't confine yourself to a genre. Figure out what it is when you read your favorite writers that grabs you. Break it down and study it. Then write the book.

An Interview with e-published Author Ali Katz

Ali Katz is a writer. That statement is an absolute. Her stories titillate, inspire, and pulse emotion into the reader through carefully crafted characters and settings the reader ‘feels’ all around them as she guides them on a journey into the scintillating realm of erotic romance. Take the first step towards your own romantic odyssey at a-katz.com.

Q) What was the defining moment or event that sparked your desire to become a published author?

A) Hi, David. Thanks for having me.

You know, I don’t think that ‘defining moment’ has happened yet, if it ever will. Being a published author is a lot of work: blogging, book tours, signings, uh hum interviews, schmoozing. Who has time for all that? I just want to write. Writing e lets me do that. I’ll never make the New York Times Best Sellers’ List, but I’m happy for the chance to get my work out there for a few people to enjoy. I do love my fans – all six of them.

Q) Each story you pen has new, unique characters totally different than the previous novel. Where do you draw inspiration for such varied voices?

A)How does one answer that without sounding cliché? Writer’s take their inspiration wherever they can find it. I found Glory and Connor in my love of dance – or they found me. A location, a challenge, a cause I believe in – each of these has awakened a character with a story to tell. Learning who these strangers are and what they have to say is only a matter of listening. To get to know them, start writing their story. They’ll soon become old friends.

Q) You are living proof that regardless of the genre, “superb” writing will be read. Your words flow with the comfort and ease of a country stream while drawing in and capturing the reader in the exotic world you have woven. And your ‘worlds’ are varied. From DAMON’S PRICE in ancient Rome to GATO NEGRO inspired by the cloud forests of Costa Rica. How do you match the proper location and era for the story you want to tell?

A) Thank you, David. It’s wonderful to know my voice reaches you on some emotional level.

In many ways, setting is less a conscious decision than an integral part of the story. The story for Damon’s Price, the love of a slave for his domina, arose while I was researching women in ancient Rome. Information is sparse. No documents written by women have survived, and what I was finding led me to consider that slaves, in many regards, had it better than women, regardless of the woman’s class. So, the idea an intelligent, sophisticated, but uneducated woman might fall for a brilliant, handsome, younger man who treated her as if she had a brain, in spite of their class differences, is not farfetched.

A week in the cloud forest inspired Gato Negro, my shifter story. You can’t visit a place like that without feeling surrounded by God and history. I’ve always been interested in the culture and beliefs of ancient peoples.

I did consciously choose the location for The Highwayman. My guys needed a setting, and in researching the highwaymen of the 18th century I ran across the Hungarian outlaw, Juraj Janosik. It was only a hop, skip and a jump to the southern Carpathian Mountains, where my father grew up. The location added a unique perspective to what could have been a very mundane story.

Q) Writing has become more competitive with the advent of the Internet and the availability of reaching out to agents and publishers from the comfort of home. Yet you spend hours a day helping authors hone their craft and prepare their work for consideration. What motivates you to help your competition improve?

A) Your question seems to imply I’m being selfless -- far from it. Working with others to improve can only help me do the same. It’s much easier to find problems in someone else’s writing, which gives me the opportunity to see the same in my own. Competition doesn’t bother me. There are plenty of stories to tell and plenty of readers anxious for them.

Q) What advice can you give to a struggling writer trying to become published?

A) Write. Write. Write. Clean it up. Send it out. Repeat.

If this is what you want to do, rejection won’t stop you.

"For a long time now I have tried simply to write the best I can. Sometimes I have good luck and write better than I can." ~~ Ernest Hemingway

Rosellen Brown - One of the Greatest Literary Talents We Shall Ever Have the Opportunity to Read

Conducting interviews with authors has allowed me to come in contact with some of - not just great literary talents - the finest human beings currently living. Rosellen Brown epitomizes and exemplifies that point.

Q) What was the defining moment or event that sparked your desire to become a published author?

A) I can’t speak for others (about anything I have to say!) but I certainly didn’t think of publishing when I began writing – I was a child and I loved reading; it felt natural to want to do that thing myself. I suppose that later I showed my writing to others and enjoyed the strokes I got for it, which I suppose you could call a kind of publishing. Actually, the whole idea of publication as a motivation is one of the things I like least about the current literary world: Too many people think “Oh, I can become a famous and maybe even a rich author” instead of writing to satisfy an internal need. For “real” (at least what I’d call serious) writers, writing is a necessity, not a career option.

Q) You have one husband, two daughters, two cats, and too many books (read and unread). Your life appears to be as unordinary as the next-door neighbor’s. Yet your novels of life are filled with anger, bewilderment, doubt, and ethical principles in relationships - and masterfully so I might add. Where do you draw inspiration for such inner turmoil?

A) Good question and thank you for the compliment. I’ve always thought I dream up those terrible situations so they won’t happen to me – sort of, sacrificing my characters to the gods so that they’ll think, “Oh, yeah, she already experienced this… if only in her imagination.” Seriously.

I also, of course, find the conundrums that arise in many lives simply interesting because those moral questions are challenging and people’s responses are difficult, unpredictable, not necessarily pleasing; I only hope that I can report them realistically. Saul Bellow said about one of his less admirable characters, “I came to represent him, not to recommend him.” Because my people don’t always react as my readers might like, I find that I have to defend them very often (and, of course, since I made them, I have a kind of sympathy for every one of them.) “Do you recognize this response?” I ask. “I didn’t ask if you approve of it, only if you think it’s plausible under (whatever) the circumstances.” Readers, of course, tend to think their behavior, even under duress, would be impeccable.

Q) In Street Games your voice is powerful and Anglo, Puerto Rican, African-American, male, female, parent, and child. The Chicago Tribune calls it “An American classic.” Who are these characters? You gave them life, but they obviously were not born from you.

A) I lived on a block like that one in Brooklyn for a few years and found myself fascinated by my neighbors there. I didn’t “study” them to write about them, only discovered – mostly – after the fact, after we’d moved away, that many, in vastly different form, might generate stories. I’m very bad at coming up with plots, so a lot of these are really more about the small ways in which people make themselves known to others and to themselves. Only one arose identifiably out of a real person and because I made up a lot so that my character was an amalgam of real and imagined, I felt I needed to beg her approval. (She was highly amused and gave me her blessing.) Usually as close as I get to anyone real is as a stimulus: I sort of narrow my eyes to make someone really blurry and then I fill in my own details. As for myself – I never write about my very unremarkable self; I like to be transparent. Of course everything that gets down on paper has gone through my head – into and out of it! – but you won’t learn anything more about me than what I’ve concentrated on.

Q) Because your writing is so strong, so relevant, and so contemporary, would you be willing to come to a community such as Freeport and meet with fans at either the library or bookstore?

A) Yes, absolutely. In fact my favorite part of any reading I give (you obviously know that we do a lot of those at colleges and bookstores) is the Question and Answer time at the end when I get to really engage with my listeners, who often surprise, delight and enlighten me with their insights and observations. There are a lot of myths about writers being too lofty to “relate,” but you’re right to want to prove that we’re actually ordinary folks who (as you said, lacking either intelligence or sanity!) work to make something very difficult look simple.

Q) What advice can you give to a struggling writer trying to become published?

A) Sometimes I think the only question struggling writers want the answer to is “How do I get an agent?” and though I don’t want to mock the difficulty of breaking into publication, I have to go back to my first answer: If you don’t write for yourself, and learn your craft before you take it to “the market,” you’d better be okay with the fact that you’re going to be rewarded for doing what somebody else has already done. There are “genre” writers – purveyors of romance, mysteries, police procedurals, etc. which can be done by following a pattern, and that’s okay if that’s what you’re interested in; there are some terrific books in all those categories. But for what’s called “literary” writing, which I’d compare to a hand-tooled piece of furniture as opposed to something extruded from a machine (except at its best), there are no shortcuts: read a lot, imitate your betters (purposely, knowing that you’re imitating) and take your time. Find a reader who is willing to be honest with you and not just love you as a friend or spouse. Find a mentor if you can. Find a group that will also enjoy what’s working in your writing but crack it open and look inside, challenge you, demand revision, etc. There are plenty of ways to connect, these days, with helpful peers and mentors. And when it looks most discouraging – because the publishing world has been torn to pieces by many forces – take notice of all the books by new writers that nonetheless continue to emerge. Many of the best of them come from small presses your mother will not have heard of but that doesn’t matter; try to get the work between covers when it’s ready and keep on moving toward the next story or book or poem and the next and the next. Publication ought to be a reward, not a lure, and when you’re writing it shouldn’t take up more than an atom of space in your brain.

Dedication + Integrity + Talent = Sandra Jackson-Opoku

Twenty years. Two decades. What did you do with your last twenty years?

Sandra Jackson-Opoku used hers to write one of the most stirring accounts ever written recounting the plight of African women and their abduction from their homes to the "New World."

I sincerely thank her for taking the time to answer some questions for me. Ms Jackson-Opoku is a woman of dignity and grace and it was my honor to have shared a moment in time with her.


Q) What was the defining moment or event that sparked your desire to become a published author?

A) I seem to trace that impetus back as far as my pre-reading days, around the age of four. Mine was among the first African Americans to integrate a public housing complex called Trumbull Park. One of our neighbors was a steelworker and writer, Frank London Brown who wrote a novel about the experience, appropriately titled Trumbull Park. I recall being inspired by that an ordinary person, someone who lived nearby could write a book and have it published.

I was also inspired by my father, Roscoe Jackson Sr., who wasn't a writer, but a great storyteller. He told these colorful (sometimes off-color) stories about people like Shine and Joe the Grinder. I didn't know it at the time, but these were bawdy figures from African American folklore. I thought Daddy was making it all up!

The character of John the Baptist Wright from my second novel, Hot Johnny and the Women Who Loved Him was modeled somewhat on Jody, AKA Joe the Grinder, who was a legendary lover and ladies' man.

Q) Your debut novel THE RIVER WHERE BLOOD IS BORN won the Black Caucus of the American Library Association Award for Fiction. While a motivating and dramatic epic of a family of women spanning three hundred years and the water that ties each generation to the previous, it is the story of its telling that I personally find intriguing. That story spans two decades. For this novel to become reality, it took an inextinguishable flame deep within you. Please share with us what fuelled your soul to place a beating heart within this book.

A) The novel's origins were very different than what it eventually became. It began after my first trip to Africa in my early twenties. I spent a year in Lagos, Nigeria as an exchange student and got to travel around the country and other destinations in West Africa. My main interest in writing in those days was journalism and poetry. When I returned I started doing travel writing, and thought I'd do some pieces on my experiences in Africa. Those pieces started morphing into short fiction about black women travelers. One of those stories was published in a feminist journal called Heresies, and went on to win the CCLM/General Electric Award for Younger Writers in 1983. I eventually was able to acquire a literary agent and a book deal.

Cheryl Woodruff, my new editor at Ballantine/One World encouraged me to develop what was then a collection of themed short stories into a novel. My challenge then was to figure out a connection between these characters from different places and times. I discovered that they were a family, all descended from the same woman who'd been born in 18th century West Africa, captured into slavery, and transplanted to the Americas. I also had to find some kind of "connective tissue" to stitch these fragments into a whole cloth. That became a storytelling frame between two otherworldly narrators -- the Gatekeeper of the Great Beyond, and Ananse, the storytelling spider from African and Diasporan folklore.

Q) Your duties as an educator keep you extremely busy. Your writing weaves ‘real life’ into a tapestry – one that we long to enjoy with an artist’s eye. Can we look forward to another novel from you?

A) I recently took a year off to write and to roam. I gave up my apartment and stayed in various artists' communities throughout the country, where I worked on three novels. I'm still doing some polishing on them. I can't yet say when will they appear. Hopefully soon.

Q) What advice can you give to a struggling writer trying to become published?

A) That's a poignant question. With the current economic crisis and the changes in the publishing industry, it is a challenging time for writers right now. All I can say is "be encouraged," and stay the course. When the dust settles, I suspect there will be even more opportunities for writers to become published. It may go without saying, but "don't be quick to quit your day job." There are certainly exceptions, but few writers are able to support themselves fully from their writing. Most of us have to do other things.

Marcus Sakey - The Next Household Name in Crime Drama

If there is any writer who fits the preconceived mold so many of us seem to erroneously possess about authors, it would be the literary talents of Marcus Sakey.

His debut novel THE BLADE ITSELF was released internationally and the film rights were purchased by award winning actor and producer Ben Affleck.

A fluke? His second and third novels received the same acclaim with the film rights to both being purchased immediately, the third, GOOD PEOPLE, by Toby McGuire’s production company. And his fourth novel, THE AMATEURS, is on the same fast track of ensuring Sakey’s well-deserved position as one of America’s best known authors.

Back at home in Chicago for a brief respite, Marcus was kind enough to take a few minutes to share some thoughts with me.

Q) What was the defining moment or event that sparked the desire to become a published author?

A) Learning to read. I remember the moment, the exact instant when the squiggles became words and I could see Spot run. That was it, I was hooked.

Q) Many authors in the crime/mystery/thriller genre hang their hats, hopes, and careers on one protagonist. You haven’t, though I am aware there have been those suggesting you write a book series. Will there be a series and if so, what type of character will your protagonist be?

A) Hard to say. I certainly wouldn’t rule out the possibility. But right now, I really like coming to each book fresh. I have some overlapping characters—most very minor, although there is one in my upcoming novel that is a pretty big figure—but you still couldn’t really call the books a series.
If I do write a series, I’ll likely follow the model of people like Laura Lippmann and Harlan Coben, where I write one in the series, then a standalone or two, then return to the series.
For me, after I spend a whole year with a group of characters, I’m just not interested in diving into another year with them right away. I wouldn’t bring the energy that I need.

Q) Even though your first three books were snatched up for potential films and your fourth is receiving critical acclaim, you remain one of the truly nice guys. I personally have seen you taking time to speak with fans when you didn’t have to. How do you keep yourself grounded and not let your success get in the way of who your are?

A) Kind of you to say. I guess the thing is, I don’t really think of myself as any sort of big shot. I love talking to fans because we’re talking about books and writing, and those are two of my favorite subjects. Not only that, but it’s an incredible feeling to know that someone out there really dug what I created, that it kept them up past their bedtime, just as so many books have done for me. So it’s not any sort of sacrifice.
And on a general level, I believe you get out of life what you put in. Being an asshole may let you win in the short-term, but it’s a pyrrhic victory.

Q) What advice can you give to a struggling writer trying to become published?

A) Ass in chair, fingers on keyboard. If you want to be a writer, you need to write. Thinking about it and talking about it are hobbies—if you want to make a living at it, it needs to be a job.
As far as specific, tactical advice, I have a tome on my website (MarcusSakey.com), from how to write a query letter to some of my day-to-day tips on crafting a story and polishing your prose.

An Interview with International Author Sam Reaves

Q)What was the defining moment or event that sparked the desire to become a published author?

A)I remember wanting to be an author as a child, just about as soon as I learned to read and figured out where books came from, i.e. that somebody has to write them. When I was in first or second grade somebody gave me a set of cards with pictures and bios of famous authors, and that glamorized the whole thing. I think I declared my intention to be an author about that time.

Of course, I also wanted to be a jet pilot, professional football player, underwater explorer à la Jacques Cousteau, and a million other things as the years went by. But the author thing stuck with me as the others fell by the wayside. In college, where we acquire most of our pretensions, I decided I was going to write literary fiction, and I spent a couple of years writing the first chapter of a novel that never got off the ground. And then finally I realized I should be writing crime fiction, which was what I had always most enjoyed reading.

Q)You are an educator, author, and family man who attends conferences, seminars, and book signings. You're one of the 'nice guys' who makes himself available to his fans. It has to be a hectic schedule. How do you handle it so it doesn’t take away from your family time, as I know how important family is to you?

A)I am fortunate enough to have a day job as a free-lancer that allows me to work on my own schedule, so I can take a few days off and go to a conference if I want to. I should do more in the way of promotion than I do; effective promotion is a full-time job. I just fit in what I can. To tell the truth, I consider conferences, signings and other events the perks of the job, a chance to get out and meet people. Writing is very solitary, and the payoff is to be able to go rub elbows with interesting people at a conference or workshop.

Q)In your private life you read and stay current on world events and political issues. Given your preference for engaging in conversation and debate about the world around us, what prompted you to write hard-boiled Chicago crime fiction?

A)I grew up reading crime fiction; my father, who was a theoretical physicist by trade, had been reading and collecting mysteries since the thirties and had a closet full of old Pocket Books with the wonderfully lurid covers and vintage Penguins from England acquired when he studied at Oxford in the fifties. In my teens I started working my way through my father’s collection, and I just got hooked. So it was natural that when I finally got serious about writing, my efforts would be channeled in that direction.

As for Chicago, that’s where I live. There is no better canvas for a crime writer (or any kind of writer) than Chicago; it’s the great American city, diverse and dynamic and with a rich tradition of corruption and intrigue to boot.

Q)As international author Dominic Martell you breathe life into Pascual Rose. What inspired that character and why Spain as his base of operations?

A)In college I spent a wonderful junior year abroad in Barcelona and fell in love with the place. Later I lived in France for a year; I’ve traveled widely and picked up a few languages and wound up working as a translator. So while my background is firmly rooted in Middle America, there’s this whole side of me that is deeply interested in foreign countries, the world at large. And my Dominic Martell books are just a way of dealing with all that in fiction. One of the authors I grew up reading was Eric Ambler, who wrote espionage/intrigue novels set in interesting locales, and I always wanted to write something along those lines. The Martell books have allowed me to take a few interesting research trips and write about places that fascinate me.

Q)I know it’s a bit trite, but any interview with an established author has to conclude with this question: What advice can you give to a struggling writer trying to become published?

A)Don’t quit! In addition to a modicum of talent and ceaseless work to improve your craft, persistence is what you need most to break into print. There is a great deal of competition, and success is not always determined by literary merit, sad to say. Good books get rejected all the time. Your manuscript has to land on the right editor’s desk on the right day. The only way to succeed is to finish that book, send it out and start collecting rejections and, most importantly, get to work on the next book. Don’t spend the rest of your life trying to sell one book. The more you write the better you get; there’s a learning curve in this as in anything else. I wrote four novels that were never published before I had one accepted. So keep writing, keep working on your game, and above all, don’t let anyone make you quit.

An Interview with Author Barbara Sheridan

Barbara Sheridan, author of Timeless Wish amongst many others over her two decades of writing, took a few minutes to chat with me. You can find her at barbarasheridan.com

Q: What was the defining moment or event that sparked your desire to become a published romance/mystery author?

A: It pretty much started when I was left unsatisfied by the end of Interview With the Vampire. I took a little spiral notebook and wrote a new ending. Making my own stuff up was fun and creating my own characters even more fun. And addictive.

Q: Originally published by Berkley, your latest novels such as Falling Through Glass are e-published. How do you rate e-published novels against traditional paper books?

A: Quality and entertainment wise I'd put books from the top e-publishers up against books from "the big guys" any day. If you want "different" books, such as multicultural, GLBT, unusual settings, historical periods and unique characters, you can certainly find them from e-publishers.

Q: Do you think there should be some form of e-filtering system to root out manuscripts that simply aren’t worth reading?

A: There already is a filtering system of sorts. The long established e-publishers, and some newer, smaller ones have high standards when it comes to accepting manuscripts. They also put a lot of effort into making those books the best they can be once contracted.

Q: You have partnered with Anne Cain on several books now. How did you two become acquainted?

A: It was pretty accidental actually. We both belonged to an email loop that started as a fan group for the Japanese anime Rurouni Kenshin. An online role-playing game spun off of that combining established fictional and historical characters along with original characters. Anne and I both created a set of original characters (Anne's Chinese assassin and my fictional son of a real Japanese samurai) who interacted and entertained us so much that we had to play with them outside the game and give them their own involved plot.
The storyline was awesome so we eventually reworked it into a 3rd person point of view into what would become The Dragon's Disciple. We co-wrote thirteen books that tie into the DD Universe and I did a short story and two novellas on my own that tie in as well. It’s truly its own little universe, spanning historical, paranormal, and contemporary sub genres.

Q: What advice can you give to a struggling writer trying to become published?

A: Read as much as you can in as many genres as you can. I'm a big believer in subliminal learning. I didn't have any formal writing training beyond the classes I took way back in high school, but I've read millions of words of fiction and non-fiction and "how to tell a good story" sunk in eventually. *laugh*
The most important bit of advice might be don't think that getting that agent or big publisher contract means you've "made it" and will have smooth sailing from then on. Things that are out of your control can happen. Soul crushing things that make you want to quit and never even think about fiction or submitting again. But, just like life in general, you have to keep going, suck up the crappy things and tell the stories that need to be told.

An Interview with Award-Winning Author Sean Chercover

Sean Chercover, for those who haven't ventured out of their bomb shelters in a couple of decades, is an outstanding crime, mystery, and thriller author based out of Chicago. Check him out at www.chercover.com.
Sean's literary achievements include an Anthony Award, Crimespree Award, CWA Short Story Dagger Award, and a Dilys Award, just to name a few.

Q) What was the defining moment or event that sparked your desire to become a published author?

A) Not sure there was one defining moment or event. My mom used to read me bedtime stories - Curious George was a favorite - and when we ran out of books, she'd sit by the bed and make up new Curious George stories. I remember being struck by the idea that all these amazing books were actually written by someone, just like my mom was making up stories. So the interest in storytelling started very early. By the fifth grade I was entertaining the fantasy of writing fiction as an actual job, and it was around that time I wrote my first short story.

Q) You enter a lot of contests and have done well in them, and deservedly so. How has that affected your writing career?

A) Actually, my publisher enters my books for awards, and I've been very lucky, and won more than my fair share. Those awards are helpful to my career, both in terms of validation, and in terms of making my name more familiar to a wider range of readers.

Q) “A Sleep Not Unlike Death” is an award winning Gravedigger Peace tale. He’s chilling, no doubt about it, and yet a character we want more of. What are your future plans for him?

A) Thanks very much! I'm thrilled by the response that I've gotten from readers to Gravedigger, and to that story. I suspect, at some point, Gravedigger will get his own book - maybe even his own series. Time will tell...

Q) I know you moved your writing office out of the house. How is that working out for you?

A) It's working beautifully, thanks. My productivity has gone way up. The office is a five minute walk from home, but it is a world apart. No phone ringing, nobody knocking on the door. When I'm at work, I'm at work. And when I close the computer and come home, then I'm no longer at work, and my family gets my full attention. I'm not tempted to sneak away to my home office and write. If I really want to work in the middle of the night (and that's not unusual), I take the walk back to my office. But the separation of the two is very good, both for my work and for my family life.

Q) Do you still have your Popeil Pocket Fisherman?

A) I do, and it still works! Been a couple years since I've put it in use (I do have a "real" fishing rod) but thanks for the reminder - I'll give it some action this summer.

Q) What advice can you give to a struggling writer trying to become published?

A) 1. Write (fiction - not blog posts, not Tweets, not Facebook status updates).
2. Read (fiction - not blog posts, not Tweets, not Facebook status updates).
3. Repeat steps 1 & 2, six days a week, for the rest of your life.

Dennis Jordan. You’ve probably not heard of him, and that is your loss.

It has been said that the measure of a man is how he lives his life. It has also been said that the true heroes remain nameless.

Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Dwight Eisenhower signed the 1957 Civil Rights Act. Martin Luther King Jr made them reality.

The one thing those men share is that they did none of it alone. Thousands of the nameless carved out the trails they paved.

John Jordan co-founded FOR (Freedom of Residence), a multi-racial community organization with one goal – to ensure Freeport, Illinois, residents could live where they chose. An intolerable situation today that most cannot fathom, but reality in 1964. Being the wrong color in the wrong neighborhood had dire consequences at that time. Whether it was a black family moving into a white neighborhood, or a white family moving into a black neighborhood, FOR was there to defend that family’s right to live where they chose. He also fathered a son – Dennis.

Raised in that atmosphere of ‘doing what is right irregardless of color,’ Dennis has never strayed from that belief. As president of the local chapter of the NAACP for many years, Dennis held to his convictions that every person matters. Sometimes that didn’t make him so popular on either side of the color barrier. And in those times Dennis stood alone. But that is what makes Dennis so memorable. He stood. He stood for his beliefs then, just as he stands for them today.

When neighbors wanted to do something about drug dealers, Dennis was there. When a gang-related shooting occurred outside his house, Dennis was there… armed only with his faith in the human spirit.

When programs were started supplying impoverished children with basic school supplies such as pencils and paper… Dennis was behind the scenes feverishly working to get it done.

When the police wanted to establish a substation in a high-crime neighborhood, Dennis was there assuring the residents that it wasn’t about police domination; it was about community concern. And it was Dennis who was present at the first community meetings in the community meeting rooms built within the remodeled house originally slated for demolition. And it was Dennis who made sure those same doors were open on Sunday mornings for a neighborhood church that formed and had no place to meet.

When the police chief walked the neighborhoods at night, it was Dennis walking beside him.

When a resident felt the police had wronged them, it was Dennis pounding on that same chief’s door, demanding the wrong be righted. I know. I was that police chief.

And when Dennis decided it was time to knock down walls and bridge the gap between police and the community, I was proud to stand with him and swing that sledgehammer, and then build that bridge with him. That bridge became known as the Community-Police Review Panel. It was a panel of residents and police who heard complaints of suspected or perceived racial injustice and discrimination. They did so with complete independence – without police or city government interference, and without community sentiment swaying their decisions and opinions. Dennis and I made sure of that.

When I was seated as chairman of the local Salvation Army board, I approached Dennis with my concern that there were only white faces on that board. Volunteers arrived for the next meeting and the board became integrated for the first time.

I’ve retired. Dennis hasn’t. His job isn’t finished yet. Today he remains in the same neighborhood he and his family have lived in throughout their lives.

He still investigates allegations of injustice without concern for color. His concern is for doing what is right. When he has to, he calls the Department of Justice and any other organization he needs to in order to right the wrong.

My hope is that one day Dennis Jordan can retire, his job finished once and for all. But until then he will remain one of those thousands you will never know the name of. He will get up every morning and go to work defending those who believe no one cares. Every night he will go to bed knowing he will get up the next morning to continue the same battle his father fought. And every day he will hope his own children do not have to carry on the fight.

There will be those who will continue to say Dennis is an agitator, a pain in the ass, and not willing to listen to reason. They are the same people who are the problem.

As for me, I will call him ‘actively and genuinely concerned with the rights of all people to live their lives as they choose.’ But most importantly, I will continue to call him “friend.”

An Interview With Author JA Konrath

THE READERS’ WRITERS

Joe “JA” Konrath is a multi-talented author in numerous genres. His series with protagonist Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels, the latest being “Cherry Bomb,” the seventh volume soon to follow, is climbing the literary charts with its recipe of action and spit-milk-through-your-nose comedy.

But Joe’s success isn’t what makes him unique. It is his understanding of print vs digital:
“By stating they won't ever give up print books, print aficionados are giving value to the journey. The act of turning pages, the smell of paper, seems to be just as enjoyable as the story itself. I don't buy it.”

Joe used the printed publishing industry as a stepping stone to break into the digital world where he's hit the #1 Kindle best seller spot, and six of his e-novels are amongst the top 1000. He's currently selling over 150 ebooks per day. In February 2010 alone, Joe’s e-sales topped $3400.

“The Internet is permanent. Your digital name on digital paper (the world wide web) works twice. First, it works for those who see it when it happens. Next, it works for those who see it weeks, months, or years after it happened.”

And getting his name out there is working for him. To that end he offers several of his pieces free, such as “Serial.”

“I wrote TRUCK STOP specifically for Kindle. And I had an insidious reason for doing so. TRUCK STOP is a Jack Daniels novella. It is basically a gateway drug. Those who read SERIAL for free, or TRUCK STOP for $1.99, will often go on to read AFRAID and the entire Jack Daniels series. TRUCK STOP is a fun story, with some thrills and laughs, but its ultimate goal is to lead people to more of my writing.”
Visit Joe’s web site at jakonrath.com.


Q) What was the defining moment or event that sparked your desire to become a published author?

A) When I was nine years old I read my first mystery, by Robert B. Parker. I've been paying homage to his writing ever since. "Homage" is a French word, meaning "ripping off."

Q) How do you believe the advent of e-books will affect the traditional community library?

A) Ebooks and audiobooks are already being lent out to patrons at libraries around Chicagoland, and I assume this is happening elsewhere and will continue to gain momentum. Libraries will always be hubs of the community; places to gather and study and borrow media, whether it be print or digital.

Q) Have you considered creating your own e-publishing/distribution company, given your command of that media?

A) Happily, I'm too busy writing at the moment. But there's a goldmine there, for those who are interested.

Q) JA Konrath, Jack Kilborn, and Joe Kimball, all pen names of yours, have unique voices in their respective genres. Do these personalities ever conflict with each other?

A) Very often. In fact, my wife got mad at me last weekend for drinking too much, but I explained that wasn't me, it was Jack Kilborn. That Kilborn guy is a real troublemaker.

Q) What advice can you give to a struggling writer trying to become published?

A) I acquired more than five hundred rejections before I landed a publishing deal. But I kept writing and kept trying, even though I had to write ten novels before I was able to sell one. There's a word for a writer who never gives up... published.