Posts
What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?
I took one marketing class in college and really didn’t enjoy the whole concept. As an introvert and a person who is a bit too empathetic for my own good, I have a hard time plugging my books. I am learning and working at it. It is the one part of the process I dread. I am so thankful for e-books and the internet.
What marketing works for you?
I tend to choose straightforward approaches. Letting the work speak for itself, talking about the story/characters/series/themes/genre/etc, and offering people an avenue to purchase if they want to are my preferred tactics.
Do you find it hard to share your work?
At first it was. Sometimes it still is difficult. On the other hand, I enjoy discussing and sharing my writing with a good reader, one who reads with discernment and enjoys discussing stories. I even like hearing criticism, if it is constructive. I try to learn more each time I write a book so that the next one will be better.
Is your family supportive? Do your friends support you?
Yes, my family is supportive. My husband helps out as an executive editor and business advisor. He frequently lets me run off to write despite the heap of clean, unfolded laundry in the living room. I admire his faith that he will have clean clothes in his drawers when he needs them.
Do you plan to publish more books?
Definitely! I am halfway through writing the sequel to Duty and plan on writing at least two more books in the Novels of Rhynan series. In addition to this series, I have many more projects in the queue, both old and new.
What else do you do to make money, other than write? It is rare today for writers to be full time…
I am currently a stay-at-home mom. Writing is a hobby I am hoping to make into a career someday. I also run a small side business in book cover design, book trailer creation, and book formatting.
What other jobs have you had in your life?
I have been a babysitter, cashier, shipping associate, accounts receivable associate, bookkeeper, and teacher/tutor. My bachelor’s degree is in accounting, though I once seriously considered perusing computer programing.
How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?
Laptop all the way! When I first began writing, I used pen and notebooks, but I quickly graduated to computer because I tend to edit as I write, which creates very messy manuscripts when using pen and paper.
Tell us about your book? What’s it about and why did you write it?
Duty is the story of a woman in desperate circumstances. Brielle is the only child of the late Earl of Weston. Since her father did not produce a son, upon his death the title passed to her cousin, a spoiled, manipulative, and selfish man. A recent civil war left Brielle’s village without any adult men to work the fields. The women and Brielle are preparing to face winter and starvation when a band of armed men march into the village. The leader declares he is the Earl of Irvaine, their new master and her new husband.
I began with an opening line. “’The red one is mine,’ he said.”
As I was working out what I was going to do with the line, I heard about a king that ordered a part of his army to marry the women in a village along his border. I started to wonder what it would be like to be one of these women. The story developed from there. Originally I expected it to be a short story, but by the time I had written the third or fourth chapter, I realized I had a novel on my hands.
If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask?
I would fill the seats with authors. Diana Wynne Jones, Patricia C. Wrede, Robin McKinley, Orson Scott Card, and Rex Stout would all be on the guest list. I doubt I would do much talking myself. Just listening to them interact would be great.
Duty to King
Tomas Dyrease, the newly made Earl of Irvaine and the village of Wisenvale, owes his good fortune to his king and the recent civil war. When his benefactor demands Tomas marry the cousin of a noble, he obeys. However, no one warned him that she wasn’t a typical noblewoman.
Duty to Others
Brielle Solarius struggles to keep her village from starvation under the new Lord Wisten, her cousin. The men rode off to war and never returned. The remaining women and children face a dire winter if they do not find a solution soon. When she learns her cousin sold her into marriage to save his life, she isn’t surprised. However, she is taken aback by Lord Irvaine’s unpolished ways. Was this man a noble or a foot soldier?
Duty to Each Other
Bound by the words of their vows, they face a rough future. They must forge a marriage while battling betrayal, accusations of treason, and villains from the past. Survival depends on their precarious trust in each other. Failure could mean death.
Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre – Fantasy, Romance
Rating – G
More details about the author and the book
Thank you for hosting me. :)
ReplyDelete