An Interview with: Zelda Piskosz

Special thanks to Zelda for taking the time to visit with Author Insight. Please visit www.avalonbooks.com for more information about Zelda’s novels. 

What prompted you to become a writer?

I always liked telling stories, now I just put them down on paper.

How long have you been writing and in what genres do you write? 

I wrote my first story in 1^st grade. I still remember the title, Susie the Butterfly. I have been published in professional nursing journals

and magazines. I started writing romance about twenty years ago. My passion was historical romance back then.

When did you have your first sale?

Six years ago I sold my first contemporary romance, Brooklyn Ballerina to Avalon Books..

What is the most challenging aspect of being a writer?

Finding the time to write has always been a challenge for me.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a writer?

 

Reader comments are always fun to get.

 

Tell us about your latest project.

 

I’m working on the 2^nd book in my Love by Chocolate series. The stories revolve around the people who pass through a chocolate shop in

 

Brooklyn, NY.

 

What projects do you have coming out in the future?

 

The first book in my Love by Chocolate series. Chocolate Secrets, is scheduled to be released in April 2008.

 

What refreshes you creatively?

 

Reading newspapers and magazines is a great source of ideas. The idea for Brooklyn Ballerina came from a newspaper article about an ex-marine who helped save his daughter’s ballet school. The idea for Chocolate Secrets came from a magazine blurb about a secret chocolate recipe in France.

 

 What do you wish you knew then that you know now?

 

I tend to be a seat of the pants writer, but attending workshops  and networking with other writers has taught me to set goals and schedule my writing time.

 

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

 

Write, Write, Write. Don’t give up because you only get better and learn by each experience. And never, never take rejection personally.

 

 

 

An Interview With: Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Author Insight welcomes novelist Kathryn Meyer Griffith. Ms. Griffith has had a long and varied writing career, and she has some terrific insight to the topsy-turvy world of publishing.

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Hello Kathleen….I’m glad to be here at Author Insight! And hello to all you readers and authors out there as well!

What prompted you to become a writer? When I was a child I loved to read. I read everything – especially science fiction, historical romance or spooky stories – and eventually, in my early twenties, I started to read books that I thought could have been written better. So I started writing my first novel. It took me twelve years (and three novels that I rewrote over and over) before I actually sold my second manuscript to Leisure Books in 1984…a romantic horror called Evil Stalks The Night. Those were the days I used a typewriter and because I was self-taught as a typist it took forever…and lots of White-Out. Thank goodness for computers!

 

How long have you been writing and in what genres do you write? I’ve been writing for as long as my only child, James, has been alive…which is a good way of keeping track. Thirty-six years now. I’ve been published for over twenty-four. I started writing in the horror genre (and always unconsciously with a big dose of romance) and of my twelve books (ten published and two to come out soon), six have been romantic horror, four have been murder mysteries or suspense, one has been historical romance and one a romantic ancient Egyptian time-travel.

 

When did you have your first sale? It was in 1984. My first book sold was actually my second written manuscript. Evil Stalks The Night. I sold it to a publisher called Towers Publishing and after two years of back and forth – those were the days of only snail-mail, no e-mail – revisions and stuff, it was ready to go to print when Towers went bankrupt. Luckily, a new company bought out Towers – Leisure Books – and asked to see and then publish it.

 

What is the most challenging aspect of being a writer? Hanging in there over the years, the rejections, set-backs and all the unexpected things life and just living can throw at you. I’ve had a book all ready to be released, cover printed out and final galleys turned in, and six weeks from when it was supposed to go to the bookstore shelves my publisher decided to reorganize. I lost my editor and the new editor dropped my book completely. Funny thing is the computers never cleared the book and people still e-mail me asking where to get my book Predator…it doesn’t exist. It never came out. Maybe someday I’ll rewrite it and try to resell it, but I was so disgusted with the whole mess I stuck it in a drawer and it’s still there. Want a laugh? It was 1993 and the book was about an American Loch Ness Monster in Crater Lake. My new editor said: “No one wants to read about a predatory dinosaur.”  Three months later Jurassic Park came out. The one truth I’ve really learned is that different people perceive stories and books so subjectively. One person will love one of my books and another person will hate it. There’s no telling. Same with reviewers. You have to develop a thick skin to criticism, a sense of humor and an open mind…in the end you have to write for yourself because you love it. It’s the journey sometimes that gives me the greatest joy and not always the destination. 

 

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a writer? When some reader contacts me and says how much they loved my book or say that they read one of my earliest ones, sometimes many years ago, and never forgot it. It made them happy. Mostly, when I am writing I feel content with the world and myself. It’s great therapy. The rest of the world doesn’t matter when I’m at my computer or thinking about my books. Lastly, for some reason people think writers are smart or special (ha, ha) and I let them just go on thinking that. But I’m just a person, with all the weakness, needs, wants and fears, like them.

 

Tell us about your latest project. Which one? I’m just finishing up editing and promotions on the five projects (three novels and two short stories) I’ve contracted over the last eight months to the e-publisher The Wild Rose Press and when I get done with them (soon I hope…got one book left to go) I’ll be doing a major rewrite on an end-of-days and Rapture series novel called Before The End for an agent who said she would look at it again if I revised it a certain way. I don’t have an agent right now and have been searching for a new one for years. They’re hard to catch.

 

What projects do you have coming out in the future? From The Wild Rose Press: Egyptian Heart, an ancient Egyptian time travel romance, available now; Winter’s Journey, a suspenseful romance novel came out on April 4 (paperback to come out October 3, 2008); The Ice Bridge, a murder mystery contemporary romance (the one I’m going into edits on now) to come out as well in the next few months; and two romantic ghostly short stories, In This House, came out January 9, 2008 and Don’t Look Back, Agnes, first in a ghostly romantic series, came out March 12.

 

What refreshes you creatively? Going for long walks in the woods or being with my husband and big family; jamming musically with my brother, Jim, a songwriter/musician (who performs songs for all my book trailers). Just living my life. Having fun.

 

What do you wish you knew then that you know now? That writing is a life-long journey, a way of life…and that it’s possible (more likely than not) to never get the fame or fortune you crave when you’re younger from it but that the smaller joys will someday mean just as much.

 

 What advice do you have for aspiring writers? Just what I said above. You must write because you love to write and not because you think it will make you rich or famous. And…have patience. Lots of it. Writing and all aspects of the publishing business can sometime take years. Accept rejections and try to learn from them. That’s hard because we’re all just human. But you have to learn it. Oh, lastly…don’t ever give up. Persistence is so important. Keep writing no matter what. Enjoy your writing and your journey and the friends you make along the way.

 

             Thank you Kathleen Fuller and everyone. Please go to any of my websites to see all my self-made book trailers with original music by my singer/songwriter brother, Jim Meyer.  It’s been fun!

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All Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s self-made book trailers have original songs performed and recorded by her brother, Jim Meyer. You can now purchase or download his newest CD’s at his new website.    

 Winter’s Journey, a romantic suspense…coming out electronically on  April 4, 2008 ; paperback, Oct. 3, 2008

Don’t Look Back, Agnes, a romantic ghostly Miniature Faery Rose… out March 12,  2008 

Egyptian Heart, an ancient Egyptian Time Travel Romance Novel by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
from THE WILD ROSE PRESS   Available Electronically Now ;  Paperback May 30, 2008

In This House, a romantic ghostly Faery Rosette…coming out on January 9, 2007

The Ice Bridge, a contemporary romance with a touch of murder mystery… coming out in  mid 2008

See all my new covers and self-made book trailers; some with my singer/songwriter brother Jim Meyer’s original songs!

Copy and paste the links below for more information about Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s books.

http:// www.bebo.com/kathrynmeyerG
http://www.authorsden.com/kathrynmeyergriffith

http://www.previewthebook.com/kathrynmeyergriffith

http://www.jacketflap.com/K.Griffith

http://www.shoutlife.com/kathrynmeyergriffith

http://Goodreads.com/kathrynmeyergriffith

 

An Interview with: Sandra Carey Cody

 Mystery writer Sandra Carey Cody is the author of the Jennie Connor mystery series from Avalon books. Thanks to Sandra for taking time out of her writing schedule to visit with Author Insight.

 

What prompted you to become a writer?

A lifetime of reading. I’ve always loved stories. When I was a kid, my favorite fantasy was that when the library closed at night, the characters slipped out between the pages and talked to each other–and to me. Imagine a conversation between Jo March and Nancy Drew. What would Tom Sawyer say to Heidi? I talked over my problems with the people of whatever story I was reading. They were my friends. With them, I was never shy or at a loss for something to say. I think, if you read enough, the natural next step is writing.

How long have you been writing and in what genres do you write?

When it came to actually writing down my fantasies, I was a late bloomer. I started about fifteen years ago with short stories. I liked the characters I created, but realized the plots were a little thin. One of John Gardner’s writing books said the best way to learn plotting is to write a genre novel because they rely so heavily on plot. I decided to try a mystery; I guess it was all those Nancy Drew books. It was like coming home. I’ve never looked back. For me, a mystery provides the perfect format to present a variety of characters and see how they react under stress. You have the elements of any good book: suspense and the classic struggle between good and evil.

When did you have your first sale?

My first sale came in 2004. On September 23 (my birthday!) I got “the call” from Avalon, saying they wanted to publish my book. I was thrilled and started babbling unintelligible things into the phone. They very kindly didn’t retract their offer and Put Out the Light came out in June of 2005. Before that, I had some short stories published in a small literary magazine, but no money changed hands so I don’t count them as sales, though I was proud.

What is the most challenging aspect of being a writer?

I would have to say beginnings.  Sitting down at the computer for the first time each day, facing a blank screen, is a real challenge. You struggle to find the first few words. They become a sentence, then a paragraph. Gradually the story takes over, but beginning is intimidating. Each new chapter is a fresh challenge. How do you guide the reader on the journey that you’re sharing, provide surprises and, at the same time, remain true to the story?  Beginning a new book, starting from scratch with a new idea after months of intense concentration on the previous idea, is the ultimate challenge, but like most challenges, is incredibly exciting.

  What is the most rewarding aspect of being a writer?

Spending time with my characters. I love the people I create, even the bad guys. Once I get past that initial challenge, and into the story, I love the process of writing. And holding the finished product in my hand, thinking back over its genesis from vague idea to a book. A real book!  It doesn’t have fingers and toes to count but, for me, it’s the next best thing.

Tell us about your latest project.

My latest project is a departure from Jennie Connors. That series is set in Memphis and has a single mother as a protagonist. The new protagonist is Peace Morrow, a young woman who was found in a basket as an infant. Twenty-two years later, a homeless man is murdered in exactly the same spot. Peace can’t believe it’s a coincidence and thus begins a search for identity that explores the nature of family, of loyalty and responsibility. And, of course, there’s the murder to be solved. It’s set in a museum of antique tools and folk art in a small town near Philadelphia. Finding Peace was originally conceived as a standalone, but it’s grown to a planned trilogy, maybe even a longer series, mainly because I’ve fallen in love with the characters: Peace, the foundling searching for roots; Caroline, the spirited Quaker lady who adopted her; Daniel, a wayward fifteen-year-old. I’ll spare you the complete list, but I have to mention Henry, the world trustiest Labrador Retriever.

What projects do you have coming out in the future?

Consider the Lilly, an Avalon mystery, was released in February of this year. In addition to Jennie and her sons, it includes the “tea ladies”, six feisty residents of the retirement community where Jennie works as Activities Director. Two patrons are poisoned while dining at Jennie’s best friend’s restaurant. Inevitably, Jennie, aided and abetted by her tea ladies, has to sort it out. In this series, one of my goals has been to go against stereotypes. Jennie’s a single mother who doesn’t hate her ex. They’re both good people who just couldn’t make the marriage work. (This doesn’t mean sparks never fly.) As for the residents of Riverview Manor, they may be old, but they’re lively. They pursue adventure with the of gusto ten-year-olds. The tea ladies were a hoot to write. I can’t honestly say I created them. They pretty much stood on my shoulder and told me who they were.

What refreshes you creatively?

I love talking about writing, especially with other writers. Shortly after I started my scribbles, I was fortunate to find a really supportive critique group. When I get stuck or start asking myself, “What makes you think you can write a book?” if I get together with a fellow writer and start bouncing ideas around, I find I can’t wait to get back to my story.  I can’t recommend highly enough the value of this kind of support. Writing can be a lonely process and fellowship with kindred spirits is like a decadent desert after a healthy meal.  And reading. As I said earlier, I think writing just flows naturally from reading.

What do you wish you knew then that you know now?

The value of planning. When I started out, I was a very “seat of the pants” writer. I’ve since discovered the value of an outline. I don’t need to know exactly what happens; surprises are part of the fun of writing. But I’ve learned that if I know ahead of time where I’m going, I get there with fewer detours. It helps to know what a scene needs to accomplish before I start writing it.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Be persistent. Write every day, no excuses, and don’t give up when it gets hard or when you receive the inevitable rejection. The next editor or agent may love what the last one hated. Perhaps even more important, enjoy yourself. That’s really what it’s all about. Reading is one of life’s great pleasures and writing should be too.

 

 

 

 

An Interview With…Laurie Alice Eakes

Romance author Laurie Alice Eakes was kind enough to answer a few questions from Author Insight. Below are her insightful answers. She has also graciously agreed to give away a copy of her latest release, Better Than Gold. Comment on this post for a chance to win this delightful book.

What prompted you to become a writer? Boredom. I was teaching school and had the summer off, so decided to write the story floating around in my head. Doing so gave me such enjoyment, I decided to keep at it.

How long have you been writing and in what genres do you write? That’s difficult to answer. In some ways, I’ve been writing since I was a child. As far as novel writing goes, I’ve had fits and starts in it since graduating from college. More fits than starts.

When did you have your first sale? Depends on what you mean by sale. In 1990, I got paid for a poem. In 1999, I contracted my first small press book, which sold rather well for a small press. In 2005, I sold my first book to a recognized publisher. In-between these sales, I worked and went to grad school and didn’t write for years. For a while, I got so into research, I didn’t write anything.

What is the most challenging aspect of being a writer? Waiting. I’d rather get a rejection than hear nothing from editors for months on end. With rejection, one can move on.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a writer? Somewhere between holding one’s baby in one’s hands and getting fan mail. Or maybe it’s just sitting around working in a fleece suit and no makeup, while making up stories and people with problems you can solve—unlike those of one’s friends and family.

Tell us about your latest project. Generally, I don’t talk about works in the making. Right now, I have several things going, but all are historical fiction.

What projects do you have coming out in the future? Better Than Gold is my next novel to be released. It’s set in 1876 Iowa and has a bit of a mystery along with the romance. The publisher is Barbour Books, and this is my first CBA published novel.

 What refreshes you creatively? A grande latte in a coffee shop full of people. My favorite one is at the local Barnes and Noble. What can be more refreshing to a writer than the aromas of coffee and books?

 What do you wish you knew then that you know now? Who you are and what you do has a lot to getting you published. You need a public forum to really get ahead in the business. I would have built up my public presence first.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers? No matter how much you want to, don’t quit your day job. Again and again, I hear people say that they know they’re called to be writers. Then, a year down the line, the family is in financial straits because they don’t have that income, and the person is whining about not being published yet. If you can only get a page a day written, you will get a novel or more written in a year. Be consistent, though, and finish something. That’s the main advice—get something finished. Some else I see new writers doing is writing tree chapters and a synopsis and sending it in hopes of a sale. No one is going to buy on a proposal, so get that novel finished first. Then, while waiting to hear back on that one, start another one and write it all the way through. The average in the industry is that people sell their fourth finished manuscript. Some sell the first one. Others write ten or twelve before they sell. If you are serious, then keep writing full works until you get the right combination of story, talent, editor, and market to make a sale. 

Author Insight from Maureen Lang

 

Maureen Lang is the author of several historical romance novels. Her latest book, ON SPARROW HILL, releases this month and can be found everywhere books are sold. Special thanks to Maureen for sharing her insight into the writing world.

What prompted you to become a writer? I love this question even as I struggle for an accurate answer! I’ve always loved to write, even as a kid, so it’s hard for me to think back and say “That was the day I decided to start writing.” All I can say is my parents had huge influence on me. At bedtime my mother would tuck me in and tell me a story. She wouldn’t read stories out of a book, although at other times of the day she might do that. All I can recall of bedtime adventures were that my mother made them up. She sat between my sister and I and told us all kinds of creative tales. I guess I learned at a very young age that you didn’t always need a book to tell a story. Also around that earliest-memory stage, I recall my father telling a neighbor that I was “the creative one.” I’m one of six kids, so being set apart was a memorable thing. I think trying to live up to my father’s observation helped me to want to follow in my mother’s footsteps and make up my own stories.

How long have you been writing and in what genres do you write? Well, as you can guess from how long ago I was first interested in storytelling, I’ve been writing for some time. I was first published over twenty years ago, in the secular historical romance genre. But when I went through a divorce I had to return to the business world, and I just didn’t have the time to work, spend time with my daughter, and write. So I stopped writing for fifteen years. When life settled down for me again I took up writing again, and found I’d missed it more than I thought. These days I can’t imagine not writing, so writing is part of my life that’s here to stay. I’m blessed to be able to write in both the contemporary and the historical genres, but whether I’m writing women’s fiction or something with a historical thread, there is always a romance!

When did you have your first sale? I feel like I broke into the publishing world in different lives – and yet it’s all part of my own memory. When I wrote seculars, I recall receiving a contract from a New York publisher – in the mail! No phone call, no warning that it was coming. Just an offer. I didn’t have an agent at the time, so mine was the only contact name they had. With my first sale in the Inspirational field, I received an email from the publisher’s office at Kregel Publications. I recall reading through the note, seeing words that asked if the book was still available and if so they wanted to speak to me about publishing my work. I recall being dizzy with happiness! That was for Pieces of Silver, which released two years ago went on to become a Christy finalist last year. Very thrilling! It was just as thrilling when I sold my first two-book contract to Tyndale House. By then I had an agent, and he’d called to tell me my proposal was going to the infamous “committee” – a place I must say I’d been before and still received bad news. So I tried very hard not to think about it. As it turned out it was a few days AFTER the committee meeting that I received a call from my agent saying they’d made an offer and he would be negotiating the contract. Between his travel schedule and the editor’s busy days, the good news had been delayed. Just when I thought bad news never traveled as fast as good, it turned out to be good news after all. What a roller coaster this business can be!

What is the most challenging aspect of being a writer? For me, it’s finding the time I need to devote to writing. I was just at a writer’s meeting where we discussed the various writing styles we have, and I easily identified myself as someone who writes large portions at a time rather than little bits and pieces. Which means I benefit most from long, uninterrupted times at the computer. I’ve learned that in a pinch I can write with noise and distractions in the background, but I prefer to be alone in a quiet house, and with three kids, a dog and a husband that’s not always available.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a writer? I actually love just about everything related to being a writer. I especially love the creating part, and would do that whether or not I ever receive another contract or attract another reader. I guess that makes me a die-hard writer, knowing I’ll do it no matter what. I must say, though, that reader response from The Oak Leaves is very rewarding. That book includes a story line about a disability that’s close to my heart – Fragile X Syndrome. Receiving notes from readers who, like me, are part of the disability community, is very touching. It’s wonderful to connect with someone who can relate in some way to the life experience I wrote about, because that’s what fiction is all about. Sharing experiences.

Tell us about your latest project. ON SPARROW HILL just released from Tyndale House, which I’m really thrilled about. It’s technically the sequel to last year’s release of The Oak Leaves, but the two books don’t have to be read sequentially. Like The Oak Leaves, this one has a dual setting: contemporary England and Victorian Ireland. Here’s a little blurb about both story lines: 

Rebecca Seabrooke is the curator for one of England’s finest historical estates. She wants just two thing: to forget the childhood crush she had on the estate’s owner, and to win a Featherby Education Award for the work she does on his estate. Little does she know her status as curator is about to change – one way or another! 

Berrie Hamilton is a woman with a goal, one that is at odds with the genteel Victorian era in which she lives as a member of the aristocracy. She wants to open, maintain — and work in — a home for the “gentle feebleminded.” Knowing herself to be too strong willed to be a proper wife, she’s convinced herself this career goal is enough fulfillment for her life. Until the brother of one of her students proves to be trouble in more ways than one…

What projects do you have coming out in the future? Later this year I have a contemporary women’s fiction novel releasing through Tyndale, tentatively titled My Sister Dilly. This is a story that’s very close to my heart, challenging yet important to me. It’s about a woman who left her small Midwestern town behind, preferring the faster pace and trendy lifestyle of Southern California. But when her sister makes a terrible mistake and ends up in prison, my character returns to take care of things when her sister is released. Through the story she learns that she can’t really go back, she can only learn to accept forgiveness. This was an especially rewarding book to write, because it explores the relationship between two sisters, which I enjoyed, but also the impact of forgiveness. And of course there’s a romance in there, too, which made it all the more fun!

What refreshes you creatively? Reading! I always tell people that I’m a reader first, and a writer only because I’ve found a way to write down the stories I feel like reading. I’m a little picky about what I read, though. Once I realize a story isn’t grabbing me, I usually set it aside in favor of a story that works for me. But I always stick with something just long enough to teach me something. With a book that’s not working for me, I try to figure out why. And of course with books that DO work, I love appreciating the author’s talent for what’s working so I can try to employ successful techniques in my own writing.

What do you wish you knew then that you know now? I wish I knew I would get published again. When you can’t see around the next bend, you don’t know if what you long for will EVER happen. But you just never know – it could be right around the corner. I’m convinced some people give up too soon, without knowing how close they are to a contract. A lot of people believe whatever state they’re in (i.e. unpublished) will last forever. Sometimes it feels that way. I do believe, though, that persistence is at least as important as talent in this business, simply because the competition is so stiff. But I believe good writing will be noticed, if the writer keeps at it.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers? Write on a consistent basis. Join a critique group. Finish your book!Read, read, read and read some more… Go to writer’s conferences, as your budget allows. There are many to choose from around the country, so study the faculty lists to see which one you can afford that offers the agents and publishers that most closely match your interests. Join ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) or another writer’s support group, other than your critique group. Networking is invaluable, and since writing is a lonely endeavor we need to connect with others. Don’t give up.