Interview - Hope White

Welcome back!

 

Today we have something special; an interview with published writer, the lovely Hope White. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to interview an author who I’ve had the joy of reading.

 

I approached Ms. White back in December, shortly after having read her book, Covert Christmas. While working on the book review article, I discovered her website, and found her email address. I decided to take a chance and contact her. To my surprise, she contacted me back a few short days later! I’m super excited to have her with us today!

 

On to the interview!

 

 

 

Short Bio: With a degree in journalism, Hope White started her career as a reporter for a small town newspaper.  Years later she decided she wanted to do more than report the facts – she wanted to take readers on a suspenseful and thrilling adventure.  Hope has published 11 romantic suspense novels with Steeple Hill including her popular Echo Mountain Search and Rescue series. When not at her computer, Hope can be found hiking a mountain trail to stimulate ideas for her next book.

Published Works:

   

Search and Rescue series

Mountain Rescue, Payback, Covert Christmas, Witness Pursuit, Christmas Undercover, Mountain Ambush

 

Stand alone books: Safe Harbor, Hidden in Shadows

 

Port Whisper Series

Witness on the Run, Christmas Haven, Small Town Protector

 

Coming Soon:

Lost and Found Baby, Jan. 2018 EHarlequin Short story

Baby on the Run, February 2018 (The Baby Protectors)

 

Current Projects: (if any)

Bodyguard Series for Love Inspired Suspense

 

Website/social media:

Hopewhiteauthor.com

Facebook.com/hopewhiteauthor

When did you begin writing?   

 

I’ve always been a storyteller, even as a kid.  I wrote my first book when I was 11 and had a friend illustrate it.  It was a mystery-thriller even back then!

 

Did you receive any special training or attend a school?  

 

I have a B.A. in journalism.  After years of newspaper and PR work, I decided it was more fun to make stuff up.  I had to relearn how to tell story in the fictional sense, which was totally different from collecting facts and sharing a non-fiction message with readers.

 

Where do you get your inspiration from?  

 

Everywhere!  Other books, movies, newspaper stories, conversations I overhear in the Starbucks line.  Writers are ALWAYS listening.  Sometimes ideas come to me when I’m listening to music or cleaning the house.  Which doesn’t make me want to do more housework unfortunately.  Another great way to develop ideas is to meet with other authors and brainstorm.  One story can be told a dozen different ways.  It’s a fascinating process.

 

Do you use any special resources when writing? (other books, computer programs, etc)

 

Blake Snyder’s “Save The Cat” book, plus his Beat Sheet for structure. Character development articles by Michael Hauge.  I hope to outline more, and have heard GREAT things about Scrivener.

 

What is (in your opinion) the most important thing to remember when writing, and why is it so important?

Get out of the way!  It’s important to let your characters develop the way they need to develop and not muddy up the waters by shoving them around.  If you’ve created strong characters, they will drive your plot, which makes for GREAT story.

 

What is (in your opinion) the most challenging part of writing, and how do you overcome it?

 

Staying focused. I mean once I’m “in story” it’s easy, but getting there can be challenging.  So many diversions – Facebook, Twitter, etc.   The best way to counter this distraction is to set goals and commit to writing for one hour.  That’s it.  Most of the time you’ll find yourself writing longer, but it’s less intimidating to go into the process with a one-hour commitment ahead of you.

 

Did you use an agent? (why or why not?)  

 

Not at present.  I have had a few in the past.  I don’t need an agent to negotiate with my current publisher who has a very standard contract.

 

Did you use an Editor? If not, what process did you use to edit your work?

 

I work with an editor at Harlequin AND hire an editor for my self-published projects.

 

How did you get your book published? (self-published, Vanity publishing, Mainstream publisher).

 

Most of my books are published through Love Inspired Suspense, aka Harlequin.  My fiction career started when I won a writing contest and the editor judge asked to see the book.  Contests are a great way to get noticed! I self-publish contemporary romance novels as well.

 

Do you handle your own marketing?  

 

Yes, and am working to get better at it! I belong to a few self-published author groups to get lots of tips on how to expand one’s audience.  May authors feel that promotion is key when you’re self-published.  I agree.

 

What is your best marketing tip?

 

Join an online indie group.  Even if you’re published traditionally, you’ll learn a ton from other writers.  Also, I’ve used Fiverr to promote. Inexpensive and boosted my numbers!

 

Do you have any advice for other writers?

 

Sure.  1) Write because you love it!  2) Write the book you want to read.  3) Create a tribe – other writers who can give you feedback and offer support.

 

In closing, I would like to thank Hope for doing this interview. As someone who is still in the process of finding himself as a writer, I found her energetic personality to be quite motivating. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

 

Until Next time,

 

Cheers,

 

Patrick Osborne

Interview - Charlotte Summers

Welcome back,

This month we have Charlotte Summers, the young author behind A Different Kind of Hell novella series. She kindly volunteered as I was searching for interview candidates on Facebook. I’m glad to have her on my blog, sharing her insight with us.

 

     

    

 

Short Bio: I am a young author and writer with a passion for my work. I love nothing more than to sit by the fire with my two dogs and write to my heart's content. This passion of mine started when I was around 13, going through a traumatic situation lead me to start reading and I found that I could write my own worlds to escape - if only for a little while- the real world.

 

Published Works: I have a novella series called A different Kind of hell and a new novel called Trusting Your Instincts

 

Current Projects: I am currently doing the third book in the different kind of hell series.

 

Website: https://authorcharlottesummers.weebly.com/

 

When did you begin writing?

 

I begin writing at the age of 13 and have been doing ever since.

 

Did you receive any special training or attend a school?

 

I didn’t have any training and to be honest I couldn’t even read until I was 12 as for writing I didn’t know how to do it right until I started doing it. I self-taught myself to read and then to write.

 

Where do you get your inspiration from?

 

I get mine from my mother who passed away when I was 12, I know she would want me to carry on with my work. I also get inspiration from my favourite author, Cheree Alsop.

 

Do you use any special resources when writing? (other books, computer programs, etc)

 

I use Grammarly and Google docs but that’s about it.

 

What is (in your opinion) the most important thing to remember when writing, and why is it so important?

 

The most important thing is editing. I know you cannot forget it however you need to remember to edit and edit some more during writing and during drafting.

 

What is (in your opinion) the most challenging part of writing, and how do you overcome it?

 

I think the most challenging for me is writer's block and once I have it I find it really hard to overcome. Normally to overcome it I read a book by my favourite author and listen to music.

 

Did you use an agent? (why or why not?)

 

No, I didn’t use an agent as I wanted to do it all myself, I’m a self-published author so didn’t really need an agent.

 

Did you use an Editor? If not, what process did you use to edit your work?

 

I edited myself, however, I did get my father to edit (he is an editor by profession). The key thing is to use more than one editor, I used three editor programs and got my dad to do it as well. You can never be too careful.

 

How did you get your book published? (self-published, Vanity publishing, Mainstream publisher).

 

I self-published all my books.

 

Do you handle your own marketing?

 

Yes, I do however it’s a lot harder than people make it out to be.

 

What is your best marketing tip?

 

Get your work out there as much as you possibly can. Set up twitter, facebook and any other social media you can think of.

 

Do you have any advice for other writers?

 

Keep writing, even when you feel like quitting; Keep going. Also never feel like a failure, everyone has been where you are and has overcome it. You can too.

 

In closing, I would like to thank Charlotte for doing this interview. As someone who is still in the process of writing his first book, I found this interview to be an eye opening experience. The amount of work she has produced at her age is truly inspiring. I look forward to hearing more about her in the future.

 

Until Next time,

 

Cheers,

 

Patrick Osborne



Interview 23 - Mark Alan Smith

Welcome back,

               For this month's interview, we have the pleasure of meeting published author, Mark Alan Smith. I have met Mark on one of the many Facebook writing pages. He has written many different types of publications, both in fiction and nonfiction.

               On to the interview!

Short Bio: Former firefighter, emergency medical technician and corrections officer who also served in the United States Marine Corps. I have authored a variety of articles on a wide range of topics and I’m currently working on several writing projects. These include a non fiction preparedness guide and a fiction/fantasy series titled The Tales of Dohrya. I reside in western Oklahoma and enjoys hunting, cooking and taking part in IDPA pistol matches as I can.

Published Works: Roma Victrix (an alternative history novella) Preparedness The Basics and Beyond, The Tales of Dohrya The Southern War (Book one of a six book series)

Current Projects: I am currently writing 11 full length books and a number of short stories

Website: https://www.facebook.com/theconcernedprepper/?ref=bookmarks

When did you begin writing?

I started writing Dohrya in high school as well as original poetry and then slowly expanded my writing to included technical articles.

Did you receive any special training or attend a school?

No.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

With the poetry it was a form of therapy, I suffer from depression and the poetry was a form of self therapy. The poems were not dark, quite the opposite in fact, writing helped me to pull myself out of the depression. Writing fiction fantasy (which I was a huge fan of and still am) was an outlet for my creative side.

What is (in your opinion) the most important thing to remember when writing, and why is it so important?

A key piece of advice that a friend of mine gave me years ago that I often remind myself of when I am writing dialogue is that not everyone talks the same. I had a tendency for all my characters to have the same inflection, the same syntax etc. After he told me that it was as if I was suddenly seeing the writing in a whole new light and it really helped me grow as a writer.

What is (in your opinion) the most challenging part of writing, and how do you overcome it?

Staying true to who you are as a writer, I’ve written a number of different articles, poems and several books all the while not changing my core principles or beliefs. If I do that then I feel I can’t be true to who I am and therefore what I’m writing isn’t as good.

Did you use an agent? (why or why not?)

I do have a publisher.

Did you use an Editor? If not, what process did you use to edit your work?

I have changed how I edit. I formerly did it electronically, just read through it on the computer and made the changes there but with my current project (a three book series) I’ve taken to printing it out and going through the printed pages with a red pen and then making the necessary changes in the digital copy after. Yes it does take longer but for me seeing it in the hard copy printed format I am able to better visualize the story and I can do a better job of editing.  

How did you get your book published? (self-published, Vanity publishing, Mainstream publisher).

I am fortunate to have a friend who owns a publishing company and have a contract through her.

Do you handle your own marketing?

I do some of it but mainly my publisher (Auctoritas Publishing) handles it.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Stay the course (pardon the cliché’) and keep writing.

I found Mark’s life experience and how it reflected in his work to be inspiring. I hope everyone found this interview informative, and I would like to thank Mark Alan Smith for taking the time to take this interview. Your participation was very much appreciated.

Until Next time.

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne

Interview - Melissa Franckowiak

Welcome back,

           This month's interview features published author, Melissa Franckowiak. I met Melissa on one of the many Facebook writing groups I am part of. Having a very demanding career, she still finds time to balance writing with her many responsibilities a practicing Anesthesiologist.

Short Bio:

Debut author Melissa Crickard set goals in early childhood to be a best-selling novelist and physician.  The daughter of  an English and a Science teacher, Melissa attended Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Buffalo, and after being awarded two Bachelor’s degrees in Physical Therapy and Chemistry, she advanced toward her M.D. degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, going on to become a diplomat of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

While training as a resident, Melissa recognized not only the critical problems facing medicine and society, but also the promise and limitless optimism that scientific advances and medicine abound with potential.  Additionally, her English professors at the engineering based Georgia Tech examined countless works that raised questions of scientific ethics and the role of women in the field, which remained a necessary inspiration for writing medical thrillers. These themes, as well as her experience as a practicing Anesthesiologist, formed the basis for her fiction novels, which she began writing fervently after the birth of her son, Roman.  She is the author a textbook chapter in the medical textbook, Complications in Anesthesia, and served as a contributing journalist for general medical stories for WGRZ Channel 2 in Buffalo, NY, belonging to the Association of Health Care Journalists.  She holds a faculty position in the State University of New York at Buffalo Department of Anesthesiology. She lectures to residents and students and practices Anesthesia full time in western New York. She is currently a semi-finalist in the international business competition, 43North, for her startup company, PneumaGlide, P.C. She is currently C.E.O. of the medical device company and holds a utility patent for her invention. She was recently awarded a 7.5K grant from National Grid and a 40.2K grant from the University of Buffalo to promote the company. Melissa writes for the Buffalo magazine, Traffic, and is seeking an MFA in creative writing.

After completing her first mainstream fiction novel, Another Five Patients, a culmination of five interwoven stories that address larger issues of the modern hospital, she immediately initiated her second, plot driven commercial fiction novel, The Labrador Response.

Published Works: (if any)

Coming soon: Another Five Patients, The Labrador Response

Current Projects: (if any) Currently working on a literary novel.

Website: www.melissacrickard.com

When did you begin writing?

Does 3d grade count? We made books bound with kitchen string and rubber cement. Mine was about a purple man. I returned to writing seriously after medical school and after my first child, Roman.

Did you receive any special training or attend a school?

I'm beginning an MFA program at University of Texas El Paso this fall. I'm very excited about this.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Country music inspires me to write poignant characters, and I have a background in Chemistry and science to inspire me to write compelling plots.

Do you use any special resources when writing? (other books, computer programs, etc)

I use the Internet a lot. Most of the medical facts in my knowledge are still upstairs, fresh in my head from graduate school and many days on the job.

What is (in your opinion) the most important thing to remember when writing, and why is it so important?

Reading is essential to being a good writer. Everyone has there own style in storytelling, but a writer needs to find a voice that works for them. To do this, you must read many different writers.

What is (in your opinion) the most challenging part of writing, and how do you overcome it?

Moving through time and place is challenging. It gives a fourth dimension to a story that makes it seem not just a snapshot of the characters' stories, but their whole worlds.

Did you use an agent? (why or why not?)

I had an agent who sent my work out long before it was ready. I'm not sure she even read my book, and seemed more interested in selling my editing services. No agent is better than a bad agent. I am currently looking for a good one.

Did you use an Editor? If not, what process did you use to edit your work?

I do. Editing is important, and every writer has to edit their own work multiple times, but when it's as good as you think it can be, that's when it's time to turn it over to an editor.

How did you get your book published? (self-published, Vanity publishing, Mainstream publisher).

I'm still looking for a mainstream publisher. I'm considering using Createspace.

Do you handle your own marketing?

I'm looking into marketing and publicity currently. It's very important to a book's visibility and success, and I don't want to self publish until all my ducks are in a row and the books has its best chance for success.

What is your best marketing tip?

I don't know enough about this yet to comment. This is a learning point for me, too.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Don't be afraid to write because you think it won't be "good." You can always change what you have on the page.

I would like to thank Melissa Franckowiak for her time and wish her good luck on her journey, her participation in this interview was very much appreciated. I hope my readers found this interview as helpful and informative as I did.

Until Next time,

           Patrick Osborne