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EPIC SPOTLIGHT: Sylvia Rochester
BIO:
Sylvia lives in the heart of Cajun country on beautiful Bayou Corne. Swaying moss, reflected in black water, fuels her imagination. Surrounded by a cypress swamp, she has only to step out her back door to enter a world of mystery and majesty.
To date, she has seven published novels: The Sweet Smell of Death, When Evil Loves, Come Back, My Love, Shadow of the Soul, Courage to Care, Da Vinci’s Lost Years, and Deadly Illusion.
She is a graduate of LSU with a B.S. in Arts and Science. In addition to being an author, Sylvia is a professional artist. Her website includes excerpts from her book as well as her entire gallery of paintings. Please stop by and visit with her at www.sylviarochester.com.
What do you think the next big thing in the industry is? If I had the ability to predict that, I would also go buy a lottery ticket.
What genres do you think are up and coming or waning? Vampires will probably wane. Time travel and paranormal (other than vampires, werewolves, shape shifters, etc.) seem to be on the increase at this time.
Regardless of the genre, a good story will always be in demand.
What do you think of the e-book pricing wars? It’s to be expected. I’ll leave that to the financial gurus to solve.
How long have you been writing? Eight years.
How long have you been published? Six years.
How long did it take you to publish your first book, once you started looking for an agent or publisher? Two years.
How long does it take you to write a book? About a year, including revisions and final editing.
Do you write one book/story at a time or multiples? One at a time.
What genres do you write? Romantic Suspense, Paranormal, Historical Fiction with Paranormal elements, and Inspirational
Are there any genres you'd like to try but haven't? Not yet.
What's your writing process? (i.e. pantser/organic writer or plotter or mix? write on the computer? longhand? mix? how many passes? etc.) A little of both--pantser and plotter. I write only on the computer.
What authors inspire you? Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier. Who are your favorite authors? Tess Gerritsen and Stephen King.
How many books do you read in the average month? e-Book or print or both? Four to five.
What is your ideal location to write a book, if you had the money to live there or sequester yourself there? Where I am now, surrounded by a cypress swamp.
If you could have a book signing anywhere in the world, where would you like to go? Most of my books are set in Louisiana, so my home state is the best setting for me.
What would you like to own/have that would make your writing faster or smoother? (Yes, you can name everything from computer programs to a personal maid here.) A free professional promoter.
Introvert or extrovert? Extrovert.
What's the strangest/worst job (outside of publishing) you've held? (Choose either strangest or worst, since strange doesn't necessarily mean bad...or answer both.) Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia. I loved every minute of the two years.
If you could choose your dream job, besides writing, what would it be? Landscape artist, which I am.
What's your dream car? One that can haul large paintings. Your favorite car you've ever owned? ’58 Covette.
The #1 holiday or birthday gift to purchase for an author is...
A gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Your favorite leisure activity or vacation spot? Saltwater fishing in the marshes at Leesville, Louisiana (just north of Grande Isle).
Have you ever included a real experience of your own in a book? Yes. Did anyone who knows you notice it? Yes.
Where do you get your character names? Family names and friends.
Where do you get your inspiration for a book? How do you get your ideas?
I can’t really separate these questions. The plots just seem to pop into my head.
What is the best reader or reviewer comment you've ever received? I’ve had some good ones from authors and review sites. Can’t choose just one.
What does your family think about your writing? They look forward to the next book. How, if they do, do they support you in your writing endeavors? They always offer encouragement and are ready to buy the books for their family and friends.
When and where do you do the bulk of your writing? In my computer room. Early morning or late night.
Do you have animal companions while you write? How do they help or hinder the process? Two cats. They’re very quiet and never argue with me.
What's your favorite part of being a writer? Emerging myself in a make believe situation.
What's the thing you wish you could hire someone else to do or wish you didn't have to do as a writer? I answered this in a previous question. I’d like someone to promote my work so I could spend all my time writing.
Do you use any special software to write? Voice to text? Audio edits? etc.
I have Dragon, but seldom use it. Fingers on the keyboard accomplishes lots more.
What advice would you give a new writer? Write. Write. Write. And write the story of your heart.
What are your writing goals? Where do you want to be in a year? Five years? I intend to keep writing as long as I can. A book a year suits me just fine.
Do you belong to a crit group or other writing group? How helpful do you find it? I have wonderful critique partners. I would advise anyone serious about writing to have accomplished writers evaluate your work.
What online lists or forums are your favorites?
WritingGIAM.
What book, if you have written several books, is your favorite and why?
I find it impossible to pick a favorite.
Give us your backlist... with all publishers...
The Sweet Smell of Death – February,2007 – Wings ePress
When Evil Loves – December, 2007 – Wings ePress
Come Back My Love – February, 2008 – Whiskey Creek Press
Shadow of the Soul – July, 2008 – Wings ePress
Courage to Care – January, 2009 – Wings ePress
Da Vinci’s Lost Years – January, 2010 – Whiskey Creek Press
Deadly Illusion – December, 2011 – Whiskey Creek Press
Tell us about the awards you've won...
2011 - Da Vinci’s Lost Years – Winner – EPIC eBook Award for Best Paranormal Romance
2009 - Shadow of the Soul – Winner – EPIC’s EPPIE Award for Best Inspirational
Before getting published, I won and placed in several RWA contests.
Tell us about your current release... blurb...
Deadly Illusion
Stephanie Warren doesn’t believe in the Fountain of Youth…until she inherits it. Only then does she discover that beauty can be deadly. Fresh out of college, this would-be writer is no match for hired assassins.
Homicide Detective Quinton Cooper is Stephanie’s best chance for survival, but because of past experiences, neither welcomes a close relationship. Thrust into a web of greed, betrayal, and sordid liaisons, they soon realize survival depends on trusting one another.
Stephanie escapes several near-fatal encounters only to be caught off guard when an elusive culprit makes his move. In the midst of a hurricane, Quinton takes a bullet in the back. Now it’s up to Stephanie to save them.
www.whiskeycreekpress.com – www.amazon.com
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EPIC SPOTLIGHT SHERRY GLOAG
Multi-published author, Sherry Gloag is a transplanted Scot now living in the beautiful coastal countryside of Norfolk, England. She considers the surrounding countryside as extension of her own garden, to which she escapes when she needs "thinking time" and solitude to work out the plots for her next novel. While out walking she enjoys talking to her characters, as long as there are no other walkers close by.
Apart from writing, Sherry enjoys gardening, walking, reading and cheerfully admits her books tend to take over most of the shelf and floor space in her workroom-cum-office. She also finds crystal craft work therapeutic.
What do you think of the e-book pricing wars?
I’m not too sure, the industry is in such a state of flux right now, with authors tasting ‘blood’, I think commercial enterprises, whether online or not will find it harder to control the outcome.
At the moment Amazon are going all out to monopolize the industry, but when- if- they do, most authors are aware that circumstances and present advantages would disappear in the same manner they did with the old publishing regime.
The internet allows commercial companies to accrue an amazing amount of power, but it gives the same to individuals who when grouped together will fight to maintain their rights. After all without authors, publishers are out on a limb.
If you use a pen name, how did you choose it?
It is my second name and my maiden name.
How long have you been writing? How long have you been published?
I have been writing, off and on, since the early 1990’s. My ‘debut’ novel, the Brat, was published in October 2010 by The Wild Rose Press was
How long did it take you to publish your first book, once you started looking for an agent or publisher?
About ten months and two rejections.
How long does it take you to write a book?
LOL! How long is a piece of string? I have worked on one book for over three years and it is only now hitting the ‘final run’. My Valentine story, The Wrong Target, published by eTreasures in January 2011 took fifteen days. This year’s Valentine story took a long time to get off the block but was completed in twenty one days.
Do you write one book/story at a time or multiples?
I may try starting more than one book at a time, but generally have to set everything else aside when one project begins to flow.
What is the most books/stories you've had WIP at the same time? What is the highest number you've actively been writing on at the same time?
For NaNo 2010 I had four different stories going at the same time. Two were short stories, both were published, and two were full length novels, and they are ‘simmering’!
What genres do you write?
I’ve always claimed to write mainstream contemporary romance, but everyone else tells me I write romance with a touch of suspense, so I suppose that makes me a romantic suspense writer *grins*. Can’t quite get my head round that title yet.
I recently wrote a short six hundred word horror story!
Are there any genres you'd like to try but haven't?
I am (at the time of writing) in the final throws of a Regency romance, which is ‘experimental’ for me, although it is a much favoured reading genre. I kinda ‘flirt’ with the idea of trying my hand at a paranormal, but there are so many awesome paranormal authors out there, I’m not sure whether that will ever get off the ground for me. I’ll have to wait on the muse for that one.
What's your writing process? (i.e. pantser/organic writer or plotter or mix? write on the computer? longhand? mix? how many passes? etc.)
I cannot imagine writing on anything else other than a computer/laptop. I so admire those authors who either type or handwrite their books.
I am a ‘panster’ which on the days when my muse takes off without notice is extremely frustrating. On the other hand, if that hadn’t happen back in early 2009 I would never have had any short stories published. I was so sick of looking at a blank page I just started writing and ended up with a 1k short story which was published a couple of months later. That felt soooooo good, I cannot tell how chuffed I was to circumvent my muse that day! LOL.
What are the strangest conditions you've written under? The strangest place and/or time you've written something?
In a hospital corridor while my husband was in therapy. That DID require handwriting and notebooks.
What's the strangest way you've sold a book/story (either to a reader or to a publisher/agent)?
Tell the story of the lady who came out because the sun was shining --- witleys
What authors inspire you? Who are your favorite authors?
To say ‘too many to name’ may be the easy way out of this question, but is, never-the-less true. Nora Roberts is one, Georgette Heyer is another, Gina Wilkins gave me inspiration for the heroine’s name in my debut novel. More recently a raft of writers are coming out from the Astraea Press stable, all are gifted in their own genre and all write powerful stories without reverting to swearing and explicit sex.If you could choose two authors to be seated between at a signing...or to have your books shelved between in the bookstore, who would they be?
LOL My debut novel IS shelved next to Nora Roberts in our local (very small) book store-cum-newsagent! The place may be small but… my book is… Who else? I have to name Kay Springsteen, a recently new star in the world of publishing but a fast rising star whose books are powerful, inspirational and grippingly emotional.
How many books do you read in the average month? e-Book or print or both?
Not as many as I used to just now. I used to read at least a book a day, now it’s now down a book a week as I am in the middle of writing my third book in a four book series for Astraea press.
If you could have a book signing anywhere in the world, where would you like to go?
Any famous New York book store venue for the pass-through traffic, somewhere warm, not too hot, Rome comes to mind, I don’t know why, with an equally mind boggling number of paying pass-through customers!What would you like to own/have that would make your writing faster or smoother? (Yes, you can name everything from computer programs to a personal maid here.)
LOL I PC and net savvy to better promote my books, and yes that personal maid sounds terrific.
Introvert or extrovert?
Introvert.
What's the strangest/worst job (outside of publishing) you've held? (Choose either strangest or worst, since strange doesn't necessarily mean bad...or answer both.)
Working in the dress department of a fashionable department store in Scotland. I am NOT a ‘dress’ person.
What's your dream car? Your favorite car you've ever owned?
My favourite car owned was a Volvo, can’t remember the model, but loved the comfort and ease of drive it gave.
My dream car? Because I am a fairly practicle sort of person it would be something like 2011 Honda Civic Hybrid .
Have you ever included a real experience of your own in a book? Did anyone who knows you notice it?
I have twisted real events and included them in at least one book, and no, it has not been discovered J
Have you ever included someone who irritated you in the book? As what, and what comeuppance did he/she get?
Been sorely tempted a time or two, but no, not yet.
Where do you get your character names?
From the characters themselves.
Where do you get your inspiration for a book? How do you get your ideas?
Again, the characters dominate. They turn up, give me enough to whet my appetite and are back- like a bad smell – if they don’t like where I’m going with it.
What is the best reader or reviewer comment you've ever received?
The first one I ever received, thanks Zee of Fire Pages, (http://firepages.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/the-brat-by-sherry-gloag/ )
What does your family think about your writing? How, if they do, do they support you in your writing endeavors?
Not a lot.
If you write with small children around, what agreements or rules have been made to preserve your writing time?
I am fortunate that the child has grown and flown so I don’t have to deal with those kind of distractions.
What's your favorite part of being a writer?
Writing! No I am not being facetious. I’m a ‘pantser’ writer so almost everything comes as surprise to me when I read back what I’ve written.
What's the thing you wish you could hire someone else to do or wish you didn't have to do as a writer?
All things Promotional
Do you use any special software to write? Voice to text? Audio edits? etc.
I could not do without a piece of software called Naturalsoft. It is the opposite of your suggestion. Because I simply cannot bear to hear myself read my work out loud, I use Naturalsoft to do it for me. It is a text-to-speech software.What advice would you give a new writer?
Don’t give up and don’t give in. If you continue to believe in yourself and your characters you’ll find an editor who agrees with you eventually.What are your writing goals? Where do you want to be in a year? Five years?
When you first sent me this list of questions, I wasn’t sure whether I would reach my current goal, of having five published books before my next birthday, but it’s going to happen!
My Debut novel, The Brat came out in October 2010 with The Wild Rose Press.
The WrongTarget, last year’s Valentine novella story released with eTreasures in January last year, was quickly followed by Duty Calls, my second full-length book, published by Black Opal Books, “011 closed with the release of my second novella, From Now Until Forever, the first in a four boor series published by Astraea Press in December 2011, and my fifth book published in time for my birthday at the end of February is His Chosen Bride, the second in the four book series about the Gasquet Princes and coming out in time for this year’s Valentine’s Day, also with Astraea Press.
Where do I want to be in a year? I am already working on the two final stories in the Gasquet Princes series, I have a Regency that has been simmering on and off since 2008, and I hope to complete that and offer it for publication. I truly want to try and crack the promotional side of things.
What do I want in five years time? Too build on what I hope are strong foundations and produce and sell a load more books. If I manage three a year, I think I will be happy, more will be a bonus. But balance is the key and in 2011 I admit my family did not see as much of me as perhaps they should.
Do you belong to a crit group or other writing group? How helpful do you find it?
Yes I belong to a fabulous online crit group called IWW. It is a wonderful group of positive and constructive authors willing to help and advise each other.
What book, if you have written several books, is your favorite and why?
The book I am writing at that moment is always my favourite. This may sound trite, but it’s not. So I’ll kind of side step and say that right now, while writing the Gasquet Princes series Melanie, the heroine of From Now Until Forever (Astraea Press) is my favourite character as she is the ‘glue’ connecting all four books.
If you were the overlord of the world, what would your first decree be?
Balance. I’d like world peace, but because I don’t know what the unforeseen consequences of that wish could be I’ll chicken out and stay with ‘balance’ and hope it covers most things. J
Give us your backlist... with all publishers...
From Now Until Forever ~ Astraea Press
The Brat ~ The Wild Rose Press
Duty Calls ~ Black Opal Books
The Wrong Target ~ eTreasures
Bold things that are currently available. Note the publishers they are with!
Tell us about releases you expect within the next year...
His Chosen Bride ~ Astraea Press
WIP
Books Three and four in The Gasquet Princes series titles unknown still ~ aimed for Astraea Press
No Job For a Woman ~ is my Regency experiment which is garnering interest from several quarters.
Tell us about your current release... blurb... link to purchase is a plus!
This one is a bit difficult by the time this goes to post I expect my Valentine’s day story His Chosen Bride to be ‘the current boo’ but as yet have no cover pic, official blurb or links for it. Will Supply them as soon as I have them. (Hopefully in a week’s time.)
Meanwhile the present current book is the first story in the series.
From Now Until Forever ~ Astraea Press
Blurb – FNUFFor Prince Liam, families meant bad news, unwanted commitments, and the loss of his personal freedom. Love spawned white picket fences, slippers at the hearth with a wife and kids making demands, so why did those images disappear when he met Melanie Babcot?
Melanie Babcot fought hard to escape the horrors of her youth and vowed to remain single and free, so when paid to protect Prince Liam from insurgents why did her personal pledge fly out the window?
****
EXCERPT:
Liam Fitzwilliam Gasquet stared in amazement at the blooming patch of red milliseconds before the pain exploded in his arm. Some trigger-happy idiot had fired in his direction. Indignation didn’t have time to take root before another bullet kicked the dust at his feet.
Not ‘trigger-happy’.
Intentional.
The rebels had found the fourth and youngest son of Jean-Phillipe Gasquet, ruler of the tiny kingdom adjacent to the Swiss border. When had they discovered his whereabouts?
With a reluctant sigh, he faced the truth of it. They hadn’t ‘found’ him at all. They’d followed him.Avaialble at:
http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662245&mode=product&product=7105194
nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/sherry-gloag-from-now-until-forever?keyword=sherry+gloag+from+now+until+forever&store=ebook
My web: http://www.sherrygloag.com
My blog: http://sherrygloagtheheartofromance.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sherry.gloag
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SherryGloag
You can also find me in Google+, LinkedIn, Stumble, Independent Authors Network and others.
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EPIC SPOTLIGHT: GODIVA BOOKS
How many years have you been in business?
I set up my publishing company in the summer of 2010.
Why did you decide to found your company?
I had written a text book that I really wanted to publish but found that companies like Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press work on a 5-year plan where all books (and authors) have been selected in advance. It is very difficult to break into this system. I then looked at a number of options including Lulu.com and Amazon but eventually found out that I could go solo and have more control over what I was doing. I was warned that it would take a lot of time and be quite frustrating but I decided to go ahead and become a publisher using Lightning Source as my Printer.
What are some of the current releases available?
As a writer and a hands on publisher – helping with formatting and editing – progress is slow but steady.
I have published my text book – “IELTS – The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing”
“Butt Perfect” by R. L. Rodis an exercise book designed to tone your butt – I have used this book and found it has helped my long term back and neck pain so I am promoting as a book to try to help your back pains.
“From the Booth to the Bedroom” by Douglas DeMarco –
A story of a man losing his way, discovering himself, and finding fame is not new, but when it happens in tandem to an American in, of all places, Cambodia that is something that has never been written about.
This book is a first-hand account of how a Hollywood veteran leaves America to find peace after a personal tragedy but finds more than he bargained for. His overnight rise to fame in Phnom Penh leads to experiences and insights about Cambodia, its culture, its people, and government that will leave the reader with more than just a story. Like the author, you will see the world in a different way.
I am also writing two other text books and helping to publish books by two other authors – about moxa (used by acupuncturists) and a book about the history of food (especially curry and it’s links to England)
How many books have you published?
Three
How many authors have you published?
Three with 3 more to come within the next 6 months.
What are your submission guidelines?
As a small publishing company I can be very flexible and can adapt according to the needs and the experience of the author. My experience of working through all of the problems I encountered when I was writing/editing/formatting/publishing my first book has put me in a good position to relate to other up and coming authors.
What makes a submission stand out?
A book that is in some way unique is of interest to me.
For example, the book on moxa is unique, no other book goes into the detail that tis author does and so it could well become the book to buy if you are a natural therapist interested in using moxa.
Also, the book on the history of food was researched over 5 years and during the research many interesting facts were revealed that will surprise people. For example, they were credited by the Daily Telegraph with discovering details of Dean Mahomed – First Man of Curry- in 2005 leading to a City of Westminster plaque being placed on the wall where his 1809 restaurant once stood.
What makes a submission an automatic rejection?
I have been lucky and have worked with authors who have written books that I think have something to say but also realize that their work does not finish with the completion of the book. A marketing strategy needs to be planned and the involvement of the publisher and writer is integral to making the book a success.
Where are your books sold?
They are POD and so available on not only Amazon.com, but many different online stores. Espresso in Australia also has listings of my book and I have managed to put some books into high street bookstores.
I have recently moved into – e-books as well.
What sets you apart?
Although I do have help from other people, I do become personally involved in the whole process of writing to publishing to marketing. I help edit books as they are being written and, once completed, I also format, produce the covers and then put them online. All of this “extra” work is done for free – I charge (at cost) the setting up fee and then take a commission.
People seem to appreciate this style of publishing. With a tremendous amount of input from me and my team, authors seem to respond favorable and work hard to produce the best they can. It’s really a feeling of, “Someone really believes in my book.” And to a writer that’s probably the best feeling you will ever have.
I am also working on the development of an effective way to submit press releases and hope to offer this to authors as an extra service I offer.
Where do you see the publishing industry in five years?
E-books really seem to be the future. I have seen a number of bookshops that have been around for decades finally deciding to call it a day. There will always be a call for books but the trend is definitely moving towards e-books being the main source of things to read.
If you could get a submission from any author living or dead who would you choose?
That’s a difficult one. A very topical choice at the moment would be Steve Jobs.
What is your favorite brand of e-reader?
I must confess that I have never used one.
What makes your company special?
I would say the things that set us apart are things that make us special.
What type of books do you publish?
Essentially, my books are educational but this can cover a wide area and not necessarily just textbooks. I see travel, for example, as perhaps the greatest form of education. I haven’t published fiction but who knows what the future will bring. If Steven King asked to publish one of his books I wouldn’t refuse!
What experience did you have with electronic publishing before you started your company?
None whatsoever, I have been going through a huge learning curve over the last year – coming to grips with different types of software, formatting, marketing and so on.
What makes an author “perfect” to work with?
Someone willing to put that little extra into their work, to write better than they thought possible and to be brave enough to believe they can write a book.
What makes an editor “perfect” to work with?
An ability to tune into the style of the author, to have a feeling for what he/she wants to say, and an excitement to get those ideas onto paper.
What advice would you give a new author?
Don’t give up. If you really feel that you have something to say then you have to learn to be stubborn enough to make your dream come true and to see your ideas turn into words and then turn into a book.
There are many websites now dedicated to supporting newbie authors. Use them but also give back by helping others.
What is the biggest reason you reject manuscripts?
The only manuscript I have rejected was so badly edited that it seemed as if the author had no pride in their work. When the computer tells you there is an error but it is left uncorrected I begin to wonder if they are really prepared for the journey they need to make to become an author.
What is the number one error in a submission you hate?
Probably I would have to say bad grammar but as I have been an English teacher for 20 years maybe that is understandable!
Give us your URLs (web site, MySpace, Facebook, blog, etc.)
https://ieltsplus.wordpress.com/ (A VERY new blog to promote my textbooks)
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EPIC SPOTLIGHT: R Michael Phillips
Bio:
Michael is a classically trained artist who has been painting for over 30 years. He’s done numerous commissions, illustrations for national products and co-authored and illustrated a children's book. By combining his creative talents with a passion for art and antiquities he conceived the fictional world of the East London Adventurers Club, home to The Ernie Bisquets Mystery Series. Michael has completed 2 books in the series and is finalizing the third. He has plans for at least five additional books following the adventurers of this remarkable group of London irregulars. His short story “Oranges and Lemons” was recently published in Suspense Magazine, January 2011. Michael is a proud member of the Crime Writer’s Association.
About the books:
The first book in the Ernie Bisquets Mystery Series, “Along Came A Fifer,” was published July 2009 by Asylett Press. It introduces Ernie Bisquets, a retired London pickpocket who put his hand in a pocket and pulled out a murder. Together with Nigel Coats and Lily Jean Corbitt the East London Adventurers Club is drawn into a dangerous journey through the streets of London and Paris, exposing the darker side of the art world.
Ernie Bisquets, Lily Jean Corbitt and Nigel Coats return in the second Ernie Bisquets Mystery, greeted by an even more engaging group of characters than they came across in the first book, as they dodge murder and mayhem in “Rook, Rhyme & Sinker,” released January 2011. Ernie’s daily routine is interrupted by the apparent suicide of an old school mate. What surprises him even more was the bequeath left to him by the deceased - an old nursery rhyme and one of the lost Lewis Chessmen. Confused about the connection, the group starts to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death. They soon find it was murder, and that leads to the discovery of a second hoard of these enigmatic little figures hidden in a St. Ives bridge. What they didn’t realize was an unscrupulous antique dealer, who has been searching for this lost hoard for decades, is shadowing their every move.
The third book in the series, “Quarter Past Death,” is nearing completion. It seems our friend's lives are going to be disrupted once again with the murder of a local secretary in London’s East End. Inspector Flannel is called to the crime scene by Prophet Brown, a disfigured, pathetic little man who happened upon the body of the young girl. Flannel reluctantly turns to Ernie for help. After checking into the girls background Flannel discovers she isn't at all the innocent girl she appears to be. What is more alarming is the young girl and the murder scene fit the profile of five other victims of an 8-year-old unsolved case.
Current project- a new series:
“Surface Waves” is the first book in a new suspense series, situated in a small New England town. It introduces Alice Norbury, the town matriarch, and Hank Parker, a discredited hydrologic technician with the USGS. Anticipated release– as soon as I find an agent.
Link to latest book release- Rook, Rhyme & Sinker:
http://www.amazon.com/Rook-Rhyme-Sinker-Michael-Phillips/dp/1934337986/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311434106&sr=8-1Link to web site:
http://www.eastlondonadventurersclub.com/Link to Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/R-Michael-Phillips/104782886282707Link to blog:
http://rmichael-fifer.blogspot.com/What genres do you write?
I’ve always been fascinated with mysteries; I consider them a whetstone for the brain. When the fit to write came upon me it was an easy choice. The artistic license I took with the genre was combining the feel of Victorian characters with a contemporary setting. London was the natural choice for staging the mysteries.
How long have you been writing, and how long did it take you to publish your first book?
I’ve been an artist all my life, so I was quite surprised when the idea to write a book came upon me. I first took up the pen in 2005. What started as a “What if...” as I was working on a painting soon turned into an outline for a book. Oddly enough, I was painting a copy of a Manet for an antique frame I had just acquired. Painting is such a solitary pursuit it’s not odd for the mind to wonder as you toil away. By the time I finished the painting I had a complete outline for a mystery, which in time would surprise me even more by turning into the first book in a series. It took two years to write the book. Another year of rejections before a small independent publisher, Asylett Press, contracted to publish the book. In the summer of 2009 my “What if...” was launched and landed on the mystery shelf.
How long does it take you to write a book?
The first one was the tough one. As I mentioned, it took two years to write it, with a great deal of that time being spent figuring out how to write it. I read books on plotting, took an incredibly extensive course on sentence structure, and traveled back and forth to London so I could accurately portray the scenes. I’m happy to say that time was well spent. With the characters and their back-stories established the storyline goes much quicker now for the Ernie Bisquets Mystery Series. From idea, to first draft, to edited manuscript I’ll work on a story for about a year. The new series is a different story; it’s a thriller instead of an English cozy. I have a whole new set of characters, so I expect this to extend out more towards two years. In order to write the first book in the new series I need to create the complete back-stories for all the characters. This will take time, especially writing in conjunction with the other series.
How do you create the back-stories for your characters?
Spend any amount of time on a train platform and you’ll come across enough characters to fill volumes. I make a quick sketch, combining the appearance of two or three people standing about, then the fun begins–constructing a background that explains my perception of their outward appearance. Even though the internet has more than enough “Character Development” forms to download I took my cue from the on-line dating sites. They get right to the heart of an individual’s character, though I doubt anyone would be standing in line to date some of my characters after they filled out the questionnaire. For example, lets take Maunder, a tertiary character in Along Came A Fifer. He appears only twice but it’s his back-story that establishes his importance to the story.
Name: Maunder
Basics: A vile little man, devoid of friend and conscience; his character is as crooked as his smile; doesn’t drink, but is often the topic of conversation in the local pubs.
Appearance: He is just short of five feet, but every inch looking meaner than the one below it; his right eye droops, and the scar on his cheek and notch of skin torn from his left ear give further testimony to a life lived hard and without compromise; disheveled attire, usually in a stained undershirt, waistcoat and tattered dressing gown.
Hobbies: To say he read the daily papers is an understatement. He dissected them, line-by-line and word-by-word. He can read an obscure article in the classifieds relating to a grieving woman’s attempt to locate a lost article and by the time he was done he would know who nicked it and how much they got for it; the gathering of information was nothing more than a hobby that filled his otherwise empty afternoons.
Sociability: He very rarely leaves his flat in the church building by St. Paul’s; women find him most unnerving, cringing at the sight of his lascivious glare and fending off his endless advances; not the type to invite over for high tea, but if someone nicked your silver tea service it’s a good bet he’d know where to find it.
Etc, etc, etc. It’s not a stretch to say if you were daring enough to call on him while he was enjoying his Elevenses you would find him snarling with bits of beef in his teeth, wiping his hand on his dressing gown while considering whether or not to shake yours.
Where do you get your character names?
I use working names at first while I’m developing the characters. As I establish their backgrounds and character traits the final names usually suggest themselves.
Where do you get your inspiration for a book? How do you get your ideas?
The ideas I’ve turned into books have come from obscure historical references or newspaper articles I’ve read. Most have nothing to do with mysteries, I just found them interesting. Once again, after reading something that caught my attention I drift off into one of those “What if...” moments, and a mystery is born.
What's your writing process?
My writing process is a great deal like my painting process. I start with an idea of what I want the final painting to look like, fill my pallet with color, make a basic sketch on the canvas, and begin to paint. To write, I use a keyboard instead of a brush. Once I have the idea for a book I start with a cast of characters, sketch out a bare-bones outline, and begin to write. I write the final chapter first, and then start at the beginning. The characters lead me through the story; my job is to keep their progress directed toward the final chapter. Half the fun is allowing them to get sidetracked as the story progresses. It adds another dimension to the story and gives me, and hopefully the reader, more to think about than just the current situation.
What does your family think about your writing? How do they support you in your writing endeavors?
My wife, who I should mention is an avid reader, is incredibly supportive and always ready to listen when I’m stuck getting from point A to point B in a story. We’re usually driving somewhere when I start to explain a dilemma one on my characters has found them self in. She listens, tosses in a suggestion or two, and we work though it. My enthusiasm for the story doesn’t go unnoticed. There is always that pause at the end when she says, “You know these characters aren’t real, right?”
When and where do you do the bulk of your writing?
We own a wonderful Victorian, filled with rooms of assorted character. I took a small bedroom on the second floor and converted it into a study. It was a sleeping porch at one point in the home’s history that was converted to a bedroom. It has windows on three sides, affording me bright sunshine, dark and stormy nights, and everything in between. Along the back wall is a bookcase filled with reference and a desk in the center looking out over the grounds. I do all of my writing there, occasionally wandering the halls like Marley’s ghost when I’m working through a scene.
Do you belong to a critique group or other writing group? How helpful do you find it?
No, and not much at all. To be perfectly honest with you–and this will certainly not make me popular in those circles–I feel they do as much harm as good. Part of being a writer is the journey. It’s finding your own voice, not having a group decided what your voice should be. Your writing would benefit more by seeking out a professional editor, someone who really understands the journey.
What is the best reader or reviewer comment you've ever received?
The most exciting review I received was for my first book. It was reviewed by Hidden Staircase Mystery Books: “Along Came A Fifer...the characters and their manner of speaking, the description of buildings and locations, even the cadence of the narrative, all evoke a Victorian, at times Holmesian, style. It's really quite remarkable.”
What advice would you give a new writer?
If you feel so compelled to put your story on paper, do not let anyone or anything distract you from achieving your goals. You will stumble, you will fall, but you will get up and be a better writer for having experienced every aspect of the writing process. There are no shortcuts, and the road is lousy with rejections. Always remember- the world is filled with writers, but it is the ones who believe in their work and never give up who become authors.
