Dry ice swirled around Reverend Terrance as he gave an old fashioned,
heart pounding sermon under multi-colored lights crisscrossing the
stage. The squat, cinder block building belied its revival tent
facade with its chilling a/c. The Reverend must expend an outrageous
amount of heated energy in such a performance. My childhood friend
felt far removed from our childhood in this atmosphere. However, I
was not surprised. He’d always been dramatic and insistent on being
right. What better way to be the center of attention and lord it over
people than religion.
He beckoned to me from the stage at the end of the show, and so I met him backstage, where he was removing makeup while chatting with his crew. Shelley—he boomed at me as I approached. A shiver ran up my spine ending with a slight spasm as it hit my neck, the reverberation chilling me. I smiled and nodded. Reverend Terrance … Terry waved his hand at me as though announcing me to an audience anticipating me. Then he informed the paid sycophants—Shelley’s after my little brother; again. Any response would go badly for me, so I stood silent until he finished with me, giving me leave to walk away, wondering why I’d come, wishing that I’d ignored his little brother Dennis’ admonition that I had to see him in action. I had seen Dennis on this visit home, as I’d seen other childhood friends. It was an innocuous meeting, lunch at Darby’s on the river, reminiscing, as we’d not seen each other in a decade.
It was a challenge to continually force the man from my mind as I went about my remaining days in my hometown, vowing to avoid him and his brother. The icky feeling lingered no matter what, and I wasn’t sure which brother was attached to it. The process resulted in a headache, sending me to the local drugstore, McCarty’s. I hadn’t gone in this visit since the soda fountain was gone. As I perused the headache relief meds, a booming voice resonated throughout the store. Unfortunately, the good reverend was between the door and me. Feeling trapped, I grabbed something off the shelf and crept toward the back of the store intending to circumvent the man by passing through the feminine hygiene product aisle. He turned into the other end of the aisle, spotting me immediately. Shelley—he cried in mock surprise. Enough—I thought and dragged my wilting courage back up to reasonable height. Holding it firmly, I announced with no greeting—You should not have insinuated that your brother and I are an item, because we aren’t now and have never been. Under the surprise, a flicker of anger alarmed me, but I felt comforted by the presence of other shoppers. He apologized loudly enough to draw attention from them and then bowed, saying—And now I shall take my leave of you. He walked around me, head held high, chest out, toward the back of the store. I scurried to the front, feeling violated. While standing in line, Dennis came up to me in his pharmacist’s tech uniform and asked me out on a date. I shook my head. Terry never changed.
Mary is the author of The Praetorian Saga, a highly rated romantic
sci-fi series. She’s a sucker for romance in stories and believes
that any good story needs some love thrown in. Prior to her writing
career, she had lots of jobs she wasn’t cut out for, the most
infamous of which was airport security. When asked why she didn’t
enjoy that job, she’ll tell you, “Those guys have no sense of
humor.” Mary lives on the Alabama Gulf Coast with her husband and
sons, two fat lapdogs, and a cat she’s convinced is part
velociraptor.
Tell me about
your writing process: schedule, environment, inspirations,
maintaining character integrity through a series, etc.
I
work a full-time day job, so writing is a second career for me right
now. I also have two kids still at home, a few pets, and a husband.
So, I keep pretty busy. I’m somewhat terrible with schedules, but
over the last year or so I’ve managed to come up with something
that works for me. I generally wake up at 5am, regardless of what
time I have to be at the day job. I get myself dressed and ready for
work and write until it’s time to leave for work. I try to write
again in the evenings after the house quiets down for the night,
usually from about 9pm-11pm. The weekends are for family time.
I
have a home office that’s full of my books, tarot cards, Funko pop
figures, and a photo board of friends and family. I have a massive
desk that’s forever cluttered with anything and everything. I like
to listen to music while I write, but I keep the volume low so I
won’t get too distracted and start singing along.
I
believe inspiration is everywhere, if you look for it. Music is one
of my biggest inspirations. Sometimes I can imagine a scene or short
story out of a song lyric and sometimes that can become a whole book.
Sometimes I can plot out a whole book series from a random side
character in a TV series. It’s about allowing your mind to get a
little carried away, I think. Basically, the things I used to get in
trouble for in elementary school.
I’m
kind of a sucker for a story that rips your heart out, at least a
little. I prefer happy endings, but I need my characters to struggle
a little along the way. I try to write stories I’d want to read, so
that’s definitely reflected in the things I write. When it comes to
a series, you kind of go into it knowing that your characters are
going to change along the way. Or, they should, if you’re doing it
right. Not who they are at their core, but as they learn and grow
throughout their journey, they adapt and change somewhat. I keep a
file on every character I write and add to them along the way. I
always want to make sure that whatever I put my characters through,
their reactions and interactions make sense to who they are. I also
lean toward character-driven plots, so it’s really important to
keep who these people are firmly in my mind as I go.
Walk me through
your publishing process from “final” draft to final product,
including who does what when, and marketing that you do as the
author. Do you market the series as a whole with each new book? Will
there be more in the series, or do you start a new one?
So,
this is my least favorite part of being an indie author. The part
that comes after the writing part is over. I’ll reiterate what I’ve
said before, which is that when I started this whole thing, I had no
idea what went into writing and publishing a book. I’m still
learning and trying to improve as I go. Every day I’m finding
things I’m doing wrong or not doing enough. I jumped into this
thing head first and I’m slowly figuring out how to swim. That
said, I’ll share what I do.
I
try to start promoting the book a couple months before release date.
I share the blurb, cover, excerpts, etc on my social media sites. I
try to mix it up from Twitter to Facebook to Instagram. Not every
social media site has the same type of reader and it’s important to
understand that when you’re making posts.
I
market the series as a whole as well as individual books within the
series. Obviously, I want to bring in new readers, but I also want my
established readers to keep coming back. I’m constantly learning
which ads work on which platforms and which don’t. This seems to
change frequently and I’m always playing catch-up.
I
have a cover artist who designs all my covers based on a bit of input
from me. Once the book is formatted and I know a page count, I have
the cover commissioned and I do a cover reveal in my newsletter,
including a link to the pre-order. I always do pre-orders for a new
book. I try to have those go live around two months before the
release date.
As
for more Praetorian books, I never say never. For now, Bree and
Declan’s story is finished. I feel like I gave them their due and
wrapped their story up nicely. I’ve thought about coming back to
the Praetorian world sometime down the road, but I’d have to have
the right story to tell. Right now, I’m in the beginning stages of
a whole new story set in a dystopian America. I’m pretty excited
about it. I don’t know yet how many books it will be.
Talk about your
support system online and IRL, especially your biggest cheerleaders.
I
consider myself really lucky when it comes to support. Writing is
kind of a solo job and it can be isolating if you let it. You spend
hours on end alone with nothing but the stories in your head to keep
you company. It helps to have others in your life who understand that
and who have your back, so to speak. I have several friends who are
also writers. They’re always down for a plotting session or to help
me bounce ideas around, even if I’ve never met some of them in real
life. They’re always there to encourage me when they get a text at
midnight or 6am saying, “This is all shit and I’ll never finish
this book. Shoot me now.” They’re the ones who keep me pointed in
the right direction.
My
husband has probably been my biggest source of support. After more
than 20 years together, he gets me better than anyone and he knows
how important writing is to me. He’s always understanding when I
tell him I need to write at night instead of watching a movie or
catching up on our Netflix list. He never judges me when I take my
laptop on trips to run errands so I can peck away while he drives.
He’s a quiet guy, so he’s never going to be the one shouting
things from the rooftops, but he always shares anything he sees about
one of my books on social media. It’s his quiet way of showing his
support, but it never fails to make me smile.
How does life
influence your writing and vice versa?
The
thing about creating things is that if you care at all about it,
you’re going to put part of yourself into it. It’s hard for me to
stand back and point out specific elements without delving too deeply
into my own history and life. I write characters who have experienced
real tragedy and loss and come out the other side. That’s probably
because it’s something I’m familiar with. I don’t think I know
how to write a character who’s never had anything bad happen to
them. Could be a fun challenge, I suppose.
Since
I started writing, I think I’ve become more open and honest with
myself and the people around me. I’ve told this story before, but I
kept the fact that I was writing a book a complete secret until a
couple of months before the first book was set to release. When
someone asked me about the book directly, I was terrified. I stumbled
over my words, turned bright red and wanted to run from the room.
Now, nearly two years since the first book’s release, that’s gone
away and I’ve gotten to a place where I’m comfortable talking
about my writing. With that comfort, I think I’ve become at peace
in my own skin when I didn’t realize I wasn’t before. It’s
going to sound cheesy, but I feel like I’ve found what I was
supposed to be doing all along. I’m proud of myself and happy with
what I’ve done so far, though I know I have a long way to go.
What do you love
most about your creativity? What prompted you to write a series?
I
think the thing I love most about having a creative mind is that it’s
never boring. I don’t remember ever being bored as a child. Part of
that was because I loved books from a young age and spent most of my
time reading them. Because of that love for stories, I wanted to
create stories of my own. I’ve always been a daydreamer. As a kid,
it got me into trouble because I’d get lost in my head instead of
paying attention to whatever it was I was supposed to be doing. As an
adult, that still happens sometimes, but I’ve gotten better at
muti-tasking. Or maybe I’ve gotten better at pretending I know
what’s going on while I’m lost in my own head. I’m not sure.
When
I first began writing The Praetorian Saga, I had no idea if I had
enough story for a book, let alone a series. I had a vague idea of a
scene with a girl running down a dark street. That’s it. Somehow I
got four books out of it. That makes it sound much easier than it
actually was, I know. I think somewhere along the way, I realized
that I had more story than one book would allow. Originally, I’d
planned for a three-book series. I thought I could tell the story I
needed to tell within that structure, but after I’d finished the
first draft of the second book, I realized that there was a lot
missing. There was a lot of character development, but not as much
propelling the story along (character-driven writer, remember?) So, I
cut out the back half of that book, made a lot of revisions, and
wrote a whole new ending that drew back into the larger series plot.
What that meant was that I’d basically added another book to the
series. So, it came out to four. That suited me fine, because as a
reader I prefer longer series to standalone books. It didn’t make
things any easier when I was fighting my way through the fourth book,
cursing my past self who thought it was a good idea to add another
book to the series.
Originally from Southern California, P.A.
O’Neil, spent her teen years in a small town in Washington State.
Her Mexican and Irish heritage has provided a lifetime of
inspiration, as well as compassion for others, which comes through in
her stories. She understands what it means to be in the minority as
well as the majority and has always given voice to the underdog. She
lives in Olympia, Washington, with her husband and two grown children
nearby. Her life is full of love from family and friends from around
the world, and this love is reflected in her writing.
Tell
me about your writing process: schedule, environment, inspirations,
decision to focus on short stories, etc.
I’m a genuine sloth in the morning, so my writing is best done between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm. I do have a part-time job outside the home with a varied schedule, so I don’t often have the availability to write every day. I like to think of my writing as an actual profession, which means you must take days off in order to stay fresh. I don’t write on the weekends in deference to my husband, who prefers my attention be away from the computer.
I’ve always been a storyteller, writing off and on since I was a child. In college, I wrote and produced a radio play. I thoroughly enjoyed that, which makes me think I might’ve been born about forty years too late. The greatest inspiration comes from vivid dreams; I’ll keep notes and do my best to fit the premise into a workable plot. I did this in August of 2016 when I found myself unemployed for the second time in two years. I thought I could either sit on the couch and watch old movies, or I could sit at the computer and write out a story, which turned out to be a novel called, “Finding Jane.”
The story did not turn out half-bad and was praised by those who read
it, but of course, it was extremely raw, being compared to “a
beautiful runway model with nothing to wear.” Thanks to Facebook, I
connected with people who were in groups I belonged to; they were
published authors, and I asked where I should go from there. They put
me onto Facebook pages that were writing oriented, and with the help
of a friend who has since also become my editor, fourteen months
after I typed END on my novel, my first short story was published in
an anthology. It was called, “Sara Hemming, Psychic Redecorator.”
Since then, my short stories have been accepted for publication in
over thirty publications, both online and in paperback.
I enjoyed writing my novel but have since found a preference in writing short stories, flash fiction, and even drabbles. The challenge of making every word count and having a purpose is fulfilling to both the writer and the reader. I want to take readers, drop them into a scene that’s already in motion, make them care about the characters, given them a plausible conclusion, yet leave them turning the page at the end wanting to know more. That’s what I believe makes for a good short story.
Walk
me through your publishing process from submission to marketing.
The process for submission was something I had to learn for myself. I
watched other Facebook group members comment about how they did it,
what worked, and what didn’t, and put together a submission letter
that I thought would meet the criteria for a standard submission.
Some worked, and some didn’t, but what did work gave me the idea to
create a template that I use for each submission. It is always being
refined but helps to keep the project running smoothly. I even wrote
an essay that was printed on the Writers Unite! Worldwide
webpage, “The Submission
Process for a Short Story or What I Wish Someone Had Taught Me.” I
have shared it often on my own Facebook professional page so others
can find relief when wondering how to go about making a submission.
To have your work bounced by the submission editor because of a
technicality in your letter, before the story has ever been read, is
an avoidable shame.
I have used Submittable,
Duotrope, and Submission Finder, along with word- of-mouth to find
submission calls. As a way of keeping track of submissions for
individual stories, I made another template which lists the basic
information [story name, word count, date written, editor] as well as
information about the publication [name, publisher, editor, closing
date, payment, reprints, etc.]. This way when I submit it, I have the
date of contact (to and from) and even publication date if accepted.
It suits me as far as efficiency because it tells the history of each
story towards publication.
So far, my advertising has all been through Facebook pages. I do have an Amazon author page that I refer to, but I have yet to pay for an advertisement. That may change if I get more involved in the publication process of some of these anthologies or my own collection.
Talk
about your support system online and IRL, especially your biggest
cheerleaders.
I have absolutely the best of friends in the virtual world thanks to
the Facebook groups I have joined in the past three years. They’re
from all over the world and are always willing to help, encourage,
and even give solace when needed. My sister though has been my
strongest supporter since day one. Yes, she laughed when I told her I
had written a novel and wanted to write professionally—I would’ve
laughed too, but she has become my sounding board and official record
keeper as she has all of my original manuscripts in hard copy. My
kids have been supportive in a, “yeah, yeah, whatever you say,
Mom,” kind of way. My son though gave me a book for Christmas about
how make money as a self-publisher, so I guess he’s coming around.
My husband acts as if he has no interest, but I have learned from his
co-workers, he does speak proudly of my accomplishments.
I do have to thank Facebook, because it has allowed for me to connect with friends and relatives who are always there to cheer when the next story get published. I have the best coworkers, who are proud of my accomplishments, and some of them are writers themselves, so we always give encouragement.
How
does life influence your writing and vice versa?
In as much as life influences my dreams, actions and events oftentimes spark my imagination enough to write a story about it. My story, “The Obelisk,” is one of these, whereas “Pink and Gray Ash” came from a true story as told by a friend of a friend of the man who died.
What
do you love most about your creativity?
I joke about needing to write to “silence the voices in my head,” but really, it’s being able to arrange my thoughts in way that can entertain, or possibly even enlighten, the reader enough. I want them to be glad they took the time to read my story.
I’m not different, and I’m not special—she ranted to the air in
the attic. Dust fell through her as bats fled the rafters at her
outburst. The two teenagers snooping through the abandoned house
merely shivered slightly and zipped their jackets higher. The taller
girl fingered the photographs of her on the table under the window.
They must have loved her very much to keep her at home and take care
of her—she said softly. The other teen nodded, looking around her
at the pictures. Only moonlight illuminated the attic, which covered
the entire top floor, a hospital bed on one side. Bars running the
width and height of the room divided it in half, essentially
imprisoning whoever had utilized the bed. The smaller teen had placed
a small chest in front of the gate to block it open, though her
friend had admonished her that they were alone before bringing out
the book Different and Special to compare the black and white
photographs with the bedroom that had remained untouched for
centuries. They stepped back from the altar-esque table and
positioned the book for optimal moonlight. See, that would have been
her view when she was confined—said the girl whose book it was, as
she pointed toward the window behind them. They both turned, and
immediately dismissed the shadow crossing the light, looking at each
other and away. The tall teen pointed out each item depicted in the
book, both girls looking for a moment and immediately back to the
book. Was she possessed like they say—asked the smaller girl. Her
friend shook her head and replied—I think she was mentally ill, but
no one understood that then. I was not mentally ill, and I was not
possessed—screamed the spirit. She kicked the chest and slammed the
gate. Both teens jumped, and the book fell to the floor. Then they
ran out the gate and into the night. She whispered—I was something
much more frightening, a woman.
Dete
Meserve is an accomplished creator and producer of independent movies
and award-winning television shows as well as a best-selling and
award-winning novelist. As a key member of the executive team at Wind
Dancer Films, Meserve has been one of the industry’s major players
in independent film and television production. She currently oversees
worldwide business and creative properties for the film development,
finance, and production company that has generated over $4 billion in
revenue from its properties, which include hit television series
Roseanne
and Home
Improvement
and feature films including What
Women Want
(Mel Gibson), Where
The Heart Is
(Natalie Portman), Bernie
(Jack Black), What
Men Want
(Taraji P. Henson) and Good
Sam
(Netflix).
Meserve
is also leading the company’s growing kids and family brands,
including the PBS KIDS series Ready
Jet Go!,
created by Craig Bartlett (Hey
Arnold!,
Dinosaur
Train)
with Meserve as Executive Producer, the stop motion series
“Storywoods”
with Lil Buddy Studios and Head Writer Carin Greenberg, and Not
A Box,
the animated TV series based on the award-winning book by Antoinette
Portis.
Meserve
has produced numerous films and TV series and her list of credits
span award-winning television series such as Home
Improvement
and Saint
George
with George Lopez (Executive Producer) as well as hit movies What
Men Want,
the award-winning comedy Bernie
(Executive Producer), The
Keeping Room
(Executive Producer), What
Women Want
(Executive Producer) and Good
Sam
(Producer).
Meserve
is also the author of the best-selling and multi-award-winning novel,
Good
Sam,
as well as its sequel Perfectly
Good Crime,
which won the Living Now Book Awards for “books that change the
world,” and the international bestseller The
Space Between
(July 2018). Meserve adapted her first novel, Good
Sam,
into a screenplay and produced it as a Netflix Original Film starring
Tiya Sircar (The
Good Place).
The film was released worldwide in May 2019. Her book, Random
Acts of Kindness,
co-written with award-winning journalist Rachel Greco, was published
in March 2019. Meserve is at work on a fifth book entitled The
Good Stranger
for Amazon Publishing/Lake Union (Spring 2020).
She
lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children.
Tell
me about your writing process: schedule, environment, inspirations,
etc.; and how you balance your careers of producer and author.
I
write whenever I can! My job as a producer and CEO of a studio takes
up much of my daylight hours, so I have to find writing time at night
after my family’s asleep or on weekends when my family is busy with
other things. When I’m on deadline to deliver a manuscript, I have
to set aside specific time to write—often in the daylight hours—but
other things in life invariably interfere and suddenly my three-hour
block of writing time gets reduced to, say, ninety minutes. It can be
frustrating, but I keep juggling and shifting to make it happen. I
know my priorities and family always comes first.
Hod
did you “found” your Random Acts of
Kindness stories, and what is it like to
co-author?
After
posting literally thousands of stories about the good things people
do for others, I wanted to write a book to capture some of the best
stories and looking through a very specific lens: how were the givers
changed by helping others? Since these were true stories, I
wanted to collaborate with a journalist who had the right sensitivity
and sensibility for these “softer” stories. I read an article
about a woman who was given a new van by a stranger and loved the
poignant way journalist Rachel Greco approached the story, so I
called her and told her I wanted to write a book of these stories. I
was overjoyed when she said yes. Initially we didn’t meet in person
because I’m based in Hollywood and she’s in East Lansing,
Michigan. Instead, we’d regularly get together for calls to talk
through what stories we’d seen that had resonated with us and which
ones might be good candidates for the book. We had tremendous
resources to draw from: thousands of stories on my Facebook page at
www.Facebook.com/GoodSamBook
and countless others that readers were sending in. We wanted to make
sure the book reflected all kinds of givers: rich, poor, age
nine-year-old to ninety-nine, city folk and people who lived in rural
communities, bikers and fraternity boys. Our idea was not to reprint
what others had already written. Instead, Rachel spoke with the
people in the stories and we developed a chapter from there. I have
to say those hours working with Rachel were some of the brightest for
me because I knew we were both doing something we were meant to do.
Walk
me through your publishing process from “final” draft to final
product, including who does what when, and marketing that you do as
the author. As you wrote Good Sam, did you
imagine the story as a film? Are you planning to take your other
novels to the big screen?
When
I wrote Good Sam I never imagined it would become a film. I
only set out to tell a story where we’re searching for someone
doing extraordinary good and exploring how looking for that kind of
person actually changes all of us. I wanted to explore the reasons
why people do good things. From the countless stories told about
murders and violence, we already know why people commit crimes but
how often do we stop to think about why we help others and why some
put their lives on the line so that others can live? Maybe thinking
about that will allow us to become our better selves. There are
moments when I still can’t believe it’s a Netflix Original Film,
even though I wrote the screenplay and was a producer on the film. It
still feels joyously unreal.
When
I begin writing, I like to have lots of time for what I call “play.”
This is when I’m writing ideas into a notebook, doing research,
playing around with an idea, discovering the characters. It’s
truly the most carefree and easy part of writing. Then there becomes
a point where the story starts to form: I hear snippets of character
dialogue, I can see scenes of what’s happening, and I’m beginning
to have an inkling of what themes I want to explore. That’s when I
start a draft which I title: Things I’m Seeing. If ideas start
flowing, then I know I’m ready to write the manuscript. Otherwise,
I stop and go back to “playing” and researching until I’m ready
to begin.
Once
the manuscript is finished, I like to send to beta readers before
sending to the publisher but the deadlines on the last novel were so
tight that no one but me had read it before I sent it in. That was a
nail biter of a process for me. After that, the editor will send me
notes and I’ll make revisions addressing notes until we all get a
draft we’re all happy with. Then off to copy editing and proof
reading all while writing ideas for marketing, working on the cover
with designers, thinking about book club questions, writing
acknowledgments, etc. It’s a huge wonderful process to bring a book
to life and I’m always grateful for the privilege of doing it and
for the talented and committed people around me who make it possible.
I’m adapting some of my other novels to the screen. I’m
particularly intrigued by SVOD platforms like Netflix because they
allow you as a creator to reach massive audiences around the world,
which is very rewarding. But, for me, all ideas begin with story.
It’s only after you know the story that you can ask: Where is the
best place—what is the best way—to tell that story? A novel? A TV
series? A movie? I’m open to wherever that leads me.
Talk
about your support system online and IRL, especially your biggest
cheerleaders.
My
readers are the best! Truly. Every day I wake up to countless stories
about good people that they’ve shared on my social media platforms
or sent to me via messenger or email. They are wonderful supporters
of my writing, sharing their recommendations through reviews and
talking about the books online. When I have moments where a current
novel I’m writing is difficult, I take a peek at what people are
saying—their reviews, comments on posts, the emails and letters
they send me—and I’m reminded how fortunate I am to have such
loving, thoughtful, kind readers in my life. I feel like I know many
of them even though we’ve never met in person. I never take that
for granted and try to respond to every reader. That can be difficult
to juggle when I’m already working long days, but it’s important
to me to connect with readers.
In
real life, my husband and family are the best support system. I often
begin work early in the morning and my husband brings me a chai latte
and a breakfast so I can keep working. My daughter Lauren patiently
listens to me, read scenes aloud, and gives me feedback. And my older
sons are incredibly understanding when I run off after dinner to get
back to writing. And I’m fortunate to write in the beautiful
Southern California light, which is partly why much of my writing is
optimistic and hopeful.
How
does life influence your writing and vice versa, especially the
response to Random Acts of Kindness and the Good
Sam film? How has your background in film prepared you for
a writing career?
Sometimes
my workdays can get intense—disappointments, failures, surprises,
gut-wrenching events that steal my breath away. I try to channel that
into my writing. Even if what I’m writing about has nothing to do
with what’s happening in real life, I find a way to convey the
complex emotions that come with working with others all day long.
People often ask me how I can write such optimistic stories when I
work in the rough and tumble world of Hollywood. But the truth is,
that’s why I started writing stories where Kate Bradley seeks out
people doing good, without ulterior motive. I honestly questioned if
such people existed, so I sent Kate Bradley on that exploration. And
along the way, I discovered that good people are everywhere – you
just have to look past those who are getting all the attention for
bad stuff and you’ll see them everywhere. All the time.
What
do you love most about your creativity?
I
love that creativity allows me to follow my passions and curiosity.
I’m interested in so many things, so writing allows me to bring all
those things together. I’m always researching and learning new
things in order to accomplish a novel. I’ve learned a lot about
journalism, firefighting, Russian linguistics, opera, online
videogames, and security systems from writing the Kate Bradley
mysteries. And when I wrote The Space Between, I immersed
myself in astronomy, a little physics, and secret codes. I also learn
a lot about people—the way we think, how we make decisions, the way
we interact with others, how we acquire belief systems.
What
I didn’t expect—and which is always a wonderful surprise for
me—is that my explorations are embraced by so many and become
meaningful to others too. That connection with readers—when they
say they’ve experienced the same feelings as my characters have—is
priceless. Writing is a way to share the human experience and makes
me realize that I’m not alone in the things I love, wonder about,
question or struggle with. That is a gift of a lifetime.
The “greatest classic Korean novel” by Kim Man-Jung follows a
young boy’s rags to riches story that encompasses wives,
concubines, wise men, scholars, and the military. One man lives an
incredible lifein 17th century Korea, continously
attracting the most beautiful women, many whose status makes them
worthy only of positions as his concubines, and experiencing
fantastical elements, such as fairies and dragons. It’s challenging
to view this as a great romance from the modern perspective of the Me
Too movement. Then at the end, it’s all a dream. Classics are not
for everyone. I was graciously given a digital copy from the
publisher through NetGalley.
Paolo takes Emily, who has finally managed to get her bi-polar under
control, out on his boat for a romantic date. After a wine-filled
evening, Emily awakens to find herself alone on the boat. A roller
coaster ride through the police investigation reveals a different
Paolo, and Emily must work to prove herself innocent in this missing
man mystery. Jacobs does a great job of eliciting sympathy for his
unreliable narrator, and the twists and turns are credible and
gasp-worthy. Fans of Catherine Steadman’s Something in the Water
and / or Kelly Simmon’s Where She Went will appreciate Jacobs’
style of storytelling. I received a digital copy of this fantastic
thriller from the publisher through NetGalley.
I lay across my bed reading a book laid on the floor next to the bed.
Hearing a harrumphy throat clearing, I sat up and tilted my head
questioningly at my father in the doorway. He walked in and sat next
to me on the bed, clasping his hands together, staring at the floor.
I copied his body language without thinking, dreading what my mother
had sent him to tell me. Well—he began—I know you’re a teenager
now. Yeah—I responded. Shifting, adjusting his pants, rubbing his
beard, he tried again—I just want you to know what’s going on,
you know, with boys and all. I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes
before assuring him—Daddy, it’s not like I’m dating anyone; the
boys in this town don’t like me. He looked at me funny and said—I
betcha some boy does like you, but he’s just shy, cuz you know,
you’re a pretty girl. My laughter surprised him, and I shook my
head as though he was clueless. Boys in my school saw me only as a
target. Well, in any case—he told me as he again stared at the
floor—one day you’ll like a boy, and then things will happen.
What things, Daddy—I asked, appreciating the realization—things
like threesomes and fetishes and maybe adult toys. Good lord—he
hollered as he jumped halfway to the door and inquired loudly—where
the hell did you learn that shit. I couldn’t help grinning as I
answered—Daddy, we have cable; you don’t need to tell me about
sex.
G.
Allen Wilbanks is a retired police officer living in Northern
California. For twenty-five years he wrote collision and crime
reports during the day to pay the bills, and short fiction during his
off-time to stay sane. In 2016, he retired from real life to devote
his full attention to fantasy. He has published two short story
collections, and the novel, When Darkness Comes. His short stories
have appeared in Daily
Science Fiction, Deep
Magic, The
Talisman and dozens of
other magazines and anthologies all
over the world.
Tell
me about your writing process: schedule, environment, inspirations,
black magick spells, etc.
I live on five acres of property in a rural neighborhood, so I spend
most of my day isolated from other people. I’m okay with that,
though, because it gives me time to write with minimum distractions.
I’m also a bit of a hermit if I’m being honest. I like the
isolation. Most of my days look pretty similar. I wake up in the
morning about 7 AM to say goodbye to my wife as she heads out the
door to go to work. I start my morning with a four or five mile walk
through the pastures and farmlands surrounding my home while I listen
to audiobooks (since I rarely have to time to sit and read a book
anymore). Back home, I work in my yard tending the garden and fruit
trees for a couple hours (still listening to a book), and then about
11 o’clock I settle into my den to write. My wife gets home about 6
PM each day and usually finds me at my desk still working on whatever
WIP I’ve chosen for that day.
Walk
me through your publishing process, from “final” draft to final
product, and marketing strategies.
I
have published three books: two collections of short stories and one
novel. I published each of them through CreateSpace (which has since
been bought out by KDP Select). The software was very user-friendly
and made the process as simple as possible for a newbie like myself.
There is software for making your own cover and creating your own
layout for the cover of the book, but I would actually recommend
reaching out to a professional cover artist or designer. It makes a
world of difference and your book will look much more appealing to a
potential reading audience.
Marketing
is the hard part. I am a bit of an introvert and am much more
comfortable writing stories than trying to convince others to buy
them. This is still an area I am working on improving. If you are
publishing traditionally, there are usually people working for the
publishers who are
responsible for marketing, but if you are an indie writer like me,
you need to get the word out on your own. Social media is the key to
attracting readers. It is more than just telling people you have a
book for sale; you need to get people interested in you personally
first—then they might get curious enough to purchase what you have
written. Building a following is a slow, gradual process. I wish I
could give you some secret or tip to sell a million books, but I
haven’t figured it out myself just yet.
Talk
about your support system online and IRL, especially your biggest
cheerleaders.
My
biggest supporter in my writing is my best friend and fellow writer,
Wes Blalock. Our paths have paralleled each other’s in many ways.
We both had careers in law enforcement before focusing on writing
full time. Although we tend to write in different genres, we beta
read much of each other’s manuscripts, offer editing advice, and
encourage one another with our projects. We have even attended
writing events together.
Online,
I have joined several writing groups on Facebook and have connected
with writers all over the world on Twitter. I find I get to know
people a little better and interact more with them on Facebook, but
the groups you join are important. Many of them are looking for
people to sell books and writing services to rather than provide
support and help. Choose carefully. Look for the groups that support
one another, share publishing opportunities, and offer advice when
you have serious questions about the process of writing or
publishing.
How
does life, and career in law enforcement, influence your writing and
vice versa?
While
I was working in law enforcement, much of my writing was very dark.
It focused on human cruelty and personal suffering. My ideas
frequently came from real life incidents I had investigated, then I
would twist the tale to give it a more suspenseful feel or add
supernatural elements. Writing was cathartic for me then, it helped
me process all the ugliness and violence I dealt with in my job. Now
that I’m retired, I still love writing horror stories, but I have
found myself moving more into the realms of dark fantasy and
surrealism. I guess as my life has become less chaotic, so has my
storytelling.
What
do you love most about your creativity?
When
I was working as a police officer, writing was one of the ways that I
dealt with stress. Writing (and reading) short stories helped me deal
with some of the harder emotional aspects of my job in a healthier
way than drinking or trying to ignore them. Creating a story allowed
me to decompress and to process my feelings.
Although
I am no longer dealing with the same level of stress in my life,
writing is still a great outlet. I take pieces of dreams, ideas, and
feelings and try to create something complete and wonderful out of
them. I keep notebooks all around the house because I never know when
a thought or somebody’s comment might trigger a new story idea. I
absolutely love seeing a published final version of a story that
started out as just a bunch of fragments of ideas and emotions. It is
even more rewarding when I hear from someone who enjoyed reading
something I created, but that is not the main reason I write. I think
even if I never published another piece, I would continue to write
just for the peace and enjoyment it brings me.
Eva meets Lt. Spencer on the SS Lurline on her way to Hawaii, where
her fiance and a nursing position await her in Pearl Harbor. Their
story incorporates the real history of a mysterious message and
government coverup exposing Pearl Harbor to attack. This is a good
story even if you’re not a huge fan of WWII novels. There’s
espionage, danger, injustice, and romance. The only niggle is the
anachronistically feminist Lt. Spencer. The characters are complex,
with multiple storylines blending seamlessly toward the inevitable
end. I was graciously provided a copy through a Goodreads giveaway.
