Free Author Interview: Leslie E. Stern

Author Name: Leslie E. Stern

Where can we find your book?: All the usual outlets.  Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com, and if you want a signed copy you can go to my website leslieestern.com.  Let me also mention that the cheapest place to purchase the Kindle edition is to download it directly from my website.  The only place to purchase the hardbound edition is also from my website.

How much does it cost?: $14.95 for the paperback.  $24.95 for the hardbound.

Tell us a little about your book: Dr. Emma Weiss is a beautiful, intelligent, woman who moves to Savannah, Georgia and falls in love with gorgeous Jake Stanton and believes that he has fallen in love with her. Then she learns that he is actually a long-struggling drug addict. Thus, Emma inadvertently becomes entangled in a web of deceit, drugs, and the law. Can Emma cope with Jake’s addiction to drugs and more importantly, can she overcome her addiction to him?

Do you have any upcoming projects?:  My book of poetry "Images from my Soul" is available through all the usual outlets now. I have written the screenplay for "Betrayal Beneath the Spanish Moss" and it is being pitched in Hollywood as we speak.  My next project is "Living with a Legend", a non-fiction book of anecdotes about my step-father.  Iwao Takamoto designed about 85% of the characters at Hanna-Barbera, as well as worked on some Disney classics such as "Lady and the Tramp" and "Cinderella".  It's a heart-warming look at this gentle genius and is filled with drawings done by him and for him.  It's already gotten a great deal of pre-publication buzz.

What has your journey as a writer been like?: It's been a long and rocky road.  I have always written for my own enjoyment, having written my first short story when I was ten.  I spent my career in public relations, primarily writing.  I wrote "Dreams Surpassed", which is my first novel and I hope will be published after "Living with a Legend", I was young and hopeful.  When I wrote "Betrayal", it was a story that just had to come out.  I finished the first draft in three months, unlike "Dreams Surpassed" which was a five year proposition and still needs a major edit.  I was too impatient to find a publisher for "Betrayal", so I self-published.  Big mistake!  Even with years of marketing and public relations experience, it was still difficult.

Why did you choose to self-publish?: Impatience, pure and simple.

Would I do it again?:  Never!!  Too expensive, too much work, and little results.

Please share some advice to help future authors: Don't self-publish unless you can afford to hire a marketing firm to back you up and be prepared to spend a great deal of money on book tours without seeing a profit.  Go the traditional route and perfect your query letters to send to agents or publishers.  A small publishing house is still better than self-publishing.  Do an excellent proposal and get it out there.

On the writing end, start with a basic outline.  Don't just sit down and write.  You'll never get finished and you'll edit for the rest of your life.  An outline also helps writer's block.  There will always be a portion of the book you won't feel like writing.  Those are the days when you can work on a different part of the book if you have an outline.

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Self Publishing Is it worth the effort?

One of the areas that I think tends to scare off potential authors from self-publishing is the idea of having to do their own marketing.  Isn’t that what a traditional publisher is supposed to do for you? 

I follow the posts of many of my favorite authors to see how well they do with their book deals and it amazes me just how much time they spend on the road self-promoting.  Book signings, guest speaking, books fairs, etc.  You name it these people are doing it.  Is that really any different from what you do?

Aren’t you on line chatting, emailing, posting and smooth talking with potential buyers?  Why has the idea of self-marketing become so tainted when it’s exactly what traditional published authors are doing?

Are you a friend of an author?  Follower on twitter?  Subscriber to a blog?  Exactly.  Me too. 

If you can talk you can self promote.  If you can type, which I hope you can since you want to be an author, then you can self promote.  If you can blog, tweet, email, text or use any other form of social media, then you can self promote. 

The key to any form of promotion is getting you name out there.  I won’t lie to you.  It takes time, dedication and more hours than I could ever have dreamed, but it’s all worth it.

Tips of ways to self-promote your new book:

·        Do an author interview with me www.self-published-authors.blogspot.com and link it to your site.

·        Create a blog.  IT’S FREE!!  I use blogger and love it!  You can also use wordpress or other sites.

·        Get on Facebook.  Join some of the book review groups.

·        Sign up for LinkedIn.  Start meeting other authors.

·        Join a writer’s group.

·        Get to know your Librarian! 

·        Get your picture and book cover in a local paper.

·        Twitter

·        Create an author profile on your ebook site (it shows up in search engines)

·        Create an email list of people to inform of new publications

·        Book signings

·        Get your book into your local school system if it’s the right age group (or a college)

·        Offer free copies of your book in exchange for a book review

·        Co-write on a friends blog

·        Create a Book movie poster (these are fun)

·        Download your book trailer onto YouTube

These are just a few ideas but they can keep you hopping.  Pick one and start today.  You don’t have to wait until you book is published to start promoting.

But always remember- creating a career around writing isn’t easy.  It’s takes time, but never let low book sales tell you that you’re not a success.  It just means you need to get back to promoting.  Have faith in yourself, even if no one else will. 

Happy writing!

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Free Author Interview: Lauren Clark

Author Bio: Lauren Clark has been a voracious reader since the age of four and would rather be stranded at the library than on a desert island. In her former life, she worked as an anchor and producer for CBS affiliates in Upstate New York and Alabama. Lauren adores her family, yoga, her new Electra bike, and flavored coffee. She lives near the Florida Gulf Coast. Visit her website at LaurenClarkBooks.com.

What happens when a #1 news team becomes the top story instead of reporting it?

For TV producer Melissa Moore, crisis management comes with the job. From employee meltdowns to her high-maintenance boss, there’s not much she hasn’t seen or can’t handle. But no one—including Melissa—expects a fistfight during the ten o’clock news. When sexy-but-crazy Alyssa Andrews lands a punch on her co-anchor’s face, Melissa jumps on set to help. She’s determined that WSGA’s reputation won’t be destroyed on her watch.

Both anchors are fired and Melissa agrees to fill in—but not before polishing her look from haircut to heels. While the new Melissa wows WSGA viewers, her personal life begins fraying at the edges. Melissa’s husband is away more than he’s home, leaving cryptic Post-it notes in his wake. Her mother’s antics spiral out of control at the nursing home, a friend’s daughter disappears, and a stalker makes Melissa her next target.

What happens next? Stay Tuned…

How long did it take to write the book?  Five years start to finish!  Lots of breaks in between.

What inspired you to write the book?  True Story: Before I began work at an Upstate NY TV station as a reporter, the two main anchors (who were in a romantic relationship) got into a fistfight in the parking lot of the television station. They were fired, it made the newspaper, and a lot of ugly editorials and threats were exchanged. I thought it would be fun to have something similar happen on air and watch what would happen behind the scenes.

Talk about the writing process. do you write at night or in the morning?  I am a morning person!  I need quiet and often hide out in the local university's library basement (where I have to shut off my cell phone and I don't have the password for the internet).

Did you use an outline or do you just wing the first draft?  Outline. I have to use an outline or I find myself meandering off into random places that have nothing to do with the plot!

How is your book different from others in your genre?  I have another women's fiction/chick lit book in the works. I'm also writing psychological thrillers. The women's fiction/chick lit is a nice break from the heavy-duty research and intricate plotting.

Is your book published in print, e-book or both?  Stay Tuned is available in an eBook and paperback.

Where can we go to buy your book?  Amazon, Smashwords, BN.com

Tell us about your next book or a work in progress. Is it a sequel or a stand alone?  Dancing Naked in Dixie (stand alone). A talented but scattered travel magazine writer is on the verge of getting fired. To save her job, she reluctantly accepts an assignment to cover the city of Eufaula, Alabama's annual Pilgrimage. She arrives only to discover that a developer has big plans to turn the historic area into a tourist site.

Any other links or info you'd like to share?  http://www.laurenclarkbooks.com

 http://www.laurenclarkbooks.org

About your book:

Title: Stay Tuned

Author: Lauren Clark

Page count: 272

Genre: Upmarket Women's Fiction/Chick Lit

Publisher: Monterey Press LLC

Excerpt from book:

STAY TUNED

Chapter 1

            Alyssa Andrews was missing.

Gone, vanished, MIA with just minutes to airtime.

“Melissa, where is she?” Our news director, Joe, shot a harried look in my direction. After dealing with a broken studio camera, spotty satellite reception, and last-minute script changes, his nerves were fried to a crisp.

“She’ll be here,” I promised, knowing my confidence was a front. Alyssa, one of WSGA-TV’s main news anchors, was a constant source of angst in my already-stressful job.

She was young, talented, gorgeous…and chronically late.

This lack of punctuality was a problem, especially when WSGA ran a show at exactly six and ten o’clock every night. Not a moment later.

WSGA was Macon, Georgia’s number one news station and had been for two years running. If we wanted to keep it that way, timing was everything. Every second mattered.

I produced both evening shows, which meant—among a dozen other tasks—organizing the day’s stories, writing copy, and checking video. Each segment had to run seamlessly between three-minute commercial breaks.

Deep breath, Melissa. Send up a little prayer. She’ll show up.

The red numbers on the clock continued to march forward. 

Another deep breath. Everything’s in place. Alyssa just needs to walk in and get on set…

“Tighten up on camera one.” Joe peppered the room with demands. “Mic check, now, not yesterday.”

Tim Donaldson, Alyssa’s co-anchor, obliged, counting backwards from the number five.

Joe’s thick fingers punched buttons on the massive keyboard in front of him. “Bring up the live shot.”

Still, no Alyssa.

Joe raked a huge hand through his long gray hair. “Five minutes!” he growled, with a glare into his empty coffee cup.

At this point, it was Joe’s show to run. He was in charge. I shuffled my scripts. “How about I call her?”

“She’s an adult,” he grumbled. “You shouldn’t have to.”

Joe expected nothing less than perfection. He was experienced, hard working, and a stickler for detail. Alyssa’s nonchalance made him crazy.

Which, at 9:55:36 on a Friday night, gave him the patience of a gnat. On crack.

This was particularly dangerous for an unsuspecting new employee, all of twenty years old and pimple-faced, who crept up behind us.

Joe ignored him at first, barking an order to me instead. “Fine, fine. Melissa, tell Princess A. she’s needed in the studio.”

On autopilot, I punched her extension, eyes focused on the row of monitors above my head in case she decided to appear.  

While the phone rang, the new kid rocked on his heels nervously. I flashed a smile and shook my head gently in his direction, hoping he’d get the hint.

Not now.

Nope. The kid stood there, coughed lightly, and waited for one of us to turn around.

“What?” Joe finally snapped.

The force of the word made the kid’s body jerk back. Jaw open, unable to speak, his face turned crimson.

Joe waited about a second for the kid to talk, and then leaned back over the control panel. He pressed at switches, clearly annoyed. The kid looked sick. Joe rolled his eyes. My anxiety level cranked up ten notches.     

9:58:09. Less than two minutes.

Wait…a flash of an ivory suit and blond hair.

“There she is,” I interrupted the tension with a cool nod toward the monitors.

Front and center, Alyssa sauntered into the studio, lips puckered, blowing her shell-pink nail polish dry. She slid into her seat next to Tim, and gave him a playful pat on the shoulder.

Joe muttered something I couldn’t repeat.

I stifled a loud sigh of relief and glanced around the room. The new guy was the only one in the building unimpressed with Alyssa’s arrival. With a shaking hand, he reached out and tapped Joe’s burly shoulder.

“Mr. Joe, there’s a problem with one of the machines—”

Joe’s back stiffened. He turned a millimeter in the kid’s direction and exploded. “Get your butt back there. Get one of the engineers. Fix it. Call someone.”

I caught the now-completely mortified kid’s eye, and motioned for him to come toward me. Grabbing the nearest piece of paper, I jotted down the engineer’s extension and held it at arm’s length with a kind smile. Poor guy. Lots to learn.

With a grateful look, the new kid plucked the scrap from my fingers and darted away.

Time to get started.

I settled in, gripped my pen hard, and looked up.

Okay. Alyssa’s collar was turned under. Minor detail, but sure to garner at least five viewer complaints. You wouldn’t believe what people called in about. 

I leaned toward the microphone to let Alyssa know.

            “Dare you not to tell her,” Joe muttered. It wasn’t a secret that the guys would willingly let Alyssa go on air with underwear on her head. She hadn’t made friends. Or tried to.

Tim, her co-anchor and current boyfriend, didn’t count.

“Just part of those darn producer duties, Joe. You know that.” I flashed him a smile and pressed the button to talk. “Alyssa, fix your collar.”

Her mouth parted into an O. Alyssa frowned, glanced down, and straightened the pale edge. Just in time.

Like a well-directed movie, the WSGA-TV opening video flashed across monitor one. Macon, Georgia’s skyline filled the screen.

My body tingled with a familiar rush of excitement. It happened every time we went on air. The cameras and lights, the beat of the music, the thrill of live television.

Here we go.      

Seconds later, Alyssa and Tim appeared under the lights, their bright anchor smiles pasted on.

“Good evening, I’m Alyssa Andrews.

“And I’m Tim Donaldson.”

            And on it went, without a blip, for the first ten minutes. I started breathing again after the third break.

            Stanley and Sunshine, the weather cat, were ready for the five-day forecast, check.

            Commercial break, check.

Sports, check. I didn’t worry about that three-minute slot. Plenty to talk about, visual stories; the anchors could get away with jokes and ad-libbing. Viewers loved it.

            We rounded out the show with an inspirational kicker about a local scholarship winner, a kid first in his family to go to college. He’d won forty thousand dollars and was going to Georgia Tech to study astrophysics.

            The show wrapped with a standard goodnight, credits, and a wide shot of the WSGA set.    

The second the master control operator switched to break, Alyssa flounced off the set in silicone fashion. She barked into her jewel-encrusted cell phone about her min-pin puppy’s cancelled spa appointment and stomped out of the studio, teetering precariously in four-inch heels.

            Yikes!

I climbed the flight of stairs back to the newsroom, relieved the night was almost over.

The phones started to ring five seconds later.

Free Author Interview: Marilyn Bostick

Author Name: Marilyn Bostick

Book Title: Run

Book Description:  A group of anarchists seeks to unleash their brand of chaos and terror. One man pulls all the strings and plots new ways of unleashing terror on the innocent. A disk with a mysterious program and an even more mysterious and cryptic letter to be solved pulls in one woman who seeks answers to the mysterious disk and whose life turns to horror overnight as she plunges into a nightmare where there seems to be no end. A detective who listens gets caught up in the web of terror as he tries to keep Brianna Benning alive and solve the mystery of the disk.

Available at PublishAmerica through this link  http://www.publishamerica.net/product11929.html

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Free Author Interview: Aditi Chopra

Self Published Authors is pleased to present Aditi's free author interview for her new book How to succeed as a Process Professional.  Thanks for joining us Aditi! 

Author Name:  My name is Aditi Chopra. My first book is on Business Process Management. It is called “How to succeed as a Process Professional”.

Where can we find your book? How much does it cost?  My book is available as a paperback for $9.99 on my website(http://www.aditichopra.com//) as well as on amazon(1http://www.amazon.com/How-succeed-Process-Professional-Practitioners/dp/1463746776/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317918636&sr=8-1). E-book version of my book is also available for $8.99 in kindle stores in USA, UK, France and Germany.

Tell us a little about your book.  This book provides practical insights into challenges faced by process professionals and how to overcome them to attain success.

Do you have any upcoming projects?  I am currently writing a book on Leadership skills. This book is inspired by my experience being a software development manager and a process leader.

What has your journey as a writer been like?  I absolutely love writing. I have three blogs where I regularly share my thoughts. Writing is very enriching as it lets me share my unique thoughts with the rest of the world. It is also very fulfilling because I am helping people by teaching them the tricks that worked for me.

Is there anything unique about yourself that you would like your readers to know?  I have an inherent gift of understanding and assessing any situation, audience, system or environment. It helps me in making a good judgment call as well as address the root cause. I believe in not just addressing the symptoms but attacking the root cause to address a problem.

Who is your favorite author and why?  I have read a lot of books, the most effective book I have read was written by Daniel Goleman on the subject of Emotional Intelligence. Leadership has been a mystery for several years; Daniel Goleman has given a different meaning to leadership by writing this book.

Please share some advice to help future authors.

Write with passion and think about how your book can help other people. It’s not about you as a writer but rather about what readers would want to read.

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Needing book reviewers

I don't normally do this, as you can tell by the way I spend most of my time interviewing and helping other authors, but I need help.  My debut novel, Defiance Rising, is struggling to get reviews and like all of you, I need them too. 

If anyone would be willing to exchange a free copy of my teen romance, Defiance Rising, for a review on Amazon and/or your own personal blog please let me know.  I would be eternally grateful!

Product Description

Eighteen-year-old Illyria Anderson has found the one thing she desires most. But choosing him will bring about Earth’s destruction.

A Darkness is growing within Illyria’s soul, threatening to assume control of her mind and her unstable powers. The sinister thoughts that flash before her eyes are filled with images too brutal to put into words. For a normal person this wouldn’t be a problem. Popping a few pills before heading to a weekly counseling session would be enough to control the insanity, but Illyria isn’t normal. She’s not even sure she’s human. The only thing she is sure of is that she’s dangerous.

Bastien Lewis, a sinfully handsome stranger, is the only person who can bring Illyria back from the brink of destruction as she struggles to control her powers. He’s the only one that isn’t afraid of her or the Darkness that threatens to unleash its devastating power on the universe. But being near him is almost more than Illyria can bear when she learns that her destiny does not lie with Bastien, but with another. Illyria must decide if her love for Bastien is worth giving up everything, even if the price to be paid is Earth’s enslavement.

Defiance Rising is the first novel in the Defiance Rising Trilogy.

If interested please email me at DefianceRising@live.com

Thanks so much everyone!

Free Author Interview: Kelly Preston

Author Name:  Kelly Preston

Where can we find your book?  Real Dogs Don't Whisper can be found at the following locations: 

Real Dogs Don't Whisper (http://www.realdogsdontwhisper.com/) Amazon.com
BookShop Santa Cruz

How much does it cost? eBook/ePub 9.99; Paperback 9.99; and Hard cover 20.99. 

Do you have any upcoming projects? I have a few projects coming up; the first one that is coming up is taking Real Dogs Don't Whisper to Mobile (Smartphone) platforms.  Very shortly, the book will be available in either iTunes or MarketPlace.  Once I have this completed, I am looking at taking the chapters within my book and creating children's books.

What has your journey as a writer been like?  It has been very fulfilling.  I had no idea how much writing can touch one's life; or, for that matter, how many lives are touched.  I wrote this book from my heart and wanted to share an inspirational story about special need dogs; and, the feedback has been priceless.

Why did you choose to self publish?  I selected self publishing for several reasons.  The first being that the more I read and did research on obtaining an agent for the traditional path was becoming more and more challenging.  With all the options now available for self publish, I thought that I would have a better opportunity this way; especially with digital efforts.

Would you do it again? Yes, I would (and will); of course, if there are any agents/managers that would like to represent me, I am open and receptive (lol).

Please share some advice to help future authors.  Some of the advice that I can give is consistent marketing; think outside the box and do not be afraid to take risks. Also, go in to this with patience and the utmost dedication to your cause. 

How do you plan to promote your book? I am using Ad Words, Google Display Network, FaceBook, Tumblr, Twitter, my own website (http://www.realdogsdontwhisper.com/), YouTube, press releases, pet events.  Just to name a few marketing efforts that I have started. 

How did you create your characters? My characters are my dogs; since this is a true story, they have supplied endless amounts of material.  Some content funny; some heart warming; and some tear jerking.  They certainly have been an important part of this book.

How do you juggle life around your writing? Boy that is a great question! I am still trying to find the balance, let me get back to you on that one.  However, if anyone knows the secret, please share.

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Free Author Interview: Astra Crompton

Author Name: Astra Crompton

Where can we find your book, First Born?  It is available on CreateSpace, here: https://www.createspace.com/3672901
It can also be found on Amazon.com, here: http://www.amazon.com/First-Born-Astra-Crompton/dp/1466236523/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317274704&sr=1-1 (Here you can read through a few pages in preview so that you can get a taste of my writing style!)
And if you want it signed, if can be purchased directly from me at various conventions, or through my website, here: http://www.astracrompton.com/gallery/forsale.html
How much does it cost?  $15.00 is my listing price, though some distributors may fluctuate that as their margin requires.
Tell us a little about your book.  "First Born" is a work of inspired fantasy set on an original foreign world complete with races, culture, language, religion and magic. It follows the life of a child intended to be sacrificed, who instead survives and lives under a Curse that cannot be shaken. A tale of self-discovery, love, unwavering hope and faith, it is sure to touch hearts and fascinate minds. As a side-note, I completed all aspects of this book myself, including the world design and writing, the cover design and execution, the illustrations throughout the book, the translations, the recipe offered in its end pages, even the map!
 
Do you have any upcoming projects?  Indeed! This book was actually an unexpected child. I have some 15 other novels in various states of planning, as well as two currently running graphic novels, a series of short stories, (not counting my non-written endeavors). The next creations to look for are the first print volume of Angel Down, one of my graphic novels and Dreamscapes, my collection of autobiographical dreamings as a collection of short stories.
What has your journey as a writer been like?  It has been a swift and steadily improving adventure! I began to write novels at the age of 15, and soon after I began, I stumbled across the fantasy setting, Ul-Zaorith, that would become the stage for my series of novels. I spent some 10 years developing the world, learning about the alien peoples that lived there, the languages they spoke, the scripts they wrote, their history, heroes, magics and gods. It has been a fascination that has greatly inspired me through song, cooking, sewing and art. I hope to continue offering its tales to the world, and hope to kindle love for it in others.
Why did you choose to self publish?  I initially harbored dreams of being discovered and scooped up by some great publishing house, becoming a best seller, being able to write full-time... And while the dreams of success and support from my craft have not changed, I am now rather sold on self-publishing. The level of detail, depth and design that I require from my works is hard to pursue when a big publisher wants just 'words that will sell and that's it'. Choosing the correct fonts, insetting self-created illustrations, including supplementary material, having a say in my cover design - all these reasons spurred me to forgo the big publishing houses and simply complete the work myself. Having my finished book in my hands, being able to flip through my pages and see my vision made real has been so rewarding.
Would you do it again?  I intend to! In fact, I have another manuscript going through the preparation phases now!
Please share some advice to help future authors.  Don't be afraid to improve your work. There are a lot of little things that can take your manuscript from being a lack-lustre pet project to being a professional book - be patient and allow all of these things to be pursued and polished. Don't book events until you have the perfect book right there in your hands. Get as many people as possible to read the drafts and proofs before you okay the final product - guaranteed they will catch something you've overlooked. Love your project, and don't be afraid to show it, but be humble and understand that not everyone will love your work as much as you do. Don't get discouraged. A wise man once said: success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. 
 Who is your favourite author and why?  I have a few favourites, simply because they have each inspired me. In chronological order of discovery:
Michael Moorcock. The veritable king of sci-fi and fantasy, he is arguably the man who invented the multiverse and who pioneered modern aspects of epic fantasy. His vision for fantastic vistas, races and cultures so mirrored what I myself was creating, that reading his works (Hawkmoon and Corum especially) I for the first time thought, 'I can do this!' 
Guy Gavriel Kay. A sensual and poignant writer whose characters were the sorts of people that moved a reader, caused them to feel love or loss, and to weep at the trials that befell them. His elegant blendings of Earth-inspired settings were vivid enough to lift the imagination but grounded enough to believe it history. 
Joe Abercrombie. Reading his work has been perhaps the most influential from taking my tales from Tolkein-esque doldrums to swift and exciting reading. He took every author convention and broke it - and in doing so taught me to have no fear in being true to the story as opposed to convention. His dialogue is whip-sharp, his characters gritty, his action deliciously real. Seeing how artfully a tale could be wrought enabled me to perceive the otherwise overlooked aspects of a story. 
 A few others I would recommend: Douglas Adams, for his humour, tongue-in-cheek commentary and glib narration; Neil Gaiman, for his brilliant creations, humour blended with macabre and fantastical scenes; R. Scott Bakker, for his deeply complex settings, intricate plots and Machiavellian characters; Alexandre Dumas, a master of intrigue, romance and adventure; Anne Rice, for sensual, sumptuous characters, easy writing and occult themes.   
 What was the process you used to write your manuscript?  My method is the same for every one of my writing projects:
I begin with a focal character - the person I wish to follow. I make notes on the key points in the person's life, then I widen my scope to take in their city, country and world at that time to understand where things stood on a political, or magical, or militaristic level to better understand the causes for and repercussions of their actions and choices. Inevitably these critical points involve others, and I investigate these others, learning about them and through them about the main character(s).

I continue this pattern until I have far more information than I'll actually use in the tale. Then I start at the beginning - usually starting with a title - and I begin to write. I always write chronologically, because my writing always ends up looping back and connecting with things that preceded, tying everything together more neatly than I could ever plan intentionally. I loop through every key plot point like stringing beads with my words until I finish the first draft. Throughout this process I pause during tirades and re-read what I've written, cleaning it up as I go. When the manuscript is fully written, I read the whole thing through from the beginning, rewriting and streamlining, re-ordering sentence structure and correcting inconsistencies as I go.

During this stage, I often have many notebooks and files to keep track of time, seasons, ages, movement of other characters in the background, language translations etc. When this combing is done through the whole, I read it through again to make sure everything is accurate and pertinent. Then I go through it with my husband and pick it apart in the editing process. From beginning to end, each book goes through about 6 drafts to reach a finished state. Then comes the illustrations and formatting - a whole new barrel of laughs!

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