Q: It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a ‘real’ job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?

I was a graphic production director in the printing industry before I retired. I used to be in charge of publishing other people’s books, including everything from proofreading and design actually doing the mechanical layouts, so when I decided to publish my books, it was a natural progression for me and it was lots more fun to be doing my own.

Q: What compelled you to write your first book?

The first book I published was one of my children’s books and since I tell the stories in the poetry format, it follows the others in my love for writing in verse. I published my first book after my husband died from a long illness with cancer and I needed to find a new direction for my life.

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I have always dabbled at it, but until recently I never dreamed that one day I could actually be published.

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

I have loved to write poetry since I was a small child. My book, My Heart And Soul is a collection of writings including poetry, prose, letters and prayers that I have put together from many years of life’s experiences. I write about my own experiences, but I also write about social issues, which need to be more openly addressed in today’s world, such as prejudice and bigotry.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

I am writing my seventh children’s book. Once the story is complete I will start working on the illustrations for it since I both write and illustrate my children’s books.

Q: How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?

Oh my goodness! I can still remember that feeling. It was even better than when I saw my first piece of art-work come off the press in the printing industry many years ago. There is such a powerful feeling of accomplishment and gratitude that at times I still feel overwhelmed.

Q: What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write? Do you need the noise or the silence?

I have been known to do both music (I prefer country music) and silence. It really depends on how serious the part of the book is that I am working on. If it is an easy part and things are flowing, I love listening to the music, but if it is a bit more serious and maybe even difficult, I prefer the silence so I can fully concentrate.

Q: If you could live in one of your books, which one would you live in? (If you’re promoting your first publication, feel free to talk about an unpublished piece.)

I write from my own life experiences and so I suppose the answer to that would be that in a way I have lived in my books. I would have fun in any one of the children’s books. All of the characters are lots of fun and the endings to the stories are always happy.

Q: When growing up, did you have a favorite author, book series, or book?

I loved the Nancy Drew Mystery series when I was a child growing up and even as an adult my favorite books are true-life crime stories.

Q: What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?

My favorite author is Ann Rule. I love and am fascinated by the way she takes readers into the psychology of the criminal mind.

Q: When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your book/s and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?

I would like to be known one day for having the courage to speak my truth and for not ever compromising my values for any worldly gain.

Q: Where you have lived and what you have experienced can influence your writing in many ways. Are there any specific locations or experiences that have popped up in your books?

Yes, in my newest fiction book, titled Quicksand, I used the setting in Hawaii, specifically the island of Kauai for the ending of that book and nearly all of my writing is based on my own experiences so I am very familiar with the influence they have on me.

Q: What is your writing space like? Do you have a designated space? What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting? Typing? Handwriting?

I write wherever I am at the moment I become inspired. One of my children’s books was partly written on an airplane while I was snowed in at Dallas, Texas, waiting to be de-iced and repaired for nearly five hours. My space at home is an art room and studio where I do my illustrations and writing as well as my many other art projects. It is completely loaded with books on antiques, which I study often, shelves to hold all the ingredients for my numerous art projects that I have started at any given time, and lots of table top space where I work on those projects. My desk sits under a window so there is always lots of light in the daytime and I share the desk with my computer, printer and numerous other pieces of electronic equipment.

Q: Is there anything you’d go back and do differently now that you have been published, in regards to your writing career?

I would have started earlier in my life. I find this to be the best time I have ever had and I am amazed at how much fun I am having. Writing and illustrating the books has been a wonderful experience and I look forward to every single day today.

Q: It’s one thing to write a book and another to edit it. How do you feel about the editing process?

Because of my previous experience in the printing industry I knew what to expect when it came time to do the editing and I actually enjoyed working with the professional editors as we went through the book line for line.

Q: Now that you are a published author, does it feel differently than you had imagined?

Yes, it absolutely feels different than I would have expected. There is a definite difference in the way others treat me now. They seem to have an awareness of who I am and are more respectful and in some cases actually in awe of the fact that I am a published author. It is very different than it was before and I am enjoying it very much.

Kathi Macias (www.kathimacias.com) is a multi-award winning writer and radio host (www.blogtalkradio.com/communicatethevision) who has authored 30 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and recently won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association). Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias (http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com) lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding their Harley.

Q: It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a ‘real’ job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?

I do writing-related work fulltime, meaning that I write (books, articles, etc.), edit, ghostwrite, and speak/teach on many of the topics in my books. All those things are necessary to actually make a living from writing (though there are rare exceptions). I’ve had several jobs through the years, including pharmacist assistant, pre-school teacher, bank teller, and biblical counselor at a large church. All of them, to one degree or another, helped make me who I am and therefore influence my writing to an extent. The biblical counselor position was the most influential.

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Yes! I never wanted to be/do anything else. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, starting with grammar school. My husband often reminds me of the day we were walking home from junior high school (SOOO many years ago!) and I announced that I was going to be a writer some day. Quite obviously God birthed a love of words in me from the beginning!

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

I actually have six books releasing this year. The first is a Spanish edition of a nonfiction book that released in English last year (Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today). The next two are the two releasing now, No Greater Love and More than Conquerors, the first two books in the four-book Extreme Devotion series. This is a contemporary international series, with each book set in a different country (South Africa, Mexico, China, and Saudi Arabia). The third and fourth books (Red Ink and People of the Book) release in October 2010 and January 2011. The stories are laced with danger, romance, intrigue, and courage, and are all loosely based on the lives of members of the persecuted Church around the world. I also have a stand-alone historical (third-century) novel releasing in October of this year, co-authored with Susan Wales.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

I am racing to complete book four of the series (People of the Book), while marketing the current releases and monitoring the two already in production for fall release. And, of course, I’m developing the storylines for the next series.

Q: Do you have a favorite character? Why is s/he your favorite?

I have a favorite character in each of my novels, but I’ll focus on book one of the Extreme Devotion series for this answer. Chioma, the 16-year-old heroine of No Greater Love, is my favorite. She’s strong and determined, despite having come through mind-boggling challenges and losses. Though headstrong and—in the beginning—bent on revenge, she comes face to face with a love so amazing that it disarms her and enables her to choose self-sacrificing love over hatred.

Q: How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?

I have published thirty books now, with more to come, but I feel the same way each time one of my “babies” is born—excited, thrilled, overjoyed, and greatly humbled. The possibilities and responsibilities are nearly overwhelming, but I always remind myself that God got me this far and He’s not going to leave me now!

Q: What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write? Do you need the noise or the silence?

I love the sound of silence! No music, no TV, no voices. An occasional bird or some other sound of nature is perfect, but nothing else. When I’m in the “zone,” I don’t want any interruptions!

Q: How do you balance out the writer’s life and the rest of life? Do you get up early? Stay up late? Ignore friends and family for certain periods of time?

This is one of the toughest things for any writer. Because I live on the West Coast, I get up very early because my publishers/agents are on the East Coast. Radio stations back East want to do morning interviews. I’ve gotten used to working in the morning and shutting down early in the evening, but if I could switch and sleep in a bit and work later, I’d be happy to do so. Translation? I’m not a morning person by choice but by necessity. And yes, I ignore the phone and knocks at the door and anything else I have to when I’ve got several thousand words to churn out that day.

Q: What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?

My favorite all-time book/novel—the one that most inspired influenced me and fueled my passion for the type of writing I’m doing now—is Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. It is stunningly, achingly beautiful and heartbreaking. You cannot read it and remain unchanged! I also enjoy Francine Rivers and the Thoenes. I suppose I like any sort of fiction that has a serious message and forces me to deal with issues I would never even consider in a nonfiction book. I do not read light or fluffy fiction to escape. Nothing wrong with it, but it just bores me. Too predictable and unchallenging!

Q: When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your book/s and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?

I hope/pray they say, “She wrote all the books God called her to write (whether they published or not)—nothing more, nothing less.”

Q: In my experience, some things come quite easily (like creating the setting) and other things aren’t so easy (like deciding on a title). What comes easily to you and what do you find more difficult?

Titles are the easiest for me. In fact, I often come up with a title first and find a story to fit them later. In my nonfiction book about my futile attempt to become the perfect Proverbs 31 woman, How Can I Run a Tight Ship when I’m Surrounded by Loose Cannons, I came up with the title and loved it so much I just knew I had to write a book to go with it. The toughest part for me is getting started on a new novel. I write much more slowly in the beginning, as I get to know my characters and discover what makes them tick and why. Once the story is underway, I can easily write several thousand words in a matter of a few hours.

Q: It’s one thing to write a book and another to edit it. How do you feel about the editing process? What was it like to edit your book?

Because I have worked in-house as an editor at one of the CBA publishers, I understand the editing process, which helps tremendously. In fact, I am often hired by other authors to edit their work before they turn it into their publishers.

Q: Now that you are a published author, does it feel differently than you had imagined?

I’ve been a published author for about twenty-five years now, and though it’s been a lot more hard work than I had originally envisioned, the sense of accomplishment more than makes up for it. I love what I do, and I often tell people I love it so much I’d do it for free (but don’t tell my publishers!).

Q: It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a ‘real’ job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?

I retired after 25 years in food service to hike the Trail. Now I’m spending my time promoting my book, speaking to groups, and planning a new adventure and more books.

Q: What compelled you to write your first book?

I’d always wanted to write a book about “life”, but I was always too busy—until my wife died. Then I realized I needed to do something drastic to change my life and to figure out if the God I had been taught about and believed in for 50-plus years really had any relevance to my life. I set out to hike the Appalachian Trail, intending to write a book about the adventure and characters I met.

The book turned out to be something very different.

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

The book is about the healing I found on a 2,l76 hike through fourteen states immersing myself in nature. It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, but also the most rewarding. It’s about the people I met and the peace I found out there in the woods.

Q: How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?

Aha. It was very exciting and rewarding to realize that what I’d dreamed about all these years was reality. I dropped to my knees and thanked the good Lord.

Q: What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write? Do you need the noise or the silence?

Definitely silence. And coffee or Coke or chocolate. And activity—I pace while thinking.

Q: Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?

Edward Abbey is one writer that’s influenced my writing. Informal, humorous, makes you laugh and makes you cry. One difference—my writing has a spiritual vein that Abbey does not.

Q: When growing up, did you have a favorite author, book series, or book?

I was hooked on the Hardy books when I was a kid. But growing up in a Conservative Mennonite home with no radio or TV, I’d read stacks of books on history, mystery, and space exploration.

Q: What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?

Henry David Thoreau is my favorite author. I like to read books on nature, hiking, and biking.

Q: When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your book/s and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?

Actually, thinking about my own obituary was part of what propelled me to change my life.

Now I hope they say, “He enjoyed the journey”.

Q: Where you have lived and what you have experienced can influence your writing in many ways. Are there any specific locations or experiences that have popped up in your books?

Being raised in a strict Amish/Mennonite community affected my view of God and everything else I met in life. Many of those views changed on the Trail. My book relates stories from my own past as they related to what I learned while hiking from Georgia to Maine.

Q: Is there any particular book that, when you read it, you thought, “I wish I had written that!”?

No. My thought was more that “Hey, this guy beat me to it and wrote my book.”

Q: Do you have any book signings, tours or special events planned to promote your book that readers might be interested in attending? If so, when and where?

I keep my book signings listed on my website, www.hikingthrough.com. If anyone’s in the area, stop in and chat. (OK—buy a book, too!)

Q: Now that you are a published author, does it feel differently than you had imagined?

Yeah! There’s a lot more work after the publishing than I ever imagined.

Use this space to tell us more about who you. Anything you want your readers to know. Include information on where to find your books, any blogs you may have, or how a reader can learn more about you and writing.

After hiking the Appalachian Trail, I realized there are still kind and caring and good people out there in today’s world. God’s still relevant in His children’s lives. And losing my wife made me realize how important it is to appreciate and cherish our loved ones while we have them.

In the middle of the word “life” is the word “if”. It’s very sad for someone to reach the end of his life and be haunted by the ifs–If only I had done this or What if I had tried that? Live now.

Don’t wait. We have no promise of tomorrow.

My book is available at my website www.hikingthrough.com. I appreciate readers’ feedback. You can also order through Amazon or through your local bookstore.

Wahlder has worked with numerous organizations, including Match.com, The Nielsen Company, Lucent Technologies and Girls, Inc., to improve individual performance and organizational effectiveness. Honored as the Global Spokesperson for Bayer’s Global MS Campaign, Wahlder is a dynamic media guest who has appeared in numerous print, radio, and television outlets including WFAA-TV’s Good Morning Texas, KDAF-TV’s The 33 News, CBS and CNN Radio. She has served as a contributing expert for publications such as Fitness magazine, Dallas Morning News, Texas Jewish Post, and Dallas Child. Wahlder lives in Dallas, Texas, with her fiancé Michael, “bonus daughter” Zoe and Portuguese water dog Moses.

Q: It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a ‘real’ job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?

My “real” job is as a life & career coach. I am devoted to helping people discover their strengths, passions, and purpose so that their outer lives authentically reflect their hearts’ desires. I’ve been a travel agent, symphony ticket broker, luxury hotel manager, sales manager for a chain of hotels and a training and performance manager for a communications corporation. All of these jobs have potential to be fulfilling, but they left me yearning for a deeper connection and purpose.

Not until I was laid off from my position as training and performance manager, while simultaneously fighting cancer, did I realize that I wanted to spend my days on this earth doing something meaningful that made a difference in my life and the lives of others. I hired a life coach to help me figure out what career would put my strengths to good use. Nine years later, I couldn’t be happier providing the same guidance I once needed. My career experiences have influenced my life choices and my perspective as a writer. I believe that there is someone for every job, and there is a fitting job for everyone. It’s a matter of knowing your strengths, values and passions and finding or creating a job that allows you to be your best self.

Q: What compelled you to write your first book?

The idea for Alphatudes: The Alphabet of Gratitude, my first book, came to me in a most unlikely way. I wasn’t feeling grateful at all. In fact, I had been going through a period of disrupted sleep and was quite cranky over my inability to sleep soundly. I had tried many different techniques, but none had worked. On one particular night, while lying in bed, the concept of gratitude entered my thoughts.

I spontaneously started thinking of things I was grateful for using the structure of the alphabet –it was easy and fun! Counting my blessings instead of counting burdens or sheep, turned out to be a habit that had begun to affect my outlook on life in a positive way. I shared the process with clients and friends and they found the process changed their lives in a positive way. I wanted to share it with a larger audience and began writing Alphatudes.

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

Alphatudes: The Alphabet of Gratitude, uses the structure of the alphabet, to provide 26 spiritual solutions to help individuals develop a perspective of gratitude to better cope with the challenges of life. It offers a rare combination of uplifting and beautiful illustrations, quotes, narratives, affirmations and prayers to give the reader an experience of gratitude rather than just a theoretical explanation. Alphatudes will help readers:

• Heighten their awareness and appreciation of life’s daily gifts
• Attract opportunities with a positive mind-set
• Surmount life’s challenges with a healthy reservoir of gratitude
• Find the hidden blessings in difficult situations
• Free themselves from worry, negativity and resentment

Q: How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?

It was like holding a newly birthed baby in my arms. I felt overjoyed!

Q: What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write? Do you need the noise or the silence?

I vacillate between enjoying the complete silence in my home and needing the noisy atmosphere of a Starbucks. It depends on particular day and my mood.

Q: When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your book/s and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?

My hope is that my obituary will say that through my book, Alphatudes, I provided mankind with an easy-to-implement, powerful method for helping people find the wellspring of optimism, serenity and prosperity that comes from the simple practice of gratitude. Also, that I helped people transform their attitudes and their lives, through my coaching work which in turn made the world a better place in which to live. That I uplifted my family, friends, clients and community and gave them a sense of hope and purpose.

Q: In my experience, some things come quite easily (like creating the setting) and other things aren’t so easy (like deciding on a title). What comes easily to you and what do you find more difficult?

I loved writing the affirmations and prayers – they came to me easily. This part particularly connected me to my spirituality and my connection with something greater than myself. I always felt inspired, energized and grateful when working on these aspects of the book.

I incorporated one famous quote from someone else, with each illustration. Narrowing down and including just one inspiring quote with each alphabetical teaching was difficult. There were so many to choose from and I wanted to pick the one that enhanced what I was trying to express most closely.

Q: Do you have any book signings, tours or special events planned to promote your book that readers might be interested in attending? If so, when and where?

Yes, I have 5 upcoming events at various Barnes & Nobles throughout Dallas/Ft. Worth. The book launch event starts on Saturday, February 20th and the book signings go throughout 2010. For more detailed information go to:
www.alphatudes.com/events

Q: It’s one thing to write a book and another to edit it. How do you feel about the editing process? What was it like to edit your book?

I edited my book myself several times before sending it to a professional editor. I am a writer, not an editor, my recommendation would be to have the eagle eyes of a professional editor on your team.

Use this space to tell us more about who you. Anything you want your readers to know. Include information on where to find your books, any blogs you may have, or how a reader can learn more about you and writing.

Finding the blessings of my day has become a positive healthy habit that has changed my outlook on life. This gratitude habit, which positively changes our attitude and outlook, is available to everyone. If you feel down, pessimistic or ungrateful you have the ability to lighten your suffering through the practice of gratitude, which helps us to find the blessings in our challenges. I find that the more I expect to experience opportunities for gratitude, the more opportunities are presented! Wishing you peace through gratitude.

Readers find out more about Michele Wahlder, Alphatudes and her coaching services at:

www.alphatudes.com
www.lifepossibilities.com

Readers can get connected to Michele through social media at:

http://www.facebook.com/michele.wahlder
http://www.facebook.com/alphatudes
http://www.linkedin.com/in/michelewahlder
http://www.youtube.com/michelewahlder

Michele Wahlder, Life & Career Coach, founder of Life Possibilities and author of Alphatudes: The Alphabet of Gratitude—26 Solutions for Life’s Little Challenges.

Kaylin has also served on numerous college and charity foundation boards, and continues her commitment to hospitals and children’s causes. For most of her life, she has written poems and short stories, and along with novels, currently writes articles for a syndicated travel magazine. Although Flaherty’s Crossing is Kaylin’s début novel, it has already garnered numerous awards and received recognition as a 2008 Golden Heart® Finalist.

http://www.kaylinmcfarren.com
http://www.flahertyscrossing.com

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Yes, most of my life. I honestly remember writing poems when I was five years old. I got into short stories when I was in junior high and eventually some of them ended up in my high school newspaper. My interest in writing continued for years but was limited to public relations with an emphasis on press releases and daily correspondence. In regard to novels, although I’ve contemplated penning a few for some time now, I’ve actually been writing manuscripts for a relatively short period of time.

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

In short, Flaherty’s Crossing is the story of a young woman’s emotional, faith-seeking journey that begins when her estranged, dying father reveals the part he played in her mother’s untimely death.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

I’m presently working on an action/adventure romance titled Severed Threads. Here’s the jest of the story: In order to save the life of her estranged brother from a ruthless mobster, former marine biologist Rachel Lyons is forced to steal a legendary artifact out from under Jordan Novak, a salvage diver and former love interest. However, when she discovers that Jordan has his own unselfish agenda for recovering the treasure, Rachel must decide whose life and love is more important.

I’m hoping to turn Severed Threads into a series which will take readers into mysterious and entrancing worlds such as Kyoto’s geisha quarters. I’m one of those writers who are never short on ideas – just a good, old-fashioned Irish storyteller I guess.

Q: Do you have a favorite character? Why is s/he your favorite?

Drew Coleman in Flaherty’s Crossing is one of my favorite characters. He’s an attractive, middle-aged divorce attorney who has spent most of his life trying to live up to his father’s expectations. In the midst of struggling with his obligations and job responsibilities, Drew’s marriage to Kate Flaherty explodes over trust issues and is left in total disrepair. However, when he learns his wife’s life is at risk, his priorities quickly shift and he discovers where his love and loyalties truly lie.

Q: What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write? Do you need the noise or the silence?

I love to listen to music and my taste varies depending on my mood and the stories I’m working on. When I need romantic inspiration, I listen to Enya or old Stevie Nicks’ songs. I love to create intimate conversations while Michael Buble croons. But I’ve also been known to blast some U-2 and Springsteen when I’m writing an intense or dramatic scene.

Q: How do you balance out the writer’s life and the rest of life? Do you get up early? Stay up late? Ignore friends and family for certain periods of time?

Well, my children are grown, my husband travels extensively, and I have a great library with lots of peace and quite. This affords me the luxury of writing as much as I like, which could easily involve working from 10am – 1am. However, my friends and family find ways to drag me to lunches, to movies, and on vacations just so I don’t completely alienate myself.

Q: The main characters of your stories – do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

I’ve been known to include aspects of myself and the people closest to me in my characters – especially in regard to appearance, conversations, career choices, and interests. I guess that’s what makes them more believable – three dimensional, you might say.

Q: So I understand you have a special project for all the proceeds from your book Flaherty’s Crossing. Can you tell us about this?

After witnessing my father’s relentless battle with terminal cancer and his passing at the young age of 64, my emotions were in complete turmoil. I was angry at him for leaving, at God for the suffering he endured, at the world in general for not taking notice. I searched for an outlet – a way to vent my feelings, and was fortunate in finding the resolution I needed by writing Flaherty’s Crossing.

In the course of creating this story, I had the opportunity to speak to various individuals who have lost loved ones and came to realize that everyone is somehow affected by this non-discriminating disease. This novel became more than a fictional account. It evolved into a personal journey – one that my father has traveled on right beside me, inspiring and encouraging me all along the way.

In order to honor his memory and to do my part to bring an end to this terrible disease in our lifetime, I have chosen to donate all the proceeds from the sale of this book to the cancer research center at Providence Medical Center, and strongly urge anyone who enjoys reading to purchase a copy of Flaherty’s Crossing. If you take a moment to visit one or both of my websites, you’ll discover a direct buy button, complete excerpts to read, a book trailer to watch, and the inspiration that lead to this story.

Translated into several languages including Japanese and the Dutch, Zandri’s novels have also been sought out by numerous major movie producers, including Heyday Productions and DreamWorks. Presently he is the author of the blogs, Dangerous Dispatches and Embedded in Africa for Russia Today TV (RT). He also writes for other global publications, including Culture 11, Globalia and Globalspec. Zandri’s nonfiction has appeared in New York Newsday, Hudson Valley Magazine, Game and Fish Magazine and others, while his essays and short fiction have been featured in many journals including Fugue, Maryland Review and Orange Coast Magazine.

He holds an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College and is a 2010 International Thriller Writer’s Awards panel judge. Zandri currently divides his time between New York and Europe. He is the drummer for the Albany-based punk band to Blisterz.

www.vincentzandri.com
http://vincentzandri.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/VincentZandri
http://www.facebook.com/vincent.zandri?ref=profile
http://www.myspace.com/vincentzandri

Q: It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a ‘real’ job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?

I’m a novelist and a freelance photojournalist. I write for global publications like Globalspec that caters to engineers, architects and contractors all around the world. I’m also a features, hard news correspondent and blogger for RT out of Moscow. RT is their English speaking 24 hour news network. Our main competition is BBC World News. I was originally groomed for the construction business since my dad is a contractor, and I enjoyed almost an entire career in it before I went to writing school in my late twenties.

Q: What compelled you to write your first book?

It was something that I had to do…Once I wrote and published my first short story, publication becomes an insatiable lust.

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

No, I wanted to be a punk rock drummer.

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

Moonlight Falls is basically film noir on paper. It’s about Richard “Dick” Moonlight, suicide survivor who now must cope with a small piece of .22 caliber bullet lodged in his brain. Because it’s pressed up against his cerebral cortex he has trouble making good decisions and he suffers on occasion from short-term memory loss. In times of stress he passes out. He could suffer a major stroke or die at any moment. So time means little to him. When he makes the wrong decision to sleep with his former boss’s wife and she later turns up brutally murdered, he believes it’s possible he might have killed her and just can’t remember it.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A novel about the Porco axe murders that took place in Albany a few years ago. It’s sort of a fictionalized version of the accounts. Also, I have just completed two new novels, The Remains, and The Concrete Pearl.

Q: Do you have a favourite character? Why is s/he your favourite?

Richard Moonlight, the man who had a bullet in his brain and a soft spot in his hear, and who wouldn’t recognize a good decision if it slapped him in the face…he’s the most like me, and therefore I favorite.

Q: How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?

Vindicated …and a little sad. It represents the end of a long, hard road. But an exciting beginning too.

Q: What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write? Do you need the noise or the silence?

I like romantic classical. Vaughn Williams, Copeland, Ravel…

Q: If you could live in one of your books, which one would you live in? (If you’re promoting your first publication, feel free to talk about an unpublished piece.)

In Permanence, my characters spend a good amount of time in Italy. I also spend lots of time in Italy.

Q: How do you balance out the writer’s life and the rest of life? Do you get up early? Stay up late? Ignore friends and family for certain periods of time?

It’s hard to have a “normal” family life and still be a writer. If I’m not working, I’m traveling or out having a drink, or working out, or just plain keeping busy. I never sit down to watch television and much to my girlfriend’s dismay, it takes a lot for me simply to see a movie. I’ve been married twice and divorced twice, so that should shed some light on the subject of family life and writing.

Q: The main characters of your stories – do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

There’s a lot of me in all my characters. A writer can create fuller, more rounder characters that way since you write from what you know. But also, they are different and that takes research.

Q: Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?

I used to emulate Hemingway and later Raymond Carver. Also Jim Crumley, Andrew Vachhs, Cormac McCarthy, Heath Lowrance who’s an up-and-comer from Chicago. I’ve never had a writing mentor who took the form of flesh and blood. My mentors are all stacked on the bookshelves inside my home library.

Q: When growing up, did you have a favorite author, book series, or book?

I loved Huck Finn. I also loved War of the Worlds. I read a lot of World War II books way back when.

Q: What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?

I go through periods of favorite authors. I’m going through a Cormac McCarthy stage now. My favorite genre over all however is dark thriller and mystery, especially noir.

Q: When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your book/s and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?

I hope they say that even though I delved in genre writing, that my prose stood up with the best of them. As for the people driving home from my funeral, I hope they can say that I loved life and didn’t waste it.

Q: Where you have lived and what you have experienced can influence your writing in many ways. Are there any specific locations or experiences that have popped up in your books?

Like William Kennedy I set most of my books primarily in Albany, New York and locations surrounding it. I spend quite a bit of time in Europe so that gets in there sometimes too.

Q: What is your writing space like? Do you have a designated space? What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting? Typing? Handwriting?

I write inside my bedroom, which is also my office. I hand write my books first, on legal pads. Then transcribe the material to my laptop later on. I make hand corrections to the MS after that.

Q: Is there anyone who has inspired, motivated, encouraged or supported your writing?

Everyone has encouraged me, from my kids to my wives to my girlfriend….My parents have supported me as well, in so far as I could make a living at it.

Q: Is there any particular book that, when you read it, you thought, “I wish I had written that!”?

The Road

Q: Is there anything you’d go back and do differently now that you have been published, in regards to your writing career?

Absolutely. When my first bog commercial novel was published, As Catch Can (Delacorte), I thought the publicity would take care of itself. Nowadays I’m a relentless marketer and I even have under my employ two publicists, one virtual, one traditional. So, in that sense, I’m playing a bit of catch up. My motto is, “A new day, a new reader, a new fan.”

Q: In my experience, some things come quite easily (like creating the setting) and other things aren’t so easy (like deciding on a title). What comes easily to you and what do you find more difficult?

Plot comes easily. I’m pretty good at moving people around and I know when to end a chapter on the edge of a cliff…The things that often don’t some so easily is dialogue that rings true and isn’t just stock.

Q: Have you ever had a character take over a story and move it in a different direction than you had originally intended? How did you handle it?

My main character has always held strong. However, I also encourage a plot to move in different direction than what was originally planned, so long as I don’t write myself into a corner.

Q: Do you have any book signings, tours or special events planned to promote your book that readers might be interested in attending? If so, when and where?

I’m in the middle of a “Pump up Your Book” Virtual tour now, and later on, I will be embarking on a northeast US regional signing tour. I’m also available to speak to Reading Groups, schools, business groups, and the like, even if it’s via telephone or Skype!

Q: It’s one thing to write a book and another to edit it. How do you feel about the editing process? What was it like to edit your book?

Like they say, it’s all about the editing…This book took years to edit until I finally got it right. Other’s don’t take so long.

Q: Now that you are a published author, does it feel differently than you had imagined?

It only makes me want to publish more!

Use this space to tell us more about who you. Anything you want your readers to know. Include information on where to find your books, any blogs you may have, or how a reader can learn more about you and writing.

To learn more about Vincent Zandri, the novelist, photojournalist, traveler, punk rock drummer, blogger, essayist and more, go to www.vincentzandri.com

Thank you.

For the past decade, he’s had his own website/blog – MorningNewsBeat.com – providing what he calls “business news in context, and analysis with attitude.” In addition to speaking at hundreds of conferences in the U.S. and abroad and reporting from 45 states and six continents, Kevin has worked as a daily newspaper reporter, video producer, bodyguard, clothing salesman, supervised a winery tasting room, run two marathons (slowly), drove a race car (badly), taken boxing lessons (painfully) and acted in a major (and obscure) motion picture. He is married with three children, and lives in Connecticut.

Q: It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a ‘real’ job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?

A:  I’ve actually always been a working writer.  I started out in daily newspaper journalism, did a short stint in PR, worked for some business magazines and then wrote and produced a series of videos about the business of global retailing.  For the past dozen years or so, I’ve written about retailing for a series of websites, including my own – MorningNewsBeat.com – for the past eight years.  It is probably a good thing, since I’m not much good at anything else and being a writer has always served my need for some degree of personal autonomy.    That’s not to say that I don’t do other things.  My co-author, Michael Sansolo, and I spend a fair amount of time on the road giving speeches about the business of retailing…and that helps to pay the mortgage.  But basically, I’ve always been a writer.

Q: What compelled you to write your first book?

A.  Simple.  We believed we had something to say that was not being said.  Our central notion is that it is much easier and more effective for a business leader to communicate his or her vision to co-workers, employees, business partners and even customers if the leader can create a narrative…in other words, tell a compelling and understandable story.  If you cannot tell your story in resonant terms, it is hard to get people to coalesce around your business vision.  For us, movies are a way of creating a common language, or a common mythology, that leaders can refer to in telling their story.

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

A.  Pretty much.  Both Michael and I started out as newspaper reporters and moved into business magazines, though I’ve stayed a working writer my entire adult life and Michael made a detour into the corporate world where he was in charge of education for a major trade association.  But even in that role, where he gave many speeches and planned educational events, the importance of a good story was always central to how he approached his job.  We’re storytellers.  Which is a cool gig, if you can figure out how to make a living from it.

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

A.  “The Big Picture:  Essential Business Lessons from the Movies” looks at about 60 different movies from seven decades – encompassing comedies, musicals, dramas and action films, and including both legitimate classics and some that are a little less memorable – to create narratives through which business people can approach issues of leadership, branding, customer service, and even career development.  It really is very simple – we want people to read the book and say to themselves, “The situation I’m facing at work is a lot like the scenario in ‘Jaws.’”  Or in “That Thing You Do.”  Or “The Godfather.”  Or “Bridge on the River Kwai.”  And when they do so, they may be able to find new ways to deal with whatever business issue they are facing, or at least see it in a different and broader context.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A.  Mostly publicizing the book, both through interviews like this one and speeches that Michael and I are doing, both together and separately, around the country.  Beyond that, I have a daily news blog called MorningNewsBeat.com that I have to get out every day, and to which Michael contributes a weekly column while pursuing a variety of consulting activities.  It’s a full schedule.

Q: Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?

A.  For Michael, I know it is New York Times reporters and columnists like Francis X. Clines, Anna Quindlen and Adam Nagourney.  He’s also a big fan of Ernest Hemingway, particularly for his economy of words. I’m an enormous fan of the mystery novels of Robert B. Parker, because the language is both spare and has a musical quality – I love the sound of the words as I read them.  For the same reason, I’m a big fan of Michael Connelly’s novels, and both the novels and journalism of Pete Hamill (especially “A Drinking Life,” which is just a phenomenal piece of work.)

Q: When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your book/s and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?

A.  When they write my obituary, which I hope won’t be until well into the second half of the 21^st century, the first thing I hope they say is that I was a good husband, father and grandfather.  (I don’t have any grandchildren yet, but since I’m planning to live into my nineties, I figure there’s at least a shot.)  I hope they also say that I was a good time – that in my writing and in my travels, when I made dinner for family and friends or planned an outing to some new restaurant, when I chose an unfamiliar wine or coached a little league game, that I had fun and made it fun for others.

Q: What is your writing space like? Do you have a designated space? What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting? Typing? Handwriting?

A.  I’m pretty facile – I write on airplanes, in airport lounges, in coffee shops, and even in hospital waiting rooms.  Just give me a Mac laptop – at the moment, a MacBook Pro – and I’m ready to go.  If you do this for a living, you don’t have the option of not doing it, or being lazy.  You write because you are a writer.  Elmore Leonard once said that “writer’s block is just another word for laziness.”  I’ll buy that.

Q: Is there anything you’d go back and do differently now that you have been published, in regards to your writing career?

A.  I think Michael and I both wish we’d written this book 20 years ago.  That way, we would have had time to write more sequels, plus a bunch of other stuff.  Instead, we’re just going to have to be productive into our eighties to make up for lost time.

Q: Do you have any book signings, tours or special events planned to promote your book that readers might be interested in attending? If so, when and where?

A.  We’re in the middle of a blog tour, and we’re also doing a number of speeches – both for private companies and business associations – about the book.  The other cool thing is that we’re doing a number of college appearances to talk to classes; I have a thing I’m doing at Portland State University in a few weeks, and we’re doing an after-dinner speech at Western Michigan University shortly after that.  We love chatting with students, because their minds are open to new ways of looking at the world, which is exactly what “The Big Picture” is all about.

Q: Now that you are a published author, does it feel differently than you had imagined?

A.  I think we both think that being an author – as opposed to just a writer – is both impossibly cool, which is precisely what we thought it would feel like.  It has allowed us to engage with our traditional audiences, plus with people and industries that are new to us, in fresh and challenging ways.  And it also creates a challenge, because it forces us to try to be innovative and ambitious in our thinking, because that is what people expect from us.

Use this space to tell us more about who you. Anything you want your readers to know. Include information on where to find your books, any blogs you may have, or how a reader can learn more about you and writing.

One of the things that Michael Sansolo and I are proudest about with “The Big Picture:  Essential Business Lessons from the Movies” is that people have responded to it by saying that it isn’t just business lessons – it also is life lessons.  And we think that’s true; we decided to talk about business lessons as a way of focusing the book, but it really does have a broader and extremely positive message.

“The Big Picture:  Essential Business Lessons from the Movies” is available from the publisher:

http://www.raphel.com/osc_catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=55

And from Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Picture-Essential-Business-Lessons/dp/0971154287/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1

To read our daily blog, go to:

http://www.MorningNewsBeat.com

To learn more about Michael Sansolo, go to:

http://www.MichaelSansolo.com

To learn more about Kevin Coupe, go to:

http://www.KevinCoupe.com

http://www.georgeearlparker.com/

Q: It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a ‘real’ job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?

All the experiences one has inspires the written word. I have spent most of my life in the film industry in various capacities.

Q: What compelled you to write your first book?

I wondered what would happen if a lawyer received a transfusion of Vampyre Blood, so I had to write the book to find out.

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I came in second in a writing contest when I was 10 years old which was sponsored by Cadbury’s Chocolates, and from that moment on I knew I had to be a writer, because I really like chocolate.

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

When Count Dracula gives up his evil ways and joins a Goth rock band on a tour of America, he donates blood in order to find a lawyer, and ends up saving a life, which changes his fate forever.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A book about teenage angst, and some new songs.

Q: Do you have a favourite character? Why is s/he your favourite?

I like Joey “The Suit” Santucci in my book, because he’s an educated mobster who worked his way up from the streets.

Q: How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?

That just happened this weekend. It was a strange mixture of joy, elation, fear, and dread, followed by a strange numbness. It takes so much to get a book that far these days.

Q: What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write? Do you need the noise or the silence?

I prefer silence. I like to write in the middle of the night when you can literally hear a pin drop.

Q: If you could live in one of your books, which one would you live in? (If you’re promoting your first publication, feel free to talk about an unpublished piece.)

Hmmm! I’m not sure I’d like to live in one of my books, there’s way too much crazy stuff going on. Which is good for the reader, but it wears the characters out.

Q: How do you balance out the writer’s life and the rest of life? Do you get up early? Stay up late? Ignore friends and family for certain periods of time?

Yes I’m very solitary, almost a hermit. That’s why I like to write and record songs, it gets me out of the house.

Q: The main characters of your stories – do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

Every character I write contains pieces of me. Even the obnoxious ones.

Q: Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?

I like Tom Robbins, Charles Dickens, and Mickey Spillane.

Q: When growing up, did you have a favorite author, book series, or book?

I had many, but the titles are lost in the mists of time.

Q: What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?

I think Garth Nix is pretty good. I like spiritual science fiction.

Q: When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your book/s and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?

I’m not even going to entertain that question. That is for others to decide.

Q: Where you have lived and what you have experienced can influence your writing in many ways. Are there any specific locations or experiences that have popped up in your books?

Well, I’ve lived in London, Madrid, New York, and Los Angeles, and my new book takes place in New Orleans. So no!

Q: What is your writing space like? Do you have a designated space? What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting? Typing? Handwriting?

I like writing in bed, in hotels, when it’s raining outside. That way I don’t miss anything.

Q: Is there anyone who has inspired, motivated, encouraged or supported your writing?

Yes, there are many. Some to more of a degree than others. But I think that everybody roots for you when you’re doing something as crazy an illogical as this.

Q: Is there any particular book that, when you read it, you thought, “I wish I had written that!”?

No.

Q: Is there anything you’d go back and do differently now that you have been published, in regards to your writing career?

Writing is a constant process of changing and polishing.

Q: In my experience, some things come quite easily (like creating the setting) and other things aren’t so easy (like deciding on a title). What comes easily to you and what do you find more difficult?

I think starting is always the hard part, because it’s a massive commitment of time. You have to able to afford the time to get lost in a story to really do it justice.

Q: Have you ever had a character take over a story and move it in a different direction than you had originally intended? How did you handle it?

I haven’t had that, my characters are mostly well behaved. A little crazy, but well behaved.

Q: Do you have any book signings, tours or special events planned to promote your book that readers might be interested in attending? If so, when and where?

I don’t have anything lined up yet, but I’ll let you know when I do.

Q: It’s one thing to write a book and another to edit it. How do you feel about the editing process? What was it like to edit your book?

I think that’s the point when a book really comes alive. Just like finishing a sculpture, you get to stand back and admire it.

Q: Now that you are a published author, does it feel differently than you had imagined?

No not yet. But that may change, so let me get back to you on that one too.

The method that works for me is to first have an idea so compelling that it seizes my imagination and won’t let go. Call it an obsession if you like, because I won’t deny that it has the feeling of one, and for me I need that unrepentant passion to carry me through the months of work to get to a first draft. The next requirement is discipline, having the will to sit and type at least three pages per day. If I want to do more, fine, but that doesn’t get me off the hook for the next day.

Because I’m a film school graduate, I have always tended to see my stories as movies on a big screen in my mind. And that is the way I write, in a sort of cinematic trance. While I have a firm grip on where the story is going, the characters will often assert themselves and take the story in a different direction.

Sometimes I have to rein them in and, at other times, I’m delightfully surprised to find them taking me in a fresh direction I’d never previously considered. These are the moments for which all writers live, and an outline will kill it. Not because those moments will elude you if you’ve outlined your book, but because you’ve put so much work into that outline, you won’t want to deviate from it to go somewhere else with the characters and the story.

My advice, then, is to take that basic idea and just start writing it. Once you get the first draft down, THAT will be your outline. You will then be able to see what needs to be changed with a much clearer vision and you will not have hampered your creativity at the outset by creating a rigid roadmap.

***
Bill Walker is a graphic designer specializing in book and dust jacket design, and has worked on projects by Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King. Between his design work and his writing, he spends his spare time reading voraciously and playing very loud guitar, much to the chagrin of his lovely wife and two sons. Bill makes his home in Los Angeles and can be reached through his web site: http://www.billwalkerdesigns.com/

Q: It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a ‘real’ job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?

First of all, I’d dearly love to be one of those brand name authors who just write for a living.  Until that happens, I do happen to work at other things.  Besides the “Writer” hat I wear, I’m also a graphic designer.  For a day job I ‘m an art director for a company that manufactures electronic gift cards. I also have a freelance business that specializes in book design.  I do interior layouts as well as covers.

Q: What compelled you to write your first book?

If you mean the first one I wrote when I was nine years old, it was the desire to sustain the thrill of a favorite book, Ben and Me, a story about Ben Franklin and his highly intelligent pet mouse.  My first novel, Camp Stalag, which I wrote back in the 90s, was inspired by Hogan’s Heroes, as well as my experiences in summer camp, and my ongoing interest in World War II.

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Ever since I started reading, I wanted to tell stories, too.  I knew it in my bones.

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

It’s a love story about two people who are destined to be together, but life gets in the way and pulls them apart.  Fifteen years later they meet again and the sparks fly.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

Right now, I’m seriously considering a sequel to A Note from an Old Acquaintance.

Q: Do you have a favourite character? Why is s/he your favourite?

I honestly love all my characters, as they are extensions of me–both my good and bad points.  As for this book in particular, aside from Brian and Joanna, I found myself really intrigued by Erik Ruby.  Here is a man who has everything, yet he is unable to really love Joanna in the way she wants to be loved.  He puts her on a pedestal.  The irony is that he knows there is something truly special about her, but tragically, is unable to truly comprehend the nature of that special quality.

Q: How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?

Like I’d just reached to top of Mt. Everest.

Q: What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write? Do you need the noise or the silence?

Definitely silence.  If I listened to music, I’d never get anything done.  Music inspires me, however.  I’ve often gotten ideas for a story from a piece of music.  In fact, the song that inspired this book is Boston’s “More Than a Feeling.”

Q: If you could live in one of your books, which one would you live in? (If you’re promoting your first publication, feel free to talk about an unpublished piece.)

Well, I did live in Boston for many years, so the setting for A Note from an Old Acquaintance is a very comfortable universe for me.

Q: How do you balance out the writer’s life and the rest of life? Do you get up early? Stay up late? Ignore friends and family for certain periods of time?

When I’m writing, I’m almost constantly in what I call “Story Mode,” so I could be anywhere.  Just because I’m sitting by myself at a party, it doesn’t mean I’m anti-social–it means I’m working.  Mostly, I like to get up early, as I think I’m the freshest at that time.

Q: The main characters of your stories – do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

As a writer I consider myself the ultimate actor.  I get to inhabit each character, becoming them as I write them.  It’s one of the greatest thrills we writers can experience, aside from mass adulation from millions of readers   Inevitably, however, all my characters are bits and piece of me.

Q: Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?

There are many writers I’ve admired over the years, but the top three are Stephen King, Richard Matheson and Dean Koontz.  Of the three, I would say Dean Koontz has been more of a mentor in the sense that he wrote one of best, if not the best, How-to books on writing: How to write Best-Selling Fiction.  It was published by Writers Digest back in 1981 and is now out of print.  If you can find a copy it will cost you an arm and a leg, but the content is priceless.

Q: When growing up, did you have a favorite author, book series, or book?

The Mad Scientists’ Club by Bertand R. Brinley.  They were short stories collected in book form and are still terrific.  They’ve all been recently reissued in hard cover by Purple House Press.

Q: What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?

I would say Stephen King is my all-time favorite.  As to favorite genre, I would say suspense thrillers.  Then again, my favorite novel is Jack Finney’s Time and Again, the original time travel love story.  I’m nothing if not eclectic in my tastes.

Q: Where you have lived and what you have experienced can influence your writing in many ways. Are there any specific locations or experiences that have popped up in your books?

Boston is as much a “character” in my book as the human ones.  It’s where I spent some very important and formative years.  I miss it a great deal.  Just don’t miss the snow

Q: What is your writing space like? Do you have a designated space? What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting? Typing? Handwriting?

I type on a MacBook Pro laptop, which is also the same computer I do my graphic work.  When at home, it resides in a little nook off the master bedroom where I’m literally surrounded by books.

Q: Is there any particular book that, when you read it, you thought, “I wish I had written that!”?

Fatherland by Robert Harris.  It’s an alternate history novel that takes place in a 1963 where Germany won World War II.  Great book.

Q: Is there anything you’d go back and do differently now that you have been published, in regards to your writing career?

It would have been to start writing seriously much earlier than I did.  I’ve always had an affinity for words, but if I’d started learning the craft years earlier, in college for instance, I’d probably be much farther along the path.  On the other hand, I think I needed the seasoning, so to speak, to live those extra years to gain whatever insights I have.  We see things much differently in middle age than we do in our twenties.

Q: In my experience, some things come quite easily (like creating the setting) and other things aren’t so easy (like deciding on a title). What comes easily to you and what do you find more difficult?

It’s different for each book.  For this one the setting and the title were equally easy.  For others, it will be different.  The one thing that’s crucial for me is that I know the basic arc of the story.  If I don’t know where it’s going, my fingers feel as if they have lead weights on them.  On the other hand, I’m not one of those writers that outline every nuance of their stories.  To me that would kill a lot of the spontaneity.

Q: Have you ever had a character take over a story and move it in a different direction than you had originally intended? How did you handle it?

This can be a very good thing when it happens for the right reasons.  The trick is in knowing when it’s not going right.  Thankfully, for me, that seems to be an instinctive sense.

Q: Do you have any book signings, tours or special events planned to promote your book that readers might be interested in attending? If so, when and where?

For now, I’m doing the blog tours.  I love doing book signings, but have found that if one is not a brand name author they can be a complete waste of time.  Just because you write it it, it doesn’t mean the people will come.  There have been a few signings where I did little but talk to the bookstore owner for two hours.  For a new author that kind of experience can be very demoralizing.

Q: It’s one thing to write a book and another to edit it. How do you feel about the editing process? What was it like to edit your book?

As in film production, the editing process is crucial, whether an author is doing his/her own or working with someone else.  While I do tend to be self-critical, I also think another pair of eyes is key to finding and correcting any and all potential problems.  I’m often too close to my work to look at it completely objectively.

Q: Now that you are a published author, does it feel differently than you had imagined?

I love telling stories and hearing from readers who’ve enjoyed the stories I’ve told them.  To me, entertaining a reader is the highest of callings.

Right now, I’m in the process of setting up a fan page on Facebook.  To be honest, I’ve avoided these kinds of sites in the past, but have come to realize that they can be of immense value.  As for a blog, I do have one, but I desperately need to update it.  One can find it at: www.billwalkerdesigns.com/blog.