IWU Interview with Lorne Oliver

This is my first ever blog interview.  I am so happy to be here.

Can you tell us a little bit about your book?

Red Island takes a look at both sides of the hunt for a serial killer.  The main character is Sgt. Reid who won’t let anyone know his name, is confused about the state of his marriage, and is haunted by something he did in his past.  He wakes from a dream at the same time as being called to the scene of the first homicide in Prince Edward Island in the past twenty years or so.  Reid and other members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police begin an investigation that churns up more victims with no clues. 

On the other side of the coin Ben Cooper has grown up on the island destined to be a killer.  You get to see from when he was 8 years old being picked on and forming his own world in his mind to when he starts peeping, raping, and now killing.

What about this story made you have to write it?

I liked the idea of showing how someone could become a serial killer and what is in his mind without having him be the hero.  Police officers have a hard job, especially since many people can see it from their view with all the red tape they have to go through.  I don’t think the bad guy should be the hero, but a lot of times they are seen that way.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned during the creation of this book?

I had the opportunity to interview members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police so I learned a lot of what real police do compared to the TV and movie cops. 

What was the hardest part to write?

The hardest parts were the fine details.  The locations are real.  There is actually a Blooming Point beach with a wooded area and a rough bush trail cutting through it where the first victim is found. This is an old abandoned house where another victim is found.  Keeping everything as real as possible within the world of fiction took a lot of notes.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Honestly I am constantly writing.  No matter what I am doing my head is always working on what comes next until I am ready to explode and I have to sit and write.  But when my mind actually rests I like watching movies, though my mind is looking for new ideas, cooking, and playing with my two wonderful kids.  They are getting to the age where they don’t need Dad around any more so I take the time I can get.

Can you share a little of what you are working on now?

Right now I am working on the second book in the Sgt. Reid series.  The tentative title for this one is, Forever Screaming.  It is going to be a little darker.  The crime is a little more heinous than the brutal killing of young women like in Red Island.  It is a subject that is actually hard to write personally, but it’ll be well worth it once it is done.

What advice would you give a new writer?

For anyone who is thinking of publishing online for the first time to do their work long before they actually publish.  I couldn’t wait and just wanted to get it out there.  Now, 2 months later, I have realized how much work should have been done before hand:  building a following on Twitter, guest blogs to get the name out, finding reviewers ahead of time so that there are reviews right away.  Do the work, do the research, then publish.

Link to my blog:  http://redislandnovel.blogspot.ca

Guest Post - Connie Barrett

I know its been a while.  Lifes been kicking my butt lately, and I've only just managed to get things done, so this has been on hold.


HOWEVER!!!  Here, I have a guest post from the lovely Connie Barrett.  Check out her blog here, Dragonfire: The Creative Spark

Independent Authors and Branding

I write fantasy, literary fiction, and nonfiction (mostly about self-healing and personal growth). Recently, when I was about to publish Gone to Flowers, a novel about a commune during the Vietnam era, a long-time writing friend asked me what I planned to do to help readers understand the wide subject range of my writing.

Another way to read the question is "How am I going to brand myself?" This friend has had a highly successful career as an advertising executive, and I took the question seriously because she knew all about branding when I still thought it was something you did to cattle.

According to the doctrine of branding, an author is supposed to limit her scope in terms of genre. To some extent, this makes sense. I would have a hard time imagining Steven King writing romantic comedy or Danielle Steele writing dark fantasy. (Either possibility does sound intriguing, however.)

However, one of the most repeated arguments against writing in more than one genre has to do with marketing. This also makes sense to some extent. It's easier to remember that author, C. M. Barrett, who writes about depressed dragons, impudent cats, and interspecies communications than to remember the author who writes the above, plus literary fiction about humans, and guides to vibrational healing. It's also easier for that author to do targeted marketing.

Dig a little deeper, and you'll find "experts" saying you shouldn't do it because publishers don't like it. Authors whose work is hard to categorize make publishers' work more difficult. As traditional publishers find it increasingly difficult to adapt to the changing world of publishing, they want their authors' material to fit into easily defined slots.

Here is the beauty of independent publishing. The only publisher I belong to is me. I have the freedom to write and publish material of my choice. It also means I have to figure out how to market a multi-genre body of material, a challenge that got more complex with the publication of a mainstream novel.

I've decided to answer my friend's question by asking another: Why do I write what I write?

I write who I am, what I've experienced, and what interests me. I've worked as a holistic counselor since 1987. I've written countless articles and some books. I've counseled people and their pets. I intend to continue doing so because I get deep satisfaction from making a difference in that way.

In addition to that satisfaction, I have learned invaluable lessons in understanding people and their problems. As a writer, I am all about characters, and working closely with people's concerns and sorrows can provide much illumination about the mysteries of human hearts and minds. My professional experiences have immeasurably enriched my fiction and nonfiction works and have helped to make me who I am.

I'm not a fantasy writer. I'm not a literary writer. I'm not a self-help writer. I'm a whole human being who has chosen to express myself outside the restrictions of the traditional publishing system. That gives me freedom. With freedom comes the responsibility to make it work.

So far, the best approach I've found to the marketing challenge is a guiding principle: "When you got it, flaunt it." What I've got is diversity. All I have to do is figure out how to flaunt it.

That saying, by the way, comes from the original 1968 film version of The Producers, written and directed by Mel Brooks. As you probably know, Brooks turned the film into a musical for which he wrote the lyrics and composed the music.

Wait a minute. OK, the guy is an actor, director, and scriptwriter. Writing the lyrics stretches his brand, but composing the music? That is so far beyond his brand that I don't know how he marketed it.

However, history records that he managed it. The Broadway play won 12 Tony awards. Maybe for Mel Brooks, following his dreams was more important than working his brand.

Some will say that once you have his standing, you can afford to break the rules. Consider this alternative: Maybe breaking the rules is how you get to have that standing.

There's only one way to find out.

Thank you Connie for being a Guest here at How Many Days In A Year.  I loved it, and agree that trying to fit into a mold, or brand, can often hinder you.  Branch out and be who you are.

IWU Interview with R.G. Porter

Had a chance to sit down and talk with R.G. Porter about a few of her books.

In looking over your books, the latest one seems to be a different take on the Horror and Paranormal, what inspired it?

Destiny’s Light started out as a collaboration between myself and a few other authors. I have always enjoyed the Greek Gods and the muses were no different. This gave me a chance to delve into the darker world of Hades and the underworld. J

You've taken on Vampires, Werewolves and the Greek Gods, what other mythologies do you hope to incorporate into your stories?

Well I have a book coming up that mixes up some more of beliefs that are out there when it comes to death. I’ve also got another novel releasing the end of December that will look at earth differently. Instead of just the realm we know, it also covers a realm that lives parallel to ours. I’m hoping, one day, to incorporate more of the Norse and Celtic mythology down the line.

Did you always dream of being a writer, or was there a point in your life where it went from being something you enjoyed, to something you wanted to do more for a living?

I’ve always loved writing and telling stories. It was only up until a few years ago that I decided to really try and get published. It was quite a bit of hard work, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I think my muses would throttle me if I did.

Your site lists 4 projects and 2 books to be released early next year, are there more stories not listed, that are more idea than anything else?

As it stands I have 2 books that are releasing this month. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS is coming out Dec 15^th and is my first stab (pardon the pun) at horror. I truly enjoyed writing this novel. It is amazing how therapeutic it can be killing off characters. I also have the 1^st novel in my Guardians of Natures series coming out the end of the month. Then once the first of the year rolls around I will be releasing the rest of my Darkness Unleashes series (books 3 and 4) as well as Innok’s Curse and Scottish Whispers. As for new writings, I am hoping to write the followup books to Scottish Whispers and Innok’s Curse and have them out next year as well as another horror novel or two.

If you could pick one author or book that's inspired you more then anything else, what would it be?

Trudi Canavan’s writings have been a fantastic source to me for both world building and character interaction. She is amazing at weaving a tale and making the reader feel involved.

While the genre's your write are fairly specific, is there another you'd love to look into writing, that breaks away from the others?

I think I will always do something within the supernatural/paranormal area, but I have a few ideas I want to try out down the line. I have a group of books I want to write that are more mystery based as well as one that is kind of a spoof/fantasy storyline.

Your first book was released in both a physical form and eBook, but your more recent ones are only eBook. Do you hope release the others in a physical form as well, or want to continue with the eBook format?

Originally I was with small epubs which did both ebook and print. Since embarking on this as an indie author, I felt ebooks were the best way to start. Then, down the line, I can look at trying to put some of them in print, depending on demand.

You can find more of Ms. Porter here:
Blog
Author Page
FB Page
Amazon Page