What
genre do you write and why?
Modern romance, psychological thrillers
I spent 10 years in the dating, sex and relationship worlds. I was
Relationship Consultant (my actual title) at the LA Weekly, then the
nation’s top alternative newsweekly. I spent years talking to women and men
about modern relationships.
When I decided to move from journalism and non-fiction to women's
fiction, everything in my background was ripe to tap.
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| http://amzn.to/2qIyfiw |
Tell us about your
latest book.
Alex Gantry loves T.J. Gale. It’s a new relationship that’s gone
through a lot of testing already. They’re in for a roller coaster ride in Beltway Betrayers.
Thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, Alex’s ex-boyfriend,
Hollywood mogul Brian Marks, is grappling with the loss of Alex to a man 20
years his junior, who Brian thinks is half the man he is.
The love triangle is as old as literature itself. In Beltway Betrayers, it gets even more
complicated.
The two lovers, Alex and T.J., want Brian out of their lives,
but he has no intention of granting their request without a battle.
There’s also T.J.’s
ex-wife, Lisa Dalaney, whose powerful father is not happy with his
ex-son-in-law dumping his daughter. Lisa cheated on T.J., but it was business
to her, nothing personal. She blames Alex for her marriage imploding, which is
just an excuse to ignore her own behavior.
It’s a thrill ride
for the reader from Washington, D.C., to New York City, to Los Angeles,
California.
How was this book published?
(traditional, small press, self pub, etcc...)
Why did you choose that particular publishing route?
I’ve had two non-fiction books published the
traditional route, through an independent publisher. It was a wonderful
experience because my publisher was extraordinary.
As the digital era expanded, self-publishing
offered authors control that they didn’t have through a traditional publishing
experience. This makes self-publishing the only way to go, in my opinion. My
new imprint is MM Press.
Writing a book is one thing; getting it seen,
read, and reviewed is another. The marketing process an author chooses is
everything, and a traditional publisher hasn’t the interest, time, or money, to
devote what the author does. Having control of the marketing of your book changes
the trajectory of what you can manifest.
Do you read your book
reviews? How do you deal with the bad or good ones?
Yes, I read reviews, which also come to me via
a stream of emails. Some people don't know that the number of reviews an indie
author receives makes a difference. Amazon calculates these things.
A reader’s review isn't “bad or good.” It's how
they experienced the book, which depends on a million variables.
I can't change how I write because of a review.
As long as I've worked diligently with my editor to produce the most thrilling
story I can, I'm happy, no matter the review.
What advice do you
have for other writers?
Get a website. Write every day to find out
what’s your beat, what moves you, and own the subject.
Engage your commenters.
Have a wide social media presence where your
brand is obvious.
Being an author is having a small business. It
takes investment if you want to earn. Be
patient and think long-term.
What's your favourite
quote about writing/for writers?
My favourite quote is attributed to Ernest
Hemingway, although some question whether it came from him or his biographer.
“The first draft of
anything is shit.”
– Ernest Hemingway
Nothing was ever truer.
Where can people find
out more about you and your writing?
http://bit.ly/2raid0C (Book Bub)
Who
designed the cover?
Mirna Gilman, Books Go Social,
who also did my first cover, and will do my next.
Did
you learn anything from writing your book that was unexpected?
After a lifetime of
non-fiction writing, this is my second work of fiction, so I’m constantly
learning.
Keeping the thread of each
character demands extraordinary vigilance, more than I imagined before I
finished Beltway Betrayers.
What was unexpected is the
impact the right editor can have on my romantic fiction.
A good editor is always
valuable, but the right editor for my romantic thriller
made the difference, in my opinion.
Do
you believe in writers block?
No.
There is a time to write and
a time to think.
Anxiety can block your
thought processes. Writers have to be able to control these things, which I
learned when I was a performer, actress, and Broadway babe.
There is a flow, a rhythm to
writing.
Relaxing is key, so writers
must find how to do that for themselves.
What
is your work in progress? Tell us about it.
The Beltway Series, Book 3 is taking shape
in my mind.
I’m letting the characters roam around in
my ruminations right now and they’re having way too much fun.
I’ve not talked about this until now, but
one of the characters from Book 1 will be back in the next book. She’s a young
actor who’s come into her own, learning to use her power. She’s a client of
Alex Gantry, my heroine, who's an elite life coach. The working title, emphasis
on working title, is Beltway Hits Sin City. It’s set in Las
Vegas, the place where I once spent a lot of time partying, and where I later
met my husband.
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3 Comments
Thanks for hosting today! :)
ReplyDeleteI was so excited to see this interview this morning! I loved doing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks so very much.
xo
Taylor Marsh
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