Penny Sansevieri: Red Hot Internet Publicity

Penny is back to answer more questions about marketing our books online. Here's an in-depth look at how we should be networking:

Social Networking on Blogs




We all know that it’s great to hop on social networks like Facebook, Squidoo and Twitter, right? But have you ever considered that a blog is a social network, too? You bet it is, but I’m talking specifically about the comment section within each blog. We all know that it’s great to pitch bloggers for your book or product, right? But there’s more to it. Really, it’s about online networking or cyber-schmoozing. Before you even target a blog for your pitch, you should get to know them first. Here’s how.

First, you’ll want to get to know the blogs in your market. To do this you’ll want to follow them and communicate with them via the comment section on their blogs. You can find these blogs through blog search engines like Google Blog Search and Technorati.com. Once you find the blogs that are top in your market (I suggest going after the top 5-10 to start with) then you’ll want to see what they post on and comment on their blog posts. What does this do? Well, it’ll help give you a voice on your top blogs and give the bloggers a chance to get to know you. Here are some tips for commenting intelligently on blogs:

· Be interesting and thought-provoking. Save the “wow, great blog” comments for when you are really looking to not impress someone.

· Watch, then comment. I recommend following the blog for a few weeks before jumping in. You want to get a sense of the tone of the blogger and how he or she responds to comments.

· Try commenting on at least five blogs a week, this way you’re not spending all of your free time doing this and still you’re able to get a voice out there in the blog-o-sphere.

· Offer additional insight to the blog post, perhaps you’ve had a different experience than what the blogger cited. If so, politely and intelligently tell them your viewpoint and invite other ideas.

· Be entertaining, engaging, and helpful. Always. Don’t push your book, yes you can mention it - but don’t push it, that’s a big no-no.

· Try to build a rapport with the blogger by being consistent, that’s why you don’t want to follow too many bloggers. You’ll be too fragmented this way.

· Be inspiring, readers love inspiration. Don’t just gush for the sake of gushing.

Commenting on blogs posts is a sort of social networking, even better in fact because blog posts and their associated comments are searchable. Keep in mind that you’ll want to always list your URL when you log in (and most blogs require that you do log in and leave your online “footprint”).

Once you have spent sufficient time online you’ll start to get to know the bloggers that are a significant “voice” in your industry. This type of networking will help when you go back to pitch them your story, book or product. Remember that bloggers, like any other on or offline media, want the scoop. So give them what they want. Here are a few tips for pitching bloggers once you’ve networked with them:

· Know what they like: don’t pitch them a book review if they don’t review books. Just because you have become commenter-extraordinaire doesn’t mean that they’ll bend the rules for you. Well, they might, but better to let them suggest it.

· If the blogger does review books and/or products check out their submission guidelines before sending them a pitch.

· If you’re sending them a story idea be sure and tell them if you’ve pitched this idea to anyone else. If they have an exclusive, tell them and give them a (reasonable) deadline for responding if you’re going to shop this around.

· Present the unexpected: it’s OK to take chances, it really is as long as you stay on topic. Pitch the blogger, you never know what could happen.

· Make it easy: if you’re pitching them a story don’t just pitch them and expect them to do all the work. Make it easy on them by offering to co-interview (when appropriate) or offering them experts you think might work well for the piece.

The key is that as you’re getting known online, the Internet is one big networking party. Just because you can hide behind your monitor doesn’t mean that you’re invisible. Remember that everything is your resume and everything leaves a footprint. The best thing you can do is get out and cyber-schmooze, the worst thing you can do is be unprepared. Do your homework and remember, online networking (when done effectively) can benefit you enormously both in your online footprint as well as the connections you’ll make. Don’t worry about spending hours on this, it’s really about quality not quantity. Get out there and social network on blogs, you’ll be glad you did.

Thank you so much for this information, Penny.

Mary Deal: Down to the Needle

My guest today is Mary Deal from Hawaii. Aloha, Mary. Please give us a brief bio.

I’m retired and living out a life-long dream of living on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Most of my time is spent writing, though I do get to the beach now and again. Oil painting and photography are business hobbies in which I take great pleasure and community activities too. Presently, I have four novels published, suspense and thrillers, with two additional thrillers now being written. I also write short stories and poetry which are published in various magazines and anthologies.

Briefly tell us about your latest book.
It’s a thriller called Down to the Needle. (ISBN 978-1-4401-9820-5)

The story is about a woman’s decades-long search for her abducted daughter. Her search leads her to a young woman on Death Row facing lethal injection for a crime she didn’t commit.

All of my books are available from online book stores as well as from the publisher, iUniverse.com. Just do a search for my name and all my books should come up on the same page.

How do you determine that all-important first sentence?
The first sentence, even the first word, must grab attention. Try never to start your first sentence with “I” or “The” or “There” and similar words. Actually they say nothing so it’s a lost chance to get the reader’s eyes riveted to the page. Some of my first words or phrases were “Blood red letters…” or “‘Witch!’ Randy Osborne said…” Should you find it necessary to use “the” as your first work, the next one or two words should be grabbers, as in “The jagged scar…” Or, as in my latest book, “‘The perp torched himself.’” My advice is to shoot for an attention-grabbing first word or phrase, not just the sentence overall..

How do you develop characters? Setting?
Usually with me, and with both novels and long shorts stories, I have an idea for the story and where it might take place. I see the character in my mind. One of the first things I do is to make a character sketch. That’s as simple as listing each character’s physical features, habits, traits, quirks and even disposition. I’ve written an article about setting up characters. Making a thorough list enables the writer to get into the mind of the character. Guaranteed, by the time you make this list for each of your characters, you will know them and how they will act out your plot.

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?
I make notes anytime I think of some bit of information I can use in a story. I may not use it all in my present story, but if something comes to mind that’s way too good, I must write it down and save it. When I’m starting a story, I gather anything that may be usable in that story into one file to refer back to.

The way I write is not a way I can recommend to anyone else, unless it is their habit to begin with. When I begin a story, all of it is jumping around inside my mind begging to get out. I write what seems to be the most important scenes that I cannot afford to let get away. That means I may write the ending even before I begin the first chapter. Of course it will change later, but at least I have captured the idea while it contained the original spark of creativity. Too, I may write different scenes knowing, of course, the general order in which they should appear. Later I go back and join them together, maybe by adding more scenes, more story. I’ve also written an article about this subject. I write about anything I experience in order to clarify points for others.

Many people start a story at the beginning and that’s what I usually recommend others do. I can write like that, but invariably while I’m writing one chapter, it will trigger something that needs to happen much later in the story. So I write that part as soon as I can and then store it till I can work it in. However, especially for fledgling writers, know your plot. Make an outline or usable list of scenes. Start at the beginning.

How do you promote yourself online and off?
More promotion today is done online. Join as many sites as is feasibly possible to maintain a presence. A writer MUST have a website and, hopefully, one with PayPal buttons or other means of payment. Readers love autographed books.

I travel a bit so I always try to line up book signings even a year ahead of time. However, book signings don’t sell books. In rare cases it does, but appearances mostly help to come in contact with readers so they get to know you.

Other ways to promote is to make your book available as an ebook and downloadable for Kindle and other hand-helds. The publisher should do this for you. Too, if there are charity drives in your area, donate books. I am in charge of the Silent Auction for the local annual Kauai Coconut Festival. We love books! We have tourists coming here and they read books. Find locations in your area where you can make yourself and your books known. The ultimate goal anywhere is to build readership.

Enter your books into the best, the biggest contests. Even just making Honorable Mention gets your book publicized beyond what you might be able to do.

And finally, send your book out to reviewers. Reviews sell books.

What are your current projects?
My third novel, River Bones, a thriller, won a huge award in the Eric Hoffer Book Awards competition. I’m told by my readers that they loved the characters. So I am already in the process of writing two sequels to this book. River Bones has a subplot of a man traveling back and forth to Viet Nam searching for his MIA brother. Since he and the protagonist, Sara Mason, have fallen in love, the first sequel will begin deep in the Vietnam jungle. Most of the book, however, will take place on Kauai where Sara solves another cold case of a missing child. The second sequel will take place both on Kauai and in the jungles of Borneo, where Sara finds answers to an international cold case.

I read River Bones. It was great.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?
My mega-website, WriteAnyGenre.com offers my books for sale, and is also meant to be a resource for writers. All information on the site is free for the reading. I keep adding to the number of pages so there is a great deal on information available. The site covers creative writing of all kinds – fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc. - and business writing. Chapters from my books are analyzed. We discuss how to choose character names. Aspects of how my books are put together, and how writers can get help with their books, are to be found on WriteAnyGenre.com.

For those wishing an autographed copy of any of my books, PayPal Shopping Cart buttons are available on all the book pages. Notices about my book signings are also posted on the book pages when I have confirmed travel arrangements.

Thanks for the interview, Mary, but I think next time I really should do this in person. LOL.

Penny Sansevieri's Advice About On-line Publicity

I am delighted to have Penny Sansevieri as my guest today. I bought her book, Red Hot Internet Publicity, and wrote a review (look in my archived posts). My copy is dog-earred and highlighted so that I can return to its pages to study and put some of her tips to good use. Since I had burning questions, I boldly asked Penny if she would consider answering them on this post so that all of you who read this blog will benefit.

Penny, welcome and please tell us a little about yourself and how you became a top Internet publicist.

WOW, thank you for the compliment! The Internet came to me when I was on a flight from San Diego to New York a number of years back. I realized that we are very fortunate to live in a country where anyone can publish a book. The problem with that is that now a lot of books are clogging the system and causing problems. Why? Review space is shrinking, and books are competing for the same shelf space which isn't getting any bigger, in fact shelf space is shrinking too. So I decided it was time to find a new way to market. Enter the Internet. We explored it for a while - we did a lot in beta. We had always done some marketing online, but not as much as we do now. Our campaigns are really leading edge. We were using Twitter almost three years ago, before anyone knew what it was. It's exciting stuff and it's really leveled the playing field.

What are some good ways to use our blogs for book publicity?
Well, if you're talking about the authors blog, I recommend that they blog - first and foremost and at least twice weekly. Authors should blog on topic, on current events related to their book, or anything that will engage, entertain, or educate their reader.

What should an author's Web site look like? What would you say to those who don't have a Web site to promote their books?
First off, your website is a 24/7 sales tool - every author *must* have a website. Second, what a site looks like isn't as important as what's on it and how well it's converting traffic. A site should be clean and easy to navigate - it should tell the visitor exactly what you're offering and give them a quick and easy way to buy your book. People don't want to guess what your site is about or what you're selling. You have to tell them up front. Be clear and remember you must sell the benefits. No one but mom cares that you wrote a book. Your readers want to know what the book can do for them!

How can I triple my book sales by having an Internet presence?
Well first off, it's about knowing your market/audience. You've got to get out and do some cyber-schmoozing. Here's a great little tip I teach authors to get themselves into the online conversation. The Internet is one big networking event. When you think of online promotion this way, the connections you make start to make more sense. So... the first and best place to look for these pockets of people is on blogs. I recommend finding the top 5-10 blogs in your market and following them. You can identify these top blogs on sites like Google Blog Search or Technorati, follow these bloggers and when you're comfortable, start commenting on their blog posts. This form of dialog is very important. Not only will you get to know the bloggers but you'll also begin networking with them. Then when you want to pitch them your book for review, they already know you! Also, each blog post you create creates an incoming link back to your site because when you blog comment, you have to register.

Let's talk about tags and keywords. There are still many of us who don't really understand how this works. How do we know we're selecting the right ones?
You really have to see what people are searching. Sometimes folks will look at Google Adwords to see what searches are most popular. Go check out your competition and see what types of keywords they have on their site and what they are using in their verbiage. Keywords are a very specialized industry but you can get a good sense by knowing and researching your competition...

I want to set up a virtual blog tour. How do I go about it?
After years of working with authors on Internet tours, talking about blogging, podcasting, social networking, and all other assorted online promotional tools, the basic questions still remain: How the heck do I promote myself on the Internet? Broken down in simple steps, this article is designed to give you a good starting point to kick your Internet promotion into high gear. It’s not difficult but you have to start somewhere. Let’s start with your web site…
Web site: Why would someone visit it? Why would anyone care? Before you start marketing yourself online, ask these basic questions. You can get anyone to a web site once, but getting them back a second, or third time is where authors often lose momentum. Studies have shown that less than 14% of web site visitors will buy the first time they visit. It’s only on the second or third visit that they decide to make a purchase. Anyone can drive traffic to your site, it’s getting them back that counts.

The point of your tour: getting incoming links.  Here’s the thing: anyone can get incoming links. The point is, you want GOOD and quality incoming links from sites that can actually send you traffic and readers that will buy your book. We get numerous calls from authors who have bought into inexpensive programs that do nothing more than driving unqualified, “tire kicking” traffic to their web site. This kind of traffic is not going to do you any good. In fact if you’re not careful, getting a bunch of errant links from sites that Google doesn’t feel are right for your topic or market can get you downgraded online instead of better ranking. So how do you beat this? First, you’ll want to download the Google toolbar. This toolbar comes with a Page Ranking piece (in some cases you may have to download this separately). This Page Rank is important because it’s an indicator of how important Google thinks a particular site is. Ideally sites you target will have a Page Rank of 4 or above. We like to target sites that have a ranking between 4-6.

Penny, this is great. I"ve learned even more and hopefully my cyber buddies have as well.
Bloggers, feel free to leave comments below this post for Penny or me. Ask questions. Penny has agreed to return with more tips to help us all. To learn more about Penny:

Penny C. Sansevieri
Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
Turning Authors into Success Stories
http://www.authormarketingexperts.com/

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Hank Quense: Fool's Gold

Hank Quense, author of Fool's Gold, is my guest today. Welcome, Hank.

Can you give us a brief bio?
I was born late in the last millennium and wrote some stuff. A bit of the stuff was published;most wasn't.

When did the writing bug bite and in what genre(s)?
I recall writing what is now called humorous flash fiction in high school. I wrote them during boring classes and sent them around the classroom. I got a lot of my friends in trouble because laughing in class isn't a smart thing to do in a Jesuit Prep School.

When you started writing, what goals did you want to accomplish? Is there a message you wanted readers to grasp?
I decided not to write serious fiction. There is enough of that in the newspapers. The world needs more laughter and my goal is to provide a measure of it.

Briefly tell us about books.
Fool's Gold is a retelling of the ancient Rhinegold myth from Northern Germany. I set it in the future and replaced the fantasy creatures with aliens.

Tunnel Vision is a collection of twenty short stories that had been previously published. The common thread in all the stories is that many of the characters suffer from extreme cases of tunnel vision.

Why are your main characters always fantasy creatures or aliens?
I write comedy and satire and that will always bring out the political-correctness police for insulting one group or another. I avoid that problem by using non-human characters. For instance, in my latest stories, elves are larcenous. Many of them are thugs and criminals who band together in large gangs. I'm pretty confident the elves won't hire a lawyer and sue me for disparagement.

Who's the most unusual or most likable character?
I have a few. Ida is an undead woman who struggles to survive in Manhattan. Vatsik is a knight-accountant. Burga is a warrior-cook. Finally, there is an alien race called Zaftans. They think treachery and assassination are social skills and list successful murders on their resumes.

What are your current projects?
I recently sent a novel to an agent. It's book one of a trilogy about the Zaftans I just mentioned. It's a blend (mishmash?) of scifi and fantasy. Book two is finished and I'm collecting notes on book 3. I'm currently writing the first book in another trilogy. This one is straight fantasy and involves the knight-accountant, the warrior-cook, the thuggish elves and many more bizarre characters.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?
On my website: http://hankquense.com or my blog: http://hankquense.com/blog

Favorite books?
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is my all-time favorite. I love it way begins 90 percent humor and 10 percent horror and gradually changes until, at the end, it's 90 percent horror and 10 percent humor. The Vertical Smile by Richard Condon is probably the funniest book I've ever read. For SF, it's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Fantasy, Lord of the Rings.

Favorite authors?

Donald James Parker Discusses Homeless Like Me

Donald James Parker

Synopsis of book:

Brian has a dream of writing the great American novel. He knows that without a gimmick to set him apart from the rest of the pack, he'll never succeed. From reading Black Like Me, he gets the idea to masquerade as a homeless man to get the material to write the saga of those suffering from poverty. During his first visit to the local homeless shelter to gather facts, he is accosted by Zeke, one of the subjects of his research. In order to save his skin, Brian spills his guts to the huge black man. After hearing the story, Zeke sees value in the project for his homeless brethren, and pledges to help the wannabe paperback writer. Also on his first visit, a vision of loveliness, aptly named Angel, takes away Brian’s breath and subsequently his heart. She turns out to be a fanatical Christian who is waiting for God to reveal the identity of her future husband. Brian decides to write a novel and make Angel the heroine. With the recent popularity of atheist books, he figures he can market a story where the Christian heartthrob is sweet-talked out of her irrational faith by a smooth talking protagonist. He hopes his plotline will somehow become a reality, and he will be able to sweep Angel off her feet and her religion under the carpet. Things get complicated when Angel becomes involved in protesting same-sex marriage and ends up mentoring the former homosexual partner of a member of the Rainbow Warriors, an anarchist organization trying to usher in gay power while ushering out the government. When a Native American patron of the rescue mission introduces Brian and Zeke to the supernatural power of God, they both are faced with a decision that could rock their world.

Donald James Parker is tha author of Homeless Like Me.  Donald, thanks for stopping by. Please give us a brief bio.
There is nothing exciting in my life to spice up a bio. I went straight from high school to college (thus avoiding the Vietnam War and some potential excitement). I obtained my degree in four years and then my life became unpredictable. I taught school for a few years before giving the classroom up to program computers. I discovered the computers listened to directions much better than teenagers. My heart is still with the young adults though. It was hard finding my way when I was a kid. Our world has become much darker and more dangerous since then, making the coming of age process a very precarious one. My goal is to help teens find their way toward a productive, healthy, and happy life.

When did the writing bug bite, and in what genre(s)?
I dabbled with writing back in 1980. The real journey to publish began in 2006. I'm not sure the bug has bitten yet, because I'm not compelled to write out of love for the publishing jungle. I hate having to classify something as a certain genre. I think I cross genre lines with my work. My books are about life and man's relationship with God. Life doesn't stay within genre lines. If you have to pigeonhole my work, Christian fiction will perhaps be the most meaningful classification.

When you started writing, what goals did you want to accomplish? Is there a message you want readers to grasp?
I started out wanting to write about sports and love to teach people to love each other and to live life to its fullest by taking on challenging projects which stretched them as a person. Now after maturing, I find my message is similar but incorporates God into the equation as a main ingredient rather than just as a catalyst.

Briefly tell us about your latest book. Series or stand-alone?
My latest book, a stand alone titled Homeless Like Me, came out about a month ago. It should be interesting to the writing community because the protagonist is a wannabe novelist. He decides to write a story about the homeless and disguises himself as a transient. His disguise doesn't fool one of the regulars, a 300 pound angry black man. The two become an odd couple and work together to produce the book. A twist of fate occurs when the hero falls with one of the volunteers at the rescue shelter. Due to her influence, the hero has to entertain the notion that God might really exist, bringing about some agony of the soul in deciding what to do with his book.

Who’s the most unusual/most likeable character?
Zeke is a huge black man who hangs out at the shelter. He is unemployed as a result of a former drinking and anger problem (mostly directed at his father) that earned him some jail time. He takes the wannabe novelist under his protective wing to help him with his project. His journey to learn to forgive his father is one of the main themes in the book, even though he is only a sidekick and not the hero.

How do you develop characters? Setting?
To be perfectly honest, I don't develop anything. I just sit at the computer and type. When I get done, people ask me how I did that. I can only say it is a God thing. I don't analyze what I've written and contrive to add a dash more romance or make a character a tad meaner or more loveable. I sometimes wonder what kind of monster I could create by applying my computer analysis skills to my writing. I don't plan on finding out anytime soon.

Do you have specific techniques to help you maintain the course of the plot?
See the answer to question above. Mark Twain said that anyone attempting to find a plot in Huckleberry Finn would be shot. I might suggest that trying to find a plot in my work is a daunting challenge. I like to duck out of this one and say that my novels are character driven instead of plot driven. I usually don't know what's going to happen myself until I write it. Some people call that writing by the seat of your pants. Others might call it creative genius.

Do you have a specific writing style? Preferred POV?
I have a distinct (I think) writing style. I don't follow rules very much. I'm trying to tell an engaging but edifying tale, not conform to someone's arbitrary regulations for writing a good novel. I couldn't care less about setting and description. The interaction of my characters, their conversations, and their thoughts are the things I focus on. My characters carry on intense and humorous (I hope) conversations that I refuse to interrupt with meaningless literary fluff. My POV is usually third person omniscient. I like to get into my POV's head and reveal his or her thoughts about what happens to them.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?
I was raised in a rural area. My hometown, in which I am living again, had 5400 residents when I grew up. I spent a lot of time on my uncle's farm. I learned the facts of life and death on the farm. The importance of character and reliability were hammered home in that crucible (or maybe it was only an incubator). My heroes are usually people grounded in such character with emphasis on honesty, hard word, and the golden rule. They might have their moments of wavering, but they always find their way back to the straight and narrow.

Share the best review (or a portion) that you’ve ever had.
Hard to choose. I'll use this one from Apex Reviews:
“Homeless Like Me courageously exposes the reader to one of the more often ignored aspects of the human experience….Parker's insightful tale chronicles a…journey through the good, bad, and ugly experiences of a particular subset of the greater population. Without falling into hyperbole or exaggeration, Homeless Like Me provides the reader with invaluable insight into how devastating homelessness can be - as well as just how easily it can happen to anyone, regardless of the stability of your current situation. Despite the heaviness of the subject, though, Parker's trademark humor adds just the right touch of levity, providing an effective counterbalance to what could be a decidedly difficult subject to explore. A compelling read from beginning to end, Homeless Like Me is recommended reading for anyone unfamiliar with the specific trials and tribulations that accompany life as a homeless person. Sure to inspire an increased appreciation for the plights of people from all walks of life."

What are your current projects?
I am working on perhaps my most ambitious novel yet – a story of an American Indian reservation and a clash of traditional native religious practices and Christianity.

Donald has written many other books as well:  Reforming the Potter's Clay, Love Waits, Angels of Interstate 29, Against the Twilight, and the Masterson Family series including The Bulldog Compact, More Than Dust in the Wind, All the Voices of the Wind, All the Stillness of the Wind, and All the Fury of the Wind
Learn more about Don at:
http://donaldjamesparker.com/

Killer Recipes Coming Soon!

The deadline has passed for submitting recipes for the mystery writers' cookbook. Thanks to nearly one-hundred mystery writers for sending in favorite family recipes to benefit cancer research. I have signed a contract with L&L Dreamspell and will get the word out when the book has a release date. Readers, this recipe book is chocked full of delicious recipes from cornbread to truffles. Purchasing information will be available soon.

Joan Hall Hovey: Nowhere To Hide

My guest today is Joan Hall Hovey. As well as penning suspense novels like Nowhere To Hide, Joan Hall Hovey's articles and short stories have appeared in such diverse publications as The Reader, Atlantic Advocate, The Toronto Star, Mystery Scene, True Confessions, Home Life magazine, Seek and various other magazines and newspapers. Her short story, “Dark Reunion” was selected for the Anthology, Investigating Women, published by Simon & Pierre, edited by David Skene-Melvin.
Joan also tutors with Winghill Writing School and is a Voice Over pro, narrating books and scripts. She lives in New Brunswick, Canada.

Welcome, Joan.
When did the writing bug bite, and in what genre(s)?
In early childhood. Of course, like most writers, I started out as a story listener. Both my mom and dad were great storytellers, and I needed only to hear the words: 'I remember the time when ...' to feel that rare and exquisite pleasure in the anticipation of a new story.
The dark, scary ones were best -- my father told of a man with the cloven foot who showed up at a card game...a young girl's body found in the woods behind the school... (murder was not so common then) the town drunk found dead in the cemetery, his face as granite-white with frost as the tombstones surrounding him. Word was that something had scared him to death.

My mother had a ouija board she and her friends took quite seriously. And we had a neighbor who visited us¾a fortune teller name Mrs. Fortune. It's true. Everyone was poor in money, but not in the abundance of inner life. Not so surprising then that my background should influence the kind of stuff I find delicious to write about.

When you started writing, what goals did you want to accomplish? Is there a message you want readers to grasp?
I don't think I had any goal in mind except to write a publishable novel, and the drive to do that was all-powerful. And I achieved it, three times, twice with a New York major publishing company once with another press, less prestigious. The truth is, I'm not all that ambitious in terms of career. But I do love to write and I love my readers and my goal is to entertain, while at the same time having my words make some comment on the human condition. A truth to resonate when the last page is turned.

Briefly tell us about your latest book. Series or stand-alone?
My books are stand-alones.

What’s the hook for your latest book?
I don't think in terms of hooks but of course you do need one. The Plan, my suspense novel-in-progress is an entry at textnovel.com Here is the blurb, which will give a better sense of the novel:

After nine years in Bayshore Mental Institution, once called The Lunatic Asylum, Caroline Hill is finally being released. There will be no one to meet her. Her parents, who brought her here, are dead.
They have found her a room in a rooming house, a job washing dishes in a restaurant. She will do fine, they said.
But no one told her that women in St. Simeon are already dying at the hands of a vicious predator. One, an actress who previouly lived in her building. Others.
And now, as Caroline struggles to survive on the outside, she realizes she is being stalked. But who will believe her. She's a crazy woman, after all.
Then one cold winter’s night on her way home from her job, a man follows her and is about to assault her when a stranger intercedes?
A stranger who hides his face. And whispers her name.


Compelling.
How do you develop characters? Setting?
I think about my characters, especially my main character, for a long time before I put words to page. I try to imagine her in various settings, depending on the story I want to tell. In The Plan I saw Caroline Hill standing at the window of Bayshore Mental Institution, looking out the barred window. I also listen to what she is telling me until she is so real to me I would recognize her voice on the phone, and I hope my readers feel the same.

I set my novels in a similar place to where I live, in New Brunswick, Canada as this is the place I'm most familiar with: the mind set, the flora and the fauna. But I might call it Maine or New Hampshire. I was an extra in Children of a Lesser God, filmed a couple of miles from my home, and pretending to be in the U.S. I do that, too. -J On the other hand, in my novel ,Nowhere To Hide, part of the story was set in New York, so I did a good bit of researching to get it right. In Listen to the Shadows one of the characters had flashbacks to his time in Vietnam, and that required some research, which I always do on a need to know basis. But be wary; you can really side sidetracked on the web, so many things to take your attention.

How do you determine voice in your writing?
I don't really do it consciously. The voice emerges in the process of writing, of getting to know my character. It comes out of my subconscious. That which Stephen King calls 'The boys in the basement' in his wonderful book for writers titled On Writing. It's one of the best books around, in my opinion. Voice comes out of character.

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?
I don't outline as many authors do, but I do make copious notes, and I do a lot of rewriting. Novel-writing is a process of trial and error, and I do at least two drafts before I let anyone see it. However, I do often read passages to my husband as I progress. He's really my first reader, and is quick to point out if I've got the doorknob on the wrong side of the door, that sort of thing. It's very helpful and I'm sure keeps me from making a fool of myself.

My advice to new writers is to boldly barrel through that first draft and then you have something to work with. You're also a better writer now then you were when you began.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?
We writers are never sure exactly what part our environment and background color our writing, but of course they do. We perceive the world as we have experienced it. It's a part of who you are and you can't escape it. For example, a blue porcelain pot, a cracked medicine cabinet mirror or buckled sidewalks from my childhood will inevitably show up in my stories. They are there for the picking. To paraphrase Stephen King, (you can see I'm a fan) it's like having a whole circus inside your head. And I'm always eager for the next ride.

What are your current projects?
Aside from The Plan , my entry at textnovel.com I have completed another suspense novel titled The Abduction of Mary Rose and it's doing the rounds now right. Keep your fingers crossed for me. And check out my website for a release date.

Fingers crossed.
Where can folks learn more about your books and events?
My website: http://www.joanhallhovey.com/you can read more about my books, including excerpts and reviews. My book are all available as ebooks on www.smashwords.com in most formats, including for your Kindle, Sony and more.
Love to hear from readers and writers both, so don't hesitate to drop me a line at jhhovey@nb.sympatico.

Thanks for the opportunity to talk to you. I've enjoyed it.

 So have I. Continued success, Joan.