Gerard de Marigny and The Watchman of Ephraim

Gerard de Marigny  has lived an eclectic life – starting off as the lead guitarist for the hard rock band AMERICADE. He's worked for and owned a few businesses but always with the secret aspiration to write novels. He tried his hand at detective mysteries twenty years ago and then put his writing ambitions to bed for two decades. In that time,  he became an avid reader of Tom Clancy and W.E.B. Griffin. Right after reading Book One of Griffin's outstanding 'The Corps' series, he knew, "THAT'S what I want to write … thrillers!" Griffin writes historical thrillers, though. Gerard wanted to deal with current and future world issues more akin to Clancy et al. There are some fantastic writers in the genre now – a whole new breed including people like Brad Thor, William Tyree, Craig Hickman, Joseph Flynn, etc. He's working very hard at being counted with this group.

Welcome, Gerard. Congratulations on the release of The Watchman of Ephraim. What will readers like about it?

I try to write books that I want to read. The Watchman of Ephraim is a fast-paced thriller based around a lead character (Cris De Niro) whom I'd like to be, who is surrounded by people I'd like to know, who is doing something I'd like to do! (grin)

I hope the reader feels transformed into the story. I hope the settings, backgrounds, details, etc. of all of my novels are perceived as real (I put lots of time into making sure they are) because those are the things I like when I read thrillers.

To me, fiction is at its best when most of it isn't fiction when it's believable because when it's believable, I care and when I care, I'm hooked. I've felt very blessed from the messages that readers of TWOE have sent telling me how they were brought to tears in the beginning and how they were cheering for my man, Cris De Niro, at the end in other words, they cared, which means I did my job.

Can you share how you name your characters?

I usually use pieces of names of real people. For instance, if the character is an Iranian terrorist, I actually find names of real Iranian terrorists and morph them in some way. For other positive characters I've used bits and pieces of names of people I know and love. I've even been known to use names from old movies – but I won't say which. (grin) I've never just fabricated a character name though – down to the most minor character. Every name has a reason and meaning to me.

What are your protagonist’s strengths? Flaws?

In The Watchman of Ephraim the protagonist's name is Cris De Niro. De Niro is guy about my age, born and raised in the same place I was born, Ridgewood, New York but while I was in a heavy metal band, De Niro was becoming one of the top hedge fund managers and one of the youngest and richest in the world. 9/11 happens and he loses his wife and unborn son and he learns the awful lesson that all the money in the world can't bring back your loved ones … so that CAN'T be the point of life.

His epiphany of faith is his biggest strength. He dedicates himself to doing his Judeo-Christian God's Will, in a way that means the most to him – protecting other Americans from the type of terrorists that murdered his wife. De Niro's other strength's include his aptitude – especially his financial savvy and his 'street smarts' from growing up in  a tough neighborhood and his affable personality. De Niro's the type of guy that could drink a cup of coffee with the President of the United States and a pint with a friend and come across with the same savoir-faire to both. His main flaw, although I'm not sure it's as much a flaw as an internal struggle is his dedication to his deceased wife. Ten years pass after chapter two when the towers fell and De Niro still can't come to terms with things like not wearing his wedding ring or becoming romantically involved with another woman.

Tell us more! Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

My debut thriller, The Watchman of Ephraim was published in January (2011). It's the first novel in 'The Watchman of Ephraim' series. The hardcover and (trade) paperback editions are available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and a host of other fine booksellers around the world. Signed copies are available on my website. It's also available in virtually every eBook format (Kindle, NOOK, iBook, Kobo, etc.) from Amazon.com, Smashwords.com, and BarnesandNoble.com.

Who are your favorite authors?

The authors that influenced me most outside my genre are Jack London (White Fang was the first novel I ever read), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and lots of pulp fiction writers, too many to mention.

My genre is thriller. The first thriller writer that knocked my socks off was Stephen Hunter and his great novel, Point of Impact. If you want to drill down to subgenre, The Watchman of Ephraim is a political thriller or geo-political thriller. In those genres, the writer who inspired me most was/is Tom Clancy. However, I'm probably most influenced by W.E.B. Griffin. I absolutely loved his The Corps series and although he writes mostly historical, war fiction WEB is/was my favorite! His son W.E.B. is now doing most of the writing, also a great writer.

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

I'm about half-way through with the sequel to TWOE. It's called Signs of War  and it will be available in September (2011) in hardcover, trade paper and all eBook formats.

I'm also developing a story outside of The Watchman of Ephraim series that I will be available in January and I'm doing two radio interviews, one on June 14th and then another on December 21st (both 5pm eastern time) with Fran Lewis and Marcia Cook on BlogTalkRadio.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events, Gerard

Here are a few places you can keep in touch with me and buy my books. I can mostly be found on my Facebook page (If you hit the “like” button, you can read 7 chapters of The Watchman of Ephraim for free) and on Twitter. My website will always have my most up-to-date info too. Thanks for this opportunity, Susan … peace everyone and hope to hear from you!

Same to you, Gerard. Best wishes on the success of your book!

You can keep up with Gerard de Marigny on his website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpace.

Purchase personalized, signed hardback and paperback editions of _TWOE_ at his website.
Paperback Available at CreateSpace, Amazon.com  and BarnesandNoble.com!

Hardcover Available at Amazon.com  and BarnesandNoble.com!

Available for most eBook platforms at Smashwords.com, for Kindle at Amazon.com , for Nook at BarnesandNoble.com!
Tune into author Gerard de Marigny's irreverent blog, 'The World According to g'

Gerard de Marigny also publishes a special blog for self-publishers called 'Self-Publisher's Diary: Author's Log' where he journals his experiences as a self-publisher.

Laurel Osterkamp

Minnesota author, Laurel Osterkamp, is my guest today. Good morning, Laurel. Thanks for coming over.

Thanks for having me over, Susan.
How many books have you written?
I’ve written two full length novels, Following My Toes, and Starring in the movie of My Life. I’ve also written a semi-short e-book called Looking For Ward. All of them qualify as women’s fiction because they were written with a female audience in mind, but I like to think they don’t follow a specific formula.

Tell us about your latest book. Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

Starring in the Movie of My Life is available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Smashwords. It’s in print and in any e-book formula you could possibly want, including Kindle and Nook.

There are two main characters. Thirty-five-year-old Samantha acts without thinking. Her heart is huge while her sense of purpose is small; she's willing to fight for those she loves, but she's never learned to fight for herself. Eighteen-year-old Melody is cold and calculating, and she's driven by the desire to better herself. As these compelling yet deeply flawed women battle for the affections of 25-year-old Nathan, he becomes increasingly confused and torn between them. Starring in the Movie of my Life is told alternately from both Samantha's and Melody's points-of-view and relates two complete yet combined stories about love, acceptance, and redemption. It speaks to our universal desire to be saved by the ones we love, and the monumental effort required to save ourselves

How do you develop characters? Setting?

I started by assigning both Melody and Samantha with a heroic quality, something that would inform the choices that they make throughout the story. After that the rest just fell into place. As for setting, I imagined a town not unlike Duluth, Minnesota, where I went to college. But my story takes place in Shannon, Wisconsin, which a fictional town.

What are your protagonist’s strengths? Flaws?

Samantha is tremendously loyal and brave when it comes to protecting the people she loves. Melody is, above all else, a survivor. Each one represents the flip side of the other. They are both very flawed. Samantha drifts from thing to thing, and has trouble with follow-through. Melody is driven, and ruthless to the point that she’ll hurt other people in order to get what she wants.

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?

I just revise a lot, and I make sure never go too long without writing so I don’t lose track of the story. I also meet with a writing group, so I get a lot of feedback during my writing process. They let me know when I something’s inconsistent or unrealistic.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?

Well, I teach high school Film Studies and TV Production. So much of the story takes place in a high school, and there are countless references to movies and film making.

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

I’ve been focusing on developing my blog, "Laurel’s Open Page", where I post book reviews. I also write posts about reading and pop culture, and there’s usually some reference to teaching high school.

We'll have to check out your blog. Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

www.laurelosterkamp.blogspot.com

http://www.laurelosterkamp.com/                                     

Thank you for the interview, Susan.

My pleasure, Laurel. Continued success!

Tom Temple's Cheese Grits

Do you love cheese grits as much as I do? I couldn't resist interviewing Tom Temple.


Tom, welcome to the blog. You book's title got my attention. LOL. I’d be fascinated to know more about you.

How many books have you written? In what genres?

My latest book is Cheese Grits, Stories to Nourish the Southern Soul. It is a collection of short stories spanning the years from 1948 through 1968. It’s about growing up in the 1950s and 60s. It is a balance of stories about coming-of-age events from those times and the larger events that influenced and molded the values of a generation. These larger events are seen from the unique perspective of the children who lived through them. It gives some insights into how the values and priorities of the “sixties generation” evolved.

The first complete book I wrote is a massive how-to book about restoration of antique clocks completed in 2005. It is around 750 pages long with over 2,500 color photos and graphics. Because of its size, the volume of color photos and the relatively small audience, it was only practical to produce in electronic format. It was released in a pdf format and supplied on a single CD. I created a web site to promote the book (http://www.xrestore.com) then worked for several years to push the site to the number one search response for the keywords “clock restoration”. The book has sold well globally since being released and continues to sell well today. Just a few weeks ago, I released a paper version of the book in black and white.

What books or authors have influenced you, Tom?

Like a lot of reading enthusiasts, my reading tastes are broad. I love the non-fiction writings of David McCullough. His book, John Adams, brings our founders to life like no one has done before.

At the other extreme, I have read and reread everything Douglas Adams wrote in his foreshortened life. He had a unique way to compose a sentence and a madly imaginative mind.

What is your most rewarding experience during the writing process?

The thing I find most rewarding is when a reader looks up while reading something I wrote and says, “I know exactly what you are saying here.” In Cheese Grits, one reader, who is a baby boomer, said that she wanted her grandchildren to all read the book to understand what it was like when grandma was growing up. I found that the highest compliment I’ve ever received.

Is it available in print, eBook, and Kindle formats?

Cheese Grits is available in all popular formats: paperback and hardbound through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other traditional book sellers; eBook formats for Kindle, Sony, Nook, Apple and others.

Do you think your writing has improved since your first attempt?

I have written professionally since my mid-twenties when I created technical books and training materials. There is no doubt that my writing has improved over the years thanks in part to technology (there was no such thing as ‘spell check’ or ‘grammar check’ when I started out), but mostly to those people I trust for input and criticism. By keeping my ears open and my mouth shut, I’ve learned a great deal about how to improve a draft.

Were any of your books more challenging to write than the others? If so, why?

Extreme Restoration, my book about clock restoration, was easily the most challenging to create. I wanted a book that provided accurate, period-correct restoration techniques, presented in a form that the average restorer could follow. Unfortunately, many of original techniques were poorly documented or not documented at all. It took several years of research to nail down accurate procedures. Then, I had to carefully write up the procedures for each technique, including sourcing of period-correct materials. Finally, I had to accurately photograph the key steps of each process. All in all, I think I have over 2,000 hours in the first edition of the book.

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track with your writing?

I usually get a thread of an idea then rush to get the essential points down in writing. This is particularly true of a story. This draft is very brief and usually not particularly interesting.

I then look at the sketch and try to determine the real point I’m trying to make.

What do I want readers to get from Cheese Grits?

Some stories were intended to be reflections of those coming-of-age events we all experienced (early dating, the differences between girls and boys, the less than intelligent things teen males often do). Other stories were intended to show how some events of those times deeply influenced the lifelong values of the children who lived through them. Things like the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the growing specter of Vietnam had a profound effect on the values and worldview of a generation.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?


I grew up in the south, in and around Atlanta. I left the south in my mid-twenties and only returned some thirty years later, in 2006. Returning to the south, as well as growing a bit older, has made me realize that the places and times of my youth were special and in some ways magical. Individual imagination, not video games, drove our lives as children. It is something I will be eternally grateful for.

I'm with you, Tom! I truly appreciate my roots and my over-active imagination too.

We all know how important promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?

Promotion, particularly as an independent writer, is challenging and requires imagination and commitment to a long term effort.

For the non-fiction Extreme Restoration, I created a strong web presence which provides free how-to information to interested clock restorers. I also work with the largest clock enthusiast organization by writing a series of how-to articles for their magazine. I communicate regularly with clock enthusiast clubs to stay in their minds.

Cheese Grits is targeted more to the general public or, more specifically, baby boomers. To promote this book, I created a new web site that encouraged participation in forums about events and remembrances of the 1950s and 60s. I’ve also distributed dozens of reader copies in order to promote reviews on Amazon and B&N. I promote the book on Twitter, Facebook, Booktown and other book-related social network sites. There are really dozens and dozens of book-related web sites interested in new works and willing to help an author get the word out. I try to find some new way to promote or increase awareness every day. I keep a log of my efforts to track what I’m working on and to keep me honest. Promoting a new book is a long term effort and a lot of work, but the results are worth it.

Can you tell us about current or future projects, Tom?

I’ve hooked up with several childhood friends as a result of Cheese Grits and we have begun sharing memories. It may lead to another book of stories or I may try to advance the current stories beyond its 1968 end point.

How wonderful!

I’m also working more on the non-fiction clock book angle. I find that there is a wealth of clock designs I’ve not touched on in current offerings. I continue to collect information with the intent of a second volume on high quality restoration techniques.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

I have a number of web sites your readers may find interesting:

http://www.xrestore.com is the site created for clock restoration. It continues to evolve as I add new information.

http://www.cheesegritsbook.com/ was created to promote Cheese Grits, Stories to Nourish the Southern Soul. It is something of a nostalgia site where “boomers” can share stories.

http://www.timespastpublishing.com/ is a site I created to promote both of the current books as well as any future books. Times Past is an LLC I created to keep track of my writing and promotion expenses as well at any revenue generated.                                      

                                                           

Friendship Contest

Good morning, everyone! I hope you're having a fabulous morning. I just had a brainstorm I want to tell you about. I'm currently working on a new novel about life-long friendship.


I'd like to have original quotes about friendship to include. While I can Google plenty of quotes, I thought it would be more special to ask you guys to come up with a brief but profound quotation about friendship. If I use yours in the book, you will be cited underneath. If you're game, go for it in the "comments" section, but make sure it's original. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.




GOOD LUCK!

R.K. Finnell's Kickshaw Candies

R.K. Finnell was adopted by a single mother and became the youngest child in her family. Childhood was unconventional with experiences that helped to make her the writer she is today, drawing from these experiences to create a story.

She's been writing for years and never took it seriously until her own children were older. "For me it was just a fun thing to do. I believe it helped me find my voice and develop my writing style."


Welcome, R.K.

What books or authors have influenced you?


Thank you, Susan. The Elementals by Michael McDowell is a deliciously gruesome gothic horror. It draws on what truly frightens and gives one that feeling of chill.

I list McDowell, Clive Barker, and Stephen King among my favorites, but my writing is inspired more by things I see around me. I find my influence comes from life and my dreams.

Tell us about your latest book. Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?


Kickshaw Candies is a fantasy/horror based on Irish folklore. A different twist to the tales of the Bean Sidhe, Tir na nOg, and other myths.

It is available in print, ebook and recently, Kindle.

Can you share how you name your characters?


For Kickshaw Candies I chose Irish names with specific meaning that reflected something of the character. Admittedly, I also named some just for a like of the name.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?

I bring a lot of myself and my life experiences into my writing. While they say truth is stranger than fiction, sometimes it is better to pass it off as fiction.

I grew up watching every horror movie I possibly could and reading horror fiction. I draw from these to say what I want to say. I believe one can find inspiration within all different kinds of media.

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

Currently, I’m working on the sequel to Kickshaw Candies. It will have less fantasy and more horror. I’m also toying around with an idea for a vampire novel, but it will not be what people are used to in the vampire genre.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

Blog- http://kickshawcandies.blogspot.com/

Facebook fan page-https://www.facebook.com/pages/RK-Finnell/178461001244?ref=ts

Kindle-http://www.amazon.com/Kickshaw-Candies-ebook/dp/B004U359HW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1301390943&sr=1-1

Marvin Allan Williams: Death at Devil's Hole

Marvin Allan Williams is my guest author today. Marvin worte Death at Devil's Hole. Welcome to the blog, Marvin.

We'd be fascinated to know more about you.

I'm honored to be here, Susan.  Well, I didn’t start writing until I was sixty years old. The death of my long-time friend and business partner not only shocked me, but left me unemployed. My wife encouraged me to write the book I had been talking about for years. She even setup a writing place for me where I could work undisturbed.

The idea for my book came to me when I was in my hometown of Niagara Falls, New York and I visited Devil’s Hole State Park. The name conjured up an idea for a murder mystery and from that Death at Devil’s Hole was born. The story just sort of flowed out of me. I wrote the first draft without worrying about bothersome things like grammar and punctuation. I was afraid if I stopped I would never finish the book. Only when the draft was finished did I start the editing process.

How many books have you written? In what genres?

Death at Devil’s Hole is my first book. I am currently writing Death at Three Sister Islands, the second book in the Cadogan Cain Mystery series, and I am working on a mystery that takes place in the south where I have been living for the last twenty-five years.

Tell us more about Death at Devil's Hole, Marvin.

Death at Devil’s Hole is about the mass murder of ten teenagers in Devil’s Hole State Park in Niagara Falls, New York. The protagonist, Cadogan Cain is a retired Air Force veteran who returns to his hometown trying to escape twenty years of wars and bad dreams. Working as a photojournalist, he overhears a radio call on his police scanner and becomes involved in the investigation into the murders in the park.

Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

It's available in all ebook formats and as a paperback through most online outlets, Barnes &Noble, Amazon, etc.

Can you share how you name your characters?

I name my characters based on the personality I want them to have and their family ancestry. Cadogan Cain has a Welsh ancestry and the name Cadogan can be shortened to Cad which is perfect for his personality traits. His girlfriend Angie Bianco is of Italian descent and her given name Angelina means little angel. She is petite, but possesses a fiery personality so she is a study in dichotomy based on her name.

What are your protagonist’s strengths? Flaws?

Cadogan Cain is a man who uses his sense of humor to mask the inner turmoil he feels because of the secrets he keeps. He would be considered a social drinker if the circle were made up of blue-collar toughs and rat pack throw-backs. He has a driven need to see justice done no matter the cost and he loves one woman almost to obsession.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?

Being raised in a blue-collar family with the belief that there are no free rides in life, I learned early on to be self-sufficient. My mother taught us the difference between right and wrong and left us believing there was little room for grey areas. So yes, my upbringing has and probably always will color my writing.

You and I were very fortunate to be raised that way. 

We all know how important promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?

Promotion is something I should be doing right now, but I have never been much of a marketing person, but I guess this interview would be a good start. I will certainly play it up on my blog. I also use both Facebook and Twitter.

Marvin, I think you'll find that networking can help readers learn more about you as a person. Then if they're interested, they'll look for your books. Make it easy for them;-D

Note to visitors:
This would be another interesting topic for blog visitors to weigh in on. What draws you readers to certain blogs and authors? I'd love to have your comments in the "comments" section.

Marvin, where can folks learn more about your books and events?

I have a blog at http://marvinallanwilliams.wordpress.com/ and I can be found on both Crimespace.com and Goodreads.com. I am a bit new to all of this, so I don’t currently have events planned.

I thank you, Susan, for giving me a spot on your wonderful blog so people can learn a little more about me and my book.

You're certainly welcome, Marvin. Now get out there and promote! Wishing you well!

J.M. Cornwell: Among Women

J. M. Cornwell lives in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where she shares bits and pieces of her past in Chicken Soup and Cup of Comfort anthologies and searches for the perfect place to build a cabin by a lake.

Welcome, J. M. That setting has to be inspirational!

It certainly is, Susan.

How many books have you written? In what genres?

There are 14 books: two novels and 12 anthologies. 22 if you count the eight books I ghostwrote before I decided to write my own books, and one bio-bibliography, on Charlton Heston, that never was published because the company was bought out and the series shelved. I worked for a year on that book.

What books or authors have influenced you?

Almost everyone I read influences me in some way, sometimes with what not to do, but most especially Marion Zimmer Bradley, Andre Norton, Michel Montaigne, and Algis Budrys. They took the time to let me know what was good and bad about my writing – often in great detail – and became good friends, except for Montaigne, who is a little before my time.

What are your writing goals?

To keep writing and publishing until I close my eyes for the last sleep.

What is your most rewarding experience during the writing process?

When everything is effortless and I can hear and see everything going on. It’s what Andre Norton called looking at the inside of the donut. Telling a story is like standing in the middle of a donut. Whichever way you turn you see or hear or sense something new and the writer’s job is to get it all down.

Tell us about your latest book. Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

Among Women is my latest novel and is available in ebook from Smashwords, Amazon and Barnes &Noble and will be out in print this week.

Among Women is about a woman who is stranded in New Orleans. Everything she owned was stolen and she is homeless, but she keeps going. Just when she’s about to make it back into the mainstream she is arrested and put in jail without a lawyer or having gone before a judge. She doesn’t know how long she will be stuck in jail and she’s scared. A murderer reaches out to her and offers to help. As she gets over her fear, she begins to see all the women are really not that different than she is and she begins to listen to their stories. Pearl becomes a modern Scheherazade telling her own story and the stories of the women in order to survive.

Do you think your writing has improved since your first attempt?

I should hope so. I’m no longer eight years old and I have lived a bit. Even what I wrote a few years ago is different than what I write now because I have changed. The most obvious evidence is in Among Women. I’ve written and rewritten the story dozens of times in the past 30 years, but this time it finally came together.

Were any of your books more challenging to write than the others?

Every book provides its own challenge. Finding the right voice, the right format to tell the story, researching and getting the details right. I check calendars for books that have a more contemporary setting and I read a lot of science and history to get the little details right. It’s all in the details. That’s what sets a good book apart from a mediocre book, when the details are so real you are transported to whatever world or period in history and you believe in what is being written. Of all the books I have written, and I include the eight books I ghostwrote for others, Among Women was the most challenging because I had to let go of the facts sometimes in order to make the story more interesting and to make it work. I stuck pretty close to the real events, but I did allow myself some license in going off the track. Merging fact and fiction and making it into a good story was my biggest challenge. Once I was able to get lost in the story, it finally came together.

How do you develop characters? Setting?

I see situations and the characters are developed from that initial idea. The same for setting which is inextricable from the characters. I’m working on a new novel set in Victorian England that began as a question about why Dr. Jekyll decided to split himself in two to get rid of his darker nature. Robert Louis Stevenson never gave a motive, and that always intrigued me. I asked what would make a man want to get rid of his emotions and the answer I kept coming back to was a woman. Delilah Makepeace was born.

In Among Women, I was dealing with personal experience and telling the story of women I had met, so the process was a little different as the book was born of my own trials and tribulations in New Orleans in 1984. There is quite a bit of fact in the book, but also a healthy dose of fiction.

Can you share how you name your characters?

Baby books. For instance, I wanted a Korean name for one of the characters in Among Women so I went through pages and pages of Korean names and came up with Joo-Eun, which means Silver Pearl. In some ways, she is a mirror for Pearl Caldwell, the protagonist, in that she, like most of the women, has been betrayed by her brother. Pearl is betrayed by her lover and in both cases the charges are false.

What are your protagonist’s strengths? Flaws?

Pearl is from a middle class background. She has had it easy and she thinks she knows how to survive, but it all comes from books. She begins by seeing people in black & white until she opens up and begins to listen. Her curiosity and desire to right the wrongs she sees are flaws as well as strengths and they lead her deeper into the lives of the other women. It is her need to know why things happen and what she creates out of them that are her salvation and her biggest flaw because she gets to a low point where she just wants to go to sleep and never wake up. Pearl is compassionate even though she is afraid of the women and she is also a bit of an elitist when she wakes up in jail because she sees the women as faceless and not worth her time. They scare her almost as much as they begin to intrigue her.

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?

I just keep writing and then go back through when I’m finished and reread everything. I also have a great editor who reminds me when I have gone off the path or lost a character somewhere. It was easier with Among Women because I already knew the story, but I had rewritten and edited so much from the initial draft that I did get a little off track. I know whatever story I’m writing from start to finish because I can see the whole donut, so that makes it easier, but the characters do sometimes surprise me and take me off in different directions. Then I just hold on and follow them.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?

I’ve always said that if you want to know what an author is like, just read their stories. My curiosity and what interests me at the moment are in everything I write, especially when I blog. I write from experience and passions and the pique of the moment. It goes back to what I said about my writing changing because I’ve changed. Everything I read, experience, see, sense, hear, and do gets filtered into the writing and into the characters, most of whom are extensions of me, a sort of what if I had done this instead of that. They are a way to explore different avenues and try on different lives without actually having to change everything.

We all know how important promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?

I’m learning more about how to do that because I tend to be more interested in writing than promoting. I’d rather have someone else do it, but especially with Among Women, which is self-published, I’ve had to be more proactive, like contacting reviewers and interviewers and asking if they’d be interested. I’ve done podcasts and I bore people silly with posts about the writing and publishing process, about subjects related to the work and I beg people I know, like you, to please interview me. I also comment on blogs and make a nuisance of myself whenever possible, but not to the point of being truly obnoxious, just mostly obnoxious.

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

I have several books outlined, but the one I need to finish first is Whitechapel Hearts; that is the story of Jekyll, Hyde, and Jack the Ripper and the woman who was responsible for it all: Delilah Makepeace. After that one is done, I’m going into the future with a post apocalyptic vampire story unlike the usual vampire fare. My vampires come from two different mind sets. One is as protectors of humanity during a long nuclear winter that has lasted 400 years and the other vampires breed human like cattle for food and to make their lives easier. The latter vampires live in domed cities while the other vampires, called Memories, live underground with humans, guiding and protecting their knowledge for the future when humanity can re-emerge on the earth and being living above ground again.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events, J. M.?

I keep blogs in several places, but the main spot is my author blog on Red Room at http://www.redroom.com/authors/jm-cornwell. That is also where I have links to all my books for sale, podcasts, and of course blog entries.