Interview with Author Yvonne Rediger

Yvonne Rediger was born in Saskatchewan, lived and worked in northern Manitoba, Alberta, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and now resides on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Yvonne has been writing since she was in her teens. Her favorite genres are Mystery, Thrillers, Urban Fantasy, and Science Fiction, each with a bit of humor and of course romance.

She is married to her scuba diving buddy who is also her sailboat captain. She has two children and is owned by one Siamese cat.

Question: What is the title and genre of your novel?  Why did you select them?

Answer:  

This new release is entitled Trusting the Wolf, and is book 3 in the VIC Shapeshifters series. It is an urban fantasy / paranormal mystery, like the rest of the series. I like writing mystery, be it romantic, cozy, or paranormal. The first book in the VIC series was the first novel I ever wrote. It finished in the top 55 for the Mills and Boon writing completion. 

Question:   What inspired this novel? How did it come about?

Answer:  This story is the follow up from Hell Cat, published December 2018, also from Black Opal Books. In the aftermath of that story, “Lottie” Charlotte Fistbinder has some difficulty with how events concluded and must figure out how to deal with her emotions, mental health, and those around her. All while doing her job, head of pack security.

Question:  Could you tell us a little bit about the heroine and/or hero of your novel?

Answer:  Charlotte “Lottie” Fistbinder is cocky on the outside and guilt ridden on the inside. With the changes in the hierarchy of the Vancouver Island Clan, her shapeshifter alpha promoted her to head of security, and now the safety of the entire pack is on her shoulders. Trouble is, she’s not sure she’s fit for the job. She worked alongside a whacko and never knew it until it was almost too late. What other serious threat is she missing? So, she’s thrilled when her alpha brings in help to train her and the security team…or is she?

Zavier Koering, is intrigued by Charlotte the moment he sees her file picture. Meeting her for the first time at night in the woods, and in the flesh, is everything he’s hoped for. Especially their first kiss. She’s beautiful, feisty, and gives him as good as he gets. But he has a job to do before he can get her between the sheets. Then her pack is threatened, and all hell breaks loose.

Question:   Can you tell us about some of your other published novels or work?

Answer:  Sure, besides the paranormal series which includes The Shape of Us and Hell Cat, I write the Musgrave Landing Mysteries. Musgrave Landing is a village on Salt Spring Island in the Pacific Northwest. The first book in the series is Death and Cupcakes, set in a bakery café and full of village intrigue and a second chance at romance. I’ve just completed the second book, entitled Fun with Funeral, no publishing date yet. I have a standalone cozy, about scuba diving and set in Utila Island, Honduras, and if you are looking for a beach read this summer, it’s a good one.

Question:   What are you working on now?

Answer:  Book three in the Musgrave Landing Mysteries, Condo Crazy. Also book four of the VIC Shapeshifter series, Magic’s Price.

Question:   What made you start writing?

Answer:  I’ve been telling stories since I could talk, and writing them down since I was twelve-years-old. Storytelling is part of who I am.

Question:   What advice would you offer to those who are currently writing novels?

Answer: Finish one novel. Even if you aren’t sure it’s a good story, just complete it. Once you’ve done it one time, the next is easier. Besides, every first draft is terrible, that’s why we edit.

Question:  Where and when will readers be able to obtain your novel?

Answer:  I have links to all platforms from my webpage, or my profile on https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/yvonne-rediger/

Comments and/or questions for Yvonne are welcome.

How to Negotiate Writing Contracts

This past week I signed contracts with two different publishers for two separate novels, one a mystery novel in the continuing Kim Reynolds series, the other a stand-alone historical romance set during the American Revolution. Each contract involved negotiations resulting in compromises from both myself and the publishers. I was reminded that I might have some ideas that could be helpful to other authors who also don’t have agent representation. I hope what I share with you will prove helpful.

Let us say you have written and rewritten until you’ve finally completed the best work of which you are capable. At last, you find a publisher who appears to recognize your accomplishment and achievement. And now you are offered a contract. There are perhaps a few things that you should understand about contracts.

First of all, publishers use contracts to protect their own interests. Writers need to be savvy enough to do the same. Even if you have the benefit of being represented by a literary agent, you should not be ignorant in this regard. Let's say you've been offered a contract for a work of writing you've created. What should you expect to be included?

If you can afford it, I would recommend that you have an attorney look over your contract. But let's assume that the publication is a small one and the amount of money offered is less than impressive. Obviously, it will cost you more than you would earn to have an attorney examine your contract. Also, it’s not likely that an agent will want to bother with it either.

When you need to act as your own attorney and agent, the best thing to do is read up on contracts for writers before you sign. Here's where books like WRITER'S MARKET can be helpful. Writer's magazines often carry helpful articles. Writer's organizations like: The Author's Guild (www.authorsguild.org), National Writer's Union(www.nwu.org), American Society of Journalists and Authors (www.asja.org), Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (http://www.sfwa.org/contracts/) all carry valuable information.

In regard to newspapers and magazines, there are a wide variety of agreements. Some editors work by verbal agreement (the proverbial handshake) while others insist on detailed written contracts. I’ve had both types of contracts work out well--but sometimes not so well. It all depends on the integrity of the publisher.

Writers are usually asked to sell first serial rights or one time rights. This is preferred by authors. If you sell "all rights" to a specific work then you will be unable to sell reprint rights later. And many smaller publications are quite happy to purchase reprints. At times I’ve sold reprint rights to short fiction and novels for more money than I received for selling first rights. So avoid selling “all rights” if at all possible. Of course, you can request that reprint rights are returned to you at a later date, but be aware that the publisher is not obligated to return them. My suggestion: always negotiate. I have turned down several well-paying publications for both nonfiction and fiction because I refused to sell all rights. I don’t regret it.

Payment should be specified and agreed upon. It shouldn’t be left vague. Request payment on acceptance. You might not get it, but it's best to ask. Getting paid upon publication can lead to all sorts of problems. Not every publisher is honest or has integrity. Remember that contracts are negotiable. There's nothing wrong with asking for changes that benefit you.

Ideally, a kill fee should be specified. This means that if the publication does not use your work, it still has to pay you a percentage of the original fee.

If you do have a written contract—and that’s always best- request that a specific date for publication be included. Some publishers will hold your work indefinitely otherwise. And yes, this has happened to me as well.

Book contracts are much more complicated to negotiate. If possible, once you are offered a book contract, obtain the services of an agent or attorney. True you will be giving away a percentage of your earnings on a contract you have gotten for yourself. However, if a good agent will now agree to represent your future work, then you are doing quite well. An agent can often get concessions from a publisher that you cannot. Here are a few examples: a higher advance, more free advance review copies and/or final copies of your book. Also, a good agent can deal with the publicity department of the publishing house on your behalf. Well-connected agents can get your work seen by top editors at the major publishing houses. They network and know what particular editors are buying at a given time.

 Assuming you are offered too little of a payment to make this practical and interest a first-rate agent, then you should read up on contracts for authors before you make a decision to sign on the dotted line.

What should you insist be included in your book contract? You ought to insist on an advance. The advance is based on a formula that projects the book's first year profits. Many small or independent publishers claim they do not and cannot offer authors advances against royalties. However, the publisher hopefully can be made to see that an advance, even a small one, is viewed as "good faith" money by the author. If no advance whatever is offered, this is a sign that the publisher does not expect the book to sell well or doesn't plan to put much or any money in marketing and publicizing your work once the book is published. A nonrefundable advance is what the author should be requesting. As to royalties, request that they be based on the retail price or gross and not the net proceeds which often turn out to be quite small. Publishers generally want only to give you a net percentage which ends up as very little, especially when they claim that there are “returns” of your book. Creative accounting by publishers is quite a common practice and hard to prove. Hiring a forensic accountant simply isn’t practical for a majority of writers.

Publishers generally ask for every kind of rights possible. You may want, for instance, to insist that movie and theatrical rights be removed. Publishers often include option clauses in their contracts insisting that they be offered first rights to your next book. This can be a problem if your work is successful but you are still offered the payment terms of the previous contract. Worse still is the publisher's right to last refusal.

A time range for publication should also be included in the contract. Two years is acceptable; past that, all rights should revert to the author.

Above all else, accept no contract in which you are expected to pay for anything. I cannot emphasize this enough! Any request for fees is a clear indication of a disreputable publisher. Alarm bells should go off. Run, don't walk away! Be suspicious, because there are plenty of scam artists around. Check out writing scams via the internet. There are lists of so-called agents and publishers to avoid on many of the legitimate writer's sites. Check out, for instance, SFWA's Writer Beware: http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware. This website offers valuable information. Preditors & Editors is also helpful:

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors.

My advice is to be patient. Take your time and consider your options carefully. Respect yourself and the integrity of your hard work. And don’t settle for less from a publisher.

If you disagree on some of what I’ve written or can offer your own helpful advice and information, please do so. Your comments most welcome to be shared!

      

Interview with Author Stan Brown

Stanley P. Brown always had heroes as a child. Born in Plaquemine, Louisiana to Joseph Harry, a painter, and his wife Vivian LeJeune, a homemaker, these heroes mostly took form in his big brother, Harry, and those populating the pages of Marvel Comics. Realizing he didn’t have the right stuff to be a superhero himself, he concentrated on academics at Louisiana State University and The University of Southern Mississippi (where he earned his doctorate in Exercise Physiology). He went from there to his first academic post at The University of Mississippi. Others followed, as did many scientific publications and several textbooks. But the call of storytelling remained strong in him, and he answered that call with the publication in 2017 of his debut novel.

Question: What is the title and genre of your novels?  Why did you select them?

Answer: The Legacy, Paranormal Thriller with a political bent. I like multiple genre works.

Veiled Memory, Contemporary Sci-Fi/Fantasy. I like stories set in this world and time.

Fallen Wizard, Middle Grade Fantasy. I like children’s fantasy, but set in the real world.

Question:   What inspired these novels? How did it come about?

Answer: In The Legacy, I wanted to write a political thriller with a paranormal element where ALL magic is evil and the “good” fight it.

In Veiled Memory, I wanted to write about the origin of a people that exists in the real world but have remained hidden, so I built the story around a re-mythologization of Stonehenge.

In Fallen Wizard, I wanted to write an all our fantasy centered on American children and create a different mythology, but one with references to popular literature (read it to find out what I mean)

Question:  Could you tell us a little bit about the heroines and/or heroes of your novels?

Answer:  In many ways Harry Black (The Legacy) is selfish, so his arc starts from that point. I hope, though, that there is enough in the character in the beginning that people can also be somewhat sympathize toward him. He definitely has to find the hero within.

In VM, Madeline Alleyn is an academic who is quite disturbed but has managed to be successful all the same while rearing alone triplet daughters. Her arc comes from a place of deep sadness and longing.

In FW, Peter Michaels is just a average 12 year old kid who wants to be great at baseball and better at school. Problem is, things happen around him, like a wizard falling from the sky into his front yard.

Question:   What are you working on now?

Answer:  Just finished the follow-up to VM in The Stonehenge Chronicles trilogy. It’s called The Ruby Ring and will be published Nov 16 by Black Opal Books. My real WIP is a short story in the immediate aftermath of The Legacy (my debut novel). It will be part of an anthology being put out by #WolfPackAuthors, a Twitter cohort of writers I’m a part of. These are done for charities, usually benefiting animals. My second WIP is another children’s mythology called The Captain of Tally Ho. It’s an animal story entirely.

Question:   What made you start writing?

Answer:  Boredom. I was completely bored with my academic life so I decided to publish fiction as a challenge. Loved reading and writing anyway. Turned out to be harder than I anticipated. Stuck with it, plan to keep doing it.

Question:   What advice would you offer to those who are currently writing novels?

Answer:  Many avenues to publish these days and to do so successfully. Just keep at it. Anything worth accomplishing is hard to accomplish, so you need perseverance.

Question:  Where and when will readers be able to obtain your novel?

Answer: Anywhere Black Opal Books makes them available, including all electronic outlets. I also try to place hard copies in Barnes & Noble stores. My website is spbrownbooks.com. Follow me on Twitter @StanleyPBrown.

Question and comments for Stan are welcome!

Endings: Lessons Learned from Game of Thrones

In my previous blog on Plotting, I wrote: The ending should contain a climax, falling action and a denouement or final resolution. Some element of change needs to occur.

I would like to elucidate a bit further on this element of story writing inspired by an article in the June Edition of Gotham Writers Workshop.

The final episodes of Game of Thrones drew a great deal of criticism and dissatisfaction from fans. In fact there’s even been a petition requesting HBO rewrite and reshoot the final season.

Alex Steele, President of Gotham Writers Workshop states: “Moral: it’s important to give your stories a great ending; it doesn’t matter so much if it’s upbeat or tragic as long as it feels just right for that particular tale.”

Steele further observes: “the best advice about endings comes from Aristotle who said a good ending should be ‘surprising but inevitable.’ In this context, inevitable means the ending shows the blossoming from seeds that have been planted by the events and characters along the way. But the ending won’t be satisfying enough if we could have written it ourselves, so it needs to be surprising, either in what happens or in how we get there.”

The conclusion of traditional romances, for instance, is the happy-ever-after with the lovers finally pledging their undying love and devotion. But there are always obstacles that are seemingly insurmountable. Therefore, the main characters must overcome these obstacles in a satisfying way to achieve that happy ending.

In mystery fiction, endings are often more complex. The ingenious twist is desirable. The reader wants to know who the guilty culprit actually is. This drives the plot. The clues point the way to the denouement. Yet the ending should still be unexpected. In a truly clever mystery the reader should be surprised yet not confused by the outcome because the writer has played fair.

What are your thoughts regarding plot endings in general? Did you follow Game of Thrones? If so, what was your opinion regarding the ending of the series?
 

Interview with Author Savannah Hendricks

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

​When Savannah Hendricks is not writing, she is a medical social worker. Prior she worked with special needs preschoolers and spent seven years as a nanny. She holds degrees in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s in Criminal Justice. Her stories have been included in over 30 children’s magazines, and is the co-author of Child Genius 101: The Ultimate Guide to Early Childhood Development: Vol 1 & 2. She has two new picture books releasing this year, Winston Versus the Snow and The Book Who Lost its Title. You can find out more at her blog: https://theseashellsoflife.wordpress.com

Question: What is the title and genre of your novel?  Why did you select them?

Answer:  My first sweet romance novel is Grounded in January. The title came to me when I thought about the plot of the story. I wanted a title with multiple references throughout the story, and Grounded in January does just that! I enjoy light stories and shy away from hardcore emotional fiction and sex scenes, so sweet romance was something I could naturally write. The world can often be upsetting and I want my stories to be realistic, but also give some level of hope and happiness.

Question:   What inspired this novel? How did it come about?

Answer:  My mom’s diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was the inspiration for the story. I also wanted to write something set in the snow, and when I started plotting it out, I was missing the snow back in Washington. As I started writing out each chapter I wanted to make sure there were funny moments to give it a lighter feeling love story.

Question:  Could you tell us a little bit about the heroine and/or hero of your novel?

Answer:  Kate and Ox are the main focus of the story and their differences drive the story forward. Kate has a horrible fear of flying and Ox is a pilot, talk about opposites. They both have a very strong sense of what they want, but lack the courage to obtain it. The independence makes them who they are but, also helps them push aside their dreams because no one is there to say, hey, go after that!  

Question:   Can you tell us about some of your other published novels or work?

Answer:  My first picture book, Nonnie and I (Xist Publishing), set in Botswana is a story about making new friends, but keeping the old. It centers around a little girl, her pet giraffe, and the first day of school. I started my writing career in children’s literature and have over thirty pieces in magazines and anthologies. I have two more picture books coming out this year, Winston Versus the Snow (Brother Mockingbird Publishing) and The Book Who Lost its Title (Big Belly Book Co.)

Question:   What are you working on now?

Answer:  I’m wrapping up two other sweet romance novels, one set in the summer out in the desert and one set at Christmas time in Minnesota. The summer set one is almost ready for submission, and the Christmas one should hopefully be ready come mid-summer.

Question:   What made you start writing?

Answer:   I worked as a nanny for about eight years and I started reading massive amounts of picture books and children’s magazines on a daily basis. Seeing children react with such joy made me take a leap. And I was not sure I could actually be a writer, because I was illiterate until about fourth grade and honestly hated reading until I became an adult. I’m so grateful I decided to be an author, hone my craft, and never gave up.

Question:   What advice would you offer to those who are currently writing novels?

Answer:  Never give up! Write your way! These are the two things that stand out to me over my writing career. I lost track of how many times I wanted to give up. It’s a tough business and most don’t make money from it, at least not enough to quit their full time jobs. Rejections sting and unless you have a support system, it’s hard. Also, write the way that works best for you. If you can’t write every day, that’s alright. Whatever makes your story great is all that matters. Seek out advice and work on your craft, but don’t assume you have to do everything just as everyone else does.

Question:  Where and when will readers be able to obtain your novel?

Answer:  

Grounded in January is available via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound, Books-A-Million, and the publisher (Brother Mockingbird).

Nonnie and I is available in English, Spanish and bilingual editions via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound, Books-A-Million and numerous apps for children such as Epic and Reading Rainbow).

          

Comments and question for Savannah are welcome here!

The Truth about Mother's Day

Some of the facts about Mother’s Day are surprising and unexpected. The idea of an official celebration of Mother’s Day in America was first suggested by Julia Ward Howe in 1872.  She became famous with her Civil War song, "Battle Hymn of the Republic". Anna Jarvis is actually recognized as the Founder of Mother’s Day in the United States. She never married or had children herself. However, she got the inspiration for celebrating Mother’s Day from her own mother Mrs. Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis, an activist and social worker. Mrs. Jarvis expressed a desire to have a day set aside to honor all mothers, living and dead, and pay tribute to the contributions made by them. 

 By 1911, Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state in the Union, and on May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. Mother’s Day is now celebrated in several countries including the US, UK, India, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, Mexico, Canada, China, Japan and Belgium. People take the day as an opportunity to pay tribute to their mothers and thank them for all their love and support. Sadly, Anna Jarvis became disillusioned by the commercialization of the holiday. She eventually denounced it.

Today mothers are honored with many kinds of gifts: cards, perfume, jewelry, candy, flowers, plants. If a mother is a reader, books are great Mother’s Day gifts, either print or digital.

What most of us who are mothers appreciate most is simply spending time with our children. Sharing a meal like a brunch or dinner together is one way of making the day special. If children live and work too far away to visit, a phone call is always appreciated. I hope to see my children and grandkids.

My gift to other mothers this year is some fun free reading--since this is International Short Story Month as well.

For a Mother’s Day story:

“The Art of Listening”

http://litbreak.com/the-art-of-listening/

BEYOND THE BO TREE is a collection of ten romantic short stories of all types and lengths. The first one, “The Phone Call,” is a free read:

https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Bo-Tree-Tales-Romance-ebook/dp/B00DTV0750

What are your thoughts regarding Mother’s Day? How do you think this holiday should be spent?

Elements of Fiction: How to Build a Strong Plot

Whether we’re creating short or long works of fiction, plot is one of the key elements of story writing. Simply put, the plot consists of a beginning, middle and end. Plot is the structure, the architecture of a story. Build it strong and you have coherence. Build it weak and it falls apart. The plot of a story needs to be dynamic. Like a tree, it grows well if it has deep, healthy roots.

It doesn’t matter what genre you’re writing, a good plot puts forth a question, a puzzle, a mystery that needs a solution. Plots have a chain of cause and effect relationships, not just what happens, which is the story, but why things happen the way they do. Clearly, this brings character into play.

I believe it’s best to create a flexible outline before starting to write so that you have a clear idea of where your story is going. I write a rough synopsis of the plot. But before I tackle that, I write a character bible which names and describes the key figures.

As to the actual writing, I begin with the setup, an initial action or problem that needs to be solved. The beginning defines main characters and what they want, what motivates and drives their needs.

I try to start a book or story in medias res, beginning in the middle of a scene of some significance. Something important should be happening. Dialogue and action are crucial. You don’t want a static beginning. Description, internal monologue, narration, flashback and reflections all have their place, but they need to be limited, and they should not occur right at the beginning of a work.

My latest YA novel WITCH WISH begins in the middle of an argument, setting up a conflict between two sisters leading to surprising complications.

I suggest intriguing the reader by starting with some form of mystery. Make your reader curious from the first and then keep them guessing.

Think of the middle of the novel as rising action (Aristotle’s words). What happens grows organically from what occurs in the beginning. The protagonist runs into difficulties and can’t easily solve them. Don’t slow the pace. Keep the tension building. Increase the danger and/or the obstacles. This goes for any genre of fiction whether it is romance, sci-fi, mystery, literary etc. Always remember that the main characters drive the plot which involves some deep innate need or flaw in character.

I was very pleased with the review from LIBRARY JOURNAL regarding my latest mystery novel DEATH PROMISE:

“The plot kept this reviewer turning the pages."

The ending of a story should contain a climax, falling action and a denouement or final resolution. Some element of change needs to occur. Elements of plot follow a distinct pattern and yet each plot should be unique and not formulaic.

Jan Fields of Institute for Writers has this to say on the topic: 

“Plot is exactly how the journey happened in the story. And if you have skills and imagination, your plot will not be exactly like anyone else's, nor will it be just like any other story you've written.”

Your comments welcome!