CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Lilith from The Unwilling, The Penitent and The Prophecy

I have decided to interview Lilith from The  Children of Lilith series. Put your seat belt on, you're up for a bit of a creepy ride! 

WARNING: You may decide to read this here before delving into the interview :)

Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)

I am Lilith.  I am… perfection.  I am the granddaughter of Adam and Eve, daughter of Cain.  I am what Eve should have been.  I am beauty and desire and hunger and seduction.  I am power and glory and majesty.  I am the Queen. 

I have lived many, many places in this world, yes, but I am always drawn back to this place… to the First Place.  For millennia, after Great-Grandfather tried… and failed… to drown me and my Children… Oh, He drowned all my beautiful Children, but He did not kill me… For millennia, I was separated from the First Place, separated by the great waters, but I eventually found my way back home.  Yes, Kansas City, as you call it now, is not precisely the First Place, but I do require… comforts… comforts and, of course… <smiles> people.  And Kansas City is the closest source of these, at least in the abundance I require.  There is, of course, my Court to consider as well.  They also require… people. 

What do I look like?  One has but to look at me, and one will see female perfection, all that one has ever desired, ever lusted after, ever wanted to have or to be.  To some, I will resemble their wife or their mother or their first grade teacher.  Only no other woman was ever so perfect, so irresistible, so… female as I.  If you desire a blonde, I will be your ultimate blonde goddess.  If you hunger for a redhead with green eyes, I will drive you mad with desire.  If you lust after a brunette with doe-brown eyes, you would sell your soul for one kiss. 

What do I want?  I already have all I desire.  I have you, do I not? 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

What does anyone do in their spare time?  They seek after pleasure and sustenance.  I can find both… in you.  And after we have slaked our thirst for love, I will drain the life from you.  And you will worship me, moaning my name as I consume you. 

And if I ever tire of that, I twiddle the marionette strings of governments around the world.  My reach is… extensive. 

What is your favorite color and why? 

<raises a perfect eyebrow>  Crimson, for it is the color of life eternal.

What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite? 

<licks her lips>  You.  Because I love you… and the life within you. 

What would you say is your biggest quirk? 

Quirk?  I have no quirks.  I am a goddess.  How dare you even question my perfection? 

What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why? Share a line in the book where this irk is manifested. 

Carl… resists me.  He defies me.  That… does… not… happen. 

The vampire Queen’s face is twisted in fury. “You dare defy me? You will suffer as no one has ever suffered in all the world! I will see to that. I’ll kill your whore of a wife in front of you and then I’ll . . .”

What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?

Why, you, my pet.  I love you.  I will take you to me and you shall know love and pleasure such as you have never known, have never dreamed.  And perhaps… I will not consume you after all.  Perhaps I shall Convert you, and you shall be my Child for all eternity.  Perhaps, in time… and would we not have all of eternity?  Perhaps I shall make you one of my Masters.  Male or female, it matters not.  I love all my Children equally, and those who serve me faithfully shall be amply rewarded.  We shall love and Hunt together in all the nights to come. 

What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit? 

I… failed once.  Just once.  But I was young then, and he has been dead… dead and dust for more than five millennia.  Do not believe Father’s promises.  There is no eternal life… except mine. 

But I survived.  And I shall never fail again. 

If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be? 

Ooh.  <smiles sweetly>  I know… how to destroy Great-Grandfather.  Yes, if my writer would join with me, I would make him First Husband, and together we could defy and vanquish even God. 

Ask me any question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself. I'll answer the question at the end of this interview. 

Tell me about… <licks her lips> your family…Thank you, sweet Kathryn.  It has been my very great pleasure to meet you.  I will come to know all about you. 

And then you shall worship me. 

Perhaps I'll hold off on answering that one <smiles>

***

Discover how the writer, C. David Belt, felt about allowing his character to do this interview, here. Learn more about Lilith (if you dare) at the following site: www.unwillingchild.com

FRIDAY FLICKS: Heaven 24/7 by yours truly

SPRING INTO BOOKS is tomorrow!

I will be reading a little of A River of Stones, an LDS middle reader. I will also be selling my books including my newest release, Heaven 24/7, a Christian nonfiction book.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Shari Schwarz author of Treasure at Lure Lake

1.     Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I’m a mom of four boys, a former teacher-librarian and gymnastics coach. I’ve been writing stories since I was three (my mom still has those early tales of a lost baby cow and its mommy), so it’s been a natural progression throughout my life.

2.     How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

I have a busy household with all of my boys’ activities going on, so I literally write during all of the nooks and crannies in life when I have a bit of downtime. I also have some regular chunks of time every week when I know I can have concentrated time to write: when my four-year-old is in preschool and when I take my older boys to youth group.

3.     How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

I have been found writing while waiting in the school pickup line, while cooking dinner (though it doesn’t bode well for our meal if I do!) and during my boys’ sport practices. I write on my laptop most all of the time.

4.     What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

My favorite part about writing is the creative process of developing new characters, new worlds and new plots with twists and turns that catch even me off guard at times! My least favorite is what happens when you finish writing the first draft of a book and after the excitement wears off, you realize that the hard work of revising has yet to begin.

5.     How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

My book idea for TREASURE AT LURE LAKE came from my love of survival adventure books, from having had many vacations in the Rocky Mountains as a kid and from having four boys who keep me on my toes with their own adventures. The idea came out pretty quickly. From the moment I sat down to brainstorm TREASURE AT LURE LAKE, to the day I wrote “The End” on the first draft took me two months. But it took me over a year to revise and edit it.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

This could be endless, but online I have focused on Twitter and Facebook, and a bit on Instagram, for my online promotion. I also have a blog where I promote my book. I hosted my own cover reveal with a Kindle Fire giveaway. That event ended up having a huge reach. I also had a book trailer made by three teenage boys. I’ve teamed up with a large debut group and we help promote each other. I’ve featured many of them on my blog as well.

In the real world, I have had bookmarks, stickers and postcards made. I’ve mailed the postcards out to local bookstores and libraries. I’ve also talked with local teachers and librarians and booksellers about doing author events. I had my book signing party at our local indie bookstore which ended up being a wonderful event and celebration.

At some point, an author can only do so much. I’ve realized that the book will sell (or not sell) itself. The greatest promotion that has happened so far is friends and acquaintances who have shared pictures online of their own children reading and enjoying the book. Word of mouth is huge.

7.     What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

I am currently working on several picture books, a contemporary chapter book, another adventurous middle grade and a WWI Young Adult that are all ready for revision. I have a lot of work ahead of me!

8.     Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

I have one partially completed MG that is set in a fictitious countryside, about a young girl who gets sent away to a boarding school and gets caught up in the middle of something called the Orphan Trade.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

A lot of this business can be learned. Keep writing. Keep getting critique partners to review your work. Keep learning. Take writing seminars. Go to writing conferences. Keep networking. If this is your dream, your goal, don’t give up. It will be hard all the way through, but if you love writing, you won’t be able to give up on it!

Now it’s my turn to ask you a question! Are you a plotter or a pantser? What is your favorite method for coming up with a solid plot that you know will work in the end?

I am a pantster for the most part. I do write up a small outline with just the basics; i.e., the characters, the setting, the main problem of the story... but I find that when I've outlined in detail I never, NEVER follow it! The other thing that happens (and this was in the beginning when I first began to write) all my excitement for the book dwindled in unbelief. It got so I'd spent so much time outlining I had no more interest in writing the book.

I really listen to my characters. If I'm trying to force them to think a certain way or to do a certain thing to get to the ending I envisioned, the story never works. So, as I'm writing along, and the character says, "Wait! I wouldn't say that! I wouldn't do that! This is what I'd do..." and they proceed to fill me in, I listen. The plot will work because it's their story and not mine. 

Honestly, I sometimes shy away in putting my characters in precarious situations. I have grown to love them and I don't want them to hurt anymore. But that's book writing, and that life. I especially had to work through some stuff in my book, "The Gift: A Parable of the Key," because Joy, a secondary character, was going through some rough stuff that only got rougher. Her last bout, before the end of the book, was horrific, but she told me that she could move through it, and so I added this last trial, which I believe made the book better.

***

Thank you Shari! Learn more about Shari:

Website: http://www.sharischwarz.com

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUxitmouBkc

Twitter: @sharischwarz

Facebook: Shari Schwarz

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jerusha Agen, author of This Redeemer

Tell me about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I’ve been in love with stories since I was a young child, thanks to a mother who made sure I was exposed to reading and stories from day one. Growing up in a family that read books every day led to creating my own tales in mini cardboard books at an early age, making up plays with my siblings, and writing short stories as I grew a little older.

When I managed to write a story touching enough to make my mom cry, I was awed by the power of storytelling, and I knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I’m still working on the growing up part!

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

My schedule changes depending on where I am in the writing process. Between books, I have a freer schedule and use the time to catch up with marketing, friends, emails, cleaning, etc.

But when I’m working on a book or other writing project, I follow a more disciplined schedule. On such days, I try to write for four to six hours, but the time doesn’t actually matter to me as much as reaching my word count goal. I have a set word count goal for the week, so I know what I should average every day to reach that weekly total.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

In the past, I mostly wrote on my laptop computer set on a desk in my office. With the last novel I wrote, however, I was feeling stifled creatively by that more rigid environment.

I experimented by taking my laptop to a comfy armchair in another room in the house instead. I found that this more relaxed position away from the office (which seems labeled as the room for “work” in my mind) worked very well to enhance my creativity. So I think I’ve found a new favorite place to write!

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

My favorite part about writing is getting to create with my Creator. I know that my best ideas and words come from Him, and I’m so often astounded at what He directs me to do with my stories.

I love it when He leads me to do something clever completely unbeknownst to me, until He suddenly lets me see, “Whoa, then that idea will connect with that earlier detail and the whole theme!” He enables me to pull off things I know I could never think of on my own. What a privilege to be able to partner with Him in creating through stories!

My least favorite part about writing is plotting my stories. I don’t enjoy this part very much since it can often be slow and take much longer than I think it should. But I’ve found that if I persevere to plot out a detailed outline before writing, I save time and frustration in the long run, as I can punch out the story much quicker and with little to no revising.

How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

As the third book in the Sisters Redeemed Series, This Redeemer was a story idea that naturally followed the other two. The heroine of This Redeemer, however, is a complete surprise to readers of the first two books. In the first two novels, readers meet the two Sanders sisters, Nye and Oriana. I had many readers ask me before the third book released whom the final novel would be about, since there were only two sisters in the Sanders family.

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This Redeemer was a fun story to write for that reason, and because of how very different the heroine is from Nye and Oriana. I was also able to infuse this novel with more suspense than the previous two, which was ideal as I transitioned to writing romantic suspense. I was able to finish the manuscript in about fourteen weeks.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

Social media! I’m active on Facebook at Jerusha Agen – SDG Words (https://www.facebook.com/JerushaAgenSdgWords) and on Twitter @SDGwords (https://twitter.com/SDGwords). I also do additional marketing at my website, www.SDGwords.com.

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

I’m hoping to have a new romantic suspense novel released in the near future, as I have two manuscripts currently being considered by publishers. In the meantime, my project of the moment is writing a romantic suspense short story that will be offered free exclusively for subscribers of my e-newsletter! To gain access to that story when it’s released, readers can sign up for my quarterly newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bBa5wX.

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

How did you know? It’s a futuristic, dystopian novel that deals with the sanctity of human life and persecution of Christians in an action-packed, romantic suspense story. Right now, that idea is a harder one to sell to Christian publishers, so it’s on the back burner for the time being.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

If God has called you to write, then He will give you the ability and the opportunity! The most important thing to be certain of is that you are writing for the right reason. If you’re aiming for glory, fame, or money, you won’t find satisfaction or meaningful success in writing. But if you’re writing because God has called you to write, and if you’re writing stories for Him and His glory, then He will provide all that you need. Your part is to faithfully work as hard as you can to educate yourself, grow your talents into real skill, and use those abilities to always write for the Lord.

***

A question for me:

One thing that I know plagues most authors and that I’m often asked about is how to balance writing and marketing demands. Modern authors have to do both, but one always seems to take too much time away from the other. How do you balance your writing and marketing demands, Kathryn?

This is a fantastic question, one that many writers ask about. How do I know this? This particular question comes up more often than any other in this segment of the interview! 

Balancing is tough, but it can be accomplished with vision and dedication. I spend at least an hour a day on marketing, whether that is writing up a blog post, doing some social media, putting together a book trailer, or sending out invites for my next book signing. The important thing here is to keep your marketing to one or two hours a day. Set a time when you will market and stick to it. 

I also have a marketing book, that keeps all of my ideas in one place. I update this book every year, and use the blank pages after every chapter to add new ideas gathered. The book, Marketing Your Book on a Budget, can be found here. It has a 5 star review average rating on Amazon and can be purchased for under $10.

Most of the time will be spent writing, or all you'll have is one book! Yes, it gets harder to market once your first book is out and you need to get busy writing another, but keeping things in perspective will help you to keep pumping out the pages for your next book. I write 80 percent of the time, and work on marketing closer to 20 percent.

***

Not all prisons have bars.

Charlotte Davis should know—she’s lived in one for years. She can handle getting slapped around by her boyfriend, Tommy, and even being forced to do things she would never choose, but when Tommy turns on her 10-year-old daughter, Charlotte must try to escape. With nowhere else to turn, Charlotte runs to the stranger her dying mother believed would help her.

Looking only for shelter or cash, Charlotte finds a family she longs to call her own and a gentle man she could learn to love. But if Tommy catches up with Charlotte, these strangers could discover the truth about her. Will they send her back to Tommy? Or can a Father’s love set her free?

LINKS:

THIS REDEEMER at Amazon - www.amazon.com/This-Redeemer-Sisters-Redeemed-3/dp/1938092562/

THIS REDEEMER at Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-redeemer-jerusha-agen/1119938928?ean=9781938092565

THIS REDEEMER at Christianbook.com - http://www.christianbook.com/this-redeemer-jerusha-agen/9781938092565/pd/092565?event=ESRCN

Jerusha's books on Amazon - www.amazon.com/Jerusha-Agen/e/B00ELMNMV2/

Jerusha Agen

Author Of
THIS DANCE
THIS SHADOW
THIS REDEEMER

www.SDGwords.com
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FRIDAY FLICKS: ABC, Baby Me!

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CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Ted and Charlene Petersmire from Desert Rains

Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)

Ted: Hey Char, ya got a minute? We got this questionnaire thing in the post an’ since we both own the ranch we should mebe answer it together.

Charlene: You know I hate these things, Ted.

Ted: Yep. I know. Answer anyway. They wanna know who we are, where we live and such?

Charlene: Seriously? I’d think they could figure that out on the long comm, but okay. We’re Charlene and Theodore Petersmire, co owners of the Double P Ranch which can be found a bit outside of the town of Ridgeback on the mostly desert planet Galileo. We raise cattle and a highly valued food crop called ogen for export. Teddy looks like someone slapped a hat and a pair of boots on a mountain and set it walking.

Ted: And Charlene is a dark haired bundle of spitfire an’ science. Her beau Rick would say she’s beautiful. I’m pretty sure she has her moments when she ain’t hittin’ me.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Ted: Spare time? I think someone needs to define spare time fer these folks. Ain’t no such thing as spare time on a ranch. Ya always got somethin’ ta see to.

Charlene: True, though we also make time for eating with friends and family and there’s the Festival after the rains where the whole town comes together to dance and celebrate.

What is your favorite color and why?

Ted: Why do these people want to know about colors? This is the weirdest insurance question thing I’ve ever read. I guess I’ll put down blue.

Charlene: Me too. I like blue, like Richard’s eyes.

What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite?

Ted: Now food questions I can relate to though someone will probably tell me slab toast and milk is bad for me, but only cause they ain’t been eatin’ slab toast and milk, and apple fritters, and steak, and beer, and…

Charlene: I suspect they don’t have enough space for you to list all of your favorites.

What would you say is your biggest quirk?

Ted: Oh, this is a good one. Charlene’s biggest quirk is her tendency to take on the world all by herself even when all the rest ‘f us are happy ta help.

Charlene: Yeah, well your biggest quirk is your tendency to go from one woman to the next like a big puppy when you really know you want to find the right one and settle down. So there.

What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why? Share a line in the book where this irk is manifested.

Ted: This one we can agree on. Mister Donovan won’t take no for an answer. He’s been told the ranch and the seed ain’t fer sale or barter an’ yet he keeps comin’ after both.

Donovan turned towards Richard with a hard little smile. “Exactly my point. It shows a complete lack of ambition. And if they lack the ambition it stands to reason they should be willing to work with someone who will take their product and make sometimes of it on their behalf. The improvements to the ogen seed alone are worth a fortune in the right markets.”

What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?

Ted: Well, besides each other? Prolly Rick, Charlene’s paramour an’ my best friend these days. Didn’t rightly figure he’d end up so important ta both ‘f us, but he’s a good man. An’ he’s gonna be a daddy soon enough.

Charlene: Ted! That information hasn’t come out yet. We only just got married.

Ted: Ain’t my fault ya work fast. I’m lookin’ forward ta bein’ an uncle.

What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?

Charlene: The book in which we? I’m going back to the comment that this is one weird form. Umm…I guess most folks don’t realize that our parents are first generation ranchers. We’ve still got family back on Central, but neither of us feel much need to go visiting. Maybe after the baby is born.

If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be?

Charlene: I can SO make a pie.

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A Question for Me:

Ted:  So do you have a favorite food, Pretty Lady? Something which drives your creative instincts?

Ted, that would have to be chocolate. Chocolate melts writer's block, and keeps me going when I'm thinking I should be doing the dishes. Thanks for asking!

JOIN ME AT SPRING INTO BOOKS!

I will be signing my 9 books and reading a portion of A River of Stones during the event. Come and see me!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jana S. Brown

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I knew by the time I was about six that the two things in life I wanted was to be a momma and a writer. I loved to write and tell stories and sent my first book into a big press when I was about 14. I got a very nice rejection letter which encouraged me to keep reading and writing and I did. I’ve since published both fiction and a lot of non fiction and am continuing to work on my dream.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

I have a three year old, so scheduling writing time is sometimes a matter of desperation. I tend to scribble during her ‘TV time’ and I’ve worked things out with my husband so I get at least two hours of writing time three times a week in the evenings. It’s not completely ideal, but it works for now.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

I have a writing cave with a nice desk, treats and a heater all my own. I use paper for drafting outlines and character development and a laptop for everything else.

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

I love it when everything comes together and the words are really flowing. I love it even more when I go back to read and get lost in my own work. The hardest part is when nothing is flowing and I’m staring at the blank screen.

How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

Desert Rains came into full outline one lazy Sunday afternoon. I was doodling and ended up with a beginning to end outline. In future drafts it changed only slightly. I wrote the first draft in about seven weeks. It took another couple months to revise, cover, typeset and publish.

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What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

I love getting reviews and send out a lot of review copies. I’m currently in a total revamp of my website and newsletter, then will be hitting those like gang busters. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest where I enjoy chatting about books, family, craft projects (and sometimes failures) and cooking.

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

My current project is called Fallen Stone. It’s going through a final revision before wending its way to publication. It is an Urban Fantasy book about a fallen holy warrior living in Denver.

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

The back burner project is the next Desert book. This will be Ted’s story. He’s such a fun character in Desert Rains and everyone agrees that Teddy needs his own happily ever after.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

Do it anyway. Writing is only partially talent. The rest is hard work and persistence.

A Question for Me:

What social media platform do you find most useful for marketing books?

Great question! 

Facebook, hands down. 

I have used, and still use

Twitter

LinkedIn

Google+

and others

but facebook gives me the best results when it comes to connecting with readers and gaining new sales.

Thank you, Jana!

FRIDAY FLICKS: Heaven 24/7! Book Signing TODAY!

What a wild, fun ride I had last week at the Simple Treasures Gift Show in Farmington. Thank you my friends for stopping by for a chat and a book!

For those I didn't see last week, you have another opportunity this Saturday (May 14) at my place to check out my new book with Celeste Martin, Heaven 24/7 - Living in the Light!

Signing is from 1-4.

I'll also have my other books here!

Let me know if you'll be able to make it and I'll add you to the list!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Michele McAvoy, My Superhero Grandpa

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing? 

I liked to write when I was younger but when attending college and law school I never found the time to write creatively because there was always school work to be done.  I started to write again after the death of my father as an emotional outlet and it really helped me (that and a tattoo!).

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write? 

I write at night when my two children (ages 6 and 4) are asleep, the house is straightened up and the world seems organized, if even for just a fleeting moment.  I feel like I’m sneaking away because I never like to tell anyone that I’m writing or what I am writing about.  I am weirdly secretive of my stories until I am ready to share them with the world.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down? 

I usually write in my office or in my bedroom, the two places where my family won’t come to find me.  I write spontaneously, so I could be sitting on the floor, in bed etc.. it doesn’t really matter. I definitely don’t sit straight at my desk. That is too rigid for me.  I usually crisscross somewhere in those two rooms.  I never use a computer.  I only use a pencil and normally a legal pad (I’m a lawyer and I’m just used to writing on legal pads). I write as quickly as the ideas come and later go back and rewrite and edit.  But I like to get as much down as possible when I’m feeling inspired.

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing? 

My favorite part about writing is when I’ve re-worked something that I jotted down quickly and it emerges into something meaningful.  I guess, it’s the actual creation of the story, when the story actually starts to emerge and the characters become meaningful is when I feel a happiness, like I just created something that someone else will enjoy.  My least favorite part is when I know I have a great idea for a story but I can’t seem to imagine or create the actual story.  When the story just doesn’t flow from the idea organically. In those situations it becomes more academic than I’d prefer.  In those times, even though I am passionate about the idea I have to table it until the full picture comes into view and the story line just flows. 

How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?  

I came up with this book idea when my son was about 3 years old.  My father had passed away when I was 26 years old, many years before my son was born. It was important for me that my son knew his grandpa who he never met. So, in an attempt to acquaint my son with my father I was telling him about angels and Heaven. Needless-to-say I was having a hard time holding the interest of my 3 year old.  While I was explaining the concept of angels I realized that they have many of the same qualities as superheroes-- they fly around and make sure we are ok---- so that is when it dawned on me and I told my son that his grandpa was a superhero.  Well, we all know young children don’t have a problem believing in superheroes.  At that point,  my dad was a superhero and my son was excited to have him as his own. My Superhero Grandpa was born. I didn’t put pen to paper until a year or so later and then it took another year to complete the book.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?  

I am dabbling a little bit in every avenue for marketing purposes.  I have a website www.mysuperherograndpa.com, a FB page facebook.com/littlepresspublishing and a twitter account  @michele_mcavoy.  I have reached out directly to groups like mommy blogs and christian moms/groups, people who I think will appreciate and enjoy my book.  I have received some reviews on blogs which has helped spread the word to folks in places that I could never reach on my own.  I feel like there is a wonderful system of women out there that want to be supportive of other women and it’s a good positive energy.  I reached out to a local Religious Store and have a book signing scheduled.  And there is still much more to do.  I try to do something every day to market my book even if it’s just to send 1 email.  I still have a day job as an attorney and my kids and house to take care of so finding large chunks of time is often difficult. However, this book and it’s success is extremely important to me and I will try everything to get this book to be THE book people buy when grandma or grandpa go to Heaven. 

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out? 

My new book is My Superhero Grandpa. It was released on April 10th and so far has received great reviews and feedback.  Much of my energy is going towards making that book a success.  I am not currently writing other stories because at night when I would typically be writing I am marketing (or thinking about marketing) My Superhero Grandpa.

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.  

I do have a next project.  It’s a story to help little girls with their self esteem and realize that they are worthy of attention no matter what.  It’s a sweet funny story and will be illustrated as a picture book.  I can’t wait to bring those characters to life with the illustrations like I did with My Superhero Grandpa.  All of my stories are meant to help young children respect their emotions and are presented in an uplifting and whimsical way.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?  

I consider myself a beginner writer, I did it (published my first book) and it feels exhilarating.  I would say that everyone has talent and everyone has doubt.  I am admittedly extremely shy about my writing because whether someone likes your book is completely subjective, unlike something academic like law, where you are either right or wrong.  It’s easier to exist in a world and know where you stand when the qualifications are purely objective. When you get an “A” in a subject you know you are good.  With writing, it’s harder to be confident.  Some people may like it, some or many may not.  I would say to someone that is too shy to publish--wouldn’t you want to find and share your story even if only a few like it?  In my mind,  if my book is liked by and helps only 5 children,  well, then that’s five more children helped, and that’s a good thing.

Question for Kathryn:

With book sales and marketing is there a moment when you’re like “wow” it’s a success, or is it a steady race where you are a year in and you look back and say “wow-- look at the progress”? 

I would say your second thought is the best answer. My sales have been steadily growing since 2002 when my first book was published, but it's hard to tell sometimes unless I look back and see where I've been. Of course I always feel successful when someone compliments me on my work, wants to read the next book, or wants me to write another in the series. I like talking with people and getting to know them. Even if they don't buy my book I feel rewarded for just getting to know them.

My website is www.mysuperherograndpa.com

Book trailer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AycG1PVolkI

FB page- facebook.com/littlepresspublishing

Twitter handle- @michele_mcavoy