Interview with Mindy McGinnis YA writer.

Today I’m pleased to have Mindy McGinnis a YA writer as a guest on The Write Time.  She is a moderator at AgentQueryConnect (AQC) as bigblackcat97 or BBC as we love to call her.  Her debut YA Novel NOT A DROP TO DRINK, will be released by Katherine Tegen/Harper Collins, Fall 2013.

Mindy is a librarian who writes.  A writer who has an agent. An agent has a publisher for the writer.  While I am still trying to get my story put together where I can show it to an agent.  So I am watching Mindy, and several other writers travel down the path I am attempting to follow.

Mindy did a guest post here a few months ago.  Now I am happy to have Mindy back here to do an interview with me. So we will sit in these two cozy chairs and talk about your soon to be released new book, and other writerly things that come to mind.  

So, tell us about your book. 

It's set in the rural Midwest in the not-so-distant future where freshwater is scarce and people kill to defend backyard ponds and hand-dug wells. My main character, Lynn, has never known any other life than killing to survive. Her mother is the only person she's ever spoken to, and she's been raised as a nearly feral human being. When her mother dies in an accident, Lynn must decide between defending her pond alone or banding together with a crippled neighbor, a pregnant woman, a filthy orphan, and a teenage boy who awakens feelings she doesn’t understand.

What motivated you to write this particular story?  

I saw a documentary about the very real possibility of a global freshwater shortage. I do have a pond in my backyard and that night I dreamt about defending it with a high-powered rifle. I woke up and was like, "Hooray! A novel!"

How important is it to have critique partners and beta readers? 

How important is it to have a functioning frontal lobe? Um. Very. I have two excellent partners that I use consistently in all my writing - Skyval and RC Lewis to AQC users. We compliment each other very well in our strengths and weaknesses. I refer to us as the Critecta.

Did you take their advice?  

On overarching themes, yeah. If they see something that needs addressed as far as continuity, motivation, character development, etc., they're probably right. Do I always, unquestionably, take their advice in line edits? No. As RC likes to say, I'm not the boss of her, she's not the boss of me. In the end, it's my story.

Was it hard to read the critiques?  

Ehh... kind of. Even though I trust my crit partners completely, it's still my baby being eviscerated. But in the end, that's a good thing. It makes a stronger, hardier cyborg baby. OK, not really. What I do is read my crits through, then let it set a day or two and return to it. Then I implement what I agree with.

Did you like what your beta readers had to say?  

Without fail, whether I like it or not, they're right.

I know your query letter helped to land your agent, what was it in the letter that worked?  

I'd like to say the whole thing? I do know that my hook is what gets 'em, and I'm fortunate in that my hook is also the first line of the book.

Once you found an agent, and the agent a publisher is the work getting ready to publish harder than writing the book?  

I don't have my editor letter yet, so I can't say. What I can say is that I've made a definite push to get myself "out there" more now that I have a pub date, blogging more often, tweeting, etc.

Did you have to do a lot of rewrites to get ready to publish?  

Not sure yet.

How has blogging helped you with your book?  

Blogging, like query writing, is an entirely different animal from novel writing. I love blogging because it's a great outlet for those little thoughts that I want to toss out there that have no other outlet. And obviously, it's helped build my audience.

Was the fact that you use twitter and blog help with getting the publishing contract?  

The editor who ended up signing me hit my blog and Twitter up before making the offer. Because I had those two avenues of social media in place to broadcast myself, she was able to get a feel for me as a person. If I hadn't participated in either of those activities, the only thing Google would've popped on my name would be some articles on cyclical vomiting disease (which btw, I'm really not sure what's up with that).

What is your source of inspiration?  

In general, my own brain. I know that's a crap answer but those cogs keep turning, and I'm thankful.

What keeps you going?  

My Irish tenacity. Seriously. I. Never. Quit. Moving.

Have you decided on your head shot yet?   

See link here for her video blog entry   Ha! Um... no. Sadly I'm still an #authorphotofail story.

Is your book available for pre-order?  

Not yet. Believe me, you'll know when it happens.

Is the cover art ready yet?  

Nope. You'll know when that happens too ;)

 Other places you can find Mindy:

Mindy's blogs over at Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire.
She also contributes to the blog, From the Write Angle.
On Twitter
Friday the 13ers 

Check out Spring Fevers, Mindy has a story in this along with other AQCers.  

Spring Fevers

by Matt Sinclair (Editor), J. Lea Lopez (Goodreads Author), Mindy McGinnis (Goodreads Author), R.S. Mellette, Yvonne Osborne, A.M. Supinger, Cat Woods (Editor), Robb Grindstaff (Editor) , MarcyKate Connolly, S.Q. Eries (Goodreads Author)

An anthology of short stories, Spring Fevers is an exploration of relationships in their varied states: love -- requited and unrequited -- friendships discovered and lost, family in its many guises, and the myriad places in between. Created by Cat Woods and Matt Sinclair, Spring Fevers arose from their work with the Agent Query Connect online writing community, and while membership in the free site was not necessary for inclusion in the anthology, the ten writers whose stories appear are all members. Authors include MarcyKate Connolly, S.Q. Eries, Robb Grindstaff, J. Lea Lopez, Mindy McGinnis, R.S. Mellette, Yvonne Osborne, Matt Sinclair, A.M. Supinger, and Cat Woods. The debut publication of Elephant’s Bookshelf Press, Spring Fevers was edited by the team of Robb Grindstaff, Matt Sinclair, and Cat Woods, with cover design by Calista Taylor, and book design by R.C. Lewis. A new anthology is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2012.

BRoP Author Interview with Darke Conteur Part III

Members who frequent Agent Query Connect (AQC as we call it.) will bump into Darke there, they even have a virtual oven over there just so she can bake everyone cookies!  We've rubbed shoulders a time or two.  So I was happy when fellow BRoP member E.M. Neume asked if Darke would like to do an author interview on our blog ring.  Of course Darke said yes.

So click here for Part I of her interview at Em's Realms of a Fantastical Mind.

Here is Part II on sandra Ulbrich Almazan's Blog

Darke and I will be chatting here for Part III

Part IV will be out tomorrow on Terri's blog.'
and Teresa will conclude with Part V on Thursday.

So Darke, pull up a chair and get comfortable.  Please tell us all about your creative process.

First off, where do you get your story ideas?

Some of them started off as fan fics. Sort of what I would do if I were in charge.

Do you have a specific writing style? 

Honestly, I have no idea. I tend to write tight third person. Is that a style?

How do you deal with writer’s block? 

Dishes or a hot shower. I've come up with some wonderful ideas scrubbing away at pots and pans.

Are you a “plotter” or a “pantser” (do you plan/outline the story ahead of time or write “by the seat of your pants”)?

Oh I plot. Plot, plot, plot. I don't write a scene unless I know how it's going to go.

Do you use critique partners or beta readers? Why or why not?

I did, but I have a content editor now. I loved my beta's but I've put myself on a tight schedule and sometimes that doesn't work well when I'm waiting for someone to return chapters to me.

How much time do you spend on research? 

It depends on the subject. I'm still researching things on Druidism as it's so rare to find good information.

What type of research do you do? 

Mostly online. I love the internet.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging to write?  

Action scenes. What I see in my head and what I type out are generally two different things or confusing as heck when I read it over.

For more information about Darke and her work here are some helpful links:

Website:

Facebook:

Facebook Author Page:

Twitter:

Goodreads:

LinkedIn:

Blog:

Is your book in print, ebook or both?

Right now, both are only available as ebooks, but I am planning on doing print versions in the future.

The Watchtower

His first day of work wasn't what Martin Cunningham expected. A sultry boss, a classy receptionist, the drama-queen foreigner, and a painfully shy techie who prefers hiding to human interaction, was the oddest group of characters he'd ever met. When an assassination attempt is made against his new boss, Martin comes face to face with the stuff of nightmares.

Now he and his new co-workers must race to prevent another attack, but where do they start? There's very little to go on, and the only solid piece of evidence escaped through the u-bend in the toilet. By the end of the day, Martin becomes one of the privileged few who really understands what lies in the shadows, and what it means to work in THE WATCHTOWER. 

Under the Cover of Wicca

Victims of ritual sacrifices are showing up in one graveyard, and sixteen-year-old sensitive Janet Weiss is the only witness the police have.

With Janet's safety in question, Jezryall enlists the help of Rowan, a Wiccan Priestess and old friend. When followers of dark magic kidnap Janet in a brazen daylight attack, Jezryall and her team make a stand against the continuing threat.

The balance between good and evil is being methodically destroyed, and Janet's unintentional witnessing of the latest ritual may not be by accident. Jezryall and her staff must rescue the teen and stop the culprits before the balance of power is tilted more in favour of evil.

Failure is not an option, or Janet's soul won't be the only one condemned to Hell. 

Thanks for stopping in Darke.  I hope everyone else enjoyed your visit as much as I have.  On behalf of myself and the other members or our Blog Ring of Power, thank you for your interview.

Interview with Published Author Calista Taylor

Today I have an interview with Calista Taylor an agented author. I say “agented author” as if it is a badge of pride. It is. (I am looking for an agent myself.) She has published two e-books. She is a Moderator at AQC, has her own blog and is a contributor to The Write Angle Blog. Yes a very busy lady and she was gracious enough to agree to an interview. So on the other side of my virtual mike is Calista:

Why did you choose to write steampunk?

I've always read stories that take place during the Victorian time period, so steampunk was a great fit. It let me explore writing in a time period I really enjoyed, but also allowed me the ability to be more creative and build my own world.

What are some of the challenges of writing steampunk?

I think the research can offer some challenges, depending on how historically accurate you decide to keep your story, but that's actually one of the advantages of writing steampunk versus a traditional historical-- it's your world to tweak and make your own.

How much research is required for your genre?

Since I've always read books that were placed in that general time period, a lot of it came naturally. As for the rest, there are so many incredible websites out there. But again, because you're creating your own world, it's really up to you how close you want to stick to being historically accurate.

You have three books in the works, two are e-books Viridis which is a free book, just download. The next book in the series is now available Death on a Sparrow's Wing. (This one is not a free book.) Fox Chapel Publishing will be releasing Everyday Steampunk craft book in the Spring of 2012. Three different methods of publishing. What are the pros and cons of each of your approaches?

I think the two ebooks need to be looked at as one approach to publishing. I released the first book for free, knowing many wouldn't take a risk on an unknown author. The hope was with no risk, they'd download the book if it sounded interesting. Then if they liked the first, they'd be willing to pay for the second. So far, this seems to be working pretty well. As for the third book, I think trying to self publish something that has so many pictures, would be a formatting nightmare for the novice. The con is the royalty rate is that of a traditional publishing deal, versus the much higher percentage that accompanies epublishing.

Do you have more stories in mind in the Viridis series? Any hints or spoilers you want to share?

Definitely!! As long as my characters are happy to keep chatting and getting into trouble, then I'm happy to write their story. As for hints and spoilers, I think we'll see more of the secondary characters as they tell their story.

Did your query letter work to get your agent?

I did indeed query my agent with my fiction novel. Unfortunately, that relationship dissolved when the agency changed the genres it was representing. As for my non-fiction agent, he approached me to take on the steampunk craft project after seeing the blog I posted on wearing the leather corset I made to a steampunk event.

Did you have beta readers for your steampunk books? Where did you meet your beta readers?
I've had several beta readers, in addition to critique partners. I've met most of them via Agent Query Connect.

For your self published works, how did you do the editing and proofing?

For Viridis, my agent went through multiple edits and proofing with me, in addition to my critique partners and betas going through the manuscript.

What do you have to say about the negative critiques Viridis has on Amazon?

I'll admit, some of the negative reviews have been frustrating. There are a couple reviews that commented on editing errors, when the truth of the matter is that I believe most of what they're referring to are stylistic choices, such as fragments, or clipped sentences, designed to stress a certain scene or emotion, or in some cases due to the style of language that I've tried to convey as being of that time period. I try to look at it objectively though-- I know my book isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, so I try my best to focus on the positive. It can be hard though.


How much time do you set aside for writing and research?

I tend to write every day for several hours. If I have free time, I write or edit.

How do you balance your life?

I find it's hard to get that balance right. I do have two young kids and a crazy dog, so they make sure I take time away from my lap top.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Just keep writing. It really is as simple as that.

What do you think the key to your success is?

I think I'm passionate about my writing, my characters and my stories, and I hope that comes across in my writing.


And there you have it. Calista has a website, a blog, and is a contributing writer for The Write Angle.

Calista Taylor is an agented author of steampunk/gaslight romance and non-fiction, with a steampunk romance series currently available, and a steampunk clothing craft book due out in May 2012.

She lives in New England with her husband, her two girls, an ancient cat and a crazy dog.

When not running things over with a sewing machine or lacing herself into a corset, Calista can be found tapping away on her laptop, tormenting her characters, and riddling the streets of Victorian London with dead bodies and heaving bosoms.

She's also a creative cook who can't follow recipes, a versatile crafter, and a happy geek.

Calista Taylor

LISTMAKER, LISTMAKER, MAKE ME A LIST - Guest Post

Today's guest is Mindy aka Big Black Cat 97 or BBC to her friends over at AQC. She is one of the moderators over there, she blogs over at Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire. She also contributes to the blog, From the Write Angle.

I'm grateful that she agreed to do a guest post here. She has an agent and is actively seeking a publisher for her book. I'll let her tell her own story. So here is BBC.


LISTMAKER, LISTMAKER, MAKE ME A LIST

I’m slightly OCD. It’s one of the qualifications for librarianship.

OK, not really, but I find that the hyper-responsibility side effects are valuable in all three venues of my life – home, work, and writing career.

I could spend every hour of each day on one of these aspects, but that would mean the other two falter and die. The first type of death means that no one in my household eats or has clean clothes. The second would translate into a pile of books on the bookcart and hundreds of cranky, panicked teenagers. The third means no forward motion towards my goal of publication. None. No new blog posts, no networking tweets, no AQC downtime, and definitely no additional word count on the WIP.

None of these things are acceptable.

So I give a little to all three each day, and the only way to keep myself straight on what needs to be done is by taking a very simple, yet highly effective time-management step. I make lists.

I use a Stickies program on my laptop to manage my three-ring circus. The yellow sticky lists my household duties for the day, which I try to manage one thing at a time. Monday is vacuuming, Tuesday dusting, dishes are done every other day and laundry waits for the weekend. The pink sticky directs my attention to the most pressing needs in the workplace, listed by priority. The wall above my desk serves as a big-picture amalgamation of stickies telling me what needs to be accomplished long term.



Interesting genetic factoid: my sister (also a co-worker) pointed out that the wall above our Dad’s desk at the homestead looks exactly the same.

And lastly, my green sticky tells me what I need to be doing in writing-career land. And it doesn’t say – HEY YOU! WRITE A BOOK! There are many ways to keep the literary brain cranking, and I need quiet and uninterrupted stretches of time to nail down that WIP.

So what does the green sticky say?

It has links to various web pages that are helping me out with my research, so that I can easily hit up information during short downtimes. There are reminders about critiques that I need to get back to betas, ideas for blog posts, names of people I want to contact for interviews, and titles of books that I want to read and review.

Sounds like a lot, but all of those little steps are furthering me down the path of my writing career, and they can be addressed during the brief moments during the day that chance sometimes allots to me. I guess in the end that’s the secret to my time-management; knowing to address the little goals during little moments, and constantly reminding myself that the big goal for the evening is to crack out another 1k.

The other secret isn’t such a secret – don’t be lazy.

Sure, I’d rather watch Firefly reruns sometimes, but I’m reminded of a sports t-shirt I had in high school that read – “Whenever you are not practicing, somewhere, your opponent is, and when you meet, s/he will win.”

I might not actually wear a t-shirt that says, “Somewhere another writer wants to watch Firefly too, but they’re writing instead. And they’re published.”

But you get the idea.

Guest Blogger Cat Woods on TIME® MANAGEMENT

Today's blog post is by guest blogger Cat Woods. Yes, she is another friend I've made over at Agent Query Connect. She has a fantastic blog called Words from the Woods (My favorite post on her blog was about her computer in need of protection.) She is a great writer, and has a fantastic blog. Check it out, but remember to come back here!

So anyway, I asked Cat if she'd like to be a guest blogger, so yes, we are doing a blog swap. I've got to think up something to say for her, but since my compters are all on the fritz she hasn't given me a firm deadline, yet...

So Here is Cat.



First I'd like to thank Dean for asking me to guest post on his blog. One of the reasons I'm so impressed with the invitation is that Dean is organized and writes a blog on time management. I, however, am not. Organized or good at time management.

On the outside, I'm pretty unruffled. Yet when you peek inside, you'll note that I'm a bit of a mess. I've forgotten to drop my kids off at school. I've told my kids I'll pick them up in five minutes and remember this promise two hours later. I'll lose track of time and realize at 5:28 that the hamburger is still frozen for dinner--scheduled to be eaten at 5:32.

But before you call social services on me, hear me out.

I'm learning to better manage my time thanks to the handy invention of a timer. You laugh, but the end result is that I no longer forget my children AND I'm more productive by the end of the day.

Here's the method to my madness.

I plug every, single, little thing into my google calendar and assign events multiple reminders based on how much time I will need to prep for said event. As the day progresses, my phone will chime a beautiful reminder and my computer will concur. I then calculate what I need to get done and how much time I have left to do it in. This is where the microwave comes in.

I set the timer. Sometimes both the microwave and the stove. Then I get busy. I use this specific chunk of time to write, or any derivation, thereof. The adrenaline kicks in and nudges my creativity. "Hello," the downward spiraling numbers seem to say, "you only have forty seven minutes and sixteen seconds to get that scene done. Oh wait...forty seven fifteen, forty seven fourteen, thirteen, twelve...."

This time constraint works for my otherwise-wandering mind and keeps me focused on the task at hand.

But what about the days I have nothing planned beyond the mundane housework, work out and meal prep and the not-so mundane writing, reading, social networking and editing?

Not having specific events scheduled in an eight hour period turns me into a labrador puppy with a bad case of ADD. I sniff my way from project to project, getting side-tracked upon side-tracked. Before I know it, the day is over and I've followed various links so deep into the cyber sphere I could tell you when the first case of documented toilet paper use was (589 AD in China) and what some of the more unseemly substitutions were (you don't want to know). Strange when you consider I started hours earlier by looking up the definition of pugnacious.

On these days, the washing machine nicely breaks up my day and helps me keep on task. Throw in one load of laundry and blog. When the buzzer goes off at the end of the cycle, switch gears. In this way, I move throughout my day of writing and real life, succeeding at both endeavors.

And if I fail to hear the laundry buzzer, it's usually because I got wrapped up in my writing or editing, in which case all is forgiven because I'm on a roll.

Oops, gotta run. The microwave is calling my name.

Thanks, Dean!


When Cat Woods isn't chasing dust bunnies or raising her family of seven (1 dear hubby, 4 fabulous kids and 2 hunting labs), she writes juvenile lit. She's penned everything from warm and fuzzy board books to dark YA. You can find her at Words from the Woods, where she blogs about her writing journey.

Guest Blogger J Lea Lopez: Notes From a Procrastinator

I met J Lea Lopez at AQC. Yes AQC has been my go to place since February. She asked me to be a guest on her blog, and it turned into a great collaborative effort. So I asked if she would like to be one of my hall of fame guests, and she graciously agreed. She is the keeper of Jell-o World. She is also on twitter @JLeaLopez

So here is what she has to say about managing time.

Dean has become a great online writing friend through AQC(link here) and I was thrilled to have him offer my blog readers his tips on finding the time to maintain a blog. I don't have much sage advice in that department, so instead, here's my story:

Notes From a Procrastinator

When it comes to time management, I’m the last person to ask for advice. I seem to do well with it at work, but not so much when it comes to writing and personal life. (Just ask Dean how long it took me to get this post to him.) Maybe it's because I haven't fully embraced writing as a job or career, which I absolutely want it to be, eventually. Or maybe it's because at work I have a boss and coworkers relying on me to get stuff done on time. With writing, if I don't finish this chapter today, there's no one to swat me on the rear and send me to bed with no dessert.

Still, despite my penchant for procrastination, I do find time to write. Why? Because I love to write. I can't imagine not writing. I first started putting stories on paper in middle school. Partly as an outlet for all the what-if scenarios that bounced around in my head, and partly as an escape. I've always been introverted, so when the noise of life got to be too much, I would retreat into my head to see what stories I could tell. Being a teenager with no job and few responsibilities left me with plenty of time to write. Now, years later, I have a husband, a dog, two jobs, and the clutter of everyday life all vying to steal time away from writing. But I'm still that introverted girl who likes to people-watch, is fascinated by human interaction and relationships, and is continually wondering what-if? I still need an outlet.

So I write when I can, often at night, after I've exhausted my usual procrastination outlets (I'm lookin' at you, Facebook and Twitter!) and I've begrudgingly done the laundry or the dishes. I take my notebook everywhere, just in case – and yes, I mean a notebook with paper in it, not a notebook computer. I still write by hand. Every now and then I have to give myself permission to let the laundry or the dishes (or both) sit for one more day because I have to write today, no excuses – for the sake of forward progress, but also because I miss my characters after a while, as if they were real people. I miss digging into their lives, feeling what they feel, telling their stories.

I wish I could offer you more in the way of time management tips, but I'm afraid the badge of procrastination is indelibly imprinted on my forehead. Hopefully with Dean's advice, and the tips from his other blog guests, I'll be able to increase my productivity. Consider this my public plea to be held accountable! Just don't send me to bed without dessert if you catch me playing on Facebook, okay?

Sophie Perinot talks about her new book, and how she finds time to write.

I’m excited about the new aspect of my blog. Guest Bloggers. I have several writing friends I’ve made at AQC willing to post, and some friends I’ve made on twitter. All writers, all with demands on their time. They will share their insights to writing and managing their time.

My first interview is Sophie Perinot who is about to publish her first book The Sister Queens. She has all the details on her blog

I met Sophie Perinot aka “Lit_Gal” over at Agent Query Connect (AQC) in some of the forums and in the Wednesday night chat room. She strikes me a very savvy and astute individual. Her posts in the forums are always informative and polite! I read many genres of books and I enjoy historical fiction. I write high fantasy and love medieval times. I admire historical fiction writers, because of the amount of research they need to do for the backdrop of their stories. Not an easy task. Research, writing, and blending it all together.

Overall writing takes a lot of time. So I asked if she would help me with a blog post on how she manages her time, successful writer that she is. She agreed to do a question and answer. Here is her interview.

Welcome to The Write Time Sophie.

First let me say I am delighted to be here on “The Write Time.” This is my first foray into blog interviews and I am glad to have a fellow AQConnect member on the other side of the virtual microphone. Now back to business.


What led you to writing historical fiction?

Historical Fiction was pretty much pre-destined to be my niche. I’ve been a life-long student of history (my undergrad degree is in history) and I come from a family of complete history nerds (my sister is a professor of history, my husband was a history major, my oldest child who has just started college is studying Art History. . .I could go on). As someone who studied French in abroad, and who is a hopeless devotee of Alexandre Dumas, père, French history was a logical starting point. So the manuscript that hooked my wonderful agent was set entirely in France, and the manuscript that sold to NAL and will hit shelves in March 2012 takes place about fifty-percent in France.


What time period, and location are your favorite?

I don’t have a favorite time period, except very broadly—13th century to 17th century—but I write books set in Western Europe. The novel I am working on now will again be set in France (16th century), but I have a project set in Italy planned as well.

How much time do you spend on research?

Lots :) But writers of historical fiction do have to be careful not to be sucked into research to the point where books don’t get finished. We are not writing academic history and the publishing schedule (the time span between publication dates for individual books) seems to be getting tighter in our genre. If you spend ten years researching each book it is hard for me to imagine making a go of it in publishing at this time.

I remember back at my very first Historical Novel Society Conference in 2005, the keynote speaker was Jack Whyte. During his address he said something that really stuck with me (and I am paraphrasing here because it’s been years) – “if your main character needs to do battle using a sword, by all means find out what type he would have used but you don’t need to learn how to forge one from scratch.”

What gives you story ideas?

One of the great things about writing historical fiction is that history is full of the fascinating, the bizarre, and the profound. It is a treasure trove of ideas.

Very often as I am researching I will come upon a fact or an event that makes me think, “wow, you couldn’t make stuff like this up.” So, I keep an eye open for ideas for future projects while I work on current ones. For example, the idea for my novel, The Sister Queens, came from a footnote in a history of Notre Dame de Paris that I was reading for a 16th century project -- a footnote about Marguerite of Provence, whose kneeling image is carved over that great church’s Portal Rouge, and about her sisters. I had never heard of these remarkable sisters from Provence and wondered how such extraordinary women could have largely slipped through the fingers of history. I started a folder with their names on it and began ruminating on ideas for a book about them.

Beyond the historical events included in my novels, the themes often come from my own life. I think the most important questions that we ask ourselves as human beings haven’t changed substantially in a thousand years. For example, One of the secondary themes in my current book is what does it mean to be a great man? Is professional competence the most important measure of “success?” Sometimes it can be more interesting and less “threatening” to examine “big issues” when they are removed from our everyday context and allowed to play out in the more remote setting of history.

When do you write?

Unlike many folks who are trying to do all their writing after hours, I have the luxury of daytime writing. All of my children are in school full time, so I can usually manage some time in my “writing lair” during the heart of the day. I don’t tend to write on weekends when my kids are home unless I have a deadline (I never miss deadlines – it’s a matter of personal pride for me). When I do have a deadline then weekends and even vacations or holidays are just “extra work days.”

When I am gripped by my muse I can (and do write any time and any where). I sometimes dictate portions of my work into a hand-held voice recorder. That gives me a lot of flexibility and allows me to “steal moments’ for writing. As a result, I’ve written sections of a book in the car and in the frozen food section of the grocery. I’ve also been known to get up in the middle of the night and creep off somewhere to dictate in the dark, lol.

How much time a day do you spend on your writing?

I consider “writing” to be all aspects of the process of getting a book to market – researching, writing, editing, and even some social networking or blogging (which falls under marketing). When you roll all that together I would say I try to spend at least 5 hours a day on my writing on weekdays during the school year. In the summer writing is more difficult.

How do you balance your writing with other aspects of your life?

When I first started writing it came second to pretty much everything else in my life. I was treating it like a hobby. I quickly realized, however, that if I wanted writing to be a job I had to start treating it like a job. So, I started to be stricter with myself (setting daily and weekly word goals) and with my family (telling my kids, “I am going to write for two hours, do not come to my office unless you are bleeding”).

Once I signed with my agent I became even more focused. I figured this was it – my shot. I didn’t want to fritter it away. So, while my agent was shopping one manuscript (ultimately unsuccessfully), I absolutely plowed through my next, completing it in substantially less time than my first. That extra push was worth it because that manuscript became The Sister Queens.

Despite being very focused, there are certain events I won’t miss for work. Where I draw that line today (as a writer) is different than it was when I was a lawyer, and that’s one of the reasons I stopped practicing law—to have more time for my family. The main thing I would remind other writers is that each person gets to decide on where the line is drawn in her/his life. I never compare my work habits or writing output with those of my writer friends. Their lives/circumstances are different than mine so of course they will arrange their writing schedules differently.

What do you feel is the key to your success?

Success – hm. On a major level whether or not I will be successful as a writer is still very much an open question. Yes, I have a wonderful agent and a super publisher behind me, but publishing is in flux, and the market is inundated with material. In this atmosphere many author’s first books become their last. When my book comes out in March 2012 I will have a very short time to “make an impression” on readers and book bloggers. I hope that I can do that, and I believe I’ve written a sister-story that will resonate with modern readers even as it paints a vivid picture of the high middle ages. But let’s face it, there are no sure things in this business.

The key to getting as far as I have, however, is something I feel competent to discuss. There are several important things I did that any other aspiring writer can do: 1) Learn everything you can about the BUSINESS end of writing. Don’t just spend your time on the artistic side. Invest in yourself as a professional—read about the industry; join on-line communities; attend conferences. 2) Be persistent but apply your effort wisely. Sometimes it IS time to set aside a particular project and move on to another. This is not the same as giving up, it is using your limited time in the manner most likely to yield the result you want, a publishable novel. 3) Write. Don’t talk about writing, or think about writing—do it. There is no substitute for practice. Writing is the only way to get better at writing.

Tell us about your new book and when it is out

My debut novel, The Sister Queens, is set in 13th century France and England. It tells the captivating story of medieval sisters, Marguerite and Eleanor of Provence, who both became queens — their lifelong friendship, their rivalry, and their reigns. While I certainly hope that fans of historical fiction will enjoy the book, I had a broader audience in mind when I wrote it. I am half of a pair of extraordinarily close sisters, and I wanted to write a novel centered on the dynamics of the sister relationship, exploring how our siblings mold us into the people we become. So, if you are a sister, if you have a sister, my book is for you.

The book comes out on March 6, 2012. For more information on the novel (including a back-cover blurb) or where it can be pre-ordered please visit www.thesisterqueens.com

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

I will refer readers back to the second paragraph of my “key to success” answer. I really do feel if you do those three things you are well on your way. I will also say, however, DO NOT BEAT YOURSELF UP when rejections come in. Writers tend to assume it’s them—their query isn’t catchy enough, their manuscript isn’t good enough—but the truth is this is a tough business and it is highly competitive. It is important to write because you love to write, not because you think it is going to replace your day job. I write because I just can’t stop.