Live chat/interview with freelance writer Lisa J. Jackson - 1/20/13

The Writer's Chatroom presents freelance writer and editor Lisa J. Jackson.

WHEN?

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Eastern USA Time.....7-9 PM

Not sure what time that is wherever in the world you are? http://www.worldtimeserver.com

WHERE?

The Writers Chatroom at: http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm

Scroll down to the Java box. It may take a moment to load. Type in the name you wish to be known by, and click Sign In. No password needed.

Please note: The chatroom is only open for regularly scheduled chats.

Interview with Kim Richards

Hi Kim,

Welcome to my Reviews and Interviews blog. I enjoyed reading “Death Masks” – well, except for the not-sleeping-well effect it had on me. I found it quite horrifying.

What first inspired you to write this novel?
I wrote the first draft while living in Ohio, across the street from a metro park. Having come from the wide open spaces of New Mexico, the dense trees of Ohio and steep areas struck me as places to dump a body. Often in the news, people were found days after driving off into one of these areas. I did talk with the park rangers near me and found out they try to keep any assaults or other problems occurring in the parks under wraps so that people will feel safe in coming there.

What is a death mask?
Throughout the ages, man often made masks of the deceased faces. It is a way of honoring the dead and, before photographs became available, to preserve the visage of the deceased person for the living to view. There are many in museums around the world including some famous people such as Agamemnon, Cromwell, Edison, Newton and Volaire.

I made a plaster cast of my own face to use for promoting Death Masks and the detail of the features surprised me. The death masks I had the opportunity to see also had great detail. FYI: the one I did of myself is technically called a Life Mask since I am still living.

How did you choose your protagonist?
I decided early on I wanted my protagonist to be someone different than those you find in a lot of thrillers. Bill is an IT computer support tech instead of a detective or someone with law enforcement experience. His curiosity keeps him on the trail but his lack of experience causes him to make mistakes.

Why did you decide to publish Death Masks with Eternal Press, an e-book publisher?
I find every path to publishing valid in one form or another. My first book came out as a print on demand format because I had the opportunity to do it free. I do editing for Eternal Press and so took the opportunity to try my hand at an e-book when it was offered. It may not be the best choice for every book, but I believe a good one for this story. I prefer to form my own opinions about such things with a little of my own experience.

Tell us about the book trailer.
My fiancé, William Gilchrist filmed it for me using ideas we brainstormed together. The music is from a death metal band from my hometown of Roswell, New Mexico. I wanted a rougher sound since this is not a happy, fluffy story. The neat thing is the band, Children of a Lesser God, and I are working together to promote ourselves. It’s opened up some interesting opportunities. They will be taking touring all summer and Death Masks goes with them. The trailer can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp2zpDNMfmM

What are you working on now?
I have a horror novel tentatively titled, Holy Blessed Homicide, which I am revising. It is also out in submission.

I am also in the first rewrites of a story about the Amazon warrior women from the region of Turkey. It was my 2007 nanowrimo project but I have two more in the series planned. The first of which is brainstormed and the first few chapters written.

Do you have any advice for new writers?
Perseverance: wrap it around your shoulders and tie it tight.

Do you belong to a critique group? Do you believe they are beneficial to writers?
I strongly believe in critique groups. The trick is to find the one for you. I’ve learned so much from the groups I’ve belonged to both in-person and online. Currently I belong to one which meets online weekly.

Critique groups are vital to any writer. They often see things you overlook in your manuscript. You know what you want to say; only another person can tell you if you said it clearly. They also give you a sense of accountability. For me, I am embarrassed when I don’t have my submission ready or my critiques done. Many times, once I sit down to do them, a lot more comes out of the time at the keyboard.

You do have to take the critiques themselves with a grain of salt. Remember, these are one person’s perspective and opinion. You are not obligated to make the changes they suggest but if several people tell you the same thing, that’s a sign it needs to be fixed.

You learn your critique partners strengths and weaknesses over time and then have a better idea of which areas of their advice to heed or ignore. Don’t take any of it personally. It’s the STORY they are critiquing, not you and it is okay to tell someone getting personal that they’ve hurt your feelings.

Do you outline before you write, or do you dive in and see where the characters take you?
I outline in a weird way. I call it brainstorming but I make a ton of notes and arrange them in an order once I’m done. I usually start out with a “What if?” and go from there. I’ve found that the research stage shapes the characters and the world so that they fit one another and the situation. Many plots have arisen from elements uncovered in research.

It’s true that you do need to know how you want the story to end and it helps to know a few important crossroads in the plot but don’t be rigid because the story will turn out feeling unnatural or forced.

What do you love most about being a writer?
That it’s okay to be creative and enjoy what you do. I’ve done the get up and go to a job that I hate thing and it’s not good for your mental health, which then affects your physical health and relationships. Life is too precious to waste it that way.

You write mainly horror and fantasy, but you’ve also written sci-fi, children’s and non-fiction. Are there any others? Do you have a favorite?
I love reading fantasy most, though horror is gaining. I just find writing horror a little easier and science fiction the hardest. My children’s story started out as a fantasy for an adult fantasy magazine. It was a writer in my local critique group who recognized it as a children’s story. I also write erotica, though have not yet published any.

I’ve had people in my life ask me to “write something nice” and so I tried my hand at inspirational stories. They royally sucked and so I returned to where my creativity thrives. Non-fiction is a lot more work for me as well and I struggle with my own fears that I’m not enough of an expert so I don’t write much of it. Most of the non-fiction I have written involves writing, book and tv reviews, scifi/fantasy/horror. I’d love to write magazine articles but so far nothing I’ve written along those lines is interesting enough.

Can you share the links to all your networking sites, please?
Writers Chatroom (Chats, newsletter, forum) http://www.writerschatroom.com/
Pretty Scary (online community for women in horror) http://www.pretty-scary.net/
Broad Universe (women writers in sf/f/h) http://www.broaduniverse.org/
Good Reads http://www.goodreads.com/profile/Kim_Richards
Live Journal http://kim-richards.livejournal.com/
My Space http://www.myspace.com/kim_richards
Blogger http://kim-richards.blogspot.com/
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=643339421
Eternal Press (my publisher and where I work as a marketing manager). Here’s the blog link: http://www.eternalpressauthors.blogspot.com

NANOWRIMO http://www.nanowrimo.org/
The Muse Online Writing Conference (in October each year) http://www.freewebs.com/themuseonlinewritersconference/index.htm

I also belong to a ton of email lists for fantasy writers, horror writers, book promotions, book news, and more. I don’t believe in joining a group just to promote my work but do feel free to promote in the places I hang out. I’ve found mentors here and a lot of great friends.

The best way for fans to connect with you would be…?
Please feel free to email me at krichards@kim-richards.com


Kim, thank you again for stopping by today. I’d like to remind everyone who visits to leave a comment to be entered into drawings for a copy of Death Masks, cds, and tshirts.

Interview with Jordan Dane

Thanks for stopping by and joining me in welcoming Jordan Dane on this stop of her virtual book tour.

Jordan Dane's first novel is being released by Avon HarperCollins on March 25th. Sit back, relax, and feel free to ask questions. Jordan will be stopping by to respond to your questions and comments today. Since Jordan has thrown a contest into the fray, your comments automatically enter you into a drawing for one of FIVE $20 gift cards to—what else?—a great bookstore. Winners will be announced at the live “Launch P-A-R-T-Y!” on March 30th at The Writer's Chatroom.

Jordan, welcome! I'm quite new to this virtual book tour concept, but am glad to be one of your stops. I appreciate the opportunity. :)
Hey there, Lisa. Thanks for including me on your blog today.

Jordan, you wrote "No One Heard Her Scream" in six weeks while on medical leave. That's quite an impressive way to stay off pain meds! But it apparently worked quite well for you.
And my doctor! I think he added a pool.

You have been writing fiction since 2003, is that correct? Or is that just when you started pursuing it for publication? Do you still have a full-time job, or is writing now the focus?
Yes, prior to 2003, I’d never even thought about writing a novel. But I have to say that the bug first hit me when I was at a Zig Ziglar presentation—the motivational speaker guy. I don’t remember anything he said that day except for one thing. (Not a good thing for Zig but great for me.) He said that he wrote his non-fiction book doing it a page a day. I thought, hell I can do that. I sold my first series in June 2006 and retired from my energy job in May 2007 before I sold the second series. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with these writing contracts if I didn’t quit my day job. But my energy job was a very lucrative one. It was not an easy decision, especially since I thought of my co-workers as family and still do. But my husband and I have been working with a financial advisor since the mid 90s and had been looking for a way to retire early. The writing gig put us ahead of schedule. Even selling in a great auction would not be enough for me to recommend anyone quit their day job unless they had a solid financial plan, two years of income saved, and coverage for medical.

From what I gather, No One Heard Her Scream wasn't the first novel you completed, but it sounds like the one you are most satisfied with to date. Can you share the evolution of your three to-be-released novels? Which one did you actually write first? Did you have a 3-book series in mind when you started?
Actually, I love all my books for different reasons and I always say that my best work is my next one since I’m learning as I go. I try new things all the time, pushing the boundaries of my cross genre type stories. The last book I completed Evil without a Face was submitted to Avon at the beginning of Jan and it was the first book in my new thriller series, Sweet Justice. That story was an amazing revelation to me and I loved it. I’m writing the next book The Wrong Side of Dead and the characters are so much fun to write. On the evolution of my first series, I had written No One Left to Tell (#2 red book) as my first ever suspense novel. It was my big contest winner. And when I ended that book, I didn’t want to let go of the characters since there was more to tell. (When you read the ending of that book, you’ll know what I mean.) I started a follow up story that picks up a half year later--my Brazil story No One Lives Forever. But I realized that if I didn’t sell the first one, I might be wasting my time to do a sequel. I set aside 6 chapters of Forever, but did a thorough synopsis as a guide when I came back to finish it, figuring a publisher might come back for my inventory. And by this time, the characters of No One Heard Her Scream were clamoring in my head so I wrote that book while I was home on the mend from surgery. I have more details at my website on the page marked FOR WRITERS (see my FIRST SALE link). After I sold in auction, I had to finish FOREVER, but I had the other two done.
And no, I didn’t have a series in mind from the start. So the order was TELL first, then a partial start of FOREVER, then I completed SCREAM and went back to FOREVER. Convoluted, huh? And with my books not being released for almost two years after I sold, I would have been twiddling my thumbs for a long time if I didn’t sell another 3-book series and lucky me, my publisher Avon was open to the idea of buying more.

Do you write anything in addition to novel-length fiction?
No, I don’t, unless you count my INSANE Christmas letters to family. (Remember, I write fiction.) Novel-length fiction takes up all my time. I never tried to write short stories, although I think that would be a challenge worth trying sometime. In my opinion, they are harder to do (the right way) than attempting a full novel. But I heard Sue Grafton speak once and she said most people think a short story is the way to start, but she said that learning to write by doing short stories will only teach you how to write short stories. And I have to agree with her. I always had my eye on where I wanted to be, so my goal was always single-title books.

Every writer is different in her approach to the writing life - would you share a bit of yours with the readers? Do you have a particular time each day to write? So many hours/pages/words per week that you strive for? A particular location with a view?
A view? If I had a view, I’d be enjoying it way too much. A talented author friend of mine, NY Times Bestseller Cindy Gerard, has her desk near a window that looks out onto her horse farm. I could never do that. I’d be looking for any excuse to daydream. I’ve got a great big backyard with a Koi pond. (Yes, I’m a fish wrangler.) We feed the wild birds too, but I could never sit and look out my window.

I do have an office in my home that has a door to keep my curious cats out (and husband) while I work. (The cats are better trained.) But the door is most handy to cover my mess. I am organized on the computer and attentive to details in promo and my writing, but when it comes to clutter, I am a real pack rat. My forensics and other resource books are handy, but if mounds of trash had value, I’d be friggin’ Oprah.

And I don’t believe in placing undue strain on my process by giving myself a timetable. The clock is ticking in my head and I instinctively know when I should ramp up my game to meet a deadline. I’m usually early. I generally work from 9am-3pm every day, including weekends, when I’m on a project. My husband makes me breakfast (because I might have been up since the wee hours if something has gripped me) and we talk about crazy plots and the latest in news and politics before he goes to work. Then I’ve added an exercise bike to my day in the afternoon before I wind down to do edits for that day. I am a stickler for editing my work as I go. When I am done with a novel, I am completely done. No going back, no first or second drafts. It’s ready to go.

Was a lot of research involved in No One Heard Her Scream? The details surrounding how detectives conduct an investigation and the political dealings of working with a government agency feels real. Did you simply write what felt right, or did you conduct interviews with professionals, or find answers online? I'm thinking it might have been intuited from novels by your fave authors Robert Crais and Dean Koontz. :)
I generally start with online research because it’s easy, but I verify everything in different ways (expert help, books, interviews) to make sure my thoughts are solid. I love Robert Crais and Dean Koontz but they’d be little help for me to figure out how to write a ‘romantic suspense on steroids’ story. I read other authors for pleasure, not to de-construct what they do to emulate them. For me, that would ruin the read for me and have the potential for diluting my voice. I’ve never tried to figure out what my style is. (I talk about my method on my FOR WRITERS page at the link for START WITH A BANG and Free Association. I filter my life’s experiences and worldview through my characters—good and bad guys—which is a scary thought.) I think that’s why my publisher and advance readers have found my book a little different. My books are very cross genre and have elements of many types of stories I love—mystery, suspense, romance, humor, police procedural, forensics, and thriller elements. When it comes to research, I am a freak about it. I went through over 45 hours of presentations with my local cop shop, including a day spent at the firing range and blowing up stuff with the bomb squad and a ride-along with an on-duty police officer. My lieutenant for the class became my technical advisor for TELL. He knew I wanted to use a flashbang grenade in my story and set one off near me (at a safe distance…I think) so I could feel what it was like. If you read these passages in my novels, you will have the inside scoop. I’ve also taken online classes in forensics and I always have a handful of technical advisors on my books for any specialty stuff—like my Brazilian friend who helped me with Brazilian Portuguese for FOREVER. And for SCREAM, I had to study interrogations and was on my own for that aspect of the novel. That was a big part of my story and there is real subtlety to the process. A cop has to have amazing instincts. But for other things, I had a former Houston homicide detective help with details of Texas law enforcement. Each state is different. So as you can see, research is a big part of what I do. I choose to add the level of detail so a law enforcement person can read my books and like what they see. I’ve gotten compliments on this before, including getting a book blurb endorsement from former homicide detective turned author, the award winning crime fiction author Robin Burcell. After she read my crime scene excerpt from SCREAM on my website, she offered to blurb my book.

I enjoyed reading No One Heard Her Scream and look forward to reading the other novels as they are published. Your website and myspace page contain a lot of information and I love your down-to-earth humor and conversationalist style. I appreciate your time with these questions and look forward to talking with you in the future.
The honor has been all mine, Lisa. Thanks for taking time to read my work. And I wish you much success in 2008!


LISA: Since this is “SHOW—NOT TELL” month with Jordan Dane at The Writer’s Chatroom, I’d be remiss in my duties if I didn’t direct our visitors today to the next stop on the tour. Please join Cricket on March 19th!March 19 Cricket Sawyer http://www.Cricketshearth.blogspot.com

3/15/08 - Jordan Dane's VBT stop

I'm one host of The Writers Chatroom first Virtual Book Tour. Please join me in welcoming Jordan Dane this month.

Stop by on the 15th and check out my interview with Jordan about her writing life and her debut novel No One Heard Her Scream.