Interview with “The Best Seller”author Dina Rae
Posted: July 10, 2017 Filed under: Books, Fiction, Full Moon Bites, Interview, Science Fiction, Thriller, Writing | Tags: Author Interview, Conspiracy, Dina Rae, Science Fiction, The Best Seller, Thriller Leave a comment
Today, we have with us, the science fiction author of the conspiracy thriller, The Best Seller, Dina Rae. She’s tried both the traditional publishing and self-publishing routes, and her latest novel, The Best Seller, was recently released by Solstice Publishing. With this interview, we kick off her book blog tour with Full Moon Bites author promotions.
Kaye: Your latest science fiction conspiracy thriller, The Best Seller: Book 1 of 2 was recently released. It is the tale of a writer’s dream come true, turned nightmare. Would you like to talk about that? Tell us what it’s all about.
Dina: I thought it would be interesting to write about a Stephen King-like author who doesn’t write his work, but records it from extraterrestrials. I once listened to a podcast that talked about automatic writing that comes from the Akashic record and thought it would play well in a novel. Of course, the author doesn’t live happily ever after. That would make for a short, boring book. There’s a reason for it as you read on. My next novel, The Sequel, gets more into it.
Kaye: You’re a wife and mother in addition to being a writer. What are your secrets for juggling writing with family?
Dina: I also work full-time as a teacher and coach, so yes, it’s a lot to juggle! I bring a notebook with me at all times. When I am waiting at the dentist, it’s time to write; when I am waiting for noodles to boil, it’s time to write; when I am at a choir concert or softball game; it’s time to write… You can always find time to do the things you love to do. I wish I was that determined when it comes to working out! I have found that the most productive people on the planet are the ones who have no time. Ask the busiest person you know to do something and it’s done!
Kaye: What is the one thing you hope to teach your children?
Dina: Great question! I want them to be good people, but also know that it is okay to mess up. It’s okay to take a risk and fail. Learning from mistakes is not just a lesson, but a way to live your life. I want them to understand the value of a dollar. So many young people start out their lives in massive debt from college. Life’s expenses cause more debt. My college-aged daughters decided to attend junior college and work as a way to keep expenses down. They might just graduate debt free. They both have friends who already are in massive debt and have yet to graduate.
Kaye: Your books are filled with conspiracies and intrigue. A lot of your books don’t fit neatly into a genre category or subcategory. How do you describe your books?
Dina: I love a good conspiracy-left-wing, right-wing, alien, HAARP, contrails, 911, apocalypse, bring it on! All of my books take kernels of popular conspiracies and then build stories around them. The Best Seller delves into how the government not only knows about extraterrestrials, but partners up with them to maintain power. Of course, a humongous conspiracy always has a few that go rogue which messes up the plan. I also take the Roswell incident and fill in the blanks about how our government found a spaceship and aliens in New Mexico back in 1947. In The Sequel, The Best Seller’s second volume, there is a great deal of conspiracy about Hitler and his Nazis.
Kaye: You do a lot of research in order to write about things you haven’t ever seen and places you’ve never been? What are some of the strangest things you’ve ever had to research for your books?
Dina: In The Sequel, I spent a great deal of time researching races of aliens. David Icke’s name popped a few million times. Very, very strange. He believes a Reptillian race lives on earth among us. They shapeshift into key figures of the elite circle. These Reptillians prepare for New World Order. I loved it! He is very sincere in his beliefs as are the many who follow him.
Kaye: Are you a plotter or a pantser? Why?
Dina: I am a total pantser for the first half of the book. I start plotting later on, and then go back to change everything! I tend to work better without an outline.
Kaye: You’ve made some pretty awesome book trailers, which do a good job of capturing readers’ attention, but how effective have they been as far as selling books goes?
Dina: Thanks so much! The truth is the trailers do not generate a lot of hits. They are something that I will keep doing anyway. I think that I get most of my sales from interviews of bloggers and radio hosts. I also will have selling spurts after a great review from a review blog.
Kaye: If writing suddenly made you rich and famous, what would you do?
Dina: I would love to find out! I have everything that I want in a middle-class capacity. Extra money would mean lots of traveling.
Kaye: What’s the most fun part of writing a novel? What’s the least fun part?
Dina: Most fun-I oddly love to research. I also love putting the pieces together for the story-it’s like a puzzle. Yes, I am a geek! Least fun-editing and constantly promoting.
Kaye: What did your road to publication look like? How did you get to where you are today?
Dina: My first book was The Last Degree. My publisher was not entirely on the up and up. I didn’t know any better. I pulled the manuscript and canceled the contract. The book is now up on Amazon as self-published. My second book and third books, Halo of the Damned and Halo of the Nephilim, had much smoother rides. They were published by Damnation Books. They recently sold the business to another publisher, Caliburn Books. The Best Seller was picked up by Solstice Publishing and they have been great. The got back to me right away after my query. I signed and then they gave me a cover. While it was being edited, I started promoting the book.
My advice to new writers is this-check out Preditors and Editors. They keep tabs on the publishing world. Also know that not everyone is legit.
Kaye: Is there anything unique or unusual about your writing process?
Dina: Not really, but I do like to write longhand. I like to buy cool looking journals to write in.
Kaye: What is the strangest inspiration for a story you’ve ever had?
Dina: It’s certainly not an original idea, but genetic modifications, cloning, CRISP-R, and gene therapy scare the hell out of me. Fear of the future inspires me. I don’t see the progress, I see the pitfalls.
Kaye: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Dina: I love to play tennis and walk my two dogs. My husband and I also love to go to flea markets for fun.
Kaye: What is the biggest challenge of being a writer for you?
Dina: There are so many challenges. Advertising is so expensive. Authors have to be more creative in their promotions. There is a lot of trial and error.
Kaye: If you could have lunch with any author, alive or dead, who would it be? Why?
Dina: Jesus Christ/God because I believe they wrote the Bible. Meeting them would mean I made it into Heaven. On a less divine note, I would love to talk to Shakespeare (or Queen Elizabeth as some conspiracy theories claim is the real author of all of those plays). I want to know how it feels to have so many of your phrases used in today’s language. I would want to know how he feels about modern literature.
Thanks so much for interviewing me! Great questions!
I want to thank you, Dina, for sharing with myself and my readers a small glimpse into your life and your writing. I’m sure The Best Seller will be… a best seller, and I’m pleased to be able to help kick off your tour.
You can follow Dina here:
@haloofthedamned
Blog: http://www.dinaraeswritestuff.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30286767-the-best-seller
See Her Book Trailers Here:
The Best Seller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQER8wJmaf8
The Last Degree: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkbg6Yy8UKU
Halo of the Damned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p89LXZNxOs
Dina is also hosting a give away for 2 signed paperbacks of The Best Seller, and 2 Amazon $10.00 gift cards. You can enter the give away here:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/873c06d2357/?
Like this post? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress.
Share this:
Interview with Author Amy Cecil
Posted: June 26, 2017 Filed under: Author Profile, Fiction, Interview, romance, Self-Publishing, Writing | Tags: Amy Cecil, Author Interview, Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance, Ice on Fire, romance, Writing Leave a comment
I’m happy today to be interviewing Amy Cecil, author of the Knights of Silence MC romance series, as a part of her blog tour surrounding the release of Book 2 in the series, Ice on Fire. (See my four quill review of Ice on Fire.) Amy is married, and she and her husband have three dogs and a horse. She is also the self-published author of four novels. She writes both historical and contemporary romance.
Kaye: Your new release, Ice on Fire, is the second book in your Knights of Silence MC Would you like to tell us about the contemporary romance series, and how Ice on Fire fits into it?
Amy: The Knights of Silence MC series is my pride and joy. It is my first attempt to write my own characters, develop them and subsequently fall in love with them. And, it’s in a genre that is totally different than what I started in. It has been a challenge for me and the result is a product that is all my own. That makes me a very proud writer. The series right now is going to consist of four books, but who knows, that may change. Ice, the first in the series was published in September. I am currently working on book 3 in the series, Celtic Dragon, and I am hoping on a spring 2018 release.
Kaye: You wrote your first novel in thirty days and went on to be a two time NaNoWriMo winner, in 2015 and 2016, where contestants are challenged to write a novel in a month’s time. What is the secret to writing a novel length work in thirty days?
Amy: NaNoWriMo requires 50,000 words in 30 days to win. That’s seems pretty tough to do, but if you break it down, it’s not so bad. I divide the 50,000 by 30 and come up with my daily goal. It’s 1,666 words a day. Doesn’t sound so overwhelming when you break it down. And then the hard part is to adhere to that goal. Some days I will write more, other days I will write less, but by the 15th of the month, you can bet I will make sure there is 25,000 words written and that I am on track. And then periodically throughout the month, I make sure I am still on track. NaNoWriMo does this for you and it is really helpful.
Kaye: Today many independent or small press authors are using what are called street teams to spread the word about their books. Could you explain what your street team does and how you go about building a street team?
Amy: When I first started writing, I never knew what a street team was, until my PA’s Alicia Freeman and Michelle Cates told me I needed one. These girls are amazing and built my team to over 400 members in just a few months. This is where I can talk with my fans and actually let them share in the writing process. They have not only shared my books and teasers, they have contributed in many ways to my books. They are a great group to bounce ideas off of and they are always there to support me when I am doing an author takeover event. I’d be lost without them.
Kaye: What are some of the differences between writing historical romance and contemporary romance?
Amy: From a writer’s perspective, the biggest difference is how they talk. Historical romance is more formal, more polite. Things are very proper and liberties are not common. Contemporary is more relaxed and casual. They are less formal in the way they speak and you can use contractions. That’s a big no no in historical writing. Also, you can take liberties with your characters that you would normally have to be careful within a historical romance. Because I write Jane Austen Fan Fiction, I have to be conscious of keeping my characters the way Jane Austen created them.
Kaye: What do you see as the pros and cons of independent, or self-publishing?
Amy: When I first started writing, I went the traditional route. I sent my manuscript to several publishers and of course, was turned down by all of them. Discouraged, but not ready to give up, I learned that I could self-publish. Since then, I have self-published four novels. I’m not sure what I would do now if a publisher wanted to publish one of my books. I really like the freedom I have to write what I want and when I want. I have no deadlines. The hardest part of self-publishing and requires the most amount of work is PR. Getting your name out there is difficult if you don’t have a publishing house or an agent behind you. But I have found two great PA’s, Alicia Freeman and Michelle Cates. They not only help me promote my works on social media, they all put together an amazing street team for me.
Kaye: Where does the title come in the writing process for you? How do you decide the titles for your books?
Amy: My titles usually come first. I don’t have any special formula to specific way I do. Some just come to me, some have been suggested by friends and the latest one, Ice on Fire came from my husband.
Kaye: What’s the most fun part of writing a novel? What’s the least fun part?
Amy: I would have to say that my favorite part of writing a novel is coming up with the initial story line. Creating the characters and just watching it all play out. My least favorite part is the editing. I know, it has to be done. But it is always a struggle for me. Luckily, I have an amazing editor Carl Augsburger of Creative Digital Studios who makes this process a little less agonizing for me.
Kaye: What’s your favorite way to get exercise?
Amy: I walk my dogs – I have three of them.
Kaye: Besides writing, what are your favorite things to do?
Amy: My husband is in the Air Force, so I spend a lot of time at home alone. I work full-time for a home improvement company. Also, I have three rescue dogs and a horse that keep me busy. I enjoy other creative hobbies as well like painting and basket weaving.
Kaye: Where do you get your cover art?
Amy: Ellie Augsburger of Creative Digital Studios designs my covers. We use stock photos and get most of them from Adobe Stock. I’m not sure what other resources she uses.
Kaye: What’s your favorite social media site for promotion? Why?
Amy: I guess I would have to say Facebook. I use it the most because I am most familiar with it. I really want to expand my social media reach, but I guess that will come with time.
Kaye: What’s the best piece of advice you were ever given?
Amy: “Write your own.” These were the exact words from my best friend who encouraged me to write my own story. I’m so glad I took her advice.
Kaye: What time of day do you prefer to do your writing?
Amy: I really don’t have a specific time of day to write. Usually it seems to be when the ideas hit me. I don’t write everyday, but that doesn’t mean I am not working on my books. I spend a lot of time doing research.
I want to thank Amy for joining us here, on Writing to be Read, and sharing some interesting facts about herself and her writing. You can find each of Amy Cecil’s books here:
getBook.at/ICEonFIREbyAmyCecil
getBook.at/ARoyalDispositionbyAmyCecil
getBook.at/RelentlessConsiderationsbyAmyCecil
Follow Amy:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoramycecil
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/authoramycecil
Twitter: https://twitter.com/acecil65
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/amycecil
Website: http://acecil65.wix.com/amycecil
Learn more about Amy’s Amazing Street Girls:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/201903646918497/
Like this post? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted.
