Monday 24 June 2013

AUTHOR INTERVIEW BY RUTH SILVER


Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I’ve wanted to be a lot of things since growing up. When I was thirteen, the movie Twister came out. All of my friends (including me) wanted to be tornado chasers. Then, a few months later I learned that a tornado had ripped through the town we had just moved to, six years ago! An F5, which had killed 28 people and demolished the high school that I would eventually go to a few years later. It took a few summers of storms in our town of Plainfield, Illinois for me to actually see real funnel clouds and frightening weather to change my mind. After that, for a few months I wanted to be a Veterinarian, until I volunteered to work at an animal hospital. The conditions inside were horrific and I didn’t last the entire day. The woman wanted me to walk the dogs outside and one was listed as “Caution: Rabies.” I refused to walk that dog. The woman got annoyed with me but I stood my ground. When lunch came and my mom picked me up, I refused to go back to the ‘Dungeon’, in tears.  It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do. I always loved writing but I never considered it as a career. I owned and operated my own photography business (specializing in weddings, portraits and preschools) for a few years before going full-time into writing.

Did it take a long time to get your first book published?
I finished writing Aberrant and began querying agents and publishers in the summer of 2012. By October 2012, I had received three offers and the following month I signed with LazyDay Publishing.

Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
Nope, I’m a full-time writer. However, part of writing full-time is publicizing your own book, which is it’s own full-time job! 

Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
My eBook is published by LazyDay Publishing. Since they are strictly an e-publisher, I decided to self publish the print version of Aberrant. As there are two publishers, there are two unique covers for the novel. 

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
Aberrant is the first book in a trilogy. The next book in the series, Moirai, will be available in 2014. After the trilogy, I’ve begun writing a Young Adult Fantasy novel, Orenda. I’ll be sticking with the Young Adult/New Adult genre.

What genre would you place your books into?
Aberrant is categorized as Young Adult/New Adult as the main characters are eighteen years old. It is a Dystopian novel, categorized most often as Futuristic & Science-Fiction. There is some romance in the series.

How do you market/promote your books?
With the initial launch of Aberrant, I hosted my own book blog tour and then scheduled several online tours from June through August with additional hosts. I’ve joined the Indie/Self-Published Authors event for June, where there will be reviews and interviews with indie & self-published authors. In helping promoted my book, I’m an active member of Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.  As part of Twitter and reaching out to other authors, I also joined ASMSG and the Independent Author Network. Locally, I’ve submitted press releases with our newspapers and have been invited to the Joliet Regional Author Fair in October.

What do you think makes a book a really good/bestseller ?
The writing and storytelling ability of an author is what makes a good book. A novel needs to be properly edited. You can’t edit a book yourself. It is not possible. There are things you may not know and having a fresh set of eyes is extremely important. I don’t think every great book will become a “bestseller” but if you don’t have your book properly edited, you’re bound to get a lot more negative reviews, which will turn people away. It’s important for a book to have characters that the reader can relate to and the characters must fit their age. For example, a young adult novel shouldn’t have a teen character with the voice of an adult. For indie and self-published author's, marketing and publicizing your book is critical. You get what you put into it

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback?
Lately, I seem to prefer an eBook for reading a novel. It’s easier to travel with and lighter.  When I win books or there’s a chance I can get an autographed copy of something, I love the hardcover editions. Something about winning a physical item just makes me more excited and if it’s autographed, even better!

Do you or would you ever use a pen name?
I don’t use a pen name. I used to when I wrote fan fiction because I don’t think any fan fiction author ever uses their real name. I prefer not to use a pen name because there are a lot of people I’ve told that I’ve published a novel. People have enough trouble remembering a title but if they know my name, it’s easier for them to find and locate my book. No, I don’t think I would ever use a pen name either. I’m building a brand - Ruth Silver - and wouldn’t want readers not to be able to find my next novel.


Where can readers follow you?

Your Website ? Write Away Bliss
Your Facebook page? Facebook Author Page
Your Goodreads Author page? Goodreads Author Page
Your Twitter details? Twitter

Thanks so much for taking the time to do an Interview for my blog! Truly loved your book and will be looking out for Bk#2 net year! ~ Jeanz


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