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ROOM 732-MERLE SAFERSTEIN

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Merle Saferstein     Stephanie: Hello, Merle! Congrats on the B.R.A.G. Medallion and thank you for chatting with me today about your medallion book, Room 732. Before we begin talking about your book, tell me how you discovered indieBRAG. Merle: Thanks, Stephanie. I learned about IndieBRAG from a friend of mine who had written a novel and had become a B.R.A.G. Medallion winner. She suggested that I enter my book. Stephanie: What are your thoughts of the self-publishing industry today? Merle: When I first started to write Room 732, I knew that I was going to self-publish. By 2012, the industry had changed significantly. Instead of the stigma that used to exist years ago, self-publishing had become mainstream and popular. I felt sure that this was the right choice for me. At that point in my life, self-publishing meant I was saving myself from the grueling process of trying to find an agent and the possibility of agonizing rejections. Besides, self-publishing would allow me to have complete control over my work. I could write the book, edit it, submit it and would not have to wait for a publisher's schedule to get Room 732 into readers' hands.…

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Authors' Chat

THE TWELFTH OF NEVER-BRENDA ORTEGA

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Brenda Ortega Presley may be smart, but she buckles under pressure – or more specifically, she alphabetizes. In stressful moments her mind grabs words and compulsively sorts the letters, like a frightened guard dog chasing its tail. So it's no surprise when signs from the universe constantly warn her: stay out of the spotlight. That's hard to do when her Elvis-loving mom, the school secretary, plays embarrassing snippets of The King's hits on the PA every day. It's even harder when the school's biggest goofball nominates Presley for president and her campaign speech turns disastrous. Her greatest refuge from the drama is her adorable nephew. But Luke's mom – Presley's teenage sister – has a secret that threatens to tear the boy from the family forever, unless Presley can stop it. Maybe the universe is out to get her. Or perhaps it's whispering a new message: Stay cool. Step into the spotlight. Summon your inner Elvis. Stephanie: Hello, Brenda! Congrats on the B.R.A.G. Medallion and thank you for chatting with me today about your book, THE TWELFTH OF NEVER. Please tell me how you discovered indieBRAG. Brenda: Hi, Stephanie. Thank you so much! I can't tell you…

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Authors' Chat

NO STRANGER TO DEATH – JANET O’KANE

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Janet O'Kane Janet O'Kane is a British mystery writer. Originally from the south of England she now lives in the Scottish Borders. Her varied career before moving to Scotland and writing full-time included selling underwear to Roger Moore in Harrods, the famous London department store, and marketing nappies for a national chemist chain. It was when she helped run a family doctor's surgery that she decided a doctor would make an excellent main character for the series of crime novels she had always wanted to write. Janet lives with her stonemason husband and a cat, two dogs and far too many chickens. She is now writing the sequel to No Stranger to Death and learning to tap dance. Stephanie: Hello, Janet! I am delighted to be chatting with you today and congrats on the B.R.A.G. Medallion! I see that in your bio that it was working in a family doctor's surgery that inspired a character for crime stories...It truly is fun and amazing where you find inspiration for stories. Please tell me about your book, No Stranger to Death and how you discovered indieBRAG. Janet: Thanks Stephanie. I'm thrilled to have been awarded a B.R.A.G. Medallion for…

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Authors' Chat

FOLLIES PAST-MELANIE KERR

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Melanie Kerr   Stephanie: Hello, Melanie! I am so delighted to chat today with you about your book, Follies Past, which has been awarded the prestigious B.R.A.G. Medallion. First, I would like to ask you how you discovered indieBRAG and what would you like to say about this company? Melanie: I have so much to say about this subject that I am sure would test the bounds of this interview. Quality control is the missing link in the self-publishing world, and IndieBRAG is really stepping up to fill that void. They are providing precisely the service that I, as an independent author, need in order to get the attention of readers, booksellers, media, even agents and potential publishers. I can only imagine that they will grow in notoriety and importance in the publishing world as self-publishing becomes larger and it becomes even more important for readers to be able to identify the really good books from among the myriads. Stephanie: I am completely thrilled about your book. I love anything Jane Austen and when I read your book description, I knew that I need to read this story as soon as I can. Please tell your audience…

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Authors' Chat

The God of Sno Cone Blue -Marcia Coffey Turnquist

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Marcia Coffey Turnquist   Marcia Coffey Turnquist, an author and journalist, is currently writing her second novel, Skipping the Light. Before venturing into the world of fiction, she spent 12 years as a news broadcaster, working her way back to her hometown of Portland, Oregon and KOIN-TV. Marcia decided to retire from broadcasting to raise the son and daughter who ultimately inspired The God of Sno Cone Blue. Her two children are all but grown now, the youngest just off to college and the other currently studying abroad. Marcia lives with her husband Ed in the soggy-but-green suburbs of Portland. Stephanie: Marcia, congrats on the B.R.A.G. Medallion for your book, The God of Sno Cone Blue and thank you for talking with me today. I am hearing absolutely fabulous things about your story and have added it to my wish-list. Before we begin, please tell me how you discovered indieBRAG and what are your thoughts on the B.R.A.G. concept? Marcia: Thanks, Stephanie, I'm thrilled about the Medallion. I've always loved, loved, loved my story, and it feels fantastic to have indieBRAG basically fall in love with it too. Other writers on the Internet essentially introduced me to…

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Authors' Chat

Talking with Lisa Ard- author of Saving Halloween!

Geri Clouston
    Thank you for answering my questions Mrs. Ard.Halloween is my favorite holiday so I loved your book. What made you write a book about a spooky family that is really pretty normal?One of the themes of Saving Halloween is that things (and people) aren't always what they appear to be. I think that's true in real life too. Sometimes the kid who seems to have it all and must be really happy, really isn't. Or sometimes a person with a disability, who we may think we'd have nothing in common with, shares our interests and becomes our best friend. The Spavento family may seem strange at first, and kind of spooky, but it turns out they're loving, fun and magical! Which family would you rather be a part of – Halloween's or Anne's?Oh definitely Halloween's! Did you grow up in a normal family or were they a bit strange- not as strange as Halloween's!Oh I suppose I thought they were strange when I was a kid – especially my brother, but looking back I'd say we were pretty normal. Do you have children?I have a 14-year old son named Holden and a 12-year old daughter Molly. An image…

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indieBRAG Kids

GISBORNE:BOOK OF PAWNES-PRU BATTEN

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Pru Batten     Stephanie: Hello Prue! I am delighted to be chatting with you today and congrats on the B.R.A.G. Medallion and your other awards- Readers' Favorites award, a Rone Award and a Golden Claddagh Award for you story, Gisborne: Book of Pawns. High praise indeed! How exciting! Prue: Thanks you so much, Stephanie. As an indie writer, I think awards are essential for proving the quality of any given novel. Indie B.R.A.G has extremely stringent standards and to be awarded a medal, a writer knows they have met those exacting conditions. It also gives readers confidence to put their faith in that novel. Stephanie: I agree with you. How did you discover indieBRAG? Prue: I believe it was through Alli, the Alliance of Independent Authors. They have worked very hard to make sure indie writers have opportunities to prove themselves in the marketplace. They provided a list of awards that could potentially give indie novels veracity in the cut and thrust of the book-selling trade. I read the standard required for a B.R.A.G and submitted whilst holding my breath! Stephanie: They are a wonderful site! Please tell me a little about your book? Prue: Here's…

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Authors' Chat

WOLF’S HEARD- STEVEN MCKAY

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Steven McKay When a frightened young outlaw joins a gang of violent criminals their names – against a backdrop of death, dishonour, brotherhood, and love – will become legend. ENGLAND 1321 AD After viciously assaulting a corrupt but powerful clergyman Robin Hood flees the only home he has ever known in Wakefield, Yorkshire. Becoming a member of a notorious band of outlaws, Hood and his new companions – including John Little and Will Scaflock – hide out in the great forests of Barnsdale, fighting for their very existence as the law hunts them down like animals. When they are betrayed, and their harsh lives become even more unbearable, the band of friends seeks bloody vengeance. Meanwhile, the country is in turmoil, as many of the powerful lords strive to undermine King Edward II's rule until, inevitably, rebellion becomes a reality and the increasingly deadly yeoman outlaw from Wakefield finds his fate bound up with that of a Hospitaller Knight... "Wolf's Head" brings the brutality, injustice and intensity of life in medieval England vividly to life, and marks the beginning of a thrilling new historical fiction series in the style of Bernard Cornwell and Simon Scarrow. Stephanie: Hello,…

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Authors' Chat

WHEN THE CLOCKS STOPPED – M.L. EATON

Stephanie Hopkins
Author interview with M.L. Eaton The wild and haunting Romney Marsh in the South of England It's the beginning of a long hot summer when Hazel Dawkins, a spirited young solicitor, takes maternity leave anticipating a period of tranquillity. Instead, the dreams begin. In them she encounters Annie, a passionate young woman whose romantic and tempestuous life was adventurously lived, more than two centuries previously, in the cottage that Hazel now occupies. As their destinies entwine, Hazel not only confronts a terrifying challenge which parallels history, she finds herself desperately fighting for survival in a cruel and unforgiving age. Even more disturbing is the realisation that her battle will affect the future for those in the past whose fate is, as yet, unwritten. Her only ally is Annie. Together they face events that echo through the centuries, events that are as violent and compelling as they are unexpected. And, as the past collides with the present, the time for the birth of Hazel's child draws ever nearer. Stephanie: Hello Marion! Congrats on the B.R.A.G. Medallion and thank you for chatting with me today. First off, tell me how you discovered indieBRAG. Marion: Hello Stephanie! Thank you very much for taking…

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Authors' Chat

Foriegn Market for your Work

Geri Clouston
  Tui Allen, Author of the B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree Ripple, shares her experience in entering foreign markets- Why might you want to publish in a foreign language, considering the extra barriers it presents? First of course to increase the size of your market – that's obvious. But it's possible there may be foreign markets which are more receptive to your particular book than the English-language market is. New Zealander Mary Scott, wrote romances set on remote NZ farms, back in the mid-1900s. They did well at home in NZ, but sold even better in translation in Germany. Germany was a bigger market of course, but her authentic tales of a life so different from their own experience, fascinated her German readers. But she had her publishers to arrange it all. What if you are self-published as so many of us are today? I know another author who self-published an excellent novel in English. He wanted the book to reach the German market. The author himself had a fair grip on German, but it was not his native tongue, so he hired a friend, a native German speaker, to translate the book for him. The translation seemed okay as far as he…

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