Some of you know my almost 9-year-old daughter is a swimmer. She’s in her third year of competitive swimming, so we’ve got our system for meets down pretty well. Downtime between races is usually social hour for the parents, but this weekend was different because it was our home swim meet. That means parents needed to volunteer, and yesterday morning I worked the lobby door for a few hours. I got to yell at people for trying to sneak downstairs when they weren’t allowed–you know I enjoyed that!

Anyway, after the initial rush, things got slow, and I decided to take advantage. I’m working on a NEW SERIES featuring a new character in the Delta Detectives Series (details coming soon!) and of course, there are murders to deal with. So I started taking some notes. I’ll spare you pics of my cruddy handwriting. Here’s a quick list (and these are just ideas, doesn’t mean they’ll be in future books).

• Hostage situation
• Shooting at the college where Nick works – who gets killed?
• Domestic gone bad
• Suicide by cop
• Cage has to deal with shooting/killing someone
• Sexual Assault/Murder
• Autopsy – will evidence of sexual assault show up later?  ***At this point, the 8-year-old son of the aquatic directer was chatting to me about someone throwing up downstairs. Don’t worry, I covered my notes.
• City officials acting like assholes (hey, these are my notes).
• How decayed is body at scene? What is maggot situation? ***Pretty sure someone brought me a cookie at this point. It was yummy. I hope they didn’t see the part about the maggots. 
• Kid in morgue. Signs of sex abuse. ***At this point I’m being reminded that the superintendent might be showing up, and since she’s the big boss, we want to show her around. I need to keep a lookout. I make a mental note to close the notebook if I see her. 
• Various notes about death investigation, including trace evidence exam. The words pubic hair make an appearance as several preteen boys go by. I’m pretty sure the bagels they were stuffing their faces with kept their attention.
• Dead guy in the concessions or in the freezer (my personal favorite).

During all of this, young, impressionable swimmers are going in and out of the door, my notebook likely in full view. I hoped my sloppy handwriting and their nerves kept most of them from peaking too much. But as any writer will tell you, we’re always working. Our minds very rarely slow down, and there’s always a plot bunny hopping around. If we don’t take the time to make notes, we’ll go insane.

Don’t even get me started on the things I look up at practice. Let’s just say I did a lot of research about the dark web and sex trafficking for SEE THEM RUN (Lucy Kendall #2) at my favorite table at the Aquatic Center.

So that’s my excuse for plotting murder at the swim meet. The good news is, I have a handle on the new series! You’ll meet the character in the upcoming Delta Detectives novellas, and I will be announcing the new series in February. I’m also planning some FREE novellas for my newsletter subscribers (more details to come) so if you’re not already a member of my mailing list, make sure to sign up.

What do you do to pass time at your kids practices or events when you’ve got downtime? Writers, what’s the worst thing you’ve ever Googled when surrounded by kids?

The class had a mix of new and experienced authors, published and unpublished.

DISCLAIMER #1: when I say published, I’m including indie published.

As I listened to the great presentations, I kept hearing the phrases “attracting an agent,” or “staying out of the slush pile.” Many of the talks referenced all the tiny little things that can make an agent or editor toss a manuscript aside. I could see the unpublished authors squirming and turning green.

As the day went on, I had one unrelenting thought: I’m so glad to be indie!

DISCLAIMER #2: Your publishing path is yours alone. Neither is an easy choice or a get rich quick opportunity, and both mean HARD WORK and rejection.

Let me clarify, being grateful to be Indie has nothing to do with confidence in my writing. In the last couple of months I have learned to believe in myself more than ever. I’m very proud of all my books, and I’m exceptionally happy with the latest thriller, ALL GOOD DEEDS, and the Lucy Kendall character.

I’m grateful I chose Indie because I don’t have to worry about an agent rejecting me because of personal preference, or because the marketing department doesn’t know if they could sell my book, or because I used two spaces at the end of a sentence instead of one (true story.) I get to bypass all that and focus on the story and the writing.

And while there are writing rules we all must follow (Grammar, anyone?! And the three-act structure), I don’t have to worry about pleasing the status quo or taking risks. I don’t know if an agent or editor or marketing department would have believed in Lucy Kendall. But that doesn’t matter, because I do.

DISCLAIMER #3: Indie Publishing isn’t for the faint of heart. I believe in investing in your business, and that means paying for good, EXPERIENCED editors and cover artists.

Now, a word on editing. It’s everything. I pay for developmental, copyediting, and proofing. And I will continue to do so because I learn so much about writing every time my editor tears apart my manuscript. To me, Indie publishing means subcontracting the editing, formatting, and cover art. That means I’m a business, and to be successful, you have to invest in the highest quality available.

But the best part of this journey is that I don’t have to worry about pleasing anyone but myself and the readers. I get to put them first, and that’s extremely liberating!

Writing isn’t about the royalty (although that’s a beautiful bonus), but about being able to stay true to the story in my head and my heart. I’m blessed to have editors who understand my vision but won’t hesitate to tell me when I’m derailing.

Just to be clear, this post isn’t about traditional vs. Indie. I hate that argument. Only you can decide what’s best for your career, and what will make you happy in the long run. The beauty is that we have so many more choices than we did five years ago. Despite all the extra headaches that come with being Indie published, I’m so grateful to have made that choice.

What about you? Do you love your chosen publishing path? Or are you still trying to decide which is right for you?

I first heard about the people living in the Las Vegas storm drains last summer, when I was researching for INTO THE DARK. A Google search led me to several newspaper articles profiling Matthew O’Brien’s book, Beneath The Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas. O’Brien spent a summer exploring the many flood channels that run underneath the city and getting to know some of the residents who call the tunnels home.

In the summer of 2002, Matt O’Brien, then editor of Las Vegas CityLife, explored the storm drains with reporter Josh Ellis. In 2004, Matt took a sabbatical from CityLife and set out to explore more of the drains on his own. Those stories became Beneath the Neon.

The book is heartbreaking, humorous, informative, and at times, scary. It also gave me a whole new world to explore in Light and Dark, so I nervously contacted Matt about an interview.

He was nice enough to talk with me about Beneath the Neon, and I’m really excited to share the interview with you.

Hi Matt! How are you?

I’m good. How are you doing? Thanks for reaching out to me. I enjoyed reading over your blog.

(I’m happy we aren’t Skyping because I’m blushing to my hair).

Thank you. I’m just plugging away.

Well, it looks good. Reads well.

Thank you. I have to tell you, I found out about Beneath the Neon by accident. I Googled Las Vegas tunnels, thinking there would be historical references for the mobs. I was blown away.

A lot of people locally still don’t know about them even though the book received so much attention. But now that it’s become a little more common knowledge, I get the occasional email from people wanting to know what they can do to help. Seems like people are a little more sympathetic toward the cause. Just not a lot of people understand this is going on in Vegas.

I know the Vegas housing market has gone down in recent years. How has it affected the homeless?

The people who live in the tunnels live off the excess of the city. When the city is doing well, they dumpster dive, panhandle, credit hustle. With more tourists, they seem to do better, and they seem to be suffering in this economy.

You interviewed some really interesting people in Beneath the Neon. Have you been able to keep track of them? (I asked about a man called Lawrence, a talented writer trapped in the tunnels by his own demons.)

I only saw him once, when I was working at CityLife, probably a year or two after the interview. He came by the newsroom to say hello. I’ve been by his camp, and it’s obvious he’s not living there. Lawrence, like a lot of people you meet in the tunnels, you just have no idea what’s become of them. Some are dead, some are in prison, some have moved to a different place in the drains, some are on the streets, and then hopefully a few have fought their way out and are living in an apartment or at least in a weekly motel above ground.

Two of my favorite interviews in Beneath the Neon were Harold and Gary. Have you seen them recently?

I saw Harold maybe a year or two after our interview. He’s still living in the same area of the tunnel system. Gary—one of the best things to come out of the book was that I started a community project called Shine a Light. It’s a collaboration between myself and HELP of Southern Nevada. I take their social workers into the tunnels, and they offer housing, drug counseling, and medical attention to the people down there.

Gary was in prison for a little bit. He got out about year ago and had a heart attack. He went into the big public hospital here. I picked him up and we were able to get him into HELP of Southern Nevada’s program. He’s been housed for about a year. He’s got a cell phone and stays in touch.

That’s awesome! It’s got to be a good feeling. And Shine a Light – when did you start that?

Part of the reason I wrote Beneath the Neon was to call attention to the fact that people were living down there and hoped that something would be done about it. So in the spring of 2009 I reached out to HELP of Southern of Nevada and we started collaborating then.

You spent hours exploring the drains. I can’t imagine going through all that information to create such a cohesive book. Can you tell me about your process?

So it is cohesive? That’s good to know. (laughs)

One of the best things about the book is that Matt’s voice comes through loud and clear. I feel like I’m sitting next to him while he’s telling the story rather than reading another nonfiction book. He’s happy to hear this.

It’s challenging. I’d have two to three hour-long conversations with people, and then I’d go home and have to transcribe them. I’d go through the tapes, figure out the best stuff and polish to where I thought it would work.

How long did the whole process take, from research to having it ready for your publisher?

It was a bit of a strange process. I took a sabbatical from CityLife in summer of 2004. I just explored, and when I found really good stuff in a tunnel, I’d work on the rough draft before going back out. I spent that whole summer exploring and working on the rough draft. Sent it the editor, he gave me some feedback. I reworked a second draft, and then tried for final draft form with the third one. Took about two-and-a-half years to get into form.

When you first go into the tunnels, you’re nervous, and I don’t blame you. Is it scary every time you go in?

When Josh Ellis and I first went down into the drains, it was horrifying. I was paranoid. We’d seen some pretty crazy stuff in broad daylight here in Vegas. We had no idea what went on in a darkened tunnel. We were heavily armed. Every little noise was horrifying. Now, I’m more calm and controlled but there’s always tension. Going into a storm drain, you never know what to expect.

Were most of the people you spoke with willing to talk, or did you have a lot of resistance?

I talked to about fifty, sixty people, and there’s about seven or eight interviews in the book, so a lot were left out. People would tell me “you’re in the wrong place, get out of here.” One guy said, “I have a gun, I’ll shoot you. You don’t know who I am.”

Wow! (I don’t tell Matt this, but I would have wet my pants at that point.)

No one physically attacked me, but my worst fear was to be in the tunnels and a mad man come charging out of the dark and I’d have to defend myself on his turf. Nothing like that happened. Most people were really respectful and kind. They don’t want to do anything to get kicked out of one of their few options for a home.

Your second book is My Week at the Blue Angel. Can you talk a little bit about it?

The Blue Angel is a collection of creative nonfiction stories set in off the beaten path Las Vegas. Weekly motels, trailer parks, low rent apartments. Two stories take place in the flood channels. They’re the original pieces Josh Ellis and I wrote that served as background for Beneath the Neon, but they’ve been reworked a bit.

The title refers to one of the stories in the book. I checked into one of the seedier, more poetic weekly motels and stayed a week.

What are you doing right now? Are you still at CityLife?

No. I left about three and a half years ago to be an independent author and journalist. I live off my book royalties, freelance writing, consulting work and the occasional drug deal. Just kidding, mostly, about that last thing.

I’m working on a novel. It’s urban/alt lit. Set in off the beaten path Vegas, has national and international themes. Sort of my take on the recession. It’s a bit of a hybrid between journalism, memoir and fiction.

Do you have any advice to writers just starting out?

Make sure you’re into it for the right reasons—you love writing and the researching process. Make sure it’s something you feel you really need to do. It’s a commitment. A lot of times you’re not going to make much money and might not get published. It can be a challenging profession but a rewarding one if it’s something you’re passionate about.

Last question. What’s your dream exploration?

During my research for Beneath the Neon, I’ve been very curious about the quarries of Paris where there’s a lot of artwork and underground raves, films shown down there. If I ever make it to Paris, one of the things I would want to do is go into the quarries and check them out.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me.

Thanks for the call and the interest in my work.

To buy a copy of Beneath the Neon, My Week at the Blue Angel, or to donate to Shine a Light, click here.

To check out my novel Into The Dark, which drew a lot of inspiration from the tunnels, visit Amazon or MuseItUp Publishing.

Enter the INTO THE DARK Charity Raffle!

The homeless living in the storm drains of Las Vegas played a vital part in INTO THE DARK, and I want to give back. From November 1^st until February 28^th, participants will have several options to enter the raffle, including donating to HELP of Southern Nevada. The grand prize will be a $100 donation from me in the winner’s name to the homeless shelter of their choice.

Hi Vicki! Welcome to Turning The Page – thanks so much for visiting today.

Thank you so much for having me, Stacy.

Your tag line is “sassy writer of sexy and funny fiction.” Is your main goal to make readers laugh? I would hope readers like the story. I believe if I made someone laugh, I did a good job with my writing. 

Your short story Store Wars is releasing from MuseItUp in August. I love the title–can you tell us about the story and what you’re doing for its release? Thank you so much! Handsome worried it sounded too much like the famous movie. I just laughed. Here’s a blurb: Janie’s heart’s desire is to open her own store, but that’s about to be thwarted when her old love comes back to town and is running the competition’s business.

Do you prefer writing short stories or full-length novels? I’ve written 3 unpublished novels and love them dearly. Just haven’t sold them. And frankly, I can write a lot of shorts in the year it takes me to write one book. I’m slow with books.

You’re a part of a very cool blog, The Plotting Princesses. What’s your favorite part of working with them? Oh, I can’t wait to tell the PP girls you said so!!! We all get along so well and help each other with our writing business. I love them dearly!

Your novel, I Believe, is a romance with a sexy storyline. What inspired it? I Believe is my sexy novella with a touch of magic. I was at RWA and woke up from a dream saying the chant. My roommate, the fabulous Elizabeth Essex, threw a pen at me and said to write it down. Since I excel in following directions, I did and worked and worked. (BTW, the chant is a poem I wrote for Handsome!)

What is it about romance that makes you love writing it? HEA’s are happy for me. I like to feel good when I finish a book.

You’re a member of RWA–what’s the biggest benefit from belonging to such a vast organization? Networking. I have met so many people from all over the world. I can’t wait to see them each year.

What are you working on right now? Do you have plans for any more releases this year? I have a release, Twinkle Lights, coming in December from MuseItUp Publishing. I’ve submitted two very shorts to Woman’s World–cross fingers! And for some weird reason, am writing another holiday story.

I’ve got to ask the personal questions: what are your favorite free-time hobbies and dream vacation? I always have a needlepoint project going. Two years ago, Handsome and I went on our dream vacation-we cruised the Mediterranean with extra days in Istanbul, Rome, and Venice. Sigh. Oh! I need another dream vacation. Maybe a cruise around Australia…. hehehehe

 Find Vicki Online

Website     Facebook     Twitter     Pinterest     Goodreads

Find Vicki’s books

MuseItUp Publishing           Amazon                Barnes and Noble

Like some of her characters, Vicki has worked a wide variety of jobs including lifeguard, ride attendant at an amusement park; a hardware store, department store, book store, antique store clerk; administrative assistant in an international real estate firm; and a general “do anything gal” at a financial services firm. The list is…endless.

Born in Dallas, a graduate of Texas Tech, she is married to Handsome, has two big boys, an attention-demanding cat, and two adorable poopies.

She has completed three manuscripts, written essays, and sold many short stories. She is a member of RWA, and the DARA, Elements, and RWA-WF chapters. In 2004, she joined DARA and has served in many capacities, including 2009 President. DARA awarded her the Robin Teer Memorial Service Award in 2010.

Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard and thinking “What if??”

You started out in Business Education and spent many years helping people develop various marketing skills. What made you decide to become a writer? Was it something you always dabbled in, or did you one day just decide to pursue your dream?

I was sitting on the shores of Owasco Lake watching my children frolic in the water. They were at the ages that they still needed a constant eye, but I could sit and read a book while they played. This one summer I read a lot. I think I read and re-read every book that Sandra Brown and Nora Roberts ever wrote and I thought I could write a book. We didn’t have a laptop or computer at the cottage, so I pulled out pen and paper and wrote In Two Weeks. When I had it all typed into my computer at home, I started looking up how to get published. I joined the Central NY Romance chapter of RWA and began to learn publishing. A few short years later I signed my first contract.

What was your path to publication? Did you pursue traditional publishing at all before partnering with Bob Mayer to create Who Dares Win Publishing?

I pursued traditional publishing, but got my start with an ePublisher. Unfortunately, they went bankrupt. My second contract was with The Wild Rose Press, another ePublisher. I published 4 novels and 2 short stories with them. I also have worked with two agents. I have a stack of rejection letters a mile high.

I met Bob at a conference many years ago. I took a few of his workshops and struck up a friendship after I took one of his day-long retreats. He was interested in my experience with ePublishing and I was still looking to break into traditional publishing. He had just gotten the rights back to some of his books and wasn’t sure what, if anything, he could do. The partnership developed when I made a mock-cover for one of his Atlantis books and told him how he could get an eBook edition on Amazon. At the time, our plan was to re-release his backlist while we both pursued contracts in New York. Things changed very quickly when we realized where digital was heading and what that meant for our individual careers as well as our business partnership.

You grew up in Rochester, New York, a city with a very high murder rate. What stories inspired your fascination with crime and suspense?

The first story that caught my attention was that of Arthur Shawcross, better known as the Genesee River Killer. Shawcross was in prison twice. First for arson and burglary. He was paroled in 1971. He was later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 25 years, but was paroled in 1987 after serving 14 years. I did not know this until much later, but he lived only a block away from one of my first apartments off of Alexander Street. He started murdering prostitutes in 1988. He was caught in Spencerport (another place I lived) on January 3, 1990.

I remember the reports on the news about the murders and I remember the day they captured him. I never thought anything like that could happen in my town…then someone told me about the Alphabet Murders. There was a movie called The Alphabet Killer that came out in 2008 that was loosely based on the Alphabet Murders.

The most disturbing to me was the murder of Kali Ann Poulton. Kali disappeared on May 23, 1994 and she was just 4 years old. It struck so deep because my little girl was about the same age. Kali had been missing for 27 months before they found her body submerged in a 30,000 gallon water tank. Mark Christie was eventually convicted of murdering Kali.

These stories, in many ways, broke my heart. The last one made me want to make sure all killers got what they deserved. In my books they usually are punished pretty badly. A little sweet revenge is always justified when loved ones are taken from us.

However, these stories and others like them lead me to ask one simple question: why would any human being kill another? Which lead to: what would it take for a seemingly normal person to be pushed to such an extreme? They started my fascination in crime stories and understanding characters. It is important to understand the antagonist of your story, even if you never show his point of view. In order to have him/her be real in the readers mind, they have to be real to you, so I dug pretty deep to try to understand something that is uncomprehendable to the “normal” person.

There is one story that led me to write a book (not published yet) called the Harvester. This book is based on a story that broke out a few years ago about local funeral homes harvesting body parts (such as bones for marrow) and replacing them with PVC piping. I’m hoping to release this story by the end of the year.

My books are romances, or at the very least, have a romance subplot, but my bad guys are about as bad as they can be, but the good guys always win.

How do you come up with your ideas? Do you write about experiences based on someone you know/news, or about events in your own life?

Mark Twain said, “write what you know.” Bob Mayer said, “write what you want to know or feel passionate about.” 

There is a little bit of my life in every book. For example, the hero Jared Blake in my novel In Two Weeks is a controlling freak. My husband is a controlling freak. In my book Jane Doe’s Return the heroine is terrified to fly. I’m terrified to fly. My current work in progress, I hate to admit, the hero has a couple of Bob’s traits and mannerisms and another character is based on someone I used know in high school that drove me absolutely bonkers. Are these characters based on the people in my life, but they aren’t these people at all. I use their language, their hobbies and their idiosyncrasies to develop rich three-dimensional characters, but they are far from “real”.

As far as ideas its usually breed from books, movies or things I see. I love the ‘what if’ concept for ideas. For my book, Jane Doe’s Return the idea was: What if the one person who could unlock the mystery of who killed your sister showed up in the most unlikely of places; in your office as your knew partner but you had no idea she was Jane Doe. My current work in progress the idea is: What if, while searching for the daughter you gave up, your patients were being killed one by one and your daughter is next? Once I have an idea, I have to really dig for characters. Character is key. There are times I wish I could start with character, but the plot idea always comes first for me.

Tell us about your latest book, IN TWO WEEKS.  What’s your favorite thing about the book? Is it based on a true story or incident?

In Two Weeks is the first book I ever wrote, so that right there makes it special. My favorite part is the setting: Lake George, NY. I spent all my summers there as little girl and to me, its the most peaceful place on earth. There is nothing factual about the story, but the imagery is real. The house and carriage house that Jared owns in the story is the house my family rented when I was a child. We rented what I describe as the carriage house. The opening scene at the bar is a bar that was right down the road. The hotel that the heroine works at is a very famous hotel on Lake George, although I changed the names of all these places.

Is this ever-changing publishing world, what advice can you offer a new author about marketing?

An author has to have a marketing plan, but the key to that marketing plan is CONTENT. More books. I have three books out right now and I have not done a lot of marketing for myself until now because what does a reader do when they like your book? They buy everything you’ve ever written. But if you have nothing, they have nothing to go buy.

Another thing to consider with marketing is that it’s not always about “sales”. It’s more about building community and finding your readership. The hard part is making the connections. It’s easy to convers with other writers, but where do the readers hang out? I believe the best thing a writer can do is be consistent in their efforts. Bob and found that once we fully committed to what we were doing AND we were consistent in all our efforts (social media and other forms of marketing and advertising) things began to happen. I call it having an internet presence and that is part of the Write It Forward Author Branding Plan, which in a nut shell develops over time as you figure out who you are as a writer and how you interact best with the world.

Learn from those who are succeeding. Watch what they do and figure out what works for you. No need to reinvent the wheel.

There are so many options out there for marketing. I always recommend building a foundation based on what you do well and expand outward. For example, Bob is great on Twitter, Kindleboards and all the blogging he does. If he is consistent in those areas, he can then expand it out simply by posting information on Facebook and Pinterest, but those two things are not his strong suit, so its simply an extension. I’m good at Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. I use Timbre, Pinterest and LinkedIn as an extension of what I’m good at by simply putting the information out there. Once I get more comfortable, I can expand and create more real social circles, but remember, you can’t be everywhere all the time. Pick and choose and whatever you decide to do, do it well.

With so many social media forums out there, which ones do you feel are the most effective?

I sort of touched on that above. The first thing to consider is where you as a writer feel comfortable. Start there and then expand. Most social media sites don’t “sell”, but most have an effect in the long run.

I’d say pick 3 to really work and explore others when you have time. I use Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads. Bob uses Twitter, Kindleboards and Blogging. I’ve expanded to Pinterest (love it!), Digg, Timbre and Google+ while Bob has expanded to Pinterest, other forums and trying to work Facebook.

What do you think the best strategy is for writers to reach READERS, meaning the ones outside our writing blogosphere?

This is the hardest question to answer. In any of the social media sites I participate in, most of the conversations are with other writers. The interaction I have with readers are through those that take the time to write reviews or email me. We make a connection with our readers through our books. This is one reason why I caution writers about spending too much time blogging etc before the book comes out. Content is king and it is the first interaction we have with our readers.

I’d say the best way to engage is to offer free books when possible. Do an author Q&A at Goodreads. Do blog tours, this gives you exposure to other authors’ fans.

The biggest thing you can do is write more books.

You’re offering several workshops through Write It Forward – what’s one you recommend everyone take?

I recommend them all, but it depends on what your goals are and what you need currently. If you want to work on craft, take the Conflict workshop. If you want to learn about ePublishing, take our workshop on Digital Publishing. If you want work on you Internet Presence, we have a workshop for that. We also offer workshops on Time Management and Historical Research.

Let’s get a little personal now. You’re a hockey mom, right? What’s that like?

INSANE! You know you’re a hockey mom when someone asks how old your children are and you say, “I have a 91, a 93 and a 97.” I think at one point when all were still at home we were averaging about 170 hockey games in five states and two countries. My daughter now plays D3 college hockey and we don’t get to see her often since she is 7 hours from home. My middle boy is graduating HS and going on to play D3 Golf, so his hockey days are officially over (unless he joins his dad in men’s league) and the baby boy is a freshman in HS. We still have 3 years left of watching and traveling with him. He wants to try and play college hockey.

I have written many scenes sitting at an ice rink waiting for practice be over and if you ask any of the hockey dads on the team, they will tell you that they are the hero’s in my books! LOL.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not writing or attending one of the kids games?

I love to read and watch movies or TV shows. I just finished reading a fabulous horrorish book by Laura Benedict called The Devil’s Oven. I loved it. I also went and saw the movie Hunger Games. Very good. My guilty pleasures this season for TV are Dance Moms, Revenge and reruns of Friends. I also am addicted to Southland, Californication, Dexter and Nurse Jackie. I could go on and on. But that is what I do for fun.

Do you have any pet causes? Any charities you support?

I have two nephews with Muscular Dystrophy. Matt Klapp passed away December 29, 2008. His younger brother, Jordan suffers from the same disease. My niece, Shea Holbrook is a racecar driver and she races for a cure. We support her racing because it helps support many children and their families who are touched by this horrible disease. For information on SheaRacing and how Shea helps raise money to find a cure please go to shearacing.com.

What’s the best way for readers to contact you?

Email me at jen@jentalty.com

Thanks so much for speaking with me today, Jen! I’ve learned so much from your blog, and the success you and Bob have had is fantastic. Good luck with IN TWO WEEKS!

Thanks for having me!

Please take a minute to leave Jen some love. She works hard to help other authors, and I’m really excited she took the time to give us such great answers.

Jen’s Books on Amazon:
Rekindled
In Two Weeks
Jane Doe’s Return

Jen’s Books on Barnes and Noble:
In Two Weeks
Jane Doe’s Return

Jen’s Books on Kobo:
In Two Weeks
Jane Doe’s Return

Who Dares Win Publishing:
In Two Weeks
Jane Does Return

It’s early Monday morning, and I didn’t have my post for today planned. But there’s a question that’s been rattling around in my head. If you could have one hour with ANY fictional literary character, who would it be, and why?

For me, it’s the Vampire Lestat. And let me say, I loved Tom Cruise as Lestat. He did a wonderful job, but any picture of him is still Tom Cruise as Lestat. This beautiful piece, however, is a beautiful rendition of how I always envisioned Lestat. No, I didn’t draw it. Click on the image for the artist.

So why Lestat? I’ve always been a reader. The earliest books I remember enjoying are Little House on the Prairie, Nancy Drew, and Trixie Beldon. I read them over and over again, along with several other books growing up. But then, when I was around fifteen, I read Anne Rice’s Interview With A Vampire and fell in love. Not with the narrative character Louis, but with the rogue fiend, Lestat. After that, I read the two books that changed my literary life: The Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned.

Anne Rice has said Lestat was inspired by her late husband, the poet and artist Stan Rice, sharing his blond hair and November 7 birth date. In 2003, Rice said character had also taken on some of her own attributes, stating “Stan was Lestat; he was the inspiration. Perhaps it is best to say Lestat was Stan and me. He was Stan and what Stan taught me. Lestat was inspired by Stan, and then I became Lestat.” (Wikipedia)

What a world Anne Rice created! She took us back to 18th century Paris, with the stinking above ground cemeteries, before the graves were removed into the quarry. She showed us ancient Rome and Egypt with such vivid imagery I felt as though I living history. And it was all done through the eyes of Lestat, the “Brat Prince,” as he’s called by his vampire peers. Bold, enthusiastic, intense, fearful, impulsive, brilliant, musical – any one of these adjectives can be used to describe Lestat. He’s the first character I remember reading who was so three dimensional, written with such emotional depth, that I grew emotionally invested. My heart worried for Lestat with each page, and I felt his pain and triumph as he galavanted through the centuries.

Reading Anne Rice’s novels – The Vampire Lestat in particular – was the first time I felt the need to write. The first time I was moved to write. And I did. All drivel about life and love and teenage angst, but Lestat was so real in my eyes, thanks to the stellar writing of Rice, I wanted to create a character that moved me just as much.

Twenty years later, I’m still not as good as Rice. I love my characters and strive to make them three dimensional, but I’m still learning. And I can say without hesitation that had it not been for Rice and the Brat Prince, I never would have realized my desire to write.

So I ask you: if you could have one hour with ANY fictional literary character, who would it be, and why?

Lethargy? Check. Apathy? Check? Pissed off in general? Check.

I’ve struggled this week, and I can’t really explain why. I tried to chalk it up to being worn out from traveling and “female” issues, but I can’t blame it all on them. I think I went like hell before Thanksgiving and wore myself out. Then the “meh” set in, and I’ve been in recovery mode since then.

Not to mention that every time the phone rings I wonder if it’s the call telling me my brother has passed. Perfect storm for stress and exhaustion, I guess.

But no more complaining, I promise. I’m on the upswing, I think. One of the e-publishers I want to submit to requires a marketing strategy with the query, and I’ve been working on putting that together. Thanks to advice/links from Laura Pauling, Joanna Penn, Roz Morris, and Donna Galanti, the marketing thing is taking shape.

And then there is the new WIP, The Prophet. I don’t know why I’m so stalled on this book, but it’s beyond frustrating. I have a fairly decent outline worked out and scenes I’m excited about. Part of the issue is the goal for the male protag: I know what it is, but I’m having some trouble figuring out how to get him there in Act 1. It’s hard for me to leave issues like that be and write something else, so I’ve been using it as an excuse not to work on it. I’ve got to tackle it this week or I’ll go nuts, so here’s my plan.

*Finish marketing strategy and query e-publisher by Wednesday
*Go back and revisit Kait Nolan’s worksheets and work out strategy for male protag to reach his goals.
*Write 500 words on THE PROPHET. I’ve got to get something written for next check in, so I’m setting the bar low.
*Be a better Tweeter. I’m making a pledge to get back into supporting my fellow bloggers and meeting new Tweeters this month. I’ve let that fall by the wayside a bit.

Speaking of fellow bloggers, the wonderful Tiffany A. White gifted me with the 7×7 award. Big hugs to her! Recipients select seven previous blog posts representing certain categories and pass on the award to seven others.

Most Beautiful – Cherish the Small Things I wrote this post after visiting my cancer-stricken brother (before we heard of his terminal diagnosis). The visit was a wake-up call, and the post is one I’m proud of.

Most Helpful – Avoiding Dating Disasters With Jenny Hansen. The always funny lady wrote a great guest post on a subject near to her heart.

Most Popular – What’s In A Name? The Manic Monday dedicated to the inspiration for our blog names. Loved this post because we all learned a lot about each other.

Most Controversial – Thriller Thursday: The Sweet Face of Pure Evil. The post about a child murderer gaining her freedom and anonymity elicited a lot of reactions.

Most Surprisingly Successful – Manic Monday’s Pole Dancing Dolly. Ridiculous Christmas gifts galore.

Most Underrated – Thriller Thursday’s Bob’s Bazarre Bizarre. This topic wasn’t for the faint of heart, but I was really happy with how the post came out. There was a ton of info to sift through, and for once I managed to keep Thriller Thursday from being too long.

Most Prideworthy – Thriller Thursday Welcomes NYTBSA Allison Brennan. Allison put a lot of effort into answering my questions, and I was honored to have her.

Now, to pass on the love! Please don’t feel you have to participate, but I want to recognize some great bloggers.

1. Donna Galanti. She has great interviews with fellow authors and is gearing up for the release of her first book, A HUMAN ELEMENT, from Echelon Press, in March 2012.
2. Natalie Hartford. The woman never fails to make me laugh, and she’s a great supporter.
3. Julie Glover. Her blog is chock full of well thought out posts and funny observations.
4. Annie Boreson. Quite possibly one of the funniest ladies out there. Her writing puts you smack in the middle of the experience.
5. Catie Rhodes. I have to give a shout out to my awesome critique partner. She’s put up with my nonstop questions and never fails to support me. Her blog is filled with great posts on the paranormal and true crime, both of which are near to my heart.
6. Jessica R. Patch. Her blog is always full of positive and inspiring stories.
7. Cynthia Robertson. Cynthia’s posts are uplifting and full of great writing info.

How are your Row80 Goals coming along? Have the holidays derailed you, or are you in an end-of-the-year push?

Trust me, that picture doesn’t do the muck justice. It’s snow mixed with rain, and when it hits the ground turns into cold slush. It’s really windy, and people are afraid to drive. Welcome to winter in Iowa.

If you can’t tell, I detest it. Yes, snow’s pretty. Then the dogs go out and decorate the winter wonderland with brown and yellow, and the front yard is destroyed by Grace’s wanderings. Rob breaks a snow blower every year, and I wind up shoveling because he’s magically out of town on the worst days. No, he doesn’t do it on purpose but it sure seems like it.

And then there’s the moronic drivers. NEWSFLASH: your four-wheel drive SUV doesn’t do SH*T on ice or packed down snow that rides like ice. So driving 55 in an ice storm and slamming on the breaks is going to put you right in the ditch along with whoever you’re tailgating. All you people in the midwest know what I’m talking about: what types of cars do you usually see in the ditches? The SUVs. Again, morons.

What does this have to do with Row80? Nothing, really. I just feel bah-humbugish this morning. But I have had a productive few days. Most of my agent research is done, I got the synopsis for INTO THE DARK down to one page (it needs some work, but getting there), and I wrote over 1000K on THE PROPHET. Oh, and tomorrow’s Thriller Thursday post is done, too.

Today’s supposed to be a writing day, but with physical therapy and then getting ready for my trip to Minnesota tomorrow, I’m not sure how much I’ll get done. That’s right, I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon to see my best friend and trusted writing confidant. I know some of you are probably shaking your head, but trust me, Kristine is the first person to tell me when something’s not working. She doesn’t worry about feelings, thank God.

Since I’m out of town, I don’t have a big list of goals, but Kristine and I are going to work on the synopsis and first three chapters of INTO THE DARK.

Goals for next check in:
*Finalize single page synopsis for INTO THE DARK.
*Get single page synopsis down to 3-5 paragraphs.
*Get first three chapters finalized.
*HAVE FUN!

What about you guys? How’s your week been so far? How are you NaNo-er’s fairing?

I debated about writing this post, but so many of you had such awesome words of support for my brother Jeff that I felt I owed you this update.

He went into the cancer center for scans on Friday. When he’d last seen them in June, they believed the surgery and last round of chemo had gotten the cancer in his throat. The worry was that it would come back somewhere else. He only had a 20% chance it wouldn’t.

Monday he found out the cancer had returned in his throat. He only has a matter of months. His body can’t take any more chemo or radiation. After eighteen months of fighting, an extensive surgery, and an excruciating amount of chemo and radiation, he’s still going to die.

No, it’s not fair. I have to remind myself thousands of families have gone through this same roller coaster of anger and misery. There’s some comfort in knowing we’re not alone.

Jeff is sixteen years older than me, so I never got to know him like I would have liked to. He’s lived in South Carolina since I was a teenager, and I’ve only seen him a handful of times over the past few years. I desperately wish that wasn’t the case.

My heart breaks for the brother and sister closer to him, as well as his father and step-mother. They were by his side nearly the entire time, and I can’t imagine how they must be feeling right now.

Send your prayers their way, please. Most of all, send them to my mother. This will be the second son she’s buried, and I’m incredibly worried about her. She’s diabetic with heart issues. Losing her will be the hardest of all for me, and I’m terrified of the thought. I pray she’ll somehow have the strength to get through this.

Jeff got throat cancer from excessive smoking and drinking. He went in with a sore throat and wound up diagnosed with stage four throat cancer. I’m not sure it would have helped him, but early detection is the key. Those over 50 are at highest risk, and men have the highest risk.

Please, if you or someone you know has the following symptoms, get checked out:

* Abnormal (high-pitched) breathing sounds
* Cough
* Coughing up blood
* Difficulty swallowing
* Hoarseness that doesn’t improve in 1-2 weeks
* Neck pain
* Sore throat that doesn’t improve in 1-2 weeks, even with antibiotics
* Swelling or lumps in the neck
* Unintentional weight loss

Click here for more information about throat cancer.

Thank you all for your support and kind words. They’ve meant more than I can express.

On the Row80 front, I’ve been muddling along. The first three chapters of INTO THE DARK are thisclose to being query ready. I did some work on additional chapters yesterday as well as began researching small presses. If you know of a small or mid-sized press accepting unagented authors, please share in the comments:)

I’m undecided on Thriller Thursday for this week. I have a lot to catch up on today, and my heart isn’t quite into it right now. I may take the week off, but I’ll be back next week.

I hope you’re all having a great week. To those of you participating in NaNo, good luck.

Time’s ticking away on 2011, and I’m vowing to push hard on my goals for the next few weeks. I really want to begin the query process, but I want to be completely organized before I do it. I’m working on it, but still have a ways to go.

This week has been pretty productive. Wednesdays list was a big one. I did get through INTO THE DARK. I hadn’t read it in a few weeks and was surprised to see how much I really enjoy it. It’s a good book, and I’m proud of it. I also managed to cut out another 3K or so, getting rid of unneeded clauses and extra language.

I also got some more research done on e-publishers and agents, but not as much as I wanted to.

I haven’t worked on THE PROPHET yet. My mind has been focused on INTO THE DARK. I’m just not great at going back and forth.

Thriller Thursday went well, but it still doesn’t get the traffic I’d like it to. I think one of the issues is that the posts are long, so I’m going to work on cutting them down to about 1500 words.

I did get my crit partner’s pages read. Catie Rhodes has a very good book on her hands:)

All in all, a productive several days. Lists do work!

Here are my goals for the next check in:

1) Make final changes on first three chapters of INTO THE DARK.

2) Finalize list of e-publishers. Continue to work on agents.

3) Write a minimum of 500 words on THE PROPHET.

4) Get back into yoga. I’ve been utterly fail since we got back from Indy. I’m tired and lazy, and I know yoga will help. I just have to do it:)

How’s your week been? Are you all ready for Halloween?