Wonderful author Lee Carey interview.

This week it's a genuine pleasure to welcome one of the nicest men around author, Lee Carey. Pick up a FREE copy of his book Gabby... All About Me today!

 

Amazon USA 

Amazon UK 

1

When and why did you decide to become an Indie writer?

The idea of Indie publishing really never crossed my mind back in ’99 since it was then called Vanity Publishing. After completing three mystery/crime novels several agents wanted to see full manuscripts, but I soon received more ‘rejection letters’ to go into the ever-growing pile. However, those faceless letters only fueled me to pursue this wonderful craft. After penning my first pet novel about our rescue dog, Gabby, I felt it was special and proudly sent it out to agents. When the rejections rolled in with their normal sorry excuses in form letters, I made my decision to have it printed in paperback. The sales here at the small coastal, tourist town were excellent. Later on I formatted it for Amazon, and the sales and downloads over the past two years have blown my mind. Now NY agents are the last thing on my mind. Indie publishing gives me satisfaction in that all of my novels are now before a huge market of people who want to read something other than what the publishers steer them toward. It’s not about the money…it’s about being read and receiving emails and reviews from loyal readers.

What genre do you write in and what genre do you prefer to read?

 I began my writing career with three Southern mystery/crime novels. I soon tired of the consistent hard language and violent scenes, so I switched to YA/Crossover and Pet novels. I still enjoy reading good mystery/crime novels, and now I only read Indie authors, and am impressed with the talent out there.

Where do you sell most books, USA or UK, Amazon or Barnes and Noble?

 I am currently selling only on Amazon in their KDP Select Program. I like the option to offer my novels ‘free’ at times to get my name out into this huge Indie market. The majority of my sales come from the USA and the UK.

During your childhood who was your biggest influence?

My parents, for many reasons besides writing. The gift of writing was passed down from my wonderful grandmother.

Are you fortunate enough to write full-time?

Yes, I am able to write full time, however, since I live at the beach, it’s difficult to stay inside and write during the summer. Another advantage for Indie writers is there is no publishing company breathing down your neck, pushing for another novel to improve their profits. Writing for me is still fun and not a pressured job.

If Hollywood came knocking who would you want to play your main character?

 I’ve not really thought about who could play Scooter in a movie about ‘Gabby…All About Me’, but if and when I’m faced with that decision, you can bet I’ll have an opinion. I’d worry more about which pooch plays Gabby.

Name 6 people, dead or alive, you’d love to have as guests seated around your dinner-table.

Since I never had the opportunity to meet my wife’s parents (they are deceased), I’d like to have them to dinner and tell them what a wonderful lady they raised. Then I’d invite my late grandmother, along with Wilson Rawls, the author of ‘Where the Red Fern Grows’, and the head honcho from Disney movies, and finally, any young writer who really loves the craft but has become depressed with rejections and doubts and are contemplating giving up.

What one piece of advice have you found the most important in your writing career?

A very talented, published author once told me, “To be successful you must write, edit, read others works, write, edit, write, read, etc.” Truer words were never spoken.

What are your plans for the coming year?

I’m halfway through the first draft of a sequel to “Gabby…All About Me”. I hadn’t planned on doing one and was nearing completion of a family sage; however, I received many emails from readers wanting to know ‘when’ the sequel to Gabby was coming out. So, since I feel my readers’ opinions are priceless, I began one titled “Flash”. It’s proving to be a very enjoyable write.

And finally, if you were stranded on a desert island what 3 books would you choose to have with you?

The Bible. My compilation of short stories about my coming of age years, “If You Dance…You Will Pay the Fiddler”. And the largest book of jokes possible. At least if and when they found me, I’d be smilin’….

Lee’s Bio (if you need it)

Lee Carey lives in a coastal town known as Sandbridge Beach in Virginia Beach, VA. He has been writing since '99. His popular pet novel "Gabby...All About Me" is his first published novel. "Pets in Paradise" came out April '11.
Lee has also penned five other novels in various genres: 3 Southern Mystery/Crime and 2 YA/Crossover and 2 compilations of Short Stories.
Lee enjoys surfing, writing, golf, fishing, and hanging out on the beach with his wife, Kay.
His attitude and slogan is: "Paddle hard for every wave...it might be your best ride." And..."Keep smilin'..."

Link to Lee's Amazon Author Page 

Lee's Website: http://www.leecarey-author.com

Lee's Blog: http://lee-carey.blogspot.com/

Top legal thriller writer Melissa F Miller.

This week it's an honour and a privilege to welcome best-selling legal thriller writer Melissa F Miller to my blog.

1. When and why did you decide to become an Indie writer?

I decided to go the indie route in January 2011. At that point, I had submitted Irreparable Harm to several agents and had gotten some nibbles of interest, but no offers of representation. As you and I both know, the process of finding an agent and ultimately selecting a publisher can be a long one. If there’s one thing I lack, it’s patience! I really believed Irreparable Harm was a book that readers would enjoy, if I could get it into their hands. In addition, smartphone technology is central to the plot (a madman develops an app that can crash a plane). It occurred to be that if I spent years and years trying for a traditional publishing deal, the book might be dated before it even saw print! So, I started investigating independent publishing options, and here we are.

2. What genre do you write in and what genre do you prefer to read?

My series is a legal thriller. I have plans to write a young adult novel and a women’s literature novel, but for now my focus is on crime writing. I read widely, and there’s no genre that I won’t read. I mainly rely on recommendations from friends and family for my reading material. But, my “go-to” reading, when I want a book that’s going to hook me and keep me up all night, turning pages, is crime fiction/mystery and thriller.

3. Where do you sell most books, USA or UK, Amazon or Barnes and Noble?

Right now, my ebooks are exclusively available at Amazon. I sell the overwhelming majority of them through the Amazon USA store, although sales in the UK have picked up.

4. During your childhood who was your biggest influence?

I am sure this seems like a trite response, but it happens to be true: my parents. I’m the oldest of three children, and I have always had an academic bent (nerdy!). My parents never once suggested there was a limit to what I could do, despite being a female and coming from a very modest background. So, I naturally believed I could do anything! What I wanted to do, from a young age, was read and write. I was lucky enough to have two special teachers in high school who really helped me along that path.

5. Are you fortunate enough to write full-time?

Not exactly! I’m a practicing attorney, and my husband (who is also an attorney) and I run a two-person law firm. So, I am pretty busy with the day job. I am fortunate, however, to have a great deal of control of my schedule and a supportive family, so I can fit in my writing in a way that just wasn’t possible when I used to work at a large law firm.

6. If Hollywood came knocking who would you want to play your main character?

What a fun question! Sasha is tough as nails but tiny. Angelina Jolie pops to minds, as does Natalie Portman. (If either is reading this, give me a call!)

7. Name 6 people, dead or alive, you’d love to have as guests seated around your dinner-table.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, best-selling novelist Lee Child, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Marie Pasteur, Jon Stewart, and the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. Although my house is generally a disaster, as I have three small children, so I will need at least 24 hours’ notice to clean up!

8. What one piece of advice have you found the most important in your writing career?

It’s been attributed to various people and I can’t remember where I first heard it now: “Don’t get it right; get it written.” That’s been instrumental in reminding me that I can only polish the words that actually make it to paper.

9. What are your plans for the coming year?

I just released Irretrievably Broken, the third book in my Sasha McCandless legal thriller series. I’m working on the fourth book in the series, which I plan to release this fall/winter. After that, I may take a breather from the series to turn to a young adult coming of age novel that’s been taking up a lot of brain space.

10. And finally, if you were stranded on a desert island what 3 books would you choose to have with you?
The U.S Army Survival Guide, Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in the Wild, and The Riverside Chaucer. With luck, the first two books would ensure my survival long enough for me to make my way through the complete works of Geoffrey Chaucer!

You can buy Melissa's wonderful series here.

The series is available here: http://amzn.to/Lx46qZ

Stop by Melissa's website here. http://www.melissafmiller.com

and her blog here.  http://melissafmiller.blogspot.com