Who Is My Reader?

November 7, 2018 ~ ChanAtkins ~ 2 Comments

One of the first pieces of advice I recall hearing when I started my indie publishing journey in 2013, was; ‘know your audience.’ It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Know your audience, know who your reader is. Once you know who they are you can figure out how to find them, where they hang out on the internet, what social media they are likely to be on, what tags you can use to get their attention, who to market your books at and so on.

I remember struggling with this at the time though. And I’m still struggling now. Back then, I had written The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, Parts One and Two, but while it was with beta readers, I very quickly churned out The Mess Of Me. The two were written side by side for a while until eventually The Mess Of me won the race and was released first.

The Mess Of Me has a 16-year-old protagonist and is essentially a book about growing up and the many teenage issues that go with it. At the time though, I didn’t think of it as Young Adult or as being aimed at teenagers. I just listened to the voices in my head, as I always do, and they were young. I soon figured out that not categorising and marketing The Mess Of me as YA was foolish and ridiculous. I had to get my head around something then. Was I a YA author? Did I just write YA?

I didn’t have a problem with this as I have never grown out of loving YA books, and although I read a lot of genres, I do frequently return to YA and always feel like I am coming home. The problem was the next book. Though also having a teenage protagonist, and dealing with teenage issues, it was far harder to classify. Partly because the teenage narrator grows up and becomes an adult, and partly because there are two narrators for Parts One and Two, and the second narrator is an adult. In my head, this book was never aimed at anyone. I just had it in my head and wrote it.

I’ve got to be honest, this has mostly been my approach since too. This Is Nowhere features a grown man, but every other chapter dives back into the past to when the character is a young boy and teenager. I always felt like this one was probably better suited to adults though, so I categorised it accordingly.

The Tree Of Rebels was the first and only book I wrote with a deliberate audience in mind, and I think I mentioned on here several times while writing it, that this made it the hardest book to write. It sort of altered how I felt about the book. It was like I was trying to write to please someone the whole time.

Since then, I returned to just writing what I wanted to write and not imagining the reader first. This is fine when writing, but presents all sorts of problems when the time comes to publish the book. What categories and keywords do I choose? How do I market it? What genre is it? How do I find the people who will like this book?

Elliot Pie’s Guide To Human Nature is a classic example of why I am still in such a muddle and still struggling to find my readers. It has a young narrator, but also an adult one. The adult themes, for me, make it more suitable for adults than teens, but Elliot’s day to day life and outlook are something that will more than likely resonate with young people. I still find it hard to describe the genre of this book. Definitely coming-of-age but also contemporary women’s fiction? Maybe even UpLit?

With Parts One and Two of the new, revised The Boy With The Thorn In His Side series almost ready to be released, and Parts Three and Four being polished up in the background, my mind has once again returned to my elusive reader. 2019 will continue to be busy as I plan to release YA novel, A Song For Bill Robinson and possibly it’s almost finished sequel, Emily’s Baby. My list of novels is growing longer, but I still don’t know who my audience is. It’s tricky when you cross over so many genres. Most of my books cross into two or more, with psychological thriller, suspense, crime, coming-of-age, mystery and dystopian all regularly showing up.

So, who is my reader? What sort of person reads my books and likes them? I only have a small audience, so it’s hard to speculate. But I suppose really, my reader must be someone quite similar to me. I imagine them as slightly scruffy, or at least not terribly groomed and over bothered with appearances. They probably make an effort when they can, and they probably berate themselves fairly often about sorting out some kind of ‘look’, but it never really feels urgent to do so. They are probably young at heart. Stuck in the past, tinged with nostalgia, reluctant to admit and give in to adulthood. I think they are a music fan. They probably like all sorts. They’re not narrow-minded about it at all. They’ll listen to anything, but they have their favourite era of course, and their favourite songs. They see life in songs. Soundtracks are everywhere.

What else? I imagine them as liking animals and nature. Not in a really obsessed, or professional way, just in that seeing a bird or a deer unexpectedly will really make them smile and have a better day. I think they enjoy being outside, all weathers too. Being outside makes them feel more alive.

I think they are introverted but friendly and warm. A bit cynical and suspicious at times. Prone to the odd dark mood. Likely to panic about once a month about how the world is utterly doomed. But they always brighten up and soldier on. Despite being naturally shy, they are really interested in people, genuinely intrigued by them. They love a spot of people watching and love a character-driven book they can really get their teeth into. They are looking for stories about humans they can relate to and empathise with, and they are looking for characters to fall in love with, characters they wish were real.

They want to disappear inside a book and come out feeling different. They don’t want anything too formulaic or predictable. I think they are a bit of an eccentric at heart. They probably talk to themselves.

This is how I imagine my readers to be and I shall continue to do my best to try to find them. What about you? If you are a writer, do you know who your audience is? If you don’t know, does it make it harder to sell your books? If you’re sure of your audience, tell me about them. What are these people like? If you’re a reader, do you imagine yourself as part of a genre tribe, full of similar and like-minded people all connected by an appreciation of mysteries, or romance, or horror?

Please feel free to comment and share!

The Tree Of Rebels and Disconnection From Nature

August 11, 2017 ~ ChanAtkins ~ 4 Comments

So it’s finally here! The day has finally arrived! Sometimes when in the middle of writing and rewriting and crafting a book, publication day can feel like an impossibility. Something so far in the future it feels like it will never happen. The Tree Of Rebels felt like an impossible thing more than once. This was a very tough book to write and one I had a constant love/hate relationship with. It’s very different from my other books and I wrote it with an audience in mind, something I’d never done before.

As I’ve mentioned before, the seed of this book was sown while scrolling through Facebook one day. I’d kept seeing these petitions to sign to stop Monsanto patenting seeds. I didn’t understand a lot of it, but what I did read and digest alarmed me and got the cogs turning in my head. I’ve often thought about nature and who owns it. Have you ever walked through the woods or across a field, only to be stopped by a fence and a Private Property sign? Have you ever stood on a high hill and looked down at the landscape and realised how restricted our movements actually are? How the paths and roads have been laid out for you and how signs and fences stop us roaming as we once did?

The more I thought about large corporations owning seeds and nature and having that control over the food chain, the more I imagined a frightening dystopian world where growing your own food is banned. This might seem like a far fetched idea right now, but for some people this is already becoming a reality. Believe it or not, there are places in America where people are not allowed to have backyard gardens or chickens. Where people can be arrested for attempting to gather rainwater. The frightening future is already on its way…

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Distrustful of GMO’s, hormones in meat, anti-biotics in milk and pesticides on fruit and vegetable, more and more people are turning to growing their own food. Self-sufficiency is becoming popular again, and you can’t deny this is a form of rebellion, of taking back control. It’s vital for our planet too. The meat and dairy industry is literally killing the earth.

Dystopian future in mind, I already knew I wanted to write a young adult book. The protagonist, 13-year-old Lissie had been evolving in my imagination for some time, and now she finally had a place to play and grow. The book undoubtedly evolved into something more than I had envisioned. It’s not just about seeds or a post-apocalyptic future, it’s about rebellion, questioning the status quo, defying your parents and searching for the truth, no matter who it hurts. All classic issues in the complicated journey of growing up.

But one of the main messages I hope people pick up from this book if they do indeed pick up any is the consequences of becoming disconnected from nature.

I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer. A head in the clouds type of girl. I love nothing more than a walk down the lane, to the river, or across the fields, the common, or the woods. Something special happens to us when we are in nature, when we walk barefoot upon the earth, when we touch trees, smell leaves and view flowers and wild animals. Sometimes I think I might be a bit odd. I have very strong urges to touch and hug trees. They call to me, they really do. Once I lay my hand on the trunk of an ancient Oak, I find it very hard to pull away. I can’t get over the fact they are helping me to breathe! They are eating pollution. Without them, we would all die. The same goes for the humble bee and other vital pollinators. We simply cannot afford to ignore nature. We are nature. And I truly worry that many of us have forgotten.

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Where I live is very beautiful, but I fear that others do not see it. When they race their cars down the narrow lane and hurl their rubbish into the bushes, I fear they never linger long enough to see the beauty and majesty of the trees. I fear they have no clue that they would die if the trees were not there. I’m fascinated by the unseen lives of birds, insects, and animals. I’ll stare at birds in the sky, watching their flight, hearing their cry, wondering where they are going and where they live and what they do. I want to know. I want to be part of their world. Sometimes I feel like I am trespassing. Especially come dusk when the bats start circling and the owls start hooting. This is their time, not mine. How they must despise us, I often think.

I think the thing we are often missing is gratitude and wonder. I am in awe of nature which makes me want to protect and nurture it. Sadly, others just don’t see it at all. In truth, this means they do not see themselves. They are disconnected from it, therefore they don’t care about it or appreciate it. If you don’t care about something, or see the value in it, you’re not going to go out of your way to protect it, are you?

In Lissie’s world, the people are taken care of. They are housed and fed and educated and worked. There is no war or violence. They have returned to traditional ways, fearful of the technological world that enabled war and destruction to almost wipe out the entire human race. But in order to keep them contained, the people are separate from nature. Food is grown and delivered to them. Animals are raised in domes . Unwanted plants are circled and torn up. Wild animals are feared and killed. They know very little of the natural world. And this is all sold to them as the perfect world. A society without war and hunger and homelessness. A safe, sheltered, catered for life. It’s Lissie who resists this version of life and strives to find out more about the outside world. A true rebel, spurred on by the dying words of her Great-Grandmother, she seeks the truth. What happened to the Old World? Who destroyed it and why?

Please feel free to leave a comment! What are your fears for the future? Do you enjoy reading post-apocalyptic or dystopian books, and if so why? How do you feel about the issues of humans becoming disconnected from nature? What can we do about any of it? I would love to hear your thoughts!

My 16 Best Books of 2016

December 21, 2016 ~ ChanAtkins ~ 2 Comments

In order to compile my list of the best books I’ve read in 2016, I sat back and thought about the books that have had the biggest impact on me. I quickly wrote down all the ones that came to mind, and so here they all are. I have also included how I came across each book, ie was it recommended to me, was I sent it and so on. I thought this might be useful! I have read so many books this year, and it is simply impossible to list them all, so I have tried to pick books here that are the sort of thing I generally look for when reading.I have not listed them in order of preference, they are simply listed in the order they came to mind. However, there is one book that stood out above all the others for me personally, one book that I can safely say is the best book I have read in 2016 and this is listed as Number One. Enjoy.

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The Improbable Wonders Of Moojie Littleman by Robin Gregory is an absolutely beautiful book and very unique. It had me smiling from start to finish, contains fabulously flawed and addictive characters and provides a great big splash of the hope and positivity we all so desperately need right now. I’ve actually lost track of the amount of awards this book has won, so I’ve added a link here . I’ve also got to mention that Robin provided me with a wonderful interview you can read here and she is a thoroughly lovely person!
No Dogs Or Indians by Lisa Hare is a book I read purely by accident. I’m one of the reviewers for Underground Book Reviews, where authors pick reviewers based on their reading preferences. I was sent this book by accident, as it was not on my list, but was advised to read it anyway as it’s been nominated as one of the books of the year. It sounded interesting so I dived right in and came out with tears running down my face. One of the best books I’ve read in ages, and again, very unique, beautiful in its themes and messages, and one that will stay with me for a very long time. Get it!!
A Necessary Act by Tony Wirt is a book I did choose to read for Underground Book Reviews, and I nominated it for a top pick and book of the year, it was that good. The plot revolves around a really interesting question; if you were utterly convinced a fellow schoolmate was well on the way to becoming a serial killer, would you do anything to stop him? The book puts its teen characters in this predicament and ends with a twist I never saw coming. Tense, horrific, unputdownable!
The Many by Wyl Menmuir is probably one of the most controversial books on my list. By that I mean, it has the most mixed reviews I’ve ever come across! From glowing five stars to downright grumpy one stars, it seems this is a love it or hate it or plain just don’t get it kind of book! I first heard about it on my Facebook timeline as it had been longlisted for the Booker prize which was quite an achievement for a debut novel signed to a small press. I then came across the author in a magazine I receive for being a NAWE member (National Association of Writers In Education) I was so inspired by his article about independent writing spaces in school I contacted Wyl and thanks to his advice, I will hopefully be diving into my first school project next year with my business Chasing Driftwood Writing Group. But anyway, back to the book! Haunting, surreal, dark and claustrophobic are just some of the words that spring to mind. Eerily silent and with an ending that quite literally punched me in the gut. If you are looking for something unique to read, something that has divided opinion quite wildly, then this is the book!
L-2011 by Mark Gillespie is written by a fellow indie author I’ve followed for a while. I loved the idea of this speculative fiction novel; what if the London riots in 2011 had not ended? What if the riots had gone on and on? In this gritty coming of age drama, Mark introduces us to some memorable and believable characters in this book which is the first in the series. The second book Mr Apocalypse is not now and is on my to-read list as I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
The Unwind dystology by Neal Shusterman will go down as the most disturbing series I have read this year. If you are at all into The Hunger Games, Divergent or The Maze Runner books, then you simply have to dive into this YA series, as it is so much better! It’s taken me all year to read the four books, partly because I have so many other things to read, and partly because they get under my skin too badly and I just need a break between reading them! This series takes us to a not too distant future after a civil war in America led to a new law being written where parents can retrospectively abort their children between the ages of 13 and 18. They are not technically killed though. Every single part of them is harvested (while they are fully conscious) to be donated to people who need them. Quite horrifically, troublesome teens body parts have become a very valuable commodity. The most genius part of book one is how the author makes you wait until nearly the end of the book to show you what actually happens during unwinding. All the way through you are thinking about it and trying not to think about it, and the tension becomes unbearable. Just finished book four today and I’m really excited to hear they’re being made into films. But read them first, please!
Daydreams and Devils by the brilliant Robert Cowan is a book I selected to read for Underground Book Reviews. I was attracted by the storyline of gangsters and bands and was not let down in the slightest. It was another of my top picks of the year for UBR and I currently have another of Robert’s books on my to read list. This book ticked every box for me; great characters, believable dialogue, fast paced, edgy, coming of age and with an awesome musical soundtrack. I was one happy reader from start to finish and Robert is a terrific reader I am very happy I discovered in 2016
The Leaving by Tara Altebrando is a book I noted down when it came up on a best YA books list. I bought it for my daughter and we both really enjoyed it. The plot revolves around six five year olds who went missing eleven years ago. Out of the blue five of them have now returned. What I liked about this mystery novel was how each chapter was from a different characters viewpoint but in the third person. Each chapter had a very different voice and was written differently, even set out and formatted differently to the others. Very spooky with plenty of twists and turns, I think anyone would enjoy this!
Far Cry From The Turquoise Room by the amazing (and still my favourite indie author) Kate Rigby is a great example of Kate’s work, which is often edgy, gritty and retro. I love her style and her characters who you just want to take home. In this story a young Asian girl feels shunned by her charismatic father after the death of her sister and ends up running away. Kate covers so many hard hitting subjects in this book, and always in a tender, humorous and realistic manner. I’m working my way through her books and always relish getting my hands on the next one!
Chance by Peter Dudgeon was recommended to me by a friend. It’s about a killer who picks his victims by random chance and 9-year-old Cassie who is able to see into the future when someone is about to be hurt. Being in close proximity to both the killer and some of his potential victims allows Cassie a disturbing glimpse into his warped mind and she soon realises the police are on the wrong track completely. Brilliantly written, tense and gripping, you won’t be able to put it down. There is also a sequel which is on my to-read list, and Peter Dudgeon is another author I’m very glad I discovered this year!
Nightfall by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski is another book I read after my teenager had her hands on it. She picked it up in the book shop one day and after reading the blurb I couldn’t wait for her to finish so I could start. It’s an eerie YA dystopian set on a mysterious island , where it is daylight for fourteen years followed by nightfall for fourteen years. During the nightfall the islanders pack up and leave the island and do not return until the next daylight. The main characters Marin and Kana are brother and sister and they miss their boat off the island when they go in search of their best friend Line, who is missing. When reunited, the three teens have to face the darkness as it begins to fall, knowing they are trapped on the island for fourteen years, but worse than that, they soon realise they are not alone. Loved this from start to finish! So well written, steadily paced, so much is held back until you need it, which makes you just keep turning the pages.
The Recital by Kyle V. Hiller is another book I chose to read and review for Underground Book Reviews. I was intrigued by the storyline which promised contemporary issues wrapped up in magic realism. The story is told in the first person from the wonderful Edith, a 12 year old girl I quite quickly fell in love with. Edith has a few troubles on her plate. She hasn’t grown in a year, she is in love with a boy who is dating her arch enemy and her family life is about to be shattered. On top of all of that she has just found out she is a witch who needs to learn to control her powers (which, by the way, can have quite horrific results for anyone who is in the wrong place at the wrong time!) As Edith staggers awkwardly from one disaster to the next, an intriging and unique story unfolds, involving magic and spells, as well as coming of age, bullying and sexuality. Put a smile on my face from start to finish and I will definitely be reading more from this author!
Those Who Wander (All That Glitters Book 1) by Shalaena Medford is a fast-paced steampunk YA novel which involves pirates, maps, and a stolen zeppelin. In many ways an action-packed steampunk adventure, but also a coming of age tale, in which main character Song has to let go of the past and construct a new, true version of herself, this book is a journey in many ways. I felt like I was on the journey with her, both the physical and the emotional one. Extremely visual, I could see this making an awesome movie! I was very impressed and will definitely be buying book two when it is released. Anyone who likes steampunk, action, adventure, fantasy or sci-fi will love this! I came across this book as I follow Shalaena on social media.
The Soul Bazaar by Anthony Morgan Clark is a uniquely crafted and captivating collection of dark stories, which will have both a physical and emotional effect on the reader. From the title story The Soul Bazaar, which introduces a chilling trader of souls, who wears only red, to post-apocalyptic disease and violence in After The Disease Part One and Two, this is a rollercoaster ride of horror and uneasy feeling. Wake, the story of a man enduring a life-saving transplant, will stay with me for some time to come. As will Bes, a glimpse into the troubled mind of a dangerous individual and his imaginary friend. The author has the unique ability to make your stomach cramp with the tension he builds, and the language used to convey the horror his characters live through is just perfect. A disturbing and spine chilling read, highly recommended. I came across this book as I follow Anthony on social media.
Spine Chillers: Hair-Raising Tales Book One by Q.L Pearce is a book fans of Goosebumps will really enjoy. I was sent this book for free in return for an honest review. (Plus, look out for an exclusive interview with Q.L Pearce in the New Year here on my blog!) Each one is guaranteed to offer the reader a dark and bumpy ride into the unknown and leave you with your jaw hanging open. I enjoyed all of these stories but got a particular kick out of Hale Hallow Woods, a tale of ghostly revenge, Seaworthy, a creepy pirate themed adventure, and my firm favourite, The Healer. The twist in The Healer is one I did not see coming and have been unable to stop thinking about ever since. This is a flawless collection of spine chilling tales and I very much look forward to the next instalment.
The Giver by Lois Lowry is a book I had been meaning to read for a very long time. When I finally got around to it, I was not disappointed in the slightest. I was enchanted, disturbed, touched and intrigued. You probably all know the plot, but for those who don’t, 12 year old Jonas lives in a seemingly perfect, pain free world where children are assigned to their parents, just as spouses are perfectly matched and employment is dealt out depending on personality and skills. The system works. no one feels pain and everyone is content. But when Jonas goes up to receive his position he is told he is to become the next Receiver of Memory. His training starts right away with an old man known as the Giver, and Jonas soon discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world. A trail blazer in the genre of dystopian fiction, this book is simply breathtaking. I quickly ordered the entire quartet and read them one after the other. (My daughter is getting them all for Christmas and I really can’t wait for her to read them so we can talk about them lots and lots!)

Author Interview; Robin Gregory

June 11, 2016 ~ ChanAtkins ~ Leave a comment

Today I am so excited to share my interview with award winning author Robin Gregory. Robin was born in Florida but grew up in California. She has worked as a journalist, a lay minister and an infant massage instructor for mothers and babies at risk. Her debut novel The Improbable Wonders Of Moojie Littleman is a beautiful and unique coming-of-age story, a mystical adventure, and quite simply one of the best books I have read in some time. Robin’s book has won the Gelett Burgess Children’s Book of the Year Award 2015, the IPPY Gold Medal – Best Cover Design – 2015, and is currently a finalist in Foreword Reviews – Indiefab Best Books of the Year and a finalist in the International Book Awards- Fiction – Young Adult 2016. Read on to find out more about Moojie Littleman and the inspiration behind it!

1- The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman is a unique blend of magical realism and coming of age. Can you tell us how the book came about? Where did the idea come from?

Mostly, my son inspired the book. But so much of my own childhood went into the mix. I was one of eight kids growing up in a pretty messed up Catholic family. This led to a lot of heartache, loneliness and feelings of “not belonging.” I buried most of those feelings for a long time, then spent twenty years trying to ﬁgure out why I was so unhappy. The healing of these early wounds really began when my husband and I adopted a baby with special needs. The “not belonging” feelings surfaced when I witnessed how others excluded him. His daily struggles have been ongoing, and yet, he is the most kindhearted, courageous, and bright boy I have ever known. He has taught me to forgive the past, and to look for the good in everyone I meet, starting with those who exclude him or look down at him.

2-How would you best describe your genre? Was there an intention to blend genres, or did the story just evolve that way?

Oh boy. This was a hard one for me. I cringe at labels—any kind of labels. The human mind wants to label everything, doesn’t it? It wants to name, package, box and brand. I have learned that one of the best ways to ﬁnd inner peace and happiness is to abstain from doing this. Our opinions are vastly limiting and troublesome. MOOJIE LITTLEMAN is about coming of age, but also about spiritual awakening. The book would probably fall best into the “Visionary” category, but few bookstores have a shelf for that. Magical Realism works better as a category than Fantasy since the story is grounded in physical reality while encompassing mystical themes. And Magical Realism gave me a way to climb into Moojie’s skin, and live from a soulful point of view, not just physical. I wrote the story for ﬂuent readers of all ages, but my publisher, editors and agent convinced me to market it as Young Adult. They were looking at Moojie’s age, the PG rating, and the allusions to The Odyssey, which students in the US study from age 12 to 18. It pleases me to no end that the book has won awards in Young Adult and Adult categories.

3- Do you have any personal beliefs or passions that inﬂuenced the book?

To expand a little on the ﬁrst question, my spiritual practice has been key to shaping the story. I believe we are all coming of age spiritually; that is why we are attending what a friend of mind calls “Earth School.” In the past twenty-one years, I have seen all kinds of healing, and have come to the realization that nothing is incurable. Several of the so-called miracles in the story actually did occur in my life. A part of me has been wanting to teach others that what they consider to be miracles are perfectly natural events. The key to accessing miracles lies in our ability to give up limiting beliefs, judgments and labels—to stop naming things, conditions and people as “good or bad.” Even Shakespeare knew way back that we evaluate others according to our own self-image. It is important to remember that messed up folks are doing the best they can. Those who have been mistreated, mistreat others. We begin to stop the crazy cycle of fear and hatred by knowing and living this. I am not suggesting that people should not be imprisoned for their crimes. I am saying that if we fear and hate them, we are part of the ongoing problem. People who fail to love do so because they do not know how to love. MOOJIE’s story is a parable to help others examine their actions and beliefs. To help stop the cycle of hatred toward oneself and others. Compassion is a mighty healing balm.

4- Tell us about your writing process. Are you a plotter or someone who starts writing, and waits to see where it will go?

It may have been a great disadvantage to write MOOJIE by the seat of my pants. I had about 500 pages before I took a serious look at story structure. Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT, a book on scriptwriting, and John Truby’s THE ANATOMY OF A STORY, helped me revise pacing, action and character arcs. Would I have saved myself years of rewriting had I had a clearer vision of plotting in the beginning? Oh yeah. But, what can you do? Sometimes you sit down to write and the bloody characters just take over. They just do not behave at all. Not very decent of them, is it?

5- All the characters in Moojie Littleman were memorable and well drawn - tell us how you managed to create such realistic and believable characters? Are any based on people in real life?

Thank you so much. You know, from the time I started imagining the story, I was taking mental notes on people. What was it that made them interesting? What are they pretending not to know? How do language and appearance reveal their deeper beliefs? And mostly, how are they shaping their world through choices? Almost every character in the book is a composite of those observations, warts and all. Life is not easy for anyone. I did not want to present characters as good or bad as much as being in diﬀering stages of awakening. Each has their own inner- outer struggle; each has their limitations to overcome. Like many of us, they fail to live up to their own expectations. I ended up loving them all for who they are, and who they are not.

6- Moojie himself was incredibly endearing. Is his story over? Or will there be any further stories?

I am so glad you feel that way about Moojie! When I set out to write the story, I knew that ﬁctional characters with physical or mental challenges are rarely given front and center stage. They are usually conﬁned to secondary roles. I felt it was absolutely imperative that Moojie steal the readers’ hearts. My son, who has been blessed with amazing charisma, helped a lot with this. I would love for Moojie’s story to continue. Now that I am acquainted with the characters, I know how to take better charge of them. I will insist that they go play elsewhere while I roughout the plot. Ha!

7-When did you ﬁrst know you wanted to be a writer?

This question always makes me smile. I often hear about writers who knew of their calling before they cut their ﬁrst teeth. Not in my case. I had a tough time learning to read, and a mother of eight children has no time to read to her litter. My father was a pilot in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and mostly gone. I didn’t start reading ﬂuently till high school. My life changed when I discovered Kana and Hemingway. As a teenager living in a perpetual state of underwater, I turned to journaling to save me from the emotional tsunamis. That led to short stories, poetry, and eventually longer ﬁction. I never thought of myself as a writer. Writing was just something I did.

I love what Robertson Davies, the Canadian novelist, once said: “There is absolutely no point in sitting down to write a book unless you feel that you must write that book, or else go mad, or die.”

8- Tell us about your writing and publishing journey so far - which paths you have followed and why?

When I graduated from college, I took an internship at a local newspaper. It was fantastic! I learned to get that ﬁrst draft down—and fast. That led to writing freelance articles, and book and movie reviews. Then I wrote my ﬁrst screenplay and novel. They were pretty awful. But they taught me a lot-mostly humility. Writng is like being in the circus. You have to jump though hurdles the same way acrobats jump through burning hoops in order to learn how not to make mistakes that get you burned.
It took thirteen years to write MOOJIE. Thirteen years because I had to evolve in order to deliver the story in the manner it deserved. During that time, the book has been workshopped, shared with a number of alpha and beta readers, put through 2 manuscript consultations and edited by ﬁve pros. After submitting to agents and getting nowhere, I contacted publishers directly. Three publishers oﬀered me sub-standard contracts, which I turned down. (Thank heavens SCBWI, a writer’s org that I belong to, provided a manual with standard publishing contracts. Holy moly! Publishers will take your skivvies if you let them!) I wanted to keep my rights, to choose my cover, and be the one to decide when the book was ready to print, among other things. While researching my options, I discovered Wyatt MacKenzie Publishing, Inc. (h=p:// http://www.wymacpublishing.com/), a traditional publishing house that, for 20 years has oﬀered consultation and assistance to indie authors. I contacted some of their authors, and they gave stellar reviews. After an hour consultation with Nancy Cleary, the publisher, I knew the indie consulting program was right for me. And it has been fantastic! I can’t say enough about Nancy’s guidance, respect, support, and expertise.

9- What advice would you give to a new author who is about to launch their new book?

I am assuming that the author wants to be a pro. In this, she has already had her book read/reviewed by at least 10 people—beyond buddies or family members, who will love every word you write no ma=er what. I am assuming she values brutally honest feedback because that is the way the public is. I am assuming that she has listened to the feedback, and revised for clarity and tightness. I am assuming that she has given the book plenty of time to ripen. Right down to the last day before I sent my book to the presses, I was deleting or rewriting passages if they didn’t sparkle. The editor had to practically tie me down to get me to let go of the manuscript.
That said:
— If you want your book to make a dent in sales, your manuscript must be professionally edited and proofed. The cover (front and back) needs to be equally polished and interesting. Yes, this costs money. But if you do not include this in your budget, you might as well not spend the money to publish (unless you are merely doing it for family & friends). As most of us know by now, the key to marketing rests upon getting reviews. If your cover isn’t delicious, and your editing is sloppy, people won’t even sign up for free copies. There are simply too many other professional books to choose from. A cover created by your amazingly talented brother who won a ribbon in the high school art fair, might be beautiful, but can it stand up to the covers on booksellers’ shelves? If not, your book will probably disappear into cyber space with millions of others whose authors were a little too anxious to go to press.
— Start marketing your book four months before the release date. Yep. Four months! Send it to pro reviewers (Kirkus, Foreword, Publisher’s Weekly). Enter it in contests. Do a few giveaways. Create an audience on social networks by posting samples, sharing news and reviewing similar books. This will give you a chance to build up a pre-order list on Amazon. It is only the beginning. And it is crucial.

10-Tell us a bit about your next release. What are you working on right now?

While playing with a MOOJIE sequel, I am also writing a collection of inspirational prayer-poems and a guide to spiritual healing. There’s also the audio book project of MOOJIE, through ACX.com. It’s an amazing process. I have to give Amazon kudos for providing such a user-friendly service. However, my reader has stepped away from the project to sort out personal problems, so the release is delayed.

11- What would you like readers to take away from The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman?

I would love for my dear readers to realize that freedom is a choice. No ma=er what diﬃculties we face, be it loneliness, physical or mental problems, lack of opportunity, not enough money, lousy parents, even homelessness, there is a Source of unconditional love available to each of us. We can grow through joy rather than pain and suﬀering. It takes eﬀort and trust to rewire our thinking, but we can open ourselves to receive miracles that freely and gladly oﬀered. When this Immaculate Heart is felt in the still, deep pool of our being, we can begin to experience joy and freedom beyond your wildest dreams. I know this is true. I have lived it.

Robin, thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview!

You can find out more about Robin by following her on social media;