Category Archives: Debut Author Q&A

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Meet Julia Munroe Martin

Today’s Debut Author Q&A features a very special writer to me and to this blog. Julia Munroe Martin has been a supporter of Baby Grand and Making ‘Baby Grand’ for as long as I can remember. It is a privilege and an honor to have her here today to talk about her debut novel, Desired to Death. Her answers to my questions made me think about my own fiction journey – our paths are very similar, our ideas for our novels formed many years ago. So without further ado, I bring you the world’s newest mystery writer.

043013_Head-WUName: Julia Munroe Martin (writing as J.M. Maison)
Name of book: Desired to Death (Book 1 of The Empty Nest Can Be Murder mystery series)
Book genre: Mystery
Date published: April 29, 2013 (ebook); paperback in about 3 weeks
Where can we find your book: Amazon
What is your day job? This is it! I am a journalist by education, worked as a technical writer for about 10 years, then as a freelance writer. Now I focus almost exclusively on fiction.
What is your book about? This book answers the question: What am I going to do with the rest of my life? After her daughter leaves for college, former-SAHM Maggie True is faced with an empty nest and doesn’t know what to do with herself. Never in her wildest dreams does small-town Maggie imagine the answer will come in the form of a middle-of-the-night call for help from an estranged friend who has just been arrested for murder. But it does, and as Maggie solves the mystery of who killed A.J. Traverso, a sexy kickboxing instructor, she also solves the mystery of what to do for the rest of her life.
Why did you want to write this book? This idea came to me after my son left for college, when I wondered what the future held. It was a very tough transition for me, especially when a few years later my daughter left for college. Going through that transition, from stay home mom AND writer to “just” work at home writer, wasn’t easy. I’ve always been the kind of person who observes and watches everything and, clearly, makes up stories about it all. And my loose ends led me to ask the question “What if?” or maybe even “If only.”

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Meet Author Jessica McCann

Today’s featured debut author is Jessica McCann, a professional freelance writer and novelist who lives with her family in Phoenix, Arizona. Her debut historical novel, All Different Kinds of Free, was awarded the Freedom in Fiction Prize and is available in trade paperback, ebook and audiobook, which is what we chat about today.

040213_jessica_headshotName: Jessica McCann

Name of audiobook: All Different Kinds of Free

Audiobook genre: Historical fiction, literary fiction

Date published: Audio, June 2012; paperback/eBook, April 2011

What is your book about? The novel is inspired by the true story of Margaret Morgan, a free woman of color in 1830s Pennsylvania, who was kidnapped with her children and sold into slavery in the South. She fought hard to regain her freedom, and she endured tremendous loss and hardship. Her ordeal led to one of the most pivotal Supreme Court cases in America’s history, Prigg v. Pennsylvania. The history books will have you believe the story of Prigg v. Pennsylvania is important because it ended in controversy and fanned the early embers of the Civil War. This book will have you believe the story is important because it began with Margaret.

Why did you want to create an audiobook for your historical fiction? The novel had been well-received in trade paperback and ebook, and audio seemed like a logical next step. My publisher and I wanted to share Margaret’s  story with as wide an audience as possible.

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Meet Kellie Larsen Murphy

Today’s featured debut author is Kellie Larsen Murphy, a freelance writer who has worked in both the banking and publishing industries. In recent years, she has written on a variety of subjects and has been featured frequently in several mid-Atlantic magazines. Her debut novel, A Guilty Mind, is the first in a series featuring Detective Michael Cancini. Kellie lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband, four children, and two dogs.

022613_kellieName: Kellie Larsen Murphy

Name of book: A Guilty Mind

Book genre: Mystery/psychological Suspense

Date published: September 2012

What is your day job? Freelance writer and mother of 4

What is your book about? George Vandenberg is a broken man, haunted by the memory of the young woman he once loved and “accidentally” killed. When his psychiatrist turns up dead, George emerges as the primary suspect even as he becomes a target himself. To prove his innocence, George must face an unyielding detective, his manipulative wife, and the past he’s been unable to forget.

Why did you want to write this book? I remember once being at a girls’ dinner and the question came up, “If you could have any talent, what would it be?” Every single person at the table said “singing” except me. I said I wanted to be a really good writer! Freelance writing is fun and rewarding, but writing fiction is what I love best.

What would you say is the most challenging part of writing a book? For me, finding the time to write is very challenging. Often, I have to write in short periods. Also, I have a tendency to work on the same chapter over and over until I feel it’s close to right before moving on. Some writers are able to speed through a first draft but I’m not one of those.

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Meet Victor Giannini

Today’s featured debut author is Victor Giannini. His novel, Scott Too—which was inspired by events from Victor’s own life—was published in December and is available in paperback and as an eBook.

012913_VG headshot 2Name: Victor Giannini

Name of book: Scott Too

Book genre: Magical realism or speculative fiction, depending on your cup of tea.

Date published: December 2012

Publisher: Silverthought Press

What is your day job? The last few years, I’ve been teaching with YAWP, The Young American Writer’s Project.  They send me into schools, grade 7-12, to teach playwriting or creative writing for a semester.

What is your book about? Being in direct conflict with yourself. Being forced to look at your own lackluster life and take responsibility for it. Thirty is the new 20, and this odd decade of extended teenage years can be a curse, so what do you do when it goes wrong?  What do you do when another creature steals your life and lives it the way you wished you could?

Why did you want to write this book? I wanted to write a dark comedy for a novella class I was taking at the Stony Brook Southampton MFA in Writing and Literature. What started as a “multiplicity style wacky sitcom” with super violent jokes and gore quickly turned into an absolutely different project. I saw my generation around me, where our twenties are different than previous generations’. Scott Alvin became a representative for this new generation. So I pit him against himself, a more aggressive, bitter, unrestricted self, to see what would happen. I wasn’t sure, I wanted to find out. And I did! And in all honesty, as I got inside Scott’s head, it was not what I expected at all …

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Meet Author C.B. Knadle

I met today’s featured debut author Charlene Knadle at the book signing of a mutual friend, Jeb Ladouceur, at the wonderful independent bookstore, Book Revue, in Huntington, New York. I’ll be back at Book Revue this coming Monday, October 15—this time for my own book signing! I’ll be speaking, Q&Aing and signing copies of my debut novel, Baby Grand. Yippee!

Name: C.B. (Charlene) Knadle

Name of book: Paper Lovers

Book genre: Suspense/Mystery/Romance

Date published: June 2005

Publisher: PublishAmerica

What is your day job? I teach at Suffolk County Community College.

What is your book about? Dana Ritz, a.k.a. Charlotte Ruth, who writes romance novels, attends a banquet where writers exchange books. She meets a man who writes romances under a female pseudonym, Roberta Rhodes; she’s been curious about him and has read his earlier books. She goes with him to his car where he has copies of his latest. He throws her into the car and takes off. At his residence are four other women—some of whom she recognizes. Unlike herself, they are happy to be under his domination. Her presence inadvertently disrupts the peace; troubles ensue. With difficulty, she devises a means for escape. There is a trial, at which surprising events and revelations occur.

Why did you want to write this book? I liked the idea of combining the genres of suspense, mystery, and romance, but the trigger for the book was a dream that gripped me.In the book, it is only a half-page scene, but it was the seed for the whole drama.

What would you say is the most challenging part of writing a book? That’s really hard to say; there are so many challenges. For one thing, there’s the old cliché that “life interferes.” But once you begin writing and know in a general sense what your story is and who the characters are, it isn’t hard at all. Each bit of writing suggests the next. Then you have to stop to deal with other responsibilities. It’s important to find on-going time to write.

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Meet Emma Woodcock

“You may get a bad review. Take it professionally, please.” So advises today’s featured author Emma Woodock who discusses the road to publication for her debut novel, Darklands.

Name: Emma Woodcock
Name of book: Darklands
Book genre: Young adult fantasy
Date published: August 2011 (eBook), April 2012 (paperback)
Publisher: Feed a Read
What is your day job? Web designer
What is your book about? Fifteen-year-old Sophie is not the most popular girl at school. She’s not thin enough, she’s not pretty enough, and she’s way too interested in math and physics to be even remotely cool. So when she finds herself mysteriously transported into another world where it never rains, the sun always shines, the people all think she’s fantastic and their impossibly handsome King dotes on her, she can barely believe her luck. But Sophie begins to realize that all is not as well as it seems in the Darklands. Why are all the visiting delegations so angry with the king? What is the mysterious millenniversary everyone keeps talking about? And quite what is Sophie’s role in it all? As the seemingly idyllic Darklands reveals its grim secrets, the fate of both worlds relies on Sophie escaping the despotic king and finding her way back home—preferably without turning the universe inside out.
Why did you want to write this book? The initial idea was that I wanted to write about something sinister occurring in an incongruously beautiful, serene setting. My first point of reference was the 1975 film, Picnic at Hanging Rock. There is something very powerful and unsettling about that story, particularly how it remains unresolved. I echoed that in the prologue to Darklands, in which a school girl disappears while playing in the woods on a bright, sunny day. You don’t find out anything more about her until right near the end of the book.
Did you conduct any kind of research in order to write this book (visit certain locales, etc.)? Very little research was needed for Darklands, as it takes place in a small town very like the town I grew up in, and in a fantasy world, where I could make up the rules. On the other hand, my next novel Kikimora takes place in sixteenth century Hungary and is largely concerned with mining. I’m in the middle of the second draft, and I still find myself regularly having to do extra research. It’s been really hard work, and perhaps the hardest part is knowing when to ignore the reality and just go with what makes it a good story. Too much harsh realism just doesn’t sit well in this sort of story.
What motivates you to write? I love telling stories. I love magical worlds and alternate ways of looking at the universe. I love speculation—what if the world was like that instead of like this? What if…? Writing is the best job in the world. Well, I say job. It’s more voluntary work at the moment…

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Meet Author Doreen McGettigan

Since its humble beginnings back in March 2010, this blog has been blessed with loyal readers and fans. Today’s featured debut author, Doreen McGettigan, is one of them. Always with an insightful comment, a cheerful hello or helpful advice, Doreen was kind enough to write a guest post for me back in February 2011. And today I am proud to call her my friend.

Name: Doreen McGettigan

Name of book: BRISTOL bOYZ STOMP

Book genre: memoir/nonfiction

Date published: November 2011

Publisher: Tate Publishing

What is your day job? I work with senior citizens.

What is your book about? My reaction to the random road rage murder of my brother.

Why did you want to write this book? I really did not want to write it, but felt compelled to tell the story.

What would you say is the most challenging part of writing a book? With nonfiction, I would say getting the facts right. In general, I would say the hardest part is putting your self in the chair and writing.

Since this is a memoir, so much of the material comes from your own life. But did you conduct any research in order to write this book (visit certain locales, etc.)? I spent time in a storage unit going through court records and revisited all of the locations in the book.

What motivates you to write? Extreme anger, extreme happiness, extreme sadness and, of course, deadlines.

Did you experience writer’s block? It was never a problem for me until I suffered a brain injury a few years ago. I had to work through concentration and organization issues. Now, if I find myself stuck, I stop and read, take a walk or play scrabble blast (I am addicted to this game).

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Meet AG Fredericks

As I write this, my kids are mourning the end of summer and preparing for their first day of school tomorrow. So before I head off to wipe a few tears and pack a few lunches, here is this week’s featured author in my Debut Author Q&A series: AG Fredericks.

Name: AG Fredericks

Name of book: The Troy Standard

Book genre: Literary fiction

Date published: May 5, 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace

What is your book about? This is always the most difficult question for me, because the book touches on so many themes and topics, and I just want to get into all of them. The proverbial “nutshell” is never adequate enough for an author, and it’s always tempting to give away too much. But I’ll give it a stab.

The book follows the life of Troy Mulligan as he works hard at achieving a perfectly honest and noble life after an awakening of sorts. In his search for fulfillment, he slowly realizes that he has been at the mercy of the world around him, and he desperately wants to be in control of his own life. As part of this search, he donates his time and money toward charitable projects. Over time, he develops a belief that the base form of finance, the U.S. dollar itself, is unstable and could potentially lead to dangerous circumstances that people just haven’t realized because their heads are just too far in the sand.

A billionaire philanthropist/rogue investor approaches Troy with a plan – to establish a new global currency using a solid base of precious metals. Troy is intrigued and feels that this project may very well be his calling in life. But there are a lot of powerful and ruthless people standing in their way who do not want to relinquish their control over the status quo. Hilarity ensues. (Not really, I just love saying that.)

Why did you want to write this book? I am deeply disturbed when I look at our country’s political and economic situation and the way we arrived at where we are – from both sides, left and right. In particular, I am fascinated about the history of money and its current state in world affairs. The “history of money” seems like it would be a very important topic for everyone to understand. Yet not many people do.

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Meet Elizabeth Barone

For today’s edition of Debut Author Q&A, Elizabeth Barone tells us about Sandpaper Fidelity, her first foray into episodic literature.

Name: Elizabeth Barone

Name of book: Sandpaper Fidelity

Book genre: Drama, Literary

Date published: I started publishing in June this year. It’s a weekly series; a new issue comes out every Tuesday. The current twelve-issue set will end in September, and the next twelve-issue set will start right after. A trade paperback of the first twelve issues will be out at the end of the year.

Publisher: I’m self-published for now, and it’s all under my name. I’ve entertained the idea of setting up my own publishing company, but so far haven’t had a need for it. I’m also not at all opposed to writing under a publishing house. If it happens, it happens. I like to keep one foot in each door.

What is your day job? I work part-time in retail at a huge department store. You can find me behind the jewelry counter. Previously, I was a full-time web designer. That took too much time away from my writing, though, so I changed careers so that I could pursue writing and build up a career as an author.

What is this series about? The series follows four characters in their twenties – as well as a few minor characters – as they pursue their dreams and deal with big life issues. Josalee is pregnant with her gay best friend’s baby. David just found out he has AIDS. Ingrid lost her second job in five months. Victor is addicted to sex but wants to settle down and have a family.

Why did you want to write this series? I’ve always loved sagas, but they either ended too soon, didn’t pursue the best storylines fully, or just dragged on and on. Someone once said to me that your twenties are the hardest, because you’re just getting started and figuring everything out. It’s so, so true. I wanted to write something that encompasses that, but also something that can be read in quick bites. People don’t have a whole lot of free time these days. I’ve always loved comics and their format: monthly pieces of an ongoing story.

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Meet Author Siobhan Fallon

I have wanted to feature this lovely lady and writer-friend in my Debut Author series for a while, and I’m so happy to have her here today. Siobhan Fallon, author of You Know When the Men Are Gone, offers tales of life on a contemporary American military base that have been inspired by her own experiences as an Army wife living at Fort Hood, Texas, while her husband was deployed to Iraq for two tours of duty. Siobhan, whose eight loosely linked stories take readers inside the homes, marriages and lives of a variety of military families, writes with compassion and honesty, and her work has been showered with praise—her collection was featured on National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation” and Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, noting that Fallon writes “with both grit and grace.” So without further ado (and, yes, I know I’m already a day late!), a warm welcome to Siobhan!

Name: Siobhan Fallon

Name of book: You Know When the Men Are Gone

Book genre: Literary fiction/short stories

Date published: January 20, 2011

Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam

What led you to write a collection of short stories rather than a novel? I think the form of a short story collection is actually a metaphor for military life – families, although distinct, have this important thread that connects them, much like your stories. There seem to be so many possibilities with a collection, more leeway with plot and scope, than with a novel. Instead of concentrating on how one character, or how one character’s family, was dealing with a deployment, writing stories allowed me an incredible freedom to go from a completely different world to another, from Fort Hood to Iraq, from the apartments of a military housing complex to an off-post home with a creepy basement. I could focus on a myriad of problems, get up-close and personal, and try to demonstrate how each character weathers the stress of a deployment.

A short story collection also allowed me to have the characters intersect occasionally, sometimes appearing in another story, maybe playing a large role or merely mentioned in an offhanded way, without having to tie every life neatly together the way you’d expect of a novel. And, yes, as you pointed out, the style of a story collection seemed to mirror life on base, the vastness of it all, the chance encounters you might have, the abrupt departures and arrivals that happen every day.

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