Finding Fiction Friday - Firebrand Publishing COO Amy Cancryn

After a one-week break, Finding Fiction Friday is returning with a rare treat.  Instead of a new author, today we are pleased to welcome the COO of Firebrand Publishing, Amy Cancryn!  Firebrand presents a little bit different business model than either traditional publishing or vanity publishing.  Whether you are an author or a reader, I hope you will enjoy getting to know Amy and her vision.  First, a brief bio ...

Amy Cancryn is a little introverted, but fun (when she decides to loosen up a bit.) She fell in love with reading in elementary school and continued to devour books whether she worked for a toy store, retail clothing store, International Banking Company, sold cars or cosmetics.

Amy has a seven year old daughter who is going on sixteen, and an almost two year old son who thinks he's mini Thor. Amy lives with her wonderful husband Gregory, who has to put up with Amy constantly forgetting their wedding anniversary. (He forgets too.)

Amy works with her husband (and no, neither of them have tried to kill the other...yet) in a suburb outside of Atlanta, where they currently live.

Her first children's book, Hope Learns To Jump Rope, releases November 2013.

Amy, how did you get started in the publishing business?

Three years ago I finished my third novel and wanted to get it published. I had no idea where to start.

I started doing research by googling every idea or question that came to me. I started to familiarize myself with the steps needed to get published.

To get published I had to find a literary agent, they would have to sell my novel and I would then wait to get published.

All the research led me to the conclusion it would take me between 5 - 10 years of querying, writing, etc, before I would possibly get published. The first-time authors who do get published right away are few.

I also researched self-publishing and decided that was the right path for me.

It was a ton of work, but I was able to publish my first book in 2011. It came out well, and my book sold well.

Self-publishing is a lot of work.

I published a few more books for close friends and realized I could help authors publish their books.

I felt authors should be able to experience the benefit and opportunity that self-publishing offers whether they want to put in the time to learn and do it themselves.

So a group of us created Firebrand Publishing, the “publishing house” for indie authors.

We are their production house.

Authors come to use and we produce their book to their specification.

Hassle free self publishing.

What genres does Firebrand Publishing work with?

Firebrand Publishing publishes all genre's.

Thriller, Romance, Action, Horror, New Adult, Young Adult, Kid Lit, Children's picture books, Christian, everything.

We have not been presented with a story or genre we will not publish. However, there are a few caveats, Firebrand Publishing will not publish. Books that glorify rape, incest, bestiality and or hate type books and stories.

Tell us a bit about the philosophy behind Firebrand.  What makes it special, to you?

"Ebooks for dough, Print for show."

Ebooks are the future. With ebooks, self publishers can compete alongside the biggest names in publishing and gain success.

The profits from publishing will come from ebooks.

All of our packages start with ebooks. Ebooks are the default.

With ebooks and professional publishing of books, we feel our authors will recoup the investment made publishing their books, within 3-6 months, many times sooner.

Ebooks are forever, like diamonds :)  So our authors continue to earn profits and royalties long after they have made back the investment from one of our packages.

Professional book publishing, 100% royalties. We feel authors deserve to have their work published, and published to the highest standard. So much so, that we maintain a 100% money back guarantee.

We work until our authors are thrilled with each phase of the book production process.

If they aren't happy we will make as many revisions as necessary. Our authors have the final say.

At Firebrand Publishing, we feel, if you pay to publish your book, you should receive all profits from the sale of your book.

It's a simple concept, but everyone wants a piece of your royalties. Not us.

We don't understand the concept of accepting payment to publish a book AND taking 30-45% of royalties. We feel that's a bad deal for authors.

So,

100% royalties, Professional book publishing with a 100% money back if you are not happy with your book.

If you could tell prospective authors one thing to NOT do, what would it be?

Don't give up. Keep going. You will get there. Never ever ever give up your dream of writing or publishing your book.

People want to read it, people will love it. You are good enough and it matters what you write.

Do you have any big news you’d like to share about Firebrand Publishing?  Any big stuff happening in the next few weeks or months?

At Firebrand Publishing, we are in the process of publishing 8 books in the next 2 months. We are over the moon ( cliche? :) )

We are very excited to present the work of our authors to the world.

The first is a children's picture book, Hope Learns to Jump Rope, by me, Amy Cancryn, which releases November 26, 2013.

The next is a cute story about a little boy and a lamp (Larry the Lamp) by Andy Fox.

A memoir about a woman who was abandoned by her mother at an early age and how she has learned to cope called, Finding Anna.

We have a Thriller/Horror story about a young twenty-something girl who takes a drug at a party and is never ever the same again called Dream Slave.

An erotica called Spark (3 book series). I'll leave the description of that one out. This seems like a family blog :) Let’s just say, it’s very hot and exciting.

A New adult story about a journalism student that gets too close to the wrong people.

A follow up to Hope Learns to Jump Rope.

And a beginner chapter book about two families that go on vacation to Paris and the mayhem that ensues.

...how many is that (counts fingers. I write, not that good at math)

I think that's all of them.

Plus we speak to prospective authors daily.

Are there any recent developments in the publishing industry that have either surprised or inspired you?

I am surprised at the speed of change in the industry. What worked 6 months ago, may not work now. For instance amazon kdp select, when it first came to be, many authors were successful, now the kdp program is so saturated, success with it is a hit or miss.

I am surprised about the merging in publishing. I am surprised that Penguin bought author solutions.

I am surprised that self publishing has gained such prominence in the last few years.

I love the fact that self published authors are finally earning a good living off the creativity of their work. We want to help more authors reach that level.

To close the interview, I have ten questions for you, plus one.  Here they go!

1. What is your favorite word? Success
2. What is your least favorite word? Can't
3. What turns you on? Porn. Clean version "Hard work and perseverance"
4. What turns you off? Laziness"
5. What sound or noise do you love? The laughter of my husband and kids
6. What sound or noise do you hate? Screeching
7. What is your favorite curse word? Fuck
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Engineer, OBGYN, Dancer in a dance troupe, Movie producer, Beyonce
9. What profession would you not like to do? A port-o-potty worker. The person who cleans out the port-o-potties. I have a phobia of public restrooms.
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? "Oh, you look like you've lost weight. Have you been working out?" while Frank Sinatra croons  "I did it my way"
11. What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? Can you hold this 10 million dollars for me?

Amy, thanks so much for spending time with us.  Can you let us know where to follow Firebrand Publishing?

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, www.firebrandpublishing.com or call us 888-338-2767.

Thank you for having me, this has been fun. If your readers have any questions, I'll be here all day to answer them.

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Patricia, Dawn, and I can also be followed here:    Facebook              Twitter

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Rudy and Trish are the main characters in Patricia and my published short stories in the "Evernight: Romance in a World of Darkness" anthologies.  You can get to know them as well as get 23 other great stories!  Here's where you can find them:

Evernight Volume 1:   Amazon       XoXo          ARe

Evernight Volume 2:   Amazon       XoXo          ARe

Finding Fiction Friday - A.B. Shepherd

I love science fiction!  And as such, I am very pleased to have writer A.B. Shepherd here with us today.  Her first publication is the science fiction story "Lifeboat", but as you will see she has more going on than just that.

"Never stop dreaming or reading." - A.B. Shepherd

A.B. Shepherd grew up in Lansing, Michigan, but moved to Australia in 2009. She now lives in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, with her husband and their imaginary friends. She can usually be found seaside at Port MacDonnell, or lost in a fantasy world.

"Lifeboat" is her debut novel. "The Beacon", her second novel, has an anticipated release date of Christmas 2013.

A.B., please tell us about your journey in writing.  What made you decide to try to be published?

                                                                                          

My journey has been a long one. I’ve always wanted to write, yet I always thought I had to have the whole story plotted out beforehand. That led to many stops and starts over the years because I just couldn’t figure out where to go. Basically, I got in my own way. Last year I discovered NaNoWriMo and decided to try something new - writing without plotting the entire story in advance. I “pantsed” it. I loved the experience and learned so much about myself and my writing in the process. Lifeboat is the end result of that experience.

We know what your bio says.  Tell us one thing about yourself that you think might surprise us.

Okay, here’s something that is not obvious based on my bio. I met my Australian husband online and moved here to marry him after only having spent 12 days together physically. How’s that? We did have a three year online relationship before that. Are you shocked? While I recommend doing it with eyes wide open, sometimes in life you just have to take a risk.

Do you remember what it was like, the feeling you had when you learned your first novel “Lifeboat” was out there in the world?

Honestly? It wasn’t the feeling when I learned it was out there, it was when the first person bought it. I cried. It was overwhelming. I thought, wow - this is real. I can call myself a writer now.

Tell us a bit about your story in “Lifeboat”.

Lifeboat is an alien abduction story that is a bit different than most. It is highly character driven. Cassie is in a bad place in her life. She’s lost her husband and young son and is extremely depressed. Her life has no focus. One night she sees a UFO and she becomes obsessed with them. She meets a couple of Ufologists and they become friends. But one fateful night she is abducted - or rescued - by the UFO because natural disasters have destroyed the Earth. She and some others are taken to a  new world where the human race can start again. But not everything is as it seems and people start disappearing. It’s a bit dark. A bit suspenseful. And highly entertaining. So far my readers have reported really enjoying it.

What do you have coming up next?

Something a little bit different than Lifeboat. I am about to release my second book on December 1st. It is also suspenseful and a little dark, but it is not science fiction and there are no aliens. It is a psychological thriller - and a novella. It is called The Beacon. I hope you will keep an eye out for it.

If there is one character you’ve written or are writing that you would really like people to meet, who would it be?

Oh boy. You know that is a really tough question Aaron. I think I would really like to meet MOST of my characters, except for one in The Beacon that I find a little scary. Okay, well there might be a couple in Lifeboat that are a bit scary for me as well. Hmmm.

What other ideas do you have bouncing around in your head?

I have a couple of other works in progress. One that I’ve kind of put on hold which is another psychological thriller, and the one I’m most excited about right now, which is a sequel to Lifeboat. When I finished Lifeboat I felt it was a stand-alone book and there was no way for me to write a sequel and I held onto that belief for a long time. I honestly think I was grieving the end of the book and wouldn’t let myself see beyond that. But not too long ago I came up with an idea for a sequel and I am really eager get those ideas written so I can share them with all the wonderful people who begged me for a sequel after they finished reading Lifeboat.

What about being published and the book industry in general has most surprised you?

Since I am self-published I will tell you that what I have found most surprising is how hard it is to get the word out about my book(s). I’ve had such great feedback and I think many people would enjoy them. It’s just a matter of helping those people find the book(s), and as a self-published author all the marketing falls on my shoulders. It is a part of the business I don’t enjoy much. I like the writing part best.

What other things besides writing do you have going on that keep you busy?

Besides writing? So my blog and my writing group don’t count. Okay, well I do a little bit of fiber crafting, and I spend a lot of time with my husband, and less time with family and friends. We live about 30- minutes away from the Southern Ocean and we like to spend time down there on the coast when the weather is nice. It is a special place for us. I like my life. It’s a good one.

To close the interview, I have ten questions for you, plus one.  Here they go!

1. What is your favorite word? Periwinkle. I just like the way it sounds.
2. What is your least favorite word? Impossible.
3. What turns you on? Readers who tell me what they think of my writing - even if they don’t like it.
4. What turns you off? Marketing my book(s).
5. What sound or noise do you love? Laughter - especially my husband’s.
6. What sound or noise do you hate? Almost everything mechanical.
7. What is your favorite curse word? Fuck. I know it is pretty crude, but sometimes there is just no better word.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I love music. I’d  love to be a singer. I’m not good enough though.
9. What profession would you not like to do? Plumbing. Ick.
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? All the people you love are here waiting for you.
11. What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? I’m cheating a little on this one, because I have been asked it before but it’s been over 30 years ago. My brother used to ask me to sing for him while he played his guitar. He passed away, but I wish someone would ask me to sing for them.

A.B., thanks so much for spending time with us.  Can you let us know where to follow you, and where we can go to purchase your work?

You can catch me on my blog ... on Facebook ... or on Twitter 

And you can get Lifeboat now (and soon The Beacon) on Amazon in Trade paperback, Large print paperback, or Kindle.

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Patricia, Dawn, and I can also be followed here:    Facebook              Twitter

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Rudy and Trish are the main characters in Patricia and my published short stories in the "Evernight: Romance in a World of Darkness" anthologies.  You can get to know them as well as get 23 other great stories!  Here's where you can find them:

Evernight Volume 1:   Amazon       XoXo          ARe

Evernight Volume 2:   Amazon       XoXo          ARe

Finding Fiction Friday - Haven Malone

I'm very pleased to introduce you to Haven Malone!  I met Haven online through our mutual friend, Denyse Bridger, I'm pretty sure before she was published.  So I'm very excited to add her to the long list of interviewees we have had here!  First, a little about her ...

Hi everyone. I am a mother of 3 daughters and 5 grandchildren. I am retired now with plenty of time on my hands. I pass a lot of time on facebook but also like to go to certain websites as well. I usually spend time with my grandchildren about every two weeks or so. They and my daughters are my life. Without them, I am nothing.  

Haven, please tell us about your journey to published writing.  What made you move in this direction?  Did you have someone encouraging you?

I can't say that it was  really a journey to published writing. I started through the encouragement of a good friend and mentor, Denyse Bridger. She encouraged me and helped me to write a  short story for an anthology. I never really expected to end up with a published story but Denyse was able to get me in a book with four other authors. That's where the ball started. I had lots of ideas in my head that I hope to spin into a book of my own.

We know what your bio says.  Tell us one thing about yourself that you think might surprise us.

I think the one thing that surprises people the most about me is that I am a 61 year old grandmother who enjoys reading and trying my hand at writing erotica.

Haven's story in this anthology is
published under the name Susan Van Nort

Do you remember what it was like, the feeling you had when you learned your first work was out there in the world?

When I was told that my story was picked for publication, I was ecstatic. I found out later in the evening and had to call my girls and tell them that their mother was about to become a published author. We were all screaming! Of course, it wasn't until the story was about to released to the public that I got very nervous and hoped that those who read it would not hate it!

Tell us a bit about your story in the anthology “Lost to the Night 2”.

             

That story is entitled The Ghostly Story and is about a young woman who inherits a house from an uncle that is occupied by several ghosts. It's all about her journey to deal with a situation that she had never encountered before.

What about your other publications?

I only have one other published story and it's titled "Victoria's Haunting." It's a paranormal story of love and loss.

If there is one character you’ve written or are writing that you would really like people to meet, who would it be?

I am currently working on a story entitled The White Queen. The lead character is Elissa and her daughter is Corinna. I plan to develop Corinna into a young woman of determination and think she would be the character I would want people to meet just because of her strength and determination to live her life her way.

What do you have coming up next?

I am currently working on a story with another author. The title is Murder in Wonderland and is based on the characters from the classic Alice in Wonderland but with a twist. We hope that this will published within the next six months.

What other ideas do you have bouncing around in your head?

Other ideas include expanding on short story I have entered into a contest called "The Ghost of Pere Cheney" and a Christmas story entitled "The Heart of Christmas."

What about being published and the book industry in general has most surprised you?

I guess the most surprising is the amount of self published in the market. I love that authors have this ability when they get far too many rejection letters. For me, Victoria's Haunting is a self published and I did that just to see where it would go. Unfortunately, it has not done much. So, likely next time I am ready to publish, I will send to as many publishers as necessary to see that happen.

What other things besides writing do you have going on that keep you busy?

Well, outside of spending time with my family, I enjoy watching hockey and the many new paranormal shows on television this season. I also like to cook for myself and my family.

To close the interview, I have ten questions for you, plus one.  Here they go!

1. What is your favorite word?  There are several that include publish, author, story, love, friendship, and many others really.
2. What is your least favorite word?  Anything vulgar but I really hate the f word! Although I will admit I have used it a few times in my life.
3. What turns you on?  A book that catches me in the very beginning and I have trouble putting it down.
4. What turns you off? A book too full of sexual encounters. I want to see a plot.
5. What sound or noise do you love?  I love piano music. It helps me think and relax.
6. What sound or noise do you hate?  Someone playing their music so loud that all you can hear is the bass. 
7. What is your favorite curse word?  I don't have a favorite curse word.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?  Anything public related.  Maybe a greeter for Walmart.
9. What profession would you not like to do? The job I did for more than 20 years, housekeeping.
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?  Come right in, the love of your life has been waiting for you.
11. What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you?  Never really been asked any questions until now. So, I don't know of any I wish were asked of me.

Haven, thanks so much for spending time with us.  Can you let us know where to follow you, and where we can go to purchase your work?

It's been a pleasure spending time with you Aaron. Thank you so much for having me.

My links are:

Blog       Facebook       Twitter       Google+

Lost to the Night 2:  Amazon    All Romance

Victoria's Haunting:  Amazon

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Patricia, Dawn, and I can also be followed here:    Facebook              Twitter

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Rudy and Trish are the main characters in Patricia and my published short stories in the "Evernight: Romance in a World of Darkness" anthologies.  You can get to know them as well as get 23 other great stories!  Here's where you can find them:

Evernight Volume 1:   Amazon       XoXo          ARe

Evernight Volume 2:   Amazon       XoXo          ARe

Finding Fiction Friday - Brandice Snowden

Paranormal/Fantasy author Brandice Snowden is here to spend some time with us!  Winner of the Nano-Virtuosos 2013 Competition, her first book, Demon's Veil, is out on Amazon.  Before you check it out, let's get to know her a little better ...

Brandice Snowden grew up around storytellers.  Tall tales, family curses, ghosts and goblins, stories of unending love (message her about it sometime, it’s an interesting story).  Soon even the numerous stories surrounding her weren’t enough.  So she started creating her own. She has been an artist, teacher, military wife, mother and now novelist.  She spends her free time indulging in her fantastical side, learning first hand skills her characters use in her books.  She has a passion for history and mythology and uses much of what she has learned to create new worlds. Brandice currently resides on the Texas/Oklahoma border with the love of her life and her children, of both two legged and four legged variety.

Brandice, welcome, talk to us a bit about your journey in writing.  What made you decide to write and eventually try to publish?

            I have always created in one form or another entire life.  I spent much of that creative energy telling stories.  Mostly it was short stories until one night I had a nightmare that just wouldn’t leave me; so I wrote it down.  My friends and family kept telling me that the story would make a great novel and I should write it.  I decided to give NaNoWriMo a try last November and that short story became the start of my novel. 

            The publishing came into play in the form of a contest, which I won.  I realized through that experience that this was what I had been missing.  Despite the hardship of finding time and the difficulties of the publishing process, I wanted and needed to continue writing.

We know what your bio says.  Tell us one thing about yourself that you think might surprise us.

            I actually know how to use a sword.  Through the Society for Creative Anachronism, I have been taught the art of a rapier.

Do you remember what it was like, the feeling you had when you learned your first book was out there in the world?

            I do.  It was a rush and at times it felt like I was watching someone else accomplish this and not me.

I love this cover! - Aaron

The first book of your “Veil Prophecy” series is out, “Demon’s Veil”.  Please tell us a bit about the concept of this series and how it came about.

            I love mythology and I always wondered what the world might be like if myth was real and the majority of the world just didn’t know it.  The biggest issue was, how could such amazing beings stay hidden for so long.  That is why I came up with the idea of the Earth being a dimensional nexus between many different worlds and their being barriers or “veils” over the portals of these worlds.  We know that the veils open sometimes, otherwise we wouldn’t have the legends we do; and the series basically follows a group that has to protect our world as these veils open.

Did you find it a challenge combining something from a world we know (special ops) with the paranormal?

            Not really…coming from a military family I have heard a lot of crazy stories about what they have experienced in battle.  You would be surprised how many soldiers already have a strong belief in the paranormal in real life.  So it wasn’t really a crazy leap to combine the two.

If there is one character you’ve written or are writing that you would really like people to meet, who would it be?

            It’s not in this series, but I have a shape shifting dragon named Ladon that I am currently writing that I think a lot of people would love.  He’s a great mix of tough warrior and sarcastic softy at heart.

What do you have coming up next in the sequel?

            In the sequel we meet death himself, also known as Mort.  We get a clearer picture of who Mr. Raziel is and what his agenda is as well.

What other ideas do you have bouncing around in your head?

            Well I have already told you about my shape shifting dragon, but I have a few more things I am working on as well.  I have an epic fantasy based on the legends of King Arthur but set in a post-apocalyptic future where magic is reawakening into our world.  I have also been jotting down notes for a story involving alien werewolves.

What about being published and the book industry in general has most surprised you?

            I would have to say how many different paths to publishing there actually are.  I have also learned that in the beginning you may think you want one path until you are actually walking it.  The whole thing is a learning process and you have to find the niche that fits you best as an author.

What other things besides writing do you have going on that keep you busy?

            Mostly being a mom; but I make sure that I keep my life balanced.  My hobbies include the sword fighting as previously mentioned; but I also paint, sing, go on fossil hunts with the family, and I just recently started belly dancing classes.

To close the interview, I have ten questions for you, plus one.  Here they go!

1. What is your favorite word? indubitably
2. What is your least favorite word? Axe (as in “can I axe you a question?”)
3. What turns you on? Intelligence and creativity
4. What turns you off? Bigotry and intolerance
5. What sound or noise do you love? Rain on the roof
6. What sound or noise do you hate? artillery
7. What is your favorite curse word? Sh*t
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Pastry chef
9. What profession would you not like to do? Office drone
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? “Hey, sorry about the whole winning the lottery thing.  Acquisitions lost the paperwork and by the time they found it….well.”
11. What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? “What does the little voice in your head actually sound like?”  Just so you know his name is Velvet Blue and he is *Fabulous* and a very funny drunk. 

Brandice, thanks so much for spending time with us.  Can you let us know where to follow you, and where we can go to purchase your work? 

Facebook:    

https://www.facebook.com/BrandiceSnowdenWriter

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/brandicesnowden

I can be found on Amazon.

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Patricia, Dawn, and I can also be followed here:    Facebook              Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rudy and Trish are the main characters in Patricia and my published short stories in the "Evernight: Romance in a World of Darkness" anthologies.  You can get to know them as well as get 23 other great stories!  Here's where you can find them:

Evernight Volume 1:   Amazon       XoXo          ARe

Evernight Volume 2:   Amazon       XoXo          ARe

More news will be coming soon.  Keep up with our books past, present, and future on our Book Page.

Finding Fiction Friday - William Vaughn

William Vaughn spent the first couple of decades of his life as an Army brat. He learned German in Kindergarten, Spanish in elementary school and Thai in High School. He flew helicopters in Viet Nam and fixed-wing planes in Texas. He got his start in the computer industry in the 70’s and retired from the technical side in 2010. He still keeps his hand in with periodic webinars. He’s been writing the whole time and over the years, he got a dozen books published by several mainstream publishers—they translated many of these books into a half-dozen languages. He started writing fiction about five years ago. He also loves taking pictures (especially scenery and wide vistas) and visiting Alaska.

William, welcome, talk to us a bit about your journey in writing.  What made you decide to write and eventually try to publish a fantasy series?

I’ve always been a story teller. There was never an event in my life that couldn’t stand a bit of embellishment. When I got back from Vietnam, I wrote quite a bit about the experience but set it aside—for about thirty years. I took up technical writing as a career at Microsoft but got extremely frustrated with the ‘politically correct’ police and began writing my own tongue-in-cheek versions of the documentation. While initially self-published (in the early 90’s) Microsoft Press, Apress and Addison-Wesley took notice and got me hooked. My books were wildly popular mainly because while technically top-notch, they were also funny in a geeky sort of way. I call this my ‘technical fiction’ days. After a while, I wanted to write something that would have a shelf life longer than a carton of eggs and something my grandkids would appreciate, so I began work on The Owl Wrangler—the first book in my series—The Seldith Chronicles.

We know what your bio says.  Tell us one thing about yourself that you think might surprise us.

Well, I’ve never been to an NFL game. But seriously, I’m an open book. Those that know me are rarely surprised at the directions I take in my writing, my daily life or the fact that I sing bass in the choir.

Do you remember what it was like, the feeling you had when you learned your first fiction book was out there in the world? 

It was amazing. It wasn’t like the joy of holding my first (screaming) daughter, but close. At last, I had something to leave behind.

Your fantasy series is called “The Seldith Chronicles”.  Please tell us a bit about the concept of this series and how it came about.

I’ve always had a very vivid imagination. When I watch any movie or read a book or visit an old castle in Europe I often think well ahead of the plot, trying to open old doors and imagining what life was like behind the scenes. When I read Harry Potter, I imagined the life of the lab rats and critters that Harry and his classmates experimented on. I saw them in a locker room under Hogwarts chatting about their day. A rat walks in with three tails and bemoans that George didn’t get the spell right again. I even wrote a few scenes but soon learned that ‘fan fiction’ is not where I wanted to go—I was too creative for that approach. I started over, but wondered how the owls in Harry Potter knew how to deliver mail. I decided that they must be ‘awakened’ (so they can speak and understand) and the story took off from there. Before long, I had over 250,000 words and the story wasn’t anywhere near ending. I took some classes at the University of Washington and did some considerable trimming. The result was The Owl Wrangler.

If there is one character you’ve written or are writing that you would really like people to meet, who would it be?

In Quest for The Truth, one of my favorite characters is Feesa. She’s a faerie whose family is forced into exile and must hide among the Seldith elves. Unfortunately, many fundamentalist Seldith hate and abhor faeries so she and her family must hide their identity.

What do you have coming up next?  Is it a sequel or something new?

I’m planning to take a short break and shift gears. I’ll be doing more marketing than writing but this should include some short stories. Yes, there is a Volume 4 as there are several story lines left hanging. Because the book is really a political allegory, the current situations generates many story ideas.

What other ideas do you have bouncing around in your head?

Well, there are four groups of Seldith now in the storyline. Each of these can lead the reader into new places. I’m thinking of having children discover and interact with the Seldith and help them discover technology. I’ve also started an entirely new post-apocalyptic novel but the storyline in Gravity gave away the initial scenes (where satellites are knocked out of orbit and the world has to deal with the lack of electronic gadgets and banking.) Perhaps I can integrate both into the same story. I have some experience with helicopter flying, electronics and computer programming which might be useful for some story lines.

What about being published and the book industry in general has most surprised you?

I’ve taken both routes. My first Hitchhiker’s Guide to VBSQL’ was self-published in 1992—long before anyone was doing this on their own. Microsoft Press picked me up after a few years and mainstream publishers have produced and marketed nine of my technical books since then. You could say that I know quite a bit about this (IMHO dying) industry. It seems these giant brick, mortar firms are mostly interested in working with established authors— ones with a guaranteed ROI—and who would blame them? It’s a tough business with retailers dropping like plague victims. While I’m world-famous as a technical writer, this adds very little to my credentials as a fiction writer. Yes, I’ve sent my query letters and even had several publishers show interest, but none of them have panned out. What are my plans? I intend to keep writing. I’m learning the best ways to use social media, I’m visiting all of the local independent bookstores and trying to project a ‘likeable’ public image. After all, readers buy the author. Getting them to pay for the first book is the trick.

What do you feel is the best thing, for you, in self-publishing your work?

It gives me something to do. It’s intellectually stimulating, challenging and does not involve a lot of bloodshed. I can teach, mentor and help others along the way which is also very gratifying. If I can say that I helped some seriously good writer get over a technical issue that stopped her from getting her book done, then I’ve done some good. I’m also learning a lot about the tools. At this point I would say my Photoshop skills are pretty good and I’m still learning.

What other things besides writing do you have going on that keep you busy?

We do quite a bit of cruising and travelling. This gives me an opportunity to take some really spectacular pictures—many of which I use for my book covers and illustrations. I also give a series of webinars, broadcast from my home office. These are fun and again, keep my mind sharp.

To close the interview, I have ten questions for you, plus one.  Here they go!

1. What is your favorite word? Gossamer (I use it far too often).
2. What is your least favorite word? Suposebly.
3. What turns you on? Seeing someone else smile.
4. What turns you off? Ignorance, hatred and ignorant hatred.
5. What sound or noise do you love? I’m an avid Pink Floyd fan, so music (most genres) but I also like Abba and Shania Twain.
6. What sound or noise do you hate? Hip-hop/rap and bombs dropping.
7. What is your favorite curse word? Pooched.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Graphic artist.
9. What profession would you not like to do? Miner.
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? “That will do pig, that will do.” ;)
11. What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? “Mr. Vaughn, will you accept the Nobel Prize in literature?”

William, thanks so much for spending time with us.  Can you let us know where to follow you, and where we can go to purchase your work?

http://theowlwrangler.com

http://williamvaughn.blogspot.com/

http://facebook.com/owlwrangler

https://twitter.com/VaughnWilliam

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_14?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=william%20vaughn&sprefix=william+vaughn%2Caps%2C250#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=seldith&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Aseldith

(Or simply search for ‘Seldith’ on Amazon.)

My books are currently stocked at McDonald’s Book Exchange in Redmond, WA and at JJ Books in Bothell, WA. 

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Patricia and I can also be followed here:    Facebook              Twitter

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Rudy and Trish are the main characters in our two published short stories in the "Evernight: Romance in a World of Darkness" anthologies.  You can get to know them as well as get 23 other great stories!  Here's where you can find them:

Evernight Volume 1:   Amazon       XoXo          ARe

Evernight Volume 2:   Amazon       XoXo          ARe