Different Types of Criticism: Post-Publication

A few weeks ago, I explained the different types of criticism you’ll run across as a writer pre-publication. Today, I’m explaining what you’ll face after publishing. I’m going to break it down a differently than I did last time, as you still receive bad and good criticism, I just want to elaborate on how to deal with it, and also the different kinds of places you’ll deal with it.

Post-Publication -

This is when the book has been published and is available either as an eBook, Audiobook, or Print book – after rounds of editing has been complete and it’s up for sale everywhere.

Reviews -

Bad Reviews: You’ll probably receive negative reviews from professional reviewers, unskilled readers, and everything in between. The absolute most important thing to remember post-publication is to not comment. Don’t comment on it at all. You’ll just make yourself look bad.

If you receive the review from a friend, co-worker, or just someone who has done the review for you and they are speaking directly with you via email or some other form of communication, thank them for their honest opinion. No matter what they’ve said or done or how bad the review – thank them.

Good Reviews: Pretty much the same rules apply no matter if the review is good or bad. Indirect review (i.e. Amazon or Goodreads review section, etc.) – don’t comment. Direct review – give thanks.

Regardless of if the readers liked the book or are just slandering your work or name (which doesn’t happen all that often), they put time into reading it and should be thanked for their time.

In Person – So let’s say we’re at a book signing or some other public event and a person who has read your book comes up to you.

Bad critic: They say it was a bad book or they didn’t enjoy it (I’ve only ever heard about this happening once, never experienced it myself, so it’s a rarity). Since it’s face-to-face you can’t actually ignore them… well, you could, but it would be almost as rude as saying something you might regret later. Just bite your tongue and say “I’m sorry” or “I’ll take that into consideration” or something to that effect.

Good critic: They say they enjoyed reading your work or similarly something positive. Thank them. Thank them for reading. Maybe even feel free to tell them about some of your other books.

You can begin to see a bit of a pattern in how to deal with things. If you’re a new writer, you can save these rules and use it as a cheat sheet that way you can stop and take a breath the next time you’re faced with criticism.

Meet Lea Schizas!

      Meet Lea Schizas! She's an author, editor, founder of several awardwinning websites and eZines. A short trip to Ms. Schizas's website - http://www.leaschizas.com/ - will show you all you need to know. She has something for everyone in terms of writing, books like Bubba & Giganto: Odds Against Them, Doorman's Creek, The Carpathian Shadows: Volume One, and her newest children's book I Don't Want A Haircut (coming soon) are of these are great examples of the different age groups she writes in. There are also many other titles she has co-authored, so be on the lookout for those.

     In her own words, this is what Lea has to say about her writing career: "Although I feel as old as the Acropolis at times, I started writing way back in my mom's womb, where I mistook the umbilical cord for some cool writing implement. Guess we all have to start at some place so why not at the very beginning, right?


     I am referred as 'Mother Hen' and funny enough, it's not from my five kids but from writers in my writing groups. I have a tendency of 'mothering, scolding, pushing' many writers back on track when they feel they've lost their writing path. So Mother Hen isn't such a bad name after all. I know my kids have referred to me with a bit more color let's say.

     I write in various genres but seem to go back to the Young Adult target group. This age group is so full of spunk and dare you just never know what the characters will do next and that is why I love to write and have a teen as my main character. Also, it keeps me young.

     Some of my favorite authors are: Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Robert Ludlum, J. K. Rowling

     Tune in to my Writing Jungle blog and catch up with my writing career, step by step goal plan on how a mother of five got to the stage she's at right now."

    To learn more about Lea stop by one of her many websites, most are listed on her main website - http://www.leaschizas.com
Thanks for reading!

Meet Gayle Trent!

Today, Gayle Trent joins me on my blog; she is the accomplished author of the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating Mystery Series. Here’s a little bit more about her -

Gayle Trent is a full-time author. She is currently at work on a new cozy mystery series involving her hobby, cake decorating. The series features Daphne Martin, a 40-year-old divorcee who has begun the second phase of her life with a new home and a new business venture—Daphne’s Delectable Cakes. Gayle lives in Bristol, Virginia with her husband, daughter and son.

Gayle previously worked in the accounting and legal fields, and her last such job was as secretary to a Deputy Commissioner in the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission. Though she enjoyed the work, it was a long daily commute and she felt she wasn’t spending enough time with her family. Now she writes while her children are at school; and thanks to a crock pot and a bread machine, can often have dinner ready when everyone gets home.

“I think it’s important to be here for my children…to take part in school functions and to be an active part of their lives,” Gayle says. “I can certainly sympathize with moms who work outside the home—been there, done that—but I would encourage everyone to make time to visit their children’s schools, to have lunch with them [at school] occasionally, to get a feel for who their friends are…little things like that.”

Gayle loves to hear from readers who can contact her via e-mail at gd830@hotmail.com or via one of her Web sites: http://www.gayletrent.com or http://gayle24202.tripod.com. If you share an interest in cake decorating, please visit Daphne’s Web site, available via click-through from either of Gayle’s sites or at http://www.gayle24202.tripod.com/id9.html.


Heather: Tell us about Dead Pan.

Gayle: Dead Pan is the second book in the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating Mystery Series. When the book opens, a police officer is questioning Daphne about a cake she took to the Brea Ridge Pharmaceutical Company Christmas party. Many people at the party got sick, but most recovered after being treated with a vaccine manufactured by the company. Only one, Fred Duncan, went into a coma and died. Coincidence? Or did somebody have it in for Fred?

Heather: What would you like to overhear people saying about your book?

Gayle: "I laughed so hard when--" A local book club selected Murder Takes the Cake as one of their books; and when I attended the meeting, I was delighted to hear that they thought this or that part was funny. I also love it when people say, "I never guessed ______ was the villain." Also, there was a review where a woman said she loved the main character's relationships with various members of her family--that they were beautifully or realistically drawn. I felt like, "Oooh, she got it!" Actually, I'll take anything that's not negative. :-)

Heather: What inspired you to write Dead Pan?

Gayle: I was reading an article in Wired magazine about clinical drug tests. I did some further investigation, and I came across some fascinating stuff.

Heather: What do you advise new writers to do?

Gayle: Read the genre they're interested in writing. For instance, when my agent pitched my first three chapters of the embroidery mystery to the editor, the editor said she liked it but didn't love it. I needed to revise it to make her love it in order for her to buy the book. I asked my agent who the editor had published recently. With two names in hand, I went to the bookstore and bought two books. I read them and found they were more descriptive than my own books. I went back, added more description and gave the heroine a bit more spunk, and the book sold. Sometimes you have to be flexible.

Heather: Tell us 3 interesting/crazy things about you

Gayle: 1) There is a feral cat who comes to visit us on holidays. We’re pretty sure he belongs to somebody because he’s always well fed. We think we’re his “other family.” We first realized his penchant for visiting on holidays when he came and cried at our door on Mother’s Day. He came back for Memorial Day and Father’s Day, and so on. Sometimes he’ll drop by for a visit, and we have to check the calendar to see what holiday it is.

2) I have an adorable cartoon Debbie Ridpath Ohi did of me with a cake (for “Murder Takes the Cake”) when her blog InkyGirl hosted me on my blog tour. The cartoon is framed and hanging above my desk. I figure I’ll never look that good in a picture again!

3)I once got to interview the famous criminalist Dr. Henry Lee via telephone for an article which appeared in Law and Order Magazine.

Heather: Favorite quote

Gayle: “It’s not enough to stare up the steps. You must step up the stairs.” – Vance Havner

Heather: Do you have any funny writing stories to share?

Gayle: I once tried to "write" using my laptop's voice recognition feature while baking brownies and peeling potatoes. Great multi-tasking, right? BUT, there is a drawback to using voice technology gadgets when you have a Southern drawl. Although, the exercise helped me get unblocked and continue on through the chapter I was struggling with, the computer misunderstood most of what I said. AND, to add insult to injury, when I read back over what it said and laughed, the computer translated that as “a a a a a a a a.”

Heather: What exactly is a cozy mystery?

Gayle: Cozy mysteries usually take place in a small community and involve a relatively small number of people. The reader knows that someone within the intimate group will turn out to be the killer. Think Desperate Housewives with one of the cast turning out to be the killer as opposed to Criminal Minds or CSI. Cozy mysteries also feature an amateur sleuth as opposed to a professional detective, and the heroine has an interesting profession or hobby.

Thank you for joining us Gayle! I hope all of you readers learned a special thing or two about Gayle!

Meet Heather Barbieri!

Meet Heather Barbieri, the wonderful author of Snow in July (Soho), an IndieNext Pick, Library Journal Notable First Novel, and Glamour Magazine Riveting Read, praised by Jacquelyn Mitchard and Gail Tsukiyama, among others; and The Lace Makers of Glenmara, (Harper), an IndieNext Pick, Parade Magazine Editor's Pick, and More Magazine Summer Reading Selection, praised by Joanne Harris and Margot Livesey. She lives in Seattle with her husband and three children.

To start off, tell us a little bit about your background:

H.C.: How Long Have You Been Writing?

Heather: I've been writing in one form or another since I was a child. (My parents have a photo of me "reading" the newspaper at 18 months old.) I was a journalist before I returned to writing short fiction and shifted to novels, eventually publishing my first book, Snow in July (Soho), an Irish-American family drama set in Butte, Montana, and second, The Lace Makers of Glenmara (Harper).

H.C.: What started you writing for publication?

Heather: A keen interest in the written word and a desire to tell stories, inherited from my Irish-American relatives, who sat around and told colorful stories at every family gathering.

H.C.: Do you have a set time when you write, or just whenever you get the urge?

Heather: Generally in the morning, so as not to let distractions get in the way, though I'll jot down thoughts whenever they occur to me.

H.C.: Who is your favorite author?

Heather: That's a tough one. There are so many! Here's a small sample: Joan Silber, James Salter, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Edna O'Brien, William Trevor . . . .

H.C.: Have you ever had writer's block, and if so how do you get rid of it?

Heather: Lots of long walks, patience, and just trying to write through it.

H.C.: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?

Heather: Embrace the process, keep trying, and don't lose heart.

H.C.: How do you invent your characters?

Heather: I go for long walks or runs and generally the characters begin to "talk" to me, with actual lines of dialogue that usually find their way into the manuscript.

H.C.: I know a few authors who keep records (almost like police records) of height, weight, background, etc. of their characters, do you keep tabs on your characters, and if so, what do you usually make note of?

Heather: I don't make as much use of dossiers as much as I might, perhaps because I usually hear the characters' voices first, then fill in the details later.

H.C.: Some authors say that they feel as though his or her characters are real, do you feel this way, and what do you think about this?

Heather: I hope they do-for my readers' sake.

H.C.: Do you have anything in the works?

Heather: Yes, I'm at work on a third novel, but it's in the early stages, so I'm not quite ready to talk about it yet.

H.C.: What was your favorite part about writing your book?

Heather: Bringing the landscape of Western Ireland to life and getting to know my characters.

H.C.: Has music ever inspired your writing?

Heather: Sometimes playing the piano gets the creative juices flowing and certain songs can set the mood, depending upon what I'm working on.

H.C.: Do you like to write in complete silence or does it have to be noisy?

Heather: I prefer quiet.

H.C.: What made you put your characters in the setting that you did?

Heather: The Lace Makers of Glenmara was inspired by a trip to Western Ireland, my own Irish-American background (my ancestors left Counties Tipperary and Donegal after the Famine and worked in the mines of Butte, Montana, which had one of the largest Gaelic-speaking populations outside Ireland at the turn of the century), and a brief mention in the NY Times Magazine fashion supplement about a Polish village priest who threatened some of his parishioners with excommunication for making lace undies.

H.C.: Keyboard or pen?

Heather: Depends on my mood-and how fast and neatly I need to write.

H.C.: What do you usually do while writing?

Heather: Just try to stay focused.

H.C.: What were the circumstances surrounding your decisions to become an author?

Heather: A lifelong love of books and compulsion to write.

H.C.: Some people say that you need to live life before you write a book, do you think that it's experience that writes a book or imagination?

Heather: A combination of the two.


I like the colors of: jade, blue, plum and red.

The sky is most beautiful at: sunrise and sunset.

What are some of your hidden talents/party tricks? I can wiggle both ears, screech like a chimpanzee, and Russian dance (Cossack-style).

Are you a dog or cat person? Both. There's a tabby, Webster, in my first novel and a black lab, Fergus, in my second. Currently, we have a cat who thinks she's a dog.

Thing I love most in the world is: my family.

Things I hate most in the world is: injustice.

My favorite possessions are: old family photos and shells, stones, and other found treasures from our travels. I like the process of discovery.

My favorite thing that has been available before the year 1900: the bicycle

What is your favorite place? There are many, including the view of Paris at night from atop the ferris wheel at the Jardins des Tuillieries; hiking between the villages in Cinque Terre in Northern Italy; the Strand of Inch in Western Ireland; my dad's hometown, Butte, Montana, for the family memories and its Capra-like old town; Point Reyes, CA; and our own backyard/garden.

The oddest thing you have ever written on (hand, wall, etc.) No piece of paper is safe-dry cleaning receipts, library hold slips, post-its, napkins, etc., are all fair game.

If you would like to learn more about Heather and her books, you can head on over to http://www.heatherbarbieri.com/

Meet Patty Kilson!

Meet Patty Kilson the great author of the children's book Song of the Raven about life and death in the Alaskan wilderness.

To start off, tell us a little bit about your background:

Heather: How long have you been writing?

Patty: I have been writing since I was a senior in High School and took a "Writing for Children" class. Since then I took an additional class at the college level and a few workshops.

Heather: What started you writing for publication?

Patty: I had written three children's stories (one as the result of my class in high school) and wanted to know if they were good enough for publication. I sent one of them out several times but received nothing but generic rejection letters. At the time I didn't understand about researching for the most likely publisher and I doubt my proposal letter was as strong as I could have made it.

Heather: Do you have a set time when you write, or just whenever you get the urge?

Patty: I must confess that I only write when I get the urge. I am not a very committed writer. I go in spurts and will write every day for weeks, then stop for months. I often find that my artwork takes over my creative side for long stretches of time.

Heather: Who is your favorite author?

Patty: That changes as I read new books. Right now I really like J K Rowling because I love the Harry Potter series.

Heather: Have you ever had writer's block, and if so how do you get rid of it?

Patty: Yes I've had writer's block. In the past I've just kept writing sentences, kind of like brainstorming, until something comes to me. I've also stepped back from the writing and instead worked on something else like chapter structures, plot, or research.

Heather: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?

Patty: Keep trying. And get the honest opinions of your family, friends, co-workers, etc. I've found that although my mom loves everything I do, my sisters will be more honest and give me constructive criticism. I also paid for an editor to look at the first chapter of the book I'm currently working on. She gave me lots of suggestions such as how to make my writing more concise and how to avoid repetitive wording.

Heather: How do you invent your characters?

Patty: I haven't written any fiction so have not yet created characters. So far I have one Children's book published and have a factual story about my life living aboard a sailboat when I was in my teens currently at my publishers, waiting for the go ahead.

Heather: Some authors say that they feel as though his or her characters are real, do you feel this way, and what do you think about this?

Patty: I can only answer this from a reader's viewpoint. The characters I've seen others create are very much real to me. I've even found myself wondering what happens to them after the book is over. I'd like to be able to create characters like that!

Heather: Do you have anything in the works?

Patty: Yes. I've written a book about my life onboard the sailboat 'Carina'. I lived on the boat for three years with my parents and sisters. It is at the publisher's right now.

Heather: What would you say is the neatest thing you know?

Patty: I know what it's like to be perfectly happy in life. I've been through difficult times, but overall I love life.

Heather: What was your favorite part about writing your book?

Patty: My favorite part about writing this book was reminiscing with my sisters and parents and researching the places we had visited. I gained such a historical prospective after my studies.

Heather: Has music ever inspired your writing?

Patty: No, I'm not really a music person. I do have favorite music, but it's not something I listen to while writing. Although I did listen to a little reggae to get me in the mood for portions of my book about living in the Caribbean.

Heather: Do you like to write in complete silence or does it have to be noisy?

Patty: I prefer silence. I need to concentrate on sentance structure, flow of the words, and proper grammar.

Heather: Keyboard or pen?

Patty: Mostly keyboard but I carry a notebook when I'm writing so that I can jot down sentences, phrases and words that just seem to fit what I'm looking for. Then I review it later when I actually sit down at the computer.

Heather: What do you think is the hardest part about being an author?

Patty: I dislike book signings. For me that is difficult. I have a hard time "selling" my story. If people are interested I'm more than happy to discuss it with them, but I don't like to be pushy and shove my book into their hands.

Heather: What do you usually do while writing?

Patty: Drink tea or soda. I might also have a snack like popcorn sitting to the side. I often sit back and ponder sentences and words to see how they fit into my story.

Heather: What were the circumstances surrounding your decisions to become an author?

Patty: I have always wanted to do something that puts my name in print, whether it be artwork or writing. I enjoy both. I wanted to do something that would outlive me. My grandkids can take my book to school and say, "My grandma wrote this book."

Heather: Some people say that you need to live life before you write a book, do you think that it's experience that writes a book or imagination?

Patty: I think it's a combination of both. I have always been advised to write about what you know. The more you travel and live life, the more you will have to write about.


I like the colors of: autumn.

The sky is most beautiful when it's: wispy.
My favorite feature of a computer is: spellcheck.
Thing I love most in the world is: nature.
My favorite thing that has been available since the year 1960: computers!

If you want to learn more about Patty, you can check out her blog here - http://pakartalaska.blogspot.com/

Meet M.J.Allaire

Meet M.J. Allaire, the wonderful author of the fantasy novel Dragon's Blood, also the author of quite a few other novels featured in the picture to the left. I got the wonderful chance of interviewing this author, and here's what transpired -

To start off, tell us a little bit about your background:

Heather: How long have you been writing?

M.J.: Since 2005

Heather: What started you writing for publication?

M.J.: My friend Kate and I were swapping emails back and forth one day, and after one particular email she wrote back, “I love your writing - you should think about writing a book.” I’ve always loved English and reading, but never thought about being an author until I received that email from Kate…

Heather: Do you have a set time when you write, or just whenever you get the urge?

M.J.: I work a fulltime job, have spent the past few years raising three teenagers on my own, and write whenever I can. I don’t have a set time to write because if I put myself on a schedule, I’m bound to be disappointed when I don’t stick to it. So I write whenever I can – in the mornings before work (rarely), or after I get home in the evenings. Or on the weekends of course, if and when I can find the time…

Heather: Who is your favorite author?

M.J.: Stephen King is a biggie – I love the Dark Tower series. I’ve recently started reading Dean Koontz again though, with an author’s eye and not just a reader, and I’ve found that I really like his writing style.

Heather: Have you ever had writer's block, and if so how do you get rid of it?

M.J.: Sometimes I do – like the past few months when trying to start book four in my YA fantasy series, the Denicalis Dragon Chronicles. I knew what I wanted the story to be about, but was having a hard time starting it. It finally took a weekend away to a remote cabin in New Hampshire where I was really away from the hubbub of life to get the story started – and away it goes J

Heather: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?

M.J.: 1) If you really want to be an author, know from the get-go that it will NOT be easy. If you’re serious about taking the plunge, you’ll likely have to work harder at being an author than you’ve ever worked at anything else before. But also know that anything worth having doesn’t come easy, and just keep putting one foot forward as you head down that path; 2) Figure out who your market will be for your book, and market to them in any way you can think of; and 3) Don’t let anyone say you can’t do it – believe in yourself and never give up!

Heather: How do you invent your characters?

M.J.: In my YA series, I decided to use my three children and my daughter’s best friend as the main characters, which is really interesting. Just imagine being in the middle of a series where you literally know all the characters, and deciding you want to kill one of them off to make the story better. Which character would YOU choose? (Note, in book four, one of my main characters dies …)

Heather: I know a few authors who keep records (almost like police records) of height, weight, background, etc. of their characters. Do you keep tabs on your characters, and if so, what do you usually make note of?

M.J: I do keep notes on all sorts of things pertaining to my series, not just about the characters. I love that I’m writing a series, but it makes it more challenging four years after the fact to remember if I said Tonia had blue eyes or brown, etc...

Heather: Some authors say that they feel as though his or her characters are real. Do you feel this way, and what do you think about this?

M.J.: I absolutely feel that my characters are real, but this is because the four main characters are based on my three children and my daughter’s best friend. Many of the characters in the series are from someone or something in my life. Take Ragoo for instance, the yarnie cat in The Prisoner (book two in the series). He is based on my cat in real life, whose name happens to be Ragu. He was found in a dumpster with spaghetti sauce on his head and was turned into the Humane Society when he was found (true story) – which is where we adopted him from.

Heather: Do you have anything in the works?

M.J.: I’m currently working on book four in my series, to be titled Dragon’s Breath, and hope to have it live sometime in April, 2010! And for the record, my literary wheels are already spinning with ideas for book five …

Heather: What would you say is the neatest thing you know?

M.J.: The absolute neatest thing that I know is that I finally know what I want to do for the rest of my life. I’m in my early 40’s and it took me this long to figure it out – and I’m not stopping until I’m doing book tours and going to schools full time!

Heather: What was your favorite part about writing your book?

M.J.: Getting lost in the story, even though I know it’s not real, and having an elementary or middle school student come up to me and say, “Your books are awesome!”

Heather: Has music ever inspired your writing?

M.J.: I wouldn’t say it inspires my writing, but when I was writing my latest book, a memoir about my life as a military dependent, I got into listening to Ludovico Einaudi, which totally caught me off guard because I would have bet my life’s savings less than a year ago (and all the years prior) that you wouldn’t ever catch me listening to classical music, but Ludovico’s piano playing is mesmerizing!!

Heather: Do you like to write in complete silence or does it have to be noisy?

M.J.: I like listening to either nature sounds (frogs, owls, birds, running water) or Ludovico – if there’s a TV, radio, or any kind of conversation in the room I have a hard time concentrating.

Heather: What made you put your characters in the setting that you did?

M.J.: I wanted my characters to be in a place where I would love to find myself, which ended up putting them with nature (in the woods) and then exploring a cave. Eventually they wound up in an entirely different world with dragons and magic, which I think would be kind of cool if it was possible to see something like that in real life.

Heather: Keyboard or pen?

M.J.: Definitely keyboard (I can type almost 95 words per minute on a good day) – I do tend to use a pen to scribble notes on napkins (which I’m lucky if I can find later on when I need them) at least a few times a week though.

Heather: What do you think is the hardest part about being an author?

M.J.: The marketing aspect of it – hands down. If you want to write a book, say, for your mother – you write it and give it to her, that’s fine, you’re done. But writing for a wider audience (in my case young adults), you have to think of ways to get your work out there. I visit schools and libraries and sell books at local fairs or craft fairs every chance I get. Little by little my name and the books are getting “out there”, and if I have my way, they’ll continue to do so. A lot of my friends and family can’t understand why or how I do what I do, but I do it because I’m determined (and maybe a little bit crazy) to make a difference. JK Rowling did a wonderful thing with Harry Potter, getting both young and not-so-young people to read (and keep reading), and I want nothing more than to have that same effect on readers.

Heather: What do you usually do while writing?

M.J.: Listen to Ludovico, with my laptop on my lap, and occasionally find myself interrupted when Ragu wants to curl up on my lap, too.

Heather: What were the circumstances surrounding your decisions to become an author?

M.J.: When Kate suggested I write a book I was about to go through a divorce and decided sure, why not? My oldest son likes dragons and was my reader, so I decided to write “a book” for him. I got a little sidetracked along the way and now am on book four (of at least five in the series). I had no idea I would find my own destiny when I started writing, and I’ve thanked Kate many times for believing in me before I believed in myself.

Heather: Some people say that you need to live life before you write a book. Do you think that it’s experience that writes a book or imagination?

M.J.: I don’t necessarily think that experience writes a book, but I do believe it makes it easier to write once you’ve got some life experiences under your belt. For those who may be young and lacking in some of life’s experiences, they have the benefit of a much fresher (and younger) imagination.


1. I like the color: purple.
2. The sky is most beautiful when it’s: waking.
3. My favorite feature of a computer is: convenience.
4. I think inventors should invent a/an: mind-recorder.
5. Thing I love most in the world is: wildlife.
6. Things I hate most in the world is: death.
7. My favorite type of electronic device is: i-pod.
8. My favorite thing that has been available before the year 1900: nature.
9. My favorite thing that has been available since the year 1960: electricity.
10. The oddest thing you have ever written on (hand, wall, etc.) is: tree.

Meet Katie Hines!

Meet Katie Hines she is the brave author of the urban fantasy novel Guardian. I got the chance to interview Katie, and here's what came of it -

Heather: To start off, tell us a little bit about your background:

Katie: With our last child headed off to college this year, I find my days mostly free (apart from regular cleaning and all) to write and follow other pursuits. My husband and I will have been married 24 years on the 24th of this month. How cool is that? I don't have a college degree (one class short), but was a dual English and psychology major.
My number one love is reading, but as a family, we have been involved in a lot of tent camping (many rainy nights), and play a lot of board games. I am now a grandma, which is cool, and we're looking forward to the birth of our second grandchild.

Heather: How long have you been writing?

Katie: On the one hand, I've been writing since 8th grade, when I wrote a short story of my English class. I wrote and published several poems while I was a senior in high school. Then, with the arrival of children, and home schooling, I didn't write again until I was in my 40s. At that time, I took some diaries I wrote during a time of angst while in my early 20s, and fashioned them into a memoir. It was truly awful, and after a couple of rejections, I took the time to educate myself through a number of excellent resources on the internet. I have since written for a couple of newspapers and have a book under contract.

Heather: What started you writing for publication?

Katie: It never occurred to me to write without an aim for publication.

Heather: Do you have a set time when you write, or just whenever you get the urge?

Katie: I don't very often "get the urge." I try to clear out emails and make responses, visiting blogs, etc., before I write. it usually takes me a couple of hours to do that, then I am free to write.depending on what family things I need to do. As much as I love to write, my family comes first.

Heather: Who is your favorite author?

Katie: Terry Brooks, a wonderful fantasy writer.

Heather: Have you ever had writer's block, and if so how do you get rid of it?

Katie: In retrospect, I have, but more in the line of getting stuck plot-wise. When that happens, I sit down and brainstorm with my husband. This usually works quite well, and I get past the spot. I have to admit that I take brainstorming breaks several times during the course of my writing.

Heather: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?

Katie: I think one of the most important thing an aspiring author can do is to join a critique group. My manuscript was advanced and polished to the degree it was because of my critique group.

Heather: How do you invent your characters?

Katie: I know that a lot of people don't do this, but I create my characters, give them a background, a conflict, personality quirks. The story requires certain characters: a good guy, a villain (usually more than one), and supporting characters in between. I'm always trying to make sure that my characters are not flat, but have living, vibrant personalities.

Heather: I know a few authors who keep records (almost like police records) of height, weight, background, etc. of their characters, do you keep tabs on your characters, and if so, what do you usually make note of?

Katie: Definitely keep records. I create not only physical characteristics and their families, but I also find if I create problems that each person faces, their strengths and weaknesses, then all of those things contribute to what they do, think and say, throughout the course of the novel.

Heather: Some authors say that they feel as though his or her characters are real, do you feel this way, and what do you think about this?

Katie: Well, I fall in love with the my characters, or hate, as the case may be. Of course, it is always interesting to see them take on a life of their own, and dictate some of the plot. The ending of the book is always kinda sad because I want to keep "living" with my characters, and have their adventures in life continue. But I always know they're not real in the way that I or my family is.

Heather: Do you have anything in the works?

Katie: I do. I am writing another middle grade urban fantasy, as well as 3-4 chapter books, and a young adult novel. Am currently concentrating on the middle grade story.

Heather: What would you say is the neatest thing you know?

Katie: That I have a family and they are center in my life.

Heather: What was your favorite part about writing your book?

Katie: Getting the rough draft finished. Sometimes, it's like pulling teeth to get that rough draft out, but I really like editing.

Heather: Has music ever inspired your writing?

Katie: No. If there is music going on in the house, I block it so I can concentrate wholly on my writing.

Heather: Do you like to write in complete silence or does it have to be noisy?

Katie: I have the tv on in the background so that I can keep tabs on what's going on, but only have it going on in a section of my mind. Every now and then, I tune in to see if I've missed something, but most of the time I forget it's on, and continue to write.

Heather: What made you put your characters in the setting that you did?

Katie: Because I write urban fantasy, or in the case of the chapter books, I always start with family and their happenings, and go on from there.

Heather: Keyboard or pen?

Katie: Both, but mostly keyboard. I create my characters on paper.

Heather: What do you think is the hardest part about being an author?

Katie: Marketing and promoting.

Heather: What do you usually do while writing?

Katie: I do a ton of research before I begin to write. I cannot tell you how important that is for my stories. I've found that reading that I've done while researching my stories end up being in the story in one fashion or another. it certainly adds depth to my stories.

Heather: What were the circumstances surrounding your decisions to become an author?

Katie: Well, I've "always" known I would write books, it was a matter of getting to it. Like I said, my first 'real' writing was penning the memoir based on my life in my 20s. At that point, I thought it was "easy" to write a book, and hadn't a clue to what I was doing. I remember talking to another writer, and him asking me if my manuscript was in proper format. Proper format? Slug line.what's that! And so forth. Despite those things, I've concentrated on learning more about writing and got excited when I had a "real" book to write.

Heather: Some people say that you need to live life before you write a book, do you think that it's experience that writes a book or imagination?

Katie: Gotta be a combination of both. I think it is difficult to create characters with depth and meaning and purpose without knowing about other people and what makes them tick. Imagination fuels the story in which the characters find themselves.


I like the colors of: purple and rich blue
The sky is most beautiful when it's: cloudy
My favorite feature of a computer is: keyboard
I think inventors should invent a/an: better voice recognition system for the computer
Thing I love most in the world is: my friends and family
Things I hate most in the world is: war, famine, lack
My favorite type of electronic device is: I don't' like electronic devices!
My favorite thing that has been available before the year 1900: I don't know since I didn't live during that time. Was the cotton gin created by then?
My favorite thing that has been available since the year 1960: computers & the internet
The oddest thing you have ever written on (hand, wall, etc.) is: a piece of wood when I was outdoors and a moment of inspiration came that I simply had to write down.

You can find out more about Katie Hines by heading over to her website - http://www.katiehines.com/ .

Character Wednesday10

Does anyone have a family tree? Of course you most likely do, but the question is how many people do you have on there? How far have you gone back into your history? The reality of this all is that there are records for every person who ever lived on this earth (well just about every one, back to a certain era anyways) so if you search enough - on the internet - everywhere - you'll find the person that you are looking for... eventually. Starting out I only knew all the way up to my grandparents, but with a little help from the grandparents and internet resources, I have over 600 people on my family tree... and counting. That's when you start finding out that your grandfather married his sister - no! Just kidding! Anyways, on to the character!


Calvin Barker is our character for today. Celia's "real life angel" in the flesh. The litting boy who turned her world around. Anyways, here's the story:

Calvin Theodore Barker was born in Monroe, Utah his parents (Justin and Claire) were young (23 & 22) so his grandparents (Sally and George) were always a big part of his life. He had an older sister, the more louder and spoiled-er of the two. Calvin was always a part of one group or another, at the age of 5 he joined a little baseball team. At the age of 6 he joined a joined a kids football team. At the age of 7 he joined a soccar team, he actually stuck with that for a few years. When he turned 8 his mom was taking him and his sister to school, when they started fighting they got into a car accident. He recovered within a few weeks and was able to go home. His sister's leg was broken, and her arm sprained. His mom had some head trauma, and a few broken ribs, but they all recovered just fine.

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And basically, that's all. Hope you enjoyed this week's character wednesday.

Be sure to visit me on September 1st, I will be featured on http://educationtipster.blogspot.com/ so be sure to stop by to see what I have to say. It's going to be a good one! See you all soon!

Character Wednesday9

Yesterday I had to jot down a list of all of my characters the ones that I have done a profile on, and the ones that I haven't. I've done most of the important characters, and I was just starting to think that I was running out of characters to do Character Wednesday with, but then I realized, there are so many characters that I've mentioned and created just for the characters' bios, so I took some characters from there. And wha-la we get this weeks Character Wednesday - Brandon Hanson (Tommy's father).

Brandon Jonah Hanson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio with four sisters, himself being the only son - and the youngest of Fred Hanson and Georgia Thompson. With his dad being a farmer, Brandon spent many of his days as a youngster helping out on the farm, tending to the cows, horses, and the crops. At the age of 18 Brandon took a vacation to Hawaii and met Gloria Trent, the following years they grew closer and eventually married and moved out to Monroe, Utah.

At the age of 32 his father died and Brandon inherited the farm. But, not wanting to move back out to Ohio he declined it and his oldest sister, Hannah, recieved the farm.

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And that's basically it. Thanks for reading, don't forget to come back next week - mark your calendars!

~If ever you are encountered with Writer's Block, go to Google, type in "Writer's Block" and you'll be instantly cured.~

Character Wednesday8

After a hectic week with a number of surprises in it, I thought this would be the perfect week to take a more in depth look at Aden Meyers. For those of you who have read the book, you know who he is and I’m sure you’re laughing at the ironic-ness of it by now. For those of you who haven’t read it, Aden is Celia’s little brother, a trouble maker. Though quite a bit of Aden’s life is in the book, you’d be surprised at how much wasn’t mentioned. Due to him only being alive 8 years (so far, he’s not dead, so don’t gasp), it’s a short story, but still, it’s interesting. It’s probably better to show you rather than tell you. So, here goes –

Aden Trevor Meyers was born in Monroe, Utah with one sister (Cecelia Meyers). At the age of 2 his mother took him to a play group every Friday at noon, until he turned 5 and started school instead. At the age of 7 Aden joined the Cub Scouts, and came out of it with 15 badges. At the age of 8 Aden became a “teacher’s pet” and also got in the local paper because he climbed a 14 foot tree to get to a friend’s cat, which was stuck between a couple of tree branches.

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As you can see, I have added a new feature to my blog, "Shelfari" it's basically a shelf filled with books that I'm promoting, and also books that I have read. I thought it was a cool new feature, you can get your own shelf too, just make sure you add "A Gift From Above" to your list of books. ;) If you go to twitter you'll see that I'm running a contest type of thing, where I'm trying to get 1,000 views of the excerpt of my book, you can go here -

A Gift From Above

Is my book. I am the author. Right now a special edition of the book is being prepared to be released. A Gift From Above just turned into a Kindle Book yesterday and will continue to grow and expand into bigger things. Many, many things are in the works. So, if you have any requests on what you want for the book just mention it in the comments. ;)

Hmmm... let's see... I have a fact for everyone... all of my characters (minus one family) changed his/her last name! Yes, the Meyers are the only characters in my book whos' name didn't get changed half way through. Tommy's original last name was Thompson... but Tommy Thompson sounded kind of strange so I (with my sister's help) decided to change it to Hanson. :-O

I'll be here every week giving you the inside scoop on the characters, things that aren't revealed in the book!