Gale Laure, a native Texan, is the international selling author of Evolution of a Sad Woman, a mystery, suspense, thriller  and romance novel .   She resides in a small suburban town in the Houston area with her husband and family.  Laure’s hobbies include genealogical research, movies, creating stories for the children around her, involvement in her church and people watching. As mysterious as her  book, Laure writes under a pseudonym.  Adamant about maintaining her privacy and the privacy of her family, she keeps her identity a mystery!

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Gale Laure.  Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

Hello.  I am so pleased to be here.

Yes, I am a first time published author.   My debut novel is Evolution of a Sad Woman.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

My debut book, Evolution of a Sad Woman, is a mystery, suspense, thriller and romance novel.  It is published selling as a trade paperback, ebook and Kindle ebook.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

I do not remember exactly how many.  I had saved my rejection letters but they were ruined by hurricane Ike when my home was destroyed.  There were quite a few though.  Some of them gave me a lengthy explanation.  Mainly it was because of the trend at the time.  The genre of my book was not popular.  Others just did not like my book.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

Any rejection is devastating to an author.  I believed in my book.  It took time to overcome the blows.   You must decide for yourself that not everyone will like what you write.  But if you like what you write, then you support your work.   Authors have a lot of people to satisfy.  There are editors, publishers, critics and readers to please.  It is not an easy profession.

Evolution of a Sad Woman by Gale Laure (click on cover to purchase)

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

Trafford Publishing is my publisher.  They were in Canada.  Now they are in the U.S.  Right after my rejection letters, family tragedy struck.  I had to spend time with family members and gave up the writing dream for a while.  During this time, I received a letter from Trafford.  I simply put it aside.

Later when I resumed my writing bug, my husband remembered them and the letter.  They are a Print on Demand publisher.  The thing I liked about them is that my book will never be dropped.  They archive the books. Fifty years from now if someone wants to purchase my book, they can print it.  I went with Trafford for that reason.   They also had amazing contacts in the industry.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

When my first book arrived, I ran around the house with roaring laughter. I held my book, Evolution of a Sad Woman, close to my heart.  I was all alone.  Actually I liked it that way.   When I write, I like to be alone.  It was fitting.  I thought about my characters.  I thought about their romance, their mystery, and their passion.  It was my day!

Later my husband took me out to dinner at Outback.   I love their blooming onion.  I smiled throughout dinner.  It was a glorious day!

What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

I have done so much.  Wow!   I suppose the first thing was to email all my friends and family.  News releases were sent out.  I mailed postcards to bookstores.   I had a launch/celebration party hosted in an art gallery in my hometown.   I had bookstore signings of my mystery, romance and thriller novel.  I attended the Book Expo America in Los Angeles.  It was a fantastic adventure.  And I gave out a lot of business cards to everyone who would take one.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

No.  I have been happy.  However right now, Trafford is going through a transition.  A larger company has bought them out.  So everything is up in the air.  I can only hope I like the new changes.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

No.  My next novel is due out in 2010.  I was slowed down for a year when we became homeless for a while after the hurricane Ike destruction.  We lived in a hotel for a couple of weeks and then moved to a furnished apartment.  Most of my files, book research, notes, clothes, everything were destroyed.    My next novel is The Bunkhouse, a sci-fi, historical, suspense, romance and mystery novel.

Have I grown, most definitely.  Every day I learn something new.   I love this industry because there is always something new to learn.  Things are always changing.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up?  What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

I do not think I would have done anything different.  The rejections actually reinforced my belief in my novel, Evolution of a Sad Woman. One editor believed in my novel so much she went up against a panel of other editors for me.  However, she was alone.   I received a rejection from her, but with an explanation of how much she liked my book. It was not that it was a bad novel; it was not the successful trend of the time.  Once I waited a little while, things changed.

I do not believe I made any mistakes.  I believe every thing that happened has brought me to this place.  I would not do anything different.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

Wow!  Each day for me is an adventure and an accomplishment.  When I check my book sales, I feel elated when they are up.  When I visit a bookstore and see my novel on the shelf, I smile deep in my heart.  At a library when my novel is checked out, it is grand!  Every email from a reader thrills my soul.   One reader told me how she cried when she read my book.  The ending of my novel surprised other readers.  They always tell me to get to work on the next one.  They eagerly await my next novel.  That feels great!

I suppose the most wonderful feeling was when I was at the Book Expo America.  I did a book signing.  Once when I looked up, all these people were in a long line.  I asked why they were all in this line.  The lady from Trafford told me it was to get my autographed book.  What a rush!   I signed so fast my hand became cramped.  But I just shook it off, smiled and kept going.  That moment was when I knew I was an author!

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

Psychiatrist.  I love human beings and the human mind.  It has always fascinated me.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

No.  I would never give up being an author.  My little mystery, thriller, suspense, romance book, Evolution of a Sad Woman, has given me so much pleasure.  I feel very happy.  Psychiatrist would be my second choice.  Author will always be my first.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Writing.  I have so many books in my mind that must be told.  Evolution of a Sad Woman is only my first book.  The Bunkhouse will be my second.  Alana – Evolution of a Woman is my third.  Kizzy’s Diary is my fourth.  Time in Vieux Carre is my fifth.  Do you see where I am going here?  They go on and on.   There are many more!

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

Being an author is a lot of work.  Writing the book is only the beginning.

Do not give up!  Dreams do come true!

I want to thank you for this interview.  I enjoyed your questions.  It has been a pleasure.

For more information about Gale Laure visit www.galelaure.com (website), www.evolutionofasadwoman.com (blog), or the following:

• www.twitter.com/wwwgalelaurecom

• www.authorsden.com/galelaure

• www.facebook.com/Author.GaleLaure

• www.goodreads.com/galelaureauthor

• www.myspace.com/galelaure-author

Brett Battles lives in Los Angeles and is the author of two acclaimed novels in the Jonathan Quinn series: The Cleaner, which was nominated for a Barry Award for Best Thriller and a Shamus Award for Best First Novel, and The Deceived, which was nominated for a Barry Award for Best Thriller. He is at work on the fourth book in the series.

You can visit the author’s website at www.brettbattles.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Brett! Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

Thanks for having me. My latest, Shadow of Betrayal, is my third published novel.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

This is where blog interviews suffer from not being able to accurately represent any vocal reaction. As soon as I read this question, I started laughing. The reason is that my first finished novel was never published because it was, in a word, awful. But that’s okay. It was a training novel, and without it I would have never been able to write a novel that did get published. Oh, and the name…Shifter. Don’t ask.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

Believe it or not, I think it was between 60 to 70 rejections, most to agents. The rejections ranged from no response at all to my query to nice letters saying they weren’t looking for new clients at the moment.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

I actually decided early on that any time I got a rejection, it was just an opportunity for me to cross that name off the list. I tended to send queries out in groups of 10 to 20, so once I’d heard back from everyone in a group, or if a reasonable amount of time had passed without a reply, I’d moving on to the next group. I was all about keeping things moving forward. I should also say that while this was all going on, I would be working on a new novel with the thought that if the novel I was shopping didn’t sell, then I’d go out with the new one as soon as it was ready.

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

Okay, this is a loaded question. My path to being published is not even close to being a normal one. So bear with me here, but I guarantee you it’s entertaining. The book we’re talking about, my debut, was entitled The Cleaner. As I mentioned earlier, I’d queried somewhere between 60 and 70 agents (and a few publishers) with no luck. In fact, I had gotten to the point where I was thinking it might be time to put The Cleaner on the shelf, and concentrate on finishing the next one. This wasn’t the first time this had happened to me. The Cleaner was actually the third novel I’d written, the previous two eventually finding homes on my closet shelf. (One was Shifter, and the other was a techno-thriller called Encryption.) I was a little bummed, though. I really liked this book, and had a good feeling this would be “the one.”

I ran into an author friend of mine and expressed my frustration. His name is Nathan Walpow, and he was being published at that time by a small Los Angeles publisher called Ugly Town, and he suggested I just send my whole manuscript to them. He also said he’d put in a good word for me. So, of course, I did. That was in February, 2004. Nearly a year later in January, 2005, I had heard nothing from them and had basically written them off.

One evening, I was in a coffee shop at work on a new novel when my phone rang. It was Jim from Ugly Town, and the gist of the conversation was that they were going to buy my novel. As you can imagine, it was Cloud Nine for me. I’d finally got my foot in the door! Things were going along well until late July. Suddenly they weren’t answering my emails or phone calls. A week went by when they finally gave me a call. They had to suspend operation because of financial issues with a distributor that had gone bankrupt. My heart sank, knowing I was back at square one.

Only I wasn’t. Jim and Tom of Ugly Town did not abandon me. They couldn’t publish me, but what they did was send my manuscript to an editor friend at Bantam Dell. And come October, Bantam bought my contract from Ugly Town, and had given me a new 3 book deal.

Okay, that’s probably more detail than you wanted, but it’s kind of a hard story to condense. Hope I didn’t put anyone asleep.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

I was elated, of course. I went out to dinner with some friends, and had a big launch party that following weekend after my pub date at my local mystery bookstore, which, ironically, is the Mystery Bookstore in Los Angeles. It was a great day and a great week!

What was the first thing you did as promotion when you were published for the first time?

I started a blog about a year before my pub date, and had a small following. I wasn’t really sure what I was doing then. But it did lead me to something else. I met a few other authors who were also going to be debuting the year I was (2007), and we hit upon the idea of joining together with some other mystery and thriller debut author to form an organization to help promote us all. That group was called Killer Year. We ended up with 13 debut authors including JT Ellison, Jason Pinter, Marcus Sakey, Sean Chercover, Robert Gregory Brown, Gregg Olsen, Derek Nikitas, Patry Francis, Bill Cameron, Dave White, Toni McGee Causey, and Marc Lecard. It was a great success. Even better than any of us had hoped. We even got St. Martins to publish an anthology (called Killer Year) of short stories by all of us, and edited by Lee Child.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

Well, something a little less stressful might have been nice. But, honestly, I don’t think you can choose your route. It kind of chooses you.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

Yes. A year after The Cleaner, the second Jonathan Quinn Thriller, The Deceived, came out. And this summer has seen the release of the third book in the series, Shadow of Betrayal.

I think I grow each time I set down to write. As an author, I believe part of my job is to make each book better than the last, to always look for ways to improve my craft. In my mind, that never ends. Whether it’s my first book or my fiftieth, I always want to be learning and improving.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

I’m not sure what I could have done differently, and I’m not really sure I would have done anything differently. The reason is that good writing takes practice and experience. Baseball players don’t just walk onto a major league team and play their first game ever. They’ve been practicing for years, working hard for that moment. And many never make it to the bigs. It’s the same for novel writing. We need to work hard at it, and that takes time and work. Sure, a few people make it with their first novel, but the majority of authors don’t. We need to make mistakes, so that we can learn from them.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

Nothing tops being published, itself, and seeing your books in the bookstore. But I’m also very proud to have been nominated for both a Barry Award for Best Thriller and a Shamus Award for Best First Novel for The Cleaner, and just recently being nominated this year for another Barry Award for Best Thriller for The Deceived.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

Maybe travel photographer. I love to travel and I love to take pictures, so it’s the perfect combination.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

I’ll stick to being an author. It’s what I’ve wanted to be since sixth grade. Besides, since I write international thrillers, I still get to travel to do research, and I always take a lot of pictures.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Still writing, I hope. Still waking up each day, sitting down in front of my laptop, and being excited about what I am going to write that day.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

The most important trait you can have, the thing that should be tattooed on the inside of your mind, is persistence. You just have to keep going. There will be setbacks. There will be delays. But you can’t stop. You need to write ever day, even if it’s crap. If a story doesn’t sell, don’t get mad. Look at it, try to figure out why. Learn from your mistakes, and improve your craft constantly. If this is what you want, what you really want, never, ever give up.

Check http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ during the month of August to see where Brett Battles and his virtual book tour stop next.

Linwood Barclay is a former columnist for the Toronto Star. He is the author of several critically acclaimed novels, including Too Close to Home and No Time for Goodbye, a #1 bestseller in Britain. He lives near Toronto with his wife and has two grown children. His website is www.linwoodbarclay.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Linwood Barclay!  Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published? 

I have had several books out prior to Fear the Worst. 

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why? 

I don’t think I’ll count those I wrote when I was in my teens. My first real book was Father Knows Zilch, a book of tongue-in-cheek advice for dads. I was determined that none of it actually be helpful. This was in the mid-90s and wasn’t at all like the kind of thing I do now. 

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it? 

I was fortunate. The first publisher I approached took the proposal. 

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows? 

Okay, let’s go back to when I was in my teens and early twenties, when everything I wrote was rejected. It was a reality check. I wasn’t good enough, didn’t have enough life experience. So I decided to get a different kind of job where I could get paid to write every day: Newspapers. A good decision. 

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them? 

It was Stoddart, a Canadian publisher that no longer exists. They had published other humor books similar to mine, so it made sense to approach them. 

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate? 

It felt wonderful, very hard to believe. It hadn’t really occurred to me to do anything special, but my wife quietly arranged for a huge balloon-o-gram to be sent to the door. 

What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time? 

Next to nothing. My book was not a high priority for this publisher.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published? 

I wouldn’t do a thing differently. It was all part of the learning curve. 

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author? 

I had three more books published just in Canada, but my first novel, Bad Move, was published in 2004. Since then there have been six more books, including my most recent one, Fear the Worst. 

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up?  What kind of mistakes could you have avoided? 

I sometimes wish I had started writing crime fiction – the thing I am known for now – earlier. But at the same time, I was busy writing three columns a week for the Toronto Star, and I had an outlet for that creative bent.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published? 

In 2008, my novel No Time for Goodbye was the single bestselling novel in the United Kingdom. 

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

My other profession was journalist. But if I couldn’t be an author, or a journalist, well, cutting lawns in kind of satisfying. 

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds? 

I’m right where I want to be. 

How do you see yourself in ten years?

With any luck, still doing a novel a year, but getting better at it. 

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day? 

Stick with it. Keep writing, even if the only one who reads your stuff is you. And read. Reading a variety of authors is the best way to learn. And don’t give up. All I wanted when I was in my teens was to write crime novels. It finally happened at age 48. Some things are worth waiting for, even that long.

Check http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ during the month of August to see where Linwood Barclay’s virtual book tour stops next.

J.R. Hauptman has been a professional pilot for nearly a half century.  Barely twenty years old, he began as a military pilot and for almost two years he flew combat support missions in the Viet Nam War.  Upon leaving military service he was hired by a major airline and was initially based on the West Coast.  His flying career was interrupted by the turmoil that racked the airline industry during the early days of deregulation.  In the interim, he worked as a travel agent, a stockbroker and even trained dogs and horses.  In the late nineteen-eighties, he returned to aviation, flying jet charters and air freight.  He concluded his career flying corporate jets and now lives in Florida.  He is completing his second work, a non-fictional social commentary and surfs every day, waves or not.  His marketing website is:     www.caddispublishing.com/

Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, J.R.  Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

A:  The Target; Love, Death and Airline Deregulation is my first book and the first time I have been published in a major work.

Q: What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

A:   The Target is my very first book and it took nearly twenty years to complete, mainly due to the fact that I didn’t know how it was going to turn out.  My life experiences over those twenty years provided more than ample material to complete what I believe is a very good story.

Q: For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

A:  When I completed the first few chapters back then, I sent out about thirty query letters to the major publishers and agents.  I received the customary twenty rejections, the most interesting being from two agents who were quite indignant that I would write about a disgruntled pilot who sets out to whack his boss.  Hadn’t they heard of murder mysteries?   By the time I finished the story, self-publishing was in full bloom and it seemed to be the best avenue for a first-time and unpublished author.

Q: How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

A:   My disappointment was tempered by the fact that even then; I realized that rejection is part of the game.  I had spent nearly six years in sales between airline jobs and you have to mentally buy into the concept that every rejection you receive brings you closer to the ultimate acceptance.

Q: When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

A:  I chose Xlibras to self-publish The Target and ironically, this came after I was rejected by another self-publishing company that had tentatively given their acceptance nearly two years past.  Despite the fact that I wrote The Target as a novel and that all characters and situations were fictitious, they turned me down at the last minute, claiming they feared possible legal liability.  Fortunately, Xlibras exhibited more literary fortitude and agreed to publish my book, stating unofficially that the notoriety might do us good.

Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

A: As an author, I could not be too self-congratulatory for self-publishing, but I felt fortunate that I had found an avenue to bring my story to market.  I celebrated by investing my own money into promoting The Target. I also engaged the marketing services of Caddis Publishing, LLC of Colorado Springs.

Q: What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

A:  Through Caddis Publishing, we conducted test marketing to all of our personal and  professional contacts among active and retired airline employees, military pilots and aviation professionals to ensure the story would resonate among the readers who actually lived through the tale.  The feedback was very positive and reassured me that I had written a great story.

Q: If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

A:  Absolutely!  I would have gladly sold the story to Hollywood for say, a couple of million bucks and sat back and dedicated myself to managing my royalties.  But, then I wouldn’t have gained the priceless experience necessary to become a professionally successful and respected author.  Compared to those goals, money pales in importance.

Q: Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

A:   At the present, all of my writing is dedicated to making The Target; Love, Death and Airline Deregulation a successful novel.   Marketing skills are of the utmost importance to a self-published author and this book resonates directly with the current events of today where not only deregulation of the airlines but similar deregulation of the banking and securities industries has brought our country to the brink of economic disaster.   There are at least five more stories, mostly non-fiction that are mentally fleshed out and awaiting the keyboard.

Q: Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up?  What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

A:   I walked around for nearly five years with the complete story in my head fooling myself into thinking I could get done “someday.”   It wasn’t until I found my personal literary mode of discipline that makes me work myself into an absolute state of writing “fury” that allows me to be creatively attaining my goals.

Q: What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

A:  It has been most gratifying for me that my fellow airline professionals: pilots, flight attendants and ground employees, tell me that I have told the story of a very important part of their lives.

Q: If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

A:   I was a professional military officer and served in combat; I was a professional airline pilot in the golden years of that industry; I survived as a professional in the financial industry for nearly six years; in fact, I have endeavored to work as a professional in every challenge I have faced.  My goal is to become a successful literary professional in my remaining time on earth and make a positive impact on our culture.

Q: Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

A:  Among my surfing friends in Florida, as well as my Olde Tymers hockey crew in Colorado; we joke about being “professional surfers” and the same for hockey.  My resume tells me I can do it all

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

A:  My goal is to be doing it all as I approach the age of eighty.  Doc Ball and Woodie Brown were still surfing as they approached ninety and Gordie Howe still plays hockey with the old timers in Florida at eighty!  It all depends on how many days of good physical and mental health we are granted here on this earth and we are given those, only one day at a time.  Accordingly we can only hope we have at least one tomorrow, to write and to share with those we love.

Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

A:   I have been blessed to live a full and experientially rewarding life and to write a big story about it.  To those who have not lived that Big Story to this point, start with the small stories of life that come to you, starting with today!

John Knoerle’s first novel, Crystal Meth Cowboys, was optioned by Fox for a TV series. His second novel, The Violin Player, won the Mayhaven Award for Fiction. His new novel, A Pure Double Cross, is Book One of the American Spy Trilogy. John lives with his wife in Chicago. You can learn more about John Knoerle at www.bluesteelpress.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, John. Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published? Can you give us the title(s) of your book(s)?

I currently have three books in print. “Crystal Meth Cowboys,” which was optioned by Fox for a TV series, “The Violin Player,” which won the Mayhaven Award for Fiction, and my new title, “A Pure Double Cross.”

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

“Crystal Meth Cowboys” was published by Blue Steel Press.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

If you believe in yourself you put your head down and just keep going.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

My style has become more taut and streamlined. People are busy, they don’t have time for flowery descriptions and tangential diversions.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

In retrospect I think that I might have concentrated on a central character, built a series as I am doing now with Hal Schroeder.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

I have always thought I might be a good architect. There is a certain similarity to designing a building and creating a book.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

I think being a good author is so demanding that it requires your full attention.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

If you can’t snag a publisher consider self-publishing. With Print on Demand the prices are reasonable.

Kim Smith was born in Memphis Tennessee, the youngest of four children. After a short stint in a Northwest Mississippi junior college, during the era of John Grisham’s rise as a lawyer, she gave up educational pursuits to marry and begin family life.

She has worked in many fields in her life, from fast food waitress to telephone sales. “I always got the seniors on the phone who were lonely and wanted someone to talk to. My boss couldn’t understand why in the world I spent so much time talking to them and not enough time selling. That was when I realized I love people and care deeply about their lives.”

After the birth of her two children, she gave up working outside the home for the more important domestic duties of wife and mother. When her kids decided they wanted to pursue theater as an extracurricular activity, she gave up her free time to drive them to rehearsals, training classes, and plays. During those years, she found herself bored with nothing to do to while away the hours stuck in a car. She began thinking of stories to entertain herself and pass the time. Before long she started telling her husband about her stories and he assured her she could write a book if she really wanted to. She put the idea away once she landed a job as a network administrator for a small corporation, and together the Smith’s started their own video production company.

Writing was a dream, hidden but not forgotten, and soon Kim began to talk again of trying her hand at it. She played with words, and wrote several poems, one of which was picked up for an anthology

One day in the early nineties her husband came home with a desktop computer and sat her in front of it. “Now you have no more excuses,” he said, and she realized the truth in his words. Procrastination, now no longer an option, she took off on the pursuit of penning her first book. Though that book, a young adult fantasy, was lost due to unforeseen circumstances, she kept going, writing a historical romance, and another YA.

When she decided to try out her hand at mystery writing, she discovered her true love and niche in the writing journey. She has since had four short stories, and her first mystery novel accepted for publication.

Kim is a member of Sisters in Crime, and EPIC. She still lives in the Mid South region of the United States and is currently working on her second book in the mystery series.

You can visit her website at www.mkimsmith.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Kim. Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published? Can you give us the title(s) of your book(s)?

Avenging Angel, a Shannon Wallace Mystery is my first published book, but not my first book per se. I have written three other books, although I decided to keep working on them rather than seek publication.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

The Realm, my very first book, was never published as it was not publish-worthy. I do not even have a copy of it anymore, and that is probably a good thing as my writing has improved dramatically since then.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

More than ten, maybe less than twenty, and all from agents. When I gave up trying to get an agent, and began submitting to small publishers (who accept submissions direct from the author) I was accepted straight away.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

Initially, the rejections stung a bit. I was not mature enough to know that they were not rejecting my writing, but the book instead. I believe that if I were to seek an agent today, rejections would not bother me at all.

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

Avenging Angel was published by Red Rose Publishing, and I chose them upon a recommendation by someone who works for them. I have never regretted taking their advice.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

I have to tell you, it felt wonderful. I kept going back to the buy page just to look at the way MY work looked to the public. I went out to dinner and celebrated with good food, good friends, and dessert.

What was the first thing you did as far as promotion when you were published for the first time?

I didn’t wait until my book came out to begin promoting. I think that is something that a lot of folks do that is a bad idea. I set up my website, streamlined my blog, and began joining every social networking sites I could. I belong to 35 yahoo groups, and seventeen other groups like Facebook, Myspace, and Gather.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

Yes, my journey was a little different with this book than most authors have to travel. I actually pulled this book from my very first choice publisher and took it to Red Rose Publishing. I would advise authors to investigate your publisher thoroughly.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

Yes, I have had the next book in the Shannon Wallace series accepted, titled Buried Angel, as well as a novella, A Will to Love, and a short story, Love Waltzes. I believe that I understand the writing process and the publication phase of the writing process better now and that has “grown” me as an author. I would tell aspiring authors to be sure and remember that there is nothing you write that doesn’t need rewriting.

What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

I wasn’t really devoted to getting an agent, and so I spent a lot more time researching them and waiting on them to tell me that they didn’t want my book than actually trying to get published. I would not do that again. I believe that your work will find a home if you are devoted to sending it out.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

Avenging Angel made it to the publisher’s number six spot on the bestseller list, and that was a big deal to me. I would love for the cover to win and award, or for it to final in a contest.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

I do have another profession, in fact I have two. I am a network administrator for a small remanufacturing company and I am a professional videographer/ photographer.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

I could never give up writing, no matter what happened. I have tried, and it wouldn’t let me alone. So in answer, I believe that I have accepted that writing is not something that I do, it is instead, a part of who I am.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Old. Old as dirt, in fact, but wiser, a whole lot wiser. I will have a LOT of work out there for my readers and fans, and I hope in ten years they love me even more.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

Keep going. There is nothing stopping you from being published, but you. It’s like I tell some of my brides(as a videographer)- if you can’t wait to find a place to get married, go see a JP. You are still just as married. If you are unsuccessful at finding an agent, or a NY publisher, try a small press, go the ebook route. You are still just as published.

Doug Hewitt was born and raised near Detroit, Michigan and now lives in North Carolina. Along the way, he did a four-year stint in the Marine Corps and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics. He has been writing short stories for over 20 years and has been getting them published for most of that time, with over 80 stories in print. His stories have appeared in anthologies such as The Dead Inn and 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories. He has appeared in the premier issue of Apex Digest and has seen his chapbook, Slipstream, published by Scrybe Press.

He turned his attention to longer works and had his first novel SPEAR published in 2002. The Midwest Book Review calls SPEAR “a thrilling and deftly crafted novel.” After being remarried in 2004, he and his wife, Robin, founded HewittsBooks.com. In addition to authoring a non-fiction parenting book, The Practical Guide To Weekend Parenting, Doug and Robin teamed up to write The Joyous Gift of Grandparenting.

Doug returned to his original passion, writing fiction, and wrote The Dead Guy, which St. Martins author Lynn Chandler-Willis calls a “high-octane, pedal-to-the-metal ride through the criminal underbelly of the automotive world.” You can visit Doug Hewitt and read a free PDF chapter of The Dead Guy at www.HewittsBooks.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Doug. Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published? Can you give us the title(s) of your book(s)?

The Dead Guy is my first mystery novel, but I’ve been getting published for nearly 20 years. I have over 100 short stories published, and my first novel was published a few years back. I also have a couple of non-fiction books out about parenting, The Practical Guide to Weekend Parenting and The Joyous Gift of Grandparenting.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

My first novel was a suspense thriller titled SPEAR. It went out of print, but there’s an electronic version available at www.fictionwise.com. Actually, SPEAR was the fourth novel I wrote. The first three are dutifully shelved. Actually the first one was dreadful, but the second and third ones are good. The problem is, they’re horror novels, and the horror market has dried up.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

SPEAR was published by a small press publisher. They have me an advance on sales, so I think that’s better than most small presses. As for rejections, I’d have to go back and count. I tried to get an agent first, before submitting directly to publishers. I’d say the rejections numbered in the hundreds if you include agents. The Dead Guy was published by Aberdeen Bay, another small press. Although they didn’t give me an advance, I didn’t have to pay anything. And I think they did a wonderful job with the cover art.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

Rejections still sting. I’ve come to understand, though, that if you have a good novel, the main reason for rejection is usually that the manuscript doesn’t fit in with a publisher’s imprint. That is, I’ve gotten many rejections that stated the editor thought my novel was great, but that they couldn’t publish it because it wasn’t quite right for them. To overcome the blows, I submitted the manuscript again as quickly as possible.

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

My first book was published by Sands Publishing. I’d gone to all of the big publishers first, and I was working my way down the publishing pecking order. I only chose publishers that didn’t require the author to pay any money. I believe I should get paid for writing, and I like to think my novels are worth the purchase price!

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

I danced the Dance of Joy! I went out for dinner with my wife, and we bought a bottle of champagne. We did this for The Dead Guy, too.

What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

The very first thing I did was to get a website up and running. I’d suggest any new authors to have a good website. This is your way to reach your audience, and there’s no go-between. It’s a direct connection.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

Well, I tried all of the others, and I tried all of the agents I could find, so I suppose I didn’t have much choice. I have considered self-publishing, and that might be an option down the road if I write something I really believe in but can’t find a publisher. No, it’s been a great ride as an author, and I wouldn’t have changed anything.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

Sure, The Dead Guy just came out. It’s a wonderful murder mystery about Jack Thigpen. Jack works in Detroit, nicknamed The Motor City, the perfect place for a fraud investigator who specializes in car insurance scams. He is on a case he believes is a typical, low-level crime, but it quickly turns into a situation with ominous international consequences. Ironically, as he is targeted for death because of his investigation, Jack is diagnosed with a fatal disease that is untreatable, a disease that will end his life within months. And instead of killing Jack, the hit man shoots Jack’s best friend. Struggling to come to terms with his impending death, Jack vows to track down his friend’s killer.

Jack plunges into the world of corrupt car dealerships, chop shops, and fraudulent auto repair shops. He is soon swept into the darkness of Detroit’s criminal underbelly to uncover the truth about power struggles within organized crime rings. Death is staring him in the face, but Jack doesn’t back down. He pushes ahead, plowing through perilous roadblocks planted by his enemies, propelling himself toward the finish line and a teeth-gritting, heart-pounding conclusion.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

New authors have to strike a balance with their writing. I like to write novels that are very different from anything on the bookstore shelves. The problem is, publishers like to find titles that fit in with existing imprints. That’s one reason I wrote The Dead Guy, a straight-up mystery novel. I might have tried to write something earlier in my career that fits in with existing publisher imprints.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

I don’t know if it’s a big accomplishment, but there are some reviews out there on The Dead Guy that are absolutely glowing. And one reviewer in particular described how she could see the movie being made from it. To me, that felt like a great accomplishment.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

I really enjoy painting on canvas. We’ve got a couple of my paintings up on the living room wall. It’s very relaxing, but I think painters make even less than writers.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

I’d never give up on writing. I start getting the “shakes” if I go a few days without writing creatively.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

I’d love to have a few more mystery novels out, maybe even a series or two. But I’m also pursuing writing a series of eBooks on how to find college scholarship money at www.FreeFundsForCollege.com, and with the economy as bad as it is, I figure there might be a large market for these kind of eBooks. So I picture myself helping kids (and adults) pay their ways through higher education.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

First, I would like to thank you for having me.

Second, I would like to finish with talking a bit about the balance between being “different” as a writer and fitting in to publisher’s categories. I’m not only an author, I’m a reader. And I love to read novels that break new ground. Yes, I do like a category mystery now and then, but I love to come across a book that breaks new ground. Before Aberdeen Bay published The Dead Guy, the manuscript reached the top level editorial teams of some major New York publishers. The reason they didn’t go ahead with publication? It didn’t fit in with their established lines. It was different. Too different. So I want to thank Aberdeen Bay for having the vision to recognize a good novel and publish it without regard to fitting in to an established imprint storylines. And I would like to invite anyone who wants to read a groundbreaking mystery novel to read The Dead Guy!

And for new authors, make sure you tell people where they can find your books and more information about you. So, I’ll include some links.
Buy The Dead Guy at Amazon.
I have a great video trailer (two Mr. Potato Head reenact a crime scene!) at You Tube.
I have a blog at: http://twohewitts.blogspot.com.
And my home website is: www.HewittsBooks.com. Download a free chapter of The Dead Guy at HewittsBooks.com!

Bruce Cook, who also writes under the pen name Brant Randall, has earned credits as writer, producer, or director on eleven independent feature films as well as
commercials. He has written more than twenty screenplays, including the films Husbands, Wives, Money & Murder; Line of Fire; and Nightwish.

Since 1973 he has taught at a number of film schools, including USC, UCLA, and Los Angeles City College. Among his thousands of former students are Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons), actor Laurence Fishburne, Paramount VP of Marketing Lucia Ludovico, numerous directors and producers, six Academy Award nominees and winners, and twelve Emmy nominees and winners.

In 1996 Dr. Cook was invited by ABS-CBN, the largest television network in the Philippines, to teach a series of seminars on improving the production techniques of the film and TV industry. While there, he addressed an assemblage of 2,000 Filipino film industry professionals.

He later returned to the Philippines to conduct a market study on Southeast Asian film production and helped design a motion picture soundstage. While on location, he researched the background for his novel Philippine Fever.

Dr. Cook holds degrees in Physics, Mathematics, Film Education, and Communications. He worked as a laser physicist on the Apollo Project. He and his wife live in Castaic, California.

After discovering that there were four other authors named Bruce Cook, he published his second novel, Blood Harvest, under the pseudonym Brant Randall. His third novel, Tommy Gun Tango, will be published in July 2009. Bruce and Brant will collaborate on that one.

For more information, please visit http://www.brucecookonline.com/

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Bruce! Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

Blood Harvest is my second novel, and published under my pseudonym Brant Randall.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

Philippine Fever was my first completed novel. It was preceded by two unfinished volumes.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

I sent the ms to several agents who all rejected it with little or no comment. I eventually found an agent who sent it to the major publishing houses in New York. In short order I had seven rejections, but some of them included words of encouragement while claiming the project was not right for them.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

I had written nearly 30 screenplays and directed six movies before I attempted my first novel. Hollywood is a very competitive place so I had already experienced dozens of rejections before I sold my first script. It was painful and ego-shrinking the first time it happened. My “child,” the offspring of my imagination, had been critiqued and criticized and cut down to size.

In fact, the first script never sold at all and I “suffered,” developing my aura as an “artist.” The aura and a part time job put groceries on the table.

After half a dozen sales of scripts that were made I finally achieved a more balanced perspective. I consider this the most important thing I have learned as a writer. Here it is—
My scripts, books and movies are not my “children.” They are creations: some good, some bad, some better than others; some ahead of their time, some behind. But in every case they were not ME, they were not my “babies.” (I have real children who are now grown men. One of them is the author Troy Cook.)

These creations exist apart from me, just as Beethoven’s symphonies are not the man and Emily Dickenson’s poems are not the woman.

Publishers are much like film producers. They may like “art” but they keep their jobs by putting out projects that appeal to a larger public than just their own tastes.

Having adjusted my attitude, I then adjusted my working pattern. I joined a writer’s critique group. I cannot overstate the value of having other writers look at, respond to, critique, and make suggestions for improvement to my work.

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

Philippine Fever was published by Capital Crime Press. After the majors had rejected the ms, my agent was out of ideas about seeking a publisher. I asked if she minded if I pursued small presses. She didn’t so I began talking to editors from small presses whenever I met them—usually at writer’s conferences.

Three small presses offered to publish Philippine Fever. The monetary differences in the offers were not great. I made my choice based on how well my book matched their catalog.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

It felt great. It is very satisfying to see a large project completed, especially one that no one has forced you to do. It exists because of your act of will.

To celebrate I Googled myself…and discovered that there were three other authors named Bruce Cook. Surprised (and a little horrified at the coincidence) I then researched how common my name really was. My university had granted degrees to 35 other Bruce Cooks. There were four others in the film industry. There were three Bruce R. Cooks of the exact same age with PhDs.

When I got to Bruce Cook the porn star I realized it was time to come up with a pseudonym for my next novel. That pretty much ended the celebration stage.

What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

I sent Advance Review Copies to better known writers I had met at conferences, asking for blurbs to put on the cover. A number of them were very kind in their comments. They taught me by example to lend a hand to new authors.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

No. Now that I have had a chance to share war stories with numerous authors, I think small presses offer a distinct advantage over the industry giants. To wit, more personalized attention to editing, input to cover design, better attention to promotion for new authors.
And better royalties.

That’s right, better royalties. Though advances are larger for midlist authors at the big houses, the actual payout of royalties seems to be worse, because the royalty per book is less and because the big guys hold onto royalties the author has earned as a cushion against possible future returns from bookstores.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

My third book, Tommy Gun Tango, is due out in July 2009. My growth as an author has come from hearing directly from readers. It has taught me what seems to connect with them and what things just irritate folks (though I thought they were precious).

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up?

I should have adapted some of my existing screenplays, since the basic story, structure, and dialog were already there. I needed to finish a book to prove that I could do it (since they are triple the length of a script).

What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

I should have paid more attention to writers in my critique group who were failing, analyzed why there projects were not working. I might have avoided some of those same mistakes.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

My first novel, Philippine Fever, was a finalist as best mystery in 2007 at USA BookNews. It was also under consideration as a movie at Sony and New Line Cinema. Their reasons for ultimate rejection were enlightening.

My latest, Blood Harvest, was the winner of the best mystery category at USA BookNews in 2008.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

I have already been a laser physicist on the Apollo Project; a mathematics professor at school specializing in aerospace engineering; a film director, writer, editor, sound designer, cameraman; a film professor. Plus the usual mix of jobs you take while in college. I think writing crime novels is finally my real job.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

The jobs I had provided the grist for the writing mill.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Older, heavier, less fleet of foot, a great-grandfather, retired from teaching aspiring film makers—but best of all I will have a backlist of 12 novels.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

Stop reading this blog and start writing.

Suspense/Mystery author Richard Roach was born in 1931 in Galveston, Texas. Short stories of his have been published in Man’s Story 2, Happy 2007, Vol. 20 and Bibliophilos 2006, Vol. 42. His first novel, Scattered Leaves, hit the book stores on September 1, ’08, and his second novel, Scattered Money, will be published in 2009. You can visit his website at www.richarderoach.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Richard. Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published? Can you give us the title(s) of your book(s)?

SCATTERED LEAVES is my first published book (Multi-Media Publishing). However, numerous short stories of mine are in print.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

I wrote a western back in ’58 that was never published. Several of my friends read it and laughed. This hurt my feelings, to say the least, and I threw it into the trash. Of course, now I regret that because I’d love to see how I looked at things in my twenties.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you found a mainstream publisher?

Boy, that’s quite a question and I don’t have the exact answer. I finished the first draft of SCATTERED LEAVES ( that I didn’t toss) back in 1974. I sent it to New York to an agent I had talked with on the phone, (back then you could do that sort of thing), and a few weeks later he told me it wasn’t professionally written. This made me angry and I never contacted him again. The dollars were flooding in from my business at the time, and I put my writing on hold. After I retired, taking the hint from Erle Stanley Gardner, in 1985, I wrote a long (200,000 plus) war novel and decided the agent was right! I didn’t know how to write. I had the bug to write but no real desire to get it published. After I had finished four or five books I began the long process of trying to get one of the published. It took about four years of rejections and rewrites to get SCATTERED LEAVES published.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

After a few hundred rejects from publishers and literary agents I felt like midnight in hell but where there’s life there’s hope. I felt my main job was to write and thinking about new material soon jerked my mind back from the abyss.

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

SCATTERED LEAVES was printed by Multi-Media Publishing and this was arranged by an angel called Sarah Schwersenska who had taken an interest in the final draft.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

At first, I felt strange. When I got over the weird feeling, I began to worry about sales. I’ve not celebrated yet.

What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

I wrote my editor and asked his advice. (I knew he was an expert in the field.) He suggested I contact Irene Watson. She took over and is handling the promotion.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

There’s no doubt about it, you need an agent, one that actually calls on the publishers, to sell your work.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

Yes, Multi-Media has agreed to publish the second book in the series. SCATTERED MONEY will be printed in 2009. There is a third book in the series called, SCATTERED LIVES.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up?

I needed a New York agent. But, having said that…how do you get one? That’s the sixty-four dollar question.

What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

Look at it this way: What if I had been depending on the money I made from writing for living expenses? I would have starved.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

I have completed another book entitled, PERVERSE JUDGMENT. At this time I’m trying to sell it.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

Tough question but all in all, I think I would have chosen to be born rich.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

It’s true, the good Lord or whomever runs things of this sort, decided to let me luck out and make a few million so…I can write and tell lies to my heart’s content. The world you create in writing is perfect, just as good or bad as you want it.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Not to throw water on the fire, but in all likelihood, dead. It doesn’t make me sad, though, all you bums and sweet darlings that smell so well will have to take over and run the country. What a relief not to have to cure the ills of the good old USA , I will have stood my watch.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

The only thing I can say is keep on keeping on. That’s the advice I give myself. I would like to say thank you! To all the brave souls that read this and to also say, I love you all… the long, the short, and those in-between. Your day will come, believe it!

Robert Greer is a native of Columbus, Ohio, who spent his formative years in the steel mill town of Gary, Indiana. He graduated from Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and subsequently earned degrees in dentistry, medicine and pathology from Howard University and Boston University. He is a professor of pathology, medicine, surgery, and dentistry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center where he specializes in head and neck pathology and cancer research. He also holds a masters degree in Creative Writing from Boston University and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Miami University, his alma mater. Greer has lived in Denver for thirty years. In 1986 he founded The High Plains Literary Review and continues to serve as its editor-in-chief. He is the author or co-author of three medical textbooks and over 125 scientific articles. His short stories have appeared in dozens of national literary magazines and his short story collection, ISOLATION AND OTHER STORIES, published in 2000 by The Davies Group Publishers, sold out its hardback printings and is now in trade paperback.

Greer has been involved in cancer research at the University of Colorado Health Science Center for more than thirty years. In 1983 his research group was the first in the world to report a synergistic link between smokeless tobacco use and human papillomaviruses in certain cancers of the mouth. That research foundation is the basis for the plot of THE DEVIL’S HATBAND.

In addition to writing, medicine, and research, Greer reviews books for a Denver National Public Radio affiliate, KUVO, and raises cattle on his ranch near Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

You can visit Robert on the web at www.robertgreerbooks.com

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Robert. Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published? Can you give us the title(s) of your book(s)?

I have published ten novels over the span of the past ten years:

CJ Floyd Mysteries: The Devil=s Hatband

The Devil=s Red Nickel

The Devil=s Backbone

Resurrecting Langston Blue

The Fourth Perspective

The Mongoose Deception

Blackbird, Farewell

Two Medical Thrillers: Limited Time

Heat Shock

Short Story Collection: Isolation and Other Stories.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

My first book was The Devil’s Hatband and was published by Warner Books in 1997.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

My first novel was handled by my agent. It was picked up by a mainstream publisher, Warner Books. I am not sure how many rejections I received, but certainly ten.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

I am not phased by rejections and if you are, you probably shouldn’t be in the publishing game.

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

My first book was published by Warner Books, the choice was made not by me but my agent negotiating with the New York publisher.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

I did not have that much of a celebration. When I published my first novel I was, of course, exceedingly pleased that it was published, but I am not the celebratory type. My satisfaction comes in completing the task and never from patting myself on the back.

What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

My first novel, The Devil’s Hatband, was promoted widely by Warner Books. They sat up the tour schedule which included largely mystery book stores and I simply proceeded with their plan.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

No, I would not.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

Yes, I’ve published ten books since the first one in 1997.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

I was lucky in the publishing game. I had quick success. I am not certain I would have done anything differently to get my first novel published. Luck, perseverance, and skill are all required to get into the publishing game and that first time, luck just happened to be on my side.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

The biggest accomplishment would be self-satisfaction. Accomplishments that would be more mundane would include the acknowledgement of fans who like my work, starred reviews in trade journals and hitting the L.A. Times best seller list.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

I have in fact chosen another profession. My full-time job is as a physician (pathologist at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center). I consider that to be my profession and writing to be my passion.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

I’ve been lucky and have been able to combine the best of both worlds. I’m quite happy with that.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years I hope to be able to spend all my time on my cattle ranch in Wyoming, fly fishing and enjoying retirement.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

Yes, my final words to anyone who is pursuing publishing, is to preserve, treat writing as if it were a job instead of a hobby, have faith in your skills and read as much or more than you write.

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