Mary Balogh grew up in Wales and, after graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, on a two-year contract to teach high school English. She stayed to marry and raise a family. She was first published in 1985 and quit her teaching job three years later to write full time. A Precious Jewel, first published in 1993, has recently been republished by Bantam Dell as part of a commitment to make her backlist available to her current readership. Read more, including an excerpt from A Precious Jewel, at www.marybalogh.com.

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

A: I am multi-published, with over 70 novels and over 30 novellas published.

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

A: A Masked Deception, 1985

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: There were no rejections.

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

A: NAL. The book was Signet Regency. A number of publishers had a Regency romance line at the time. I chose NAL Signets because I thought that on the whole their books were the best.

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

A: Quite euphoric. I was at home alone when the “call” came and for some reason I can no longer remember could not call either my husband or my children with the news. I called my mother in Wales. I had not told her, or anyone else for that matter except my husband, that I had written a book, so the news of the acceptance came as quite a surprise to her!

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

A: I didn’t, apart from telling everyone I knew. That was not very many. There was no internet in those days.

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

A: No. I did everything wrong, but it worked for me. I knew nothing about how to get published. When I had finished my manuscript, I bundled it up with a very short letter and sent it off to an address in Canada that I found inside the cover of a Signet Regency romance. It turned out to be a distribution center. But someone there read the manuscript, liked it, and sent it on to New York. Two weeks later I was offered a two-book contract. If I had gone about things the correct way, the manuscript might still be sitting on a slush pile somewhere!

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

A: Numerous times. I still write basically the same type of books, but I hope and believe they have improved over time. I believe they are stronger on action and dialogue, a little less given to lengthy interior monologue.

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 suppose I might have tried to get out of the small Regency sub-genre and into the mainstream historical genre faster. I might have reached a larger audience and climbed the bestseller charts far sooner if I had. On the other hand, the almost forty books I wrote for the sub-genre still exist and are being republished, as A Precious Jewel is now. And so far the repubs have been well received by my newer readers.

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

A: The new Huxtable quintet (First Comes Marriage, Then Comes Seduction, At Last Comes Love, Seducing an Angel) has been very successful so far. The first four books came out in the spring of 2009 and spent a combined total of thirteen weeks on the New York Times bestselling list. At Last Comes Love debuted at #2 on the mass market fiction list. Book 5, A Secret Affair, will be out in hardcover at the end of June, 2010.

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

A: I was a high school English teacher for twenty years before I quit to write full time. It was a career I loved.

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

A: I gave up teaching to write, though I did both for five years. I had always wanted to write, though, from childhood on. When I thought I could risk giving up teaching to devote myself full-time to writing, I didn’t hesitate, though I suppose I did quail for a while at the risk I was taking.

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

A: Alive, I hope. Still writing, I hope.

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

A: Write! That might seem rather silly advice on the face of it. I am always amazed, however, when in company with groups of writers, to discover how many will find any excuse imaginable to stop themselves from actually sitting down and writing—the need to get their lives organized, do some research, read some how-to books, attend more conferences, consult their critique group, etc. The only way to learn to write is to write. The only way to finish a book is to start it and keep going with it. The only way to get published is to write a book that may be publishable.

Ruby Dominguez

The author, Ruby Dominguez is challenged by the conflicting complexities of the past and future. Undeterred, she strokes with pen the somber and bright hues of her visions. She currently resides in San Francisco and works in the field of property management/leasing. She has been a recipient of the “Editor’s Choice Award,” by the National Library of Poetry in 1999 and 2007 for her published poems in the SHELTER OF SHADE. Visit her website at: www.outskirtspress.com/theperukemaker, and blog at www.salemcurse.wordpress.com.

Q: Thank you for this interview, Ruby. Can you tell us what your latest book, THE PERUKE MAKER – The Salem Witch Hunt Curse, is all about?

A: Salem 17^th Century – A bizarre and deadly detour in American dark history!

SYNOPSIS:

~The witch hunt hits feverish peak! Fear of the devil is as real as God. Witchcraft is a heinous crime a person could commit and is punishable by death at the Gallows Hill for the victims accused of sorcery.

River reflections of Bridget Cane’s scantily clad youthful beauty with long, flowing, wild, red hair, is frozen in fear amidst the overture of the Banshee’s foreboding and bloodcurdling wails of imminent death, that of her own.

The Peruke Maker’s vengeful curse hastens chase for the innocent and is carried off by a whirl of ill-omened wind that transgresses all natural laws of time and space.

The Salem Witch Hunt Curse unearthed from necromancy, violates the course of natural events in a modern day world, relentlessly in quest for the avenger of innocent blood.

Sarah Cane, a product of the 21st century is inextricably caught in a fateful journey that comes full circle. But Michael’s abiding love for her triumphs over evil, transcending the grave in a magical and symbolic act of rebirth at the stroke of midnight of the Autumnal Equinox. ~

SCRIPT COVERAGE ANALYSIS:

THE PERUKE MAKER – The Salem Witch Hunt Curse, inspired by true events, is a meticulously researched screenplay that is laced with relevance and substance.

We follow the unforgettable spiritual and emotional journey of BRIDGET CANE, a stunning 17th Century woman and SARAH, a product of the 2lst Century who are inextricably bound together in a tenuous journey that comes full circle.

The banality of evil which pervades 17th Century Salem, Massachusetts is captured by the screenwriter with penetrating insight as we follow one young woman’s deadly encounter with the forces of Good and Evil.

This compelling journey is deftly played against a storyline that has meaningful things to say about the inherent vulnerability of the human condition.

A screenplay “The Peruke Maker” was professionally reviewed by Lejen Literary Consultants and attained a good script coverage analysis.

“Visually compelling, provocative, suspenseful, memorable characters, smooth pace with excellent twists and turns!” -by Lee Levinson

Are you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

I am multi published with THE PERUKE MAKER – The Salem Witch Hunt Curse (horror/romance)  which is the focus of my Halloween promotion, Romancing The Claddagh – The Curse of Macha (romance/horror) and It’s Over Michael, But…( romance comedy)

The Peruke Maker

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

THE PERUKE MAKER – The Salem Witch Hunt Curse is the title of my first ever book.

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?

THE PERUKE MAKER – The Salem Witch Hunt Curse is a screenplay and it was my initial intention and still is, that it becomes a Halloween blockbuster  movie.

In the meantime to generate a buzz, I opted for self-publishing/vanity press for immediate distribution to the e-world.

It didn’t take me long to discover Outskirts Press via internet and then submitted my manuscript for their consideration and acceptance.

And now my book is available in 25,000 internet stores around the world.

However, the rejections that I go through are from queries submitted to film producers, directors, etc. But I am confident that the story is compelling that a bankable director or producer shall produce it.

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

It took me 1 year of dreaming about it, 1 year of research work, 4 weeks to put down into written words, and another 2 years to crystallize the story.

Submitted it to Lejen Literary Consultant – Lee Levinson for a script coverage analysis and after 2 months received it back with a good review.

Thereafter, it took Outskirts Press approximately 2 weeks to review and accept.

Rejections in general makes me more determined in fine tuning my craft and relentless in achieving my goals.

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

Outskirts Press is a highly professional publisher, who holds your hand every step of the way down the road to success!

I chose them because it allowed me to keep my rights to my book 100%.

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

I really have not celebrated yet. I have been engrossed in promoting rather than celebrating. But I will as I walk down the red carpet one day soon.

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

I did a 1 minute book video trailer and uploaded it on Youtube, Metcafe, Yahoo, crackle, live video, facebook, etc.

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

No regrets… my time…my terms… it all worked out for me.

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

Yes, I am multi published with THE PERUKE MAKER – The Salem Witch Hunt Curse (horror/romance)  which is the focus of my Halloween promotion, Romancing The Claddagh – The Curse of Macha (romance/horror) and It’s Over Michael, But…( romance comedy)

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?

Patience is not one of my better virtues. I took the fastest and quickest route to self-gratification. It doesn’t get any speedier than this.

Mistakes are defined in my book as calculated risk and lessons to be learned. They are insignificant that I don’t even remember one, lest it bog me down.

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

A bold step towards the future is my greatest achievement.

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

Life comes in stages and you need to prepare for each act. Writing is my retirement plan.

However, acting, music and dancareis still in my repertoire and wouldn’t mind an opportunity if it comes knocking at my door.

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

I would mesh it together.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Young, happy, successful, glamorous and walking down the red carpet.

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

When all thing fail, let passion be your retirement plan.

Editor’s Note: Ruby Dominguez is on virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.  If you would like ot follow along on her tour, visit here during the months of October and November.

K.M. Daughters is the penname for team writers and sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare nee Lynch.  The author name is dedicated to the memory of their parents, Katherine and Michael, the “K” and “M” in K.M. Daughters.  Inspired by their father who wrote children’s books for them when they were small and their mother’s love of romance novels, K.M. Daughters was “born” a little under five years ago at a Romance Writers of American national conference when the sisters plotted their first manuscript, now published in E-book by Sapphire Blue Publishing: Past, Present and Forever.

Since that conference, K.M. Daughters has written five additional award-winning novels, all contracted to The Wild Rose Press and its new subsidiary, White Rose Publishing.  Most recently the 1^st book in The Sullivan Boys Romantic Suspense series was distinguished in The Lories published contest; Past, Present and Forever received the Coffee Time Romance and More Reviewer’s award and their upcoming release, Beyond The Code of Conduct was rated 4-stars, “compelling”, page turner, in the June 2009 issue of RT Book Review.

K.M. Daughters resides in Illinois and New Jersey with husbands Nick and Tom, a total of five children and two grandchildren between them. 

Welcome to Beyond the Books, K.M.  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)? 

Thank you so much for inviting us.  We’re multi-published in three romance genres with three publishers.  The Wild Rose Press publishes our romantic suspense Sullivan Boys Series:  Book 1, AGAINST DOCTORS ORDERS, released October 2008, and our new release is Book 2, BEYOND THE CODE OF CONDUCT.  White Rose Publishing is a new company affiliated with TWRP.  White Rose publishes our inspirational romances.  JEWEL OF THE ADRIATIC, our debut novel, released in August 2008.  The sequel, ROSE OF THE ADRIATIC, releases 7/31/09.  Our first manuscript, a contemporary romance, released in E-book from Sapphire Blue Publishing in February 2009.

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

Our first book was entitled REUNION FOR THE FIRST TIME.  We came up with the title and thought it was catchy and built a story around it.  Yes, Sapphire Blue Publishing acquired and released it with the new title, Past, Present and Forever in E-book. Ironically the title didn’t survive. 

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? 

Actually, it was never rejected.  We submitted the completed manuscript to The Wild Rose Press because we wanted to write for them and found their philosophy appealing. But we’re not sure TWRP would be categorized as “mainstream”.  The Wild Rose Press is an independent publisher producing books in digital formats.  Paperback books are printed on demand, available through all major distribution outlets.  So we’re not “self” or “vanity” published, either. 

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

 After we published our first two books we submitted our contemporary and it was rejected by one of The Wild Rose Press imprints.  The rejection letter was detailed and offered the opportunity to rewrite and resubmit the manuscript.  We accepted the opportunity and received a second rejection.  Ever resilient, we learned that a brand new publisher, Sapphire Blue, called for submissions, “Dust off those manuscripts in your drawer.”  So we dusted it and sent it off.  We had the pleasure of working with one of the owners, Maria Clayton, during the extensive editing process.  Since it was the first manuscript we’d written as a team, we’ll emphasize the word “extensive”.  Maria’s patience and experience guided us to transform it. 

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

The Wild Rose Press published our first book.  We chose them for both personal and professional reasons.  The book features Marian apparitions and the rose is associated with the mother of God.  Personally, we thought the book was destined for The Wild ROSE Press.  The professional consideration was knowledge that the owners Rhonda Penders and R.J. Morris had established the house “by authors, for authors”.  They’ve kept their commitment to that philosophy.  Every stage of the submission process involved timely communication.  The query was acknowledged with a promise to respond within two weeks.  Within a week Nicola Martinez, Sr. Editor for the inspirational line asked for a partial.  Upon receipt it was acknowledged and a response was promised within thirty days.  A couple weeks later a full manuscript was requested.  The contract offer was presented in less than half the estimated ninety-day response time.  

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

We’re writers, we should be able to capture that feeling in words for you!  Thrilled and ecstatic are the best adjectives that come to mind.  We were on a “sister trip” to Universal Studios, Orlando.  January 26, 2008.  We wandered into an attraction called The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad and took seats in the back of the small amphitheatre.  Pat was checking email and hung over her phone reading.  She glanced up at Kathie and whispered, “We sold our book.”  At that precise time a canon blasted on stage. After a flurry of breathless, screechy telephone calls home to husbands and children, later that evening we had a tropical cocktail in the bustling downtown area and toasted K.M. Daughters.

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

We asked our web designer if she could do bookmarks for us, and she did. 

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

The ideal route is the way that leads to your goal.  We can’t imagine rerouting. 

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

Yes, we have.  In 2008 we contracted on five novels, everything we had ever written together up until then.  This year a contract has just been approved for the 3^rd book in The Sullivan Boys series, acquired by our amazing Wild Rose Press Editor, Joelle Walker.  Our cheerleader, our friend, we count on Joelle for her honesty and expertise.  We have grown enormously as authors.  Joelle remarked that the 3^rd book in the series (Capturing Karma), “…will give Against Doctors Orders and Beyond The Code of Conduct a run for their money.”  And she really loved the first two books.

 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? 

It took about four years from the time we became serious about aspiring to be published authors until we achieved that dream.  We attended workshops and classes.  We talked to authors, agents and editors.  We entered our manuscripts in contests and poured over judges’ critiques and utilized the constructive criticism.  It took us that long and we think it takes as long as it takes.  This author couldn’t have sped things up or learned from mistakes any faster. 

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

Pre-release, RT Book Reviews rated Beyond The Code of Conduct 4-stars in the June 2009 issue.  Included in the romantic suspense section of reviews for that issue were NYT Bestselling authors.  We couldn’t believe the company we were keeping. 

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

We’re currently engaged in other professions running small businesses.  We choose the writing profession! 

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

We would do the reverse and give up our day jobs for full-time writing.  But right now we are blessed with the best of both worlds. 

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Full-time authors releasing two books a year to fans, similar to us for the treasured authors we follow, who can’t wait to get the books in their hands (or on their E-readers). 

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

The sentiment in the movie Field of Dreams pertains, build it and they will come. 

Alex Beecroft currently lives inGreat Britain with her husband and two daughters. Raised in Cheshire, Alex studied English and Philosophy before accepting employment with the Crown Court where she worked for a number of years. Alex will tell you that she’s thrilled to be doing what she always wanted to do, living her dream of being a writer, and a soon to be published romance author.

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

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

‘Captain’s Surrender’ will be the first book I’ve ever had published, although it’s a toss up whether it will come out before or after ‘The Witch’s Boy’ which is going through the self-publishing process at the moment.  They’re both neck and neck in terms of release dates so far.  But because ‘Captain’s Surrender’ is being published by a real publishing firm, that’s the one which I think of as the most important.   

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

It was called ‘Wildfire, in his own words’ and was the story of how the trickster god Loki meddled in the affairs of two Anglo-Saxon villages in order to make them renounce Christianity.  I never submitted it for publication because it was a bit of an apprentice-piece and I didn’t think it was good enough for other people to read.  It had a terribly complicated structure whereby all the characters told each other stories, and then at the end the entire book turned out to be a story told by Loki himself.  Very pretentious!  But it was the first book I ever finished, after starting hundreds and getting half way through before abandoning them, so it still has a special place in my heart. 

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? 

Well, I managed to get published by an unusual method which didn’t involve sending out submissions.  I entered the first chapter of ‘Captain’s Surrender’ intoLinden Bay’s Starlight Writing Competition.  It went through to the final, whereupon I sent them the whole manuscript, and that won.  The prize of the competition was to have the book published.  Linden Bay had been receiving so many submissions that they had become overwhelmed by them, and they decided to run this competition once a year in order to take on one new author a year.  This year that was me!  In the case of ‘The Witch’s Boy’ however, I sent that out to about 15 publishers in Britain, who all rejected it.  Then I left it in a box for ten years.  When I got it out again recently, I could see that the first few chapters were quite weak, so I re-wrote them to improve them to my new standards, and rather than put it back in the box and leave it for another ten years, I thought I’d self publish it.  I’m actually very proud of it now.  It’s a gripping read! 

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?  They made me feel terrible!  And to be frank, I didn’t overcome the blows.  I lost my nerve and spent the next ten years only writing things for my friends to read.  But eventually enough people said to me ‘are you published?  You should be!’ for me to get my confidence back and think about trying again.  Also, I’m not getting any younger, and I thought that if I didn’t do it soon, I might never get around to it. When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?