tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84689690593832406742024-03-05T20:39:14.383-08:00Rouge et NoirClaire Applewhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986222346413774846noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8468969059383240674.post-76402648710397226612013-04-29T10:12:00.001-07:002013-04-29T10:13:08.236-07:00My Friend, The Author: the Mystery of Susan Whitfield<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Susan Whitfield</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">When did you first decide that you were going to get involved in
a writing career?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">I’ve always said I wanted to write, and I did plenty of it while
earning a Bachelor’s degree, a Masters, and a doctorate. Having been in
education for 30 years, I wrote academic reports, articles, etc. Now that I’m a
recovering academic, I write what I want to for a change. I got serious in 2004
when I decided that I’d retire from education. I’ve been writing mostly mystery
with a little women’s fiction thrown in for good measure.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">What is you background and what part did it play?</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">I’ve been reading since the age of 4 and couldn’t wait for the
Bookmobile to come and bring more books to the rural area I lived in. I’d
select the maximum number each time and have them all read way before the
vehicle returned. Books were wonderful adventures and it just seemed fitting to
try to write one myself. There are bits and pieces of me in all of my books.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Please tell us about the first book you got published and the
story behind it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Genesis Beach was my first novel. It started out as a short
story, but I soon realized that it would take many more pages to write the
complete story of my strong female SBI (North Carolina State Bureau of
Investigation) agent. Somewhere in the middle of the book, I had the dreaded
block and decided to start another adventure with this same protagonist. The
Logan Hunter series was born. I move her around the state to showcase North
Carolina’s diversity and in each one she has to prove herself all over again. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Has your work changed since that first book? In what ways?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Oh my, yes. Genesis Beach was originally self-published and when
I was offered a traditional contract for Hell Swamp, traditional publisher
L&L Dreamspell offered me the opportunity to rewrite some sections and then
they added their logo and expertise. With each new book I grow and try to
challenge not only myself but Logan Hunter. There’s plenty to learn and I
certainly don’t consider myself a master. It’s wonderful to have validation
though.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">What is the greatest compliment you have received about your
writing? What comments, if any, bothered you? </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">My protagonist Logan Hunter has been compared to Jane
Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, which is a heck of a compliment. I’ve seen a couple
of poor reviews for one of my books over the years but I have rhino hide, so
they don’t bother me.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">How do you promote your work?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">I have my own web site at </span><a href="http://www.susanwhitfieldonline.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.susanwhitfieldonline.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"> and I blog at </span><a href="http://www.susanwhitfield.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.susanwhitfield.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also have a presence on Facebook, Twitter,
Booktown.ning.com and lots of other book sites. I occasionally give away hand
fans with a book cover on it. The ladies like those in the summer time when
we’re all sitting at baseball games in 100 degree temperatures or when they’re
“flashing”. The ordering information is on the back. It’s a cute way to promote
and my current fan has a cracked egg on it which gets attention.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Would you advise another person to become a writer? What
caveats/encouragements would you like to offer?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Go for it if it’s your passion! Have tough skin and know that
you’ll have to do 99% of your own promoting. Advertising can be expensive, so
choose cost-effective ways to get the word out. Most online sites are free.
Just don’t let promoting pull you away from your writing for more than thirty
minutes a day. Network with other writers and industry experts. That’s a big
pay off.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Can you tell us about your biggest writing triumphs?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Most of the time I have to ask for venues, so it’s really
special when a winery, bookstore or festival calls and invites me to showcase
my books. I’ve been invited as the special guest to quite a few store
anniversaries and one local winery throws a book launch every time I have a new
book release…at their expense! When my latest book, Slightly Cracked, released
in October, an adorable book store in my home county threw a hen party and we
had the most wonderful time! The store supplied fresh fruits, wine, and
crudités for everyone. All of my sisters-in-law went and we had a pajama party
afterwards. The store was packed and I met many new friends. Isn’t meeting new
folks wonderful?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">9. Which
of your books is your personal favorite?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Geez, Claire, that’s a hard one because I love all of my babies.
I guess I’d have to say Slightly Cracked is at the moment my favorite, because
it’s the new book and my first attempt at women’s fiction. What I learned is
that as much as I love writing mystery, I want to write another women’s
fiction.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Thanks, Susan! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Thanks for inviting me over, Claire. It was wonderful to meet
you in person at Killer Nashville a few years back and maybe we’ll see each
other again. In the meantime, I wish you great writing success.</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
Claire Applewhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986222346413774846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8468969059383240674.post-13378958198847844092010-03-14T19:16:00.000-07:002010-03-14T19:41:05.300-07:00Crazy For You--L-O-L-A--LOLA!!Hi All--<br /><br /><br /><br />There's nothing like a fresh start, is there? A chance at a new life. This time, you'll do it better. You won't make the mistakes you made last time. Translation: hope. Scarlett O'Hara said it best: "Tomorrow is another day."<br /><br />My new Airedale puppy, Lola, reminds me that new life means hope, and new beginnings. Her eyes widen at every turn. Yes, I must train her, teach her, feed her and guide her. But, in so doing, I discover and reinforce what I believe and know, and, yes, I am stretching my tolerance levels. Patience is a good thing.<br /><br />So it was with beginning my new novel, <em>Crazy For You.</em> Every time the germ of a new idea takes root, the writer sets foot on the path to self-discovery. There is no telling where the novel may ramble and roam. Even if the book is published exactly as the outline specifies, I have found that there is no way to predict the influence a book or character can have on an individual reader. For example, I belong to Operation Desert Swap, an support organization for our US troops in Iraq. Authors adopt a soldier and send their signed books overseas for their soldier to read and swap with other soldiers. Once my book, <em>The Wrong Side of Memphis</em>, was in circulation overseas, it was truly "out of my hands." But, to me, that is the beautiful thing about being a writer.<br /><br />To your new beginnings!<br /><br />ClaireClaire Applewhitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986222346413774846noreply@blogger.com1