Interviews
08/17/10 - Interview on TwoEndsOfThePen
Guest Post by Maureen A Miller
Today, I’d like to welcome Maureen A. Miller who has graciously offered to do a guest post. Maureen is the author of Victory Cove, Widow’s Tale and Rogue Wave. You can find her books on Amazon.Maureen, the floor is yours:
When I saw an ad for a position as the Charlotte Romance Examiner, I thought, "I'm a writer. I write romance. This will be perfect for me." It was not a job to make money, but rather an extra-curricular activity—one that was right up my alley.
The challenge to this perfect opportunity was that I was supposed to write editorials featuring the fine city of Charlotte and associate romance to it. After about the third or fourth "Eat at Joes, it is romantic", you're going to start to lose your audience. So, I reconsidered the parameters, which were to focus on romance, and inject some local flare.
I confess, I'm a romantic suspense author, and the fiction demon inside me started plotting immediately. Yes, I held true to the editorial guidelines and submitted articles you would anticipate reading in a venue such as this, but I introduced a new take to the traditional act of restaurant reporting.
This new line of articles will be featured under "Chance Encounters", where instead of a documentary about a restaurant, you will find a three or four paragraph snippet of fiction taking place in that eatery. I thought why not make the reader feel what it's like to be here? Make the reader think that it is possible that they can find romance if they eat in this restaurant.
In addition to this little tangent, I have introduced a character called Leila Jennings, in my "Leila on the Lake" feature. Once a week readers will be able to read the adventures of Leila as she settles into her new life on the lake, just north of Charlotte. Again, they can learn about the area while reading about some of Leila’s eccentric neighbors and coworkers.
See what you get when you mix a romance author with journalism!
Sample from Chance Encounters on the Charlotte Romance Examiner site. Picture yourself sitting outside the Corkscrew Wine Bar in Birkdale Commons. You are holding a glass of Chardonnay and the soft scent of apple tickles your nose. It is early evening on a pleasant August night. The temperature is cool enough that this wrought iron table beneath a tree is too irresistible to resist. You sit quietly listening to the outdoor band performing a subtle mix of Blues and Jimmy Buffet on the Green. Before you, a bustle of shoppers pass by, some recently released from the Regal Theater. You can hear clips of their animated conversations as they recap the romantic comedy they just saw. A crowd has started to form at the base of the stage, yet you are far enough away, sheltered in your little force field of tranquility. When the waitress appears with a menu and a smile, you ask for some more time, content to sip your glass of wine and remain a bystander to the activity a little bit longer. As she walks back inside you feel a brief rush of the air-conditioning and you sit back in your chair with a happy sigh. “Excuse me, are you using this chair?” Before even looking up you make a quick assessment of your surroundings and see that the outside dining area of the Corkscrew has filled up and there is only one table vacant, seemingly scavenged of its chairs by nearby parties. “No,” You finally glance up into eyes that are soft and brown. Intrigued your gaze expands, rising just over six feet to take in the image of the man before you. “I have to finish this paperwork for work,” he explains in a deep voice, “and I thought it might be less stressful with a glass of wine and some background music.” You glance down at your closed laptop. The same laptop you have purposely neglected in favor of this glass of Chardonnay. Your eyes lift six feet again and you offer a hesitant smile and reply, “No, I’m not using the chair.”
Interview with Maureen Miller
Next up is Maureen Miller. Maureen writes romantic suspense.
Welcome Maureen!
Briefly describe your journey in writing your first book.
My journey for writing my first book scoped many years. WIDOW'S TALE was actually an 8-page short story in English class in high school--back in the day you used to
hitch your horse to the post out in front of the school and then go into the one room building and sit next to Laura Ingalls. MANY years later, I couldn't get the characters
or the setting out of my head and it evolved into over 300 pages and a Golden Heart nomination.
Did you query agents or traditional publishers before publishing on Amazon?
After the Golden Heart people wanted to look at it, but I was told it was too long for Harlequin and too short for mainstream. I tried making it longer. I tried making it shorter. I'm flexible. But alas, with Kindle it was just right.
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish?
As we all do, I had grown frustrated and just given up on the notion. But God bless family and friends.
They never give up on you.
Will you try to garner a traditional publishing contract for any future books?
Call me silly, but yes, I'd still love the concept of walking into a store and seeing my book there, so yes, I still make efforts, but with the books I currently have on Amazon...heck...they keep me busy!
Did you design your cover art? If not, would you care to share your graphic designer’s information?
I had always been concerned about rights and 'stock' photos that claimed to be free for download. I ended up so paranoid that I simply used my own pictures for my covers. Unfortunately, this means that if I write a romantic suspense set in Antarctica, I'm going to have to go there and take a picture! Nothing says romantic suspense like a penguin digging a hole in the snow.
How did you feel when you got your first sale? Are you pleased with sales so far?
My first sale was our very own Edward Patterson! I've known Ed many years in this little 'Indie' world of ours. And yes, it was a day that will go down in infamy for me. Since those days in '08, sales have picked up tremendously. Sometimes it really takes time for your books to worm their way through the industry.
What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner attention for your book(s)?
My website (www.maureenamiller.com), Facebook, my blog, a billboard on I-77 (ha, ha, just kidding).
Yes, I'm like pollen. You'll find me everywhere.
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
My books are available at Smashwords, and subsequently Barnes and Noble, Kobo, directly from my website (if you want an autographed copy!)
What’s next for you?
Currently I'm working on “Eye of the Sun,” a romantic adventure set in the Guatemalan jungle.
Online Book Review with Maureen Miller
Dear Online Book Review Readers,
Today, we have an interview with author Maureen Miller whose online books Widow’s Tale and Rogue Wave
have been doing very well on Amazon Kindle. Widow’s Tale in particular has been on the romantic suspense
bestseller list for almost a year and was a finalist for the Romance Writers of America
Golden Heart Competition.
Enjoy the interview, and thanks so much for visiting us here at the Online Book Review.
–Stacey Cochran
STACEY COCHRAN: Tell us a little bit about your novel Widow’s Tale.
MAUREEN MILLER: Widow’s Tale harkens back to the era of the Gothic romance. It is a contemporary novel, but it has a cold and dark feel to it, with a suggested element of supernatural thrown in.
It is the story of Serena Murphy, whose verbally and mentally abusive husband has been presumed dead after his boat goes missing during a storm off the coast of Maine. She stands on the craggy cliffs every night, searching for his body. Some might think it is for closure, but Serena seeks finality to the ghosts that besiege her. Every night, her husband’s footsteps cross her living room even though no one is there.
Brett Murphy, Serena’s brother in-law arrives in Victory Cove to determine the fate of his brother. He finds that the attraction he had for Serena ten years ago has not lessened over time.
But Brett also hears Serena’s ghostly footsteps.
Despite his best efforts to remain detached, Brett battles Serena’s ghosts, both real and contrived. And in the heart of a blustery nor’easter, he battles not to lose her to them.
STACEY COCHRAN: Now, you decided to publish Widow’s Tale on Amazon Kindle.
Can you explain a little bit about your decision to do so?
MAUREEN MILLER: Widow’s Tale was a finalist in the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart competition. This was a ‘golden’ ticket to get it under the nose of publishers. At the time, the editors considered it too long for their lines. Real life, and my day job intervened, and I was unable to get back to editing down the word count for quite some time. Once I did, it was awfully difficult to get my foot in the door again.
If I was going to read a book, Widow’s Tale would be something right up my alley. I figured there had to be others like myself out there. Amazon Kindle offered me a chance to release Widow’s Tale and let the public decide for themselves if it was marketable. For that opportunity I am grateful. I hope the public will be grateful too.
STACEY COCHRAN: The book has done very well and is currently on the Romantic Suspense bestseller list.
Aside from Widow’s Tale being an excellent story, what other factors would you say have contributed to its success
on Kindle?
MAUREEN MILLER: I definitely attribute the success to the support and kinship of fellow Kindle readers and authors. It is still a relatively tight knit community and we do support each other with the loyalty of family. After that, I hope that the success stems from people genuinely enjoying the book.
STACEY COCHRAN: What are your thoughts on the state of traditional publishing?
MAUREEN MILLER: There is nothing wrong with traditional publishing. I suppose we all aspire to see our names associated with a large publishing house. But it gets harder and harder to believe that the individual author’s voice can be heard. It, like any other industry can sometimes come down to ‘who you know’.
I don’t envy the editors as they have to weed through the material they receive on a daily basis, but I do envy them when they discover that rare gem in the pile.
STACEY COCHRAN: Considering you’ve found a readership that has enthusiastically embraced Widow’s Tale are you
pursuing publication for it (or other books) through a traditional publisher?
MAUREEN MILLER: I will continue to market Widow’s Tale to a traditional publisher, but it will not be with desperation I once possessed. Perhaps one day an editor will purchase Widow’s Tale on Kindle and say, ‘wow, I have to publish this!’ Regardless, I write because I have a story to share. We don’t set out to make money when we write a book.
We just want to tell a story.
STACEY COCHRAN: Tell us a little bit about your latest romantic suspense novel Rogue Wave.
MAUREEN MILLER: Rogue Wave is simply the girlish adventurer in me.
Briana Holt is the contractor for Manale Palms, a new housing development going up on the Windward shore of Oahu. She’s a person who second guesses herself, yet charges forward anyway. When Nick McCord of the US Geological Survey accuses her development of damaging the shoreline, she’s hell bent on proving him wrong.
Together they discover that the recent tidal activity that is damaging the coast is not produced by nature, but rather a small band of pirates searching for a sunken Spanish Galleon.
STACEY COCHRAN: I notice the two books are priced differently. Have you discovered any trends regarding pricing that may
be helpful to other Kindle authors?
MAUREEN MILLER: My formula for pricing was based on several factors. Primarily, it is that Widow’s Tale is the award winner of the two. No disrespect meant to Rogue Wave. I enjoy that book for an entirely different reason. Rogue Wave is the book you read when you just need to escape and relax. Widow’s Tale is a dark romance that gets you caught up in the characters’ torment.
My equation may be as simple as the word count, or just the fact that Widow’s Tale has graced the top 100 list in Romantic Suspense.
STACEY COCHRAN: Can you discuss the role of setting (and location) in your writing?
MAUREEN MILLER: I scoped two of the most contrary climates I could imagine. Set in the fictional Maine coastal village of Victory Cove, Widow’s Tale is a book you want to curl up in a blanket and read, even if it is the middle of summer and 90 degrees out. It is dark, cold, and stormy, but so is the tale.
Rogue Wave is set in a tropical paradise. Perhaps I wrote it to warm up after Widow’s Tale. But I, as much as the reader, need to feel these climate changes as I’m reading. I need to feel the cold sting of sleet and snow as I’m standing on a cliff looking for my husband’s body. Or I need to feel the tepid ocean licking at my bare feet as I listen to the sound of a nearby luau.
STACEY COCHRAN: What do you think the future holds for up-and-coming writers like yourself with regard to how books are published, marketed, and distributed over the next 5-10 years?
MAUREEN MILLER: There is no doubt that Kindle changed the publishing market. I don’t perceive it as any form of a threat to traditional publishing. It’s simply an alternate avenue–for both the reader and writer. Kindle offers immediate satisfaction. Whatever your mind can imagine, you can download it in seconds without having to go to the store or wait for the mail.
That said, traditional publishing will continue to flourish. We all still get a thrill when we stand in an aisle full of our genre of books. I see Kindle and traditional houses complimenting each other. Kindle will bring the independent author to the attention of the publishing houses, while publishers stand to gain money both in print and Kindle format. A win/win situation.
