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Marilyn Meredith is the author of Smell of Death. This is a bit about her latest book —-

A missing child, strange burglaries, the murder of a mother and her daughter disrupt the peaceful beach community of Rocky Bluff. Officer Stacey Wilbur assists Doug Milligan with the investigations and she finds herself breaking her long-standing rule of never dating anyone who works for Rocky Bluff P.D.

PROMOTIONAL INTERVIEW WITH MARILYN MEREDITH

You have been invited to share your promotional experience with others who visit the Inspired Author Self Promotion web pages. Inspired Author is a great resource for writers who want to learn more about writing, freelancing, working at home, promotion and much more. We invite you to visit www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion.

Your Name: Marilyn Meredith (also F. M. Meredith)

1. Where you are from and where are you now?

I grew up in Los Angeles CA, married a sailor and traveled to Virginia and Maryland, lived many years in Oxnard CA near the Port Hueneme Seabee

Base, and now we’re in Springville CA which is located in the foothills of

The Southern Sierra.

2. How did you get started writing?

I drew stories even before I could read or write, thanks to my mom listening

to soap operas on the radio. I’ve been writing stories ever since I knew how.

In junior high, I wrote and printed and sold my own magazine. Also wrote plays for the neighborhood kids to star in.

3. What do you do when you are not writing?

Most of my day is spent in front of the computer. If I’m not actually writing, I’m doing promotion. I also do writing for others–including ghost writing. By

evening, I’m ready to read or watch TV. My husband and I try to go to a

movie every week or so. I have a big family, so I do spend time with them

kids and grandkids and greats when possible. I’m also active in my church.

4. What would readers like to know about you?

I’m one of these people who never gives up, despite many, many rejections

over the years, two publishers dying who were publishing my books, getting

tangled up with a couple of crooked publishers, I kept going.

5. What inspired your first book?

My first book was an historical family saga based on my family’s genealogy.

My sister did the genealogy and I was so fascinated by what she found out and all the unanswered questions, I decided to some research into the places and times the family was there and try to figure out why they moved from here to there. It was fascinating–and I wrote a book about each side of my family.

6. How many books have you written?

That I’m not sure about. What I do know is I have over 20 published books, and two that I have contracts with my publisher.

7. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they? I have so many I’ll just tell you about the latest ones. Anyone who’d like to know all the titles is welcome to go to my website:
http://fictionforyou.com
The very latest is Smell of Death, in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series written under the name F. M. Meredith. The latest in my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series is Judgment Fire, and that one is written by Marilyn Meredith. These are crime fiction or mystery

8. How do you decide on that topic or genre?

Mysteries are what I like to read so that’s what I’ve been focusing on.

9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track? This is something I’ve never had a problem with. I raised five kids and wrote despite whatever was going on–and there was always plenty going on. I wrote when I babysat grandkids. I wrote when I was caring for six developmentally disabled women. I can be interrupted and go write back to whatever I was in the middle of doing.
10. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing? If I were writing to make money, I’d have quit long ago. I have to write and that’s why I keep doing it. I always hope someone will enjoy reading my work as much as I enjoyed writing it.
11. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used? Book signings, library talks, presentations to service and women’s groups, mailings of postcards and letters, bookmarks, my website, talking about my books on the lists I belong to.
12. What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? I always have a book launching in my hometown. I think that Virtual book tours are unique though this is my second one. I do several blogs on a regular basis. I sell books at craft fairs.
13. Do you sell through a website? Yes. If so, what’s the address?
http://fictionforyou.com

14. Where can people order your books? From the above website and Amazon. com and if you want an e-book of Smell of Death, go to
http://www.tigresspress.com

15. What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc? All of my books are in print as trade paperbacks and also as e-books.
16. Will you write more books? Of course. I’m about half way through a new one.
17. What do you have in the works now? I expect a new Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery to be out in August of this year. And of course, I’m busy promoting.
18. What does the future hold for you and your books? I have no idea. I know what I have planned–but I really can’t see into the future. My husband and I will be attending Love is Murder in Chicago, EpiCon in Portland, Public Safety Writers Conference in April and Mayhem in the Midlands in May.
19. What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books? One time I was invited to speak at an AAWU luncheon along with several other authors. The others were all young and quite famous. I told my husband the only way I could compete was to be funny. I was and after the luncheon everyone rushed to my table and I sold over $800 worth of books.
20. What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books? Bookstore signings seem to be the least profitable. Sometimes it’s difficult to get paid. However, anytime you can meet people and get your name out there it is worth it.

This interview was done in conjunction with Nikki Leigh. For more information, visit – www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm.

Would you like to read a bit of the book? Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1 —- visit
http://startatbeginning.blogspot.com/2008/02/smell-of-death-by-marilyn-meredith.html

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Your Name: LaConnie Taylor-Jones

1. Where you are from and where are you now?

I’m a native Memphian and for the last twenty-four years, I’ve lived in Northern California.

2. How did you get started writing?

The one thing that catapulted me into the writing world was my husband. In the spring of ’03, I was in bed reading a novel that was horrible. It was pass midnight and I think my husband was tired of hearing me whine about the book because he said, “Honey, if you can write a better book, do it, but baby, turn out the lights.” I took him up on the challenged and I’ve never looked back.

3. What do you do when you are not writing?

I’m trying to successfully juggle the responsibilities of wife, mother, and consultant.

4. What would readers like to know about you?

I want readers to know that I take my writing very seriously and will give them nothing less than the very best story I can possibly write.

5. What inspired your first book?

The inspiration for this story came from my experience as a health educator. For the last fifteen years, I’ve taught health education primarily to African American women in community-based settings. Oftentimes, before I can lecture on the risk factors associated with chronic diseases disproportionally impacting African Americans, I have to deal with the soci-economic deterrents women face. Unfortunately, abusive relationships top the list.

6. How many books have you written?

I’ve completed two full length novels and I’m just about to wrap up my third.

7. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they?

When I’m With You is the title of my debut novel. My second book, which is scheduled to release April 1st is entitled, When A Man Loves A Woman. We’ve selected the title for the third book and it’s, If I Were Your Woman.

8. How do you decide on that topic or genre?

The romance genre chose me years ago! In fact, I flunked an organic chemistry midterm after staying up all night to read my first romance novel. The topics for my stories come from my experiences as a health educator.

9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track?

I set goals for myself whether personal or professional and use The SMART Goal Setting Technique to keep me on track:

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timely

10. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?

Right now, I definitely do it for the love of writing. However, I’m preparing myself so that I can make a comfortable living from writing.

11. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used?

My marketing covers a broad spectrum of promotion techniques including: book signings, blog touring, and book club appearances, to name a few. So far, all are working very well.

12. What are some unique methods of marketing you have used?

Virtual touring is a new marketing concept I’m embarking upon and I must admit I’m enjoying it a lot!!

13. Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not?

No, my book is distributed by Kensington Books so there isn’t a need to sell it via my website.

14. Where can people order your books?

Readers can find my book at all of the major bookstores and on-line at Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles.com, Books-A-Million.com, to name a few.

15. What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc?

My books are in mass market print.

16. Will you write more books?

Absolutely!!! There are simply too many stories inside of me that need to be told for me NOT to write.

17. What do you have in the works now?

Right now, I have two other Works in Progress that are not connecting stories, so I plan to stay pretty busy in 2008.

18. What does the future hold for you and your books?

I’m truly looking forward to the years ahead!! My greatest desire is to continue to develop dynamic characters and write the stories from my heart.

19. What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books?

Partnering with experienced authors in the romance genre.

20. What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books?

Hmmm, so far, I’ve done it all and it’s been successful!! However, if I try something in the future and it doesn’t work, I’ll stop back by and share it.

Check out LaConnie’s website at
http://www.laconnietaylorjones.com/
to see how you can win a $100 gift certificate to Amazon.com!

This interview was done in conjunction with Nikki Leigh. For more information, visit – www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm.

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You have been invited to share you experience with our readers.

Name:

Cheryl Kaye Tardif, bestselling author of Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention

1. Tell us about yourself – where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)

I was born in Vancouver, BC, but moved around a lot as a child. I even spent 3 years in Bermuda, which was a slice of heaven and where I was first really encouraged to pursue my passion for writing. As a teen, I became one of the youngest paid journalists in BC and wrote a weekly column titled Masset Meanderings. But fiction?particularly horror, suspense and mystery?was always my true passion.

I am now a full-time author. I write most days, although sometimes I’m writing articles, blog posts or press releases, and other days I am working on the current novel. I consider myself a full-time promoter of my work, blogging regularly and creating exciting events and contests every month.

When I am not writing you can usually find me watching TV. I am a CSI, Medium, Law & Order, Lost, Journeyman addict, to name a few. And of course, I also enjoy reading!

2. What inspired you to write your first book?

When writing the original edition of Whale Song in 2003, I was inspired by a native legend that I had heard many times while growing up on the Queen Charlotte Islands, which is north of Vancouver Island and very isolated and wild. The legend says that if you see a killer whale close to shore, it is really the reincarnated soul of a loved one who is coming to say goodbye. I think that is such a beautiful vision and a peaceful way to look at death, and as a child, I spent many days walking the beaches and waiting to see a killer whale. That legend is the heart of my novel Whale Song.

3. How many books have you written?

I have written 6 novels (3 published, 2 unpublished, 1 was stolen) plus 2 children’s picture books (unpublished). My most noted works are my published novels: Whale Song (2007), The River (2005) and Divine Intervention (2004). They each explore various degrees of mystery or suspense.

4. How do you decide on their topic?

That’s a tough question. Sometimes the title comes to me first and once I dwell on that, the story plot will often unfold. Many times a character comes to mind, one with a particular problem or challenge. Or the entire plot just “comes to me”. I often say that I don’t pick the plot…it picks me.

5. What works best to keep you focused and on track?

I am an obsessive note keeper. I have notes on post-its stuck to my computer, my desk and walls. These notes help to keep me in line. If I know I have deadlines, I will leave a note for myself at the end of the day, so that I won’t forget come morning. I sometimes have specific days set aside for certain things. The key for me is that I must always accomplish at least three major things each day.

6. Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?

Money? You mean there’s money in this profession?

Fortunately, I write because it is something I feel compelled to do. The story plots come at me at full speed and take over my thoughts, so maybe I don’t have a choice. I’m thankfully in the position where I have the time to write without feeling obligated to go out and get a job. Writing has been my full-time passion for 4 years now, and I must say, I can’t imagine doing anything else. It has taken more hard work, dedication and commitment than any of my past professions. Writing has been my dream for decades, and I am finally living my dream. As for the money, it will follow…eventually.

7. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?

I started with a website, an absolute MUST-HAVE for any serious author. I have done numerous book signings, probably over 300 in the past 4 years. I’ve lost count. I’ve sent out press releases to media contacts via fax and email. I’ve visited schools, libraries, book clubs and writers’ groups. I’ve even spoken at writers’ conferences in Canada and the US. I’ve also offered review copies to book clubs and reviewers. And I’ve appeared on TV, radio and in newspapers and magazines.

8. What are some unique methods?

I’ve held some unique contests via my websites and blogs. My current contests are Calling All Janets and Create a Corpse (my most popular to date!) I blog about many different topics related to my novels, sometimes obscure but always tied to some aspect of my books or promotion. I’ve taken part in forums and chats, sometimes about writing in general, sometimes about specific topics found in my books.

In August of 2007, I organized a 1-month virtual book tour and held a 44 prize giveaway on my birthday. I participated in an online book fair, a crazy reality TV game show for writers, and Celebrity Chefs, where I cooked up some Strawberry Dumplings.

9. Do you sell through a website?

I advertise my books on my website, but I direct all of my sales to bookstores or Chapters, Amazon, Barnes and Noble etc. For those who enjoy having autographed and personalized books, I offer free bookplates to anyone who orders my books. They just have to email me. This is especially great for those who want to give someone one of my books as a gift.

My main websites are:

http://www.cherylktardif.com

http://www.whalesongbook.com

10. Do you plan on writing additional books?

Again, I don’t seem to have a choice. This is what I do, what I am. I am happiest when I am writing. I’ve completed my fourth novel Children of the Fog and it is being considered at this time by Kunati Books, the publishers who took Whale Song. I am now working mainly on Divine Justice, with Submerged and The 6th Plague to follow.

And I am currently looking for an agent! ?

This interview was done in conjunction with Nikki Leigh, author of the Book Promo 101 Series.

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Your Name:

Christopher Hoare.

Where you are from and where are you now?

I was born in London, England and am now a Canadian Citizen living in a small community in Alberta against the Rocky Mountains.

How did you get started writing?

I wrote some articles about the desert for a local English language newspaper while I worked in Libya. At the same time, a historical scenario grew in my mind – an attempt to create real characters at the time of the arrival of the Saxons in Roman Britain. I left Libya and moved to Canada, and after my first winter’s work, set up residence in a truck-camper and spent the summer traveling and attempting to write that early novel.

What do you do when you are not writing?

There’s not a lot of time left over. I belong to a number of online social sites where I join discussion groups about writing and publishing. I also belong to several writing groups where I take part in reading and critiquing other writers’ work. I’m secretary of a local political party constituency and prepare for election campaigns, as well as participate in community activities and the local senior’s centre.

What would readers like to know about you?

I really don’t know. Perhaps I might offer a lesson about changing times and perceptions. When I started working as a surveyor in oil exploration, in 1963, I believed I was involved in noble work that fuelled almost every aspect of modern society. When I retired about four years ago, I had become one of the desecrators of wilderness and polluters of the world, and yet I did exactly the same things. It’s interesting how fluid perceptions are – and how distant they can be from reality.

What inspired your first book?

this might be one of the things I don’t want readers to know – . I was young and arrogant and believed I could write this real story about a time in history that had been muddied by popular acceptance of Arthurian myth. I also believed that I could write a purer truth by keeping myself away from every other school and fashion in literature. I believe it can be called ‘learning the hard way’. The novel that finally resulted earned a few polite rejections, and I learned it was better to stand upon the shoulders of those who had gone before. But I still write from my own perception of the craft and of the business and prefer to strike out in directions that others haven’t seen.

How many books have you written?

I have two tallies here. Actual books that exist and can be picked up by a member of the public and read number two: Deadly Enterprise and The Wildcat’s Victory, the first two stories of my Iskander series. Books that were completed but never went anywhere, starting with Wyrd’s Harvest in 1968, number five or perhaps five and a half. There are also two more Novels under contract that will appear over the next twelve months and two and a half that I’m still working on. The halves are actually one novel that was once accepted but not published, re-written a few times, and is now waiting for me to summon the energy to plunge into it again.

What are the titles of your books and what genres are they?

There are the two Iskander novels I name above, as well as Arrival, the prequel to them, and an as yet un-named sequel. The Iskander series are about Gisel Matah, the tough and clever young security officer from a group of modern people marooned in a 17th century alternate Earth. The genre is science fiction and the science is sociology – because the plots all weave around the impact of the two groups upon one another – as seen through Gisel’s turbulent career.

I also have a fantasy called Rast under contract. It has a clash between a magic kingdom and a mechanistic group of empire builders. It’s somewhat of a satire on materialism and somewhat an allegory stemming from my indoctrination in imperialism through my childhood in 40s and 50s Britain. The characters include a prince who must become a sorcerer-king, his sweetheart who must fight for her right to marry him, a militaristic bully, and a deadly magic that eventually destroys its practitioners.

How do you decide on that topic or genre?

I’ve tried writing about real world experiences in oil exploration, but everything comes out either dull and boring or ludicrously exaggerated, so the novels that work best for me are all some form of speculative fiction.

How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track?

When have I ever been on track? I have two novels going at once, I also do my volunteer work as well as the odd survey job, like locating and marking a new fence line for a property standing on its end on the side of a couple of mountains. I’m taking up meditation again – partly because one novel depicts it extensively and partly to centre myself more securely in this chaotic world.

Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?

Gee, I hope I’m writing to at least break even. A way to go on that, yet. I write because I cannot not write. Sometimes I get away from writing into some other business or activity, but I always find myself obsessed with stories and have to write them.

What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used?

I’ve done a few readings and book signings. I haven’t done a real audit on the financial details but I don’t think the time spent or the fuel used to get there have been repaid by the resulting book sales. I guess one has to write off the time and cost as necessary exposure, but I don’t intend to do very much more.

What are some unique methods of marketing you have used?

I have joined almost all of the online social networking sites and then participate in groups – mostly, but not all connected with reading and books. I don’t yet know how many sales have followed from this, but I feel I can connect with more potential readers online than I ever could in the sparsely populated area where I live.

Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not?

Not a website of my own, my publisher’s website has more traffic than mine ever could. In addition my books are also available from Amazon as paperbacks and Kindle editions. You can locate all of them through my author page on Double Dragon –
http://www.double_dragon_ebooks.com/eAuthor.php?Name=Christopher%20Hoare

Where can people order your books?

The links on Amazon are; Deadly Enterprise
http://tinyurl.com/yryhs7

http://tinyurl.com/35rlrz

The Wildcat’s Victory
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554045398

What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc?

From Double dragon and Fictionwise they can be downloaded in e-book formats; they are available from Amazon as POD paperbacks and Kindle downloads.

Will you write more books?

Until the pallbearers carry me away.

What do you have in the works now?

I have a SF novel about a professor of cybernetics who is now abbot of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery that explores some new aspects of space travel, and another story in the Iskander series where Gisel is the military governor of a city filled with spies and rebellion.

What does the future hold for you and your books?

I’m hoping for a steady increase in readership as my list of novels increases. I anticipate publishing many more novels with e-book publishers because the titles remain available years longer than would any new author’s works published conventionally and sold through bookstores.

What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books?

I bu
gged my publisher at Double Dragon until he agreed to place my POD paperbacks with Lightning Source, which simultaneously makes them available as online orders from Amazon and available to bookstores through Ingram. This gives me the opportunity to promote in many available formats.

What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books?

So far, it’s been to place copies in local stores that are not dedicated booksellers. While it may have been one more way to place the books before the public, most of the copies in such venues were bought while I was actually present in the stores, either book signing or speaking with the proprietor.

This interview was done in conjunction with Nikki Leigh. For more information, visit – www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

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