How long have you been writing for and how much of that time have you spent writing fiction?
I have been writing novels for 16 years. I have a Ph.D. in anthropology, which means I wrote non-fiction for decades before that.
What’s the average word count for the books you write and how long does it take you to write your average book?
80,000 words; it takes me roughly six-eight months to write a book, from the first sentence of the first chapter to publication.
What is your writing routine (Do you have a daily word count goal? Do you write whenever the spirit moves you?)
My goal is to write 1000 words a day. I write every morning if I can, and struggle to take vacations 🙂
How much do you research for a book before you start writing?
How much research I do really depends on which series I’m writing. I tend to begin with an idea–a scene, or a moment in time–and then starting crafting the story around it. I think as I write–and I think by writing–so I tend to do my research on the fly, as needed for the particular moment in the story.
What do you find most difficult about writing a book?
Editing, probably. I love what I call ‘writing new’, and sometimes when that main process is over, I get bogged down in editing draft after draft, searching for perfection.
Which of your books are you most proud of and why?
Oh gosh, I think all of my books are special in their own way. Some books were easy to write, and I love them for that. And some books were painful to write, and I am proud of myself for finishing them in a way that people can’t tell the difference. I think Crouchback, the first book in my Welsh Guard Mysteries is the one I’m currently most ‘proud’ of, because I wrote it as my mother was dying of cancer, so there’s so much of me in it. But I am also proud of books where I did something I didn’t know I could do. That includes the last three books in the After Cilmeri series. And when it comes down to it, I have to be proud of the first book I ever wrote to completion, Footsteps in Time.
Which of your books was the most difficult to write and why?
(see above 🙂 )
Which self-publishing platform do you like the most and why?
I love Kobo. They are such great people and you can actually talk to them. They appear to actually care! D2D, the distributor, does too.
Would you publish with a traditional publisher if they contacted you? Why?
They would have to offer me a lot of money. Like a lot. I’ve sold over a million novels on my own. It would be hard to give up my autonomy for that level of bureaucracy.
How many unfinished or unpublished works do you have?
I have one book, my actual first novel, which was bad in the way I think a lot of first novels are bad. It lies in the recesses of my laptop, never to see the light of day. I have dozens of possible novels, from as few as 500 words to 20,000–ideas that just didn’t work.
Do you prefer creating stand-alone books or series?
Series, for sure. That’s partially because it is so difficult to have a career as an indie author without writing series.
What’s one character you wish you would have created? What do you find compelling or interesting about this character?
My favorite book of all time is Dune (just the first book, the later books in the series don’t exist for me). So that would be Paul.
What book do you wish you would have written? Why?
My second favorite book is Sherwood, by Parke Godwin. It’s out of print, but just by far the best Robin Hood book ever written. It’s magic.
Do you find it challenging to write characters of a different gender, race, or culture than you? Do you do any special research for these characters?
I’m an anthropologist, so I consider it my job to effectively take medieval Wales and translate that world for a modern audience. So … some characters are more challenging to write than others, but it isn’t because of their gender, race, or culture.
What does success as a writer look like for you?
Having people read my books and love them.
Writing can be a lonely job. Do you take any special steps to ensure you remain part of the world?
My husband quit his job in 2014 to work with me, so I am not alone all day. My youngest son is heading to college in the fall, so that means we’ll be more alone–and of course the pandemic made that all the harder. I have a writer community online that I connect with often, and I live in a small town, so I have a wide community of people I can talk to in person. It’s necessary!
Constantly sitting and writing can be physically debilitating. How do you take care of yourself, physically?
My husband and I walk every day, usually between 4 and 6 miles. Ten years ago, I had sciatica really badly and bought a standing desk and a very expensive drafting chair, so I can change position often, standing or sitting, plus I try not to sit for too long in general.
Do you read your reviews? How do you deal with bad ones?
I swear I am not going to read my reviews, and sometimes I go down that rabbit hole. It’s bad for me, so I try not to. Because you really can’t deal with the bad ones except to think that they say more about the person who wrote it than your book.
What books have you read that were particularly inspiring?
(see above!) But as far as writer books go, I think Stephen King’s “On Writing” is excellent.
Do you have a favourite author? A favourite book?
(see above!)
Do you plot your stories in great detail before starting to write, or fly by the seat of your pants?
I don’t plot a lot. It’s usually good to know the ending before I start, but I often change it too as I go along. I started out as a total pantster, shifted to plotting more, and now I am back to pantsing it. I guess the answer is, “it depends”. But really, the joy for me comes in discovery, which happens while writing. Plotting out every detail in a lengthy outline is boring for me, so I feel like it would make it boring for the reader too.
Of all the characters in your stories, which is your favourite?
Bleh. I have no idea. I love my heroes and heroines. I love some of my antagonists too. Sometimes the ones I love the most are the ones who play both sides against the middle. Humphrey de Bohun is one. He is 16 years old in Daughter of Time, trying to do the right thing. By Prince of Time, he is a grown, man, mercenary and borderline evil; and the next ten books could be viewed as having a sub-theme of “The Redemption of Humphrey de Bohun”.
Have you based any characters on real people? If they found out, how did they respond?
I write about plenty of real people. They all happen to be dead. Writing in the past has its advantages! As to modeling a character on a real person, I take what I know and who I know, but not directly usually. The exception would be if it is a minor character who plays a small role–and then only if the portrayal is complimentary.
What’s the best thing about being an independent author? The worst?
The best thing is the ability to do your own thing, as you see fit, on your own schedule. It’s also the worst because sometimes you don’t know enough, or make mistakes, or work too much because it’s all on you.
Do you make a living selling your books?
Yes
What advice would you give to a new author?
Don’t publish your first book. Even if you do, don’t be afraid to edit it, again and again, as you learn more. At the very least, write three books before you publish the first one because you will learn so much–the learning curve initially is very steep.
