**Interview!!YAY!

So the reason I started these interviews was to get to know the habits and journeys of other writers. Here is Lee Jacobus, who has published a book of short stories, and his newest novel Crown Island.
Firstly can you tell us a little bit about your novel ‘Crown Island' ?

Crown Island, the most beautiful of the Granite Islands ranging out from Quarrytown, a harbor community in Connecticut, is the magical world of Marie Wainwright and Peter Chello. Their love defies their differences in class, status, age, and culture. They are fated by the Gods to follow a challenging path. While married to others, they keep their love alive for thirty years. Marie, a famous writer who has always lived on Crown Island, brings a world of knowledge to Peter, while Peter brings the muse back to her after the loss of her family in a boating accident. Marie's novels become celebrated and Peter, an artistic stonemason and builder, discovers a richness in life that could never have been his had he not fallen in love with Marie. His path leads him to an understanding of how to share the gifts of love and life that he receives from his Idyll on Crown Island while staying true to his roots and his affection for Quarrytown. An adult story in an adult novel.
What is your writing background up until now?
I published quite a bit of poetry and many short stories when I was in my twenties and thirties, and in my forties I had several plays produced in showcase settings in NYC and NJ. I have published a number of scholarly books and university level textbooks with major publishers such as McGraw-Hill, St. Martins Press, Bedford Books, Oxford UP, and others.
What inspired your idea for your currently published novel?
Primarily an affection for the Connecticut harbor community that is the setting for my book. I lived in or next to it for more than 20 years. The Jamesian “germ” of the novel, though, was the vision of a woman standing on one of the islands looking out to sea one summer evening. From that everything else seemed to spring.
Do you have any specific daily writing routines you stick to?
Yes, it is essential to write every day. I set myself a minimum and maximum number of pages: never fewer than two; never more than five.
So now that you have published ‘Crown Island ’ are you planning a next novel we should be looking forward to?
Yes, “Crown Island” is the first of a series of Quarrytown Novels. Its subject is romantic love and the social context of Quarryton. The next, “An Alligator Ministry,” is essentially a comic novel whose basic theme is religion. A part-Seminole preacher comes into town and sets up his alligator ministry, which then polarizes Quarrytown. The third book is “Sins of the Fathers,” which examines a university professor’s painful relationship with his father, who felt he had made all the wrong choices in his life. Indirectly, one of the issues of the book is the significance of real estate and conducting a business, as opposed to choosing a life of the mind.
After you completed ‘Crown Island ' how difficult was it for you to land an agent?
Extremely difficult. I tried more than 50 agents and while some were interested, none felt that they could make any money with the book. It doesn’t have that commercial dazzle one needs in the first 10 pages. Only three agents asked to see the first three chapters.
The moment you got a positive reply with an offer for representation, what were your initial thoughts? I never got one from an agent. However, I had sent another book, “Volcanic Jesus: Hawaiian Tales,” to a major press and got a quick positive response. The Editor asked to see the novel I was working on, Crown Island, and helped me reshape some of the beginning of the novel and things looked great, but she left the house and no other editor there wanted the book. My original editor essentially disappeared.
How many rejections did it take for you to finally land that agent?
As I said, at least 50 and probably more.
Would you have any advice for aspiring writers?
First, write every day. Second, be sure to read constantly, especially the work of important writers. Read Publishers Weekly, Poets and Writers, but center yourself in the kind of writing you respect most. Then, before you query an agent, have your book professionally edited. After that, go online to an agency and see what the recommendations are for preparing a prospectus for your book.
Would you have done anything differently?
As it is, I along with three other published writers, formed an artists’ co-operative press, Hammonasset House Books, and then learned how to produce our books, get them up on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and other online sellers, and also with Ingram, the largest book wholesaler in the country. We learned more than most writers do about the business of publishing. Some very prominent well published writers are following this path because they have been rejected by their own publishers on the basis of slack sales. It’s tough out there. The basic point is that we now know we can get our books out to the public and that we have complete control over design and editorial issues. And our books will be in print as long as we wish. At this moment they are moving onto the Kindle, and we are learning how to market our books online.

Thanks so much for your interview! I agree, that the key is to keep writing and keep trying. You can visit Lee's website and blog, make sure to leave a comment and follow. Have an awesome day!!!

**Interview with Piero Rivolta Novelist/Poet**

Hello Guys! I am posting allot today but it's needed and I am not going to delay the interview with another great writer and poet...Piero Rivolta who's debut novel was originally written in Italien, wow. Firstly can you tell us a little bit about your novel ‘The Castaway’?

It’s a journey of two characters, one a Jesuit priest with a complicated love life behind him and a former Wall Street businessman now living in Sarasota, Florida, whose story of true love was impacted by the tragic events of September 11th. Both trapped in time find redemption in a new land – the Yucatan – and a new sense of what earthly existence is all about in their admiration for the same woman. Though this shared sentiment, they not only renew their taste for life, but achieve oneness with God and his grace.
What is your writing background up until now?
I have been a writer and poet all my life, despite a business career that has included making luxury sport cars in Italy, raising race horses, building shopping centers, condos and residential communities, and manufacturing custom-designed yachts and motorboats
What inspired your idea for your currently published novel?
I believe that we must reintroduce poetry into everyday life, follow our intuition, court simplicity and counter the overemphasis on reason and complexity favored by our government, corporations and media.
Do you have any specific daily writing routines you stick to?
No, I go in spurts, depending on my schedule and other commitments.
So now that you have published ‘The Castaway’ are you planning a next novel we should be looking forward to?
I am working on two books of poetry.
After you completed ‘The Castaway’ how difficult was it for you to land an
agent?I don’t have one because I never found one beneficial for me. These days you have to paddle your own canoe.
The moment you got a positive reply with an offer for representation, what
were your initial thoughts?
I hope this person can do the job.
Would you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Enjoy yourself when you write. If you write form the heart with simplicity, you will find somebody that understands your message.
Would you have done anything differently?
Work less, think more for myself, write more, and not be disappointed by the superficiality of the government, media and financial institutions whose shortsightedness extends only to the next day or day after.
Wow, thanks Piero! From doing these interviews I have learned that every writer has an EXTREMELY different and unique journey and so do we all. Some land agents, some don't need to, can't or don't want to. But what I learned firstly and foremost is that there is always a way out there for your book. So guys I am really looking for guest Posters, if you are interested let me know. Tootles for now!

**Interview with the author of the Mobius Striptease**

Woopie! Another interview! I love hearing other's success stories and today we have Carolyn Haley on the blog who decided to publish her book as an E-book. Also my next topic on this blog.
Firstly can you tell us a little bit about your novel?

The Mobius Striptease is a cross-genre story centering on psychic power. It weaves science fiction and romantic suspense around a metaphysical mystery involving star-crossed lovers, whose relationships cause an outbreak of supernatural forces that will unbalance the world if unchecked.

The heroine, who finds herself the centerpiece of the affair, is skeptical about paranormal phenomena. So first she must overcome her disbelief, then figure out how to harness extrasensory powers and restore cosmic balance before the situation explodes. Although the forces manifest through people, creating a good-versus-evil drama, the underlying story is about positive and negative energies and their long-term, rippling effects.
What is your writing background up until now?
I’ve been writing since I could hold a pen. In early life, I wrote diaries and journals and did a lot of art. These morphed into novella-length teenage fantasies. I was on course for a career in illustration and graphic novels, but the combination of college, working lousy office jobs, and shared living arrangements took away the time, privacy, and will needed to sustain my art. So I channeled my energies into writing, aided by the arrival of computers. Since that turning, I’ve become a professional writer and editor -- and hope to stay on that path.
What inspired your idea for your current novel?
Two unanswerable questions bothered me: Do supernatural phenomena truly exist? and, What would I do if something supernatural actually happened to me?
Do you have any specific daily writing routines you stick to?
No routines, because I work as a freelancer, so every day is different. But I do write daily, mainly correspondence and mini-essays via forums and e-mail. Every second or third week, I compose an entry for my blog. All my commercial writing is driven by client schedules, and all personal projects are worked on when opportunity allows.
However, plots and concepts are always evolving in my head, and I consider that writing. I try to do creative work in the mornings when fresh, or the evenings when too tired to analyze. Regardless of timing, I first do a bad rough draft, then step away for a while, then return as often as necessary to revise and polish.
Why did you choose the E-book route rather than traditional publishing?
I took a hard took at reality and concluded that my novel doesn’t meet today’s publishing criteria. If you self-publish or vanity-publish, you can put out anything; but if you wish to be published by a commercial entity, then your book must have the potential to earn money. In general this means either something with mass appeal (ideally, a blockbuster) or genre appeal, so that an established audience will snap it up, talk about it, then stand in line for the next one.
The Mobius Striptease, as a hybrid, appeals to a small number of readers across several genres, so it can’t be vertically marketed. It’s also too esoteric to be a best-seller. I don’t have enough stories in me to pump out fast enough to build a genre audience. My choice, then, was to consign the book to the dustbin or find another means of reaching an eclectic audience.
My ego couldn’t accept vanity-publishing, and my pocketbook couldn’t handle self-publishing. That left e-publishing -- which, by the time I faced facts, was building up steam and opening new doors.
I had to be careful, though, because e-publishing is still so young that it lacks many of the quality controls that define traditional publishing. As yet, no brand-name, big-respect e-leader has emerged. Contracts, unusually unagented, are full of pitfalls. So I spent hours on the Internet, learning the players and the rules.
I compiled a list of e-publishers, then cross-referenced it to “writer beware” websites and any reviews or interviews I could find. That produced a (very) short list of candidates, at the top of which was Club Lighthouse Publishing in Toronto. This company publishes all the genres my book covers; lists its titles through major e-book outlets; offers a competitive royalty rate; and takes electronic rights only, for a limited number of years, leaving me free to pursue a print option. I also liked the editor's art portfolio, which offered the prospect of a good cover.All that homework paid off. Club Lighthouse accepted my manuscript and released it in December 2009 -- with a nice, zorchy cover!
How different do you think is the process in getting an E-book published vs. a hard back novel?The process is the same: study the market, compose a good query package, and keep submitting until somebody accepts. The difference lies in how easily the process goes, and how long it might take.
E-publishing has fewer gatekeepers, sometimes lower standards, and quicker response time. You can usually submit directly to the publisher, and often send the whole book on first contact. This combination is rare with print publishers, for which you usually need an agent. The query/response cycle can take weeks, months, even years and often requires installment submissions of query, synopsis, sample chapters, partial manuscript, full manuscript, in varying combinations.
The publishing industry is understaffed yet overwhelmed with submissions; meanwhile, the print marketplace is tightening. So the chances of publishing a first novel in hardback are akin to winning the lottery, unless you’ve got one of those blockbusters or genre-fitters mentioned above.
For your non fiction novel how many rejections did it take for you to finally land that agent?
Neither of my books required an agent, so I don’t have one. My attempts to land an agent for the novel, prior to switching to e-publishing, accrued dozens of rejections over 20-plus years.
Would you have any advice for aspiring writers?
It’s a two-sided equation. Nothing can happen without a finished manuscript, so you must (1) park butt in chair and write; and (2) understand your publishing options and their requirements. This is also twofold: You can (a) decide where you have the best chance of success, and write the sort of book that will take you there; or (b) write your book from the heart, then do the legwork needed to find its proper home. In either case, the name of the game is CRAFT. Learn to write well and appropriately for your market.
Would you have done anything differently?
Oh, yes! I wrote my novel backwards, glomming together a bunch of ideas then figuring out how to construct a story. Honing it to commercial standards took decades! Part of that came from not studying craft and market early. I learned everything the hard way and wasted a lot of time. Happily, I now have a better idea how to go about things, so the next book should come together a lot more quickly and easily.

Thanks so much Carolyn for doing this interview and I can't wait to get my hands on your novel! Though I personally have not had any experience with reading e-books...
For now, interested readers can learn about The Mobius Striptease through her page at Author’s Den or you can go ahead and read an additional story excerpt is available through the publisher’s website.

**Interview with Sheila Lowe**

Today we have an interview with a great author, Sheila Lowe who has 4 mystery novels out there.  Firstly can you tell us a little bit about your very first published novel POISON PEN?[SL:] Poison Pen was my first novel, which took seven years to get published. I finished writing it in 2000, entered it in a competition (Southwest Writers), won third place out of 97 entries in mystery, and figured I was on my way! Not. I kept getting rejection letters that were complimentary, except they said, “it’s just not strong enough.” Unfortunately, they failed to tell me what that meant and it was a long time and many drafts later before I understood. Now, I’m happy to say, Last Writes, the fourth book in my Forensic Handwriting Mystery series, will be released July 6. There are sample chapters from each book at www.claudiaroseseries.com
What is your writing background up until now?
          [SL:] My first published book was non-fiction: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Handwriting Analysis came out in 1999. Until then I’d written a lot of technical monographs and articles about handwriting analysis (my avocation since 1967 and later career). A year after the CIG I was contacted by a publisher to write Handwriting of the Famous & Infamous, which is a collection of 75 handwriting samples of well-known people from Galileo to Hillary Clinton, John Lennon, Ted Bundy, etc., etc., and my short analysis of each one.
What inspired your idea for your first (Poison Pen) published novel?
[SL:] I had always wanted to write fiction, but got busy raising 3 kids on my own and making a living, so the desire simmered for a long time on the back burner. Finally, around 1998 I got an idea for the book that became Poison Pen and started writing it. My first two books were best-sellers, but what I didn’t realize was, writing fiction is a whole different story (I know, groaner). I had to learn a whole new craft. What inspired the story was the sudden death of a woman I knew—the type of person you love to hate. She could stab you in the back and smile sweetly while she twisted the knife. Her death was ruled suicide, but nobody who knew her believed it. There were interesting things I knew about her background that lent themselves to a mystery plot. So I borrowed them and twisted them into a story that worked for me, and I began to write.
Why did you decide to expand into a series?
[SL:] I don’t think I deliberately decided to write a series. It was taking so long to get Poison Pen sold that I just started writing another story featuring Claudia Rose, my handwriting expert protagonist. When those two were sold, it seemed to follow that I would write more.
Do you have any specific daily writing routines you stick to?
[SL:] Yeah: email, email, email, all day long. Other than that, when I’m under a deadline I make sure I write a thousand new words a day after editing the work from the day before. It sounds like a lot, but it really isn’t, and being able to look at the word count helps push me forward.
So now that you have published are you planning any more novels that we should be looking forward to?
[SL:] I’m now working on a standalone mystery thriller, but Claudia will have a cameo role. Then I hope to write more Claudia stories.
After you completed your first novel that you published how difficult was it for you to land an agent?
[SL:] I didn’t have an agent to publish Poison Pen. After being unable to get it published after all those years (during which I paid a couple of independent editors to critique it and formed a critique group myself), I had an opportunity to show it to a small startup press. They liked it and had me send it to their editor. Finally, I learned what it meant for the writing to be “weak.” The editor, Ellen Larson, showed me where Claudia could be a stronger protagonist, and—very important—I learned to cut out most adverbs (“ly” words). Choosing a few strong verbs makes for better storytelling. When Poison Pen came out with Capital Crime Press, it got a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly, which was really, really cool, and led to Penguin making an offer for a two book deal. Then I got an agent. After that, I got another two book deal.
The moment you got a positive reply with an offer for representation, what were your initial thoughts?
[SL:] As I’ve said, I sold my first several books without an agent, but let me backtrack. During the time I was being rejected, I went through four different agents, none with well-known names and for good reason. When I finally got represented by an agent with a good reputation, I was very excited and hopeful. Sadly, that didn’t turn out as well as I’d hope, as it turned out that we had a different vision for the next couple of books that I plan to write.
How many rejections did it take for you to finally land that agent?
[SL:] I don’t even know. Maybe 20? And again—it wasn’t an agent who sold the first book.
Would you have any advice for aspiring writers?
[SL:] Yes, even though you want to be published by a big house, give some of the small presses a chance. And understand that getting published is only the beginning of the process. Even if you have a major publisher you will be expected to do most of your own PR and pay for it. No one will tell you that you have to do this or that, but if you don’t promote your own books, they aren’t going to sell, and then it’s a downward spiral. There’s tons of competition, so being aware of that from the beginning, and knowing that you will need some financial resources, even if you get an advance, can help you prepare. And, by the way, most authors these days get very small advances, if any. And one surprise I got when I signed with the big publisher was, the advance doesn’t come in a lump sum. You’ll get some of it on signing the contract, some more when you’ve delivered the manuscript and the publisher accepts it, and the final payment after the book is on the market. Sounds discouraging as I write this, but really, it’s better to be realistic.
Are you still with the same agent that you first landed?
[SL:] See above. Right now I’m talking with a very good agency and hope we go forward together. Everyone, wish me well!
Would you have done anything differently?
[SL:] I don’t know what I could have done differently. It just took me a long time to learn some of the lessons I evidently needed to learn. And really, it’s a process that continues over your career. What I’ve found is, from time to time I suddenly realize that my writing has reached a new level. And it’s still happening. Those moments feel really great.
Good writing!

Well, thank you so much to Sheila for doing this interview and good luck to her with finding the perfect agent! You can check out er site here: http://www.claudiaroseseries.com/

Happy Blogging!

Interview with Janice Hardy - The Shifter

Today I am posting an interview with Janice Hardy. She is the author of THE SHIFTER which is a very cool supernatural novel which has a sequel that will be out soon. Today she will tell us a little bit about her novel which you can purchase here and her journey to publication. Firstly can you tell us a little bit about THE SHIFTER?

THE SHIFTER is an adventure fantasy about Nya, a war orphan with the unique ability to heal by shifting pain from person to person. When her younger sister disappears, this ability turns out to be the only weapon she has to save her. She risks exposing her secret to the enemy forces occupying her city, because if they catch her, they'll use her as a weapon against her own people.
That sounds very intriguing! What is your writing background up until now?

I've always written, though I've never really published anything before the book. A couple of short stories in magazines no one ever heard of, but that's all.

What inspired your idea for THE SHIFTER? Years ago I was playing with common fantasy ideas, turning them on their heads to see if I could find a new angle on them. I started thinking about healing, and how healing rarely has consequences. That got me thinking about the darker side of healing, and how you might take something usually good, and make it evil. That led to the idea of buying and selling pain, and I began world building just to understand this world and these people. The story developed from there.
Why did you decide to expand into a series?
Originally it was a stand alone book, but as the story developed I saw that Nya's sister's disappearance was only a smart part of what was really going on, and there was a much bigger story lurking there. I made notes about the other books, but didn't write them since I had no idea if I'd sell the first book. My agent asked for synopses of books two and three when she was submitting, so I worked out some general plots based on my notes. I guess the real decision to expand it was when my editor said she'd buy all three (grin).
Do you have any specific daily writing routines you stick to?
When I'm on deadline I usually write every morning, since my most creative hours are between 7am and noon. But ideally, I like to write a few days in a row, then take a few days off so I don't get burnt out. When I have to write every day for a few weeks in a row, I don't want to be anywhere near a keyboard.
So now that you have published THE SHIFTER are you planning any more novels that we should be looking forward to?
Book two, BLUE FIRE comes out October 5, 2010. The third and last book of the series comes out October 2011. After that, I have five ideas fighting to be next, but the winner is most likely going to be a YA supernatural thriller I had 60% written when THE SHIFTER sold. It got set aside so I could write the next two books in the trilogy.
After you completed your first novel that you published how difficult was it for you to land an agent?
Remarkably easy. I sent out seven queries, and had one in-person pitch appointment (I attended a conference the same time I sent out the queries). I received four manuscript requests and three offers of representation. I went from pitch to signing with my agent in ten days. Had I not had three other books I couldn't sell, I'd have thought this whole writing thing was easy, but I knew better. It took a lot of work to finally get to this point.
You must have had a stellar query to get such great results! The moment you got a positive reply with an offer for representation, what were your initial thoughts?
Holy $%#@! over and over. Then I had to remind myself to breathe. Once I got myself under control, I remembered all the advice about contacting other agents who had your work, thinking over which you'd like to sign with, asking questions and all the things you're supposed to do. All three offers were from great agents, so I was lucky, but it was a hard choice. Maybe harder because they were all so good.
How many rejections did it take for you to finally land that agent?
For THE SHIFTER? Three. (one form reject, one "not for me but I'm sure you'll sell this," and one no repose). Oh wait, four, because one agent who asked for the full passed. But before this, about 60 on other books. Up until THE SHIFTER, I'd never even gotten a full request before, and had very few partial requests. In fact, my eventual agent turned me down before this book. Twice.
Would you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Write a lot, read a lot, and learn what makes both a great story and a great book. Don't rush, and take the time to sharper your skills, because you'll need them to make it. And don't give up. It's common for your third or fourth book to be the one that sells, so if one book doesn't land anywhere, write another and try again.
Are you still with the same agent that you first landed?
Yeppers. Agent Kristin Nelson. She's fantastic.
Would you have done anything differently?
I don't think so. I made my mistakes on the first three books, so by the time I had the "right" book I was ready.

Well Janice, thank you so much for your time and your interview. I wish you luck with the next installments and will get around to read your novel which sounds really cool!
Check out and follow Janice's blog here (she shares lots of great advice for writers here) and visit her site here.

Interview with Margay Justice Author of Nora's Soul

So the first interview on my blog will be with Margay an author published with a small press that has a novel out called 'Nora's soul'.
Firstly Margay,  can you tell us a little bit about your novel ‘Nora's Soul’?
Sure, here is the blurb from the book:
When angels of light and dark collide on earth…
Once he held a favored position in the heavens. But one moment of weakness casts Dante out and now he is cursed to walk the earth, collecting the souls of vulnerable women to buy his way into hell.
All hell breaks loose…
But standing in his way is Peter, an angel of light. Peter is everything Dante is not. Pure, above reproach. And determined to prevent Dante from achieving his goals. Peter will stop at nothing to protect the souls in his charge, even if it means achieving the impossible – leading Dante back onto the right path. And no one is safe from the fall-out. Nora Kendall believed in angels. Once. But then she lost her brother to cancer despite all of her prayers – and she lost her faith in all things angelic. Now, she is a lost soul who wanders through life like a sleepwalker, playing it safe and leaving the risk-taking to others. Kyle Cameron is one of those risks. Burned by a bad marriage, his only concern now is providing a stable life for his children, who are left motherless by the unexpected death of his wife. This means working overtime to grow his architectural firm into a viable business – and leaving the care of his children to the care of someone he trusts. Despite his past connection with Nora, Kyle isn’t certain that she’s the right person for the job. He also doesn’t want to reconnect with her and repeat history. But fate – and the machinations of two angels – has other ideas.
That sounds very interesting, what is your writing background up until now?
I have always pursued my writing dream, even as I worked through corporate America and have won some local contests for my writing along the way. Just before the publication of Nora's Soul, I entered the blogosphere with my own blog and have since expanded to writing for a few more, including Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem and Pop Syndicate. You can visit Margays blog here.
What inspired your idea for your currently published novel?
It actually came from two dreams I had in one night. The first was of this woman who was dancing the night away with a gorgeous man who, when she turned away to go to the bar for a drink, became quite...devilish. The second dream was of the same women, dressed in a more prim and proper way, moving into a garage apartment as she prepared to take on the duties of being nanny to a widower's twins. Separately, these dreams wouldn't have caused such a stir in me, but because they happened in the same night and with the same woman in them, I knew I had to explore them further. Who was she? And why did she present two such different sides to me? The result, of course, was Nora's Soul.
Do you have any specific daily writing routines you stick to?
I wish I could say that I did, but I don't. I write whenever I can. No set time, no set word limit. Just whatever comes before the body says it's time to quit for the night.
So now that you have published ‘Nora’s Soul’ are you planning a next novel we should be looking forward to?
I have so many books in the works and/or in various stages of the submission process! There is one with an editor now that I am waiting to hear about, cross my fingers!
After you completed ‘Nora’s Soul’ how difficult was it for you to land an agent?
I actually am still on the hunt for an agent. This is challenging because it takes time and perseverance to find an agent that likes your work and wants to represent you. I was actually published by a small press.
The moment you got a positive reply with an offer for representation, what were your initial thoughts?
Since I haven't got an agent yet, I can't answer that, but I can tell you that it was thrilling to get that email from the small press publisher telling me that he wanted to publish my book. I think my first thought was, "Finally!" I had been trying, with varying degrees of success, for many years to get published/find an agent, so this was just thrilling for me to know that I'd finally see my words in print.
How many rejections did it take for you to finally land that agent?
I am still getting rejections! I never counted, but it's safe to say that they are pushing the double digits.
Would you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Never stop honing your craft. Even when you think you know what you're doing, someone will come along and criticize your use of grammar, syntax, etc. So take those classes, rewrite those manuscripts, and get someone you trust to read them and give their input. And write.
Would you have done anything differently?
I think the one thing I would have done differently is to keep on going the first time I received a rejection, rather than not sending the book out to someone else. I let those first rejections get to me too much; I let them shake my confidence in my ability to write and it took awhile before I was brave enough to try again.

Thanks so much to Margay for doing this intreviw and sharing about her novel with us! You can check out her site at: http://margayleahjustice.com/ and if you would like to know more about her and Noar's soul click here.