PPWC 2014 Q&A - Kimberly Killion

Kimberly Killion, Author

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author?

When I read "the end" for the fifteenth time of Julie Garwood's THE GIFT, I decided I wanted to write something that made people's heart hurt.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

Sex and coffee, not necessarily in that order or at the same time. :-)

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

King Richard. I would like to know if he really killed his nephews.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

Hmmm…perhaps Mohave Nights, but I can't share the experience. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. :-P

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

Buttercup from The Powerpuff Girls because she's a badass with cool hair.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

Perseverance. It's a long and painful road, but it's totally worth it in the end.

About the Author: Award-winning author, Kimberly Killion, has been hailed by Romantic Times Magazine as an author who writes “captivating romance with excellent pacing and characters who are honorable, intelligent and full of humanity.” Her debut book, Her One Desire (Kensington 2008), was nominated for the romance-publishing industry’s highest award of distinction, the RITA® Award. Her One Desire won the 2009 Booksellers Best Award for both Long Historical and Best First Book. Romantic Times Magazine awarded Kimberly’s second Scottish-set novel, Highland Dragon (Kensington 2009), with the K.I.S.S. Award. Aside from writing, Killion is also the owner of Hot Damn Designs. With 20+ years of experience in marketing, communications and design, Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a Certificate in Web Design, and is an Adobe Certified Expert. She has designed over 2,000 book covers but she also does website design, promotional material and branding – and has recently started photographing her own Stock Images for Hot Damn/ The Killion Group.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Deb Courtney

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author?

I wrote my first short story when I was about 7. I have always been a word person. I became a small publisher when I realized I could put my professional background in marketing, project management, publication management/editing and journalism all to work in a way that would work well in the rapidly changing publishing arena.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

I need an internet connection AND a computer AND a cool notebook AND a pen with the perfect width, heft and ink flow. My creative vice is liking repetition too much. I am overly fond of repetition, and like to repeat myself for emphasis as a literary tool. A lot. Repeatedly.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

Shakespeare. He was the genre writer of his time and yet his works have clearly stood the test of time. I'd like to understand the difference between what he intended to do, and what he actually accomplished, and how he feels about it.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

I read the first page of my own work-in-progress out loud and was met with stunned silence. I assumed it was because it was awful, and was surprised to get a super enthusiastic response, especially in light of having used the F-word maybe 4 times in that first page. That's me, swearing in public since the late 1970s.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

Jessica Rabbit. Slightly conniving, surprisingly intelligent, with a true love of revealing clothing and stilettos.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

That writing the number of words that constitutes a full manuscript isn't enough. When you hit 80,000 or so words what you have is a perfectly square block of marble, a starting point. The talent is in carving away the excess and refining that block into its true essence, doing the hard work until you reveal the work of art inside.

About the Author: Deb holds a degree in Fiction from the University of South Florida, where she was a Saunders Scholar in Fiction. She has had numerous short stories published and has worked as a freelance journalist. Her background includes marketing and public relations in several business sectors. Her most recent venture is Courtney Literary.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Carol Berg

Carol Berg, Author

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author?

When I started typing my first letter 'in character' to a friend, after a lifetime of believing I couldn't make up a story.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

Bigelow's Raspberry Royale tea.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

Edith Pargeter (aka Ellis Peters). She was self-educated, found her biggest success late, and wrote the best villain I've ever read.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

I almost didn't walk in to the pitch session with the editor who bought my first eight books, because I was convinced she didn't like the two pages I'd read.

or

Sitting (terrified) on a convention panel in Scotland with two very famous authors and the head of the Vatican Observatory, and after surviving it in decent order, being swarmed by the entire front row. They turned out to be my Israeli publisher, Hebrew translator, and their friends, none of whom I had met before.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

Maybe Dory in Finding Nemo. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, even if you're a little bonkers.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

Two things. It involves a lot of hard thinking. And often the success you find is not at all what you expected.

About the Author: Though a devoted reader, Carol Berg majored in mathematics at Rice University and computer science at the University of Colorado, so she wouldn’t have to write papers. Somewhere in the middle of a software engineering career, she started writing for fun, and the habit ate her life. Carol’s thirteen epic fantasy novels have won national and international awards, including multiple Colorado Book Awards and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature. They’ve been read, so readers tell her, on five continents, on a submarine under the Mediterranean, in the war zone of Iraq, and on the slopes of Denali. Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews called her Novels of the Collegia Magica things like compelling, intelligent, complex, and superbly realized. The latest is The Daemon Prism. Next up is a new fantasy/mystery duology about a sorcerer who draws portraits of the dead. First volume, Dust and Light, will be out from Roc Books in August 2014. Carol camps, hikes, and bikes in Colorado and lives on the internet at http://www.carolberg.com.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Kerrie Flanagan

Kerrie Flanagan, Author

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author?

I am not someone who knew from a young age that I wanted to be writer. It wasn't until after college that I even thought about becoming a writer and even then it was more out of necessity. I was teaching 2nd grade at the time and I wanted to find a creative way to teach my students about using a comma in a list. So I created a story and made it into a book to read to them. It started the writing wheels in motion and I wanted to learn more about writing and publishing. I found a critique group, self-published my book and eventually started writing for magazines.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

I need my computer to work. I can write out notes and ideas longhand, but to put everything together, I need to be able type it all out on my computer.

For many literary greats, having a creative vice almost seemed expected. For me though, not so much. If I try to drink while writing I will fall asleep (it doesn't mean I won't drink after, just not during). I don't smoke and I am not much of a coffee drinker. I do love tea when I am writing, but in the true sense of the word, it isn't really a vice. I've never heard of tea being considered a bad habit or something that will lead to an early demise.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

I would revive Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her books were a huge part of my childhood and now I have a huge amount of respect for her as a writer. The fact that her writing career didn't start until she was 65, is pretty amazing to me.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

Early in my writing life I attended PPWC. It is a conference I will never forget because I made a complete fool of myself during a pitch session with a literary agent (who shall remain nameless). I had co-written a book with a friend and she pitched the idea to an agent first. The agent said the idea wasn't bad, but she didn't think it was a good fit for her. My friend and I panicked and changed the whole concept of the book before I went to my pitch session. I started with, "I am sure you won't want this book because *** didn't like the idea." I rambled for another minute or two until there was nothing but silence between us. I excused myself, leaving a four minute time-slot for another author to pitch. I was mortified and learned many valuable lessons. Don't change the concept of your book right before pitching. Be prepared. Speak from the heart; agents are looking for well-written stories and the more you can convey that through your own excitement of your work, the better chance you will have in finding representation.

5. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

The road to success does not happen overnight, even though it might seem like that for some authors. The successful authors are the ones who take their role as a writers seriously, devote time to their craft and who don't give up. Many talented writers are never discovered because they didn't put in the hard work and time needed to finally reach that level of success they aspired to. Writing success can be in your future with enough drive, determination and of course good writing skills.

About the Author: Kerrie Flanagan is the Director of Northern Colorado Writers, a writing consultant and a freelance writer. Over the past decade she has published articles in national and regional publications and enjoyed two years as a contributing editor for Journey magazine. She has articles in the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents, as well as the 2012, 2013 and the 2014 Writer’s Markets, Writer’s Digest Magazine and The Writer. She was a frequent contributor for WOW! Women on Writing, is the author of Plane, Trains and Chuck & Eddie and has five of stories published in various Chicken Soup for The Soul books. Along with her own writing, she is passionate about helping other writers achieve success.

www.KerrieFlanagan.com

www.NorthernColoradoWriters.com

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Gordon Warnock

Gordon Warnock, Agent, Foreword Literary

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an agent? 

There was a moment when I started falling in love with manuscripts and realized that this was something I could make happen

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

Authors.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

I think Borges would be a hoot.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

Hanging out with R.L. Stine was a bit of a moment, having grown up in the Goosebumps generation.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

I asked, and they said Archer. No idea why.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads.

About the Agent: Gordon Warnock is a founding partner at Foreword Literary, bringing years of experience as a senior literary agent, marketing director and editor for independent publishers, freelance publishing consultant, and college-level writing tutor. He frequently teaches workshops and gives keynote speeches at conferences and MFA programs nationwide. He is an honors graduate of CSUS with a B.A. in Creative and Professional Writing. Gordon is taking pitches for nonfiction, fiction, and graphic novels for adults, NA, and YA.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Pete Klismet

Pete Klismet, Author/Expert

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author?

I had so many experiences in 30 years in law enforcement, and had read some books by former law enforcement officers that made me think “I can write as well as he can.” It was a long process, but I finally found the impetus - a case I’d done a profile on almost 30 years ago in which 6 innocent people were convicted, and wouldn’t have been if only they had paid attention to the profile I’d done. My first thought was “This story MUST be told,” and that led to my completion of “FBI Diary: Profiles of Evil.” It’s one of several cases in the book.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

I need two things: Privacy and mornings. The creative juices flow for me between about 8 am and 2 pm. My wife has learned to not engage me in conversation when she sees I’m writing.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

He’s not truly a ‘literary figure,’ but Joseph Wambaugh who was a prolific writer of true crime stories and produced such shows as “Police Story,” in the 70’s and 80’s would be my guy. I’m also partial to Ann Rule who does extensive research into her true crime stories.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

I’ve only attended two, the Public Safety Writer’s Ass’n, held in Las Vegas every year. Those have given me so many contacts and friends, plus being critical in getting FBI Diary published, so I think I’ll always be a member. I am really excited about this year’s PPW conference, both as a presenter and attendee. I’ve gotten to know some members and will be thrilled to meet others. I think authors have an immediate bond formed. Sorta' like cops!

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

We just did some internet research on this, including a ‘cartoon character personality test,’ and the only thing that fit me was Tweety Bird. I thought it would be some type of a big cuddly bear, but it turns out Tweety was a perfect fit. Surprise.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

What is success? For me, it was finally getting a book published. That was a life-long dream. But, it involved failure along the way, writer’s block and finally a lot of persistence. It’s going to take some time. I wrote my first book about 30 years ago, and it was an egg. I attended a couple of writer’s workshops and found out ‘how’ to write. I was good at writing narrative police reports, but that didn’t translate into books. I had to learn how to make that paradigm shift.

About the Expert/Author: Thirty years ago, a small cadre of FBI agents were hand-picked by the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) to receive training in what was then a highly-controversial and ground breaking concept, “Psychological Profiling.”  Pete was fortunate enough to have been chosen to become one of the original FBI ‘profilers.’  Before his retirement from the FBI in 1999, Pete received additional training, was temporarily assigned to work with the BSU in Quantico, Virginia, and put that training and experience to work in assisting state, federal and local law enforcement agencies in investigating violent crimes.  Pete served two tours in Vietnam on submarines.  (Submarines in Vietnam?  It’s the title of a chapter in his newly-released, award-winning book “FBI Diary: Profiles of Evil.”)  After completing college in Denver, Pete served as a police officer in Ventura, California for nearly ten years.  During that time, he earned two Master’s degrees from universities in California, and part of a third. He was named the 1999 National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, and retired that year. For the next 13 years, he taught in colleges, and is now retired as a professor emeritus. He and his wife Nancy live in Colorado Springs.  He plans to release ‘a couple more books’ in 2014.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Sarah Peed

Sarah Peed, Editor, Del Rey Spectra & Hydra

1. What was the defining moment that made you realize you wanted to be an editor?  
When I was in 4th grade, I wrote a novella about a Navy captain, based loosely on my grandfather. It was full of adventure and mystery and, as I recall it, one very inconveniently-timed kitchen fire. I was so proud of it that I took it to my teacher and asked her to edit it for me, thus initiating my first real publishing experience. She and I went back-and-forth on the novella, doing major scene reworks and nitpicky line edits, until we agreed that it was in the best shape it could possibly be. I forced friends and family members to read it, and the praise I received was quite heady. I knew from that moment on that I wanted to work with books, and everything I’ve done since then has been working toward that goal. Becoming an editor is a dream come true.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

I always have to listen to music while I’m editing, but it can’t be anything with words. I listen to a lot of Andy McKee, Cloudkicker, and Vitamin String Quartet while I’m working.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

I’d have to go with Jane Austen. I’ve been rereading her books once a year for a long, long time, and the idea of sitting down to tea with Ms. Austen and discussing her works is just overwhelmingly wonderful to me.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

I went to the Del Rey party at San Diego Comic Con last year, and the staff were all dressed as different characters from A Song of Ice and Fire. I ended up sitting next to George R. R. Martin while being served a drink by a Khal Drogo look alike. It was one of the oddest and most hilarious moments at that particular convention.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

Wow, I have no idea. Probably Velma from Scooby Doo; I’m a bookworm who loses my glasses constantly.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

You aren’t going to please everyone, and accepting that will make your life easier. Even the most famous authors were rejected by a ton of agents and publishers, and the most fantastic books all have negative reviews. Try not to take it too personally; you will, of course, but after that initial sting wears off, remember that you’ve written a book that you’re happy with and proud of, and that’s what really matters.

About the Editor: Sarah Peed is an Associate Editor with Del Rey Spectra, and the Acquisitions Editor for Hydra, a division of the Random House Publishing Group. She is looking for fast-paced, character-driven science fiction, fantasy, and horror. She tends toward pieces with a strong voice and dry wit, and she blames The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Good Omens for that.”I’m looking for dark fantasy, supernatural horror, urban fantasy, and post-apocalyptic sci-fi.  I’m not looking for YA submissions, graphic novels, short story collections, or erotica. I’d like to see pieces that fall in either the novella range of 15,000-30,000 words, or in the novel range of 60,000-100,000 words, although those limits are flexible.Stories that are more character-driven and have a strong voice are very appealing. I’m also looking for fast-paced pieces with enough action to keep the reader engaged and enthralled. Witty, dry, and/or dark humor is also appreciated!”

PPWC 2014 Q&A - DeAnna Knippling

DeAnna Knippling, Author/Editor/Designer
Photo copyright 2010 Elya Martino

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author/editor/designer?

Author: It was while I was standing on the surface of the planet Caltrox III, living in the blissful freedom of that terraformed paradise, that I realized that not everybody had the same scope of imagination I did, and I should share it. No, wait, it was right after I cut my thigh- length hair and decided not to be the country western singer Crystal Gayle when I grew up and thus had to do something else.

Editor: You know how you read a book and realize you could write better than that? I became an editor when I realized I could edit better than that. Also, that corporate America will give you a raise if you'll fix their typos.

Designer: Someone told me she'd spent over $5000 to get her book published and was still paying royalties to them. I was like, "No matter how bad I am, that's one fewer person who's getting screwed out of five grand."

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

Generally, I would have to say I cannot work without my brains. Alas, I often can't find them. And so I have been picking off the retired people on my block and taking bits of theirs. I'm not so much a zombie as I am a vampire for brains, you know? The neighbor across the way eventually had to go to the nursing home, which made me feel bad, but that meant her incredibly annoying dog had to go away to her family, which made me feel good. Now the neighbors who live there are a) pretty young, and b) overenthusiastic about shoveling their walk, raking leaves, etc., which makes me worry that I'm going to get spotted sometime soon.

I also like tea.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

Lewis Carroll--Charles Dodgson. "What were in those missing diary pages?!?" And "That Alice, was she a brat or what?"

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

One time Stephen Brust tried to pull a coin trick on me, but I caught him doing it. At PPWC, I always have a fun, relatively normal time. It's the people who are picking up the authors/editors/agents from the airport who have the truly great stories. Mine are like, "One time I peed in the next stall over from Carol Berg!" I'm a fangirl.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

I asked them. My husband says "Daffy Duck." My daughter says, "Twilight Sparkle." I guess we know who's getting the brownie points today. I wish somebody would pick something like "third cage dancer to the right from Samurai Jack," but they probably won't.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

It's not a road in the sense of you getting onto it in one place and getting off it someplace else. It's more of a road in the sense of the @#$%^& map is outdated, the GPS tries to drive you into a lake, the names of the towns are in worn-out white lettering on half-covered signs during a blizzard, you're hungry and have been driving since 4 a.m. and it's now after midnight, and not only do you keep pulling off the road to take care of emergencies, all your friends, family, and grade school teachers that you're driving around in this Pinto all have world's weakest bladders and need to get out and pee. That is, it's always going to take you longer than you think, and you probably won't get to the town you thought you were going to get to by the end of the day. Also, there's a convention of other writers in town and the rooms are all booked. Get it? Booked...

About the Author/Editor/Designer: DeAnna Knippling has two minor superpowers: speed-reading and babble. She types at over 10,000 words per minute and can make things up even faster than that. She has been officially constrained from drinking Ovaltine per her doctor’s orders since a tragic incident involving a monopoly game, a blender, a cemetery, and a school play at age eight. Her first job was hunting snipe for her father at twenty-five cents per head, with which she paid her way through college; her latest job involves a non-disclosure agreement, a dozen hitmen, a ballerina, a snowblower, three very small robots, and a disposable dictator in South America. If she told you which movie was based on her life, she’d have to kill you. Her cover job is that of freelance writer, editor, and designer living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with her husband, daughter, cat, more than one cupboard full of various condiments, and many shelves full of the very best books. She has her own indie small press, www.WonderlandPress.com, and her website is www.DeAnnaKnippling.com.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Karen Albright Lin

Karen Albright Lin, Author

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author? 

I had success publishing short pieces and poetry beginning in H.S., encouraged by my creative writing teacher. I decided to branch out and become a freelance editor after editing university lit mags, facilitating critique groups, and realizing I loved helping authors midwife their books.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

Typically I need iced tea with extra lemon, a pen and paper for rough drafts, and a place where I’m surrounded by people – usually restaurants over lunch.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

Mark Twain, love his humor and his intellect.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

I have had so many. I met virtually every agent, producer, Hollywood agent, and entertainment attorney I signed with at a conference, most, in fact at PPWC. Career changing: having Ken Berk hear my pitch in a PPWC pitch workshop and ask me to see him after the workshop only to have him tell me that he wanted me to write my story as a screenplay, that he’d then help me sell it. I learned the craft, he died within a year--very young, but I went on to write many award-winning screenplays, get writer-for-hire screenwriting gigs, consult on others’, and get hired as a script doctor. I never intended to write screenplays until I was encouraged by both Ken and Jan Jones, a writer/filmmaker I met at PPWC.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

Mama Berenstain Bear. Perfectionist, reasonable, helicopter mom, housewife, advisor, love to teach

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

It takes patience, determination, rhino skin, and the willingness to survive a long apprenticeship.

About the Author: Karen Albright Lin coaches and edits for clients in all genres of novels, screenplays and nonfiction.  She edited the memoir, Walks on the Marginsby Kathleen Brandt and Max Maddox.  Client, Suzanne Handler, published her memoir about a precedent setting mercy-killing case, The Secrets They Kept,ranked # 1 on Amazon within three weeks and has remained on the Amazon top 10 list in three categories for months. Chris Howard, YA author/client was published by Scholastic. YA/children’s client, Ying Chang Compestine, won over three dozen awards for her Holt published books, one based on her life during China’s cultural revolution. Karen is a celebrity memoir ghostwriter, has published and been awarded for her personal essays.  She also writes novels, short stories, and screenplays inspired by her life; many have garnered awards and landed her several top agents.  She teaches Writing Your Life at conferences, retreats, and on cruise lines.  http://www.karenalbrightlin.com

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Beth Phelan

Beth Phelan, Agent, Bent Agency

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an agent?

There wasn’t really a defining moment when I realized I wanted to be an agent, but at a certain point, I did realize I wanted to work with books. When I was a kid, I read—a lot —at the expense of friendship! I was in the middle of reading Garth Nix’s KEYS TO THE KINGDOM series when my father said to me: “You’re not going to have any friends left if you keep reading instead of returning their phone calls.”

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

Food! I really like to cook, so I definitely need to be eating well and it has to be delicious, or I can get pretty distracted.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

Probably Roald Dahl because guaranteed it would be a weird conversation.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

I was at the James River Writers Conference a few months ago and had a wonderful time! What made it even more special was that the convention center was also hosting a gun show that same weekend, which was random, but really fun to see.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

I’m going to have to go with Doug Funnie. I’m soft-spoken, but I have a big imagination.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

It’s hard. You have to keep pushing and remain optimistic. You should also understand that there are different kinds of success, and you should be happy with the progress you’ve made. Celebrate your achievements, big and small.

About the Agent: Beth Phelan joined the Bent Agency in September 2013 after holding positions at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency and Waxman Leavell Literary. She is actively building her client list and is looking for complex fiction that pulls you in immediately, characters that you wish were your real friends and plot lines that drag you away from reality to a world you never want to leave. Her favorite stories are told with humor and sprinkled with surprises. Beth is looking for YA and MG fiction, New Adult and adult commercial and literary fiction, suspense/thriller/mystery, cookbooks and humor/pop culture. She does not represent sports books, history, reference books, poetry, screenplays or self-help.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Dan Leyman

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an FBI agent?

There really wasn’t a “defining moment” for me. I wanted to be in law enforcement since I was in high school. Initially, I joined my local police department as a reserve member. The more I got to see, the more I realized I wanted to be in Federal law enforcement, and I set my sights on the FBI. Luckily, the stars lined-up, and I was offered a slot in a New Agents Training class.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

While I know it sounds corny, the one thing I need for every crime scene, and most law enforcement endeavors, is logic. If I don’t apply logic to a crime scene, processing it becomes mechanical. As I apply logic to a scene, I start developing a theory of what happened. This also requires a degree of imagination, grounded in reality. I test that theory by looking for evidence in places that, logically, there should be evidence. If I find evidence there, that begins to support my theory. If not, I may need to revise my theory.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

Samuel Clemens, because he seemed to have life broken down to the basics, focused on common sense.

4. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

Taz, the Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil, because I’m always whirling around from one event to the next, often grumbling about things I have no control over.

5. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

The definition of success is different for each of us. Often, the road leading there is or seems never-ending. If you aren’t happy, the road will become an arduous, spirit-killing trek. Each person must find or make their own happiness and contentment, thereby making that journey an adventure.

About the Expert: FBI Special Agent Dan Leyman has been in Law Enforcement since 1984 and with the FBI since 1991. He has investigated or supervised nearly every crime the FBI investigates, from bank fraud to bank robberies to terrorism. From Police Academy to FBI New Agent Training, Special Agent Leyman had undergone extensive education in identifying, collecting and preserving evidence at a crime scene. When the FBI’s Evidence Responce Team (ERT) was founded in El Paso, Texas in 1995, Special Agent Leyman became one of its first members. His success and experience earned him his current position as Team Leader of FBI Denver’s Evidence Response Team.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Terese Ramin

Terese Ramin, Editor, Entangled Publishing

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author/editor?

The defining moment when I realized I wanted to be an author took place when I was 9. I went to school with nuns, and they told us we should all ask St. Anthony to help us find our path in the world, so I did. No matter how many times I "asked" the response was always "be a writer." I took that to heart.

The defining moment that made me realize I wanted to be an editor happened when my husband retired and I needed to supplement the family income. ;-) I've always edited - school with nuns teaches you how to do this in a big way - but the hubs' retirement brought it home to me this way: a professional writer who wants to survive in an ever changing marketplace makes use of every skill she has at her disposal to work within her profession and get paid. So among other things, I took up professional editing.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

Hmmm... In the morning my creative vice is a cup of coffee (or a latte) and a browse through the internet news. After that it's my Lhasa Apso in my line of sight - so I can make sure he's not finding trouble to get into. Otherwise I'm up checking to see what he's doing and getting No Work Done. He's been my muse for sixteen years (along with every other rescued creature that's come through the door.)

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

Madeleine L'Engle or Ray Bradbury. Their work influenced me from the start.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

At the very first writer's conference I ever attended I got up the courage to have a New York editor read a passage from something I was working on out loud to a group of other writers at a round table. I hadn't even completed my first book at the time. Although I was terribly untried at the time, the editor complimented my work and encouraged me to keep on with it. Later that day I was in the bathroom and another one of the writers at the table dashed up to me and asked for my autograph. I was completely taken aback (read: shocked out of my mind). She told me she wanted it because she knew I would eventually be someone and she wanted the autograph to show her kids as having met me when. That moment was both thrilling and daunting, but it's also the first autograph I ever signed. You always remember your first.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

Lucy Van Pelt (Peanuts), Elektra, or Natalia Romanova. When "the doctor is in" she's way in and generally helpful, but when she's out, boy howdy! Look out.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

The only road to success is perseverance and practice. Practice your writing as often as possible, thicken your skin against criticism, and realize that you are not your work / your writing. The very act of putting your work in front of another person takes courage. Your willingness to refine that work, to make it better, to understand that editing is not an attack on your baby - that's the mark of the true writer, the true author.

About the Editor: Terese Ramin was born to parents who frequently wondered where she came from. A brush with mortality made her pull up her socks and finally finish her first novel. It won the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award that same year. She is the author of ten romance and romantic suspense novels, numerous short stories, and the creator/editor/author of the charitable collaboration Bewitched, Bothered & BeVampyred. Ramin joined Entangled Publishing as Editorial Director of Ignite (formerly Entangled Suspense) in June 2013. Prior to this she spent eighteen months editing for Crimson Romance and numerous years as an editorial freelancer for private clients. Ignite is the Entangled imprint for romantic suspense/mystery/thriller novels, but Terese will take pitches in all varieties of romance. Her reading tastes are eclectic, ranging from YA to NA to erotica, romance, mysteries, thrillers, SF/F, literary fiction, and non-fiction – and all of the attendant sub-genres. Aside from writing and editing, Terese works as a ghost writer, a book doctor, and a paranormal investigator. Find her on Twitter at @TereseRamin and Facebook Terese Ramin.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Cindi Madsen

Cindi Madsen, Author

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author?

I always had stories in my head, I just never thought of writing them down until after I had my first baby. As soon as I started, though, I was hooked, and I knew I wanted to be an author from that point on.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

Mountain Dew. I really need that and my music. So I guess the music's my vice and the Dew is my can't work without.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

Mary Shelley. I'd want to know all about Frankenstein.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

I met one of my best writer friends after we'd both gotten harsh feedback from the same agent. By the end of the dinner we were laughing so loudly it erased the bad, and now she's who I go to with all of my writer ups and downs. We always joke that we owe our friendship to that person. I've also been able to fangirl over authors I love, which is super cool.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

Probably Rainbow Brite. She was my favorite when I was a kid, and I love me some color. Plus she had really awesome boots and a horse that rode on rainbows. Win all around.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

You'll probably get knocked down, and writing's not easy, but it is the best job in the world, and if you love it, don't ever give up.

About the Author: Cindi Madsen is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children. She is the author of YA books All the Broken Pieces, Cipher, Rift, Resolution, and Demons of the Sun and adult romances Falling for Her Fiancé, Act Like You Love Me, Resisting the Hero, and Cinderella Screwed Me Over, which has sold to France, Germany, and Turkey.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Evangeline Denmark

Evangeline Denmark, Author

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author?

When I realized, once and for all, that I truly could not sing and had no future as a rock star. Just kidding, kind of.

I can’t narrow it down to one moment because there are several that have been key in my journey, but I’ll share one of them. When I was in high school, I wrote, memorized, and performed a dramatic monologue about an Irish immigrant for a competition. I won first place and received a lot of pats on the back for my work, but it wasn’t the glory of winning that stirred me. My addiction for creating characters and living in their worlds began with that experience. The sheer love of the creative process has kept me going through the hard stuff every writer faces.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

I can’t work without my laptop and some quiet space. When it’s crunch time, chocolate-covered espresso beans are my go-to vice.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

Jane Eyre

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

I attended a conference that made a big deal about being “fragrance-free,” meaning perfume or cologne wasn’t allowed. They even had reminders flashing on screens during meals that read “Such and Such is a fragrance-free conference.” Well, as we all know, artificial fragrances are designed to mask natural ones. I got on a crowded elevator with some fellow attendees and since we were so tightly packed together, I thought a joke would make things more comfortable. So I said in my best flight attendant voice, “We’d like to remind you that Such and Such is a fragrance-free conference.” Nobody laughed. Wrong conference for me.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

Elastigirl/Helen Parr in The Incredibles. I’m a mom with lots of things to juggle. It can feel like being a writer is my secret identity, especially when I try to act normal around non-writers. I can also lecture with the best of them.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

If you choose to walk this road, do it because you love writing. No other reason will see you through.

About the Author: Evangeline Denmark has storytelling on her heart and in her blood. The daughter of best-selling novelist, Donita K. Paul, Evangeline grew up living and breathing good stories. She has co-authored two children’s books, The Dragon and the Turtle (Waterbrook, 2010) and The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari (Waterbrook, 2011) and also writes YA and adult fiction. You can find Evangeline online at www.evangelinedenmark.com and www.dragonandturtle.com.

PPWC 2014 Q&A Michelle Johnson

Michelle Johnson, Agent, Inlings Literary Agency

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an agent?

In Virginia I had a writers' center and bookstore. We had a lot of book launches and author events for the local authors, and at the same time I was freelance editing for a couple of small presses. Every author I worked with told me that I should be an agent because of the way I worked with them - for them. I love helping people achieve their dreams. I applied for and accepted an intern position at an agency, and I told one of my mentors. She said "Ohhhhh, Dream Maker!" I got chills, and knew right then it was what I wanted.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

Coffee. Always coffee.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

C.S. Lewis. Or maybe Poe. I only get one? Emily Dickinson - final answer.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

I think my favorite conference experience has to be the time I offered representation to an author during her pitch. She had queried me before the conference and I had requested the manuscript. When I realized I would see her there I read the manuscript on the flight. And was I ever glad I did! An amazing book by an incredibly talented author.

She pitched a different book at our pitch session. I asked to see the manuscript. And then I offered her representation for the first book. It was an amazing moment.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

I had to ask a friend, since I had no clue as to what this answer might be. She said: "Can I say Batman? Because you pull knowledge out of your hat like random weaponry or gadgets, and I bet when you hit things sound effects appear above your head in lightning shaped bubbles."

(I neither confirm nor deny the lightning shaped bubbles).

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

I think I would most like them to know that when you get feedback from anyone - an agent, an editor, another writer - taking it personally is the worst thing you can do to yourself. If someone has offered you another way to view your story, listen to what they say, don't close down because you thought your writing was perfect. If you want to make it, use every resource you can. Sometimes there are gems inside those rejection letters. Read them. Learn from them.

About the Agent: Michelle L. Johnson is a literary agent, the founder of Inklings Literary Agency and has a business administration background in addition to a lifetime of working with books (sales, editing, and writing) and authors (marketing, promoting, event planning). She is also a script/story consultant for an independent film under production in Halifax, NS. Before founding Inklings Literary Agency, she was an agent with Corvisiero Literary Agency. She has spent many years in the editing field for private clients and multiple independent publishing houses. She owned and operated a Writers’Center and Bookstore in Virginia Beach, organizing numerous special events for authors and artists alike. In adult, NA and YA fiction Michelle looks for Contemporary, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, Horror, Fantasy, and also loves Paranormal and Supernatural elements within those genres. She is also interested in romance of every heat level. She is especially fond of plot twists that surprise her and deep, well-rounded characters that make her laugh and cry. For Non Fiction, she is interested in Memoir and True Crime.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Cindi Myers

Cindi Myers, Author

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author?

When I was about 9, I read all the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and decided that telling stories for a living had to be the best job in the world. I began writing my own stories then and never stopped.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

I really don't have anything. I will write anywhere, although I prefer peace and quiet to chaos.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

Georgette Heyer -- she wrote romance, mystery and historical fiction -- she was very prolific and a gifted writer. I think she'd be fascinating to talk with.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

In 2011 I attended the Romance Writers of America convention after I'd been dumped by my publisher. I had a manuscript that a dozen agents had told me wouldn't sell. I pitched the manuscript to two publishers at the conference and had offers from both publishers within three days of returning home.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

Rose from "Rose is Rose." She's a very ordinary woman who has an alter-ego who is a motorcycle riding, tattooed wild woman. That's me -- the introvert with the wilder side I keep hidden.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

There are a lot of things about the writing business that you cannot control, so try to focus on the things you can control -- the story, the writing, remembering why you wanted to be a writer in the first place. Focus on those things and you will be a lot happier.

About the Author: Cindi Myers became one of the most popular people in eighth grade when she and her best friend wrote a torrid historical romance and passed the manuscript around among friends. Fame was short-lived, alas; the English teacher confiscated the manuscript and suggested they should spend more time brushing up on grammar and spelling. Since then, Cindi has written more than 50 published novels. She is a New York Time and USA Today Bestselling Author.  Her 2012 release, The View From Here, won the Colorado Book Award for genre fiction. Her most recent release is The Mountain Between Us.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Terri Bischoff

Terri Bischoff, Editor, Midnight Ink

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an editor?

After college I started working at an independent bookstore and found that I loved it. After managing at two different bookstores, I learned that my local mystery bookstore was up for sale. I owned and operated that store for five years, selling it for family reasons. I knew I would work again in the book industry, so I would check publisher’s websites for any openings. When I saw that Midnight Ink was hiring an acquiring editor, it was a match made in heaven. Being an acquiring editor was never in the plans, but it has worked out very well.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

Music – I usually work with my headphones on – it’s the only way I can block out what is going on around me. That and lots and lots of coffee.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

Hmm… that is a hard question. I think that I wouldn’t choose anyone because I wouldn’t want my idea or image of the character to be altered in any way

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

I was on a publishers panel with only one other traditional publisher and a bunch of small presses and ebook only publishers. Someone asked how long it takes to get a book published – the other traditional publisher and I said 12-18 months. The ebook only publishers got into a heated, “I can publish it in six weeks.” “I can publish it in three.” It was like name that tune. I could only shake my head and wonder how these publishers are serving their authors. (Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against ebook only publishing. I do have something against publishers not doing their jobs – editing, marketing, publicity, etc.)

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

I asked my friends and family, but there wasn’t a consensus. Mostly though, they chose Looney Toons characters. Perhaps I am too hard to pin down.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

The road to publication is long and difficult and needs a little luck sprinkled in. The road to success is even longer and harder. As a writer, you will get better every step of the way. Listen to critical, honest feedback.

About the Editor: Terri Bischoff joined Midnight Ink as an Acquiring Editor in October 2009. She leads all editorial directions and creates the seasonal lists. She has dramatically increased the number of titles per season, publishing 30-36 titles per year, as well as expanded the type of crime fiction MI has published. Terri has a wealth of experience and knowledge in both mysteries and in bookselling, having been involved for 17 years in all areas of bookstore operations, particularly as book buyer and reviewer. She has worked at Kramer Books in Washington, DC, and more recently, Terri owned and operated Booked For Murder Mystery Bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin.Terri is looking for all types of crime fiction, from cozy to suspense/thriller.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Kris Neri

Kris Neri, Author

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author?

Although I've always written, it didn't occur to me that I could make a career of it until my husband, who was a triathlete at the time, asked me to write an article for him. I wrote a humorous article on the life of a middle-of-the-pack triathlete. Triathlon magazine not only published it, they paid me for it! Being in print in a national magazine and knowing countless people were reading it was such a rush. That was when it occurred to for the first time then that I could make a career of writing. I successfully wrote articles for years before I eventually went on to writing fiction, but opening that magazine when it came in the mail, and seeing my article there in print was my defining moment.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

Coffee! Lots of rich, black French Roast. I also light a scented candle I keep on my desk when I get stuck, or I pick up and study one of the interesting rocks that I collect on hikes and place there, as well. But it's really the coffee that fuels everything.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

I would probably pick one of my author friends who've passed on, such as Barbara Seranella or Barbara Burnett Smith, to have another chance to talk.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

Having my book, MAGICAL ALIENATION, win an award would have to be exceptionally notable. Also, the times when someone tells me that whatever workshop I've delivered has helped them to fix a problem in their writing, have been satisfying experiences.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

My husband says Jessica Rabbit, which proves he has an erroneous, albeit flattering, impression of me. I think lots of people would say the Roadrunner because of my persistence

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

I would want them to understand it can be a harder road than they probably expect. At times it's all smooth sailing, but unexpected bumps will arise, and there are times when it's awfully steep. The one thing I'd like them to know is that you have to enjoy the journey to make it worthwhile.

About the Author: Kris Neri writes the Tracy Eaton mysteries, the latest of which is Revenge on Route 66, a 2013 New Mexico-Arizona Book Award finalist, and the Samantha Brennan & Annabelle Haggerty magical series. Her novels have been nominated for such prestigious awards as the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, International Book Award, and the Lefty. She is a three-time Lefty Award finalist for Best Humorous Mystery Novel. Her most recent magical novel, Magical Alienation, was a 2012 NM-AZ Book Award winner for fantasy. Kris teaches writing for the Writers’ Program of the UCLA Extension School, and with her husband, owns The Well Red Coyote bookstore in Sedona, AZ. Kris welcomes readers to her website, www.krisneri.com.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Becky Clark

Becky Clark, Author

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author?

When my kids were very young, not only was I a stay-at-home mom to them, but I was also Mom to a passel of squatters and interlopers whose own mothers skipped happily off to work each day, leaving us behind in a quivering mass upon the floor, fighting for scraps of paper and crayons like so many tiny Lord of the Flies wannabes. (I kid. Everyone knows I would not be bested in a fight over crayons. Especially the sharp ones.)

Every nap time, to escape this mind-numbing slice of daycare (in)humanity, I skipped happily to my computer where I wrote personal essays and light-hearted opinion pieces to save my sanity and salvage my few remaining brain cells. Hearken back to the days before blogs or even the internet. I wrote for me, never really expecting anyone to read my scribblings. Ever. But then I stumbled on a regional magazine seeking submissions. I readied my favorite piece. Before I could change my mind (because who was I kidding; me, a writer?) and retrieve the envelope from the clutches of the mailbox (kids, ask your parents), it sunk into the dark abyss. I have a brain like a sieve [see above comment re: my few remaining brain cells] so I promptly forgot all about it. Until the day I got a letter offering $50 and a contract. In that moment it occurred to me I might be able to do something I enjoyed and appeared to be good at. And maybe strangers would continue to send me money as a small token of their thanks. I’m grateful every day for that editor.

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

My computer. How in the world did people write 200 page manuscripts with benefit of copy-and-paste, global searches for passive verbs, and red highlighting for passages you know you need to fix later? But that’s more of a tool than a vice, so I’ll say copious amounts of booze. I am a writer, after all, with an image to maintain.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

If you’re talking about a real person, I’d like to chat with Dorothy Parker. I think she and I would be fast friends. I’d sit next to her at the Algonquin and try to keep up with the martinis and the bon mots. I’d like to know how much of her persona was real and how much was myth. Strike that. I don’t ever want to know if it was myth. If you’re talking about someone fictional, I’d like to push that awful Life of Pi kid overboard. Not much of a conversation, I admit, but it would make me happy.

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

At my very first PPW conference at the turn of the century — my first conference at all, in fact — I was so green I gave my book to the bigwig agent I was interested in. I had self-published it back when that was a dirty word and I asked if she’d take a look and tell me what she thought. Without hesitation she agreed, saying, “I’ll read it on the plane.” She did and a couple weeks later gave me some good advice. Subsequently I learned that agents never take manuscripts or books from conference-goers. Pish.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

Let’s see. My husband would be looking to score points, so he’d say Jessica Rabbit. I think a good case could be made for Woody Woodpecker, because of the hair, the laugh and the relentless optimism. Perhaps the Tazmanian Devil because I’m always a whirlwind of activity. My kids might see me as Linda Belcher. I wouldn’t disagree. She loves to dance.

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

There are bad drivers, gaping potholes, crumbling bridges, blown transmissions, skeevy rest stops, and sun glare so bright it makes you want to become a mushroom. But do NOT miss this journey. There’s nothing else like it. And when you get where you’re going, load up the car, grab your sunglasses and do it again.

About the Author: Becky Clark is usually pretty funny. Sometimes clever. Often silly. She writes and publishes low calorie cookbooks and novels. Well, the novels aren’t low calorie. Wait. Yes, they are. People say generous things about her and her writing. Mostly. She blogs irregularly at http://www.BeckyClarkBooks.com and http://www.LazyLowCalLifestyle.com to connect with readers who like her style and to hear interesting, eclectic things from them. She’ll never overwhelm you with big words or good nutrition. Like a doughnut frosted with delicious loquaciousness. She is firmly of the opinion writers should make money from their writing, which is why she loves being in control of her own career. She takes all the risk so she feels entitled to all the reward. If you buy her a beer, she’ll tell you all her secrets. Like how she’s #7 in a long line of eight siblings, whose progeny could populate an entire town. It would, of course, be Lord-of-the-Flies chaotic. They’d forget to organize trash collection and none of them would want to be in charge of wastewater. They’d have a majestic and enviable library, though.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Lynda Hilburn

Lynda Hilburn, Author

1. What was the defining moment that made your realize you wanted to be an author?

There wasn't really a defining moment. I started writing nonfiction and newspaper articles [high school and college] very early. At one point, I wrote a newspaper column -- The Psychic Counselor -- for five years. I continued along those lines until I discovered genre fiction in 2004. Writing fiction was the most fun I'd ever had. I could make up fantastic imaginary tales instead of having to write "the facts." I'm not sure I would have kept on going if I hadn't sold the first few fiction stories I wrote, but discovering I could make part of my living by writing has been very exciting. Writing is the most raw and vulnerable activity I've ever done [including being a singer and professional musician!].

2. What is the one thing you cannot work without? What is your creative vice?

I can't write without -- silence. Unlike other authors who have cool play lists they listen to while writing, I need absolute quiet. I can't even write in coffee shops because the conversations distract me. Music trances me out. My creative vice? A glass of wine while I'm writing.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?

That's a no-brainer, LOL! Dracula.Of course, he'd have to agree not to suck me dry

4. What is one of your more notable or unusual conference or convention experiences?

My most notable experience happened at a metaphysical conference I attended many, many years ago. I was supposed to present on hypnotherapy and the power of the mind. They put me in a small room, because we didn't expect many people. To my absolute shock, so many people tried to cram into the small space that they moved me to an auditorium and that was full. Afterward, I sold over a hundred of my hypnotherapy CDs. That was an unexpected pleasure.

5. If we asked your friends and family to compare you to a cartoon character, which would they choose, and why?

Underdog!! Or maybe Wile E.Coyote, who keeps on leaping over the cliff

6. What is one thing would you like aspiring authors to know about the road to success?

The secret to success is -- never give up. I know everyone says that, but it's true. And be careful who you listen to. Remember everyone has an opinion and most of them aren't going to be helpful to you.

About the Author: Lynda writes paranormal fiction about vampires, witches, ghosts, psychics and other supernatural creatures. She makes her living as a licensed psychotherapist, hypno-therapist, professional psychic/tarot reader, university instructor and workshop presenter. She’s the author of The Vampire Shrink, Blood Therapy and Crimson Psyche, coming in late 2013. In addition, she has several novellas (Undead in the City, Diary of a Narcissistic Bloodsucker, Until Death Do Us Part and Devereux: The Night Before Kismet) available from most e-book outlets.