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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Jax Hunter

Jax Hunter (with husband, Dan), Author

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

I made up stories for myself for as long as I can remember. I was an only child so I "played" parts in all my favorite tv shows and made up "fanfic" in my head before it was a word. Never wrote them down. But one story had been hanging around for years and, finally, I decided to write it. That was about twelve years ago and, eventually, that story became "Black Ice," my first novel.

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

Eek, I don't know that I have one. I have preferences but nothing set in stone.

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

I am always interested in a writer's process. I wouldn't mind visiting with Tolkien. But I'd also love to talk writing with Diana Gabaldon or Debbie Macomber or, really I just love visiting with writers about writing. Famous, not so famous. Published, not so published. I've never been one to get in line for an autograph. I don't really understand the whole autograph thing, though I love visiting with my readers and enjoy signing their books for them. I don't do fan things either; if I can't have a real relationship with someone, I don't want to spend time in the crowd wanting just one handshake. Does that make me weird?

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

Last year at Write Your Heart Out, I had a great conversation that led me to pull my books back and self publish them. So glad I did.

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

Foghorn Leghorn. Ah say, that's a joke, son! Or maybe Snoopy - Snoopy Dancin' is something I do when I have great news!

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

That there are no losers, only quitters. Even if you never get published, your life will be so very enriched by writing. Find the story you were born to tell - it might take awhile to find it - then do your very best to tell it well.

About the Author/Experts: Dan Bubis and Jax Hunter were EMT’s in the high mountains of Colorado for sixteen years.  They worked on a rural ambulance service and also on Search and Rescue.  They both teach CPR.  Jax is a published romance writer.  Her latest series revolves around Air Force ParaRescue, a field that encompasses both emergency medicine and search and rescue.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Aaron Michael Ritchey

Aaron Michael Ritchey, Author

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

Let’s break this down by year, shall we? What event made me realize I wanted to be an author?

a. 1970 – Birth

b. 1978 – A story I wrote about a bounty hunter with a double-barrel shotgun tracking down a pack of wolves who stole Little Bo Peep’s sheep.

c. 1979 – Edgar Rice Burroughs and A Princess of Mars.

d. 1980 – Robert E. Howard and Conan

From 1981 to 1994 I had given up all hope of ever being an author. I wrote bad suicide poetry and worse DnD-based short stories, but in the spring of 1994, listening to Soundgarden’s Mailman, I started what was to be my first novel, The Dream of the Archer. I’ve been chasing the dream and cowering in fear ever since.

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

I need music and I need a table for my laptop, preferably in a public place, preferably somewhere that allows smoking. Which leads to my vices: in the summer, cigars. In the winter, insomnia.

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

William Shakespeare and Carl Jung together again. Because reasons.

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

I don’t drink alcohol, and yet I find that when I’m around wine drinkers at writers conferences, it gets poured on me or my bed sheets. I won’t name names.

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

My wife would say I’m the Tasmanian Devil because I never stop moving, I break things, and I make growly noises when I get frustrated with stupid, normal, boring life. My daughters would say I’m Bugs Bunny because yeah, cool, funny, and funnier.

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

Let go of your opinions on your writing. They won’t be accurate because you’re probably not as bad as you think and probably not as good. Practice humility and gratitude daily.  Enjoy what you can because there are tasty parts to this journey, but sometimes, the trip across the desert may try to convince you otherwise.

About the Author: Aaron Michael Ritchey’s first novel, The Never Prayer, was published in March of 2012 to a fanfare of sparkling reviews including an almost win in the RMFW Gold contest. Since then he’s been paid to write steampunk, cyberpunk, and sci-fi western short stories.  His next novel, Long Live the Suicide King, will give hope to the masses in 2014.  As a former story addict and television connoisseur, he lives in Colorado with his wife and two goddesses posing as his daughters.  When he’s not writing, he’s travelling the world, riding his bicycle, or talking about writing.  His speaking experiences range from talks on how the 12 steps of recovery ease artistic angst to writing a first chapter with sentences like fish hooks.  He Facebooks, interviews authors, and in his free time meditates in silence, praying for the souls of writers and artists everywhere.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Darby Karchut

Darby Karchut, Author

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

After I wrote a piece of fan fiction about five years ago for Foyle’s War and received enough positive feedback to make me think about writing a book. With my own characters, no less.

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

Silence. I cannot work with the sound of voices or music, even instrumental music. I wear earplugs a lot. Coffee strong enough to be considered a lethal weapon in many countries.

3. If you could 'revive' any literary figure from the past for a one hour conversation, who would you choose?
Why, the Great One, of course: J.R.R. Tolkien.

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

It was my first ever conference which happened to be the 2010 Pikes Peak Writers. I was pitching my debut novel to an agent, and introduced myself as Karby Darchut.

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

The Coyote. I can take the hits and keep on a-coming.

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

You need to treat your writing as a business. That means writing everyday, even when you don’t feel like it. That means making deadlines, both big and small. That means acting professional in person and within social media. Yes, you can be your own delightful, quirky self, just do it with class.

About the Author: Darby Karchut is an award-winning author, teacher, and compulsive dawn greeter. She’s been known to run in blizzards and bike in lightning storms. When not dodging death by Colorado, Darby writes urban fantasy for tweens, teens, and adults.

PPWC 2014 - Susan Mitchell

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

When I embraced my amazing skill at keeping bill collectors at bay. I always have a great story to tell. And I am very convincing.

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

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

Aleister Crowley or H. P. Lovecraft. Alcohol would be involved for sure.

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

Meeting John Updike and chatting about pens.

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

Velma Dinkly from Scooby Doo. Hair, glasses, nerdiness, talking to a dog...all on point.

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

Believe in yourself. Hard work can pay off.

About the Author: Susan has a degree in English from Northern Arizona University. Her work has appeared in literary magazines including George and Mertie’s Place, Poetry Motel and Wordwrights. She writes and produces television commercials, promotions and programs locally. She has also written and produced projects for TLC, regional ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates. In addition Susan is currently completing work on a darkly humorous horror series.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Kris Tualla

Kris Tualla, Author

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

When I started my first book - on a whim - and it was like turning on a faucet and my characters' lives poured out like water. I finished my first 100,000 word manuscript in just 10 weeks. Now I have over 1,000,000 words published.

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

I do ALL of my fiction writing on my laptop - and ALL other work on my desktop. I work best if I roll out of bed and go to my writing chair without touching the desktop PC, or opening email, or checking Facebook. Or even answering the phone at times!

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

That has to be Jane Austen. She is the penultimate romance author, and a rebel in her own way. If not her, I'd choose the Bronte sisters, Emily and Charlotte. Anne... well... bless her heart. She tried.

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

Creating my own! In 2011, I founded Arizona Dreamin' - Arizona's only romance reader event. Boy, did I learn TONS about authors. Not all of us understand how to promote ourselves, nor how to pitch our books to readers! Even so, our attendees have a BLAST!

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

Maybe Tigger. Because I am always accused of having "so much energy"!

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

Do NOT take "short cuts"! Take the time to find out how to write, get your work critiqued by people who understand the market, have your manuscript edited by someone other than yourself. And if you choose to self publish, get professional help to create a professional product.

About the Author: Kris Tualla, a dynamic award-winning and internationally published author of historical romance and suspense, writes with a fast-paced and succinct style. Her plots are full of twists, passion, and very satisfying outcomes! Kris started in 2006 with nothing but a nugget of a character in mind, and has created a dynasty with The Hansen Series and its spin-off, The Discreet Gentleman Series. Norway is the new Scotland!Kris is an activemember of Romance Writers of America, the Historical Novel Society, and Sisters in Crime. She is an enthusiastic speaker and teacher, and created Arizona Dreamin’ – Arizona’s first romance-reader event: ArizonaDreaminEvent.com and it’s author-focused companion: BuildintheDream.com

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Hank Phillippi Ryan

Only two days to register for Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2014 before pricing increases!

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Author, Keynote

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

I had a great idea for a mystery. It was SUCH a good idea, there was nothing I could do but write it. (It turned out to be PRIME TIME, which won the Agatha. I was 55 years old.)

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

Coffee. Lattes, iced or hot, who cares. It's wrong to think of that as a vice, though. Oh, Diet Cokes, put in the freezer until they are slushy. And almonds. Plus--it's also not a vice!-- but even though I work at the computer, I still need a pencil and a legal pad and an eraser.

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

Shakespeare. The best story-teller ever, relentless suspense, absolutely reliably wonderful plots, intense and poetic and original, with psychologically rich characters, and big- finish endings.

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

At BEA, I was interviewed by Lee Child. It's used on my audio book! Amazing. At CCWC, I got to interview the brilliant Sue Grafton, for which I studied for weeks. And, in a scene right out of Ziegfield, I was asked to interview the incredible David Baldacci, in front of the entire Bouchercon, with only a few hours notice when Robert Crais had to cancel. I'm a reporter, can do. But here's my philosophy--one wonderful thing happens at every conference. To each and every person. I promise, You just have to go and see what it will be.

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

Ha. I'd love to know that, and now I'm going to ask them. I would predict the Roadrunner, because I am always going a million miles an hour, and sometimes don't realize I need to stop. But he's happy, right? And he keeps trying!

And as an addendum: I went to Facebook (of course) to actually ASK my friends which cartoon character I reminded them of. And I was--touched and amused, frankly, and still laughing at the results. There was a big contingent of Brenda Starr, and of Lois Lane. Makes sense, right? A few "Cathy," which I love, and Veronica from Archie, ditto, and Joan Jetson, brilliant, BOTH Daphne and Velma from Scooby Doo, which I embrace totally. And, from the "you gotta be kidding but thank you" department, Wonder Woman and Jessica Rabbit. Only a few people--- all dear friends--picked Roadrunner.

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

It's different for each person, so it's a waste of time to compare what you have with what others have. Work as hard as you possibly can, do the best you possibly can, every single minute on every single project. You never know when the wonderful thing will happen. Be generous, be kind, be grateful, be patient. This is what you always wished for! And when you have a bad day (as we all do!)--pat yourself on the back, because that means you're giving it all you've got--and that's what writers do! And don't forget to have fun.

About the Author/Keynote: HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s NBC affiliate. She’s won 30 EMMYs, 12 Edward R. Murrow awards and dozens of other honors for her ground-breaking journalism. A bestselling author of six mystery novels, Ryan has won multiple prestigious awards for her crime fiction: the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, and most recently, the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. National reviews have called her a “master at crafting suspenseful mysteries” and “a superb and gifted storyteller.” Her newest thriller, THE WRONG GIRL, is a Boston Globe bestseller and was dubbed “Another winner” in a Booklist starred review. She’s on the national board of Mystery Writers of America and 2013 president of national Sisters in Crime. Visit her online at HankPhillippiRyan.com, on Twitter @hank_phillippi and Facebook/HankPhillippiRyanAuthorPage.

PPWC 2014 Q&A - Chuck Wendig

Conference prices go up March 23! Now's the time to register at the lower price!

Chuck Wendig, Author, Keynote

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

Reading one novel: BOY’S LIFE, by Robert McCammon.

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

No coffee means stabby-stabby.

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

I hear Ben Franklin — not a literary figure precisely, but a writer just the same — had fascinating thoughts on beer and coffee.

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

Discovering I have a secret but very vocal cache of fans in the fantasy world known as “Australia.” (The conference: GenreCon!)

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

Bill the Cat? ACK.

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

“Aspiring” is a meaningless word. That’s the lesson. Do not aspire. Merely do. You wanna write? Write. You can aspire to do all manner of things, but it only counts when you commit to the act and finish what you begin.

About the Author/Keynote: Chuck Wendig is a novelist, screenwriter, and game designer. He is the author of such novels as BLACKBIRDS, MOCKINGBIRD, THE BLUE BLAZES, and UNDER THE EMPYREAN SKY. Author of the Writer’s Digest guide, THE KICK-ASS WRITER. He is an alumni of the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab and is the co-author of the Emmy-nominated digital narrative COLLAPSUS. He lives in Pennsyltucky with wife, son, and two dopey dogs. You can find him on Twitter @ChuckWendig and at his website, terribleminds.com, where he frequently dispenses dubious and very-NSFW advice on writing, publishing, and life in general.