Control by Sandra Sperling

12/1/2024

Multi-genre, multi-volume author Sandra Sperling introduces us to “Control”:
Sonny's husband dies shortly after inheriting his wealthy grandmother's large farmhouse and entire estate, so she, in turn, gets it. The young widow now has the means to support herself while she launches her career as a watercolor artist. Besides the hours she spends painting, she begins to make some changes in the peculiarly decorated house, searches for a key to open a locked door in the basement, and hires a ruggedly handsome man, Clark, to repair some damages on the building. She meets her two nearest neighbors---Justine, a cheerful middle-aged woman and Rolf, a handsome author who requires solitude in which to write. In spite of a few nasty glitches, Sonny's life is moving peacefully along, with romance possible in the near future.
A mile away, however, is a top-secret laboratory, located on three lower levels of an old, underground mine, where microbiologists are putting the final touches on a malignant virus they call CONTROL, which they plan to first release on two European countries, eventually infecting the population of the entire world.
This dangerous information becomes known to the four acquaintances and puts their lives in jeopardy in this contemporary tale of romance and suspense, lightened up with humor.

Reading this story was a lot of fun! It had some thrills and a few scary moments. I particularly enjoyed getting to know the characters and they came across as quite real.
I laughed quite a few times and was surprised by more than one plot twist.
No spoilers from me so I can't say more, except read this book! You will love it.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/CONTROL-Sandra-Sperling-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-control

I have reviewed other books by the author:
https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-stash
https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/elisabets-will

You can follow the author:
Twitter: @sandysperling3
https://www.facebook.com/sisuforever
http://sandrasperling.com
@sandysperling3.bsky.social

Copyright © 2024 Mark L. Schultz, except for the author’s introduction.

38 Comments

Sandra Marion Sperling link

12/3/2024 08:14:50 pm

I look forward to doing business with you again. I always learn something helpful and enjoy reading the comments the canine reviewer makes.

MarkWelcome bac

12/4/2024 08:34:51 am

Welcome back to the Word Refiner channel. It has been a little more than two years since I promoted "The Stash". A very funny book. "Control" is quite funny also! It is full of humorous events and witty dialogue in contrast to the darker aspects of the story. I am honored to partner with you again to promote your books.

First question.

What is the message, moral, or takeaway that you hope people will get from reading your book? Is there more than one?

12/4/2024 09:50:05 am

The story is driven by increasing greed, starting with the death of Samsonetta's husband and continuing with the insatiable appetites of five wealthy men. What a small group of everyday people do to stop them from gaining control of all humanity shows that it can be done, giving a hopeful ending to this tale.

Mark

12/4/2024 01:01:48 pm

I forgot to mention that we are continuing the interview from where we left off two years ago.

That is a great message. There are greedy people at all levels of life. All it takes is for a small group of determined people to stop them.

New question.

Do you believe that a good book will sell itself?

12/4/2024 01:21:51 pm

No, unless the cover features something utterly different from any that have ever been created.

12/4/2024 03:55:06 pm

The cover is quite important as is the title. There is barely a second to catch a reader's attention when they are browsing. Some authors put a new cover up every six months or so. That is feasible if you make your own covers. Otherwise, not so much.

New questions.

Do you think good marketing can overcome the limitations of a mediocre book?

In your experience, which marketing avenues have been the most rewarding or profitable?

12/4/2024 05:50:30 pm

Good marketing can help sell a less than sterling novel, but it won't build much of a readership. I recently bought a book with a superior cover and marvelous promotion, but at page 87 I tossed the adjective-clogged story and won't buy another by that author.

My best sales have come when I use HL Plus promotions. Their work attracts buyers, and their videos prove that they have actually read the story they are promoting. Online contact from me to potential readers, usually writers, is rewarding and it's fun!

12/4/2024 07:49:09 pm

Since my books are at least partly set in northern Minnesota, I donate copies of my books to libraries in that region. I was surprised at how many people liked my writing enough to buy other books I'd written after reading one!

12/4/2024 08:03:34 pm

Some authors love their adjectives, no question. Some genres seem to require adjective-laden prose. So it may not be only the fault of the authors.

I looked for HL Plus on Twitter with no success. That is great they have performed so well for you.

Donating books to libraries is a good marketing strategy and it has paid off for you. Other authors take note.

New question.

What else are you planning to do to promote and market your books over the next few months?

12/5/2024 10:17:24 am

Other than using Facebook, Blue Sky, and some X, I found an outlet near the actual underground mine in Minnesota--where the story was set--that may prove fruitful. Also, there is a resort in that region willing to stock some books in the summer, along with a second-hand bookstore, which also sells books set in Minnesota.

I have found that if I can get a person to read one of my books, they will often read more. Any suggestions on that?

12/5/2024 12:36:57 pm

You are doing many of the right things now. The only thing that comes to mind is getting your books on more platforms than you are using now. More formats also, audiobooks are very popular. AI is shaking up the audiobook industry. Some narrators will profit from riding the wave and others will stay on the beach and slowly wither away.
There is already a company that will record your voice so you can narrate your book. Soon, if not already, you will be able to rent celebrity voices to narrate your book.
Foreign language editions are another way to get your book in front of more readers. Translations will be affected similarly to narrations.
Here is a copy-and-paste link to an informative blog or hit the search box at the bottom of this page:
Aggregators just might be an author's best friend! https://www.kotobee.com/blog/everything-need-know-aggregators/

New question.

What is the biggest myth about writing that you can dispel that would help aspiring authors?

12/5/2024 01:49:32 pm

Authors rarely make a huge amount of money by writing a novel, so don't write with that idea as your main focus. I write because I need something challenging to keep me occupied, and writing is just that. People often ask me what I plan to buy with all the money I make selling books, and I answer, "I have just about enough saved to buy a small cottage so I'm able to spend summers on Lake Michigan, but the one I can now afford doesn't have indoor plumbing. In fact, it's a lawnmower shed."

12/5/2024 04:27:51 pm

You make an excellent point. Most self-published authors sell less than 400 copies of a book in their lifetime. It is a never-get-rich scheme.
Many authors get an immense amount of satisfaction from writing books and that is priceless in many ways. Some authors say they have no choice but to write.
It seems that most rewards are immaterial for authors and any money made keeps them writing or building a lawnmower shed.

New question.

Have your research and writing methods changed much since your first book?

12/5/2024 06:12:19 pm

I used to use the library, bought numerous books on subjects such as crime and mental health, and mined my own experiences. If there was nothing available from those sources, I just made it up. Now I do most of my research online, buy only a few books on subjects such as animal attacks, and mine my own experiences. All the rest I still just make up.

12/5/2024 07:58:14 pm

I am pleased to know that you have updated your research methods in part. Making stuff up should never change. That is why the good Lord gave us imaginations. Writers need an imagination just as readers do also. If you have lived a good number of years as you and I have then we have lots of experience to mine from.

New question.

Do you base your characters on people you know or have met, or is it easier to just invent them completely?

12/6/2024 09:14:47 am

I use a combination of both, sometimes totally creating them. It depends on what works best for the story. Most often, I use an individual's physical looks and gestures to create a character, changing the facts, names, locations, etc . Their voices sound the same--as do their dialects, pauses and speech glitches. I've often wondered if many people recall the voices of people who've been long gone.

12/6/2024 09:28:34 am

It can be safer to create the book characters than using a family member or a close friend as a pattern. I heard about one author that used family members as patterns for his book with their permission. An aunt got upset during one of his story updates to the family. The character patterned after her did something she disapproved of and that caused a familial rift for several years.

I doubt if most people recall the voices of strangers or casual acquaintances unless there was something unusual about the way that person spoke. But close family members and dear friends are another matter altogether. Many save the last voicemail or voicemail greeting of a loved one after that person has passed.

New question.

Some authors go to great lengths to get inside the heads of their characters. Some create a biography, find photos that match the picture in their head, fill out psychological profiles. What do you do in that regard, if anything?

12/6/2024 01:32:02 pm

One other thing I do, is use the old Briggs/Myers 16 personality types to keep a character's actions reasonably consistent with their type. I generally follow the traits mentioned but add one opposite of what is expected. Such as; a minister who pockets the pen every time he has to sign his name.

12/6/2024 01:24:13 pm

I created personality charts six pages long to fill out for the main characters of my novels. It lists the usual name, d.o.b., etc. It goes much deeper, with things like birth order, greatest fear, and something unpleasant about the character. Each one has a secret, which I don't always reveal in the story. A little mystery never hurts.

12/6/2024 04:07:08 pm

You are using good tools there. I like your character profile and Briggs/Meyer is pretty comprehensive.

Another author, Rick Hall, also a client of mine, has created a website you may find useful because it includes Briggs/Meyer along with several other personality profile tools. He also includes examples from literature, movies and news. Here is another copy-and-paste link or hit the search block below: https://www.wordrefiner.com/guest-blogs/character-creation

New question.

Do you have any problems when writing about characters of the opposite sex, why or why not?

12/6/2024 06:13:44 pm

I have 8 uncles and 2 aunts, three brothers and 1 sister, 5 brothers-in-law and 1 sister-in-law. All lived in the country, so I spent lots of time with men, mastered the art of throwing a tomahawk, ate rhubarb sprinkled with salt, and learned swear words in both Finnish and English. I find it more enjoyable writing humor for male characters than I do females. I don't think I write men as if they're women with hairy chests.

Thanks for the information about Rick Hall! It's always fun to research writers who use methods similar to my own, especially if they're a little unusual.

12/6/2024 08:59:29 pm

Country folk know a lot about living, especially if they are farmers. I will grant you that you know a lot about men because you have lived in close proximity to so many. I don't doubt that men have provided you with a lot of humorous fodder. Men tend to look at life a little bit differently than women.

You are welcome. I am very impressed with Rick's website.

New question.

How do you balance the demands on your time as a writer with personal relationships?

12/7/2024 10:48:00 am

My best two times for writing are between one and three pm and between six and eight pm. I stop for emergencies like when my husband cut his thumb nearly halfway off and when there was a snake in the house. We searched for the snake for days, not finding it, but we bought several tubes of caulking and sealed every opening larger than a spider's--ah--ear hole. Anyway, those four hours and often the early morning hour when I scribble down ideas--belong to me.

12/7/2024 01:35:44 pm

You found a decent chunk of time to write, congratulations.

New question.

Do you reserve that time for writing only or do you work on the business side of writing during those hours also?

12/7/2024 02:18:24 pm

I generally do more writing in the early afternoon, with promotion/ business combined with writing later in the day.

12/7/2024 03:37:54 pm

That is a good plan. Being an indie author also means that you are building your own business at the same time. It's important to make time for business activities such as promotion and marketing every week.

New questions.

Did you have pieces of the story that were removed from this book? If, so why did you remove them?

Did you save those pieces, if they were substantial in size?

12/7/2024 05:46:12 pm

Yes, I did remove two chapters. They went into more detail about Lee than the story needed. The first chapter told about the relationship of Lee and Marty, leading to the reasons of their eventual breakup. Two sentences in later chapters told the reader all they needed to know about that. The second one related their early wedding preparations. It didn't add to the story, so I deleted it.

12/7/2024 07:47:28 pm

It sure doesn't hurt to write more than needed. You did well.

New questions.

Do you have any other creative outlets to pursue if you didn't write?

Is there a cause you are passionate about, charitable or otherwise?

12/8/2024 11:57:18 am

If I weren't writing, I'd probably pick up my brushes and paint in the drybrush watercolor style again. And, I would create some more costumes (circa 1884) for the French dolls that I enjoy dressing.

NPR and Trees for the Future are my passions. When we moved to Kentucky, we had an acre and 2/3 and only five trees, not counting the tiny Alberta fir in the garden. The very first summer, we planted over seventy trees, and the cedar hybrids have reached the peak of the roof! Shade, privacy, the noise is muffled--and the birds are nesting in them. Lovely!

12/8/2024 02:24:36 pm

Watercolor painting is so nice. I love looking at that kind of art. Costume making for dolls sounds good also. That is a very specific period also.

Trees are such a blessing in many ways. I even like raking leaves. I climbed many as a boy.

New questions.

Do you have any favorite literary journals or websites?

Do you experiment with writing or prefer to stay in the safe zone?

12/8/2024 05:53:11 pm

I check Dean Koontz and Nevada Barr sites regularly. Ken Follett now and then. My favorite writers, all of them.

My first book was written in first person, which was and is the easiest way for me to write. The next four were in third person, and Control is a combination of first and third. My favorite subject is crime--in a kind of caper style--with a 'will she get away with it' theme. I have written a couple of science-fiction short stories that aren't very good. And my very first attempt at writing was a horror story, which made my mother roar with laughter. I should have realized that humor was my signature style even then, but it took years before I wrote another story.

12/8/2024 06:54:34 pm

I do enjoy first-person POV when it's done without any head hopping. It offers more intimacy with each character.

Your fans are glad your mother didn't stop you from writing altogether. While I am not a big fan of gory horror, I love horror stories that make me laugh! That style of writing provides a wonderful release of tension.

New questions.

Did you have a favorite book as a child?

What type of scene do you find hard to write and why?

12/8/2024 08:15:41 pm

The Saturdays by Elisabet Enright was my favorite--so much so that a couple of years ago I bought a copy to see what had inspired it to be so. Wow! That lady could write!

Scenes involving romance stump me. I have trouble getting the tone of it right for the characters or the story. They sound corny, fake, jaded, anything but romantic. I can write a sex scene but choose not to.

12/8/2024 08:55:03 pm

She must be a good writer!

Many romance scenes do little or nothing for me also. They must be hard to write for a lot of authors.

New questions.

What did your family say when you announced your desire to be a writer?

What do they think now?

12/9/2024 10:02:21 am

I never announced it, I just wrote early in the morning and at night when everything was done. Through the years, after the kids left, I claimed the afternoon and evening as my time by simply spending it at my keyboard rather than painting.

My son was my first and greatest supporter, being a beta reader of my first four books. It took my daughter longer to even read them--kids at home and working at a clinic--but now she is a fan, as are her two daughters. My granddaughter-in-law read the first three, but now has two preschool kids and works full time. She asked when the audio books were coming out, so I'd better get busy on that!

12/9/2024 11:20:11 am

It's wonderful to have a supportive family.

Audio books are a great secondary or tertiary format to offer to consumers. Many readers listen to audio books on commutes and long trips. Some readers struggle with dyslexia and can only utilize an audio book. However, very many countries use English as an official language and others have it taught as a second language in schools. There are many millions of these consumers who have only a smart phone to access the internet and for them an audio book is a great way to read a book.

Audio books are expensive to produce. But that industry is undergoing a bit of a shakeup with the advent of Artificial Intelligence, software is becoming much better at producing an audio book with AI. The robotic voice is disappearing rapidly and is sounding quite human. Many narrators are worried about being put out of business, but I think in the long run AI will be found to be a boon to all involved. First, price conscious consumers will find some audio books priced lower. Second, with voice licensing, an author could have their audio book narrated by a favorite actor at a much lower cost. Third, popular narrators could license their voice and offer a cheaper price point to an author. Fourth, human narrated audio books will become the cream of the crop and will be able to collect a commensurable fee. There will be those consumers who want the best and will be willing to pay a premium price.

I had the pleasure of including the narrator of an audiobbook I was promoting. His insights were interesting. Here is a copy-and-paste link or hit the search box below.
https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/heir-to-a-prophecy-by-mercedes-rochelle-narrated-by-kevin-e-green

Last question.

How do you maintain the excitement for yourself when you are writing? Your excitement impacts your readers.

12/9/2024 01:43:41 pm

I used to get bored in the middle of the book I was writing, so I'd give the character a nasty problem to solve--one that stayed with her/him until the end of the book. It adds tension to the story.

When I start writing a book, I have a general idea of what will happen and where I want the ending to go, but not how to get there, so I feel some anxiety about how I'm going to get it. The answer always comes in a flash, and I scribble things down on anything available. Once I wrote it down on the end pages of a first edition of book by a close friend of Margaret Mitchell. In ink. It lost its value of 400 bucks because of that. But The Stash benefitted greatly!

Mark, It's fun doing these interviews with you!! I have to ponder a bit to answer some of the questions, such as this one, because it's something that never crossed my mind to think about. You tipped the scale about the audiobooks, which I will look into this week.

Thank you for the great job of promotion you have done, and you take care, Sandy Sperling

12/9/2024 03:08:17 pm

Maybe that book has increased in value!

Thank you, Sandra. I have enjoyed our conversation immensely. I appreciate your candor and willingness to share some of your thoughts and experiences.

Until next time, keep on writing!

Control by Sandra Sperling

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