The Earl And The Enchantress: The Enchantresses Book One By Paullett Golden

4/19/2019

Multi-volume author, Paullette Golden introduces us to her first volume in the historical romance fiction series, The Enchantresses, The Earl And The Enchantress:
Not all scars can be healed with a kiss.

Sebastian Lancaster, Earl of Roddam, harbors a family secret so dark he has forsaken marriage to hide the past. When fate introduces him to Lizbeth, he believes he has met his perfect match—a woman with whom he can share passion without commitment.

Lizbeth Trethow risks everything to follow her heart until Sebastian’s past returns to haunt them. Desperate to hide the blood on his hands, he sabotages their happiness. Everything depends on Lizbeth unraveling the truth and turning this villain into a hero.

This is the love story of Lizbeth and Sebastian as they battle metaphoric ghosts born of murder and enlightenment to be together

What a wonderful story! I have read a number of historical fiction romance stories and this is the best one so far!
Paulette does such a masterful job of weaving so many historical details into her story, it makes me think she has a time machine in her basement. She must have lived in the milieu for some time, because her knowledge of the age is encyclopedic.
With so much attention to detail, without being burdensome, her scene setting is impeccable! I feel like I was at the table with all the nobility. Her dialogue is witty and authentic. It all rings so true and natural. I laughed out loud quite a few times. The action is quite good also, even the steamy parts.
I award The Earl And The Enchantress a score of 4.9 stars!

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Earl-Enchantress-Novel-Book-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-the-earl-and-the-enchantress
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/the-earl-and-the-enchantress-paullett-golden

You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/PaullettGolden
https://www.paullettgolden.com
https://www.facebook.com/Paullettgolden
https://www.instagram.com/paullettgolden

Tags: Regency romance, England, nobility, landed gentry, royalty

Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

76 Comments

Paullett Golden link

4/20/2019 02:05:28 pm

Thank you for the review, Mark! I'm so pleased you found the dialogue witty and the history immersing. I won't admit to owning a time machine, but I can't deny knowing a Time Lord!

Mark

4/20/2019 02:28:28 pm

You are very welcome, Paullett. A Time Lord with a time machine is just as good.
First question.
Tell us a little about yourself.

Paullett Golden link

4/20/2019 02:53:32 pm

I'm a dreamer and survivor! I've been teaching college for two decades, and after being told by a pitying oncologist that I had ovarian cancer, I realized I didn't have a whole lot of time to achieve my dreams, namely writing books. It was that dream on the bucket list for "when I have time." I was always jotting down ideas, words, phrases, plots, character descriptions, etc., but I never thought about sitting down to write because who has time for that with a day job? Well, when you realize time is limited, you make the time. No matter what is going on in life, you make the time. Time is ticking, and so you just do it.

If you're not reader of Proust, I recommend checking out what he has to say regarding the power of death. Here's a clip: "I think that life would suddenly seem wonderful to us if we were threatened to die." The full message that accompanies this little clip isn't morbid, rather it's remarking on how we must embrace the beauty in each moment, complete the projects and do the things as though it were our last day. I don't see it as a "You only live once" mentality because, hey, guess what, there likely will be tomorrow, and you do have to live with the consequences of your choices, but I do see it similarly. Proceed each day as though there will be a tomorrow, but make decisions with the thought that there might not be. Embrace the moment. Write that book. Travel to that place. Kiss that girl/boy. Follow the dream you've been procrastinating.

And so, that's me. I'm following my dreams one day at a time. I'm a survivor, and so shall be all my characters.

Chris Baker

4/20/2019 02:23:55 pm

What was the inspirarion for this particular time period? Also, the characters seem so complex, and human. What has rhe reaction been to the quirks - the humanness - of the characters been? Will this be a continuing trend in later novels?

Paullett Golden link

4/20/2019 02:38:09 pm

Wow, Chris! What great questions! I'm delighted you enjoyed the book and are interested in learning more about it and my writing.

The inspiration for the time period was The Enlightenment movement. I wanted it pre-war but there at the beginning of the revolution. I also wanted flexibility in the fashions where the wigs, powders, and foppish fashion were on the out and the higher waists and dandy fashion was on the way in. There's this lovely overlap of the changing trends in thought, philosophy, fashion, politics, literature, etc. that is rich right there before the turn of the century. I wanted to tap into that. These characters, in particular, portray some of the conflicts happening in philosophy during The Enlightenment, as well as other viewpoints, such as women's rights.

I'm delighted you found the characters complex. I've received mixed reviews on that aspect. Most of the reactions have been positive, such as readers finding them more multi-dimensional than characters they're used to reading about in this genre. Quite a lot of readers enjoy the character-driven nature of the book over external conflicts. I've certainly received a fair share of comments that the readers can relate to the characters, either seeing part of themselves in those characters or seeing people they know, relatives, friends, etc. There has been some criticism, as well, such as readers finding character themes too dark or being stuck in someone's head too confusing. I think these readers would prefer a more plot-driven and external conflict sort of book. My books are character-driven and internal-conflict driven. Whatever external conflicts appear in my book are purely secondary, something that will spur the character to overcome their internal conflict.

YES, this will be a trend. My whole goal is to write character-driven books. I want us to see characters we can relate to resolving their own conflicts, overcome their own fears, fighting their own battles, all in a way that might inspire us to do the same. Rather than someone or something coming to our rescue, or some external event saving the day, we realize the change comes from within. That's the goal, and so all of my books will have characters that are, shall we say, "human."

Mark

4/20/2019 04:21:14 pm

Thank you, Chris, for dropping in. Those are great questions! Are you a writer?

Mark

4/20/2019 04:28:55 pm

I have had my own cancer scare. My tumor was benign. LIke everyone else, we make room for what is important. Priorities make a big difference.
You are correct, we have to live in two worlds at the same time. In one, we live carefully to maximise our resources, in the other we have to keep in mind that today might be the last day of the rest of our life. Every once and a while, treat yourself, eat that gourmet burger or ice cream.
I have not read Proust, but I do like that quote.
New questions.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer?
Why did you choose this genre, or do you feel the genre chose you?

Paullett Golden link

4/20/2019 04:51:31 pm

Beautifully said, Mark! I love this image of living in two worlds. I'm so happy to hear your tumor was benign. It's been amazing to me how many people I've met in this journey who have been touched in some way by cancer, through relatives, scares, or survival.

I'm a full-time writer. I started as a weekend writer, but when I realized I needed to focus my attention on my passion, I became a full-time writer. Now, I'd love to have you envisioning me pecking away at the keyboard all day because that's how I envision myself each morning, but inevitably I find ways to distract myself! I usually fall down the rabbit hole of research (aka saving a world one Tardis trip at a time), take "breaks" to read a chapter of something else or watch Netflix, drinking way more tea than I need, and somewhere in all of that writing a chapter. Ha! Some days are more productive than others. ;)

This genre definitely chose me. When I was young (pre-teens), I wanted to write murder mystery Agatha Christie style. Somewhere in my teens, I discovered historical romance, and that sealed the deal. I fell in love with the happily ever after and the various ways people could create their own happily ever after despite adversity or doubt. I knew then what I wanted to write. No matter how many times I tried to craft a murder mystery, romance seeped into the plot. Who am I to argue with the muse?

Will I write other genres in the future? Possibly. I'd love to craft some gothic romance and romantic suspense to blend my two favs--murder mystery and hist rom. That would be well down the line of my writing career, though, because I have far too many hist rom stories patiently waiting to be written before I can delve into other genres, though I do already have some of those plotted/sketched.

I will say that I will not be sticking to a single era. I know Regency is the most popular period in this genre, but since my characters drive the stories, I'll go with the time period that works for them. The Earl and The Enchantress is late Georgian, not too far from when the Regency begins. Eventually, the children of these characters will have their own series, and that will plop them right there in the Regency. I will have prequels of the parents, which put them in the heart of the Georgian era with heels, hoop skirts, heart-shaped patches, and fanciful wigs. Depending on the series or book, I might have something Victorian, Medieval, etc. Not everything will take place in England either, though I would imagine that would be the majority of the books. Characters may travel to other locations, such as if the hero works for the East India Company and is traveling to or from England in the course of the plot. Lots of possibilities for time period and location. This series and the next series (The Sirens) both take place in late Georgian England.

Mark

4/20/2019 05:17:14 pm

You sound like a normal writer to me. Just like so many other writers I talk to on Twitter and here in my interviews. I suspect you might be a tad bit more honest than some. We are creative people and changing focus is one of many ways to keep the muse happy.
Your book is amazingly researched or you have a busy Tardis. Do you have a degree in this field or have you done a lot of reading?
There is another genre that you might find interesting to read if not write. Cozy Murder. Especially considering your interest in AC. I would suggest you might enjoy "The Crown For Castlewood Manor" written by Veronic Cline Barton. I reviewed the book and the the next two volumes also. Type the title into the search box at the top of the page. I can't put a hotlink in the comment box.
New questions.
What do the elements on the cover represent?
Who designed the cover of your book?

Paullett Golden link

4/20/2019 06:41:37 pm

Thanks for the book suggestion! I've added it to my Amazon cart! Eager to check it out.

In a roundabout way, my coursework and studies have helped, but only in that roundabout way. My PhD is actually in rhetoric, not literature. My MA is in British Literature, though, so I've done extensive research and reading, specifically in The Enlightenment through Victorian. That century stretch was my specialization. I did some independent studies and individualized coursework in other areas, though. For instance, I took an Arthurian Legends & Literature course at King's College London which included such guest lecturers as Dr. Ronald Hutton of University of Bristol, Dr. Dylan Foster Evans of Cardiff University, and Dr. Elizabeth Archibald of Durham University.

I do research extensively when I'm writing, from idiom and word etymology to laws. That doesn't mean I don't miss things from time-to-time, but my goal is for as close to perfection as I can get. What I think is especially fascinating about this genre is there is such a canon of words and phrases that didn't actually exist at the time but were coined by the earliest of the modern hist rom writers and so have become part of the hist rom culture. At times, I struggle if I want to use such words and phrases because they're not in keeping with the time, but they are accepted and understood by the readers of the genre. I aim for a happy medium where I keep to the history without glaring anachronisms while also including some canon elements and some modern elements that will ensure the stories are accessible. For instance, I won't have entirely period-accurate dialogue because that would bore us to tears and make for some easy confusions, but I also won't have entirely modern dialogue since that tears a reader out of the immersive experience faster than any other element. I aim to have modern sentence structure with some historical turn of phrases.

A great way to "research," outside of researching facts, phrases, etc., is to read the literature of the time--not literature about the literature, but the literature itself. The authors of the time offer an inside look to the time period far greater than any encyclopedia. If I want to know the rules of a duel, I won't Google the rules of dueling from some bloke's website. Instead, I find the books at that time that depict duels or even outline the etiquette of duels. Whatever literature was at that time, that's what I study. From there, I might then look at that top search result in Google and see how accurately they captured what was in the literature of the time and if there was anything I missed. Usually I'll find some overlap, but I'll also spot a good bit of creative liberty, misrepresentation, or missing info. Reading the documents of the time is the best way research! With some searching, you can even find the old gossip columns from the newspapers. ;)

As for your cover questions, my artist is Fiona Jayde. She's amazing. We work through a lengthy process to get to the art board and then to the cover drafts. That process includes such discussions as the book's mood, color symbology, character attitude, story theme, etc. For The Earl and The Enchantress, the purple of the cover is a nod to her amethyst cameo. The cameo itself is not necessarily important so much as what it represents to the heroine. The cameo is of her mother and carved from amethyst. The stone itself is symbolic for Lizbeth, as is having her mother's profile close to her heart. The book only skims the surface of why this relationship was so important to Lizbeth. Her connection to her mother is far deeper, and so the purple of the cover is giving us a touch of insight to Lizbeth's depth and what she values.

The "wallpaper" background depicts a natural, wild, vine-like image. This isn't the orderly or structured wallpaper we're used to seeing at the time. It is free flowing and chaotic, the vines connecting the blooms, buds, and leaves. This background depicts Lizbeth's personality. Even the dress she wears on the cover mimics that pattern. Her hairstyle and pose are more conservative. Outwardly, Lizbeth might look like a stodgy spinster. She wears the newest fashions, but there's always an element of control and conservativeness. She seems quiet, dull, perhaps even a bit stuck-up. But inside, she's chaotic, wild, and freedom loving, eager to break out of the drawing room and run through a field.

Those are just a few tid bits about the meaning of the cover. Far more went into the design and the discussion of the design, but I can't reveal all of Fiona's secrets. ;)

Mark

4/20/2019 08:08:16 pm

I hope to learn more about the Aurthurian legends in your future books.
I think you found a good balance in the dialogues. It was very believable and comfortable for me as a reader. I have only read a few books that fall into and around tha period, so I am not an expert. You are right, you have to deliver a certain amount of what the hardcore fan expects.
I had no idea there was so much going on in the cover. I thought it was pretty.
I am curious about one thing. Why is Lizbeth posed away from us? We can't see the cameo.
New questions.
Was it hard to come up with the title? What was the process?
Were the character names difficult to develop? How did you choose them?

Paullett Golden link

4/20/2019 09:31:20 pm

The heroine facing away from the reader on the cover is to allow us to use our own imagination to what she looks like. I'd much rather readers imagine the characters how they want to view them. I might offer some descriptions of the characters in the book, but I try to keep those descriptions to a minimum because I want the reader to picture whoever they like, maybe even themselves. What I didn't want was (a) the picture not to match the description inside (like when we read about a short and brown haired hero only to see a long haired Fabio on the cover. Hmm.) and (b) the picture to force an image of what the heroine or hero looks like when maybe that's not what the reader wants to envision. For instance, maybe I put a hero with bulging muscles on the cover, but the reader actually prefers slender heroes. I want to leave the image up to the reader. The cover is just a teaser to get us in the mood, a way to stimulate a mood or feel of the character. From there, we can envision whatever our heart desires. I know some readers of this genre prefer the half-clothed, gyrating couple, but that's not the style I'm going for in the writing or the characterization. All of my books will have tasteful covers. Each series will have its own style, of course, so some may have a couple or may have just the hero or whatever interesting image Fiona and I cook up, but they'll all be tasteful with some glimpses into the character that we may not even think of until we're reading the book.

The title was much more difficult to think of than it should have been! I went through quite a few different versions before I settled on this one. Even now, I still think of titles that might have worked better. Bit late. ;) This title came from that connection between Lizbeth and the Lady of the Lake, where the hero sees her as the enchantress that entrapped Merlin. Well, he does at first until he realizes she's more akin to Guinevere. Even Lizbeth realizes how he sees her and tries to tell him through her gift that she's not an enchantress, at least not a wicked one. The other books in this series use the word enchantress differently. In this book, it's a connection to the actual enchantress of the legends. In other books, it's to do with the feeling of being enchanted, of feeling as though you've walked into a fairy tale with a happily ever after ending because you've found that person who understands you fully and seems perfect for you in all ways, even ways you hadn't expected.

The character names came easily. I love collecting names. I pull names from mythology, history, the era in which I'm writing, friends, family, the barista at the nearby Starbucks, you name it. I might see a name tag and think, "You need a starring role in a book." I never match personality with names, though. So, for instance, I may meet someone and think they need to be a hero, heroine, or secondary character, but I'll give them a different name, and vice versa where I'll use their name for a different character. I have a list of names I want to use, and for each book, I match the personality I envision for that character with a name from the list. I'll scroll through all of these great names, but I want what feels right. That part I can't explain. Why does that name feel right? Who knows! Take Sebastian, for example. It just came to me. I built the character before I had the name, and when I was trying to think of a name, that popped into my head, so I went with it. Lizbeth's was much easier because her mother's name is Elizabeth, and they named her after her mother. Charlotte was a typical name at the time because of Queen Charlotte. I had the most fun with the name Drake. It's a popular British surname, but not really used as a first name. I named him after The Drake Stone which is a rock formation along a scenic walk in Northumberland. I loved the various ways you could envision his name--from Liz's perspective, he's named after a male duck--a drake, from Sebastian's perspective, he's named after a rock--The Drake Stone, from his father's perspective, he would be named after the Old English draca--a dragon. I found his name as multi-faceted as the character himself. All of the home names have more meaning than the characters. For instance, I had a ton of fun learning Cornish roots, phrases, place names, etc. to find the perfect names for their homes. But I can't give away all my secrets, so I'll leave it to the keen researcher to figure out what the home names mean. ;)

Mark

4/21/2019 11:12:35 am

Very nice. I certainly appreciate your cover much more now. That makes a lot of sense to allow the reader to put a face on the characters. As I read, the story unfolds in my head like a movie. I have yet to see a movie that could really keep up with my imagination.
I love names too. I like learning where they come from. I didn't realize Drake had so many shades of meaning.
New questions.
Your next book is about Drake and his relationship to Charlotte. Does a reader need to read "The Earl and The Enchantress" first?
Drake's mother has a heck of a back story. Is she going to get to tell her story?

Paullett Golden link

4/21/2019 12:21:08 pm

My goal for books in a series is to ensure that each stand alone while also threading elements of the other books. In this way, they can be read in any order and even on their own. Personally, I think it would be helpful to read them in order so you get a feel for the characters before launching into their story, but that isn't necessary. People like different types of characters and different types of plots, so they may really enjoy one tale and not another, and so it's important that the books be able to stand alone. I have noticed that the best reading experience of The Duke and The Enchantress is from those who read The Earl first because the two characters are downright obnoxious in The Earl. This makes the reading of The Duke a more enriching experience because you're able to see what makes them tick, to humanize seemingly shallow characters. As a standalone, we have no prior knowledge of how others see them, so we only ever see the world from their perspective. It works well, but I think there's a missing element. But then, I'm the writer, so I would say that. ;)

I have Catherine's story sketched, actually, but it would fall into the gothic realm. I'd love to dip into that genre, Daphne du Maurier style, but it'll be a long time in coming. I have Catherine's story and her brother's story sketched. If I decided to branch out into that genre, their stories would be the first I'd write. Neither have a happy ending, and neither really have love stories, though romance certainly enters into both of their lives. Their stories are rife with abuse and scandal, so not happy tales. Intriguing, but not happy. As unlikable as she is, I have enormous respect for Catherine, but then, I know what all she's been through and can see her children and their love interests from her perspective. I think she's a great character, and I believe both Liz and Hazel can see through to the vulnerable woman inside. I'm eager to explore her character more throughout the series, but of course, we'll only see her from the perspective of who she's become, not who she once was, though there will be little hints of her life in each book.

Mark

4/21/2019 12:40:30 pm

Personally, I prefer to read books in the order they were intended to be.
Catherine exudes a great deal of pain and demands control of all situations. Hallmarks of abuse and great suffering. So what you say about her story makes a great deal of sense. I liked her care for her nephew and Lizbeth.
New questions.
Have you entered any writing contests?
Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?

Paullett Golden link

4/21/2019 12:57:00 pm

I haven't done much contest entering. Other than exposure, I haven't much seen the purpose of entering contests. I don't desire the ego boost that would come from winning (or the other way around), and the readers in my genre aren't likely to be browsing the winners lists for new romance books. I suppose if I better understand the goal of contests, I might be more motivated to enter. That said, I DID enter a few indie author contests before The Earl was published. At the time, I think I was looking for some validation that the book was worth publishing. Funnily enough, I published it months before the contests would announce the winners. I applied for maybe 3 contests? I might be forgetting one. Hmm. Only one has announced winners so far, the others still to come in May. The one that announced winners awarded The Earl 3rd place. There was definitely a sense of satisfaction to receive that award. It was the Readers Views Literary Awards hosted by Book by Book Publicity.

Will I be applying for awards in the future? Not likely. I think I'll take my 3rd place in Readers Views and run with that. Haha. I suppose if I could sort out the purpose for entering contests, I might be more motivated, but as it stands, I'm just not too sure the point. I'd rather spend my time writing and connecting with readers.

Mark

4/21/2019 05:02:39 pm

Some of the contests provide a digital sticker for the cover of your e-book. Some contests provide feedback about a submission that can be quite valuable. Then there are contests that do nothing except extract as much money from an author as possible.
Contests can be a good way to stretch the writing muscles also, because you are writing to a theme or size limit instead of strictly to the muse.
New questions.
Did you go through the query process for Earl or did you go straight to self-publishing, and why?
How do you think your book compares to a book published by a major publisher?

Paullett Golden link

4/21/2019 05:48:37 pm

Great information on contests, Mark! Thanks for that. :)

I went straight to self-publishing without querying. I did not, however, know that was the route I would take from the outset. At first, I had never even thought of it as an option. I didn't know anything about it and assumed it would be a daunting process. I also didn't want my book to look sloppy, which is, sadly, what I've seen a good deal of from self-published books.

I began by exploring the publishers of my genre to see what they were publishing--themes, writing style, plots, etc. I went on a massive buying spree of all new releases from each of those publishers and kept that up for about a year. I wanted to choose the publisher wisely rather than haphazardly querying to everyone, especially if what was being published wouldn't jive with my style. I investigated how they market and promote their books, the royalties they offer, the ownership rights, you name it. I had a spreadsheet and everything that analyzed the data. I also explored the authors they had as their "top" authors, the ones they were really promoting.

What I discovered in this process was that I did not want to publish with any of those publishers. The new releases were anything but impressive. There was this overwhelming feeling that the books had been rushed to meet a deadline and had not been reviewed by an editor or even a proofreader. It was a shocking realization. After chatting with some of the authors with those publishers, I got an inside scoop on the less-than-desirable contracts, as well. I decided this was not the route I wanted to go, and so I crossed those publishers off the list. Those were the genre-specific publishing houses that accepted unsolicited manuscripts.

My next investigation was for the publishing houses that accepted agent-represented authors, which would mean finding an agent. I spoke with several authors I know who are full-time, career authors, and they had such unpleasant experiences with publishing houses and agents that they had all moved to self-publishing. I hadn't even realized! That opened the discussion to self-publishing. I uncrossed it from my list and really explored it. I didn't want the book to look self-published, if that makes sense, and that was a key factor for me. With a good bit of investigation and networking with successful authors, I realized it was the best option for me. From there, I launched in head first. I wasted no time. I knew what I wanted, and so I did it.

In terms of how my book compares to those published by a major publishing house, I'm confident it not only meets those standards but exceeds them. Let's keep in mind that my whole reason for crossing publishing houses off the list was seeing the sloppiness of the recent publications. There were other factors, especially with the marketing/promotion and contracts, but the sloppiness was a key factor. When comparing a well-planned, well-edited, and well-formatted book to those, there's really no contest. Now, that assessment is NOT comparing my writing to the successful writers of the genre. I'm a debuting novelist with plenty of room for growth! I wouldn't dream of comparing my writing to theirs. Whether or not my writing is close, equal, or better is completely in the eyes of the readers, but I'm humble enough to know I have a lot of growing room. Something I value about reviews is that it gives me direction on what is working well and what can be improved. I can apply those learning experiences to each new book I write and thus improve as a writer. I'm the new kid on the block, so there's a ton to learn, especially from those who have been successfully writing for years. So, do I know the presentation of the book (quality of printing, formatting, editing, etc) competes and exceeds those published by publishing houses? Yes. Do I know that my writing is better than some of the writers in the major publishing houses? Yes. Do I know that my writing is nowhere near as good as some of the writers in the major publishing houses? Yes.

The most significant question is would I go with a publishing house if they sought me out. I'm quite happy being self-published. It was a decision I made after a lot of investigation and analysis. It was not a decision I made lightly. For a publisher to pick me up, they would need to meet the contract needs I have. If they couldn't meet those, I would happily stay as a self-published author. I will not query. Some might say that it's the author's job to court the publisher and sign whatever contract the publisher offers. I say that in a world where self-publishing is a successful and viable option, the authors should stick to their guns on what they want and accept nothing less. We don't need publishing houses. The publishing houses, on the other hand, need us.

For writers thinking of going the self-publishing route, I say YES, do it! But do it intelligently. Join writing groups to ensure your writing is the best it can be. Accep

Paullett Golden link

4/21/2019 05:54:35 pm

That's what I get for being too long-winded! So, what I was saying in my last paragraph before it cut off mid-word was that if someone is interested in self-publishing, they should join a writing group, edit, edit, edit, develop a marketing plan, find a cover artist, find a formatter or study the formatting templates, and have everything ready to roll so that when they publish, it is the best representation of them. Have a plan, and do it!

Mark

4/22/2019 07:39:50 pm

I love all that research you did! When you entered the market you knew quite well what was going on and made very intelligent decisions. You are operating your writing like a business, the books are your products. I think you will go far. Have you written a blog about these experiences? If not you should. I think there are a lot of writers that could learn something from you. I would be honored to host you as a guest author on my website with a blog like this.
You are right, publishers need authors more than authors need publishers. The old business model has been crushed by Amazon. While a new business model is being worked out a lot of publishers of all sizes have disappeared.
New questions.
There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?
Do you have a favorite book by another author or authors?
Did you have a favorite book as a child?

Paullett Golden link

4/22/2019 08:47:55 pm

I hadn't thought about a publishing blog. That would be awesome! We should chat more about that. ;)

Hmm, I'm not sure I've really ordered unethical practices to know which is the most unbearable. I think when it comes to self-publishing, the whole pay-to-publish aspect rubs me the wrong way. Those familiar with vanity presses from back in, what, the 80s, maybe, aren't likely to fall for them, but new writers who see success in going with an independent publishing house or going for self-publishing can easily fall for a pay-to-publish opportunity without even realizing they're being duped. It's unfortunate that such happens. In publishing, in general, there's certainly a lot of plagiarism that occurs, and that's definitely unbearable. It happens in publishing houses, as well as self-publishing. I'm always surprised to see plagiarism happen with publishing houses, but I suppose I shouldn't be shocked.

Hands down, Mary Balogh is a fav of mine. I wouldn't narrow it down to a single book, though. I stumbled on her during that research process I did to find which publisher I wanted to go for. I had already written the first two books in the series, and I knew what themes I wanted to write for other books, but I had yet to see another author writing the themes I wanted to write about, and that was disconcerting. Were they not writing them because no one wanted to read them? Were they not writing them because no one would publish them? When I was exploring authors to get a feel for publishers and what those publishers liked to publish (since I do favor heavier themes and not all publishers want to tackle that), I ended up coming across a Balogh book. I immediately fell in love. She's an exquisite writer and isn't afraid to face those tough themes (PTSD, disabilities, mental health, etc.). Since then, I've come across a few more authors that tackle tough topics, but nothing like how she approaches them. I knew there was hope for my books if she was well received by readers! While I'm much too fresh-faced and novice to be in Balogh's league, I think it's safe to say that those who enjoy Balogh's books would enjoy mine and vice versa.

I couldn't possibly name a favorite book from childhood! I loved a wide variety, so it's hardly fair to compare Tolkien to Lewis to Christie, etc. I was an avid reader, as you can imagine. I read all of the time. Oddly, I read so much that I had a few teachers discourage me from reading. When I walked out with a tall stack from a Scholastic Book Fair, a teacher said, "If you keep reading like this, you'll run out of books. Slow down!" I remember that clearly. I accepted the challenge and bought a few more books and read even more than I had originally planned. Ha! I think it's safe to say I could never possibly in a single lifetime run out of books to read.

Mark

4/22/2019 09:11:05 pm

The pay-to-publish thing is still around. They keep changing company names to stay ahead of bad reviews. At the same time, decent publishers are struggling to stay afloat and look to the author to assist in the process. Some charge for editing, for covers, for promotions. Not all of them come through on the promotion end. When it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Some publishers won't talk to you unless you have a fan base, a mailing list a few thousand long and your own promotional machine. For the publisher that means guaranteed sales.
We are alike. I loved reading as a child. My mom encouraged me to read, relatives sent me books.
New questions.
Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired?
Why is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of the characters?

Paullett Golden link

4/22/2019 09:46:44 pm

I hear you on the publishers charging and only looking at established authors. Those were some of the aspects I learned from the authors I spoke with regarding their publishing house experience. Most of them did all of their own promoting and many of them had to pay for their own editor. All I could think was what's the point of going with a publishing house if you're still doing everything yourself and going out of pocket? I'm still scratching my head about that one.

In answer to your first question, it is definitely a healing component and certainly energizing. I feel ALIVE when I write. I often can't stop myself. I'm always thinking about writing. I'll be sitting in a waiting room, and suddenly I think of a plot twist for a book I may not write for years down the road. I'll think of a line or a phrase I want to use. I might think of a character who needs a starring role. It's always on my mind. When I sit down to focus on writing, it is really energizing. I have to force myself to take breaks to eat, sleep, that sort of thing, and even then, I'm eager to get back to work. In terms of healing, this whole journey began with the cancer scare. I was so scared I wouldn't achieve my life goal, which was to be a writer. Every time I write, I feel as though I'm fulfilling my life's purpose, I'm accomplishing my goals. It's an incredible feeling. It's not just fun, it's truly fulfilling.

Great question about the emotions of the characters. I've had quite a few laughs over cardboard characters in this genre. I sort of envision it like there are a set of fictional actors out for hire by authors. I swear I've seen some of the exact some characters in several books, just as though they were actors. Tapping into the emotions breathes life into the characters, makes them real, not one-dimensional cardboard. Yes, there are always archetypes, stereotypes, etc., but the idea is to humanize them so they're not that cut out character. People are complex, and characters are people, even if we're only meeting them on the page. A lot goes into character development. The better you know the characters, the more they'll come to life. From a writing stand point, I need to know what my characters will do and how they'll react. I can always tell when I'm putting words in their mouth when the scene doesn't flow. If I'm forcing it and not feeling it, then I'm saying what I would say, not what they would say. Knowing them inside and out helps because then the scenes flow.

Ultimately, I want my characters to be relatable. I want readers to see themselves, a friend, a relative, a neighbor, or even a coworker in the characters. I want them to be so real that we can relate to them in some way. To do that, I have to get into that character's head and understand their emotions, their motivations, fears, and goals, everything that makes them tick. I do that even for secondary characters. Though the secondaries may not be on the page long, I want to know their story. I can't tell you what a wonderful experience it is to read a book with characters that I can invest in. I want to do for my readers what I also enjoy--characters with soul.

Mark

4/23/2019 12:16:41 pm

How cool is that! you really do feel fulfilled when writing! That is a wonderful feeling to be doing something that resonates so deeply inside. That is really working in the groove!
Your characters really do seem alive. Their inner life is reflected quite well in the external environment.
New questions.
Some writers look for pictures that show the characters as they envision them. Others write biographies, create playlists o music for and about their characters. What do you do to flesh out the characters for your stories?
Have you ever used yourself or other acquaintances as a character for a starting point in a story? Would they recognize you or themselves in the story?

Paullett Golden link

4/23/2019 03:45:02 pm

I'm more of the biography and picture type. I create a bit of a story board for each character, a bit like their own pinterest page but more detailed with bits of biography, as well. Their story board will have things like eye color, hair color, favorite fashions, their perfect garden, their favorite books, places and images that they like, faces and figures of their often used expressions, etc. It's a visual and textual representation of themselves. I fully sketch out bios, as well as clips of different aspects that make up their personality--their zodiac sign, their astrological chart, their religious values and beliefs, their Myers Briggs personality type, their archetype, their color personality, their love language, etc. Anything you can think of related to personality, it's sketched.

I've never done a playlist of music, as you mentioned, but it'd be an interesting idea. I think one of the issues with that is the characters are historical, so would I choose a playlist of songs of the time, or would I modernize it to songs of the now that they might connect to? Hmm. I've not explored that avenue. I think of them in terms of their time, so everything I create on their story board is to do with the times--where would they visit, what would the do or want to see there, favorite composers, etc.

I've not used myself or acquaintances as characters, and I really doubt they'd recognize themselves if I did, but I do pull from people I meet. I might meet someone at the coffeeshop and think, "You need to be a hero/heroine/secondary." I'll take that glimpse of them and craft a person around the glimpse. There will be features of people I know built in. For instance, how a friend might react in a situation is perfect fodder for how the character might react. I'll never base a whole character or even a name on someone I know, but there will definitely be bits and pieces, some aspect about them I really admire that needs to be the centerpiece of the characterization. So, maybe I know someone who is hard working and risen from the muck despite adversity. I'll take that as the centerpiece and build a character around it, but all other aspects of the personality might come from elsewhere. In this way, I'm never writing about any single person but rather letting people inspire me as I build a character that is a person in his/her own right.

Mark

4/23/2019 04:22:25 pm

I am not surprised that you have such a detailed picture of your characters. I must say that it really pays off for the reader. I was very surprised at how I saw one part or another of myself in most of the characters.
That is a good way to do write a character, bits and pieces of reality make the whole come together.
New questions.
Which is more fun to write, the protagonist or the antagonist?
What is one thing you hate about your protagonist and one thing you love about the antagonist?

Paullett Golden link

4/23/2019 04:58:44 pm

That's awesome that you saw parts of yourself in the different characters. Even if we would react differently or we're wanting to strangle a character, I would imagine that we can relate in part to some of the things they go through or the ways they're treated. For instance, in the second book The Duke and The Enchantress, there's a scene where the heroine is sitting at the dinner table feeling out of place. I would imagine that for one reason or another, we've all had a similar experience, maybe visiting a girl/boyfriend's new family, maybe attending a formal work function, or whatever the case may be. Though we might not relate to the character, we very well might relate to how they're feeling in that moment.

Great questions, Mark, about protagonists and antagonists! Talk about a thinker.....

I don't really believe in "villains." I know that's a popular concept in hist rom books where there's some villain who is keeping the couple apart, wrecking havoc on someone's life, or even doing something extreme like kidnapping the heroine. Not my style. There are no antagonists, as such, in my books. There are, however, people who might appear antagonistic. For whatever reason, their personality and way of life doesn't jive with the hero or heroine. Heck, the antagonist could even be a memory or a long-since passed person, not even a living person. Whatever the case, the antagonist is only such because that's how the hero or heroine is reacting to that person, not because that person is necessarily a villain. Catherine has been thought to be an antagonist quite a few times, but she's just a person, not a villain, and as we move through the book, we learn just that.

I think it's exceptionally fun to write antagonists because they really are just people with stories that might not be so different from that of the hero/heroine. Something made them the way they are, and I love to create their back story to know what makes them tick. It demystifies them and makes them seem not quite so scary. It's a bit like Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty. If we look at Disney's animated depiction of the tale, she seems pretty formidable, but if we look at the live-action movie, we get her back story and understand what makes her tick. That's what I enjoy about writing antagonists. And I especially enjoy when I can get to the point in the story when we realize they aren't actually villains of any sort. They're just people who the hero or heroine has perceived to be in their way.

Regarding your question about something I hate about the protagonist and love about the antagonist, I'm going to say that in the case of The Earl and The Enchantress, Sebastian is the protagonist, and his father is the antagonist. He is very much controlled by the memory of his father, tormented by the man's ghost, not in a Hamlet sort of way, but not too far off.

Something I dislike about Sebastian as a protagonist is his hesitancy to communicate. This is not uncommon. I've encountered this problem with family, friends, and even significant others, where for whatever reason, they would not express themselves or communicate about why they were angry or upset. This happens more with people who suffer from manic depression or have trust issues because of past abuse, and in these cases, which I believe fits Sebastian's case, I can completely understand their hesitancy and inability to communicate effectively, but that doesn't make it any less difficult. The waffling back and forth is exhausting, but that's exactly how someone like him acts. I wanted to strangle him a few times because as much as he was afraid to communicate, he needed to, and if he had waffled more time, I might have tossed the laptop across the room! Communication is so important, and there comes a time when you just have to put yourself out there and trust someone else. He struggled with this, and it drove me batty, but it is quite accurate to someone who has been through what he has been through. This wasn't me making a frustrating character. This was the very real characterizations of a person who suffers from a history of abuse as well as bipolar. I've seen marriages fail because the spouse couldn't cope, and the sufferer couldn't communicate. In the case of our characters, thankfully, Liz understands what he needs and is able to cope and help him communicate. This doesn't always happen, though.

As far as the antagonist, if we go with the idea that his father was the antagonist, I enjoyed getting to know his back story. We get a bit of a glimpse of it from Catherine's discussion of the abuse and how she had to leave her brother behind and feared what he might have gone through without her there to defend him against their father. Sebastian's father (Tobias) is not a man to be pitied because he got caught up in the abuse cycle rather than stopping the cycle, but I do know his back story, so he's endeared to me up to a point. Now, rather he loved Lily and was forced to marry Jane whe

Mark

4/23/2019 05:56:15 pm

I relate to Sebastian quite a bit. I have done a lot of waffling in the past.
I knew this question would not be easy, because there was not a clearly defined antagonist. That is a big part of what makes your story so enjoyable. I did have in my mind Sebatian's father as the closest person to that idea.
New questions.
What is your writing routine when you sit down to write?
Now that your book is published, is there anything about it you would like to change?

Paullett Golden link

4/23/2019 06:15:37 pm

I'm sad to see I wrote too much again and got cut off mid-word! Ugh. Oh well. You'd think I'd learn from this lesson at some point. ;)

Writing routine: Tough! I'm not sure I have one. I used to, but not so much anymore. Back in the day, I used to have the lights just a certain way, the music just a certain way, the time of day just so, but now, I write whenever and however. I might be writing a scene while sitting in a waiting room or standing in line at the store. I use voice to text a lot when drafting, so I might be house cleaning and "writing" a scene using voice to text. No real routine anymore. I'm just always writing! When I'm seriously working on a scene, I do need to focus, so a long stretch of uninterrupted time is useful. This may mean silencing the phone for stretches. I'll often read the chapter or scene that came before it to ensure I'm in the groove. I don't take many breaks when I'm focusing, so having my mug full and my chocolates at the ready are important. Once I'm in the zone, I'm in the zone.

Writers remorse is definitely a thing! Haha. I absolutely cannot re-read what's already been published. I'll just want to start editing and revising and then be ashamed of it, so once it's out, it's off limits. Quite a few times I've thought of things that I wish I would have done differently, but I can't think of anything specific at the moment. They're usually things that I think could have been better established to help prepare for a new book, but I wouldn't have known to do that at the time.

Mark

4/23/2019 07:38:46 pm

Not every writer needs or has a routine, you certainly don't need one. Opportunity writing works very well for you. What a friendly and flexible muse you have, always feeding you ideas and tidbits.
New questions.
Do you write in a straight line or do you write what ever the muse provides for you at a given moment?
How do you think your book relates to the world we live in today?
What is the one thing you hope readers will remember from your book?

Paullett Golden link

4/23/2019 10:21:11 pm

I definitely don't write in a straight line. Well, I suppose it depends on what stage of the writing process I'm on, but when I'm first drafting, I will think of conversations, scenes, descriptions, and so forth, and I'll jot those down as I go. So, for instance, I might be driving somewhere and suddenly think of an entire conversation between the hero and heroine. I don't know yet where it'll go, but there it is. I'll sketch out the whole scene and save it for later. In this way, I'll end up having all of these random bits ready to roll before I actually sit down to write the book. Once I have the book plotted and those bits placed, I'll concentrate on different scenes and different chapters as they feel right, which means I might be drafting the final scene before I've even written the first chapter. When most of it is sketched, then I start from the beginning and work through linearly to fill in the blanks, connect chapters and scenes, make sure everything flows, etc.

I'd like to think my characters and their inner conflicts are timeless and definitely relevant to today. Though they're navigating in their own time, we still face the issues they face. So, let's say, for instance, having to live with someone who suffers from manic depression and not knowing how to handle the situation. That's a very real thing today. Historically, that would have been more challenging because there wasn't a name for it much less treatment methods. Or let's say something like trying to fit in where you're not sure you belong--that's something we can all relate to regardless of the time.

I'm not sure there's a single element I'd like readers to remember about a specific book, rather a sense or a glimpse that might help them through darker times. I want each book to have a sense of hope, a sense that no matter what happens in life, we can resolve the problem, face the demon, and get through it. Slaying dragons isn't something that happens externally and isn't something that someone can do for us. We have to do it ourselves, but if we want it badly enough, we'll find a way to make it happen. With my stories, love is not the answer to all problems. Love is the motivating factor for solving the problems. Love also takes work, and you have to find a way to communicate and make peace within yourself for love to thrive. I'd love for my stories to give readers hope--they can get through the darkness, slay the dragons, and face the demons.

Mark

4/23/2019 10:51:57 pm

I am glad to hear you write in a non-linear fashion. You write the easy parts first and then go back and connect the dots. I think that is a brilliant method.
Now that you mention it, the conflicts experienced by your characters are timeless, internal and external. That is a big part of what makes your characters come alive, they are easy to relate to and connect with.
I particularly like that you portray that love is not the answer to every problem, that is so hollywood and insincere. Love can be a major motivating factor, but that is all. Hope flows through your book very nicely.
New questions.
What software do you use to write and publish your books, and why do you use those?
Have you ever had the experience of the story swerving in a different direction than planned, as if a character was driving it?

Paullett Golden link

4/23/2019 11:04:13 pm

I love how you say that "love solves all problems" is Hollywood and insincere! That made me laugh. It's so true.

The software I use isn't too glamorous. Good old Micro Word! Haha. That's it. Just Word. I use a variety of things to track expenses and profits, such as Excel, but for the book and publishing, it's just Word. Now, once the book is formatted and ready to roll, then it'll be converted to a PDF, Mobi, and ePub for the print and Kindle uploads, but there's nothing fancy involved. I know there are a lot of story crafting programs out there, but I've never tried them. All I need is a pen and paper or a keyboard and paper. Fancy programs won't write the story for me. ;)

YES to the story swerving in different directions. YES, YES, YES. Since the stories are character-driven, I let the characters lead the way. I have NO idea where the story is going to go until they show me. I can even have the whole thing plotted out, conflict included, but it's conceited to assume it'll stay that way because it never does. I'll be on Ch. 5, and the character is like, "You seriously want me to say that? Sorry, but no. That's not me." And all of a sudden the story is going in a completely different direction. For the Earl, I didn't even know what Sebastian's issue was until he told Liz. It was a complete and total surprise to me. I was wondering the whole time what it could be. I had my suspicions, but I didn't know what it was until he said it. Once he said it, I was trying to piece it all together because it sure wasn't what I thought it was going to be! I think that part of the reasons writers experience writers block is that they're trying to force the story to go a certain direction. I've learned that I have to be 100% flexible and go the direction the characters want me to go. If I'm writing a scene and the characters' words aren't flowing, then I'm clearly writing what I want them to say, not what they want to say, and so I have to change direction and let them lead. Once I do, the scene flows.

Claire

4/23/2019 10:49:35 pm

How much did the respective environments influence your character designs? In the cliffs and wind surrounding Sebastian’s home you can get a sense of him...was this planned? It feels like the landscapes shaped aspects of your characters, did visiting these places have an impact on character creation?

Mark

4/23/2019 10:54:10 pm

Thank you for visiting our chat, Claire, we are glad you have joined us. Those are excellent questions. Are you a writer? I can hardly wait to see what Paullett says.

Paullett Golden link

4/23/2019 11:12:54 pm

Thanks for the great questions, Claire! The environments are part of the characters' souls. The environment reflects their personality and vice versa. You mention Sebastian, and he's a perfect example for this. He lives in a wild, wind-swept, unkempt landscape. There are no formal gardens, just fields of wildflowers and a roaring ocean. This very much reflects him as a person, inside and out. We can see him in the land around him.

The characters gravitate to the places that reflect them, and that's where they find peace within themselves. The ocean is especially powerful to Sebastian because it's where he can cleanse his soul. He feels healed every time he touches the water. It's also the only element he can relax and trust. He hands over his life, complete trust, to the ocean and knows it'll keep him safe. There's a scene and some inner thoughts about him just relaxing into the waves and letting them take him wherever, even if it means being pulled into the undertow. He just relaxes and trusts. He trusts the environment more than he trusts people, which is something he later has to learn to do.

Visiting the places certainly helped shape the characters. I like to visit every place I write about in a story so I'm describing it accurately and getting a sense of the feel of the place and the culture. There is so much you can't learn from pictures and descriptions. There's a feeling, a sense of soul, about a place, and that's important to capture.

Mark

4/24/2019 10:23:30 am

MS Word is anything but glamorous! No question about that. It has served you and other authors quite well. It's what I use for my proofreading.
I have heard many authors say that they don't really know where the story is going until the characters tell them. You have provided a fascinating example of that.
New questions.
I know there are many ways to build the outline. Do you do it all on the computer or do you get analog at some point with post-its or note cards?
Do you have defined space for writing at home, or are you a coffee-shop writer?
Do you listen to music or have the TV on when writing, or do you need quiet?

Paullett Golden link

4/24/2019 12:34:03 pm

I do everything on the computer these days. At one point, I used to have a writing binder where I collected in a scrapbook/collage sort of way what I needed to craft characters and stories. It was fantastic having it open and in front of me, tangible, easy to flip to what I needed. I've since switched over to everything on computer. I have a similar character/story story board on the computer. It's not quite as handy as having it printed in front of me, but it is certainly easy to move things around in the story as I need them.

I'm really an anywhere writer. Wherever I get an idea, that's where I write, be it in a coffeehouse, a parking lot, or a garden. That said, I do prefer to write at home in my own space. I have a few writing areas designated in the house, depending on my mood. I have a big desk, a small movable desk, a chaise lounge, and a couch for my main writing areas. I typically use my laptop for everything, but I do have my tower computer hooked up to the BIG TV, as well as dual monitors at the ready, and a wireless keyboard so that I can write from anywhere in the living room. That's my most comfortable place to write is at home in my own space. That said, I can't tell you how many chapters have been written on my phone while waiting on a lunch date or some other impromptu moment. The phone has gotten a lot of writing love!

I like minimal distractions if I'm really focusing. I can focus with any sort of distraction happening, be it a noisy room or TV or whatever, but it's not how I like to focus. I prefer minimal noise. There's almost always music in the house, but it's at a low volume and not distracting. The TV is never on unless I'm working on the computer and using the TV as the monitor. I do have outdoor sounds that I enjoy, such as leaving the door open to enjoy the sound of the wind chimes and the birds. When I'm traveling, I'll tote the laptop along and write on a clifftop or beach or in a garden. Those are always fun settings. Nothing more fun than writing inside the house in which you imagine your characters living. Those are the best writing moments!

Mark

4/24/2019 02:04:06 pm

Very nice! You have everything you need whenever you travel to these locations. I think it adds a lot to the story in a subliminal way. I felt comfortable and present in so many parts of the story. your scene-setting is marvelous.
Having all those different setups at home is brilliant. I imagine it helps the muse to flow when you can seamlessly move to different spots of your house.
New questions.
Action, dialogue, or narration; which is easiest to write?
Of the five senses which is the easiest to write and which is the hardest?

Paullett Golden link

4/24/2019 02:54:40 pm

Hands down, narration is easiest for me to write. The most difficult for me is dialogue. I always start out with stiff dialogue that reads more like narration than dialogue. I have to go over it quite a few times to get it to sound like natural speech. I'm envious of writers who write dialogue so flawlessly! Script/play writing is a great way to improve dialogue skills. I have a long way to go, though. ;)

I wouldn't say any of the senses are difficult or easy in and of themselves, but some scenes make it easier or more difficult for certain senses. I think the challenge is in which sense to emphasize--what do you want your readers experiencing in the scene without overwhelming their senses? I try to emphasize what the character might find important, so the goal isn't to experience the moment with all senses but rather to experience the moment how the character experiences it. In this way, a character might have their eyes closed and are focusing on inhaling the scents around them. I'll really emphasize all of those scents so we, too, can inhale with the reader and know what that moment means to them. In another scene, maybe it's touch that's most important to emphasize. There might be a brief narration of the other senses, but the focal point will be on what the character is experiencing.

Senses are so important because they allow for a full immersion in the moment. We're living vicariously through this character, so we want to be there and experiencing it all too. You don't want to leave senses out, but you also don't want to describe senses for the sake of describing senses--obligatory sense description. There needs to be a purpose. Why do we care if the air is salty? Why do we care about feeling gooseflesh on the skin? There needs to be some reason for describing the senses, emphasizing certain ones, and pulling the reader into that specific moment.

Mark

4/24/2019 03:28:12 pm

Most authors agree with you about narration. Telling is much easier than showing.
Choosing which sense to emphasize in a given scene makes a great deal of sense and eliminates fluff. I do not recall finding any fluff in your book. Everything had a purpose to move the story forward.
New questions.
Have you ever participated in theater in some way?
What kind of marketing are you doing or planning on doing?

Paullett Golden link

4/24/2019 04:05:34 pm

I've not done much with theater, actually. I do have a few friends involved, so I have the opportunity to learn from them. The only real connection I've had, personally, was from taking elective courses back in my academic days. I did a bit of Live Action Role Play gaming back in the day, as well, but that's not quite the same thing! Haha.

Marketing is so important, and I'm still feeling my way through it. I know there's a lot more I can do. Some examples of things I've done are book giveaways with established bloggers and reviewers, book giveaways with various book clubs, guest speaker for writing workshops and book clubs and writing retreats, book signings and readings, social media presence which ranges from contests to updates, monthly newsletter, networking with book reviewers, and more. I have a plan to offer website memberships soon-ish, which should be a lot of fun in connecting with readers and offering exclusive content. I have the memberships structured and ready to roll, but I've not opened them up yet on the website. I want to get a few more books out before that launches so that each membership tier is rich with content. I'm also working with my graphic artist on developing merchandise. That will soon-ish be available for purchase, but of course, membership would have the merchandise available as part of the membership cost.

There's still so much I can be doing with marketing! I have a lot to learn and a lot of fun yet to have, but I think I have a fairly good start. This is something that new authors MUST sort out before they launch their first book. As self-published authors, no one will find their books if they don't market the books. Also, if they want to go to a publisher eventually, publishers aren't likely to look at them without marketing already in place. Publishers want to see that presence and fan base. Even independent publishers that accept unsolicited manuscripts will ask for the marketing plan along with the submission. I've heard from authors who are with established publishing houses that they're now having to do all their own marketing and promotion, which is definitely a shocker. Marketing is vital.

Mark

4/24/2019 05:11:28 pm

I would think that writing plays and movies would be a great experience for writers, because the needs of the visual mediums are different from the medium of print.
You have some great ideas about maarketing! That would make a great post also. Many writers struggle with marketing. Writing and publishing is no longer a "set it and forget it" deal. Even with a publishing contract, as you ably pointed out. Publishers of all sizes are struggling to survive since the gorilla turned the apple cart upsidedown.
In my mind, since an author has to do so much for their book, they might as well self-publish and get more of the profits. I have heard of publishers that charge for a cover, editing and require you to buy a thousand copies of your book.
New questions.
What kind of marketing has worked the best and the least for you?
How long does the research process take before you start to write a book or do you do the research as you write the book?

Paullett Golden link

4/24/2019 07:20:24 pm

Oh wow to having to buy copies and all that! That's crazy! I'm not surprised after hearing some of the horror stories from the authors I know, but it's still crazy. I can't figure out why people are still querying. All of these new writers who want to be published put so much into querying. Some have been querying for years without a single bite. I'm really not sure what they think will happen if they DO get a bite. It'll be a shocker when they realize they still have to pay for and do everything. So sad. I likely would have gotten stuck in that rut, as well, had I not done so much research and had fellow authors with whom I could confer. This is one of the important reasons to join writing groups and network with authors--they've already been through it all!

Marketing that has worked the most, I think, has been the book giveaways. As closely as I track things to see if there's a correlation between a marketing trial and new sales or new followers, it's still difficult to determine. I think that the giveaways have worked best. I have noticed, though, that some blog giveaways will have maybe 50 people receiving the book, and I'll see zero new followers or reviewers, but then another blog giveaway will have maybe 10 people receive the book, and suddenly I'll have 10 new followers and reviewers. So, choosing the right venue is important, but you just don't know which ones work until you try. As a reader, I'm rather fond of the newsletters, so I know that's a nice marketing touch from my standpoint as a reader. The least helpful has been any of those pay x amount and we'll share your book to our x number of social media followers. I'm not talking the book clubs or review sites or anything like that, but just the pay to promote marketing. There are a LOT of those, and I've had the least success with that. I've identified a couple that I really like because they're active and engaging, but some of the others do nothing but post the book on their site, so who is following them? The other authors who paid to have their book posted to the site--where are the readers? Hmm. Again, I have found some good ones, but I'd recommend authors spend some time getting to know who is following their pages before investing in pay to promote deal.

The research happens both before and after. Preliminary research might be current events happening at the time, discussions in the HOL or Parliament at the time, fashion at the time, etc. If I have a plot idea, I need to know it's going to work, such as what the laws are for a bigamous marriage. Once I know the key things I need for the plot to work and to get a feel for that particular year and location, then it's time to focus on writing. The research at that point happens during the writing process. I do both surface and deep research during the writing process. Surface level research might consist of word etymology and idiom history, and I'll be doing that about 10 times per page. Deep research might be learning about farming methods for certain terrain and with certain types of equipment so that I don't use the wrong word to describe a farming process. That's something that may just be in one scene, not plot specific, and so I'll think to do the research while typing rather than before. Research is fun but can be time consuming, especially if you fall down the rabbit hole, as I often do. It is, however, crucial to the success of the story. It is, I believe, a make or break point for the success of some of these books. I will keep reading an author who clearly does good research. I'll toss a book to the DNF stack faster than I can sneeze if I sniff out a lack of research. Gotta love books that are, let's say, in 1750 but talking about Scotland Yard. Published by top publishing houses, of course. I can't facepalm hard enough when that happens. Most of this research takes all of 2 minutes to do. Do it! And have fun.

Mark

4/24/2019 09:16:20 pm

I agree with you about authors so determined to query. I have spoken to a few and tried to show them the other possibilities; it seems to fall on deaf ears, most of the time.
Some giveaways work and some don't. What do you look for when considering a book promotion service or book blogger? What are the top three factors?
I love all the research you do. I learned a number of new "archaic" words because I am reading on my kindle. I love that sort of thing.
I have been promoting books for a number of years now. Most of the authors who hire me, have very few reviews. I was surprised that you wanted to use my service when you have well over 80 reviews for this book. I am not complaining, I really enjoyed your writing and your story. Why did you pick me?

Paullett Golden link

4/24/2019 09:38:40 pm

Hmm. Top 3 factors for me when considering a book promotion service: (1) type of followers--authors or readers? (2) engagement with their posts--comments? interaction? retweets and shares? (3) cost per value. Top 3 factors when considering a book reviewer: (1) the quality and honesty of their previous reviews. (2) the types of books they review. (3) the followers to their blogs and pages--authors? readers? mixture of both?

I picked you for a number of reasons. I value the content and quality of your social media posts and your page. There is a rich variety of book genres represented in your book reviews, and the reviews are honest. I especially like the engagement you have with the authors and with readers. This interview is a prime example where you invest time and energy into the book. I find that really impressive. You have a strong social media presence, and I've enjoyed seeing your interaction with other authors and readers.

When looking at bloggers, book promoters, reviewers, etc. I see red flags when it's a "pay for a review" kind of thing where you're going to give money to someone or give a free book to someone so they can write some awesomely fake review of a book they probably didn't bother to read or only gleaned from the already existing reviews. I value honesty. I want to know the person is going to actually read my book and take the time to familiarize themselves with the genre if they're not already familiar. If I'm looking at bloggers and reviewers for my specific genre, I check out the books they've given good and bad reviews to so I can discern a pattern, such as there's a writing style they don't like or plots and themes they don't like, and vice versa for ones they do. If I say, "Hey, that writer's style is similar to mine, and they received a good review," then I'm more likely to query the reviewer to give mine a go (all while keeping fingers and toes crossed!). I'm honored to have been reviewed by so many great reviewers. I chose each because I liked their blogs and choose my reading selections by what they recommend. It is such a warm feeling that they took the time to read my humble book!

Mark

4/24/2019 09:59:32 pm

Those are good factors.
Thanks, my plan for world domination is progressing nicely. ;-) I am not in a hurry, there are a lot of books to read. I hope my strong social media presence helps you also.
"Pay for review" reminds me of a certain five dollar gig site. There were a lot of people offering to review a book for five dollars, then if you wanted a good review the price went up. I think this is what triggered the gorilla to start trying to weed out the fraudulent reviews and reviews with the finesse of a bull in a china shop. It's been awhile since hearing the wailing and gnashing of teeth, so many honest reviews were trashed with little to no recourse.
New questions.
How long did it take you to write the first draft?
How many drafts did you go through to have a ready-to-publish manuscript?

Paullett Golden link

4/24/2019 10:25:57 pm

Yes, I do wonder about the process of culling reviews. For example, I will see some self-published authors who have their parents and siblings rating their books--really obvious--and those reviews stay up. But if you have two readers who are living in the same household (siblings, perhaps) both post reviews, both of those reviews will be removed, and they're legitimate reviews. I've had a hefty number of reviewers contact me through my website or on social media to ask why their review was removed. They would say that their sibling or spouse or roommate recommended the book, and so they both posted reviews, and POOF, the reviews disappeared. I just advised them to post their reviews again on Goodreads or Bookbub. Some did and some didn't. It can be a bit frustrating. I see the rationale behind removing fraudulent reviews, but there should be a much better process for determining that. IMHO. We certainly don't want unethical reviewing processes because it skews the reader's ability to determine if the book is the right book for them, but a more trustworthy process would be useful.

My drafting process isn't linear, so there's no way to really say how long it takes me to do a single draft. It depends on your definition of drafting, or even editing for that matter. For instance, I might sit down and write an entire book over a weekend. Type, type, type, done. It might then take me two years of edits to make it usable! My editing and revising process usually happens as I work, so every time I work on a new chapter, I'm reviewing the chapters before it. In this way, by the time I've reached the final chapter, I've probably read and revised the previous chapters 100+ times, and this is before even finishing the book. So, if you were to say a draft is when you've finished, then I'd technically only be on my first draft, though I would have read and revised so many times already.

After completing the novel, I then read it through and make structural and plot changes to tie together loose ends that I missed or emphasize points that became more important than I expected. Then I have to read it again to see how those flowed. I'll probably re-read it with changes, significant revisions, light revisions, edits, and so forth countless times. I then shelf it. I can't look at it for weeks, months maybe, so then when I look at it again, I'm seeing it as a reader rather than a writer. From there, I'll send it out for a close read. Then to beta readers. Then to the editor. Then to ARC readers. Then to reviewers. It's a lengthy process with a loooooooot of drafts. What amazes me is after so many re-reads and so many readers, how in the world do typos still not get caught!? I have so much sympathy for the really awesome books out there that are nigh spotless except those 3 obvious typos that were doggedly determined to remain.

Mark

4/25/2019 10:23:50 am

You really have an interesting and dramatic process for writing your first draft. I love the variety. I suspect that it's key for your success in writing so fluidly.
Putting it on the shelf is something I have recommended to writers so many times. The principle of Fresh Eyes is critical. That is why I do not do any beta reading. My strength is as a polisher, as an omega reader. Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet.
New questions.
Going back in time, did you do any kind of creative writing, even back in grade school?
How early was it that you realized how powerful words can be?

Paullett Golden link

4/25/2019 08:57:37 pm

I've always written. For as far back as I can remember, I've put pen to paper. I recall in middle school getting into trouble with the teacher because she thought I was writing notes. Nope. I was writing a story. When I was a wee tiny thing, I thought I'd be writing mystery, but when I hit the pre-teens, I knew I wanted to write hist rom. I can't remember a time when I wasn't doodling some story. I'm sure the stories from my childhood were absolutely terrible, but I loved writing them! I still have all of the stories and character sketches I did from my pre-teens, but unless my mother kept the childhood stuff, I don't believe I have any of it. I'm sure I wrote stories with crayons! Classy.

I loved reading even before I started writing. Much like writing, I can't remember a time when I didn't have a book in hand or was being read to. My mother read to me from womb forward. It was one of our nightly rituals when I was growing up. She'd read to me, and then when I could read, we'd take turns. It is absolutely one of my fondest memories of growing up--reading together at night. I knew then the power of words to transport, heal, motivate, etc. It's amazing to me how writing is just as powerful as reading. When I write, I'm transported, healed, and motivated.

Mark

4/25/2019 10:10:07 pm

Very cool. Our reading stories are pretty similar. I don't know if my mom read to me in the womb, but I wouldn't be surprised. I learned to read at age 5, I think, and haven't stopped since.
The writing thing is another matter. I have never had the urge to write. I wonder sometimes, if it is a thing that some girls gravitate towards at an early age, I have not heard of many boys doing that for certain.
Knowing that you wanted to write hist roms at such an early age is very interesting, not many find their niche at such an early age.
New questions.
How did you find your beta-readers?
What kind of questions do you ask them to get the feedback you want?
Will you seek out new beta readers or work with the same ones as before?

Paullett Golden link

4/25/2019 10:28:16 pm

The beta-readers reach out to me, typically. I put out a call for readers in my monthly newsletter, and they e-mail me if they're interested. So far, that has worked out swimmingly. I'll continue to do that. Should I need to, I could put out the call on social media, or even query folks who have posted book reviews on Goodreads, but so far, I've only asked the newsletter subscribers since that has worked out so well.

I don't ask specific questions so much as give them some general ideas of what I'd like to know. When it comes to a beta reader, it's typically unedited, so they're seeing the raw deal. The idea behind that is to make sure the plot, arc, conflict resolutions, etc. are all working before I do the editing. In all likelihood, I could end up making massive revisions after a beta reader, such as cutting chapters, reframing conflicts, etc. What I'm looking for from the readers varies with each book, but I really want big picture feedback--plot holes? satisfying arc? saggy bits? pacing? unsatisfying scenes? unnecessary descriptions, dialogue, or scenes? missing descriptions, dialogue, or scenes? characterizations? convincing chemistry and dynamics? natural dialogue? Oh, the list goes on, but I basically just want a reader's perspective. They're not digging into the nitty gritty, and typos should be ignored at that stage. They're just reading and telling me what was satisfying and what wasn't. I know when I read a book, I'm thinking, "Nope. That line just undermined the hero for me. I can't trust him anymore." Well, that would be good to know before I publish the book! This is a moment when the readers can influence the plot. If they hate the conflict resolution, then I'll change it! I've gotten some fantastic feedback from beta readers. I really can't say enough great things about beta readers. They are at the heart of the success of the book.

When it's time for a new book to be beta read, I'll send out the same call in the newsletter, but I'll also reach out with a personal e-mail to those who have beta read for me in the past to see if they have the time and interest to read it. It's a strange thing sometimes to beta read because you really are getting a RAW package. Some readers would prefer to read it when it's polished and shiny, but many do want to be part of that finalizing process. They can certainly be proud when the final comes out because they can say, "Hey, that scene? Yeah, that scene right there? It's in there because of me." Haha. ;)

Mark

4/25/2019 11:01:17 pm

You have a good system in place. The beta readers really deliver for you. You must have a sizeable mailing list.
New questions.
Do you reward the beta readers in any way particular?
Do you have other writers you connect with, as in a critique group or support group?

Paullett Golden link

4/25/2019 11:52:14 pm

Uh oh! Do writers typically "reward" beta readers!? Oh no! I've never been a beta reader, so I'm not sure how it works. Now I feel bad if I was suppose to be gifting them in some way! I'll be thinking about some creative ways to do that next time. ;) Maybe an autographed copy of the print book once finalized or one of the merchandise pieces I've started to craft, such as the quote magnet. You have my wheels turning now! I'm all about the autographed copy so I can thank them in writing right there inside the cover for all they did to make the book come together. Yeeeeeeees, I'll be thinking on this. ;)

I do connect with other writers. I have quite a few fellow writers that I've met on social media. We keep in touch via e-mail, share ideas, network experiences--that sort of thing. I'm also part of a writing group that has really made a significant impact on how I read and revise my writing and how I tackle some of my weaker areas (such as dialogue). My original idea to go for self-publishing came from members of the writing group. Several of them were with publishing houses and several others were self-published. We were able to talk about the experiences. Those with publishing houses are now going for self-publishing. ;)

I recommend writers join writing groups. It needs to be part of the process. Try several different groups and listen carefully to criticism in order to pull out the gems and weed out the fluff. I've participated in a great number of different groups over the years. Some have been amazingly helpful. Some I only ever attended once because the dynamics or feedback was just plain terrible. It happens. Inevitably, I will receive about a 70-20 split for advice--70% of it will be priceless advice that I couldn't have done without, and 20% will be rubbish that I'll try to make something of anyway. Writers going into writing groups need to have thick skin but open ears. They need to experiment with different groups to get a feel for what works. Every group has a different style and, obviously, different types of writers, so you have to find what jives well with your style. It is such an important part of the process that anyone hesitant needs to build up their courage and find a group. Groups can be online or face-to-face, or even a mixture of both.

Mark

4/26/2019 11:33:38 am

Some writers show appreciation to their betas, mentioning them on the acknowledgement page is one way. A signed copy thanking them for their help is a another excellent way. Other branded merchandise is good also, or a credit toward the branded merch of their choice.
The critque/support groups have been very good for you, once you found the right group. It's very true, every group has a personality of its own. So, investigating many different groups is a good idea, also participating in multiple groups sounds good to me as well.
New questions.
What is the most important thing you learned from publishing your latest book?
What are three things, that you wish you knew before you wrote your first book?

Paullett Golden link

4/26/2019 08:12:32 pm

I'm not sure what the most important thing would be, but it was certainly a learning experience from start to finish. You did mention "latest" book rather than The Earl, so I'll answer the question with The Duke in mind. The Duke was a monumental undertaking at first. I had never planned on writing it. Originally, book 2 was going to be Lilith's story. I wrote Drake and Charlotte to be unlikable and obnoxious characters, mostly as a way to poke fun of the "traditional" characters you see in these books--vapid heroine who is throwing herself at the dashing, arrogant rake. They were never supposed to be likable. They juxtaposed the hero and heroine. Well, the more I wrote them in The Earl, the more I disliked them. The point finally came where I decided I needed to understand them beyond the one-dimensional satire I had written them to be. I had a long chat with them to get to know their inner workings and was surprised at what I found--an insecure, self-conscious, and naive girl who was terrified of not being accepted, as well as a mask-wearing man who was a hopeless romantic searching for love after a loveless and quasi abusive childhood, though a far different abuse than Sebastian. I realized I wanted to tell their story, if for no other reason than to challenge myself to see if I could build empathy for them given how utterly obnoxious they were in The Earl--could someone, after reading The Earl, feel empathetic towards them after getting to know them?

The real challenge was I couldn't change anything about the personalities I had already created. Looong story short, what I learned was you can't please everyone. This book has gotten a wide range of "best book ever" to "worst book ever" ratings. What's interesting is that those giving it poor ratings didn't read more than the first few chapters. They saw superficial characters and closed the book before getting a quarter of the way into it. It's a shame they missed the point by not reading further, but what I've learned is to be ok with this. Writing this book was a challenge I set for myself, and I'm more than pleased with the result. I didn't even know if I succeeded once the book was finished. I kept thinking, "Will readers get it? Will they feel empathetic?" And I figured if they didn't, I had failed at the attempt. All of my beta readers came back saying they loved it more than book 1. Important point for every writer to know--don't take all reviews personally, and you can't please everyone. I wrote it for myself, and I'm delighted readers have responded so positively to it.

Three things I wish I knew. Hmm. (a) Have a more realistic view of how long the publishing process takes--cover art, formatting, editing, etc. I had this grand vision of maybe doing it all in a weekend. Haha. Oops. (b) Be choosier about the promotion packages (we talked about that earlier). (c) Give reviewers way more time to review the book before the publication date (they might have recommendations for revision, and they already have a tall reading stack).

Mark

4/27/2019 11:15:57 am

Very interesting. I kind of liked and kind of hated Charlotte and Drake. They were both trying to survive in a difficult situation, Charllote to please her MIL, Drake to please himself.
Book 2 perfectly illustrates that the perfect book has not been written. By perfect, I mean, a book that is universally liked and adored. Every book has readers and non-readers. I tell authors that 1 star reviews are a good thing, because that low score proves that the good scores are not all being written by your mom and your cats.
New questions.
What do you think of the current discussion about the ethics regarding historical fiction or is it a free-for-all?
What are some challenges to writing Historical Fiction?

Sandra L Hernandez

4/26/2019 11:52:01 am

Enjoyed this interview. I have read the first two books in this series and enjoyed them. The characters are alive and I am in the scenes. I can feel the wind. Excellent.

Mark

4/26/2019 05:53:15 pm

Thank you for dropping by. I love your comment about the wind. These are exceptional books and Paullette is an amazing author.

Paullett Golden link

4/26/2019 08:14:53 pm

That is wonderful to hear, Sandra! I'm blushing! I hope you'll be on the look out for book 3--The Baron and The Enchantress, where we have Lilith (Sebastian's sister) and Walter (Lizbeth's cousin) navigating the waters of society's sense of propriety and decorum.

Paullett Golden link

4/27/2019 07:34:40 pm

I laughed fairly hard at your 1 star comment. It's so true, though! I've been shocked after finishing a book so good I wanted to shadowbox it that I'd look at the reviews and see a sea of 1 star reviews that made no sense to what I had just read. But then, I've experienced the same the other way around. Worst book ever, and when I checked the reviews, there would be all these 5 stars, and I was left scratching my head. A balance is important. It tells us we're reaching readers far and wide, and it's always a learning experience.

Writing historical fiction is a balance--too much history and we not only risk boring the reader but risk a revisionist version of what we've only read about ourselves (except those with time machines or Time Lords on hand); too little history and we wonder why bother. There's such a mix in this genre that readers who like a modern romance with ball gowns and carriages can have it, those who like heavy historical accuracy with the only fiction being the characters themselves can have it, and those who want accurate history but enough fiction to be entertained can have it. I'm somewhere in the middle, I suppose. I do extensive research because I want everything to be as accurate as possible, especially since part of the challenge of this genre is how characters living with these cultural and social mores are able to find the elusive happily ever after. If we're breaking all of the rules, why bother writing historical? I can't read the authors who write "modern" historical fiction. The middle is where I feel comfortable--the rules are followed and the history is accurate, but there's some bending for us to craft a good tale. There are plenty of times in books I've read (and written) where there's a glaring inaccuracy, but it's so minor compared to all of the other extensive research that it's really quite forgivable. Other times, there might just be a tiny bit of bending to get our characters to act a certain way that might not really have happened at the time. I'm comfortable with the bending but not the breaking of the historical rules. When heroines are running around London without maids and visiting pubs to see their man-crush, I have to close the book and put in the DNF stack. Some rules are not meant to be broken. I speak as both a reader and a writer. I write what I like to read, and I read what I like to write. There's such a variety in this genre, though, that readers will find the author that tickles their fancy.

I can't speak for other writers on the challenges, but for me, it's getting into the mind of that time without the modern reaction and thought superimposed. It's difficult! I can be reading a book and thinking, "No, that's not how that would have happened," but when I'm writing, I'm thinking, "Could this have happened? Would the character react this way during this time? Does this concept even exist?" In addition to that, it's a challenge to create the balance between history and fiction. We want historical accuracy, but it's also a work of fiction. It's knowing when to bend the rules and when not to that I find challenging. Would Hazel really have wanted her nieces to marry for love, so much so that she would encourage time alone with a suitor and turn a blind eye, all to avoid the inevitable compromising to force a marriage that may not be wanted? Historically, no way. But fictionally, definitely! Some rules are meant to be bent. ;)

Mark

4/28/2019 01:28:56 pm

I love a lot of historical accuracy. I am a information junkie. I know a little about a lot of things.
I didn't realize there was such a broad spectrum of hist-fic.
When someone gets desperate enough they will do almost anything to achieve their desired goal. I think you struck a great balance in this book. Sebastian and Lizbeth were falling in love and were willing to break the rules at times.
New questions.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you have ever received from another writer?
Now that you have published two books, are you writing anything strictly for yourself or are you concentrating on writing for your readers?

Paullett Golden link

4/28/2019 06:40:18 pm

I can't say there's a single piece of advice that is the most valuable, but I will say that writing daily is one bit of advice I've not only taken to heart but also seen the wisdom of as I work through the years. Even if there isn't time in a busy day to sit down and write, I'll still jot down some lines or re-read a previous chapter for some light edits. This doesn't even have to be on the computer. This could be on my phone while waiting for the tea to steep. 5 minutes is a far cry from several hours of focus, but 5 minutes is better than none, and it keeps me focused. I'm always thinking about the next chapter or scene. If you skip a day, then that day turns into two and that becomes three, and before you know it, it's out of sight, out of mind. Writers have to write EVERY day, even if it's just doodling notes or re-reading a scene on their phone while steeping tea.

I am definitely writing for myself, and I always will. I think where writers go wrong is they try to write for readers. As we chatted about earlier, you can't please every reader, so you can't write for the readers. If you do, you're leaving out other readers who wanted something else. You have to write for yourself. I write the stories I want to tell and about the characters I want to get to know. I write the stories I want to read, basically. Thankfully, there are readers who enjoy the same stories, so through the characters, it should feel to them as though I've written this for them. In a way, I have. If we like the same stories, we are kindred spirits, and thus, I've written the stories for the reader by writing it for myself. If that makes sense.

Mark

4/28/2019 07:20:03 pm

I am not a writer of books, or stories. But writing every day makes a lot of sense to me.
That makes a lot of sense to me. I have heard that from more than one author, also.
New questions.
What are common traps for beginning writers?
Do you think a strong ego is an asset or liability for a writer and why?

Paullett Golden link

4/28/2019 07:42:32 pm

I don't think I fell into any traps, but I've certainly seen budding writers stop writing when they really needed to keep writing! What I see happening is a number of or even a combination of things: (a) complete lack of confidence in writing ability, (b) feeling defeated after one negative criticism from a reader, (c) giving in too soon after a bout of writer's block, (d) giving up when queries are ignored or rejected, (e) overconfidence to the point of ignoring all criticism.... just to name a few. I believe a writer must be both confident and humble. Confident enough not to be defeated by criticism but humble enough to take and learn from criticism. Those who give up after writer's block or rejection aren't thinking outside of that proverbial box--do something different! The definition of insanity is, after all, repeating the same action expecting a different result. Writer's block means you're going in the wrong direction, so try something different. Write to a prompt. Change the story. Try writing flash fiction. Try writing a poem. Change something. If querying isn't going anywhere, change tactics--revise the letter; try a different story; seek a different type of publisher or agent; look into self-publishing; work with a writer's group to ensure there aren't issues that need to be addressed in the sample or letter. Just do something different! Those are the issues I see happening to budding writers who have talent but give up too soon. As for newly published authors, that's a whole different ball game! Writing for the readers would be a pit fall. Giving up when sales are low. Not marketing enough. Marketing too much. Not varying the marketing. Giving up too soon. etc.

I think a strong ego is both an asset and a liability. As I mentioned, a writer should be confident but humble. I've certainly seen the extremes--the so confident that they're obnoxious and refuse to listen to criticism and the so unconfident that they can't take criticism and give up.

I think the over confident ones can get sloppy in their writing, either avoiding the necessary revisions and edits or simply haphazardly crafting stories because they know readers will buy the book regardless. The under confident rarely get far since they're too afraid to put themselves out there or don't think they're good enough to be out there. There has to be some sort of middle ground in confidence. But that's just my opinion. :)

Mark

4/28/2019 08:37:44 pm

You covered a lot of ground, Paullett. Some great ways to beat writer's block. I would add setting the project aside for a time, a few weeks, a few months. I have recomended many of those ideas to writers in the past. I have encouraged writers to have multiple projects also, that way they can go where the muse is wanting to be.
I agree with your assessment of the the ego need. A writer has to believe in themself and their work, but they also have to open to constructive criticism and let the haters hate by themselves.
New questions.
Do you have anything you consider to be your writing lucky charm?
What is the biggest obstacle you face in writing?

Paullett Golden link

4/28/2019 11:45:12 pm

The biggest obstacle I face is knowing when to stop editing. The process never ends. I read and revise so many times that I have to force myself to stop. Each new re-read invites new revisions and edits. There comes a point where I really have to stop re-reading. I can't help myself. I'm always thinking of a better way to word a sentence, a better word to use, a better order for the scene, a better line of dialogue, etc. At some point, I don't think it's necessarily a "better" way as a "different" way, leading me to write in circles. I do this during the drafting stage too where I'll be re-reading and revising a chapter to death when what I really need to be doing is continuing forward to the next chapter.

I'm not sure what my writing lucky charm would be. A comfortable seat? Meditative background sounds like my chimes, birds chirping, water fountain gurgling? I suppose it's really more of a "feeling" than an object. I get into the zone, and that's my luck factor. Writing flows when I'm in the zone. Are you familiar with hygge? Centering myself in the writing is really all about hygge. I find that place, and that's where the luck is, waiting to inspire and encourage me. While I can create hygge anywhere, such as when traveling, at home it is definitely my couch with good lighting and background nature sounds. Since I have a prime view of my butterfly garden from the couch, it makes for some great writing sessions to be tapping away on the keyboard while butterflies are flitting from flower to flower. My "space" is the best lucky charm, I think.

Mark

4/29/2019 12:38:52 pm

You are not the first writer to mention those problems. I think it's hard to find the balance. Chasing perfection can lead to the loss of great. It's a real issue.
I have not heard of hygge. It does sound like a good spot for you, I actually think a lot of writers strive for that kind of writing environment.
New questions.
Do you see an advantage of writing under a pseudonym, why or why not?
If you branch out into a different genre, will you use a different name, why or why not?

Paullett Golden link

4/29/2019 12:58:11 pm

I most certainly see an advantage to a pseudonym. It offers a separation between writing and personal life. There's a safety behind a nom de plume. Readers can't dig into your personal life; coworkers can't dig into your writing life; family and friends aren't embarrassed to find out you write kissy books (or whatever genre); the two words don't collide.

For me, my world is writing, so there's not much to separate, but for many writers, they want to have their professional, family, church, and writing persona all separate. Googling someone's name reveals a good bit of their life, so if someone wants to keep their professional life professional, using their own name for writing might not be the best bet because once published, the Google results will show the writing, as well, which could affect the professional side (positively or negatively). Same goes for any of those areas of someone's life. I did have a nom de plume ready to roll, but at the last minute, I changed my mind.

I've gone back and forth for if I'll use my name for the other genres. I do intend to write other genres while continuing the hist rom line. The problem with using a different name is I'd essentially be starting from ground zero with those books, and then I'd have to keep up with two personas, the other persona having her own social media pages and marketing campaigns. Yikes! The benefit to that is it won't confuse readers who think they're picking up one of my hist roms only to find it's a romantic suspense, or vice versa. We'll see how I feel when the time comes, but I'm likely to use my own name, only the covers will be themed to match the genre in some really obvious way.

Mark

4/29/2019 01:34:24 pm

Privacy is in short supply these days. I am not surprised so many authors opt for a pseudonym. You enumerated those reasons very well.
Some authors run parallel social media, then have one website under their name as an umbrella, with separate pages or sections for the genres. Others do separate websites, but that has a big cost in time or money or both. It's a fence no one can straddle without getting splinters.
New questions.
Are there any writing styles or genres that you disliked at first but soon came to like?
Do you think reading, watching movies or listening to music help you be a better writer?

Paullett Golden link

4/29/2019 04:00:04 pm

Love the fence metaphor! HA! I know there are plenty of established writers who have published with success in multiple genres under different names, but I've not explored how they handle it. Should I get to that point, I will definitely investigate. I like the idea you mentioned of keeping it all under the same website but in different sections. In this way, there's no secret, as in you're not pretending to be a different writer. Something to think about.

Hmm. I'm not too sure how to address your first question. The styles and genres I've disliked at first have remained disliked. I will say that at one point, I thought I would dislike sci-fi, but once I dove in, I loved it. I can't even remember why I thought I would dislike it. I think I worried it would have too much technical mumbo jumbo or would suspend disbelief without clearly defined rules, but those were certainly not the case. In this example, I never disliked it then liked it, rather I expected to dislike it and found I liked it.

Reading has certainly helped me become a better writer. I can't imagine how anyone could write without being a reader, though I imagine there are people out there who fancy they can. Seems like a terrible idea to me! For the most part, I simply enjoy reading. But in terms of it helping my writing, I've done a great deal of analysis. I've spent a lot of time mapping books. Let's say I have 10 books. I'll map the story arc and create a graph and spreadsheet on what their arc looks like, where the inciting incidences occur, how many pages per section, the moments the sections drag, what creates the drag, the moments I'm absorbed, what creates that absorption, etc. I've turned it into almost an equation. While I break the rules I've made from the analysis, I at least know the rules I've made and what can be broken. I will say that all of this happened when I was first beginning to write. This isn't something I do now, though maybe it should be. What I really need to do next is study the syntax in dialogue since I feel that's a weak area for me--making the dialogue feel natural and reflect the personality of the character rather than being my stuffy writing voice. ;)

I'm not sure that movies would have helped my writing because I don't really watch movies. A couple of times a year, I will watch a DVD, maybe an old favorite, but otherwise, I don't really watch movies. My television is only plugged into the tower computer, so I use it for writing on the big screen, but not for watching films. Not my cup of tea.

In unusual ways, music has helped. I double majored in music for one of my degrees. I spent a great deal more time studying musical arcs than story arcs, and so I can tell that quite often I'm structuring a story as though it were a piece of music. How's that for unusual? ;)

Mark

4/29/2019 06:17:34 pm

Glad I could make you laugh.
Sci-fi has many sub-genres, some are extremely technical, some are focused on relationships. "Rapier" by Richard Correa come to mind. I reviewed his book a while ago. It had some nice Sci-Fi touches, but relationships were main stage.
I love how you analyse books. That skill has helped you craft some darn good reading. Some writers espouse watching lots of movies, plays, or studying the craft of screenwriting. The words have to come to life on the screen, a lot of Show-Don't-Tell.
Writing arcs structured like music. I have never thought of that, but it makes a great deal of sense to me. You have so many tools in your writing toolbox!
New questions.
Have you ever read a book that changed the way you look at writing?
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer to enhance your career?
Do you subscribe to any magazines, newsletters, blogs or podcasts that enhance your writing career?

Paullett Golden link

4/29/2019 06:40:25 pm

That makes a lot of sense on the screenwriting. Maybe it'd help me with dialogue. ;) I doubt that readers even notice my struggle with dialogue, at least I hope not, because by the time it gets to the publication stage, all that has been sorted, but it's certainly not without a great deal of work during the drafting stages! Dialogue may come naturally to some, but not to me. I can hear the voices clearly in my head, but capturing them on paper is a different beast. I think watching movies would really help with two aspects especially--the syntax and the movements. We can see on screen the natural movements, facial expressions, etc. that the characters do--are they shifting from foot to foot during a conversation? What are their hands doing? These are things we can see, and thus describe more accurately. I think I have some homework to do with a movie! ;)

A compilation of books have changed the way I look at writing, but I couldn't put my finger on a single one. Something like Campbell's _The Hero with a Thousand Faces_ is a phenomenal book on archetypes that really changed my approach to crafting heroes, for example, but that has nothing to do with story arcs, writing styles, descriptions, action sequences, fashion, etc., but the single point of archetypes, yes. I've had 1-5 books for each element of the story craft influence my writing style and approach to writing. No matter how "bad" a book on writing is, there's always at least one line a writer can pull from it to improve, so I recommend writers read and read and read those books to find those gems of knowledge and strategy.

Best money would honestly be my studies in British literature. Since I focused on the Enlightenment period, I was able to thoroughly study and read the literature and history of the time in which I'm writing. Being able to study with area specialists is simply priceless. This is the stuff you can't get from a Google search or a library book. If I could, I would take the same grad classes at several universities just to get a different perspective. Alas, it doesn't quite work that way.

No subscriptions, but I probably should step up my game on that. ;) Any suggestions?

Mark

4/29/2019 07:35:19 pm

Authors have a fine line to walk in every paragraph of a book. The tension between show and tell is real. Non-verbal clues are something that we depend on in everyday life, and understand intuitively without thinking about it. How to translate that to a page without boring the reader is important.
That's good to know there is at least one nugget in every book on writing, to make it worthwhile.
Gaining access to the papers written by grad students would probably be helpful for those who can't attend classes at that level. I can easily see how important that would be. Do you have any ideas about that?
Here are links to two of my favorite blogs, The comments are always worth reading also. Unfortunately, these are not hot links, but they are very recent posts.
https://annerallen.com/2019/04/use-social-media-avoid-cesspool/
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2019/04/22/how-to-pitch-your-book-for-tv-and-film-with-dj-williams/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCreativePenn+%28The+Creative+Penn%29
Last questions.
How do you celebrate when you publish a book?
What did you buy with your first royalty check?

Paullett Golden link

4/29/2019 09:33:23 pm

I'm sad to see our chat come to an end, but this has been great fun! I'm so excited that we had visitors chime in, as well. Hopefully, they'll feel free to continue to do so even after we finish talking. I'll definitely reply to any future comments.

Thanks for sharing those resources! I'll check them out as soon as I reply here.

After I hit the "publish" button, I usually take a no-writing break. Haha. That's not exactly a "celebration" since my life revolves around writing, but there is definitely a sense of, "ah, I can stop staring at the laptop all day" relief. And so I venture out into the world I haven't seen for weeks--maybe get some ice cream, drive a race track, dance a jig, that sort of thing. ;) The completion of writing is usually more celebratory for me than the publication process. Each time I've finished writing a book, I've celebrated by taking a trip. I hop on the plane and head for the location of the next book. In this way, I can release my mind from the previous book, and start planning ahead, all while vacationing.

With my first royalty check, I bought my freedom from the daily grind of driving into work. Haha. I made a career shift when I realized this would work. My previous job was enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but it was a lot of time on the road, a lot of time in meetings, just a lot of time. By the time I got home, I was so drained, I couldn't possibly think about writing. The first check bought my freedom from the daily grind. Living the dream, eh?

Mark

4/29/2019 10:17:27 pm

Your vacation to the next book location site is brilliant. You get to relax, recharge, and absorb the atmosphere for writing at the same time.
You are living the dream of so many authors, being a full-time writer. Congratulations. Well deserved.
I have a new promotion that starts tomorrow. This interview has been so much fun for me, I am glad you enjoyed it also. I look forward to seeing you again as a guest blogger, here on wordrefiner.com. I think you have a unique perspective on writing and publishing that many could benefit from.
Thank you, again, Paullett.

The Earl And The Enchantress: The Enchantresses Book One By Paullett Golden

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