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​book reviews

Those Deep Below (The Inti Series Book 1)

3/3/2020

52 Comments

 

By John W. Noyes

Debut author, John Noyes, introduces us to his first-in-the-series, action thriller, “Those Deep Below”: Fast moving, page-turner sci-fi thriller! Twists and turns of the story will keep you wondering what will happen next! A terrifying adventure in a world based on the Inca Empire. Rezi was a relatively unimportant member of the King's household until her unique talent for singing was discovered and she was made a personal attendant to the King. As her friendship with the King grows, rumors begin to circulate comparing her to legendary Nightingale for her ability to soothe the King's troubled heart through song. Not everyone is pleased by the comparison, especially the King's wife, Queen Qhush'qunca. The Queen is a ruthless and sadistic person who jealously guards her status as the first wife to the King. Threatened by Rezi's friendship to her husband, Qhush'qunca decides to take revenge on the girl. However, when the King unexpectedly dies, both Rezi and the Queen are buried alive with the rest of the household in the dead King's massive tomb. Trapped together underground, Qhush'qunca takes her revenge by repeatedly torturing Rezi and binding them together through an arcane ritual. Desperate to escape both the Queen's wrath and the Tomb, Rezi must turn to the other denizens trapped with her, including the misshapen priests of the Cults of the Condor and the Winged Serpent. But, can there be any trust between those below? Well-placed twists and turns to this adventure will have you practically jumping out of your seat cheering Rezi on! Spring/Summer 2019 this book will also be available as a large-print edition and also on Barnes and Noble website. If any business would like to be involved in branding this book as a movie, music or other means, please go to the Publisher's website at: https://www.storiesforpublication.com/. This is Book 1 in the series of three. Please check out https://www.storiesforpublication.com/ to see a variety of books that the Publisher recommends from fiction to nonfiction.
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This is the first novel I have read about ancient Mesoamericans. The Inca’s are a fascinating people. This story rings with authenticity and the details are luscious.
The burial cave for the king and his retinue is a wonderful setting and full of mystery. The author handles the lighting and lack of light quite well, he engages multiple senses.
The characters all play their roles to the hilt, with a wonderful sense of desperation. I enjoyed a lot of the banter and sarcasm, the dialogue made me laugh many times. The action was quite brutal at times, the use of naturally occurring poisons was very interesting.
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All in all, this was a great story and a lot of fun to read. I award “Those Deep Below” a score of 4.5 stars. 
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You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Those-Deep-Below-thriller 
https://www.goodreads.com/those-deep-below-the-inti-series-book-1-thriller 
You can follow the author: 
https://twitter.com/JNoyes16 
johnwnoyes.com 


Tags: Inca, fiction, adventure, murder, historical fiction, royalty, king, queen
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Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
52 Comments
John Noyes link
3/11/2020 02:00:03 pm

Thanks Mark, I am glad you enjoyed the book.

Reply
Mark
3/11/2020 03:02:46 pm

I really enjoyed your book, John. The ancient peoples have fascinated me for most of my life.
First question.
Please, tell us more about yourself. Perhaps something a little bit beyond your bio.

Reply
John Noyes link
3/11/2020 07:21:54 pm

Sure, I grew up as an Army Brat, and when I was 7 my family moved to Izmir, Turkey. That was were I first encountered ruined cities, ancient legends, and foreign travel. After Turkey, we moved to Germany for 4 years, arriving as the Berlin Wall came down. Later in life I traveled to Peru and Bolivia where I lived for many years doing humanitarian work. The region and its culture fascinates me to this day. While there I learned Spanish, and became aquatinted with Quechua and Aymara. After leaving South America, I joined the Army and fought in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I left the Army in 2015 and settled with my family in Arizona. I have always loved writing and found it therapeutic after combat.

Mark
3/11/2020 07:29:36 pm

We both have a military background, but your family moved far more than mine did, my dad was in the Air Force Reserves. I served in the Air National Guard.
New questions.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer?
What kind of work do you do? Feel free to skip that question, if you would rather not answer.
Does your work, or past work if you are retired, have any influence on your writing?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/11/2020 07:43:34 pm

Currently I am a part time writer, but would love the opportunity to write full time. After the Army I went into warehousing and Transportation, but I have left that business to return to school for medicine. My military experience greatly influenced my writing, especially because I use it for therapy. Many of the situations and characters were pulled directly from personal experience. Interestingly, and unfortunately, so to were some of the harsher scenes that I describe in the book.

Reply
Mark
3/11/2020 08:11:45 pm

Some of the events in your book were pretty brutal. Did you learn first hand not to pick up real colorful frogs? Some of the toxins found on their skin sound quite painful, as you described them.
New questions.
What inspired you to write this book?
Why did you choose this genre, or do you feel the genre chose you?
Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a link if appropriate.
What do the elements on the cover represent?

John Noyes link
3/11/2020 08:27:12 pm

You caught me, I did learn first hand not to touch the frogs, they really hurt. The genre kind of chose me, I enjoy a lot of historical fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi and writing in those genres helps me tell my stories in a way that allows me to disassociate my past experience/trauma from the story I want to tell. For example, in the book I describe a character that has his eyelid removed as a punishment. That is directly from my past. The region where I served in Iraq, that was a common punishment that rebel factions would do to locals that crossed them, and so I unfortunately saw it a lot. The inspiration for the over all story came from seeing the Inca tombs in Peru. They would actually bury households alive with their Kings to care for his mummy into the afterlife. The cover was designed by my wife, Sarah, who recently graduated with a degree in marketing. I wanted the heavy black and whites of the image to give the feeling of being underground.

Reply
Mark
3/11/2020 08:45:49 pm

The eyelid thing was a brutal moment. It shocked me, even more now that you told me you have seen it practiced in real life. Seeing that would have left a mark on me, also.
Kudos to your wife, I love the picture. B&W photography is a personal favorite.
I remember reading about that practice of burying servants and family members with the deceased monarch in National Geographic magazine as a boy.
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?
Is this the first book you have written? Will you be writing more?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/11/2020 10:44:06 pm

The title was originally Those Below, and it was the first thing I actually wrote for the story. We later changed the title so as not to conflict with other titles. The character names are a pseudo Quechua, by which I mean that I looked up a description of a major character trait for each in Quechua and tweaked it a bit. For example; Qhush’qunca literally means jealousy.

Mark
3/11/2020 11:12:10 pm

Common and similar titles are a problem for many authors. The title has to be catchy, to grab the reader's attention as they walk or scroll by. Your title has a lot of mystery built into it, well done.
Some authors start with a working title and come up with the final near or at the end. Then there are the publishers who want to change it, or the cover or whatever, because they think it will sell better.
New questions.
Have you entered any writing contests?
Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?
I noticed that your book isn't in Kindle Unlimited. Many authors place their book in KU. Why didn't you do that?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/12/2020 12:47:03 am

I have entered a few contests over the years, more so since I published Those Deep Below. So far, it has been a bit of an uphill battle, both because I am a new writer and because I have a very limited amount of time to dedicate to writing at the moment. It is that wonderful catch 22 that so many writers struggle with, I need to write more to get my name out there, but I need to get my name out there to write more. As a consequence, I have been writing more short stories to enter into contests while I work on the sequel to Those Deep Below. I have won several awards for writing in the past, but most of these were for technical writing in the Army. To answer your other question, around a year ago I did put the book on kindle unlimited, however I one the contract period was up i did not renew it as I am attempting to get it carried by more book sellers.

Reply
Mark
3/12/2020 10:00:07 am

Short stories are a great way to polish writing skills. Cut, cut, cut is the mantra these days. Make it shorter, more concise, people have shorter attention spans we have been told. You are on the right track.
The problem with amplifying your brand doesn't end there also, now you are marketing your book and that takes time or money, to hire a promoter, also.
I think you are wise to seek wider distribution of your book. Don't ignore the foreign markets also. English is spoken in many different countries. Some countries have English as the official language of commerce and government, others as a second language taught in schools.
Translating books is going to be much easier in the near future because of artificial intelligence. It will still require a human to polish the book in the new language, but the cost will be much cheaper.
I have links to different blogs on my Highly Regarded Blogs page, to learn more about going wide, AI and translations.
New questions.
Have you ever gone through the query process, seeking an agent or submitting directly to publishers or did you go straight to indie publishing or self-publishing, and why?
How do you think your book compares to a book published by a major publisher?
There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?

John Noyes link
3/12/2020 12:51:15 pm

Initially I went the indie publisher route with Amazon. It was great as it let me make all the rookie mistakes and learn from them. Eventually, however, I started looking for publishers and found Sue Harrington at Stories for Publication. She runs a very small company that specializes in mental health books, but I was impressed with her integrity and reputation. As you know there are a lot of vanity publishers and unscrupulous agents that like to take advantage of new authors. Anyway, we started emailing and she read the book and liked it even though it was not her normal genre. I explained that I am in the process of writing some nonfiction PTSD help books for veterans based on my own experiences with the PTSD and the VA which was more in line with her wheel house. In the end she agreed to republish the book and its sequels and we have been a team ever since. I use the word team, because I think that is the biggest pit fall for new writers, we are so desperate for marketing, exposure, and success that we are willing to sign with anyone which can lead to a very one sided relationship. Fortunately, I can say that Sue and I are a team, I retain the copyright to the book and Sue acts as my agent now that it is published. We both work together on the promotion piece. As such, I would welcome the blog links you mentioned.

Reply
Mark
3/12/2020 01:10:52 pm

It's very refreshing to hear of a positive experience with an indie publisher. There are so many horror stories out there, so many scammers.
You put it quite well about the desperation authors feel with marketing and such, scammers can smell that fear and desperation a mile away. Too many authors fall for the promises without doing any research or investigating. You did well.
New questions.
Do you have a favorite book by another author or just favorite authors?
Did you have a favorite book as a child?
Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/12/2020 03:47:22 pm

I have several favorites, when I younger I loved Patricia C. Wrede, her Enchanted Forest Chronicles began my love of fantasy, and brought my wife and I together. Additionally I love Garth Nix, David Weber, David Drake, and Eric Flint. Writing for me is very spiritually and emotionally cathartic. It both energizes and exhausts me.

Mark
3/12/2020 04:14:22 pm

I think this is the first time I have heard of a book being at least partly responsible for matrimony, other than myself and my wife. We share a deep love for the Chronicles of Narnia and other books by C. S. Lewis. He even wrote a sci-fi series that I have read more than once.
I think Tolkien was my introduction to fantasy, I read LOTR three times before graduating from high school.
New questions.
When you decided to indie-publish how did you pick a publisher?
What is your publisher doing to market your book?
Why is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of the characters?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/12/2020 04:46:37 pm

Finding a publisher is kind of like online dating or job hunting. It is a lot of reaching out through social media and seeing who responds. Once you have a few respondents research the hell out of them and then see what they can do for you. In the end it is who you feel the most comfortable with. My publisher and I are a team and both of us are constantly on the look out for marketing opportunities. She has submitted a few inquiries for a film adaptation and we hope to see the book in Barnes and Noble soon. An interesting thing that I have learned about this business is marketing becomes easier with a second or third book in publication.

Reply
John Noyes link
3/12/2020 04:49:49 pm

To answer the question about character emotions, nothing is black and white in this world. Emotion adds color. They convey culture and motivation and keep your characters from being flat.

Reply
Mark
3/12/2020 05:13:18 pm

That is a good way of looking at it. I haven't considered that perspective before. I have done a lot of job-hunting in the past. I learned quickly about keeping my resume up to date. I have distilled my business pitch down to two questions and appropriate answers.
I think almost everything gets easier as experience is gathered.
Readers complete the equation a book presents by identifying with the characters, they find bits and pieces of themselves in the process.
New questions.
Have you ever done The National Novel Writing Month contest?
What kind of preparation do you do before NaNoWriMo starts?
Are you an under-writer or an over-writer?
When the first draft is done, do you need to add more to it to flesh it out or do you have to cut material because there is too much?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/12/2020 07:10:20 pm

I have not done the NaNoWriMo, but I am interested in doing it. When I write, I tend to do insane amounts of research and the start writing at the beginning of the of the book and write sequentially to the end. So preparation would be the research part and playing with the plot in my mind. I am an over-writer. The Army writing style is all about short and direct, so when I write fiction I like to take time to describe things and play with words. You asked about authors I like and I mentioned Garth Nix. Part of the reason I love his writing is that he treats language as a living thing with magic power. Where I write that is how I like to think of language, as though it has a life of its own and flows where it will.

Mark
3/12/2020 08:14:05 pm

NaNoWriMo is an interesting experience, mutual support groups spring up all over social media, including Twitter. Members encourage each other towards the goal of a first draft 50,000 word novel.
Many participants of NaNo spend a lot of time plotting their novel, writing character biographies, researching locations and other things, in anticipation of November first.
There is a guest blog on my website about non-linear writing, you may find it interesting.
I like how Nix describes his view of language, very interesting.
New questions.
Are you talking about sentences, paragraphs or a chapter that didn't survive the final cut?
Do you save the parts that didn't make it into the final version?
Did you cut mostly descriptions, action, dialogue or whole chapters?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/13/2020 12:34:58 am

Mostly paragraphs, I really can’t think of an instance where I cut a full chapter. Usually I would reread things with a goal in mind of shortening it and rewrite as I went along. Usually I would shorten descriptions or reword action sequences. I feel that this helped with the timing of events in the novel as it keeps things from getting bogged down by being too wordy.

Reply
Mark
3/13/2020 10:39:22 am

As you mentioned your writing of military manuals before, that has taught you to write succinctly. There is a fine balance between not enough and too much prose. This varies by genre. I have found far more authors that write too much, describing every little detail and movement at times. Every reader knows how to walk out of a house and lock a door, or get into a car and drive away. Those simple actions should be ignored, unless they are critical to the plot.
Timing and pace in a book are important. When used well they keep the story moving forward without boring the reader.
New questions.
Do you prefer dialogue tags or action beats in your books?
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?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/13/2020 12:03:54 pm

I prefer a mixture of both dialogue and action beats. In particular in this book, I used the dialogue between the priests pretty extensively to keep things moving forward. In terms of characters, I start with a basic idea for who I want them to be and then let them take on a life of there own as I write them. The best example would be Achachila, the condor priest. Initially I wanted him to be the true fanatic and a major antagonist, but as I wrote him into the story it just did not seem to fit and he soon became a protagonist with a hidden compassionate side. When it comes to putting myself or others into the story I can say that I have not done it directly. However, you write what, and I would say who, you know. Each character is in one way or another based on a facet of yourself or someone you know, either intentionally or not. I think that is why it can be so hard to write a good fan fiction or story using someone else’s characters, you don’t know the people they were based on and therefore have difficulty predicting their actions.

Mark
3/13/2020 12:37:55 pm

So many authors report that characters take on a life of their own, and the plot or story line shifts in ways unplanned by the author. I think it makes the story more organic.
Many authors have mentioned that they pattern characters in one way or another after people they know. They usually talk to the relative or close acquaintance before hand to avoid problems down the road. That is especially important when writing a memoir.
New questions.
Which is more fun to write, the protagonist or the antagonist, and why?
What is one thing you hate about your protagonist and one thing you love about the antagonist?
What is your writing routine when you sit down to write?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/13/2020 07:01:31 pm

Antagonist are always more fun to write, it lets you release your inner evil. Incidentally, protagonists, in my mind, are more challenging to write. It is hard to not make them either flat or too goody two shoes. There is not much I have a problem with when it comes to Rezi, especially as she is not done being developed. As far as antagonists, Qhush’qunca is my favorite, I love her ruthlessness. As far as a routine, I really don’t have one. I play with scenes and ideas in my head and the sit down and write once I have it 70% planed out.

Reply
Mark
3/13/2020 07:15:00 pm

Your comments reflect that of many other authors.
I enjoyed how you developed Rezi through the book.
The queen has a certain deliciousness to her evilness. Every bad guy or girl is the hero in their story. You made that work quite well.
I am going to guess that you don't write every day.
New questions.
Which is more important to a story pace or flow? How do you control it?
Did your writing process change much from your early fiction to your current book or did it stay the same?
Now that your book is published, is there anything about it you would like to change?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/14/2020 12:35:54 am

Both are critical to the story’s success, pacing ensures your audience does not get bored and flow keeps it from becoming a jumbled mess of plot holes. Though I am by no means an expert, I always write with both the pacing and flow of the story as a constant concern in my mind. My poor wife, who is my principal beta reader, has learned not to edit when I give her something new, but rather to read for content, pacing, and flow first as that is what I will immediately ask her about. On her second reading she then gets to red ink everything. As to my writing style changing, I would say that like any art form, the way you create is constantly changing and evolving. Even if it is something as simple as how long you can write in a single sitting, the more you do the more it changes. For me the biggest change for my writing style was the use of Dialogue. I had never written anything that required the sheer amount of character interaction before and I literally had to reference several of my favorite authors to see how they put dialogue, character thoughts, and characters speaking to themselves on paper. As to changing things in the story now that the book is published I can honestly say no. Please understand, I know it is not perfect, but no book is. What is important is that I am satisfied with the story. I put the book through a lot of beta readers and made changes based on feedback, so I kind of feel like I got all of the change bugs out of my system.

Mark
3/14/2020 09:42:43 am

You handled my trick question with ease, well done. There are many things that have to be kept in mind while writing and rewriting.
There was a lot of dialogue in your book, you used it well to move the story along and fill in backstory as needed. Many authors struggle with the amount of backstory and research to include in the book. What isn't used in one book can be used in another, as a prequel, sequel or side story; fans love it all. So, you never have to really waste anything, as long as you don't try to cram it all in one book.
You are right, no book is ever perfect, in one sense a book i only complete when someone reads it.
Some authors use the excuse of editing and rewriting to avoid publishing, they are afraid of failure and success. At some point you have to put it out there and let it stand on it's own feet. I am so glad you did.
New questions.
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?
What else are you writing these days? Are you writing anything for yourself or only for readers?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/14/2020 12:11:30 pm

I think there are two important themes that relate to the modern day; first is to not judge people based on appearance or first impressions, both Mantaqwey and Achachila are quite ugly and scary looking due to their body deformities, but ultimately both are good people. Second is simply to not give up. We all slip very easily into despair these days as our society is just as brutal, although psychologically as opposed to physically, as the Inca society. Rezi could have given up multiple times, but never does. In all honesty I hope that is the one thing people remember about the book, keep fighting, don’t ever give up. When it comes to writing now, I am working on a few different books, including the sequel to Those Deep Below. While I always hope the readers will enjoy my writing, I write for myself and hope that if I enjoy it, then they will too.

Reply
Mark
3/14/2020 01:01:42 pm

You hit on an important theme, violence is not always physical. The scars on a person's psyche can be even more devastating than the bodily scars and harder to recover from at times.
Never giving up is so important, the circumstances a person finds themselves in are never static, the same with out emotions; everything is always changing and we just have to stay in motion and try to make wise choices.
New questions.
Do you have a classical author or poet, you admire?
What popular modern authors have influenced you?
What software do you use to write and publish your books, and why do you use those?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/14/2020 07:44:25 pm

As far as modern poets, I like Robert Frost, for all that some consider that cliche and I grew up with Shell Silverstein. Of modern authors, I would have to again say Garth Nix and David Weber for their writing and C.S.Lewis for the type of person he was. When I write I tend to use MS Word as it is the most compatible with other software.

Reply
Mark
3/14/2020 08:12:41 pm

I was such a Philistine in high school, we had to read Frost and some other poets, they bored me and I just wanted to read more sci-fi. I did chuckle with a couple of Silverstein's shorter poems. A relative gave me a small book of poems by Ogden Nash, I read that several times.
MS Word is very popular, it has a monster installed base. I use it. Office 2019 is out, so I will be upgrading one of these days.
New questions.
How do you keep track of all the characters and events in your books?
Just to nail it down for sure, are you a plotter, a pantster, or a hybrid?
Other than the Condor priest, have you had the experience of the story swerving in a different direction than planned, as if a character was driving it?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/15/2020 09:43:57 am

I am a hybrid planner. I get a rough idea of how the plot is going to go and then start writing. Once I start, however, the characters take over the narrative. I can say that there have been several times that the story has thrown in a twist that I did not see coming. The best example for me in this book was what I was able to do with the mummy maker cult. Initially I had intended to use them as an opposing army to the Queen, but instead readers will be surprised to see how I actually used them

Mark
3/15/2020 09:48:17 am

That is pretty convenient, having the characters take over telling the story. I love it.
I was quite surprised by the mummy makers and how they played their part in the story.
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?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/15/2020 01:27:27 pm

I am a write wherever you happen to be when an idea strikes and you have a device that can access your cloud kind of writer. Often times I would pull up the file and leave it minimized on a side screen when I was working on something else, then pop it up for a minute or two when I needed a mental health break. That said, I definitely do not need quiet when write, nor do I have a set place to write. I am more of a literary nomad, writing wherever I feel comfortable doing so. With that in mind, I keep my outline is on my working copy and I type over it as I fill in the story, I just find that works better for me.

Reply
Mark
3/15/2020 02:30:01 pm

That sounds like a good way to write. Lots of flexibility. I am the same way with my reading, I can read anywhere.
Proofreading is another matter, uninterrupted quiet is important, for me to do my best work.
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?
Have you ever participated in theater in some way?

John Noyes link
3/15/2020 05:52:37 pm

I find narrative to be the easiest, you just write it, dialogue and action both require more thought, especially for timing. As far as senses go, anything sight related is harder than the others to write. As people we rely so much on our sight, and yet everyone sees and perceives things so differently that it can be hard to describe. For example I can say a character sees a key on the table. In my mind, as the author, I think it is an old fashion shaft and blade key. How ever the reader might think of a modern padlock key. Is it worth it to take the extra time to describe it or would that be too boring? It is a challenge. Finally, yes I have a lot of theatre experience, it was my minor in college. I have acted, directed, and even written plays. I am also a makeup artist and specialize in prosthetics and special effects.

Reply
Mark
3/15/2020 07:53:14 pm

Most authors say narrative is the easiest to write, some have gone on to comment that they think it's because we are storytellers by nature, as humans, and writers even more so.
You are certainly right about the interpretation of the author's words by the reader. Some new authors try to describe every detail and action, it serves only to slow the story down. The commonest of objects and actions need only be mentioned minimally, unless it's important for the plot.
I have encouraged many authors to take courses in play writing or screen writing, thinking that the alternate perspective of only action and dialogue to tell a story can temper the excessive narration that so many writers fall into. Is my advice on the right track?
New questions.
Do you think your experience in theater has helped you as a writer?
What kind of marketing are you doing or planning on doing for your book?
What kind of marketing has worked the best and the least for you for this book?
Speaking of marketing, why did you pick me to help promote your book?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/15/2020 09:01:20 pm

Yes you are definitely on the right track with that advice. For my own part, theatre helped no only with dialogue, but also with scene setting and motion “blocking.” Marketing is tricky. From what I understand if you are lucky enough to get the “golden ticket,” and land a large publisher right off the bat then they market for you. The rest of us mere mortals have to figure it out for ourselves. Kindle Unlimited was a good way to go, it is great exposure through their passive advertising. Unfortunately it does require exclusivity for digital publishing. That is good when you are starting, but eventually I feel like the more outlets and accesible your book is the better. I certainly have yet to figure out the perfect mix, but that is what I think the answer is. As to why I chose to market with you, I follow you on Twitter and have seen how active you are at promoting. As my publisher and I have to be very selective with our limited marketing funds you seemed to offer a good ROÍ. More importantly, however, you have excellent integrity and are a fair reviewer, people listen to you. Finally and most importantly, I know he is gone, but I am a sucker for Grizz. He was one cute pup!

Reply
Mark
3/15/2020 09:38:18 pm

I knew I would be able to confirm if I was giving good advice or not, thank you.
Marketing is the toughest nut to crack for most authors. When writing a book, eventually you pen the last words, the end. Not so in marketing. There is always more to be done. It is more like the never-ending story. That and it requires going out and meeting people much of the time.
KU does have its uses, but it also has its limitations, as you expressed. There is so much of the world that Amazon doesn't cover like they said they would. A bookstore in every country.
I think going wide is part of long term success, especially if other formats are engaged such as audio books, graphic novels, large print and translation into foreign languages. The last is not as important as it used to be, because so many countries use English as the official language of government and commerce and teach it in schools.
Thank you for the compliments, they are very welcome.
I miss my partner, but he lives on in our hearts. I have a tribute video of him elsewhere on my website, if you haven't already viewed it.
New questions.
How did you know when this book was finished?
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?
How much time passed from when you got the idea to write your book; then actually starting to write the book?
How long did it take you to write the first draft?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/16/2020 02:34:22 am

Research is never ending. For me, so much of what I write is based off of life experience that it is difficult for me to give you an answer in years. What I can say is that from the time I first got the idea to when I actually wrote the book was about 20 years. During that time I did a bit of passive research, by which I mean that I read about the Inca because they fascinate me. Once I started writing, I put together a rough draft in about a month and a half, September to mid-October. This is largely because I type very fast. When I started the story, I already knew where I wanted it to end, so I knew it was done when I was able to bring the story to that point. In my outline I have the story planned out as a trilogy and know where I want each book to end.

Reply
Mark
3/16/2020 10:44:26 am

I love research, it would be easy for me to get lost in research and never write the book.
That was a fast first draft!
Your plotting out the story was very successful. I am looking forward to the next volume.
New questions.
How many drafts did you go through to have a ready-to-publish manuscript?
Do you belong to any writing groups?
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?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/16/2020 12:23:58 pm

The simple answer to the number of drafts before publication is not enough. I was fairly satisfied with the story at the end of the first draft, and after making a few adjustments based on reader feed back I felt even better about it. I had thought after all the beta readers, that I had caught all the typos and grammar mistakes as well. I published early and then realized my mistake. I then hired a proofreader, not as good as you obviously, and was amazed at how many typos there were. About this time I got picked up by my publisher, Sue, and we republished the book. I don’t currently belong to any writing groups, but would like to if I can find like minded individuals and the time. Going back I have always loved words and writing. I think it was 2nd grade where I first tried to write a book about the solar system. Periodically from that point on I have written stories and attempted to write books.

Mark
3/16/2020 01:06:22 pm

Not enough? That sounds familiar. Typos and homophone errors are so hard to find. So many rely on the spell checkers and they don't do a very good job. Otherwise, I would not find spelling errors in 95% of the books I read.
Search Twitter for authors in your area, if you don't already know some, they might be able to direct you to an existing group; or you may be able to start one. Critique partners, who are authors, can be just as valuable as beta readers.
You were bit by the writing bug in the second grade, I love it.
New questions.
A lot of new authors struggle with finding beta readers. Because, after the first draft is done, fresh eyes and feedback become very important.
How did you find your beta-readers?
At what stage in your writing process do you bring in the readers?
Do you give them an e-version like a PDF or a hard copy you printed?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/16/2020 05:40:16 pm

Beta readers have never been a problem for me, I have large community of bibliophiles between my family and friends that are willing to help. Before you say that you should not use family and friends, let me point out two things; my family is Greek and my friends are combat vets. Neither group holds back when providing feedback, especially not just to spare my feelings. I brought most of them in after the first draft was done. Digital and print versions were provided depending on their preference.

Reply
Mark
3/16/2020 05:50:01 pm

Ha! Your choice of beta readers sounds ideal! Family and friends aren't always the best choice for many authors, especially when they don't appreciate how much work goes into a book.
You are a lucky dog!
New questions.
What kind of questions did you ask them to get the feedback you wanted or do you let them provide feedback without particular questions?
Do you reward the alpha/beta readers in any way particular?
What is the most important thing you learned from publishing your latest book?

John Noyes link
3/16/2020 09:04:12 pm

I let them provide feedback as they would, as I said, none of them is shy with their opinion. Compensation was a heartfelt thank you (advantage of family and friends). The biggest lesson I learned was hire a proof reader. (Shameless promotion time) what are your rates for my next book?

Reply
Mark
3/16/2020 09:36:26 pm

Thanks for asking, John. Proofreaders bring another set of fresh eyes to a manuscript. While it takes only the author to write the first draft, more people are usually necessary to produce a polished and error-free book.
I have three levels of proofreading, the top two have sliding rates that are dependent upon the number of errors I find in a 3k word sample from the middle of the book. The details are covered in full elsewhere on my website.
Last questions.
What are three things, that you wish you knew before you wrote your first book?
What are some challenges to writing Historical Fiction?
What do you think of the current discussion about the ethics regarding historical fiction or is it a free-for-all?

Reply
John Noyes link
3/17/2020 04:56:39 am

The only problem I have with historical fiction is when people try to project modern morality on ancient cultures. The past was a brutal time, and to pretend otherwise is lazy writing. In writing this book the only major thing that I wish I had known was simply that I could do it.

Reply
Mark
3/17/2020 10:37:54 am

Those kinds of projections are strange, the past cannot be changed; we can only change the future with the choices we make today.
Hindsight is 20/20.
Thank you, John, I have enjoyed our conversation. I have another promotion to prepare for. I wish you success in your writing career.
I look forward to seeing your next book.

Reply
John Noyes link
3/17/2020 04:32:16 pm

Thank you Mark for everything. This has been a fantastic experience.




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"I'm very pleased with all your efforts. Twitter promotion and proofreading were beyond what I expected with a book review. Your suggestions throughout the process of refining both books helped me immensely. I look forward to working with you again."   A.E.H Veenman “Dial QR for Murder” and “Prepped for the Kill”