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Diane: You compiled, edited and designed the cover for the free
anthology MUSINGS: AUTHORS DO IT WRITE! (http://www.geocities.com/kristieleighmaguire/free.html)
-- a collection of writings by 12 contributing authors, including yourself, of
the CB Writers Group. Can you give us some background on how the idea for this
book came about, and what you were hoping to achieve with the anthology? What
is the CB Writers Group?
Kristie: The CB Writers Group was
originally formed when author Kathleen Walls put out a call to various writers'
groups asking for contributors to a cookbook that she was compiling, COOKING BY
THE BOOK, a free e-book to be given away for promotional purposes. COOKING BY
THE BOOK was such a success that the decision was made to continue with the
group, combining our talents for promotional purposes and the creation of free
e-books. MUSINGS: AUTHORS DO IT WRITE! was a natural progression for the group.
Musings consists of a collection of writings
from twelve contributing authors of the CB Writers Group. To many people,
authors aren't of the same breed as the normal species of the human race.
However, we are very much human. We go about our daily lives nurturing to our
family's needs, going to our jobs and dealing with the stresses that life
throws our way. The twelve authors spotlighted in MUSINGS wanted to shed some
light on the "author species of the human race" and answer some of
the questions that authors are always being asked; such as how they come up
with their story idea and their characters. Each writer has his or her own
writer's muse -- or voice, although as you will see in MUSINGS: AUTHORS DO IT
WRITE!, each muse is unique for each author.
MUSINGS: AUTHORS DO IT WRITE! has been
successful beyond our wildest dreams. I, personally, have received hundreds of
emails asking for a free copy of the book. I have received emails from many who
have received the book thanking us for putting it together.
Diane: The introduction to MUSINGS:
AUTHORS DO IT WRITE! states that each author has his or her own writer's muse
or voice, and that each muse is unique for each author. What is your muse, and
what do you feel makes it unique? Was it difficult for you to find your writing
voice, or did it come naturally?
Kristie: My voice came naturally to me
although I fought it at the start of my writing career. In the beginning, I
tried to pattern my writing after some of my favorite authors but the only
thing I succeeded in doing was creating stories that sounded stilted and
unnatural to me. It wasn't until I let my muse have its own way, that my
stories began to sound right to my ears and mind. I have learned to go with the
flow when I'm writing, letting the characters tell the story the way they see
it instead of making the story go the way I think it should go.
Diane: You have a romance novel coming
out in May titled DESERT HEAT, which is Book 1 in the Affairs of the Heart
series. Tell us about this new series. What do you enjoy most about writing
romance novels, and what does it take to be a "Diva of Romance"?
Kristie: The books in the Affairs of the
Heart series are romantica, a new word that is widely being used for the cross
blending of romance and erotica. Romantica is softer than erotica but hotter
than the regular romance genre.
DESERT HEAT, CABIN FEVER and RING OF FIRE are
the three books that make up the Affairs of the Heart series. Marcie Treyhorne,
a sexy steel magnolia, is the central character for each of the books. DESERT
HEAT is set in Mojave Junction, a small crossroads community in the Mojave
Desert of Southern California. To quote Ed Williams, author of ROUGH AS A COB
and SEX, DEAD DOGS AND ME, "There's nothing better than a hot love story,
one that reads like an Atomic Fireball tastes. Kristie Leigh Maguire serves
that up big time in Desert Heat. What other book on the market manages to be
both good to read and also corrects any circulatory problems that you might
have all at the same time?"
What do I like most about writing romance?
Romance has always been my favorite genre to read. It only seemed natural to me
to write romance since I loved to read it so much. My novel, NO LADY AND HER
TRAMP, which I co-authored with Mark Haeuser, is a romantic comedy. My DESERT
HEAT is romantica, as are the other two books in the Affairs of the Heart
series. However my first published book, EMAILS FROM THE EDGE (THE LIFE OF AN
EXPATRIATE WIFE), is a memoirs book that is based upon true stories from my
globetrotting expatriate days.
Divas of Romance is an organization founded by
best selling author Lori Soard. The Divas of Romance is limited to fifty
authors. I feel lucky to have been selected as one of those fifty authors.
Diane: I understand that DESERT HEAT is
being published by Global Authors Publications -- or G.A.P. (http://clix.to/GAP),
of which you are the CEO. What differentiates G.A.P. from other book
publishers? And what made you decide to wear a publisher's "hat" in
addition to the others that you wear?
Kristie: G.A.P. is a venture that
culminated from an open discussion at NUW (Not the Usual Way) Independent
Authors Community, of which I am the founder. As authors, we were tired of
being considered the low man on the totem pole of the publishing industry.
Instead of just bitching about it, we decided to do something about it. Global
Authors Publications was born on January 1, 2003. G.A.P. is set up to only
publish trade paperbacks. The authors are free to publish in the e-book format,
or any other format, with any other publisher of their choice.
Global Authors Publications (G.A.P.) is a
non-profit co-operative publishing company. At G.A.P., we put the control back
into the hands of the authors where we feel it belongs. In order to be
published by Global Authors Publications, one must first be a member of NUW
Independent Authors Community. In order to join NUW, one must first be a
published author with at least one book published by non-traditional methods
such as e-book, POD, self-published or published with a small press traditional
publisher. The workload of G.A.P. is shared by the members, who in return
receive 100 percent of the royalties from the sales of their books. Global
Authors Publications has already published five books. I think that is a record
in itself.
Diane: Based on your experiences as a
published, independent author, as well as a publisher, what advice would you
give other authors seeking to have their books published electronically?
Kristie: My first advice is to follow
your heart. If you feel you have a story that is burning to be told, then sit
down and write it. And edit it carefully before submitting it to a publisher.
Even if your story is the best to come along since GONE WITH THE WIND, it will
come across very poorly if it is full of misspelled words and punctuation
errors. But most of all, don't give up when the going gets tough; and believe
me, it will get tough. The publishing industry seems to be a dog-eat-dog world
and it will eat you alive if you let it. An author has to develop a very thick
skin.
-- Kristie Leigh Maguire
author, reviewer, columnist
Desert Heat - a world of sex, passion and romance
No Lady and Her Tramp - love, trailer park style
Emails from the Edge - the life of an expatriate wife
For more information, go to Authors Website at: http://clik.to/Kristie
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