writertowriterinterviews

until then I never thought I could. My first draft of AR was horrid. But by then I really had writing fever, so I went about rewriting and improving it. Then rewriting and improving it again and again. The work paid off, though. It's now in print!

Were mysteries your chosen genre from the beginning?

Yes, although I would read anything. My parents got Reader's Digest Condensed Books, and I read them cover to cover. The local librarians all knew me well! Given the choice, I'd pick Nancy Drew or The Bobsey Twins. But I wasn't persnickety. Now I am a bit. I read mysteries and romances and thrillers, depending on my mood. I'm more interested in well-written, deep characters than rip-roaring pacing. I love crawling inside a character's head. Mysteries often gloss over romance, and romance often has paper-thin characters. I tried to combine the genres by writing a mystery/romance with people as real as I could make them.

Tell us about Amanda's Rib. Set up the plot and introduce us to Attorney Jack Lindsey and Amanda.

Amanda Winslow has been accused and acquitted of murdering her husband, Michael. She's notorious in the Twin Cities, where they lived, so she moves to a small town in Illinois and tries to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. Although Amanda and Michael had a marriage of convenience, she loved him with all her heart and misses him terribly. Her first husband, who she never speaks of, was abusive. Because of his violence, she's been afraid of most men for many years. Jack Lindsey, a man she meets in her new town, finds out about the murder and trial and decides to look into the crime.

Why is Jack drawn to her? Is it because he wants to know if she is truly responsible for her husband's death?

Jack tells himself he's interested in the crime. The truth is, he's fascinated by her. He's not the most "in touch with his feelings" man! He's used to women adoring him. Amanda recoils if he touches her. He can't figure out why, and it makes him curious. Actually, it drives him loopy! She is very smart, and thinks logically and in different ways than most people. She is very comfortable with science and math, but emotions send her reeling. Jack realizes this, but doesn't know why. He has no idea she'd married and divorced an abuser, so he has no way of knowing how frightened and emotionally scarred she is because of things that were done to her. As he grows to know her, his admiration turns to love. He also solves the crime. This isn't a book in which one character 'saves' another. In some ways, they save each other. At its heart, it's a character study. Someone asked me to sum it up in one sentence. I said, "Amanda learns to trust, and Jack learns to love."

Was Mundania Press the first publisher you sent this manuscript to?

No. I'd sent it to another, and it passed their first readers and was sent upstairs for a full read. This place had the manuscript exclusively for a year, then rejected. I'll never do that again. From now on, the 'exclusive' provision will have a time limit. I found Mundania Press on Preditors and Editors' recommended list, and sent it to them. Fortunately, they were faster and wanted to publish it!

What was it like to receive that acceptance letter? How long did it take from acceptance to the day you could hold the book in your hand?

The acceptance letter always makes me laugh. I got it one evening while I was in a writing workshop. I saw who it was from, and my stomach turned to lead. I got a glass of wine before opening it, expecting a rejection. Thank goodness they put the acceptance in bold red ink! I had to read it over and over to believe it, and the red ink helped it sink in. My husband wasn't home yet, and I thought he should be the first to know, so I sat by the window, waiting for his headlights to come up the drive. When he finally got home, I could barely speak and he had to grab the letter from my hand and read it himself! It was quite a night! I think I called or emailed everyone I've ever met! That was the end of last March, and my book was released the end of January this year.

What was the editing process like?

We had one snafu, which was politely and professionally handled. Things like this happen, but the people at Mundania were super about it. That's not always the case, and I appreciate their kindness. I'd worked very hard on AR, constantly smoothing and polishing, so the actual editing was a snap.

What is the most difficult part of writing for you?

Depends on the day. Sometimes it's hardest to get started. Other days it's hardest to stop. I need quiet to write, and large chunks of time. I can't write in ten and fifteen minute spurts. I tried writing the way we're "supposed" to, from beginning to end, and it doesn't work for me. I start with the ending, then write to it. Some scenes come to me in great detail and I write them, then find ways to get to that scene. It sounds goofy, but it works for me. I hate coincidences in books, and try to make every event have a logical reason. That can be challenging. But, heck. I'm just making stuff up. I might as well make up something rational, right?

Do you have a support system in place organization wise?

Do you mean at Mundania or at home? My husband and the rest of my family are very supportive. If I need to work late, no problem. They've been great. The owners at Mundania are available by email and phone. I try not to bother them, because they are overworked and understaffed. But sometimes I do have a question, and will email.

How are you promoting your novel?

I've tried everything I can think of, from asking for reviews to passing out bookmarks to everyone I see. It's very tough to get known when you're a no-name. New authors today, no matter who publishes their books, are pretty much on our own in promotion. It's a struggle. I've called and/or visited every bookstore in my area, asking them to stock a few copies. Some will, some won't. The ones who won't have lost a customer. If local businesses won't support people in the community, I won't support them. One grocery store won't even let me put bookmarks in their store. Can you believe that? I've gone there twice a week for years, and they won't give me enough space for a stack of bookmarks. I shop elsewhere now.

Are you currently writing a new book?

I'm working on my second novel. It's a romantic mystery, too, but much lighter. I hope to finish it by the end of the summer. Then polish, and start the whole process over again. Remind me, why did I stop accounting and start writing? What was I thinking? LOL. Writing is fun, but the rest can be daunting.

Amanda's Rib
www.cyndiadepre.com http://www.cyndiadepre.com/