Monday, April 11, 2016

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Deborah Malone

Tell me about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I love in North Georgia (this my Georgia titles). I have two grown girls Leah and Niki. I live with my husband, Travis, and our dachshund mix, Pepe. 

Now, what got me started writing? This is a good question. I always say I came out of the womb reading! I’ve loved to read since I can remember. I also remember being so happy when it was time to go to our elementary school library. I can still smell the library and associate that smell with books. (It could have been mold or dust, but I loved it!). When I was 45 I went back to college to get my degree (in Human Services) and took a class in creative writing. This class sparked a fire in me for the love of writing. I began to write short stories and poems. I didn’t do anything serious, but in 2001 my boyfriend (now husband) and I went to a historic restaurant. The building was beautiful. I suggested someone should write this for “Georgia Backroads,” magazine. He said “Why don’t you?” So I did. And to my pleasant surprise it was accepted. I’ve been writing for them since then. I started on my first novel in 2002, but life got in the way and it wasn’t published until 2011. Since then I’ve had four more books published with a goal to write one a year. 


How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?


I think/write best in the afternoon. I don’t write every day, but the more often you write the easier it is. You are in the flow and know what your characters are doing. If you wait too long between writing times, then you have to refresh your memory by reading over what you’ve written. You really have to make yourself sit down in that chair and write. It takes a lot of discipline.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

I used to write on the couch with my laptop. Lately I’ve been going into the study so it will be a quiet atmosphere with nothing to distract me. I’ve found this works better for me. I love my laptop!

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

Oh my – I guess my favorite thing about writing is “the end.” Just kidding! The best part for me is to see it coming together. Usually about halfway through everything seems to fall into place and I see where I want the plot to go.  The least favorite part by far is making myself sit down to write. It is so hard to get started on that new book (when you are staring at a blank page and know you have to fill up a book with 50,000 or more words) or begin a new chapter.

How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

I’ve always loved mysteries and especially cozy mysteries. So I think I just naturally began writing cozies. My main character in the Trixie Montgomery series is a magazine journalist for a Georgia magazine like me. That’s kind of how I got started. It took several years for my first book because many things were happening in my life and I was still learning. Now I can write on in about six months.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

Wow, *I could write a book on this. LOL I love marketing and teach marketing classes at writer conferences. I will sell books where I can. I speak at libraries, conferences, book clubs, women’s conferences and sell my books at art festivals, literary festivals, in gift/book shops, independent books stores, any store that is interested in carrying them. These are just a few marketing areas.

(From Kathryn: I actually wrote a book on marketing! Every year I update it to include the best links and information on marketing for that year)

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

Get the Book at Amazon
My latest book came out in November 2015, “Buckhead Dead.” This is my second cozy mystery series. It is the Skye Southerland Cozy Mystery series. All my books have real settings so if you know the area you’d recognize the roads, buildings, restaurants, etc. I’m working on the second book of the series, “Decatur Dead.”

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

I have all kinds of ideas running through my head. I’ve started on a few that I’ve had to put by the wayside for one reason or another. I’d love to write a book on marketing, but there are already a lot of those out there. I’d also like to write a romantic suspense. But, so far they are just ideas.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

I think all writer’s go through this some time or another. Especially before we become published/established. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve become discouraged and said I wasn’t going to ever write again. My husband just laughs when he hears that now. LOL Don’t give up!!! The writer that perseveres is the writer that gets published.

Thank you for having me!

***

Thank you, Deborah!

Learn more about Deborah:

www.deborah-malone.com



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