This week I’m featuring my own interview. Hope you enjoy it.

Q:  Why do you write, and what subjects or genre inspire you?

A: I’ve always loved to read, but I never thought of becoming a writer. I remember starting a James Bond type novel when I was in high school but I after I wrote about 20 pages I stopped. I’ve written many essays and short stories as homework, and proposals during my professional life, but if someone had told me I’d ever write a book and publish it I would have told them they were crazy.

My reading taste leans toward thrillers and crime, although I will read almost all genres as long as the book is well written. So I would say that crime and thrillers are  the genre that inspire me.

Q: What genre do you normally write in?

A: I haven’t written enough to establish a norm. My two books are in the crime and thriller genre, but there’s no blood, nor extreme violence.

Q:  Describe your writing style.

A: I like to include a lot of dialogue. I feel it is an effective way to move the story along, describe the characters to the readers and show interaction between the characters. I try to avoid verbose, long prose, although sometimes the description of a place is necessary for the development of the story.

Q:  What is your biggest challenge when novel writing? And do you ever get writer’s block?

A: My biggest challenge is to convey clearly my story to the reader. I know what I want to say and I know where the story’s going, but I have to make sure my reader discovers it too. Yes, I get writer’s block. I’ve started writing a third book but somehow haven’t found the courage and or inspiration to continue.

Q:  How many books have you written, and what inspired you to write your first book?

A: I’ve written two books. The impetus for the first book, Il Molo, came from a dare. The story is set in Varigotti Italy on the Liguria seacoast (Mediterranean) where we go every summer on vacation. During these vacations I read a lot, mostly thrillers and crime novels, on the beach. One of our local friends dared me to write a crime novel and I said why not. Almost right away I had an idea for a crime/thriller. By the way, Il Molo is also available in French. The translation was done by a very close friend in Geneva.

Q:  Why did you decide to self-publish instead of going through an agent or publisher?

A: I had never even heard of self-publishing until my aunt and cousin, who are also indie authors, clued me in to the possibility. I was not looking forward to doing all the work to find an agent and publisher. So I chose the self-publishing route.

Q:  How did you come up with your cover design?

A: I designed the cover of the first book, using the functionality in CreateSpace. For the cover of the second book, The Cruelty of Love, I used the services of a professional designer. Of course I gave my cover ideas to the designer. I think she did an excellent job.

Q:  What software do you use for your print version and/or for eBook?

For the print version I used Word and uploaded the manuscript to CreateSpace. The eBook was also created through CreateSpace.

Q:  What tips would you give to someone who is considering self-publishing the work?

A: Writing the book is the easy part, relatively. Of course there’s a lot of re-reading and re-editing before you are happy with the final manuscript. The hardest part is promotion and selling – they take a lot of time…and money. So if you go down the road be prepared to use promotion services (free and paying), participate in Facebook groups, and actively use Twitter and other social media. Don’t be hesitant in organizing book signings and asking your local bookstores to purchase copies of your books.

Q:  Describe the plot for one of your books.

A: In The Cruelty of Love, Kate has made it to mid-level management in the IT group of a pharmaceutical company. When she watches a television interview of one of her ex-boyfriends, her demons of over 30 years ago are awakened. Over the coming weeks she cannot shake the resurrected feelings of betrayal and injustice, and vows to confront the two men she once loved. She methodically conceives and carries out her ingenious, and illegal, plan. As the two men, her family and friends seek to understand her actions, Kate accepts her punishment.

Q:  Which one of your books is your favorite?

A: Both of them. Each book draws on my experiences and people and places I know.

Q:  Do you have any future projects/novel ideas in mind?

A: Yes, but for the moment I must admit I have writer’s block.

Read more about Il Molo and The Cruelty of Love on my blog and take a look at some of the reviews. And if you search for the titles in the Search box on the left you can scroll through earlier posts about these books. Thank you for visiting my blog.