Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I am 25, unmarried, but dating. I live in Alabama, and as a result, some Southern colloquialisms creep into my novels, which happen to be space operas at the moment. A bit incongruent, but I try to edit those out later when they simply don’t fit, or when it’s really bad grammar. My parents were air force, so half my life, I spent moving every year. My first years of schooling were in Germany, though I didn’t learn any German… except how to count.

What started you writing?

I used to hate reading and books – mostly because when I was taught to read, I was forced to amuse myself with Dick and Jane. I despised Spot. As a result, I thought all books were just as boring. Back when I was about 12, I saw my mom playing a computer game. I got her to let me play it, and after I finished, Mom said the game was based after a set of books. These were not children’s books either. I sped through them as fast as I could and decided that I was imaginative, and thus capable of writing books just as good as these.

Do you have a website folks can check out?

I do. My website is www.natanfleetshow.com. I’m posting a webnovel there, updating on Mondays (unless I’m delayed for some reason, such as being incredibly sick). The website also has additional information pertaining to the universe I have created. There are files on the aliens I have made up, extra scenes that haven’t or couldn’t be included in the books I’m going to write, and artwork, both mine, and fanart.

How many books have you written?

Ha – not quite sure how to answer this one, given that I’ve written several books… only to tear them apart and rewrite them again, trying to make them better. Additionally, I spent at least 8 or 10 years writing fanfiction as a mode of practice, and I have several finished stories there. I have no intention of selling them, though. That’d be mildly illegal.

How many have you self published?

I have only self-published one book so far, but I have plans to self-publish the rest of the Natan Fleet Show series. These additional books are listed in “The Story” tab on my website. So far, I have five more planned, plus Ghost Talent, which once I’m finished posting it on my website, I’ll edit it again and self-publish that one.

Tell me about your most recent book.

Playing the Hero is a space opera centering on a young alien male named Vathion. When his father is assassinated, Vathion inherits his father’s fleet of twelve privateer battleships. Unfortunately, this includes all the fleets problems as well – from malfunctioning equipment to spies and the annoying second in command. Gilonnia has been torn apart by a civil war that has been going on for almost an entire generation now, due to the Gilons themselves being generally new to the very idea of war. While most believe this war is due to selfishness and greed for power, there are far more insidious things going on under the surface. In Playing the Hero, Vathion is unaware of this big picture; as he is too busy trying to keep his second in command from stealing his fleet.

Why did you choose to self publish?

In the past, the “route” to getting published was to write a bunch of short fiction, sell it to magazines to get your name out there, then write full-length novels and attempt to sell them to publishers. However, print magazines are going out of business, though, and it’s unclear at this time whether they’ll revive with the economy or if they’ll go completely digital. Either way, I’ve never been interested in writing short stories, nor do I have the skills required to do so. Book publishers aren’t picking up many new authors these days, and it almost seems like it’s easier to get your book into the hands of someone famous than to get your book published by a “legit” source. I felt that as an unknown writer, it was unlikely that my work would be picked up by a brick-and-mortar publishing house, let alone an agent.

What have you liked/disliked about self publishing?

I’ve liked the control I have over what my book looks like, and how it’s presented. What I haven’t liked so far is the fact that it’s been a one-woman-show. In short, I’ve liked and disliked it for the same reasons.

What have you done to promote your book?

So far, I have been cashing in on my time spent writing fanfiction, pestering the people who loved reading those stories to come check out my original work. I’ve been emailing people, and I have a flier I’ve designed (but haven’t had the chance to distribute anywhere yet). I’ve got an author Livejournal, and have created a community on LJ for self-published authors (specifically the ones on Createspace) to advertise their writing, as well as to ask for assistance on things they’re having trouble with. I have my website, and I’ve got word-of-mouth. I’m pondering contacting the local radio station to see if I can get them to either interview me or plug my book.

What has given you the most success?

The problem with marketing is that a lot of the time, you really never know what is working.

Do you plan on self publishing again?

I do indeed plan on doing this again. The first book was difficult to get off the ground – mostly because I had no clue what I was doing, but now that I do, it shouldn’t be so hard. As a result, I’m going to finish off the Natan Fleet Show series as self-published books, then see about getting something published with a publishing house. Hopefully by the time I finish the NFS series, the economy will have gotten better and the publishers will start taking risks on new authors again.

What else should I have asked you?

What my influences are. …Given where I live, it’s no wonder I’ve become enamored with space and aliens. But other things have influenced me just as greatly – those being anime and video games. As a result, there is a lot of color in my writing. Vathion has purple hair, for example. C. J. Cherryh has also been an influence. After reading her Foreigner series, Cookoo’s Egg, the Chanur series, I’ve analyzed how she creates believable aliens and have replicated it in my own style (to the best of my ability).

Thanks, K.E. and best of luck with your writing.

More about K.E. and her work can be found at:

• http://natanfleetshow.com (fiction)
• http://keireland.livejournal.com (other stuff)

If you are interested in hearing more self-published authors’s stories, check out some of my other interviews:

• Self Published Pulp – Lucien Black
• Zombies, Vampires, & Texan Independent Authors – Rhiannon Frater
• Self Publishing, Belgian Horror, and Cats. – Vanessa Morgan
• Self-Publishied Interview: Joe Perrone Jr. – Joe Perrone Jr.

If you’re a self published author and you would like an interview here on Story Hack, just use the contact page and let me know.

Lucien Black has been on the sidebar for a while, but we just finished an email interview and now you can know what he’s really all about.

Tell everybody about yourself in a nutshell.

I started my writing career in 1993 when I self published my first comic book.  The book did fairly well, but like most self published works, we had little funding to continue producing comics.  I had so many ideas that I wanted to bring to print and worked for the next 12 or 13 years with various artists trying to self publish again.  Of course, I submitted my works to Marvel and DC and Image, but never received any work.  I did obtain a small job for a small publisher but that never saw print.  My wife convinced me to change my ideas to short stories and try publishing them in that format.  It took some convincing and some time to adjust the work, but as of October of last year, No Vacancies, Vol 1. is on the market and I can officially call myself an author!

Why do you describe your work as “pulp” fiction?

No Vacancies is a series of short stories, some based on ideas originally intended for comic books.  Most of the stories are multi-part and continue over future volumes of No Vacancies.  The genres are typically action adventure, horror, superhero, mystery, fantasy etc.  So it seems to fall into line with the traditional Pulp style stories of past. Classifying them as pulp helps to frame the concept of the series.  Currently I have about 14 volumes of No Vacancies planned.  The first volume includes two stand alone stories and two multi-part tales.  They continue in the next installment coming out May 7, 2009.

Do you read much old school pulp? If so, what are your favorite authors/stories?

I have not read much pulp fiction in the traditional sense.  I have collected, read and written comic books for years.  As I mentioned above, some of the stories were originally designed to be comic books.  With the way the industry operates, you have to be very well connected to land a job somewhere.  Since I lack the ability to draw, finalizing the product on my own was impossible.  With the short story concepts, I can control the production and final product with little or no interference.  I don’t have to rely on anyone to draw the ideas that I write.  Most comic book scripts contain pages of scene description, so the ideas are already there, they just need to be fleshed out for a traditional long fiction product.

Tell us about “No Vacancies: Volume 1.”

Volume 1 of No Vacancies contains four short stories.  One More Sunday is the story of a detective investigating the death of the city’s superhero known as the Protector.  He is thrust into a world he really knew nothing about and as he pieces together the mystery of the Protector’s death, the detective gets closer and closer to the man behind the mask and becomes his advocate.  In the short story Devotion, Dr. Alastair Cromwell, a medical examiner, uses all of his knowledge and medical training to bring his late wife back from the dead.  The procedure has dire consequences and is sure to delight horror fans.  That leaves the first parts of two multi-part adventures called High Stakes and Outcast. In High Stakes, readers are introduced to Jack Ander, a man that has avoided conflict his entire life and is thrust into the middle of a situation that forces him to break out of his shell and be the hero that he could be.  This story is a bit confusing at first, as there are many characters to introduce, but as readers stick with the story, we will uncover a alternate universe where some the past comes back to haunt us.  Finally in Outcast part 1, readers are introduced to Nathaniel, a man on a mission to find the killer of his fiance.  He finds himself teaming up with a Hudson City Detective who just lost her family to the same man that Nathaniel seeks.  The two form a tenuous alliance to find the man responsible.  But the killer is merely a pawn in a much bigger game of secrets and deception.  Nathaniel holds some secrets of his own as well.

When can we expect volume 2?

As I mentioned earlier, Volume 2 is due out on May 7th 2009.  We are currently running a contest on our website at www.lucienblackbooks.com.  The lucky winner will receive a signed copy of No Vacancies Volume 2.  Check the website for more details.  In Volume 2, High Stakes and Outcast are back with parts 2 and there are two new tales.  One is the first part of a new multi-part series called The Independent Initiative the other is called the Last Cowboy and is a stand alone story.  I steer away from horror in this story, but future volumes I have a few new horror tales planned.

Why did you decide to self publish?

Self publishing was a route I could take and stay in control of my work.  I see this as a steppping stone to bigger and better things.

Why did you choose Lulu?

Lulu seemed like an obvious choice but I heard a lot of negatives about all of the providers.  When I actually received the final product from Lulu, I was so impressed.  It looked like a truly professional product. So right now, I am sticking with them;

Which distribution method did you use at Lulu?

I used the distributed by Lulu, which included the Amazon.com distribution.  That is their free offering.  I have not yet upgraded to the package that allows the books to be displayed on Barnes and Borders.  Cost isn’t necessarily a factor, I think I am waiting to have the spare time to start my book signings, that has been very slow going.

How long did it take to get listed on Amazon?

This might be my only bone of contention with Lulu.  The process for listing and receiving back sales is quite slow.  It took about 4-6 weeks for the book to appear on Amazon.  Then, I sat in silence waiting for my first sale to register, to date, I have no idea how many copies actually sold on Amazon.  I could care less about the revenue at this point.  I would just like to see my work in the hands of the readers!

How has your experience with Lulu been?

Again, the experience has been great.  Self publishing has its flaws, but overall great products!

Would you suggest Lulu to other writers who want to self publish?

Yes i would, but Lulu is only as good as the work you provide them.  If you want to pay them to actually do the layouts and cover, I am sure the product will be professional, but if you submit the work yourself, you should really know your graphic design, etc.  The product is truly only as good as what you give them.

What have you done to promote your book?

Promotion is the hardest part of self publishing.  We have our own website at www.lucienblackbooks.com.  We have blog and have posted info on other blogs.  We have some link exchanges and I have done a few interviews.  I am really looking at growing my fan base one reader at a time right now.

Where can folks learn more about you and your work?

Check out my website at www.lucienblackbooks.com.  The books are available on Lulu and Amazon.com.

So, I just have to know, were you born in Belgium, or are you just living there?

Yes, I was born in Belgium. I’m not even a native speaker, but don’t tell anyone J

What else do you want people to know about yourself?

I’m passionate about horror movies, cats and good food. And when I say passionate, I really mean it. I get deliriously happy from watching a good horror film or kissing my cat or eating extremely spicy food (or preferably everything together). I’m 33 years old, but I still see the world as a little girl and most of my friends are way younger than I am. Have I mentioned my cat yet?

Now tell me a little bit about your book.

It may surprise you, but my work is rather dark. Don’t count on things to end well, because they won’t. I think my major quality as a writer is the ability to create a creepy atmosphere and tension. Horror movies are my main influence and people compare Drowned Sorrow to films such as The Wicker Man, Dark Water and Dead and Buried. It’s the story of a mother and her teenage daughter who get lured into a dangerous sect. It’s set in a small New England town and there’s a supernatural twist to the story.

Where can folks learn more about you or buy your books?

The easiest way to buy Drowned Sorrow is to go online. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, … carry my book and some of them give great discounts. You may also find Drowned Sorrow at your local bookstore and if they don’t have it, don’t hesitate to order it from them. If you prefer e-books, you may want to go to my publisher’s site http://www.llumina.com/store/drownedsorrowEB.htm. To learn more about me and my work, go to http://www.drowned-sorrow.com. There’s also a section with real ghost stories and a horror movie quiz with film clips.

Why did you decide to self publish?

Self-publishing was my first option. Unlike many other authors I never tried sending my work out to publishers. There were several reasons for this. First of all, I live in Belgium, a tiny country in Europe. Many Americans have never even heard of it. First-time American authors have a hard time getting accepted by major publishing houses, so it would probably have been even more difficult coming from another country. Getting a contract with a ‘real’ publisher isn’t that important for me either. Sending out manuscripts would have cost me a lot of money and time and I preferred to use those resources to do everything myself. Second, many authors complain about the service they’re getting from small publishers, the main problem being that most books aren’t returnable which means that bookstores won’t carry them.

What self publishing house did you use?

I used Llumina Press and up until now I’m very happy with their service. One of the good things about Llumina is that they offer a lot of marketing options: bookstore and book fair representation, returnability, posters, flyers, business cards, press releases, advertising, you name it. They also edit the book. Books full of typos and errors won’t make it to their catalogue. That said, I wanted to use another publisher first, Diggory Press. In the beginning they seem professional, but it’s a real scam. Don’t even consider using them.

Who did the cover and the interior layout for your book?

Llumina Press was responsible for the interior layout. I used a professional graphic designer for the cover of the book and I believe it’s worth the money. If the cover doesn’t look good, readers won’t pick up your book. I know I won’t. They always say that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I think that is so untrue.

Would you recommend your publisher to others?

What do you think?

How long of a process was it to set things up with Llumina?

About four months. That’s rather long, especially because the cover was already done before I contacted them. But at least it’s a serious company, so it’s worth it. And four months is a minimum to prepare your marketing. There’s so much competition, that you can never do enough of it.

What have you done to promote your books?

I’m on several networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Shelfari, Alive Not Dead and a few Ning-sites (don’t hesitate to send me a friend request or to become a fan). Thanks to those sites I got a lot of invitations for interviews and reviews, but I also contact webmasters and magazine publishers myself to ask if they’re interested in a review or an interview. I also run Google ads and paid placements on AuthorsDen. Drowned Sorrow has its own website too. It features real ghost stories and a horror movie quiz with film clips. To promote the site, I use link exchanges and I put links on all the websites mentioned above. I was very lucky to have a talented movie director make a fantastic book trailer for Drowned Sorrow; it’s on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ild3ZunVlz8. (Embedded Below) Unfortunately, I haven’t done much to promote the trailer; that’s something I should definitely work on. The sky’s the limit, so we’ll see where new marketing ideas will bring me.

What successes have you seen?

Drowned Sorrow is only out since a month, so it’s a bit early to talk about successes. Still, generally they say a self-published book is successful if it sells several hundred copies, so that means I’m already a best-selling author. Nice, huh?

What advice do you have for other authors?

Never give up on your dream. You have to make it happen. It may not be a smooth ride to the top, but it’s still a ride and if you return home because of some problems, you’ll never arrive at your destination. Prepare yourself as much as possible by learning everything you can about writing and marketing, but even more important, just write and get published. If you wait until the time is just right or your book is perfect, it’ll probably never happen.

Is there anything that I should have asked you?

You should have asked me about my cat.

Ok, I’ll bite. What about your cat?

Avalon is a 7-year-old Turkish Van cat, named after the Mamoru Oshii movie. He’s twice the size of a regular cat and he’s never more than an inch away from me. He’s the inspiration for my next novel, a story about a haunted village with more cats than one can handle. Other interesting facts: he loves peas and corn, he roars like a lion after using his litter box, and he’s afraid of my guinea pig.

Thanks for your time, Vanessa, and good luck with your book.

You learn more about Vanessa by visiting http://www.drowned-sorrow.com

So, without further ado, here’s my interview with Joe Perrone Jr.

Ok, so tell me a little about yourself. Why did you decide to self publish?

After trying to find an agent for over two years, and coming very close twice, I decided that enough was enough. I’m nearly 64 years old, and felt it was now or never.

What is your newest book?

I published two novels this past winter. Escaping Innocence, which is a coming-of-age story set in the ’60s, and As the Twig is Bent, which is a mystery thriller set in New York City.

How long have your books been in print?

I published As the Twig is Bent with Lulu in September of 2008, I believe, and Escaping Innocence in October. Then, during December, I re-published them both with CreateSpace. I still maintain a storefront with Lulu, because they publish my books in hardcover.

How did you like the setup process with Lulu?

Considering that I didn’t know the first thing about self publishing, I would say it was very user friendly. The nice thing was that I could learn by experimenting; I think I did something like 17 revisions on As the Twig is Bent.

And with CreateSpace?

It’s hard to say, because I had gained so much knowledge from working with Lulu. One thing that CreateSpace prompted me to learn was how to make PDF files. I found several sites on the web where I could convert my files to PDF files. I will say that making a cover is a heck of a lot easier with Lulu.

Which of those two POD publishers do you like better?

I would have to say CreateSpace, so far, primarily because the cost to produce a book is so very much less than Lulu that I can offer my titles at a very competitive price, and that just might make the difference between someone buying it or not–especially since I am a relative unknown commodity. Another good thing about CreateSpace is that the books get up and running on Amazon in an amazingly fast time.

What have you done to promote your books?

I originally did some paid (and unpaid) press releases with PR.com, but truthfully I don’t really think they had much impact. I contacted my local library, and arranged for a book signing, and also did another book signing at a local community center. I did a mass emailing to all my friends and relatives. Recently, I submitted my two books to a prominent newspaper in Asheville, NC, about 25 miles from my home. I haven’t heard anything yet, but if they decide to review them I will probably sign on for a 13-week ad campaign. Also, since my book signing program went so well at my local branch, I have been invited to do another one at the main branch. I also placed some books on consignment in a shop on our town’s main street, and have already sold some copies there. I also am running sponsored search ads with Yahoo. It’s very tricky, and requires a lot of trial and error, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of it.

What do you do when you set up a book signing?

I made a three-sided sign using foam board, with images of the books and one of me, along with reviews, etc. I also custom-design bookmarks for each event. They have my contact information on them and are very popular. As far as the book signing itself, I have a very interesting program that I present. First of all, I speak about the process of creating a novel, including showing all the original hand-written notebooks and subsequent computer-generated drafts. People seem to be really impressed with all the work that goes into a book. Then, I take questions from the audience, and finally I read brief excerpts and sign books.

Have you had much success with those?

I believe so. Since I am not in a major market, it’s hard to know exactly, but I sold 15 books to a crowd of about 25 people at my first signing. I believe the next one will be much better, because it’s the main branch, and many more people should attend–I hope!

What advice do you have for other authors?

Don’t give up your dream. Don’t be discouraged by rejections from agents or publishers. But, remember that the ‘squeaky wheel gets the grease,’ so make a lot of noise. It’s very hard work promoting the books, but I think it’s worth it.

Is there anything else I should have asked you?

Well, you didn’t ask if I’m currently working on a new book. The answer is: Yes! I recently began work on a new literary novel, entitled Changes. It’s about a man struck by lightning. I expect to publish it in early 2010. Last but not least, I will be appearing at a Book Fair at the Blue Ridge Community College in East Flat Rock, NC, on May 8 & 9.

Where can folks learn more about you or buy your books?

I have a website on AuthorsDen.com, and folks can also find me on MySpace.com, and Facebook.com. Also, if one goes to Amazon.com, and searches ‘books, Joe Perrone Jr.’ one will see all of my books there. Lastly, if they go to: http://stores.lulu.com/catsklgd1 they will see all my titles, and there are links there to my CreateSpace E-stores. And, if anyone wants to contact me, please do at: catsklgd1″AT”yahoo.com.

Thanks for your time!

Thanks you for interviewing me. It’s been a pleasure.

Thanks again for agreeing to an interview. Tell us a little about yourself and why you write.

My name is Rhiannon Frater and I am an Independent Author based in Austin, Texas. I have written for a couple of magazines that covered the entertainment scene in Central Texas. I am presently concentrating on writing stories with horror themes that take place in Texas. But I do have a very Gothic old world vampire novel coming down the pike in the near future.

I write because I don’t have a choice. I have stories floating around in my head and the compulsion to write. I enjoy it tremendously. And I enjoy sharing stories with readers, so it all works out.

You’ve got a book in print right now “As the World Dies: the First Days.” Tells us, if you would, a little about it and how it came about.

As The World Dies: The First Days it the first book of a zombie trilogy that I accidentally wrote. What do I mean by that? Well, I was heavily influenced by a dream a friend had and one day at work, I had an inspired moment where I saw a woman standing on the doorstep of her home, staring at tiny fingers pressed under the front door reaching toward her. I quickly jotted down a short story named “Tiny Fingers’ during my break and posted it on a zombie fiction forum. I ended up getting some very good feedback and people wanted to know when the next part was going to be posted. Suddenly, I knew there was much more to the story. It took two years to write and post online. The fan response was quite intense. The fans encouragement is what inspired me to pull down the story, rewrite/revise/edit it and create the trilogy.

Do you read any zombie apocalypse literature besides your own? If so, what do you like?

I’m a huge fan of George Romero. I have read his scripts for Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead (the unfilmed version) and his script for Resident Evil (which was awesome) that was not filmed. I’m also a huge fan of “I am Legend.” I think that novel was amazing. The closest anyone has come to making a faithful adaptation to film was The Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price.

When I started writing the zombie story, I had been reading a lot of zombie genre fiction online, but found most of it empty. Characters and situations just didn’t ring true to me. Then I realized I wanted to have a fresh voice in the genre and I should write what I felt worked. I ended up swearing off all zombie novels/stories until I’m done. So the moment I finish the As The World Dies Trilogy, I will be buying a slew of zombie novels!

I know what you mean. I bought a softcover copy of I Am Legend about 4 months before I finished writing Oasis. It just had to sit on my desk until I was done writing. Anyway, you’ve recently posted a preview to your new book “Pretty When She Dies“. What can you tell us about it?

Pretty When She Dies was based on a dream I had that was so vivid and intense I almost believed it was true. That dream is the first three chapters of the novel. I was so intrigued by the nightmare, I wanted to know what else happened. So I wrote the rest of the novel.

I believe this vampire story is a departure from a lot of what is out there right now. I feel vampires have been taken over by the paranormal romance genre. There are some very good books in that genre, but there are a lot that are really pretty bad. At this point, there are so many books that are carbon copies of each other, it’s disheartening. The paranormal (or horror) aspect of the novels is often lost. I’m also very disgruntled with the constant triangles (hot female heroine, sexy vampire, sexy werewolf).

Pretty When She Dies is about a woman who isn’t a super vixen. She really doesn’t have her life together. She tends to drift through life and run from difficult situations. When she wakes up a vampire, she finally starts evolving and trying to figure out exactly what her place in the world really is.

There are vampires, necromancers, zombies and vampire hunters in this tale and it takes place in modern times in Texas. It’s horrific, sexy, scary, funny, and suspenseful.

Any news on book two of the “As the world Dies” series?

Book two, As The World Dies: Fighting to Survive, needed some intense retooling and I’m almost done. I hope to have it with the proofreaders very soon. Book three is going to have to wait until early next year for its rewrite. I need a little time to play in other worlds before heading back into the zombie one.

Let’s finish up by talking about self publishing. Before you self published, did you try to get you book into a “traditional publisher”?

I did fire off a million submissions in my early twenties. I’m glad nothing ever came of them. I don’t think my writing voice was defined at that time. Also, I had no idea what the publishing world was about and probably would have signed any contract put in front of me.

I started submitting again last year, but this time I took the time to do a lot of research on the publishing world. The more I learned, the more despair I felt. The lack of creative control, how royalties work (or don’t work), the gatekeepers of the submission process (agents), and how the whole system is set up as a whole, was very distressing.

There is one publishing house, Permuted Press, that specializes in zombies that has a good reputation. I was going to try to submit As The World Dies to them, but its submissions were closed. I basically gave up at that point and was very depressed.

What made you decide to self publish?

My husband was upset that the rejections from publishers and agents were based on a short query letter I was submitting and that no one was actually reading my writing. He knew I had a fan base waiting for the books, but I was stuck. He began looking into independent publishing behind my back. He is a huge proponent of the new media and once he had a good idea of what we needed to do, he approached me. I was very resistant at first, but as he talked to me about publish on demand services, creative control, and the ability to get my work out to readers, I realized he was onto something.

We spent a few more months studying up on independent publishing and getting feedback from people I’m close to. We put together our plan and went for it. It was a lot of fun getting the artwork from our friend Detra and working with our proof readers and editors. Learning how to layout the book and the cover was annoying, but I think we did pretty good for our first time out.

How have you liked working with createspace.com?

It has its pros and cons. Setting up the novel was pretty easy. I like their member dashboard and how it tracks the steps toward publication. I also like how they keep track of sales. The royalties are really good through Createspace and the books are automatically listed on Amazon.com. Search Inside and the author’s blog are easy to acquire as well if you’re signed with Creatspace since it is an Amazon.com company.

I wish the company had a phone number for customer service. At this time, everything is handled through email. That can become annoying.

Who did the cover for your first book and your upcoming release? Were you involved in the design?

Detra did the cover for As The World Dies: The First Days. He is an amazing artist. He is originally from San Antonio and he moved out to California. He’s a great person and artist. I told him what I wanted. He interpreted my desires into a cover that I think is just fabulous. He perfectly brought the two main leads of the story to life on the cover.

Rose Munoz did the cover for Pretty When She Dies. I saw the photograph on her Excentric Vision Photography myspace page and rang her up to inquire about it. She immediately said yes to us using it for the cover. I really love her work and hope to work with her in the future on the next book in the Pretty When She… series.

What have you done to promote your work? What results have you seen?

I have a built in fan base because of the time when the story was online. I know a lot of them are supporting this endeavor. I have a writer’s blog that gets quite a few hits on a dailty basis. I’m a friend of Permuted Press and I have a subforum on there. I have done one online magazine interview with TREI Magazine and one blogtalkradio interview with The Odd Mind Magazine. I really enjoy doing interviews, honestly!

I will also be attending conventions as well. The first one is Fear Fest 3 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Without a doubt, word of mouth has definitely driven sales. I would say this is the major force behind my success. People love the book and pass on the word.

I have to give a huge shout out to Dr. Pus’ Library of the Living Dead podcast. For the last few episodes, the first chapter has been presented in segments complete with sound effects, voice actors, and music. Dr. Pus has been a firm supporter of the book and he’s been amazing.

What’s next for you?

Pretty When She Dies will be out in November. We’re trying to get As The World Dies: Fighting to Survive to the proofreaders and the artwork commissioned. I hope to be working on a brand new novel during the month of November just to give me a fresh world to play in. The zombie nightmares are getting annoying.

Is there anything else that I really should have asked you?

Yes.

1. Is it worth it being an Indie Author? Yes, it is. It’s very liberating, a lot of hard work, a ton of fun, and something I’m enjoying. If someone is willing to find proof readers, editors, artists, and do a heck of a lot of work themselves, then I would say to go for it. I have loved working with my husband on the books and it feels so good to present the books the way I feel best represents my work.

2. Have I had any offers from publishers for my novels? Yes. I just turned down an offer for the trilogy. It was awesome and flattering to get the offer and I respect the publisher a lot, but I don’t feel I’m ready yet to give up my status as an Indie Author at this time. My husband and I made a game plan when we started this and we want to play it out and see how it goes.

3. Would I ever consider signing with a publishing house? Yes. Absolutely. I will weigh each offer and consider how they compare to my success as an Indie Author. If they will help me in my personal writing goals, I would definitely ponder signing on the dotted line. But, at this time, I’m happy with my status as an Indie Author.

Just one last question. What’s your plan of action for when the zombie apocalypse finally hits?

I’m in Texas. We got guns. Lots of guns. I think we’ll be fine.

Unless they’re running zombies, then we’re all screwed!

Thanks again for your time Rhiannon. Everybody make sure to check her out on the web.

http://rhiannonfrater.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/gothgoddessrhia

Rhiannon and a fan.