Tell us a little about yourself.
I have been a writer forever. I’m one of those people who can’t not
write. However, I decided long ago I
wanted to keep writing as the fun and passionate vocation that it is, so I have
always had a day job to pay the bills; allowing me to write whatever, whenever
I want without pressure. Currently I
work for the National Observatory and I’m on a team that is building a large
telescope in the Chilean Andes. I live
in Arizona with my husband and an Airedale terrier, and I’m also a certified
hypnotherapist. Nothing like a little
variety!
That’s an impressive job. I agree that is a variety of credits to your
name. With so much going on, what
inspired you to write? What type of genre
do you write?
I write in multiple genres; whatever story gets stuck in my
head and needs to bleed out through my fingers onto the paper. I’ve got 10 novels and they range from
action/adventure to romance to fantasy to spiritual to satire. I’ve also written one non-fiction, the
biography of my aunt who was an Army nurse and prisoner-of-war during WWII. Like I said; variety. But I found early on that traditional
publishers did not see this sort of versatility as an asset. After my first two books (historical romance)
were published by a NY house, I thought I had an “in” in the business, but when
I switched to a different genre, I was thrown to the back of the line like a
newbie. Luckily, with the huge changes
in the industry and self-publishing, we authors no longer have to grovel at the
feet of the gate-keepers and hope and pray they like our work.
You would think they would look at
versatility as an asset for a writer. I
think it’s great that you didn’t let that setback deter you from what you love
to do.
Now as I understand it, you have a
new book out. Tell us about it.
My new book, Stone’s
Ghost, is a modern ghost story about love and loss and friendship, mistakes
and consequences and redemption.
Sounds intriguing. Tell us about the main character, what makes
them unique and what makes them tick.
Matthew Stone is the main (living) character. He’s a very
successful small business owner with a gorgeous girlfriend and a bright future,
but he has a distinct moody side to him. If you’ve ever heard Trans-Siberian
Orchestra’s version of the Christmas song, What
Child is This, there is a refrain that clearly describes Matt: Holding on, holding off, holding out,
holding in. That’s my guy. When he encounters a female ghost and they
become friends, he finds all his stoic defenses crumbling and he is forced to
re-examine his beliefs, his relationships and the real value of life.
Sounds like a great read. What inspired you to write this book?
I got the idea one evening when I was watching Arizona Highways on TV. They did a story
on the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and how it’s said that some
ghosts came with the bridge when it was brought, stone by stone, from England
and rebuilt over the Colorado River. I actually envisioned the story being more
about the ghost’s disorientation at finding herself in the desert southwest,
but I wasn’t very far into it before Matt’s barely-contained paradoxes became
the main story. I love it when stories insist on writing themselves, even when
it’s not exactly what I had in mind when I started.
That’s happened to me too. I wrote a book with one intention and it took
on a life of its own. I think that’s
when a book really take on a life of its own and becomes more than just a
story.
Now tell us a bit about your other
books. Were they self-published or
traditionally published?
My first five books were traditionally-published, the first
two by the NY house and the next three by small presses. By that time, my first
two books had gone out of print and the rights reverted back to me, so I began
to investigate self-publishing options just to keep them viable. I published
them with my original titles through iUniverse, then discovered Create Space,
Amazon’s self-publishing company, and have used them ever since. Self-publishing
is a lot of work, as all aspects of the process fall to the author or a paid
contractor—editing, formatting, cover design, marketing, etc.—but I find having
total control to be hugely satisfying.
Never again do I have to wonder what the title of my book will be, or
how it will be marketed. Now when I publish a book, it is exactly as I have
imagined it.
I have used both self-publishing
options in the past and agree the self-publishing route is better for the
author to have complete control, but have a serious drawback of having all of
the editing, marketing, etc. fall on them as well.
So tell us about the other books or
blogs have you written?
How much time do you have? I’ve got 2 historical (western)
romances, The Rare Breed and Superstition Gold. These were my first
two books and were originally published by the NY house, albeit under different
titles (Love’s Savage Destiny and Love’s Savage Embrace). I always swore I
would write another one and call it Love’s
Savage Armpit. I’ve got 2
contemporary romances, Remember Me
and Lightning Strikes. My fantasy,
similar to Lord of the Rings, is The Blue Crystal. I’ve got 2
action/adventure novels, The Appaloosa
Connection and Queen’s Gold. I’ve
got a spiritual novel called Goddess Rising,
and a satire on romance novels called The
Pits of Passion, which I never thought anyone would publish. It lampoons
every cliché of the genre in outlandish fashion, so I always warn people this
is not your mother’s romance
novel. The biography of my aunt, Marcia
Gates: Angel of Bataan, was my last before Stone’s Ghost. My blog is at http://mjb-wordlovers.blogspot.com
.
Wow, that’s a lot to have written and
quite impressive. You really do like
variety.
Let’s change pace a little bit. Who is your greatest writing inspiration?
I had an English teacher in high school, Miss Okimoto, who
was the first to encourage and support my writing. My classmates probably hated
me because she would usually read my papers aloud as examples of well-written
work, but she was the first to actually recognize my ability. Beyond that, I
find exceptional authors to be hugely inspiring. If I’m in a funk and having
trouble writing, all I have to do is read John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany or Rita Mae Brown’s Six of One and I am all fired up again. Inspired writing begets
inspired writing.
I couldn’t agree more. There are certain writers or books out there
that give you that spark that reignites the creative fire.
That's all the time we have for today. Tune in tomorrow for part 2 of our interview with Melissa Bowersock. Make sure to pickup your copy of Stone's Ghost; now available on Amazon.com
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FStones-Ghost-A-Novel-Redemption%2Fdp%2F1484918428%2Fref%3Dtmm_pap_title_0&h=YAQF_zo6z
Andrew, thanks a bunch. Great chatting with you!
ReplyDelete