Marilyn Meredith, author of the mystery novel, JUDGMENT FIRE, is here with us today at AUTHOR TALKS!Marilyn Meredith is the author of award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest, Judgment Fire, from Mundania Press, Fringe Benefits, the third in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, with Smell of Death soon to follow. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, EPIC and Public Safety Writers of America. She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences. She makes her home in a small foothill community much like Bear Creek where Deputy Tempe Crabtree lives.
You can visit her home on the web at http://fictionforyou.com/ or her blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/!
Welcome to Author Talks, Marilyn! Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I'm the author of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. I'm proud to say that several of the books have won several awards. I've written and published other books, most mysteries, but some horror too.
I'm the mom of five, grandmother of 18, and great-grandmom of 10. Needless to say, family is a huge part of my life. Also, I'm active in my church.
I'm the author of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. I'm proud to say that several of the books have won several awards. I've written and published other books, most mysteries, but some horror too.
I'm the mom of five, grandmother of 18, and great-grandmom of 10. Needless to say, family is a huge part of my life. Also, I'm active in my church.
How long have you been writing?
I've been around for a long, long time, and writing ever since I was old enough to know how. Before I could write, I told stories by drawing pictures. When I was a kid, I wrote stories like those I read and loved, in middle school (they called in junior high back then), I wrote plays for the neighborhood kids to star in and wrote and printed my own magazine which I sold to my friends. I married right out of high school and had children right away so for several years my writing was mostly for the PTA newsletter and plays for my Camp Fire Girls. I did write two books during that time period, which were rejected and I didn't send them out again. (Big error.)
Has it been a bumpy ride to becoming a published author or has it been pretty well smooth sailing? Would you like to tell us how you became published for the first time?
Oh, my has it ever been a bumpy ride to getting published. My first published book was an historical family saga based on my family's genealogy. My sister did the genealogy and gave me a copy. There were so many questions left unanswered, I decided to do some research and write a book that filled in the details. I spent a long time on that book. It was back in the days before computers. Everything had to be typed with no mistakes and when you sent it out and you had to have a second box with postage on it to be returned to you when it was rejected. And in my case it was rejected nearly 30 times before it was finally accepted. (Big change from what I'd previously done.) About every five or so times that it came back to me, I rewrote the entire book which was 500 plus manuscript pages.
My next book was another historical family saga written about the other side of my family. That one was published quicker--however, the publisher turned out to be a crook and finally, I was mailed all the books printed. From their I began writing mysteries as that was mostly what I read.
Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind sharing who he/is is? If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel it’s necessary to have one?
I do not have an agent at this time because I'm published by small independent publishers and an agent wouldn't be helpful. However, I've had about six agents over the years. I learned a lot from each of them though none found a publisher for me. One agent, quite well known, only sent my book out three times in four years. That's when I decided I could do better myself.
Can you please tell us about your book?
Judgment Fire is the latest in my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series. Tempe is a Native American resident deputy of a small mountain community in the Southern Sierra of California. She's married to a Christian pastor. In this particular book, memories Tempe has repressed about her difficult high school years surface after she participates in a starlight ceremony, helping her find the murderer of a battered wife.
Do you plan subsequent books?
Oh yes. The next one is already with the publisher, Mundania Press, and I'm finishing up the one that follows that.
Are you a morning writer or a night writer?
I do best in the morning, but I'll write anytime when the story is flowing. One thing all unpublished writers need to know is no matter who you are published by, you'll have to spend a lot of time on promotion. It takes some planning to balance your writing and promotion--both are so important to your career.
Any final words of wisdom for those of us who would like to be published?
First, learn the rules of writing. These rules can be broken, but you have to know them before you can do that successfully. Second, read the kind of books that you want to write. Third, write, write, write. When you're done, rewrite. Be sure you have a polished book before you start sending it out. Fourth, once you've sent the book off whether to an agent or editor, start on your next book.
Thank you for coming, Marilyn! Good luck to you and happy sales!
Thank you so much for this fun interview. Readers can also visit me at my website: http://fictionforyou.com/
I've been around for a long, long time, and writing ever since I was old enough to know how. Before I could write, I told stories by drawing pictures. When I was a kid, I wrote stories like those I read and loved, in middle school (they called in junior high back then), I wrote plays for the neighborhood kids to star in and wrote and printed my own magazine which I sold to my friends. I married right out of high school and had children right away so for several years my writing was mostly for the PTA newsletter and plays for my Camp Fire Girls. I did write two books during that time period, which were rejected and I didn't send them out again. (Big error.)
Has it been a bumpy ride to becoming a published author or has it been pretty well smooth sailing? Would you like to tell us how you became published for the first time?
Oh, my has it ever been a bumpy ride to getting published. My first published book was an historical family saga based on my family's genealogy. My sister did the genealogy and gave me a copy. There were so many questions left unanswered, I decided to do some research and write a book that filled in the details. I spent a long time on that book. It was back in the days before computers. Everything had to be typed with no mistakes and when you sent it out and you had to have a second box with postage on it to be returned to you when it was rejected. And in my case it was rejected nearly 30 times before it was finally accepted. (Big change from what I'd previously done.) About every five or so times that it came back to me, I rewrote the entire book which was 500 plus manuscript pages.
My next book was another historical family saga written about the other side of my family. That one was published quicker--however, the publisher turned out to be a crook and finally, I was mailed all the books printed. From their I began writing mysteries as that was mostly what I read.
Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind sharing who he/is is? If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel it’s necessary to have one?
I do not have an agent at this time because I'm published by small independent publishers and an agent wouldn't be helpful. However, I've had about six agents over the years. I learned a lot from each of them though none found a publisher for me. One agent, quite well known, only sent my book out three times in four years. That's when I decided I could do better myself.
Can you please tell us about your book?
Judgment Fire is the latest in my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series. Tempe is a Native American resident deputy of a small mountain community in the Southern Sierra of California. She's married to a Christian pastor. In this particular book, memories Tempe has repressed about her difficult high school years surface after she participates in a starlight ceremony, helping her find the murderer of a battered wife.
Do you plan subsequent books?
Oh yes. The next one is already with the publisher, Mundania Press, and I'm finishing up the one that follows that.
Are you a morning writer or a night writer?
I do best in the morning, but I'll write anytime when the story is flowing. One thing all unpublished writers need to know is no matter who you are published by, you'll have to spend a lot of time on promotion. It takes some planning to balance your writing and promotion--both are so important to your career.
Any final words of wisdom for those of us who would like to be published?
First, learn the rules of writing. These rules can be broken, but you have to know them before you can do that successfully. Second, read the kind of books that you want to write. Third, write, write, write. When you're done, rewrite. Be sure you have a polished book before you start sending it out. Fourth, once you've sent the book off whether to an agent or editor, start on your next book.
Thank you for coming, Marilyn! Good luck to you and happy sales!
Thank you so much for this fun interview. Readers can also visit me at my website: http://fictionforyou.com/
Marilyn Meredith is represented by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours. If you would like to see where else Marilyn will be this month, click here!
Tags: Author Talks, author interviews, online book promotion, free book publicity, author interview, public relations, virtual book tour
Tags: Author Talks, author interviews, online book promotion, free book publicity, author interview, public relations, virtual book tour
