Tag: Independent Publisher

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I’m Interviewed at Independent Publisher, Along with Evil Wylie!

I’m interviewed today at Independent Publisher magazine, the people who gave me my IPPY gold medal. This is the first interview where I was asked more detailed questions about how autobiographical the psychosomatic disorder aspect of Swallow was, and so I talked a bit about that. It’s funny because when the writer, Nina L. Diamond, was asking me questions about my own experiences with the disorder and how closely they paralleled Sophie’s experiences with it, I really had to think back. I think when you really get into a novel and you start creating your own characters and filling out the details of their lives and creating situations for them that will increase the conflict and the dramatic tension of the novel and will lead to a fuller arc for both the characters and the overall plot, then you really distance yourself from what actually happened. And then, when asked, you have trouble remembering what actually happened! So, I kind of stuttered a bit on that.

Also in the same issue, Diamond interviews the writer known as Evil Wylie (and also Emperor Franzen). Fun to be in the same issue as he!

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SWALLOW IS A GOLD MEDALIST!

In Independent Publisher‘s Living Now Book Awards, in the category of Women’s Fiction. I’m so happy! Happy Earth Day, everyone!

Also, check out the other medalists — in all the categories, but particularly in my own. Stressed in Scottsdale by Marcia Fine and Shaken and Stirred by Crystal Black Davis both look very entertaining as well as enlightening. And Stressed is set in my old neck of the woods!

Independently published and small press-published books face an enormous uphill battle both in the marketplace and in terms of gaining acceptance within the greater publishing industry (despite the fact that a small press novel won this year’s Pulitzer). I’m immensely grateful to publications like Independent Publisher and ForeWord, and Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award (open for the first time this year to self-published books) for their invaluable recognition and support.

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SWALLOW IS A FINALIST IN THE LIVING NOW BOOK AWARDS

My novel has just been named a finalist in the Living Now Book Awards, in the category of Women’s Fiction. This is a new contest (last year was its first year; this is the first year they’ve accepted fiction) run by Independent Publisher, a literary review devoted to indie publishers. These awards recognize “lifestyle” books intended for the North American market that “enhance the quality of our lives” and help us to live better. (Click on the above link to see other finalists in other categories.) Winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 22nd, and awards will be given on May 25th at Book Expo America, held this year here in NYC.

May 25th at BEA is going to be a big day for me: in addition to this award, the winners of ForeWord Magazine‘s Book of the Year Award will be announced as will the finalists in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. It’s going to be my first time attending a book expo and I’m really excited about it! Will def do a lot of live Tweeting from the expo!