Meg Mims is the featured author for this evening. She is an award winning author and artist, as you’ll see from her interview. Thanks so much Meg for participating in this event! Enjoy the blog everyone!
BIO
Meg Mims is an award-winning author and artist. She writes blended genres – historical, western, adventure, romance, suspense and mystery. Her first book, Double Crossing, won the 2012 Spur Award for Best First Novel from Western Writers of America and was named a Finalist in the Best Books of 2012 from USA Book News for Fiction: Western. The sequel, Double or Nothing, is being released on March 15, 2013.
Meg also wrote two contemporary romance novellas, Santa Paws and The Key to Love. Her short story ‘Seafire‘ is included in the charity anthology Hazard Yet Forward to benefit a fellow writer battling breast cancer. Meg is a staff writer for Lake Effect Living, a West Coast of Michigan tourist on-line magazine, and for RE/MAX Platinum in Brighton. Meg earned an M.A. from Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction program. She is a member of RWA, WWA, Women Writing the West, Western Fictioneers and Sisters in Crime. Born and raised in Michigan, she lives with her husband, a “Make My Day” white Malti-poo and a rescue Lhasa Apso, plus a drooling black cat. Meg’s artistic work is in watercolor, acrylic and pen/ink media.
Title: The DOUBLE SERIES – Double Crossing and Double or Nothing
Author: Meg Mims
Genre: Western Historical Mystery
Website: http://www.megmims.com
Blog: http://www.megmims.com/musings
Social Media connections: Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Goodreads, LinkedIn
Release Date: Double Crossing out, Double or Nothing March 15, 2013
Where to buy: Amazon for Kindle, B&N for Nook, Smashwords
Reviews: Lots of 5 stars on Amazon for Double Crossing!
Other Work: The Key to Love, Santa Paws
Mini Interview:
1 When did you first start writing? Twenty years ago. Yep. With a few breaks here and there.
2 Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be? Oh yeah.
3 What genre do you prefer to work within? Or do you mix it up? I love writing blended genres, but mystery is primarily “my bag of tricks.”
4 Where does your inspiration for these stories (this story) come from?
True Grit, both movies plus Charles Portis’ book – plus Murder on the Orient Express for Double Crossing. Double or Nothing sprang out of that, with inspiration from Rooster Cogburn and a book about dynamite.
5 What has your publishing experience been like? A rollercoaster!!
6 Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? i.e. You listen to music, sit in a certain chair? I have the “Sheldon spot” on my sofa, I do listen to movie soundtracks, plus my “make my day” Malti-poo dog usually lays beside me. The other dog either watches out the window on top of my second sofa, or lays on his UM Go Blue pillow. LOL
7 How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books? The characters usually tell me, oddly enough – and the place names too. I can’t explain it better than that. Your instincts will tell you what’s right. For Double Crossing, the heroine changed names – and personalities – until Lily was “born.” But “Ace” Diamond was always Ace. LOL
8 In your most recent work, who is your favorite character and why? I really like Lily and I’ll be sad when her story ends. She’s courageous yet vulnerable. She realizes when she’s too naive, and yet has a great instinct for trust/danger. And she relies on her faith. Much like I do.
9 Did you learn anything from writing your book? What was it? Trust is important to me, and also faith. I think Double Crossing gave me the chance to show both, and Double or Nothing will show the importance of redemption. I do love to utilize themes in my writing.
10 How did you/do you market your work? I have Facebook pages for each book, plus an author page, I am on Twitter and I blog, plus I have Pinterest boards for my books and characters. I try to promote something each day.
11 Can you describe the feeling you had when you saw your published book for the first time? It’s an AWESOME feeling – seeing your name on that cover, with your title and your story inside!! And it was double the awesomeness when the hardcover large print edition came out for libraries. Now Double Crossing is available as an Audiobook too!
12 Favorite authors? J.R.R. Tolkien, Conan Doyle, Christie, Sayers, and lots of modern mystery authors like Kate Ross, Sharan Newman, Judith Merkle Riley, Will Thomas, Charles Todd, Cleo Coyle, Kate Collins, Janet Evonavich, Victoria Thompson, plus romance authors like LaVyrle Spencer, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Cheryl St. John, Pamela Morsi…. LOL
13 Have you ever suffered from a “writer’s block”? What did you do to get past the “block”? If I’m “stuck,” which is rare, I try to vacuum, take a walk with the dogs, take a shower, watch a DVD or read a book, let the “chewing the cud” take over in my brain. But it happens. I’ve also worked on a different craft like stamping, watercolor, even cleaning my house or office.
14 What piece of advice would you give to a new writer? Hone the craft, learn as much as possible about self-editing and proofreading or hire it out. Revision *IS* writing too. I’ve seen too many first draft products out there, and new authors wonder why sales don’t follow. Put your very best work out there and build your brand, your readership. Sales will follow.
15 Are you working on anything new? If so, can you tell me about it? The sequel to Double Crossing will be out March 15th, titled Double or Nothing – it picks up my heroine’s story and follows her new adventures and mystery, of course, in California.
Tracee Ford 