Hi everyone! I'm so pleased to introduce you to Indie author Margery Scott as my guest blogger!
Here is a little background on Margery Scott straight from the author:
"For me, writing in only one genre is like eating only one kind of candy. Boring. A late bloomer, I didn't start writing until I found herself with an empty nest, some free time, and an old standard typewriter my father found somewhere I'd rather not think about. I still have the empty nest (except for my husband) although now it's on a lake far away from the city, the typewriter has been replaced by a computer, and free time is a thing of the past. I write all across the genre board as the muse and the mood hit me, but these days I tend to stick to either historical romance or romantic suspense. When I'm not writing or traveling in search of the perfect setting for my next novel, you can usually find me wielding a pair of knitting needles or a pool cue.
I love to hear from my readers. Contact me through my website at http://www.margeryscott.com/ or directly at margery@margeryscott.com.
You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter."
Thank you so much for being here today Margery! Readers, Margery is offering a free copy of one of her books to someone who comments on the blog today. So don't be shy! We want to hear from you.
I asked Margery a few questions and here is what she had to say...
Lisa: Tell us how you got started writing.
Margery: I wish I could say I'm one of those writers who can't not write, whose brain is filled with ideas, plot points and dialogue, and who knew she'd be a writer almost as soon as she could hold a pencil. Not so. I didn't realize what I wanted to be when I grew up until I was in my forties, which only goes to show it's never too late to go after your dreams.
As a kid, I lived on television - westerns and cop shows. In high school, I detested English literature and history. So, doesn't it make perfect sense that I'd write historical romances and romantic suspense?
Lisa: You write in many different genres. Don't you find it difficult to switch time periods and voices?
Margery: I'd find it much more difficult to only write in one genre. I get bored easily, both in my life and in my writing. I thrive on change. I'm interested in so many historical periods and settings that restricting myself to one setting would really stifle my creativity. I trust my muse, and tend to write whatever genre she's in the mood for .
The first two books I self-published, EMMA'S WISH and WILD WYOMING WIND, are western historical romances. The third, WINTERLUDE, is a contemporary romance set in a Vermont ski lodge. My latest book, DEVIL'S HARVEST, is a romantic suspense with a medical theme. For now, I'll be sticking with romantic suspense, but I do have an idea for a time travel to medieval Scotland niggling at my brain.
Lisa: What inspired you to write Devil's Harvest?
Margery: Beginner writers are often told to "write what you know." Even though I'd been writing for quite some time, it's still much easier write an occupation or a setting you're intimately familiar with. For me, it's hospitals and medicine. All my adult life, I've worked around medical students, interns and residents. I'm well aware of the stress, the fatigue, the pressure to be the best. Taryn is such a resident, dedicated and driven to be the best she can be, no matter what. I can't really say more than that without giving the plot away
Lisa: What was your favorite part about writing Devil's Harvest?
Margery: I loved watching the relationship betweenTaryn and Luke change and grow. Opposites attract, remember? Taryn is a woman who believes only in facts, while Luke trusts his gut instincts. When she meets Luke, he challenges her firmly-held beliefs and through him, she learns to trust again, to believe in something other than an ECG tracing or a laboratory result.
Lisa: Did you identify with any of the characters on a personal level? Or are they completely fictitious?
Margery: In a sense, I can relate to Taryn's drive to be the best. I've been told once or twice that I need to deal with my perfectionist issues
Lisa: What is your next project?
Margery: My next book is a entitled OUT OF TIME, and should be available within the next couple of months. The blurb reads: A sympathy card. A mutilated rag doll. Cryptic messages on an answering machine. Amanda Beckett has no idea why someone is terrorizing her and her daughter, and she has no choice but to ask for help from her ex-husband, Josh, a detective in the Boston police department. As the threats increase, they find themselves running OUT OF TIME to save their daughter's life - and their marriage.
Lisa: Can you tell us a little about your writing process? Do you plot out your stories or fly by the seat of your pants as you write?
Margery: I think of myself as a plotser. The anal-retentive side of me loves charts, graphs, lists. So I start there. I like to write a fairly detailed outline so I don't feel as if I don't know where I'm going. I need to know I have a safety net if I get lost, but if the story is going well, somewhere in the process the outline is forgotten and my muse takes over, often leading me in the opposite direction of where I planned to go.
Lisa: What's a typical writing day for you?
Margery: I could say I'm super-disciplined and treat writing like a day job, but I'd be lying. I am an early riser so I do get a head start on email and posting on Facebook and Twitter. I try to write until about 9 am, then have breakfast with hubby, then head back to the computer for a couple of hours. The rest of the day is filled with errands and home repair (we're gutting and renovating a house on a lake). I have discovered sprinting with friends, and it is an amazing tool. We meet in a chat room, write in 20-minute segments, chat/brainstorm for 10 minutes. Repeat.
Lisa: How has your experience with self-publishing been?
Margery: I'll be completely honest. I'm not getting rich but I love having complete control over my stories, from the cover design to the type font to whether or not I add an excerpt from another book as a teaser. And the best part is that readers are finding - and hopefully, enjoying - my stories.
Lisa: Do you take ideas from real life to write your stories?
Margery: All my ideas come from real life in some form or another, whether it's a newspaper clipping, something on Discovery Channel, or even a snippet of conversation I overhear in the supermarket. Ideas are everywhere. The hard part is learning to pay attention. I still struggle with that.
Lisa: Do you have any advice for writers who are just starting out?
Margery: Write. Find a critique group, not your mother or your sister who will stroke your ego. Find people you trust to tell you the truth. Write more. Enter contests. Write more. Submit.
Lisa: Do you have any advice for authors who are interested in taking the plunge into self-publishing?
Margery: Write a quality book!!! Publishing a book yourself doesn't mean you can skimp on quality. A fabulous cover is important, so if you can't do it yourself, find the best cover artist you can afford. Make sure the book is well edited and proofread. Nothing will turn off readers faster than a book riddled with grammar/spelling errors. And most of all, enjoy the ride!
Lisa: Thank you so much, Margery! Devil's Harvest sounds like a great book. Where can readers get it?
Margery: Devil's Harvest can be found at Amazon, Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks
*****Congratulations to Chris Andersen who one a copy of a Margery Scott book. Please contact Margery Scott at margeryscott@gmail.com to claim your prize.
Lisa Mondello
