AUTHOR INTERVIEW: C.J. Barry/Samantha Graves Part 2
By Kathleen Bolton | May 25, 2007 |
God, I love this part.
Raven smiled as she peered through her SCUBA mask.
With one hand, she steadied herself in the water while gently prying the gold medallion from lava stone with her knife. She kicked slowly in the tiny phone booth-sized alcove, careful not to stir up any silt or bump her gear against the low rock ceiling. The caving dive light attached to her mask penetrated the inky darkness and gleamed off the golden treasure before her.
Last week we posted Part One of our interview with science fiction/romantic suspense author CJ Barry. Her debut romantic suspense title SIGHT UNSEEN can best be described as part Romancing the Stone, part Psychic Detective, all written with CJ’s trademark smart-ass dialogue and blistering pace. We are pleased to bring you part two of our interview with CJ.
Q: Do you plot extensively, or do you “fly in the mist?
CJ: I plot extensively. Obsessively, actually. Because my plots tend to get complicated on me, I need to be very meticulous with the details. Plus I’m pretty sure my head would explode if I ever tried to “fly in the mist.” *g*
Q: Have you ever plotted something out and then in the writing of the story decide that it’s not working? How flexible are you?
CJ: The story always comes first and being flexible is part of that. Generally what happens is that I plot the whole book beforehand. Then as I write, I stop periodically to re-assess or adjust the plotline. But most changes are minor by that point.
Q: What’s your approach to character building? Do you do a detailed character outline first, or do you let the character evolve as you build the story?
CJ: I do a detailed character outline for all my main characters in the beginning while I’m plotting because everything is so tightly woven together. However, I also learn more about the characters as I write them. Their journey’s tend to be a more intuitive and organic process for me.
Q: Do you find that the romance market today is more open to different stories and plotlines?
CJ: I do, and I think it’s a wonderful revolution for both the readers and the writers. I believe that readers are really looking for something different and exciting. We, as writers, are more than happy to write those kinds of books.
Q: You have an extensive online presence: two websites, a blog, a MySpace podcast, did I miss something? Do you feel it’s important for an author to market themselves using these tools?
CJ: Actually, three websites, two blogs, two MySpaces, a YouTube, and a podcast. I think this stems from the fact that I’ve been a computer professional for 25 years. *g*
[Ed note: Go HERE for links to all of these]
The podcast–Will Write for Wine–is a weekly cast which I do with my good friend, award-winning writer and critique partner, Lani Diane Rich. It’s great fun, and chocked full of great writing information and laughs. It also accounts for one website and a MySpace site on my list. The rest are for CJ Barry and Samantha Graves.
The internet is a wonderful way to meet readers, writers, reviewers and other industry professionals. I don’t really market myself, aside from my newsletter and blogs. But if a reader is searching for information about my books, then I want to make sure they can find it easily. The internet is the first place I look when I need info about anything. So yes, I do feel it’s very important to have a web presence.
Q: What’s the best advice you’d gotten in this business? The worst?
CJ: Best advice: “Never give up, never surrender.”–Tim Allen, GalaxyQuest
Worst advice: “You call this writing?” — me
Q: What are you reading now?
CJ: Um, a travel guide to Mexico. LOL It’s research. I wish I had more time to read, but I’m on deadline so my TBR pile is going to have to wait a bit. However, I’m looking forward to reading Lani Diane Rich’s newest book The Fortune Quilt (out now!), Catherine Spangler’s Touched by Darkness, and a new diet book but we won’t talk about that. *g*
Thanks for having me! Happy reading, everyone.
All of CJ Barry/Samantha Graves titles can be purchased at online retailers and a bricks’n mortar near you.
Kathleen Bolton is co-founder of Writer Unboxed. She writes under a variety of pseudonyms, including Ani Bolton.
She has written two novels as Cassidy Calloway: Confessions of a First Daughter, and Secrets of a First Daughter–both books in a YA series about the misadventures of the U.S. President’s teen-aged daughter, published by HarperCollins, and Tamara Blake, for the novel Slumber.
great interview! thanks for introducing another new, up-and-coming writer to WU
I really enjoyed this interview. Her process for writing is very interesting. Thanks. Helen
Hey great interview! I’m just a little biased because Samantha is actually my big sister, but she’s a terrifically talented lady. I’m a songwriter, so it’s always interesting for me to hear about her creative process, and I can certainly appreciate the work it takes to go from an idea to a finished product. Nice job sis! :)
Nice interview and I have just started reading Sight Unseen.