Welcome to Day 8 of the Twelve Days of Creepfest!(Information about the giveaway of five downloads of Monsters Unmasked - and one download of Make or Break), along with the Question of the Day, can be found at the bottom of this post. And find links to all the fantastic Creepfest authors HERE!)
The Internet is a fascinating and mind-boggling place. In my years of cyber-life, I've encountered people I like, people I detest, people I tolerate, and some who amuse me. But meeting Annetta Ribken was a fortuitous and monumental occurrence which might never be matched. She's been a motivation, mentor, editor, partner in snark, and one of the most steadfast and amazing friends I've ever had. I'm pleased to have an opportunity to introduce her to you.
And to all you indie authors out there, if you need a freelance editor, story doctor, and task mistress, you're out of your ever-lovin' mind if you don't consider hiring Annetta. We did three intensive rounds of edits on Make or Break, and though I kicked and screamed every step of the way, the result was a story vastly improved from the manuscript she received.
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You’re a woman who wears many hats, and somehow wears them all well. You write non-fiction, flash fiction, blogs, and novels. You are also a busy editor and story doctor. I would have a meltdown at the thought of dealing with even a quarter of that, so I have to ask… how the hell do you manage? How do you fit it all into your schedule?
Well, this is what I do for a living. My time, in other words, doesn't have to compete with an outside job. This is it. This is what I do. Furthermore, all my children are grown and on their own, so I don't have to ride herd on little kidlets. All my time is focused on my work.
The only things that really save me are lists and calendars. I have a planner, several wall calendars, and tons of lists. Plus, I'm a workaholic. I absolutely love what I do, and feel pretty damned blessed to be able to do this for a living because it's something I've worked toward for years and I never, ever take it for granted.
Athena’s Promise is your first full-length novel. How does seeing it in print compare to your flash fiction collection, Not Nice and Other Understatements, in terms of satisfaction?
The two are very different projects. Not Nice was written over a period of many years, and I published it for no one else but me. It was an experiment of sorts; self-publishing was just starting to blow up and I knew a collection of flash fiction was a hard sell for publishers. Not Nice was actually more a purging of the past so I could move on to the future, and I have been very gratified at its reception.
Athena's Promise is another kettle of fish. This is the genre in which I want to make my mark. To write a novel, when prior to this I focused on flash fiction, and to see it in print, was really a dream come true.
The heroine in Athena’s Promise is a fascinating woman named Pallas. How did she introduce herself to you? What do you like most (and least) about her?
Pallas is the result of a flash fiction piece I wrote in response to a writer's prompt. If I remember correctly, the prompt was "The past can hold on to you like industrial clamps." A portion of this is actually in one of the chapters. I wrote the piece and put it away, and one day, when cleaning out the Trunk, I happened upon it. Pallas started yapping at me immediately and would not shut up. I saw a way to incorporate a project I'd been thinking about for a few years, and off I went.
I like Pallas's strength. She can be afraid, she can be pissed off, but she forges ahead anyway. She's loyal, smart, and snarky. What I don't like is the way she puts everyone in front of herself. She's hiding behind that, even with the purest of motives, and it is aggravating. Although Pallas comes across as a really strong woman in many ways, she's struggling with an erosion of self-esteem which makes her vulnerable in ways she doesn't realize.
Twelve Days of Creepfest is a showcase for independent (“indie”) authors. Why did you choose to self-publish? Would you ever consider the traditional route through a publishing house?
I never rule out anything. If the right deal came along, sure, I'd take it. I don't see this industry as an all or nothing proposition – either/or. But it would really have to be the right deal. I don't think I'd take anything right now – probably not for a couple of years, until the industry settles down a bit. A smart writer keeps all their options open, and for the first time in like, EVER, we finally HAVE options.
I had a very positive experience self-publishing Not Nice, which otherwise most likely would have never seen the light of day. When the time came, it just seemed like the right decision to self-publish AP. The legacy publishing business is in such flux, and I really like the idea of having control over my own work and my own career. I think every writer should self-publish something, if only to give them an idea of what goes in to putting a quality product on the market, whether they go with a legacy deal or not. Knowledge is power.
Self-publication gives authors great power, but with great power comes great responsibility. What do you see as the responsibilities of an independent author?
First, to put a quality product on the market. That means investing in your work such as professional covers, editing, formatting, the whole nine yards. If you're going to do it, commit to it and go into it 100%. Second, I think one of the responsibilities of an independent author is to support their fellow indies, as much as time allows. You're not going to make it on your own. That's the hard truth. If you can help someone else, do it. Third, educate yourself on the industry and pay attention. Things are changing so fast, if you don't keep up, you're going to hurt yourself.
Though I know you tend to try, nobody can write 24/7. What are your main hobbies or interests when you’re not slaving away over the keyboard?
I'm such a workaholic it's difficult to drag me away from the keyboard, to be honest. But I have been trying lately to find more of a balance. I love to quilt, cross stitch and do yarn work. Especially quilting. And, I stalk Nathan Fillion. Because, you know…he's Nathan Fillion.
You are a devout Stephen King fan, but do you read a lot of horror aside from his work? What is the scariest thing you’ve ever read?
In the course of my job, I read a lot of independent horror. But Stephen King holds the award for the scariest story ever – Pet Sematary. It is the one book of his I have never re-read. 'Salem's Lot is a close second, because it just seemed so real, like it could really happen. The scene with Danny Glick hanging outside of Mark Petrie's window STILL freaks me out. When I'm reading a particularly scary story and it gets to be too much, I put it in the freezer to cool off. (Seriously. In the freezer. Right next to the frozen peas and French fries.)
As a reader, what will make you put a book down without finishing it?
I have to connect with the main character. Without a connection, there's no reason for me to read. I have to care what happens to him/her. Illogical plot lines will cause me to stop, and if the story is weak, egregious errors in grammar and sentence structure will cause a seizure. One of my favorite English teachers told me once that if a book doesn't grab me within fifty pages, it's probably best to put the book down. Sometimes that's true, but sometimes it isn't. A book will really have to suck pretty bad for me to stop reading, although I will say as I have gotten older my tolerance for crap has decreased dramatically.
In keeping with the Creepfest theme, have you ever had a truly eerie “paranormal” experience, like meeting a ghost or feeling contact from beyond? If so, how did it make you feel?
When I was about twelve years old, a next door neighbor wanted to have a séance to contact her dead mother. Four of us gathered in my bathroom, shut the door and turned out the lights. We put a candle on the toilet seat, held hands, and tried to conjure the mother's spirit. Next thing I know, one of the girls is screaming she saw a skull in the smoke from the candle. It scared the living daylights out of me and we all ran screeching from the bathroom. I never felt comfortable in that bathroom again. Ghosts freak me out, because what the hell do they want? It can't be good.
What’s cooking in that great big brain of yours? What can we expect to see from you in the new year?
I want to finish Athena's Chains for a release in the spring of 2012, then on to the conclusion in Athena's Release in the fall. I also want to work on a trilogy of short stories based on the Tarot. Now, if there were only eight more hours in the day…
Editorial Comment: Notice I did not ask you about spiders. You’re welcome.
OH MY GOD NOT THE SPIDERS!
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About Athena's Promise:
"No matter what it takes."
As the front desk manager of a hotel on the edge of Zombietown, Pallas is used to dealing with angry centaurs, surly trolls, and zombie housekeepers. The trouble really starts when one of her guests ends up dead. But that's not her only problem.
A cop with an attitude – can he be trusted to be more than just a pain in her ass or does he have a more sinister agenda?
A new Guest Services Manager, out for her job and ready to sacrifice anyone in his way – what does he really want?
The attractive maintenance guy, endangering the promise she made out of necessity to the Goddess Athena – does he know more than he's telling?
A mermaid diva, whose show at the Sparkling Butterfly must go on – or else.
Pallas needs to find the killer, and fast, or she'll lose her job, her home, and the ragtag family she's adopted out of her crew of "critters".
In the course of the investigation Pallas uncovers connections to a nasty Oddities dealer deep in the heart of Zombietown, forcing her to expose a trauma from her past which could threaten her future. With everyone and everything she loves in danger, the promise made to the Goddess Athena may well damn her if she breaks it, but she is bound and determined to save her friends, her home, and everything she's built.
No matter what it takes.
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About Annetta:
Annetta has been writing since words were carved on stone tablets with chisels. Not only does she write her own words, Annetta is also an accomplished editor. She lives just outside of St. Louis with her evil feline overlord, a rescued shelter cat named Athena.
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Where to stalk Annetta:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/netta50
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/Annetta.Ribken
Blog: http://wordwebbing.com/
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3414795.Annetta_Ribken
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On the evening of December 23, I'll be awarding five free downloads of Monsters Unmasked! You can receive one entry each time you post a comment on one of my Creepfest blogs. You will receive TWO additional entries if you correctly answer my Question of the Day, the answers to which are easily found on my author page. Please be sure to email those answers to me at ripleygold@gmail.com with Question of the Day in the subject line. Do not leave the answers in the comments section.
Additionally, one day (soon!) the QOTD will be about my romantic suspense novel, Make or Break. One lucky question-answerer will receive a free download of that book!
QUESTION OF THE DAY: How did I meet my husband?
MY LINKS:
Official Lori Whitwam Author Page
Follow Me On Twitter
Lovely!
ReplyDeleteYou HAD to bring out the spiders... poor Netta! LOL and interesting idea, putting the scary stuff in the freezer--I'll have to try that next time!
ReplyDeleteThanks for having me, Lori :)
ReplyDeleteI've put scary books in the freezer for years. My kids do it, too. Heh. I don't even remember where it started, but I tried the oven once and there was fire, so the freezer seemed like a better bet. Works for me. :)