I love chatting with fellow authors! Today I'm interviewing Scott Springer, self-proclaimed Law and Order connoisseur and author of the newly-released romantic suspense, Bound by Blood.
1. Tell us a little about yourself and the book you're currently promoting.
About me? I actually do have an answer for that because I took an online test. Turns out I’m an introvert. No surprise there. I’m not the first guy you’d think of when you think Party! But that’s okay because I’d be happier hanging at the house with a good book, a project, or marathon TV episodes. I’m always in for Law and Order, and in case you’re wondering why they always show those things: my daughter has a Nielson Box. You’re welcome. I’d watch it on Netflix, but without commercials I’d never get anything done. Favorite movie: Good Will Hunting. While I’m nowhere near as smart as that guy, I do get that whole outsider thing he has going on. Favorite color: green. It makes me happy.
BOUND BY BLOOD is a great story. Julia and Rick get themselves into so much trouble with drug dealers, and that’s the kind of trouble that can get you killed. They also might be falling in love. I kind of hope so.
2. What is your writing process like? Do you have any particular writing habits or rituals?
One writing habit that I used to have was writing every day for an hour or so, always at the same time. I did this for several years and my time was five to six in the morning. I found that this worked well because I was tired in the evening, but the best part was that my dream state was still active. Also, I think that by committing the same time each day for writing my mind learned to prepare itself beforehand. I had a lot of great productivity with this schedule. I even completed a nanowrmo novel in a month by writing only during this one hour a day. I never actually reread that novel though. The style was too wordy.
3. What part of the publishing process is easiest for you? What part do you find to be the hardest?
The part that is most fun is writing the first draft. This is the most creative time, and the project is fresh and new and full of hope. The rest of the process grows more difficult. Editing is not as much fun as writing fresh, but it is still fun to polish up the story and think about it from a reader’s perspective. I don’t mind sending out queries, and I can spot a rejection letter from the first sentence, and I don’t even care anymore. But apparently the hardest part is getting accepted. Now there’s a contract to read, and then lots of editing, and lots of reading and rereading the manuscript. I am blessed my novel is category romance length. I can’t imagine having written a four hundred page novel. Ouch. But again, while a lot of work, it is still fun. The absolute hardest part for me is the self-promotion. Like a lot of writers, I’m quiet and don’t really like talking about myself that much. I’m more used to listening than being the center of attention.
4. What did you learn while writing your most recent book?
I learned a lot by working with the editors. It was like your book is great, but . . . let’s make it better. I learned to make rewrites quickly. And I learned to not start sentences with conjunctions (or did I?) For having gone through the process I have learned to write better, and that’s pretty awesome.
5. What literary character do you identify with most, and why?
I got to say Tom Joad from Grapes of Wrath. The main thing about him is he was a stand-up guy that put family first, and he had that good ‘ol ingenuity. On their way out to California their truck broke down and they replaced a main bearing on the side of the road, having caught the old oil in a bucket so they could reuse it. That’s what I’m talking about. I have lived in California most of all my life, and the theme of farm owner versus farm laborer, especially later with Cesar Chavez, has always been part of life’s fabric out here. Of course, Tom was also a killer, but not every analogy is perfect.
Check out Scott's latest release, Bound by Blood!
Julia
has accepted the Lord and is busy returning her life to order. She is not ready
for love, especially when the new site foreman at work stirs up forgotten
feelings. She knows a playboy when she sees one, but to Rick Mercado the
attraction between them is surprisingly real. Other girls no longer interest
him, and if she wants to play hard to get that's fine with him. Let the games
begin!
What
he doesn't realize is that her dangerous secret is not a game.
Julia's
brother has returned from the street, strung out and in trouble with rival
gangs. Loyalty to her brother draws Julia deeper into a world of drug deals and
thugs. Rick doesn't understand why Julia won't simply go to the cops,
especially once the bullets start flying. As Julia slips further into a world
of violence, Rick realizes how easily his heart can be broken. His brain says
to run, but his heart isn't listening. It may already be too late.
Book Links:
Buy Links:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/476345
Book
Trailer:
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Author Bio:
Scott Springer spent his
youth playing pretend and dreaming of being a writer. As an adult he worked as
a carpenter before becoming a software developer. Having produced much, his two
children remain his proudest accomplishment. His wife led him to the Lord, and
he’s glad that she did.
