Monday, August 13, 2012

Interview with Regina Duke


Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book?
Calin’s Cowboy, is a sweet romance and a cozy mystery.

Calin Holliday’s life is finally almost normal. Memories of the high school accident and family tragedy that turned her world upside down have been conveniently hidden away in her subconscious. But when her beloved Chinese crested hits the wrong key on the computer, she is forced to face the past whether she likes it or not. And thanks to her Facebook blooper, she needs a cowboy fiance for the weekend!

Derek Longley grew up on a ranch, but yearned for the Hollywood life. Too bad he got more than he bargained for. As a result of a decision made in crisis mode, he is forced to work for a shady investigator on a special assignment. His future and his reputation are on the line, but he couldn’t leave that poor injured dog on the side of the road. He steps into Dr. Kay’s Veterinary Hospital to save the dog’s life and ends up using his acting skills to play Calin’s fake cowboy for her class reunion. Little does he know that fate has some surprises in store for both of them. And so does Cupid.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?
Oh, yes. I’ve been writing since my teen years, but the first four novels were beginner efforts. I began submitting with novel number five and submitted for over 20 years, collecting some lovely rejection slips along the way. When the opportunity to publish ebooks came along, I decided it was now or never. I would fulfill my dreams, or at least know that I made every effort possible to do so.

How are your story ideas born?
There are so many sources of inspiration! Stories unfold in my mind all the time. They even pop out when I’m having a “normal” conversation. So pinpointing inspiration is difficult. However, when I need to sharpen a hook, I spend two or three days asking myself questions. Why would she do that? What allows him to know this? Who are the background characters? Where do they live? Who were their parents? Their siblings? By answering those questions (and more), the story idea grows and matures until I am ready to write.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?
My “critique group” is spread all over the country. They help me spot plot holes, which I am famous for digging. And they bring me up short when I get lazy with a scene or when my character motivation sounds all wrong to them.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?
Getting into the flow of the story. There comes a moment when the characters talk to me! They make some decisions on their own. That’s when I know I have living, breathing people on my hands.

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish to Amazon?
A big factor was retirement. I realized that if I was old enough to retire, I didn’t have the time to wait for New York anymore! I wanted to know whether my books would be appreciated by readers. I wanted to reach my readers, build an audience. Amazon gave me a chance to do that.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?
I have an editor who works on all my books, and I have readers as well who offer their advice. I use 98 per cent of all the input I receive in order to improve my final product.

What have you learned during your self-publishing journey?
I have learned that people really love to read my stories, and that has helped my self-confidence no end! I cannot wait to add to my list of titles with strong, enjoyable characters and great stories. I believe in happy endings, whether I’m writing romance or mysteries. And my dog books also focus on the positive.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
I am beginning to list titles at Barnes & Noble as well. Calin’s Cowboy is also available there.

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?
I disagree with those who say that beginners should wait until they have three or four books ready to go before publishing. In my experience, the learning curve is so great with regard to marketing, finding editors, and experimenting with sales techniques that I feel the sooner you get your feet wet, the better. I learned so much by preparing and publishing my first title North Rim Delight! It helped me tremendously with all my other books. So I advise newbies to jump in.

What’s next for you?
I am preparing another cozy mystery and a new romance for publication. Fingers crossed! At least one of them will go live in August. I will keep writing and I work hard to make every new book better than the last.

You can check out my website here: http://www.reginaduke.com

21 comments:

  1. Debra, thank you for letting me share some of my thoughts here today! Your questions were fun and engaging. :-)

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  2. Regina, it was my pleasure. I love learning about authors and how they came to their decision to publish their stories.

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  3. Sounds like you've found your niche in the publishing world, Regina. Much luck with your books!

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    1. Hi, Jannine. I replied without hitting reply. Hmmm. Didn't want you to think I ignored you! LOL

      Regina

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  4. Thank you, Jannine! I'm still working on the "niche" part, but I appreciate the kind words. :-)

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. YOu have a lot of books out, Regina. Do you have a writing schedule that you follow?

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  6. Hi, Linda!
    I do follow a writing schedule. I plan to write every day, and when life interferes, I double up the next day. I have a word count that I aim for. If I have to edit anyway (and goodness knows I do!), I leave the slower decisions for the editing process and push to meet my word count.

    I also keep two WIPs in process at all times, so if I come up against a patch of "writer's block" on one project, I switch to the other and keep going.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  7. Great interview, Regina!

    Your publishing journey is an inspiration of "Never give up! Never surrender!"

    Best of luck with all your sales, my friend!

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  8. Thank you, Lynda! :-)
    I just keep keeping on, as they say. :-) (And I love that movie reference! One of my FAVES!)

    I know you are on the same path, and I wish you all the luck in the world as well. :-)

    Regina

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  9. Regina,
    Excellent advice to new writers-so many people wait for the right moment not realizing now is the right time. Great interview ladies!

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    1. Thanks, Mariposa. :-)

      I understand where the "wait for three books" mindset comes from. If you want to actually begin earning money right up front, you will do better with three or four titles than with one.

      But if you are brand new, don't wait. Get your feet wet. There are so many opportunities that might be missed by waiting. :-)

      Regina

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  10. I love the encouragement to new authors. Thank you!

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    1. You're welcome, Diana.
      The amazing part for me has been the creative freedom that has opened up, once I realized that people were actually buying and enjoying what I had to offer. Nothing opens the storyteller's floodgates faster than knowing you have readers who really like what you write! :-)

      Regina

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  11. Thanks a lot for this interview. It was interesting, informative and I think Regina is a great character.

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    1. Thank you, Raani. So nice to have you stop by. :-)

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  12. You write in several different genres--is there one you personally prefer?

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    1. Great question! I spent years learning how to write mysteries and action/adventure. I have a science fiction novel that will hopefully be published later this year. But my stories are always filled with relationships and love interests. Then I joined RWA years ago, and met hundreds of writers who focused on the love story. I thought, I can never write that. But when I went back and looked at some of my earliest work, I realized that I used to write that all the time! So I just released my inner love bug, and my romances are getting stronger all the time.

      Calin's Cowboy is part sweet romance and part cozy mystery. The romance I am currently editing for publication is a marriage of convenience novel, and it has been so much fun to write! I can hardly wait to start the next one.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  13. Great list of books, Regina! I'm really looking forward to the next "cozy."

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Vicky!

      My new cozy should be out in September, fingers crossed!
      Shoot for the stars, I always say. Then if you fall a bit short, you've still made it to the moon. :-)

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    1. Thank you, Sandra! :-) This is an absolutely beautiful blog. Kudos to Debra and David for providing such a perfect venue.

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