Interview with Abbie Roads, CAPTURING FATE

 

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

Capturing Fate is a standalone novel. But you can also read it after Saving Mercy.

 

In Capturing Fate, we meet Dolan and Daughter.

 

As a child, the police found Dolan dehydrated and covered in blood. No one ever came forward to claim him, so he spent his childhood in and out of group homes. Because of the instability of his youth, he’s learned to rely only on himself. Which is normally an excellent trait, but when working for the FBI where teamwork and cooperation matter, his fierce independence is a hinderance and leads to an ultimatum by his boss: Get therapy or get a new job.

 

Daughter was adopted as a baby. The only non-negotiable clause to her adoption was that she keep the name Daughter. Her parents gave her a childhood full of wonder and delight, and she grew up to be a psychologist.

When Daughter and Dolan meet, not only is their chemistry off the charts, but a chain of events is put in motion that neither of them expected.

 

Do you have a favorite character in Capturing Fate?

Yes! Snake!

 

Dolan had no memory of what came before the police found him, but he did have an imaginary friend named Snake. Snake is the only constant in Dolan’s life. As adult Dolan knows he shouldn’t have an imaginary friend because that makes him sound crazy, but Snake is like the brother Dolan never had.

Snake looks out for Dolan when he isn’t looking out for himself. And you can feel Snake’s affection for Dolan.

 

Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?

In Capturing Fate, 302 (the number is the character’s name) was originally a side character, but his personality evolved and he played a far larger role in the novel than I ever intended for him. His life and circumstances are complicated, leading him to struggle with right and wrong.

 

When I get around to writing the next book in this series, it will be his.

 

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

Sort of… Lol…

 

When I was first starting writing in 2010, I tried and tried and tried to write a good query letter. I took classes and courses on writing query letters, but every query letter I wrote sounded like third graders’ book report!

 

So, I started entering writing contests. If my manuscript made it to the last round, the judges were agents and editors who would read my actual writing without ever reading my query!

 

This is exactly how I got my agent! She read the first 50 pages of Hunt the Dawn, then requested the full manuscript, then offered to represent me.

 

When it came to getting my editor for my first four books, I had a face-to-face pitch with her. The editor said I had a great pitch, but that she couldn’t sell romantic suspense with paranormal elements because authors always use the paranormal to solve all the problems. My novel wasn’t like that, but I didn’t argue with her. Then she said if I ditched all the paranormal she would look at it. I wasn’t going to get rid of the paranormal. I loved the paranormal elements. They were so different from anything on the market. I thanked her for listening to my pitch and moved on.

 

A year later she bought the same novel I had pitched to her after reading only 10 pages! And the next three books I was writing too!

 

Capturing Fate is my first self-published novel.

 

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?

When I first started writing, I belonged to a few critique groups. I found them profoundly helpful. As a new writer, there was always something getting lost in the translation from my head to the page. Critique groups helped me see those translation problems.

 

But critique groups are not for everyone. You need to be in the right frame of mind and have confidence in the story you want to tell. You can’t let other’s opinions deter you. And you have to know the difference between good advice and bad advice.

Now I have one dedicated critique partner. It’s her job to keep me from looking like an idiot!

 

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

Normally, I like to write in silence. Music is too distracting. I also prefer to write at home in my office or out on the deck during the summer. When I’m somewhere new trying to write, I struggle to find the muse. 

 

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

I’m a tried-and-true pantser. Pantser means I write by the seat of my pants. I have no outline or plan beyond a vague idea of a scene I may want to have later in the novel.

 

I wish I could be different. Every time I’m ready to start a new book I try to plot. I’ve tried every method out there. No matter how much I plot, nothing in that plot is going to happen when I actually write the book. It’s like if I know what’s going to happen, then it’s boring to me and I don’t want to write it!

 

I spend a lot of time on the first one hundred pages getting to know my characters. Working them and reworking them until I feel like finally know who they are.

 

When I get beyond the halfway mark, the writing gets easier because I know my characters and at least have a vague idea of what’s going to happen in the next scene.  

 

What have you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?

Self-publishing is a lot harder than it looks! There’s so many little moving pieces that all effect sales and visibility. I honestly don’t know how so many authors do it all themselves. I feel like I need three of me to get it all done.

But one thing I love about self-publishing is the control. I get to control my cover, my blurb, my prices, and my promotions.

 

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?

Yes. Extremely. I could quit writing completely and solely work on marketing, and still it wouldn’t be enough. It always feels like here isn’t enough time in the day to do everything that should be done in the marketing realm. There’s always a newsletter that needs sent, graphics to make, posts to schedule, giveaways to coordinate, groups to manage… The list goes on and on.

 

It really comes down to deciding, “I have to write today.” And making it a priority.

 

What advice would you give a new author just entering the self-publishing arena?

Take the time to learn your craft and learn the industry. It’s tempting to write a book then immediately publish it, but that’s not always what’s best for you or your career.

 

I’ve had many author acquaintances who wrote a book then published it only to be ashamed of the book months or years later when they learned more about their craft and the industry.

 

It’s okay to slow down, take a deep breath, and spend some time learning how to write and market. This will pay off in the future. 

 

Capturing Fate
Abbie Roads
(Fatal Truth #2)
Publication date: January 28th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Thriller

Can love untangle a web of lies and expose the truth?

A loner with a mysterious childhood…

FBI agent Dolan Watts is no stranger to pain. From his childhood spent in foster care to his daily grind of hunting down hardened criminals, pain has been the one constant through the years. Confronted by a malicious new enemy who revels in mind games, Dolan begins to doubt his own perceptions.

A woman haunted by a secret…

Psychologist Daughter Dawson sabotages her own safety the moment she accepts Dolan as a client. Still, she feels compelled to help him. Dolan’s past mirrors many of the questions about her own. When she makes the mistake of confiding in him, both their lives are thrust into unimaginable danger.

Find out why people are up all night reading bestselling author Abbie Roads’ chilling, emotional novels. You might want to read with the lights on and box of tissues.

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Author Bio:

Seven Things about Abbie Roads:
1. She loves Snicker Parfaits. Gotta start with what's most important, right?
2. She writes dark emotional books featuring damaged characters, but always gives her hero and heroine a happy ending... after torturing them for three hundred pages.
3. By day she's a mental health counselor known for her blunt, honest style of therapy. At night she burns up the keyboard. Well... Burn might be too strong a word. She at least sits with her hands poised over the keyboard, waiting for inspiration to strike. And when it does--the keyboard might get a little warm.
4. She can't stand it when people drive slowly in the passing lane. Just saying. That's major annoying. Right?
5. She loves taking pictures of things she thinks are pretty.
6. She lives in Marion, Ohio with her favorite fellow and two fur babies.
7. Being a published author is a dream come true for her.

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