IndieView with Katie St. Claire, author of Second Hand Stops

It’s incredibly important for authors to read. Not only does reading nourish the imagination and creativity, but also we get to see the writing styles of different authors. I watch how they develop their own plots and characters.

Katie St. Claire – 31 May 2015

The Back Flap

Julia Malone lands on the doorstep of an old English manor at the age of three. She’s abandoned and alone, later joined by five paranormal children with the same telepathic abilities. When the teens reach eighteen, the mistress of their manor presents them with an unbelievable opportunity with curious strings attached. They must drink an elixir that promises to prolong their lives. At the conclusion of this mad science experiment, they become wealthy beyond their wildest imaginations, thanks to a mysterious benefactor from New York City. The children meet Claude Van Buren, the man behind the elixir. They assist in a global launch of Immortality, a facial product marketed to the world as the new fountain of youth. Julia and the others become the youngest executives at Van Buren Industries, a diverse giant positioned in the global market. Interwoven between the pages of this intriguing plot is a romantic love story that spans a lifetime. Her paranormal journey of ethical dilemmas, a heartbreaking love triangle, hidden family secrets, and a fight to stay alive, finally erupts in the conclusion of The Van Burens.

Start the story in Second Hand Stops, continue the action in Rewind, and prepare for the shocking conclusion in Fast Forward. Discover The Van Burens and ask yourself one thing. Are they out there? This coming of age fantasy has plenty of humor to keep you on your toes. Enter the mysterious of The Van Burens.

About the book

What is the book about?

Second Hand Stops is the first book in The Van Burens series and includes Rewind and Fast Forward. Her father abandons Julia Malone on the doorstep of an old English manor at the age of three. Lillian Perriman raises her with five other telepathic children in a makeshift family of sorts. When they reach the age of eighteen, the mistress of the manor requires them to drink an elixir that prolongs life. A wealthy benefactor whisks them off to New York City and they begin their internships at Van Buren Industries where a facial product named Immortality is at the forefront of research and development. Did Claude Van Buren put the fountain of youth into a product that will change the world, or destroy it?

When did you start writing the book?

I started this series two years ago and finished the third book this month. It was released April 24th.

Where did you get the idea?

I was the launch manager for the state of Michigan for a new facial product that contains pharmaceutical grade aloe and Retin A, and my love of the paranormal took root behind this concept.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

The first few drafts are always a struggle. We consider many things such as pacing, inciting incidents, and creating relatable characters and plots. I wanted to both entertain and teach at the same time and introduce something unique. I believe I did that. In The Van Burens, I took elements of the paranormal that we all recognize and love, and weaved it into a colorful plot not seen before now.

What came easily?

The character of Julia Malone came easily. She jumped out at me and took off running in the series.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

I think all authors take a few traits from people they have encountered to make it real and believable. We breathe life into our characters by giving them unusual patterns of speech, quirks, flaws, redeeming qualities, and so forth. In essence, people should relate to them on some level or they’re not believable. In the course of a book, we want readers to say, “I know someone like that.”

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

This particular series is dialogue driven and fast-paced for the most part. The style is similar to Charlaine Harris of the True Blood series because of the fast pace and dialogue heavy style.

It’s incredibly important for authors to read. Not only does reading nourish the imagination and creativity, but also we get to see the writing styles of different authors. I watch how they develop their own plots and characters. Most authors employ several writing styles and it’s a choice how they want to proceed with a book. By nature, I’m incredibly descriptive and can paint a picture well. Sometimes, we want to leave a little to the reader’s imagination.

Do you have a target reader?

My books target women in general, starting at sixteen on up.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I didn’t for this series but I’m developing a stricter and more structured outline for the next one. I would venture to say The Van Burens had a little divine inspiration behind it, and for that, I’m grateful.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I am utilizing a new technique this time. I use plotting and character development guides by Annie Neugebauer. It helps me plot out every aspect of my characters to include physical attributes, motivations, fears, soft spots, skills, and so forth. I insert plot points directly into the middle of my manuscript so it’s there. Then I build up and around those insertions. At least the plot twist is there, and I understand I need to develop it within that scene.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I’m trying hard not to edit while I write because it slows me down, but that’s the most time consuming aspect of writing. I need to stop letting it hinder my creative flow because we have many stages of editing and it would scare anyone who isn’t a writer. They would think, “Wow. How tedious is that?” The answer to that question is very tedious, and that is why we are so passionate about what we do. If we didn’t love the aspect of creating to the very depths of our soul, we wouldn’t do it.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I’m an indie author and creative director, which means I have complete control, and all rights to my intellectual property. I hire book cover designers and editors and employ an audio narrator and beta readers. Katie St. Claire books is a business, and I treat it as such.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I am one of those rare people who need silence when I’m writing. The reason is that I’m intuitive and get inspiration while thinking and rolling ideas over in my head. I have “aha” moments that wouldn’t occur if there were distractions. If it’s not flowing, I will stop writing and listen to music, read, watch a good series, or enjoy nature until inspiration hits again.

If I’m writing a love scene, I listen to sappy love songs. If I’m writing an action scene, I’ll listen to music that caters to that mood or feeling. I always do this before I start writing and never during the process.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I did in the beginning when I was still green and just starting out. Then I realized how much I love having full creative control. I’m a Six Sigma person and I love the ability to tweak and improve my work, fix stray errors when caught, or even change my titles and book covers if I feel it better suits the book.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

It was a gradual realization process and the inability to wait on someone else. I get it done. Indies aren’t against traditional publishing at all and that is still a public misconception. Only a few very vocal traditionally published authors went indie, but most authors are open to all options and become hybrids. That means they publish traditionally and indie at the same time with different works.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

Professional digital artists created my book covers. I don’t recommend creating your own unless digital artistry is your field of work. Please trust the industry when I say that. Book covers are extremely important for sales, and so is professional editing. As a business owner, you hire out what a traditional publisher does as part of their contract agreement. It’s a different business model but the same elements are required when selling to a global market.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

This is my first series, but I definitely take the advice of marketing experts, and hire out. It’s an ebbing and flowing process until an author gains a firm readership. We see book sales spike and drop all the time as we try new marketing techniques and channels, but it’s important to create multiple streams of income.

Any advice that you would like to give to newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

I think I’ll make this a bulleted list because it’s an important question.

• Don’t stop writing. Every professional writer started out as an amateur. Every single one. You will make mistakes, fail, and continue to hone your craft. Although fiction writing is much more an art than a science, we have hard and fast rules learned over time.
• Be patient. Learning the craft, developing your writer’s voice, and honing the craft takes time. It also takes time to market yourself and develop a following of loyal readers who spread the word about your work. Be patient and don’t stop.
• Hire professional cover designers, freelance editors, and marketing professionals. Buy and read the work of other authors. You are continually learning in this very dynamic and quickly changing landscape.
• Buy professional editing software, and writing programs, but employ real human beings to both edit your work, beta read, and proofread. Human beings are intuitive whereas editing software is not. Those programs hone the technical aspects of your writing and yet sometimes offer incorrect suggestions. You are not required to accept every suggestion from your editor or your software. Understand what’s correct and what is merely a suggestion.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in North Dakota, now a booming oil state.

Where do you live now?

I currently live in Michigan but hope to move to a warmer climate. Warm. Sunshine. Year round gardening. Need I say more?

What would you like readers to know about you?

I am nowhere close to rich. When readers buy and love my books, it makes working without pay for two years worth every tear that ever landed on my keyboard during the process. I also invest a lot of time and money on cover design, editing, and marketing.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a new paranormal series about a teenage girl who discovers she’s much more than an average teen. Much more…

End of Interview:

For more from Katie, visit her website, follow her on Twitter or Pinterest, or become her friend on Facebook.

Get your copy of Second Hand Stops from Amazon US (paper or ebook), Amazon UK (paper or ebook), Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords.