I published my first book, High Cotton Country, in 2014 at the age of 81. This was a contributing factor to deciding to publish indie. I didn’t want to wait two years for my book to be published.
Leta McCurry – 7 December 2017
The Back Flap
Run, Laney, run. That’s what Mama said she should do if something really bad happened. What just happened is worse than Mama could have imagined. Now Laney, terrified, covered in blood and alone, is on the run from the law.
Laney finds a way to hide in plain sight and builds a safe and near-perfect new life. Safe and near- perfect, that is, until three people from the past show up looking for revenge, redemption and love.
About the book
What is the book about?
A Shadow Life is about a young girl who, terrorized and covered in blood, escapes an abusive step-father. Believing she has killed him, she makes a run for it and finds a way to hide in plain sight. She builds a happy successful new life and all is well until three people from the past show up looking for revenge, redemption and love.
When did you start writing the book?
I started the book in December 2014, right after publication of my first book, High Cotton Country.
How long did it take you to write it?
About 1 year.
Where did you get the idea from?
After my mother passed away, I found tucked in the pages of her Bible a family records page that had been removed from an even older Bible, her mother’s. That record, written in my grandmother’s hand, contradicted family history we had always believed to be true.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Not really. It all kind of flowed.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
I’m sure all writers draw on their perception of people they know or whom they have observed, but I do not model characters exactly after living people. My grandfather, who was an old Texas cowboy and lived to be four months short of 111, was the inspiration for Big John Clayton, a character in my first book. But, he was the inspiration only. Big John and my grandfather were quite dissimilar in reality.
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?
I could list at least a couple of dozen. Ayn Rand because she was a visionary and she had courage. Fannie Flagg, Harper Lee, Carson McCullers, John Steinbeck, by their honesty in writing. I could go on and on.
Do you have a target reader?
Adult women, although I’m constantly surprised by the men who love my books and leave great reviews.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Sit down at the keyboard and let-er rip.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I don’t outline. I’m strictly a seat-of my-pants writer. I do keep a character profile on all the significant characters and I do a chronology on the main characters beginning with their birth and track all the significant incidents in their lives. About 90% of this information never makes it into the book. It is to flesh the characters out for me and help me know them intimately.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I edit and rewrite after the story is finished.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I do hire an editor before turning it over to a very small press.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Absolute silence. Music and other noise is just too distracting.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Yes, and had significant interest, but after a lot of soul-searching and research, I decided to forego the traditional publishing route.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
A couple of things. First, you lose so much control of your work. And second, the amount of time it takes from the time an agent places a book with a publisher and the time it hits the market – usually from 1 to 2 years. Plus, people think a traditional publisher does a lot of promotion and marketing. Not true. The author still has to do most of it.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
Hired a designer.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
It would be heaven if all I had to do was write. I have to struggle to keep promotion, marketing and social sights from taking all my time. There is so much to learn, and after 3 years I’m still winging it.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Do your homework. There are a lot of publishers and resource services for indie authors that don’t deliver what they promise. And, don’t take short cuts. Do whatever it takes to hire a designer for the cover and get your book edited. I would suggest that any author join Women’s Fiction Writers Association. It is about $40 a year and well worth it. Good resources and peer support. Also, subscribe to Writers Beware. There are others that I follow closely.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up mostly in the Texas Hill Country on the tail end of the Great Depression.
Where do you live now?
Near Prescott, Arizona.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I published my first book, High Cotton Country, in 2014 at the age of 81. This was a contributing factor to deciding to publish indie. I didn’t want to wait two years for my book to be published. My second, A Shadow Life, was published a year later. I am working on my third book, Dancing to the Silence. I wanted to get it published before the end of the year but it’s looking like next spring. I have four or five ideas floating around in my head and am trying to decide which story to write next. I want to write them all at the same time.
End of Interview:
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