1. What is your name and where do you call home?
Mary C. Findley. I ride with my husband in a tractor trailer throughout the 48 states full-time.
2. Do you have a pen name?
No.
3. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?
My YA book is Hope and the Knight of the Black Lion. Medieval England, mysterious Crusaders, arranged marriage, family loss, love versus temptation, prodigal son.
4. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
I am thinking of a book involving one of the characters in this book, a half-Arab orphan stranded in Egypt by the death of his Crusader father.
5. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?
Originally I wanted to be an artist exclusively, but my drawings were always of characters with stories. By Junior High I had a writing teacher who convinced me I had to write the stories of these people I drew.
6. Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?
I will give a pdf copy to any reader who promises to give me a review in return.
7. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?
I designed the covers for all our books. I use Photo Impact, which has wonderful faux-3D effects, textures and "possibilities." I created a version of the book in the style of a medieval illuminated manuscript, and used the same "template" for the cover. By the way, the image of the knight on the cover is from a WWII era picture of my father.
8. How did you come up with the title for your book?
It names the two main characters in the book, plus the concept of Hope is a play on words throughout the book because of Hope's name.
9. Is there anything you would change about your book? And why?
Though I don't think it is a perfect book, it has been "in the process" for close to 20 years. I hope (no pun intended) it is as good as I can make it.
10. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?
My husband and I have done video work for many years, and we have made teasers for all our books. I think video trailers and teasers can be very enticing. Have seen some great ones. We have our teasers on Goodreads, Amazon at my Author Central page, and on YouTube.
11. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?
Our books are exclusively e-format. It is so much less expensive to produce, so we can offer great savings to readers. Our Kindle can hold hundreds of books. We love ebooks. I enjoy paperbacks and audiobooks. Reference books or possibly young children's picture books are the only ones I can see still being needed in hardcover.
12. Are you a self-published / Indie author?
Self-published from start to finish! I do all the formatting, layout, covers, proofing and editing. I have been n advertising proofreader, a textbook editor, and videomaker, so I think God prepared me to be able to do the "whole package."
13. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?
Pride and Prejudice, don't know how many times. Tale of Two Cities, also many times. I love Dickens and Austen.
14. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?
Pride and Prejudice, the Autobiograhpy of Theodore Roosevelt, and Puck of Pook's Hill, by Rudyard Kipling, all e-books on Kindle.
15. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?
Don't think your readers don't care about proofing and editing. Wrong isn't edgy. It's just wrong. Also, educate yourself about printing and publishing, all formats, and definitely self-publish. You have total control of your message. Get the Smashwords style guide when you get to the point of formatting your e-book. It's free, and you must have it.
16. Where can your readers follow you?
Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/460977.Mary_C_Findley
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/MaryCFindley
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ffvp
My Google Plus page: https://plus.google.com/?hl=en
Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!
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