 I first came in contact with Patrice Fitzgerald when I reviewed her book, Running. I began to follow this author via Facebook. Author, publisher, lawyer, mezzo soprano, I have met few who are able to match the energy level and creative talents of this up and coming writer and publisher. The first time I interviewed Ms. Fitzgerald was when I reviewed her book. You can find the previous interview here. Today my interview is with Ms. Fitgerald as CEO and founder of eFitzgerald publishing. Once again, I welcome Ms. Fitzgerald to the Underground. Kimberly: You have a varied and unique background. Could you tell us about it? Ms. Fitzgerald: I was a lawyer for fifteen years -- intellectual property law -- but always had a secret creative person inside trying to get out! I did freelance writing for magazines and online, and all the while I was writing novels and trying to get published. Kimberly: How did you get started in the e publishing business? Ms. Fitzgerald: I just finally decided to take my writing career into my own hands. Getting that first novel published, particularly since this is an election year, was critical. I couldn't wait any longer… and I didn't want to wait any longer, so I simply jumped in. And it's been thrilling ever since. Kimberly: Can you take us through the process? If I sent my novel to eFitzgerald publishing, what would happen next? Ms. Fitzgerald: First of all I should say that my publishing company, eFitzgerald, is booked up (ha! pun) for the rest of 2012. But when we get a new manuscript submitted, like any other publisher, we first read it to see if we think we can sell it. If the manuscript is accepted, it goes through at least two rounds of editing -- global, or "big picture" editing, for plot, characterization, conflict, or other issues that may need improvement, and then line-editing. During that process, we create a cover, in consultation with the author. Finally, we format the book for electronic publication, upload it, and voila… a new ebook is born! Kimberly: What are the pitfalls of e-publishing?
 When I ask an author if he would like to do an interview, we usually communicate via e-mails. This is when I have the opportunity to get to know the person, not just the writer. When I located Mr. Mixter on Facebook I was able to observe pictures of his ‘real life’ storybook. As I introduce Mr. Mixter to the Underground, there are two words that come to mind: loyal and humble. Mr. Mixter is humble, yet knows he has something important to share, has a deep understanding for what is right for himself, but allows others the same privilege, and is totally dedicated to his wife, family and friends. Welcome Randy Mixter.
Kimberly: Will you tell us a bit about your background?
Mr Mixter: I have been writing since I was a teenager. I have had my poetry and other writings published locally. I have also written articles for a local paper and have won an award for creative writing. My first published book consisted of short stories about growing up in Baltimore City in the 1960s, titled The Boys of Northwood. My second novel, Sarah Of The Moon, is a fictional love story, with a touch of mystery, that takes place in San Francisco during the 1967 Summer of Love. I recently completed and published Letters From Long Binh: Memoirs of a Military Policeman in Vietnam. That book is based on the letters I wrote home to my wife during a 1967 tour of duty in Vietnam. My short story, Eternal, will be published this spring by Sleeping Cat Books in the book anthology, The Storm Is Coming.
Since my retirement from a security position with local government, I have been able to devote more time to my wife, five cats and, of course, my writing.
Kimberly: How did your novel Sarah Of The Moon happen to evolve? Was it inspired by a true story? There are a lot of factual details, so if your novel is not based on what you personally experienced, how did you do your research?
Mr. Mixter: Several years ago I wrote a prologue and a epilogue to a book I called Sarah Of The Moon. The handwritten papers went into a desk drawer. In the autumn of 2010 I was recovering from heart surgery. I had just published my first book, The Boys Of Northwood, and thought this to be the perfect time to revisit Sarah. I began to write without any plot outline. I knew the beginning and the ending, but that was all. Luckily as I developed my characters the story came to me, a chapter at a time. Many readers have asked me if I've ever been to San Francisco. I have not. During the 1967 summer of love, I was military policeman in Vietnam. I researched the time and the place, then allowed my imagination to fill in the blanks.
Kimberly: As I read your novel, the one thing that kept coming back to me was how uninformed people were about the “Hippy” movement. Yes, there were those who were a part of it because they were into drugs more than cause, however the premise of the movement was heartfelt. Do you feel the movement had an impact on the future? How?
Mr. Mixter: I have always been fascinated with the so-called 'Hippie' culture and the music that came from it. I believe that shows throughout the book. I wanted to write a story that focused on their lifestyle and would hopefully depict these free spirits as more than druggies. I personally feel the majority of those young people believed in the tenants of peace and love and were trying to change the world for the better. It was also important to me that my three main characters, Sarah, Alex, and Matt were drug free throughout most of the novel. Although drugs played a significant role in the culture, I wanted my main characters to be enlightened without the use of drugs. In my book, I separated the true hippie from his weekend counterpart. It's significant to note the difference between the two factions in that the first group wanted to make change and the second just wanted to get high.
I would like to think the peace protests of the 1970's, which in some ways helped to end the war in Vietnam, and the protests of today can be traced back to the hippies of the '60s, and, of course, the summer of love. I also believe the movement was instrumental in passing anti-racism laws in the late 1960s and 1970s and undoubtedly was responsible for generating an interest in environmental concerns such as clean air and water, organic farming, and recycling.
 A couple of weeks ago, I sent my baby to the doctor. Okay, not a human baby . . . but still an embryo that grew inside my imagination and came out a novel. I knew it was time to let go, to see what I needed to give my ‘baby’ wings. Where do you go for a professional diagnosis of your novel or short story? Ann Garvin, author of On Maggie’s Watch, had the answer and recommended Catherine Adams, a well-known and successful developmental editor. After researching Ms. Adam’s background, I gathered my courage, drew in a deep breath and pushed the ‘send’ button, letting my ‘baby’ travel into the professional hands of Ms. Catherine Adams. It was a very wise decision. Today, I have the privilege of introducing Ms. Adam’s to the Underground. Kimberly: Catherine, you are a developmental editor and book mentor. What does that mean? Ms. Adams: “Developmental editor” isn’t used much in writers’ lingo anymore. The term is a carry-over from the old days of publishing when an editor could see a writer’s potential and devote time and resources to develop that writer’s work and style, whether it took hours or weeks or years. We’ve all heard those stories—they have a mythic quality anymore—and all writers understandably hope a publishing house editor will discover them in the mountains of submissions and nurture their work until success hits. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen now. In publishing houses, the “developmental editor” has morphed largely into the “acquisition editor” because that’s the focus anymore—acquisitions. And when acquisition editors are expected to shepherd the equivalent of 50+ book-length projects through each year, from acquisition to production, it’s little wonder they don’t have time to develop work sent their way. It’s either ready or it’s not. Agents face the same dilemma. There’s just too much to do to nurture a writer whose work isn’t yet ready to submit. On occasion, an agent will spend precious time to give suggestions to work they find promising—but that is by no means the rule. That’s the very rare exception, and it should be taken as a test of a writer’s ability to buckle down and rewrite, even if rewriting means gutting. In the main, however, writers get no feedback, just polite (or not so polite) rejections. Into this vacuum, I step in. Independent developmental editors are well known in the industry—everyone from individual writers to agencies to publishers use their services. We’re one of the many sets of people operating behind the scenes. I am the person who reads the manuscript—plus agent or publisher comments, if available—and works with the writer to devise a revision strategy. First comes the identification of problematic areas—whether in specific sections or in how craft/argument techniques are used—and then suggestions for how to address these concerns—and there are always several options to consider. Each project is different, which keeps the work exciting and fresh. One project might need threads condensed or the structure reworked for balance and unity; another project might need its prose examined for weaker spots, while still another needs to reconsider how place or context is used in the story or argument. Presenting these problems and their possible solutions in a clear, professional, and supportive way is the most important aspect of my job. And with this support, writers wind up with a manuscript ready to submit or resubmit to agents or publishers. Kimberly: How did you happen to get into this business? Does it take talent or intuition to become a successful developmental editor?
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Have you ever asked someone about themselves, and then got that ‘deer in the headlights’ look as you listened? Such was the case when I met Katie Rose Guest at the Algonkian Pitch Conference in New York City. The intensity in her huge brown eyes and the way she took non-stop notes made me well aware that Ms. Guest was not at this conference passing a little time; Katie Rose was on a mission. I not only found the premise of her novel intriguing, but found Ms. Guest to be a very bright, multi-talented and enjoyable person. From her French degree, to her law degree, to an MA in writing, the knitting patterns she creates, to her career as a ski instructor, somehow I know that even on the slopes, Katie Rose would never settle for an almost perfect run.
I am pleased to introduce this talented upcoming author Katie Rose Guest to the Underground.
Kimberly: Katie, You have a law degree, a BA in French, an MA from John Hopkins in creative writing and a PHD in Rhetoric. Can you tell us a bit about why the degree in French? Did you/do you have plans for to use it? Could you explain what a PHD in Rhetoric is and if it has helped you in your writing career?
Ms. Guest: For my day job, I’m a professor of legal writing at UNC Chapel Hill School of Law.
The MA in creative writing taught me how to write a book. The law degree taught me how to read a book. And the Ph.D. in rhetoric taught me how to teach others how to write. As you might imagine, every one of these skills has helped my fiction writing.
The major in French? I love Marguerite Duras, and wanted to be able to read her in French. It’s probably crazy to select a major based on one author, but that’s what I did. But then I discovered Annie Ernaux and Francoise Sagan, and (seriously) Descartes, and all of the studying was worth it.
Kimberly: When did you begin writing your novel? A book is never finished it seems, but how long did it take you to get your novel to the point where you felt it was agent ready?
Ms. Guest: Rules of Entanglement is my second novel. I wrote my first novel during graduate school, when I needed a break from my dissertation. While I shopped that first book around to agents, I began writing Rules. Then, I realized that the first novel was just that—a first novel—and set it aside to focus on the second.
Rules of Entanglement still doesn’t seem finished and never will. But I’ve published enough stories to know that at some point you let the writing go. And now that I’m a mom, that theory makes a lot more sense.
Kimberly: What enticed you to write about a violent attack on a naïve young woman?
Ms. Guest: Violence against women is rife even in our supposedly civilized society. When I was thirteen years old, I was raped by a twenty-four-year-old man. In some ways, that attack really shaped my younger years. With Rules of Entanglement, I wanted to explore the pool of violence that women wade through every day. I’ve written on sexual assault before, in short stories and in my first novel. Because of these earlier, more cathartic (read: self-centered) pieces, I’m now able to write about sexual violence in Rules of Entanglement without the story being all about me. The story is about Greta and Daphne, the main characters of the book, not Katie Rose.
Kimberly: Who is the main character(s) in your book and what qualities do you want to convey to your readers about them?
 AB Riddle and I met Ann Garvin in New York City at the Algonkian Pitch Conference. Ann was our instructor, our mentor, the voice that hammered into each of her l7 ‘pupils’ that we would, by God, be published.
Ann’s humor, laced in with a whole lot of persistence, helped us perfect a one-on-one ‘pitch’ we presented to four editors. She somehow brought l7 strangers together as a group, encouraged us to interact, get to know each other personally and inspired us to come together as real people with one common goal. She is the definition of a leader. Author, nurse, teacher, mother, Ann approaches everything she attempts with optimistic enthusiasm.
Kimberly: You have had many careers in your life. Which one is the best fit for you and why?
Ms. Garvin: My best career is the one I have now: professor. I get to be a bossy know-it-all, talk about the thing I am most passionate about which is health. I don’t have a boss (so to speak) so my issues with authority go un-perturbed. The schedule is flexible, meaning I can work when I am most productive and not on a nine-to-five schedule and I get to use both my left and right brain together. I love my job and teaching. I am so lucky.
Kimberly: The main characters in your novel, On Maggie’s Watch, along with other short stories and your novelette, Must Like Working With Cows are strong women. Are these characters that you bring to life based on women you know?
Ms. Garvin: I’m sure that bits and pieces of my characters come from people that I know, along with parts of my personality intertwined. Having said that, I don’t actually have someone in mind when I’m writing the characters. They live in my mind and on the page completely and if they come from a flesh and blood person, I’m not entirely aware of it. But, I hang with some made-of-steel women—I’m sure they are alive in my work.
Kimberly: At what point in life did you absolutely know you were going to be a writer? That you were not going to take ‘no’ for an answer?
Ms. Garvin: When I started, it was on a lark. When I won the contest that started me writing it became a possibility. When I wrote the first chapter of my book, it became my life.
Kimberly: Can you tell us a little about your new book? And when will they be coming out?
Ms. Garvin: I have two new books almost completed. Ask me this question again in a month.
Kimberly: You have an outgoing personality and have the ability to share yourself with others. In return, they feel comfortable opening up to you. Could you be content in the role of a full-time writer -- someone who many times isolates themselves from the outside world?
 It is with pleasure that I introduce Rebecca Coleman to Underground Book Reviews. Ms. Coleman’s first published novel, The Kingdom of Childhood, has received rave reviews from both bestselling authors and those who have read her book. A native New Yorker, Ms. Coleman lives and works in Washington DC and is available to speak to Writer’s Groups on creative writing and publishing.
Kimberly: Is The Kingdom of Childhood the first novel you have written?
Ms. Coleman: No, I wrote several before it, learning along the way. I was an English major in college, but only took one creative writing class, and it wasn't very helpful. I often hear from people who say they would love to write a novel but don't have the time to attend workshops or courses, but I've never done any of that, either. What worked for me was to take part in online critique groups, where all the submissions and all the critiques are up there for everyone to see. I'd read someone's submission and develop my own opinion about it, and then read what the better writers said about it, and I'd develop a better eye, or ear, for the craft. I had little kids at home-- that was all I could do. But it's worked out so far.
Kimberly: What gave you the idea to write about a Waldorf teacher having an affair with a l6 year old boy? Did you attend a Waldorf school?
Ms. Coleman: I saw a story about a teacher-student affair on the news, and it struck me that this was a very interesting concept for a story, and one that seemed oddly under-used. Part of my thinking was that the only boy we've ever heard speak out about such a relationship is Vili Fualaau, Mary Kay LeTourneau's lover, and that affair was a complete anomaly-- most of those boys don't grow up to marry the teacher and have children with her. So to give such a boy a voice-- to show a criminal and non-idealized affair from his perspective-- seemed like that rare opportunity to tell a story that truly felt new. Concerning the Waldorf aspect, I attended ordinary public schools myself, but my oldest son attended a Waldorf preschool for a while. That experience-- the combination of my fondness for it and my loss of idealism about it-- had a lot to do with why I wrote the novel.
Kimberly: How difficult was it to find an agent? Did you go through what most of us do and receive rejection after rejection? Or was the novel swept up by the first agent you sent it to?
Ms. Coleman: I received 93 rejections for this novel alone. And that was on top of the 200-plus rejections-- I am not exaggerating that number-- for my first couple of manuscripts. That figure-- 93-- represents 91 agents, because two of them rejected it twice. I was so totally jaded by the time my soon-to-be-agent requested a phone call with me that I sent out ten more queries in between that request and the actual phone call. But I love my agent, so the whole endurance challenge proved to be absolutely worth it. Along the way, though, when I had no idea whatsoever about whether the effort was ever going to pay off, it was hell. I have all the sympathy in the world for querying writers.
Kimberly: At what age did you start writing? When did you absolutely know you WERE a writer?
Ms. Coleman: Well, I remember, at the end of second grade, giving my teacher the gift of a piece of cardboard on which I'd drawn all my favorite characters from the short stories I liked to write. It was really meaningful to me-- I felt like I was introducing all my closest friends to her. And then, next to my senior picture in the high school yearbook, I listed my career goal as "writer." So I suppose it was always a part of my identity, but it wasn't until after my third child was born-- I was in my mid-twenties then-- that I started taking it seriously. I wish I could say I always knew the day would come when I was published, but I'd be lying. All I knew was that I wasn't going to stop trying until I had exhausted every avenue, and then, if all else had failed, I'd write another book and try with that one.
 I am as excited as I am proud to introduce Alma Katsu to Underground Book Reviews.
Ms. Katsu is the author of The Taker, the first in a trilogy. The second book, The Reckoning, is due to be released in June of 2012.
Although this is Ms. Katzu’s first published work, the novel has caught the attention and praise of many New York Time Bestselling authors, as well as receiving rave reviews from critics.
I would like to thank Ms. Katsu for taking time out of her busy schedule for this interview.
Kimberly: You seem to have a varied background; Brandeis University to an M.A. from the John Hopkins writing program. I also read that you worked for the CIA --in the financial side of the business. Could you tell us a bit about your background?
Ms. Katsu: First of all, I’m OLD so that explains why I’ve done so many things. I started off when I was young thinking I would be a writer, and then writing for newspapers, but then went to work in intelligence just to accumulate interesting experiences. Ended up with a great career but decided at 40 to really try to write a novel. By that time, after nearly 20 years as an analyst, I’d learned what it takes to really learn how to do something. So, I went to graduate school—Johns Hopkins—in addition to writing, going to conferences, attending author readings, learning, learning, learning. I didn’t set out thinking I was writing a book that would be published. I wanted to try to master the craft of writing a novel.
Kimberly: Have you written any other books before this one?
Ms. Katsu: I wrote a novel when I was seventeen. Needless to say, it was horrible. I rewrote it as a senior in college because the writing program at Brandeis, at the time, required a senior thesis. I also wrote three novels during the ten years I worked on The Taker. I’d hit a wall in The Taker, put it aside, write something new, think of a way around the things that were giving me trouble with The Taker, and go back to it. Writing those other novels really helped me develop as a writer. And it drove home that a writer doesn’t just write one book. It can’t all be about The One Book.
Kimberly: Your story weaves in and out of centuries beginning with present day, going back to the l8th century and then 200 years before. There are so many details you give on the journey from Maine to Hungary to Romania, how much time did you spend on research? Have you been to these countries? If so, what kind of research books did you use? What fascinated me was the 'mandrake root.' The creativity of this whole scene was unbelievable as if they pulled up the root, the crying would be so loud it would kill a human being.
Ms. Katsu: I’d been interested in magic and witchcraft since I was a kid and read any books on the subject I could get my hands on. Considering I went to a Catholic school, this made me highly suspect. Anyway, the scene where the physic is having the housekeeper pull up the mandrake root is exactly as it’s described in old texts. So no imagination needed, actually! I did a lot of research for specific things I needed to know as I wrote but a lot of knowledge was just rattling around in my head. I’d grown up in an area that figured prominently in Early American history, and you’d be surprised how much you just absorb for being around it. I’d been to Hungary and learned a lot about the country’s history, and somewhere along the way I read up on medieval life. I bought scholarly books on early Maine history, which were incredibly helpful. A few things in The Taker came directly out of those books, such as the charismatic preacher who tries to get Lanny to introduce him to Jonathan.
Kimberly: What does the title The Taker mean in regards to your novel? It felt like all of the characters were takers.
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