Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour.
It is my pleasure to feature Carey Decevito and Almost Forgotten.
Carey Decevito:
Born and raised in small town Northern
Ontario, Canada, Carey Decevito has had a penchant for reading and writing for
as long as she can remember.
As an adult however, more than a decade had
come to pass before sleepless nights plagued her with exhaustion, demanding that she put pen to paper (more like fingers to keyboard) and start writing
again.
And the rest, as they say, is history!
A writer of erotic
romance, this lover of food will throw in a bit of heat, a dash of sass, a
pinch of comedy and a dollop of real-life experience in order to provide her
readers with a story that will mess with their emotions from start to finish.
Family and friends are her lifeblood but
Carey also enjoys conquering the outdoors, sports, travelling and playing tourist
in Canada’s National Capital region. When life gets crazy, she seeks
respite through her writing and submersing herself in the latest addition to
her library. If all else fails, she knows there’s
never a dull moment with her prolific story-teller of a five-year-old daughter,
her goofy husband and their two cats who she swears are out to get her.
With three published works under her belt, Almost Forgotten is
the second of her The Broken
Men Chronicles series.
About the Book:
Jake had it
all: money, women, great looks. For all intents and purposes, he was happy. Or
so he thought he was.
A series of
women and an unexpected appearance by a ghost from his past caused him to
re-evaluate his life.
Why had she
come back? Why was she standing in his
firm’s boardroom with his opposing counsel? But the burning question was, why did he give
a damn after fifteen years?
She’d broken his heart all those years ago and Jake chose to
live the life of a bachelor from there on out. Along with his fast-paced career, he ran a fast-paced social life. It’s what worked for him. Or he’d at least convinced himself it did.
The
loneliness his large home presented the minute the housekeeper went home and
the women that warmed his bed deserted him, left him wanting. Could he have what so many of his friends
already did: the woman, the family, the house with the white picket fence?
Maybe.
But just because he desired these things, things he’d sworn off ages
ago, doesn’t mean that they were destined for him.
One thing
was for sure, with Danica back in town, Jake’s life was never going to be the
same again.
Carey has joined us for an interview:
What are your earliest book-related memories?
You’re
going to think this is weird but at about the age of five, I was an incredibly
curious child. With that said, my
earlier memories for books were of climbing my parents’ built-in library
shelves to get my hands on their encyclopedias and check out the pictures. I guess my copy of My First Encyclopedia just wasn’t good
enough for me anymore. This is also
where I found out my mother’s Harlequin romance novels were NOT picture books!
When it comes to reading, I was a regular
at the town’s library where I checked out a lot of books about astronomy, the
planet, and nature. This was a Saturday
tradition for my mother, sister and I which carried well into my teens.
When it comes to book ownership, I have my
father’s mother to thank. With every
out-of-town shopping trip that took her to a book store (there were none where
I grew up), she came home with at least one book for me.
I have to say that I’ve been blessed with
family that have helped me garner my love for literature whether it be for
entertainment or education
How do you cope
with writer's block?
I’ve been blessed with an abundance of
ideas and never have had the misfortune of suffering a severe bout of WB. When the ideas don’t flow, I’ve discovered
that the wrong thing to do is to force creativity. The block usually lasts longer and frustrates
me. Instead, I’ll pick up a book and
read, I’ll hang out with friends and family.
In those instances, the less I think about writing, the better. When the creative juices start up again,
well…game on
What are you
working on right now?
I’m working on a variety of projects right
now. This may be a tour for Almost Forgotten, the second book in my Broken Men Chronicles series but I’m
working on the release of the fourth book as well as editing the fifth and
final book of this series. It’s fair
enough to say that I’m a busy person and that you definitely should expect a
lot more coming from me.
What is the most
difficult part of the whole writing process?
Since I’m a one woman writing operation
these days, I have to say that writing is by far the easiest part. I love constructing something out of
nothing—a blank screen being filled with words that plunge the reader into a
new world, granting them an escape.
The hardest is the editing, the book
covers, the promoting and all the in-betweens that come with doing it all. It’s not for everyone but it does enlighten
one as to how much work goes on behind the scenes just to get a book on the
market and get it to sell. I can tell
you this much, there’s no such thing as millions overnight!
What do you like
to read?
I may write contemporary erotic romance
predominantly but I enjoy reading mystery/suspense, thrillers and the
occasional horror. Don’t get me wrong,
I’ll pick up and read Cherise Sinclair, Nora Roberts along with James Patterson
or John Saul and let’s not forget some of the classics like Poe or Shakespeare,
better yet, a Canadian classic, Lucy Maud Montgomery or some Margaret Attwood. I’m not big on sci-fi but I do like to give
anything and everything a try before truly dismissing it. You never know what you can be missing out
on.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My
inspiration is drawn from so many different things. From dreams, to life events whether personal
or experienced through a friend or family member, it can even come from some
random conversation at a check-out counter!
I love the variety of ways that ideas come and I tend to embrace rather
than ignore them. So if you see me
sipping a Frappuccino at the local Starbucks and I have that faraway look in my
eyes…well, you best well bet that chances are, the barista or some conversation
I overheard on my way to my seat most likely got the hamster going in that head
of mine.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I won’t tear down either side of publishing
and self-publishing. Whatever works best for the author is what works best. I
do however find that writers often give up on the traditional route of seeking
out a publisher which would include and editor, a cover creator, a promoter and
so on because they think (they’ll say “they know”) that they’ll never be picked
up and go straight to self-publishing. That’s self-publishing for the wrong reasons.
Some are so quick to get their work out on the market and think they’ll be
rolling in the cash overnight. NOT SO! It takes a lot of dedication, patience,
frustration, blood, sweat and tears, not to mention a long time, to make it
worthwhile for most. Those who are quick out of the gate to self-publish
without doing market research, the editing, the cover and so on are setting
themselves up for failure. I’ve come across far too many books that have had
editing issues over the last little while only to see those authors quit
writing because of nasty critiques entailing their lack of presentation. I
can’t say I blame them since some can be harsh but I can definitely say that
they wouldn’t have suffered the sting of those words had they done their
homework.
How did you decide
how to publish your books?
I decided to self-publish, not because I
was rejected one too many times by a publisher. To be frank, I looked into both
options. I will also say that just because one person tells you that your work
is fantastic, doesn’t mean you should be putting it out to publishers or
self-publishing it.
I’m very critical of my work and as a child
and in my teens, I never shared my stuff with anyone but the four walls of my
bedroom and the occasional teacher if I wrote for a particular assignment. When
I discovered an online venue where I could remain anonymous and have the public
read and comment, I gained confidence in my writing. I kid you not, I had 2
novellas written within months (November to January). One of those is
self-published today.
What I mean to say is that publishing isn’t
for everyone. I’ve met writers who are comfortable sharing their work with the
public for free off of these said websites I’ve spoken about, others that
confessed they write but would never share, some that play around the idea of
publishing and only enter contests but don’t pursue anything further, others
who’ve been picked up by publishers and some, like myself, who’ve chosen the
self-publishing route.
On most days, I love self-publishing
because I get to learn the ins and outs, the “hard” way at times. Yes, I do
have those moments where I would rather just write a query letter, a synopsis
and tailor my manuscript, send it in and say yes to the highest or most
reasonable bidder out there where publishing companies are concerned but I
haven’t. I might…but that’s me wanting to see and experience both sides of the
spectrum. No one knows what’s best for them unless they do just that.
Again…live and learn!
What has writing taught you about yourself?
Writing
has shaped the person I’ve become today and I continue to evolve. Granted a lot of my characters had a bit of
me in them, I do strive to create some characters with assets, traits,
demeanors that somehow, I strive to emulate.
The
major things that stick out though is how dedicated, passionate and stubborn I
can be when it comes down to every facet of my writing, whether it be writing,
editing, promoting, etc. I just don’t
know the meaning of quitting.
How do the people in your life seem to view your
writing career?
The
general consensus is that family and friends alike are very proud of my
achievements.
Being
a writer of contemporary erotic romance, I have to say that it took me a while
to feel comfortable with outing my proverbial laundry but once I did, I never
did once hear anything negative…unless you count my mother-in-law being unable
to read my “spicy” scenes.
There
have been times where writing seems to take over my life but thank God for a
wonderful husband and daughter that put up with my sometimes obsessive nature
to allow me to “get this next chapter done”.
What do you think
about the future of book publishing?
I won’t tear down either side of publishing
and self-publishing. Whatever works best for the author is what works best. I
do however find that writers often give up on the traditional route of seeking
out a publisher which would include and editor, a cover creator, a promoter and
so on because they think (they’ll say “they know”) that they’ll never be picked
up and go straight to self-publishing. That’s self-publishing for the wrong
reasons. Some are so quick to get their work out on the market and think
they’ll be rolling in the cash overnight. NOT SO! It takes a lot of dedication,
patience, frustration, blood, sweat and tears, not to mention a long time, to
make it worthwhile for most. Those who are quick out of the gate to
self-publish without doing market research, the editing, the cover and so on
are setting themselves up for failure. I’ve come across far too many books that
have had editing issues over the last little while only to see those authors
quit writing because of nasty critiques entailing their lack of presentation. I
can’t say I blame them since some can be harsh but I can definitely say that
they wouldn’t have suffered the sting of those words had they done their
homework.
What advice would
you give other writers?
Play hard, work hard, and DON’T give up!
By “playing hard” I mean enjoy how it feels
to be writing something. Post it somewhere online where people can look at it
for free. I know you’re thinking it’s ridiculous, you putting all of that time
and effort into a book only to let it go for free. I truly have a point with
this. If you post it on some site for free, readers discover it, they read it,
they provide comments and feedback. It’s a great way to use the public eye as a
soundboard, especially if you’re not sure if you have what it takes to appeal
to the masses. You’ll make new friends, acquaintances, find some great free
reads of your own and a client base that will support you if you make the jump
to publishing!
By “working hard”, I’m talking about what
comes after you’ve written your story. The first word that comes to mind…EDIT!
I’ve written over a dozen books in the last 2 years (no, I’m not kidding). Not
all of them are edited and I can promise you that chances are, not all of them
will be published either. Editing is a crucial part of the puzzle here. No one
wants to disperse funds on something that is filled with grammatical, punctuation,
formatting and syntax errors. If you find yourself unable to “fix” your story,
look into an editor. They can be pricey but if you find a great one, you’ll
feel better. After all, your book is a reflection of you. Your name is on it,
your blood, sweat, tears are in it. Those are your words, your thoughts and
inspiration being presented to the public.
What I’ve come to realize, as a
self-published author, is that hire out as much as you can within reason. Don’t
go breaking the bank if you don’t have the right cash-flow. Hire an editor, use
Beta readers (those are usually free since you give them a copy of your
manuscript to read and comment on), learn to do graphics or hire that out so
you have a fabulous cover, book trailers, banners and so on. Once those are
tackled, you’re in need to work on media outreach. We’re talking Facebook,
Twitter, a website or blog (or both but I’m warning you…if you’re the only one
doing the work, you’ll feel overrun). From there, you’re looking for reviews,
free and paid advertising and promotions, blog tours, using your personal
connections (and this is where those people from that website you posted your
story for free on, come in). If those freebie readers enjoyed your work,
they’ll definitely want to read the new and improved version and they will
support you. I’ve done it and reaped the benefits and I know countless others
who have and have.
My final point…DON’T give up! Whether
you’re self-published or you’re looking to be picked up by a publisher, don’t
just submit to sometimes cruel criticisms–BUILD ON IT! One rejection isn’t
going to kill you. If you’re lucky, you can speak about getting feedback. Your
editor (if you hire one) can do that too and so can those friends, family, Beta
readers, etc. I’ve edited a book over 20 times before and still wasn’t fully
happy with it (okay, so I’m a little picky about my work…we are our own worst
critics, are we not?) Keep at it! Submit to countless publishers but if you’re
not interested and rather do the self-publishing, that’s alright too. It’s a
matter of finding and discovering what is best for YOU! With that said, good
luck to any of you aspiring authors out there as well as those of you who’ve
made the leap!
What do you see as the biggest challenge today for
writers starting out?
Oh
what a field day I could have compiling a list for you on this one!
I
think the biggest challenge for new writers is the age old question of “What
the hell do I do with this?” when they’ve finally hit the save button on their
final chapter. Funny how the ending of
writing that manuscript technically signifies the beginning!
For
some, they’ve just written something that’ll most likely never see the light of
day. I myself was one of them for as
long as I can remember. Others will let
it sit there, share it on an online venue where you can post your stories and
read others’ works for free. This too,
I’ve done and I do love the premise of using these sites as somewhat as a kind
of soundboard but don’t take the comments too seriously either. If you’re gutsy enough, you’ll go through
your manuscript with a fine-toothed comb, fix things up, make sure things flow
smoothly, perhaps even get an editor to help you out with it too. And finally, there’s the publishing
stage. Publisher or independent?
As
a writer, this “what to do next” phase is my biggest challenge and speaking
with several other authors, I have to say that I’m not alone with that
sentiment.
Querying
publishers and risking rejection after rejection…okay, perhaps there would be
an offer down the road but the process leaves much to be desired.
What do you look for in a good book?
Contrary
to a lot of folks out there, I don’t swear that a book is a good read strictly
by their ratings or their reviews. Or
maybe I should say, based on the number of reviews. If you’re as avid a reader as I am, you’ll
notice that some authors have quite the large following compared to others
whether they’ve been in the business for a while or are a newcomer.
Sure
I’ll scope out books by review and rating, but I’ll also give the underdog a
chance and I pay it forward by sharing my thoughts on the read too when I’m
done devouring each page.
What
I look specifically for in a good book is an intriguing plot, especially when
it comes to romance. I have to admit,
I’m more of a suspense, thriller, criminology kind of gal which is funny
considering most of my works happen to be romance with an erotic twist. I love characters that engage my attention
from the very first page, characters that send me on a ride that’ll toy with my
emotions whether it be from hanging off the edge of my seat or swooning for the
hero. My favorite thing about a book,
which, in my opinion makes it a good book, is the ability for me to take a few
hours out of my day and disappear into the writer’s world. It’s a great escape, one that leaves me with
fond memories. If in the end I can
remember the book in a week’s time, it’s a definite recommendation. Yes, I read that often…well, most of the
time.
A native of Natchez, Miss., Smith is a graduate of San Francisco State University, and the Summer Program for Minority Journalists at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He began his journalism career as a reporter for the Long Beach, Calif. Independent Press-Telegram.
Merry Jones has written the Elle Harrison suspense novels (THE TROUBLE WITH CHARLIE, ELECTIVE PROCEDURES), the Harper Jennings thrillers (SUMMER SESSION, BEHIND THE WALLS, WINTER BREAK, OUTSIDE EDEN, and this fall, IN THE WOODS), the Zoe Hays mysteries (THE NANNY MURDERS, THE RIVER KILLINGS, DEADLY NEIGHBORS, THE BORROWED AND BLUE MURDERS). She has also written humor (including I LOVE HIM, BUT...) and non-fiction (including BIRTHMOTHERS: Women who relinquished babies for adoption tell their stories). Jones taught college creative writing for fifteen years. Her work has been translated into seven languages, and appeared in many magazines, including GLAMOUR. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, The Authors Guild, International Thriller Writers, and The Philadelphia Liars Club. The mother of two grown daughters, she lives outside Philadelphia with her husband. 