Author

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I’d like to introduce you to my publisher today. She’s a busy woman running a publishing company who also has written several books. Plus she recently retired from a full-time job! With that said, I have to say Nancy is always there for her authors. Emails are answered within hours. She hangs in there with you until any problem is solved. She gives good advice or steers you in the right direction.

When I submitted my first book to Melange, Nancy was in the middle of creating the young adult imprint- Fire & Ice. Luckily, she liked my series and Waiting for Dusk was published in November, 2012.

The company is growing and she’s added another imprint, Satin Romance, where you’ll find her book. She has released her romance novel, Bait Shop Blues. Nancy has taken time off from her busy schedule to answer a few questions…as an author and a publisher.

1. Tell us a little about yourself. Did you always want to be a writer? 

**I’ve been married to the same man (do you believe?) since 1975. We have four grown children and seven young grandchildren. We are a very busy family. Luckily, I was able to retire late 2013 so now can devote all of my time to Melange Books, which I started up in Jan. 2011. I’ve been writing, seriously, since 1983. Published for the first time in 2003, my Scottish Historical romance, The MacAulay Bride. I have written 6 full length novels, some under the pseudonym, Nancy Pirri, and erotica under Natasha Perry. I’ve also written several short stories published at various publishing houses.
As for wanting to be a writer? No, truth be told. While raising our four children, I had become an avid romance reader and decided after awhile that I would try my hand at a romance, though I always enjoyed writing in school. So, essentially, I was a late bloomer!

2. Bait Shop Blues takes place in northern Minnesota. Familiar territory?

Absolutely. The specific area is Crane Lake, a spit away from the Canadian border.

3. What inspired you to write the book?

**My family has vacationed up north, very near the Canadian border every year since 1982 and there is a ‘bait shop’ similar to Paradise to Gateway, as depicted in the book, and the cover art design.

4. How long did it take to write the book?

**6 months.

5. Cassandra has been described as a Marilyn Monroe look alike. She wants men to see her for more than her physical looks. Tell us what she’d want people to know about her.

**She’d want people to know she is a competent, savy businesswoman. She has made some major strides in her life, starting her own company and making it a success. She’d like people to know that she’s an independent woman, but vulnerable, lonely and needs people, but is afraid of forming a relationship with a man. She’s been stood up twice at the altar so who can blame her?

6. Leif challenges Cassandra to a boundary-waters canoe trip. Are you an outdoors woman who would gladly go on this kind of trip? Or did you do a lot of research?

**My outdoorsmanship leans toward gardening and hanging my wet laundry on clotheslines. I do enjoy sitting on the beach, reading, of course. But I also grew up fishing, first with my dad, and then with my husband who is an avid fisherman. And, living in Minnesota, it seems to ‘go with the territory-fishing’. I have done my share of fishing, canoeing and hiking.

7. Bait Shop Blues was once with another publisher. You regained the rights to the book. How did you decide now was the right time to rerelease it?

**I worked the past year, in bits and pieces, re-editing it. And because my first responsibility to Melange and my great authors, it was a slow procedure. I have the rights back for all of my books and hope to publish one a year over time.

8. You have a lot on your plate being a publisher and an author. How do you juggle it all?

**I worked a full-time job during the past 3 years while developing and managing Melange. I didn’t get much sleep but then I’ve never required a lot of it—or so I thought—until I retired December 2013. So now, with all of my days and nights being available to grow and work at Melange, I’ve also managed to catch up on sleep. I realize now I’ve been sleep-deprived since having my first child in 1981! As for being an author, I haven’t written anything new in 3 years but hope to do a bit this year.

9. Wearing your publisher’s hat, what advice would you give aspiring authors?

**An author must have discipline, drive and passion for writing in order to finish a story or novel. The most successful authors I know do not have college degrees in English or Creative Writing—some don’t have a college degree at all, but over the years have been avid readers. Some of them, from their joy of reading, decide over time that maybe they have a story to tell. The author that succeeds is one who will keep at it until they can type ‘The End’. The most talented wordmaster will not be successful if he/she is not disciplined.

10. As an author, would the advice still be the same?

**Yes.

11. What’s your favorite genre to read? Write in?

**I’ve recently learned to appreciate reading fantasy and some science fiction, but mostly I love women’s fiction and romance. I will always love writing romance and erotica and while I can appreciate reading other genres I just don’t have the desire to write anything else.

12. What else are you working on? Is there a sequel in the works for Leif and Cassandra?

**Nope. No sequels. I hope to re-publish my first novel, The MacAulay Bride before 2015.

Thanks for the interview, Nancy!

***Don’t miss out on this great giveaway!***

Prizes:

2-$15 Amazon Gift Cards

2-Ebook Copies of Bait Shop Blues

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/01288e12/

Bait Shop Blues by Nancy Pirri

Finding love shouldn’t be so hard…

What does a successful businesswoman born and bred in Chicago want with half-ownership of a quaint bait shop in northern Minnesota, willed to her by her grandfather? And how will the reclusive half-owner of the shop convince the woman to sell out her half to him? For Cassandra Thompson, a Marilyn Monroe look-alike who’s recently been dumped by her second fiancé in two years, it could mean a well-needed change in life. For Leif Halverson, a handsome man of Ojibwa extraction, and co-owner of the shop, it could mean disaster—like falling in love. Leif is far from happy about this city woman invading his territory so he challenges her to a wilderness survival contest where the winner takes all.

Buy Links:

Smashwords:https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/432153

Melange Books: Satin Romance: http://www.satinromance.com/authors/nancypirri/bsb.html

 About the Author

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Nancy Schumacher is the owner-publisher of Melange Books, LLC, writing under the pseudonyms, Nancy Pirri and Natasha Perry. Nancy started writing eighteen years ago while raising four children. She is a member of Romance Writers of America. She is also one of the founders of the Minnesota RWA chapter, Northern Lights Writers (NLW).

Nancy’s debut historical romance, THE MACAULAY BRIDE, set in late 19th century Scotland, was published in 2003. The debut book received several contest wins and received a TOP PICK award from Romantic Times Book Club publication in Oct. 2004. BAIT SHOP BLUES is her second full-length novel. She has written five full-length novels, and many stories included in anthologies with Melange Books, LLC.

 

Get in Touch With Nancy:

http://www.nancypirri.com

https://www.facebook.com/NancyPirriAuthor

https://twitter.com/MelangeBooks

http://www.melange-books.com/authors/nancypirri/nancypirri.html

 

 

 

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Call of the Canyon is now on Amazon with paperback still to follow. Second in my Young Adult series, Waiting for Dusk. There. I’m done advertising. Well, not really. I’ll give you a sneak peek of what’s to come.

Two Lives…
Two Worlds…
Heartbreak awaits.

Exciting, right? Well, you have to like young adult fiction and be into romance and fantasy and time travel. If not, that’s okay.

Writing comes easy. It’s the promotion that’s hard. Trust me, I know. I’m a reviewer, too, and I see all the emails that come into the website’s mailbox. I’ll share a few funny ones with you.

One person started his greeting with he’ll take any kind of review–good, bad or indifferent. What? Really? He’s been sitting in the queue for months; no one’s touching that one. Still there, as far as I know.  I wonder why? I want someone to wish with all their might for a good review. Be sure of themselves but just not over the top.

Another person almost made it to my review folder until I got to the bottom of the email and checked out his list of rules. Rules? You don’t give the reviewer rules! Sorry, back to the main list, let someone else deal with your rules if they want.

The “Hey, what’s happening? I have a good book for you to read” is also a turn-off. Remember when asking anyone to read your book, blog, news article, be respectful. The reviewer will appreciate it and give it proper consideration.

So I’m not going to ask you to read my book at all costs, even if it’s not your genre or interests you and may give it an indifferent review. I won’t give you rules or ask you what’s happening. I’ll just respectfully ask, if it interests you, please take a peek. And if you do, I say this with tongue-in-cheek humor; I may become your new favorite author.

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working_class_heroThis post is dedicated to my fellow writers…whether you write novels, short stories, screen plays, blog or secretly write for yourself…don’t give up. I recently read a sad entry. An author with my same publisher blogged she would no longer write anymore of her series. Her words were from the heart and as I read I felt the pain.

She said she wasn’t in it for the money, she just wanted some interest. I think all writers feel that same way. You want someone to notice your work.

Before I read that post, I had begun to analyze this new world of books. So much is out there…self-published books, books with small press publishers and books with the big guys. The last group gets the most attention and publicity. The little guys struggle to get noticed.

When I started feeling sorry for myself, I thought about the entertainment industry. If you think about it, movies have just a handful of stars. Some of them make two or three films a year. Only those chosen few get to make the big blockbusters. Same goes for music or any creative art. These people are stars because of talent, word of mouth, being in the right place at the right time or just plain luck.

I decided the rest of us are working class heroes. We may have to try harder even though our work is just as good or better.

Creativity is a very solitary thing. You have to look inward to find it but maybe it’s time to look around. Let’s open our eyes. Yeah, I’m guilty of reading the next best seller or watching that blockbuster movie just like the next person.

I recently read some self-published books when I became a reviewer. I never would have if it wasn’t part of the job. Some of those books were quite good, others not so much but that’s how it is for everything, right? I’m glad I was exposed to something I never would have explored on my own. It’s encouraged me to explore some more.

I try to read other author friends’ books and support them. If I feel someone would enjoy those books, I recommend them. Just a drop in the bucket, but any drop will do.

So get the word out. Tell people about new or up-and-coming authors, a blog you like or a small play you went to. Browse the internet for on-line publishers and see what books they offer. Read book reviews of other bloggers and follow through on their recommendations.

Let’s not let another author who is talented and has much to give the world, give up. I know there’s too much information out there these days. We’re in an information overload society and I think we let the media tell us what’s good because it’s easy. We’re forgetting to think for ourselves.

We are the working class heroes and guess what? It’s a very large group. We could make a difference.

 

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I’m in the middle of edits for my second book. Since I don’t drink coffee or smoke cigarettes I can’t paint you a picture of my desk filled with those things. No coffee rings or a collection of half-filled mugs surround me. A cup of tea is more my style.

Writing is a lonely job, but when I start edits, it feels like someone else is now involved in my story. First instinct is to say, “How dare you?”  After careful consideration some suggestions make sense.

Writing is subjective. What one person loves, another may not. I recently had an author friend get a not-so-great review. She sent me an email to cry on my shoulder. She was hurt. We, authors, are sensitive souls and want everyone to love our work.

I read the review, and because it wasn’t about my book, I tried to find the positives…like in editing. There were a few comments that could be turned around into constructive criticism but I came to the conclusion the book wasn’t for this particular reader. It wasn’t her cup of tea. The author’s book has 20 other good reviews, so again, it’s subjective.

Editing has a place in all our lives. Sometimes we need someone to point out mistakes and we need to fix them. Sometimes, not. I think it’s how we go about it that makes the difference.

Funny how doing a simple thing like editing can make you start thinking about life in general. How you treat people. Is it okay to edit them? Sure, as long as we accept some editing in our own lives. It’s just how you go about it.

The next time you want to write an unkind review or critique a friend’s choices or give an opinion, you may want to edit that comment before it gets put out there in the world. It’s all in the way you say it. Look for the positive. You may make someone’s day.

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