Welcome to my first blog interview.
I am pleased
to introduce the lovely Clair Plaisted of Plaisted Publishing House.
.
Hello Claire. Tell us a bit about yourself.
I was bought
up in Cheshire, England with wonderful parents and two siblings. I moved to New Zealand in 1991 and married my
dream man in 1992. I have three children
and two cats. Over the last 15 years I
have been at home with my children.
During that time I became interested in Family History, doing a lot of
research for my husband’s line, (which is still ongoing) as well as helping
others. During my working life I have
worked in the fashion industry as a cutter and in retail.
What bought you to the world of writing?
In 2012 was
waiting for information for a Family History Book I was making, the information
was very slow in arriving (we all have busy lives). Bored, I opened a word document and started
to write. It was a Regency Historical
Romance, not overly surprising. I sent
the first three chapters to two friends.
They loved it and wanted more.
This novel is still to be published.
What is your first book and what do you think of it
now?
My first
book and best seller was actually a Family Reunion Book which I researched and
wrote in 2011. Still love it. My first novel is “The Mystery at Crosswick
Manor” as mentioned above. I look forward
to releasing it, one day. It is a good
story with the usual twists and turns.
It will be a series, I aim to have it published next year.
What type of books do you write and do they fulfil
your reader’s needs?
I write all
genre at present though published are adult detective mystery and children’s
books. Those who have read them ask for
more which is why my Garrett Investigation Bureau (GIB) Series is still
continuing. My children’s books keep
them interested, a few parents have said their children devour them, one child
who isn’t a reader loved my first kid’s book “Zoe’s Journey,” which was written
for 10 +.
Would you like to feature a book, if so which
one? Tell us about it?
“Girlie and
the War of the Wasps.” This is my next
children’s title and is set to be published in time for Christmas. It is about a young blue ladybug called
Girlie, who sees her best friend Grassi the Grasshopper kidnapped by mean
naughty wasps. She follows them and what
a surprise she gets. The quest to save
her village and change the antics of the wasp starts. She meets Sammie the kitten, Pedi the
centipede and many different coloured ladybugs along the way. A story for all ages; with an educational
message.
How long does it take you to write your first
draft?
I have not
really stopped to look, if I have the flow I will write as long as
possible. I first draft would take
around a month, depending on the interest I have in the subject. After this I put it away for 4 – 6 weeks and
start another one. If I do get stuck,
I’ll got to another draft and see if I can add more.
Do you plot or not, if so why?
Nope not
real plotting for me, my fingers type and the story unrolls. If I do get stuck I may leave it for a few
days or chuck ideas around with a couple of friends. These days I do simple character sheets,
especially for my series. I dislike it
when people get names and descriptions wrong in their books. I am very lucky with my Beta Readers who let
me know if I have or if something is repeated.
Do you write in 1st or 3rd
person, or have you do both?
I mainly
write in 3rd person. I have
written a couple of short stories in 1st person and I have a draft
with both, which is fun to do and a bit confusing.
How do you edit your work? Do you leave your draft alone for a while or
edit as you write?
Leave my
work for up to 6 weeks before a re-draft.
During that time the story goes out to my beta readers and editor so
they can give me some feedback and feed forward.
What type of people/readers do you market your
books to?
My adult
books are aimed at women and children or families with young children.
Do you self-publish or have you worked with an
Agent/Publisher
I
self-publish. I dislike getting rejected
with no feedback. You send something in
which is in the genre they want and the publisher says, “Not for us at this
time.” How many books have they missed which were fab. I am so glad authors self-publish; there are
some great books out there, which probably would never have made it through a
big publishing house.
How do you promote your writing?
Social
media, local books stores, newspapers and my website.
Where can we buy your books?
Print books
are available through most major online book stores, including Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, Fishpond and many more. My
eBooks are available via Smashwords, Kobo, Nook, Kindle and many more. They are even compatible with Apple.
Who are your favourite authors?
C S Lewis, A
A Milne, Enid Blyton for my children’s books.
Adult books, Linda Fairstein, Clive Cussler, J D Robb, Nora Roberts and
many more.
Links
Do you have any more information you’d like to
share with us?
I’d like to
share the cover for my children’s book “Girlie and the War of the Wasps.” It is a concept drawing which I will be
having a colouring in competition for local children.
Thank you
for your interest in my journey Catherine.
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