Author Interview: Michelle Muto

THE BOOK OF LOST SOULS

by Michelle Muto

Synopsis

When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumor: Like father, like daughter. Ivy has heard it all before – that her father, who left when she was seven – was involved with the darkest of magic.

Making the rumors worse, someone uses an evil spell book to bring back two of history’s most nefarious killers. Ivy’s got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits that want her and her friends dead: the school’s resident bad boy and hotter-than-brimstone demon, Nick Marcelli. Nick’s offering Ivy more than his help with recovering the missing book – he’s offering her a way to ditch her scaly reputation as a lizard-lover. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and as Ivy soon discovers, it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to survive long enough to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end.

Hunks, hexes, and magical mayhem!

Amazon for Kindle
Barnes & Noble for Nook
Smashwords for eBook
Coming soon to iBook, Sony, Kobo, and more!

INTERVIEW With Michelle

FF: Let's start with a little bit about your back ground.

Michelle: I'm married, with dogs. Yes, one of them really IS a Beezlepup. Kidding. But, he is the inspiration for Devlin, the Beezlepup in the book. By day, I'm a freelance tech writer when the work is there, and a fiction writer when it's not. As a kid, my favorite past time was spending hours at the library or entire rainy afternoons reading. I guess I've always wanted to be surrounded by the written word.

FF: We love the fresh spin on the supernatural world! How did you come up with the idea for Book of Lost Souls?

Michelle: I've always loved stories about witches. Who wouldn't want to be magic? And, I've always loved humorous stories. There's just not enough of them, in my opinion. One day, this small town teen witch came to mind. All she wanted was a normal, verycontrollable life. Despite her best efforts, she discovers her life is as far from normal as it gets and at times, it's total chaos

FF: What can readers expect out of this story?

Michelle: I hope some good laughs, some palm-sweating, swoon-worthy romance, and loyal friendship. Oh, and a cast of eclectic, memorable characters along with some fast-paced action.

FF: What forms of research did you do for this novel? Anything unique?

Michelle: I did some research on Vlad the Impaler and Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Creepy.

FF: Can you tell us more about your current projects?

Michelle: I'm editing a darker, more emotional tale, set in a different world than Souls and writing a new book.

FF: Any teasers about what you’ll be publishing next?

Michelle: It's a heart-rendering, haunting tale of a girl who discovers death isn't at all what she thought it'd be. In places, I think it's a guaranteed tear jerker. In others, it's downright horror. And the ending is well, you'll have to wait until this summer to read it. Think a darker, more supernatural novel in the vein of The Lovely Bones.

FF: Any advice for aspiring author's on the publication process?

Michelle: Write. Always keep writing. Keep digging into your work and find areas where you need improvement. And always let your imagination run wild.

FF: Lastly I’d like to blast a few personal tidbits out to our readers

A must when you are writing...

Complete solitude and quiet. No music, no interruptions.

Book you are currently reading...

The Rite, by Matt Baglo. I meant to read the book before

I saw the movie,

but it didn't work out that way.

Favorite Quote...

If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right. ~Henry Ford

Thank you for the opportunity to pick your brain Michelle. I thoroughly enjoyed Lost Souls and

am eagerly anticipating your next project.

Super-Magic-Word-Count-Upper

...Or: The Only Way I'm Able to Reach My Word Count Goals Each Day

Over the last couple of months, the group has gotten some great amusement at giving me a hard time when I manage to kill my word count almost every day. The truth is, my word count smashing isn't quite as miraculous as it may appear. In fact, I typically only write during my lunch breaks anymore, because my evenings have become devoted to revisions, writing theatre articles, and doing whatever work I need to do for Harry Potter Alliance.

Actually, I fully devote my ability to get large amounts of words down during lunch to my fellow Fiction Flurriers. I wouldn't have even known this magical device existed if it hadn't come up in conversation during one of our meetings a while ago.



This shiny bit of plastic has been almost literally attached to my side ever since I bought one off of Ebay back toward the beginning of the year. It's called an Alphasmart 3000, and I love it dearly.

Essentially, it's a word processor. It can hold up to eight saved files at a time and it's small enough to fit in a small bag. The screen space is limited, so I feel less temptation to edit myself as I type, because I can only see about five lines of prose at a time. I usually get terrible writer's cramp when I write freehand, so this means I get a lot more written during my 45-minute lunch breaks than I used to.

And the best part is, when I get home in the evenings, I just hook my Alphasmart up to my computer and it transfers what I wrote directly into my manuscript's file. It actually "simulates the keyboard," so it's fun to watch the words zoom across the document as they're transferred!

I would highly recommend an Alphasmart 3000 to any writer who may find themselves away from their computer for hours at a time, but still wants to get a decent amount written. Mine wasn't expensive--you can find Alphasmarts on Ebay for twenty or thirty bucks. They run on AA batteries, which can be even cheaper if you use rechargables like I do, plus they're ridiculously user friendly, proven by the fact I completely took mine apart and put it back together when I first got it.

But that's a different story for a different day.

The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto

Wow does this YA book start off strong! Such a new take on the world of the supernatural! The author has a distinct voice with none of the teenage angst typical of today's novels. The comedic conversations between the three best friends comes through fresh and real.

Synopsis:

When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumor: Like father, like daughter. Ivy has heard it all before - that her father, who left when she was seven – was involved with the darkest of magic.

Making the rumors worse, someone uses an evil spell book to bring back two of history's most nefarious killers. Ivy's got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits that want her and her friends dead: the school’s resident bad boy and hotter-than-brimstone demon, Nick Marcelli. Nick’s offering Ivy more than his help with recovering the missing book – he’s offering her a way to ditch her scaly reputation as a lizard-lover. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and as Ivy soon discovers, it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to survive long enough to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end.

Hunks, hexes, and magical mayhem! $1.99

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Review:

I must say that this cover is quite alluring. It immediately drew my interest and I had to find out more. I was pleasantly surprised to find the story is a blessedly fresh new take on the supernatural world. There is a lot of mystery, plotting, subterfuge and generous handfuls of comedy throughout the story. While there is a love triangle, it does not overwhelm and derail the plot line. I particularly liked the group of friends and their intra-dynamic.

The story itself is fast-paced, had me laughing out loud and rooting for bad-boy love interest Nick. This YA novel is definitely worth the wait.

Watch for my author interview coming soon!

If you're interested in learning more about Michelle Muto check out her website.

Self-Publishing Your Novel as an Ebook

During our most recent writers' group meeting, the topic of ebook publishing made for quite lively discussion.  Landing an agent and publishing with a traditional house is no guarantee of financial success.  Authors who travel the traditional route to publication often find themselves with the sole burden of marketing only to take home just a sliver of royalties. Why not do all the marketing you know you're going to have to do anyway and keep most of the royalties for yourself.

Whooosh.  Do you hear that?  It's the  mass exodus of writers from traditional publishing.

Okay, maybe I exaggerate...a little.

As a reader, I know that a hard copy book I purchase from the bookstore has been through the vetting process by layers of agents and editors.  I can expect a traditionally published book to be nearly free of grammatical and typographical errors.  A risk I take, as a reader, in purchasing a self published ebook is that the quality might be poor.  What's the trade-off?  The price might be as low as 99 cents, so I haven't lost much if the ebook is the cherry on the dung heap of literary crap.

There was an interseting article last month by Carolyn McCray on Digital Book World.  If you really want to post some good numbers for your e-book sales, it takes planning and foresight to make it happen.  Some pointers are obvious, like the use of social media to publicize your book.  Others, as McCray points out, have to do with knowing how to work Amazon to your advantage. 

Ask your friends and family to post a few "seed" book reviews of your book to grease the sales wheel.  Make sure a potential buyer knows the genre of the book.  Ask friends to buy your book on Amazon and then purchase one or two other books so that the Amazon "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" gadget will populate.  When reading McCray's article, make sure to scroll through the comments.  She graciously offered feedback on commenters' Amazon pages.

One of the things we do at our Fiction Flurry group meetings is to discuss our progress with finding agents or publishers who have accepted our work.  It's terribly frustrating.  We see in each other's work beauty and potential, but getting a busy agent to see the same qualities sometimes feels like it might take an act of God.  It's plain to see why self publishing, and better yet self e-publishing is becoming such a draw for so many writers.  But e-publishing should not be considered the easy way out.  There's platform building to be done, Facebook and Twitter marketing, cover design, Amazon strategies, and personal appearances to be scheduled.  Of course, all this only comes after your novel is in pristine condition.  Hiring a professional editor before self publishing is SO worth the money.  Your reward?  Larger royalty percentages and control over the process.

Some of us at Fiction Flurry are giving self e-publishing serious consideration.  We'd love to hear your experiences with the process.  What are the drawbacks that you've come across?  Better yet, we'd love to hear about your successes! 

Here are a few books that may help you in the process:

Are You A Cry Baby?

In light of events over the past week, this post is dedicated to critique etiquette. As a writer you must be able to accept criticism in order to improve in your craft. I once heard this great piece of advice regarding criticism: If it is false, ignore it, if it contains some truth, consider the source, and if it is true, learn from it. Nothing turns off agents and editors more than a defensive writer. Here are a few tips in order to avoid over-reacting to a harsh critique.

* Take a deep breath - This really works. Before your review or meeting, take a deep breath and relax. A bad review isn't the end of the world, it's only the beginning of the re-write.

* Read the critique then put it down for a little. Go for a walk and think about the areas that were pointed out that need improvement. Is there some truth to the critique? How can you improve your writing?

*Never react in anger, it only leads to trouble. An email shot off in anger, or a response quickly spoken can never be retrieved, and in fact can damage your image as a professional. Instead, think of a polite response. If you can't think of one at the time, wait a day or so, maybe what you have to say is best left unspoken.

*Always thank an editor/agent for their time. A handwritten note goes a long way. If you don't have time, even a simple email helps establish you as a professional.

*Be willing to help others. The publishing business is harsh. Take every opportunity you have to help others, you'll be well received for all of your efforts, plus it makes the process so much more enjoyable.

*Finally, if you do receive a bad review....take a few moments to sulk privately, then fire-up your computer and start the re-write...you'll be glad you did!

This Book Trailer Made Me Giggle!

Thought I'd share something that made me laugh today! Watch all the way to the end, so funny!







If You Were Here is going on my TBR list. Jen Lancaster has a great sense of humor!

Fresh Face Giveaway Winner!!

Our Winner is LISA!! Thanks to all who entered!

My Muse and Inspiration

Unfortunately, it has been a few weeks since I've had the opportunity to write. Both my sister and grandmother are clamoring for the next installment of my manuscript and frankly so am I. Not only have I missed creating my characters and their world but honestly I want to know what happens next. I guess you'd classify me as a 'seat of your pants' writer. This is my second attempt at my first novel. Yep, you read that right. Second attempt, first novel four years into the process at this point.

Shrieks are coming from the floor beside me as I type this post. Both my children are home and running rampant as usual. So what is a girl to do when there are constant distractions and interruptions. Why the answer is simple...build yourself a creative writing world!

My adoration and appreciation go out to Sabrina Jeffries, one of my favorite writers. I took her advice to heart and I'm going to share it with you.

"First, learn to be selfish sometimes. You already give more to your family than the average person. Don’t let your loved ones make you feel guilty about taking something for yourself. If you don’t take what you need, you won’t write and you will go crazy. Establish boundaries and protect them fiercely. If you don’t have a room that you can dedicate to writing, then find a corner, but make it yours alone. Fill it with objects and books that inspire your writing—dictionaries, inspiring quotations, etc. If you have a family typewriter or computer, set hours during which only you are allowed to use it. I know it is hard to tell your husband (or wife) that you can’t type that letter to the insurance company until after you write your three pages, but you must treat yourself as a professional before anyone else will treat you as one."*

I took this to heart and began by creating a 'Novel' file on my desktop. Anytime I had an idea it went in there, my notes, my inspirations, pictures of people I use when I describe my characters looks, photos of scenery, buildings, maps etc. I have a whole world pieced together that I can browse. This helps me get in the mind set of my story. I've heard other authors talk about their writing space. And you know what, they all talk about having similar puzzle pieces for their muse around them in one version or another. Either up around their working space or in a portable version.

In theory, I have a library in my mostly finished basement with a beautiful built in bookshelf my husband created. It is lined floor to ceiling with books that I love. I've an amazingly comfortable chaise lounge where I while away hours reading said novels. I also have a newly installed wireless internet system. A hand-crafted framed bulletin/cork board posted on the wall doubling as the entrance cover to my crawl space. I am patiently awaiting the money tree fairy to make a generous donation to my account so that I can finish this basement project. I wish for nothing more than to happily relocate from my particle board desk in my kitchen to the cozy space my Shining Knight created for me.

What is stopping me? A desk or laptop. At this point I don't really care which comes first. Currently I'm anchored to an ancient desktop with an 18" deep monitor that flickers. I long for the moment I can print my inspirational items and hang them around my creative space. My wonderful husband has declared he will be making my built in desk to match my bookcases. Did I mention the large bookcase anchored to a piano hinge that will swing out from the wall to access the utility area? I have a very uniquely designed 300 sq ft basement that we have squeezed every spare inch out of. I am very thankful for my handyman of a hubby who may look at me like I've lost my mind but attempt to create my haven anyway. But I digress. Until the day finally comes that I have my writing oasis I am learning creative ways to have one anyway.

In my 'Novel' folder I have letters my characters have written. Pictures of locations, places and people. Anything that brings my story to life. I have a whole file simply of discards, things I needed to know creating my imaginary world but my readers don't.

At our last writer's meeting a member showed me her portable version. She had a notebook with her that was simply AMAZING! I have pondered the advisability of creating one myself. There were character synopses, outlines using sticky notes that she could rearrange, photos and much much more. Needless to say I was supremely impressed. While I'd thought of carrying around a small notebook which fits in my purse, for the express purpose of jotting ideas when and wherever they struck, I hadn't thought to package my inspiration in such a fashion as to make it portable. Thanks for the tips Erin!

When you get discouraged and struggle with immersing yourself in the world you've created. Don't forget to get out those mementos of inspiration. Just as setting is important to characters, let your setting help you.

*http://www.sabrinajeffries.com/zindex.cfm?fuseaction=author&pageID=17