Betty Sullivan La Pierre, Guest Author

This week my guest author is Betty Sullivan La Pierre who writes the Hawkman mysteries along with other novels of suspense and mystery. She’s an interesting woman and I think you’ll enjoy learning more about her. By the way, if you leave a comment at the end of this interview, you’ll be entered to win a copy of Moonshine Murder, Betty’s latest book. Welcome, Betty!



Betty: Thank you, I'm very happy to be here.

Marja:       Betty, it’s great to have you stop in for a visit. I know that at one time you worked with signed and rare books, and I find that fascinating. Would you please tell us a little about your background?


Betty:  That was many years ago... But it started with me going to garage sales with my husband.  Back then you were able to find real bargains on many items plus first editions.  It threw me into research, and I also bought reference books which helped me toward picking the author's books worth reselling.  I did this for several years and had a few great successes--like the time I picked up a children's book for ten cents and sold it for a hundred dollars.  Now that was exciting.  Since, it seems people are more aware of the value of things, so you don't get the deals, then postage went up, so it came to the point it wasn't worth my effort.  During this time the thought of writing a mystery kept popping into my mind.  My boys had grown up and didn't require so much of my attention, so I decided to give up the rare book business and devote my time to writing.   


Marja: Working with rare books sounds so interesting. What was the turning point that made you start writing mysteries? Who is Hawkman and what inspired him?


Betty:  I always loved reading mysteries, so guess it wasn't much of a decision on what I wanted to write. I wanted my characters intriguing. Little did I realize that Hawkman had started forming in my mind way back in my high school years while dabbling with oil painting. I'd seen a picture of an Indian warrior with a falcon on his arm and the image was embedded into my brain and kept coming forward. In fact, I still have the picture stuck away in my box of memories.  Anywho, Hawkman began to form.  I wanted him handsome, well built, compassionate, and have a pet falcon, yet he had to be tough as nails.  Being from Oklahoma, I'd say the cowboy type, but he needed a flaw.  Therefore, the eye-patch, explained in the first book of the series—The Enemy Stalks.  Which you can get as a free download at:  http://www.obooko.com/obooko_thriller/bookpages/thr0098_enemy_stalks_lapierre.php

Marja:  As far as why you write mysteries, I think we’re on the same page. You decided to take your own road to being published, long before the Kindle came along. Would you tell us about that? It sure seems to be working.


Betty:  I didn't plan originally to write a series, so while sending "The Enemy Stalks' out to the big houses, I wrote another mystery/suspense—Murder.com.  I kept getting rejections on The Enemy Stalks and got very deflated and discouraged.  I finished Murder.com and began to hear about e-books, so sent it to an e-publisher while waiting for more responses on Enemy and lo and behold it got accepted.  I was elated. However, it turned out the house that took it was fraudulent and I never received one dime of royalties. It took awhile to get my rights back, but I finally got them.  This house was soon banned from the internet and I've never seen it up again.  Good riddance to bad stuff. 


All of this was quite a bad experience, but I didn't let it get me down.  I plunged ahead and decided to forget the big houses, researched other e-publishers and sent in Enemy.  Great guy, he told me how to correct my manuscript and resubmit.  By the way, it took me seven years to get Enemy published from start to this point.  Once I had the book in good shape, he took both Enemy and Murder.com.  I was with him for several years before he had to close down as he could see the e-book business starting to expand, and being he had to work a full time job to keep his family in food and clothing, he couldn't give his authors the time it required to be successful, so he had to give up the publishing business. 


By this time, I had several books under my belt and didn't know if any e-publisher would want to take on a series.  But I lucked out and met Deb Staples of SynergEbooks.  She took me in with all my books and any I've written since.  She's a great publisher and has our books all over the internet.  E-book sales are sky-rocketing and I couldn't be happier.    


Marja:  And being happy is half the battle. I met you when you came to Nevada to do a presentation at the library. I enjoyed meeting you and now I’m hooked on Hawkman. Your latest book is Moonshine Murder, and it sounds pretty exciting. Would you tell us a little about the story?



Betty:  That's been several years ago, Marja and to think we've stayed in contact ever since.  I think that's great, and I've enjoyed you so much, and your books. Love Bogey Man....


Marja: Thank you so much, Betty!


Betty:  When I first started Moonshine Murder, I really didn't know where I was going.  My characters began to guide me and I had a ball.  Here's a short description that will give you an idea about the story.


Hawkman is very suspicious of the Hutchinsons, and worries when his wife, Jennifer, becomes fond of this dysfunctional family.  He does some clandestine investigating and discovers a copper still on the property.  It isn’t long before a murder takes place and the Hutchinson family disappears. They couldn’t have gone far, as their only means of transportation was a buckboard drawn by a couple of horses. However, they’ve eluded everyone, and Hawkman makes plans to discover where they went. 

 

Marja:  You made a book trailer for Moonshine Murder, which I enjoyed very much. How did you obtain permission to use Copperline Hills for the music in the trailer? You included some interesting pictures of stills, too. (By the way, folks, we’re talking about the kind of still you use to make hooch.) Did you have to get permission to use the photos?


Betty:  While doing research and looking up the types of stills, I came across Colonel Wilsons Copper Moonshine Stills (http://www.coppermoonshinestills.com) and on that first page he had the song "Copperline Hills" by the "Nowhere Road Band", vocalist-Danny Thompson.


I spotted an email address on the Colonel's page, and knowing this was a company, I better not just snitch the pictures as I could see me getting sued. So I quick wrote him a note, told him who I was, gave him some links to find me so he'd know I was legit. Within a day I received a note from him telling me 'I could use any of the pictures I wanted.'  I was thrilled.


I loved the song on his site and took down the information supplied about the band.  Turns out the Colonel’s link for the tune took me to MySpace. I did find a contact link, wrote a note--but no response came. I didn't give up, and Googled the band, found their web page and another contact link. So I wrote another e-mail, similar to what I'd written the Colonel.  I thought, well, they'll probably come back and say “Yeah, sure I could use it for $10,000."  Yikes... What a wonderful surprise when I received an e-mail from Danny Thompson saying I had permission to use the song for my book trailer.  All he wanted was credit on the trailer, a copy of the book and the book trailer. I was dancing on the ceiling. Here's the link for the trailer in case your visitors haven't had a chance to view it:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd5XDGO7FOo


Marja:  How wonderful that they were so cooperative. On to another topic, how long does it take you to write a book? Do you have any particular process you use, like outlining? I play it by ear because I can’t stick to an outline.


Betty:  It takes approximately a year from start to finish, which means, rewritten however many times is needed, edited and polished for submission.  There is no way I could turn a book out in any shorter time.  As far as any process, I don't outline, I'd never follow it, because once my characters take over, I don't have much of a say.


Marja:  When you’re not writing, what type of books do you enjoy reading?


Betty: Any type of Mystery/Suspense.  I love the plotting of books, and I learn as I read.


Marja: Do you have any words of wisdom for writers who are just starting out?


Betty:  Never, never, never give up.  Someone out there will like what you write, regardless of the genre.  Make sure you do your research, join a critique group, do not take offense to their critiques, have big shoulders; it will only make you a better writer.  When you've polished your manuscript, which means, read it out loud, amazing what errors you can catch if you do this, check your spelling and make sure of your grammar.  Then submit your story, try not to think about it, and start another novel. 


Marja: Is there any one thing you’d like people reading this blog to know about you? Something that might prompt them to run right out and buy a book?


Betty:  Boy, I wish I knew the magic words. I'd just like to encourage people to give one of my books a try. They're in all formats: downloads, Kindle, Nook and print; from my publisher-SynergEbooks, Amazon, B&N, my website and many other sites.  Marja will list the links that will take you to my books or just Google my name and you'll find me.

Marja: Betty, thank you so much for stopping in today and sharing with us. I wish you the best with your books and writing, and I hope you’ll stop in again one day.


Betty: Thank you, Marja, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I'd like to remind your visitors to be sure and leave a comment so their name is included in the drawing for an autographed copy of my latest book, Moonshine Murder.


Betty’s website: http://www.bettysullivanlapierre.com

Publisher: SynergEbooks - eBooks - Mystery 5

Books available at: Amazon Kindle & Print:  http://tinyurl.com/4xaze44

Nook: http://tinyurl.com/798aye7

You can see the book trailer for Moonshine Murder at http://tinyurl.com/cvb59f or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd5XDGO7FOo


CLICK HERE to return to Marja McGraw’s Home Page

CLICK HERE for a visit to Amazon.com

CLICK HERE to see a book trailer for Old Murders Never Die

CLICK HERE to see a book trailer for Bogey Nights

Posted by Marja McGraw at 1/9/2012 7:50 AM
Categories: Authors, Guest Author, Questions for Authors, Reading, Fiction Writers, Marja McGraw, Books, Suspense, Book Marketing and Promotion, Contest, eReaders, Mysteries, eBooks
Tags: Marja McGraw Blog Fiction Writers Mystery Blog Mystery writer Authors Mystery Readers Book Promotion Writing Mysteries New books suspense Questions for Authors Author Interview Marja's Mystery Blog Betty Sullivan La Pierre
 

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