Monday Author Meetup: R.C. Drake and A Supernatural Mystery

Visiting today is my friend, R. C. Drake. I met R.C. on Amazon’s Meet Our Authors forum, where she hosts a very popular thread called The Writer’s Corner, now in it’s 17th edition.

About the author:

R.C. Drake is from a small town in Southeast Texas, where she owns and operates a small business. She is married with two fine sons, two beautiful granddaughters, and a wonderful grandson. Currently she has seven books published, all of which are available in paperback, five of which are available on eBook.

Her latest release, “Where Is She Now?” is a murder mystery, set in the beautiful Colorado mountains. She is currently working on a trilogy, a fantasy about dragons and mythical creatures. A post apocalyptic setting is the backdrop for this novel, due out in late 2014-2015. Follow the Author’s website for updates on this and future upcoming events.

She thoroughly hopes you enjoy her work, and invites you to email her or visit her website. (See link below)

Welcome, R.C. Let’s start by having you tell us how you began writing.

Sure thing, Lyn. I hadn’t even considered writing until I was in my late 50’s. I was digging in an old box of collected things that had belonged to my mother, and there were some old poems I had written in there. They needed polishing and that was the restart of a beautiful relationship.

Did someone inspire you to write? Who and how?

When my mother was alive she tried very hard to encourage me to write, because she liked the poems I wrote. The muse didn’t hit me until after she passed away and I was much older.

What’s your best time of day to write? On average, how many hour a day do you write?

At odd times during the day I am struck to write, but mostly when I’m alone and everything is quiet. There are many days I am not inspired at all, so that is why I set no deadlines for finishing a novel. I can’t properly collect my thoughts unless I am in the muse.

I can certainly relate to that. Do you use scented candles, music, wine, chocolate, etc., to put you in the mood to write?

I am a coffee drinker, so a nice cup of hot coffee is a good drive for me.

Describe your favorite place to write.

Have laptop will travel. I sit in bed, go outside on my patio, stare out the window from my desk, sit in my swing in my front yard, whenever I am in the mood to write, the location can be random.

Do you ever wear your PJs or nightgown all day while writing?

Ha ha ha! Yep, been there, done that.

Do you ever write naked?

You are funny, Lyn. Nope can’t say I’ve done that, not yet anyway.

Can you write amid noisy distractions or do you need absolute quiet?

I must have peace and quiet. The TV has to be off or turned down very low. I can’t talk to anyone when I’m writing because they interrupt my train of thought. I prefer the house to be empty, with no traffic in and out.

Do you use a pen name? If so, how did you choose it?

R. C. Drake is the name I write under. Rhonda is my first name but my middle name doesn’t start with a C. I chose ‘C’ for my youngest son Cody. He aided me with suggestions for my dragon series, which was actually the first book I started writing. Drake is my real last name.

Are your books published by a large publishing house or small press? If so, how did you come to be with this publisher?

My first five publications are with a large publishing house. However, I do not recommend them to anyone. I was unhappy with the price tag they placed on my books as well as the way they charged me for every single thing they did promotion wise.

Are you self-published? If so, what made you choose this route?

I self-published my last two novels and will continue to self-publish from now on. I love the freedom of self-publishing and knowing exactly where and when my books sell. As well as the personal contact with the Readers, that is not something you get with a publisher.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Why?

I actually just write and the plots flow, I change things, of course, as something more fresh hits me, but no, I can’t say I plan or plot ahead. I do have the ending of my novel in my head before I begin to write, and always aim toward that goal.

How do you develop your plots and your characters?

They truly ‘develop’ as I write. I can’t say I have ever come up with a character BEFORE I started writing. Their personality, name and looks, anything that is part of them just seems to flow as the story takes shape. I always have to go back and write my character list while the story is developing. Their age and mode of dress come to me as they grow within the context of the story itself.

Do you see yourself in some of your characters?

Always Lyn, I am a character in every book I’ve written. Not my entire persona, but bits and pieces of me are there.

How and where do you research for your books?

I like getting personal information about locations and weather from people that actually live in the locations I use. I communicate with individuals that live there. Sights, sounds and the temperament of a location are something best described firsthand by being there.

Does your significant other and/or family support your writing career?

They support me, however my husband and one of my sons simply do not read. I am lucky that my mother in law and oldest son like to read.

Have you ever written a book together with another author?

Not to date, but that is a prospect I would not reject, if presented.

Do you have critique partners and/or beta readers?

Oh goodness yes, they are the lifeblood of my writing. I don’t know what I would do without my Beta Readers. I have three that I treasure. Of course I always gift copies to my friends and family and they critique as well, and my fellow Authors give me inspiration and critiques as well. When my Readers speak I listen to them too. Another great thing about self-publishing is that, even after the book is released to the public, you can alter insufficiencies that are found within the text. I have learned a lot from my Readers. They are after all, the ones I am working for. I write to please myself and because the muse just demands it, but I am all about my Readers.

Are your books professionally edited?

Yes it is necessary, as far as I am concerned, to have professional eyes be the last thing that touches your books before you release them out into the world. Even professional editors can miss things though, so at times even after going through Beta Readers and being critiqued, once the Editor has finished their final edits, mistakes can still be found. Just another reason I like self-publishing, you can still repair the damage and make your book the best that it can possibly be.

Who designs your book covers?

My publisher designed the covers for my first five books. I designed the one for Crystal Clear, A Supernatural Mystery, and I had the design for Where Is She Now redone a bit by a professional cover designer.

Your cover for Crystal Clear is mysterious! Congrats for doing such a good job! Now here’s a little peak into the book.

Crystal Clear, A Supernatural Mystery

Book blurb:

Susan is unable to cope with the losses she has recently suffered, so to ease her pain, she clings to her memories.  However, she is unaware of the history of one of her family members.  As she clings to her loved ones memory she inadvertently opens a portal between our world, the realm of the living, and the chasm of the lost. In this void, lurks evil, an evil no human eyes have ever witnessed.  Susan unknowingly allows this portal to remain open far too long, allowing this entity to see into our world.  Through this opening between the two chasms, this evil entity now desires what it sees.

Excerpt:

Crystal’s aura swept in front of Alice’s face with the hideous imagery of four eyes sitting in hollowed out eye sockets.  The mouth opened wide as if it intended to swallow Alice whole.  Black hair billowed all around the drifting image of an inhuman form.  A most vociferous sound was emanating from the imagery.  The noise, which seemed to resonate from within the shell itself, thundered within the walls and echoed painfully in Alice’s ears.  The stench within the room that permeated from the sheer evil that had established itself there, was almost intolerable.  Alice quickly realized that she had underestimated Crystal’s fury.  She knew immediately that she was no match for this entity.  Crystal had grown immensely in strength as her wrath had increased.  Alice would have turned and immediately left the room, but at that moment Crystal decided she no longer wanted her to leave.  She prevented her from exiting, by forcefully slamming the door shut.  Then she flung several pieces of furniture hazardously in front of the door to further block any means of escape.

Alice began to shout at Crystal above the incessant din, “What is it you want from me?”

Suddenly, Crystal’s gaping mouth closed and the ghost-like image backed away from Alice.  Then the likeness of Caroline reappeared, almost angelic in nature, and began to slowly float around the room.  Crystal was presenting herself in human form once again, as she stole the likeness of Caroline’s innocence.

A sadistic smile slowly began to spread across the stolen face, as Crystal shouted at Alice, ‘You old fool, I want nothing from you.  This is the body I desired, and you have now stolen it from me!”

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Clear-Supernatural-Mystery-Drake-ebook/dp/B004GHNIMK

Also available for Nook on Barnes & Noble, and on Smashwords. Paperback is available through Amazon and at Createspace:  https://www.createspace.com/3587971

Look for all of R.C.’s books on Amazon or her website.

Visit R.C. on these sites:

www.rcdrake.weebly.com/

http://www.amazon.com/R.C.-Drake/e/B004PI7KY2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1398947887&sr=1-1

www.authorsden.com/rcdrake

https://twitter.com/@RCDrakeAuthor

Or you may contact her here: myhouseresale@gmail.com