Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
To date, I have written ten books, but only seven are published. My first five books were published by Kensington Books in the 1990s. In 2012 they were electronically published by Tirgearr Publishing. At present, I am an Indie author. All my books are available at Amazon. I hope to have two more books published in 2017.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Love’s Race to the Future. The story is set at a fictitious ghost town in Idaho. A visit to Silver City, Idaho, last year, prompted the book idea.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I generally spend all day, every day, at the computer but much of my time is spent on email and promotional efforts which cut into my writing time. I am, instinctively, a pantser, but find I have better results by plotting before I begin to type. I do character sketches and research my location, as well as learning what I can about what my characters have done and will do for a living. I like to visit the locations I write about and tend to set stories in places I’m familiar with. You can learn a lot by reading about locations, but you can’t smell the flowers or feel the wind on your face.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been greatly influenced by A.B. Guthrie, Larry McMurtry, Nora Roberts, Elizabeth Lowell, Penelope Williamson and Lucia St. Clair Robson. I’ve read and been influenced by a great many more authors than can be listed here.
What are you working on now?
My current WIP is a novella for a series called Rocky Mountain Romances which will be due out in July. The setting is Sheridan, Wyoming and the story centers around the beginnings of the rodeo and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I try many methods and websites. I believe the best advertisement is word of mouth, but people can’t talk about your work if they don’t read it, so it must be promoted.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Take into consideration that publishing will change your life. Writing will take prevalence over everything else, and once you are published your workload triples. This is especially true for Indie authors. When I first published, I was shocked by all the new tasks I had to do. Writing is only part of an author’s work. If you publish with a traditional publisher, you also give up a good deal of freedom over what you write. They are your employer and you write what they want.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what you love
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading a romance by Linda Broday
What’s next for you as a writer?
The next book, then another book, and another.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d bring Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, The Way West by A. B. Guthrie, the latest book by Lynn Kurland and a large research book on the old west.
Author Websites and Profiles
Charlene Raddon Website
Charlene Raddon Amazon Profile
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