Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
Sea Changes grew out of my interest in the concepts of sanity and reality. Sanity is not an absolute. What is considered sane – and insane – varies from culture to culture, and from century to century. 2000 years ago, the Virgin Mary was honored. Today, she’d be medicated. So I decided to create a character who must decide for herself whether she is sane or insane, whether to trust her surroundings or her instincts.
What message are you trying to convey with this book?
That anything is possible.
Why did you choose your particular genre?
I didn’t. Reviewers are describing Sea Changes as a “genre-buster” –- because it doesn’t fit easily into any single genre. And that was deliberate. I don’t read genre fiction, and I’ve never written what’s called genre fiction. I wanted to create a novel that was different, unique. I wanted people to say, I’ve never read a novel like this (actually, one reviewer did say that). Of course, writing a book that doesn’t slot neatly into a genre is anathema to huge publishing conglomerates – which is why I went with a small, independent publisher. There’s nothing wrong with genre fiction. It fulfils a need. It’s comfort food for the mind. But it’s not what I write.
Do you have an agent? What were your experiences finding her/him?
I had an agent. Most readers don’t realize that agents are the new gate keepers, where American writing is concerned. Agents decide what will be published, and what won’t. Agents have taken over the work that used to be done by editors. Personally, I believe this is a bad situation for readers and an even worse situation for writers. It used to be that a talented, young writer had a chance at publication without first having to find an agent, but those days are gone. And believe me, compared to finding an agent, root canal work is unremitting joy. Happily for all of us (writers and readers, I mean) independent publishers are leaping into the breach, reading unsolicited manuscripts and publishing exciting, new works. Ten years from now, I suspect agents will mostly be a thing of the past. And that will not be a bad thing.
Do you blog? If so, what can you tell my readers about the advantages of blogging as a useful tool in book promotion?
My blog is Driving Chairman Bao and it wasn’t created as a tool for promotion, although many of the people who read it have expressed interest in Sea Changes. My blog is a “dog blog” – it’s about the day to day adventures (and vicissitudes) of my “pack” — me and my Shih Tzu, Bao (don’t ask who the pack leader is!). That having been said, I think a blog is an advantage for an author, especially an author who writes fiction. Readers often want to know more about an author, and an ongoing blog is a good way to convey that information. On the other hand, I don’t find blogs that are specifically about being an author or about promoting a particular book especially interesting, mostly because they are too much like advertising. That’s just me, though. I’d say, if you’re going to blog, blog about something else – besides your book – that interests and engages you.
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