Stephanie Berget interview with David Alan Binder Bio from her website: Born in Boise, Idaho when it was still a little backwater town, I’ve confused my city-raised parents with my love of horses, cowboys and all things rodeo. I began by collecting Breyer statues, pretending I was a horse and, of course, reading everything I could about horses. Years of begging finally convinced my mom and dad to give in and buy me my very own real live horse, a two-year-old buckskin gelding named Gypsy. He wasn’t very broke or very pretty, but with this sweet animal, they’d fulfilled my wildest dreams. He was the beginning of a life filled with good rodeo friends and talented horses. After several years of honing my training skills in high school and junior rodeos, I began barrel racing in the Northwest and Idaho Cowboys Association-sanctioned rodeos. Just like in my books, that’s where I met my Bronc Rider. And just like in my books, it was love at first sight. We’ve traveled to rodeos throughout the Northwest while I ran barrels and my cowboy rode bucking horses and later team roped. The words, Romance Beneath a Rodeo Moon, are special to me. Adding a realistic view of rodeo and ranching along with hot cowboys and happily-ever-afters to my Western Romance was what I had in mind when I started writing. Along with my love of all things horses, I’ve always been an avid reader. When I found western romance, it was love at first word. Website. http://www.stephanieberget.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stephaniebergetwrites/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel Twitter https://twitter.com/StephanieBerget?lang=en Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/stephanieberget/pins/ Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-Berget/e/B00CJYM8KK/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1# Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
1. How do you pronounce your name? Berget is my grandmother’s middle name and is Norwegian in origin. It’s pronounced Bur-get with the emphasis on the last syllable. 2. Where are you currently living? I live in a small farming town on the Eastern side of Oregon in Malheur County. 3. What is the most important thing that you have learned in your writing experience, so far? Keep writing. I’m a procrastinator/perfectionist. Not a good combination. There are many days when I’d even clean the bathroom rather than sit and write because I think what I’ve written isn’t good enough. When I keep writing and get the book done, I love to do revisions. That’s the fun part for me. 4. What would you say is your most interesting writing, publishing, editing or illustrating quirk? I have a nice office, but I always sit on the left side of the couch in the living room. The right side just doesn’t work. Something about that spot is where I’m most creative. I always have a glass of ice water with a slice of lemon and a handful of roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt for a snack. 5. Tell us your insights on self-publish or use a publisher? I have one book with a publisher, and although they are great, I love the freedom that comes with self-publishing. I can use sales or incentives whenever I want. 6. Any insights eBooks vs. print books and alternative vs. conventional publishing? E-books are the future. I sell twenty times more e-books than paperbacks. A few years ago, I’d have sworn I’d never read e-books, in fact, I think I did say that several times. I loved the smell and feel of paper books. Now that I’ve used a Kindle, I’ll never go back. It’s light, easier on my hands, and I can take hundreds of books with me wherever I go. Although I love holding my own books and seeing them in print, e-books make up the vast majority of my sales. 7. Do you have any secret tips for writers on getting a book published? If you’re thinking of self-publishing, make sure your book is as good as it can be first. Use editors and cover artists for a professional product. If you’re interested in going with a publisher, a good way to talk to them is by going to a writer’s conference and pitching to the editors and publishers who are there. I sold my first book after pitching at the Emerald City Conference in Seattle, Washington. 8.
Do you have any suggestions or help for new writers (please be
specific and informational as possible)? 2. I had the very good luck of meeting Laurie Schnebly (LaurieClass@yahoo.com) She’s so much more than a teacher. She’s become a friend. Her classes are great, and even if you don’t take a class, friend her. You won’t regret it. And last of all, read, read, read. 9. What was one of the most surprising things you learned with your creative process with your books, editing, publishing or illustrating? That I can actually write. Sounds crazy, huh? After my first book came out, I thought it was a fluke. It took me several years to publish another and I was surprised when I got it done. After all these books, when I start a new one, I still wonder if I can do it again. 10. How many books have you written? My sixth book will come out June 1st, 2017 as part of the boxed set, Cowboy Six Pack. The title is Changing A Cowboy’s Tune and features a real barrel horse. I have five others that are in various stages of revisions. 11. Do you have any tricks or tips to help others become a better writer (please be as specific and information as you possibly can)? The best thing you can do as a writer is write. I work better under pressure, so I join National Novel Writing Month and Camp NaNoWriMo every spring and fall. Here is the link: http://nanowrimo.org/ The goal is to write 50,000 words in a month. I’ve won twice, but get many words written even if I don’t quite make it. I have great critique partners and beta readers who spur me on to write better books, and I keep a daily word count. It’s amazing to see how much I’ve written at the end of the month. 12. Do you have any suggestions for providing twists in a good story? I’m not much help on that, because the stories kind of take on a life all their own as I write [DAB-That is the secret, I think]. I’m always amazed at what my characters get themselves into and out of. 13. What makes your or any book stand out from the crowd? I write contemporary western romance, and since I’ve been a horse trainer and barrel racer for most of my life and am married to a hot cowboy myself, I bring authenticity to my books. 14. What are some ways in which you promote your work? I use Facebook ads, Facebook parties, Pinterest and Amazon ads. I do giveaways and am building a newsletter base. I’ve found the best way to sell books though, is to write more good books. 15. What is the one thing you would do differently now (concerning writing or editing or publishing or illustrating) and why? I would have trusted the people who said my books were good and written more sooner. And had more fun the first couple of years. 16. What saying or mantra do you live by? What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? I love this. If you don’t try, you’ll never know.
17. Anything else you would like to say? Thanks for inviting me to join you, David. Have a great day, everyone. |
