Linda Bloodworth Indie Author Interview

Today I have a special feature, an interview with Indie author, Linda Bloodworth. Linda has recently published A Raven's Touch, a young adult, paranormal, fantasy. I'm pleased to host an interview with her and delve into the mental workings of a fellow Indie writer so please join me!

Are you strictly a Young Adult writer or do you have other genres in you calling out to be written?

When I was first writing A Raven’s Touch, I never really thought of myself in a category. I suppose people like to organize styles/genres, so for now I am YA/Paranormal/Fantasy. In the sequel to A Raven’s Touch, I believe I may delve deeper towards the horror genre, just because that is my favourite. I love the idea of unveiling your darkest fears and facing up to them. After all, you’re always the hero, right? 

Do you write in silence, or do you need to have music/TV/other on in the background?

I prefer to write in silence. The only time I want to hear music is when I’m working on a tough scene and a particular song may help me get into the mood. While writing A Raven’s Touch I listened to “Possum Kingdom” by the Toadies around 300 times over the course of 3.5 years. Seriously. That song was very influential and got me into the right frame of mind.

I see that you’re self-published with Pronoun, a main platform for the main retailers. Do you think there is any value in signing on with a publishing house as of February 2016, or do you feel at this time that Indie is the total wave of the future?

That’s a good question. I’m of the mind that this is the era of indie. Yes, a big publishing house can give you marketing support, but it cannot give you soul. The only time a publisher will provide a big push is if you’re already a big name or they think they can really make money off you. With big money come big responsibilities. You don’t get to pick your book cover, you don’t get to say who edits your work, or in some cases even agree with the edits. The author becomes the show pony and has to go to various book signings and whatever else the publishing house wants. I am a very private person and this is beyond what I am willing to do. For some this sounds glamorous and exciting, and personally, I would not be able to handle such interaction. Not to mention the degradation of my personal control over my work. I do believe you can achieve greatness on your own terms even if it takes a little while longer.

Do you consciously decide that your book characters will have specific traits and strengths or weaknesses or do these come about intrinsically as you write the story?

You know, I honestly can say I never plan for anything. Half way through my third major re-write I decided to throw in supporting characters that I didn’t even dream of, but there they were. More than half the time the characters are as much as a surprise to me as they are to the reader.

What is the writing process like for you?
Hard. Rewarding. Surprising. Each time I sit down to write I don’t know what’s going to happen. Sometimes I paint myself into a corner, and miraculously find a way out. It’s never oh, look at me, I’m a writer so fantastic. It’s more like goodness, can I really call myself this, how can I even compare with the greats? Writing isn’t like any other job. There are manuals on grammar, and structure, but there’s no manual for your heart. Allowing your pen to flow is a delicious rush because you can create worlds that people fall in love with all from a few words strung together. The process of write, edit, repeat is painful, but in the end it’s what drives me and what I live for every day.
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Check out one of Linda's reviews, 5 Stars! Veronica the Pajama Thief  
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Linda Bloodworth loves chips, like really, ketchup to be exact. Ketchup chips are only found in Canada. Lucky for Linda she lives in Toronto with her husband and three fur babies.In between writing, debating for hours about the Oxford comma, and the misunderstood semi colon, Linda enjoys camping, and getting away from the city on day trips.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions Linda and sharing your experiences in writing in the Indie world! All the best in 2016.

You will find Linda on the internet at these links:

Amazon | Linda's Webpage | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook