On the Hot Seat: Author Paul Martin Midden

Paul Martin Midden is the author of five previous novels, each of which explores different writing styles. He practiced clinical psychology for over thirty years. Paul’s interests include historic restoration, travel, fitness, and wine tasting. He and his wife Patricia renovated an 1895 Romanesque home in 1995 and continue to enjoy urban living.

Interview:

Tell us about your book! What is it about and what inspired you to write it?

Riley is about the eponymous protagonist who is about thirty, a writer by trade, who lives in Washington, D.C. At the beginning of the book, she has left her husband and has undertaken a novel about separation and divorce. She lives in a small apartment in a D.C. high-rise.

The characters in Riley’s novel are also in a marriage that is teetering on the edge. It opens with Adam, her protagonist, trying to decide if he should talk to Suzanne, his wife about their relationship. He works from home, and he has decided this was the day they would talk. In the end, he loses his nerve and doesn’t say anything. But to his surprise Suzanne is the one who takes the initiative.

Riley’s life and the novel she is writing share many similarities, but there are also major differences. Suzanne turns out to be having an affair with her female boss. Riley’s best friend is a slightly older lesbian who is attracted to Riley but who values the platonic friendship they have.

As the story unfolds, unexpected things happen that challenge all of the characters. Without giving away the plot, the lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur, and each of the characters has to deal with the emotional impact of events as they unfold.

That is what the story is about.

Why I wrote it: good question. There are echoes of my own experience in this book, although those events happened years ago. Major life changes, such as the divorces imagined in this book, are often difficult but growthful times. I remember my own, and it was both growthful and difficult. That is something I wanted to portray in this book.

Tell us about your publishing process. What was it like? Did you go indie or the traditional way?

A few novels ago, I set up my own publishing company, Wittmann/Blair, to oversee the production and distribution of my work. I found it more straightforward than going through other companies, and it allowed me greater control over the finished product.

How did you choose the title for your book? Did it come to you right away, before you started writing it, or did it come later?

The title is the name of the principal character. It started as a working title during the writing. When it came time to select a permanent title, the choice was not difficult. I kept it. I prefer straightforward titles.

Tell us about the cover design process. Did you have a basic idea of what your book cover would be like?

I had no clue. I sent it to my designer to handle that. She is great and has done work for me before.

Who is your cover designer and how did you find him/her?

Peggy Nehmen of Nehmen/Kodner Design in St. Louis. I found her through the St. Louis Publishers Association, a local publishing resource that brings together people from all aspects of writing and publishing.

How was your experience working with the designer?

Smooth. I enjoy working with Peggy a great deal. She is honest, straightforward, and consistently helpful.

What has been the readers’ response to your cover?

I think the final cover has been well-received. However, it came down to two covers, so Peggy posted both on a Facebook group (Indie Cover Project) and solicited and received feedback about which one was more compelling. Clever idea, I think. Pretty much the consensus was the cover we finally chose.

What tips would you give to authors who are looking for a cover designer?

Use Peggy. Or search for someone whose work you respect and who is candid and easy to work with. And who doesn’t charge a fortune. Also, the Indie Cover Project is a fine resource.

Anything else you’d like to say about your book?

The book is a psychological story. I think people who enjoy that sort of thing would like it.

Mystery Author Verlin Darrow Talks About the Cover for his Book BLOOD AND WISDOM

Verlin Darrow is currently a psychotherapist who lives with his psychotherapist wife in the woods near the Monterey Bay in northern California. They diagnose each other as necessary. Verlin is a former professional volleyball player (in Italy), unsuccessful country-western singer/songwriter, import store owner, and assistant guru in a small, benign spiritual organization. Before bowing to the need for higher education, a much younger Verlin ran a punch press in a sheet metal factory, drove a taxi, worked as a night janitor, shoveled asphalt on a road crew, and installed wood flooring. He missed being blown up by Mt. St. Helens by ten minutes, survived the 1985 Mexico City earthquake (8 on the Richter scale), and (so far) has successfully weathered his own internal disasters.

Book: Blood and Wisdom

Website: www.verlindarrow.com                                             

At Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/verlindarrow

Interview:

Tell us about your book! What is it about and what inspired you to write it?

Here’s a blurby description: When Private Investigator Karl Gatlin takes on Aria Piper’s case, it was no more than a threat—phone calls warning Aria to either “stop doing Satan’s work” or meet an untimely demise.  But a few hours later, a headless John Doe bobs up in the wishing well at Aria’s New Age spiritual center near Santa Cruz.  Aria had ideas about who could be harassing her, but the appearance of a dismembered body makes for a real game changer.  And what Karl Gatlin initially thought was a fairly innocuous case turns out to be anything but.

Dispatching former rugby superstar and Maori friend John Ratu to protect Aria, Karl and his hacker assistant Matt are free to investigate a ruthless pastor, a money launderer on the run, some sketchy members of Aria’s flock, and warring drug gangs.  With his dog Larry as a wingman, Karl uncovers a broad swath of corruption, identity theft, blackmail, and more murders. But nothing is as it seems, and as the investigation heats up, Karl is framed, chased, and forced to dive into the freezing water of the Monterey Bay to escape a sniper.

Against the backdrop of a ticking clock, Karl races to find answers. But more murders only mean more questions—and Karl is  forced to make an impossible choice when it turns out Aria’s secret may be the most harrowing of all.

Blood and Wisdom was inspired by a fantasy thriller I wrote first that’s coming out around the end of 2018. Coattail Karma visited over five hundred agents en route to nowhere (back then), so I decided to explore the same themes in something more palatable to mainstream readers. 

Tell us about your publishing process. What was it like? Did you go indie or the traditional way?

I couldn’t let go of the dream of having an agent (again) and selling the book to a big house, so I stubbornly refused to face reality, which in this case is that what needed to happen was a marriage with an independent publisher (Wild Rose Press.) While this probably won’t be the best route to making a lot of money, I’ve been treated very well, and my editor has been invaluable.

How did you choose the title for your book? Did it come to you right away, before you started writing it, or did it come later?

Blood and Wisdom is actually the fourth title I tried. And it’s clearly the right one. The original title--The Man in the Well-- popped up while I was thrashing around with first chapter.Later, as I failed to convince agents to read pages, I played around with the title and the characters’ names as if that would somehow make a difference. I guess it was like the way I used to obsessively trim my beard before a job interview. I knew my fate didn’t hinge on the likes of this minor detail, but so much of the process was outside my control, so I seized on whatever was.

Tell us about the cover design process. Did you have a basic idea of what your book cover would be like?

Wild Rose Press uses a particular process. Authors fill out a fairly comprehensive form describing the book and our preferences for the cover. The contract artists want to know where key scenes are set, what the characters look like, what objects might figure heavily in the plot, etc. There are a half dozen artists to choose from and titles to peruse to find a kindred spirit. I was very specific about what I thought would work and what wouldn’t. I even took the extra step of assembling URLs of clip art that was along the lines of what I was looking for. I knew this approach might rankle, so I was as kind as I could be, ready to defer to my artist’s professional vision.

Who is your cover designer and how did you find him/her?

Kim Mendoza designed the cover of Blood and Wisdom, and I’m quite pleased by her work. I think it both represents what’s inside the cover, and intrigues the eye.

How was your experience working with the designer?

I didn’t have the opportunity to engage in dialogue, but when I told the publisher that there was a stray line of color in the background that bothered me, Kim immediately changed it with no fuss.

What has been the readers’ response to your cover?

Everyone says they love it, but they could be lying. You never know.

What tips would you give to authors who are looking for a cover designer?

Do research. Look at a lot of covers. Be as specific as possible in giving direction. Trust your artist and trust the process. In the end, you need to be completely happy with the result. Years ago, I settled for a cover that didn’t excite me. As time has passed, I like it less and less.

Anything else you’d like to say about your book?

Yes, thanks. Basically, a psychological-minded PI falls for a spiritual-minded client while murders pile up around them. With this frame, I’m able to weave insights and intriguing concepts into the fast-moving, twisty plot. And it’s a fun read, filled with humor and quirky characters, including a Maori rugby star, a heroic dog, a ruthless pastor, a gang hitman turned spiritual aspirant, and a sexy guru.