“I submitted Not What She Seems, my first book, to eight agents before self-publishing it. When Not What She Seems hit the New York Times best selling ebook list, I had quite a few agents email me. I am now signed with Rachel Vogel from Moveable Type Literary Group. She’s wonderful, and she’s currently shopping The Overtaking as well as Not What She Seems to editors.”

– Victorine E. Lieske 11 June 2011

The Back Flap

Shayne Bartlet has been kidnapped, his powers disabled and his memory altered. He’s not having a good day. And he doesn’t even know it.

When Shayne’s telepathic abilities surface, he finds out Danielle isn’t the normal teenager she appears to be. In fact, she’s not even from his world. And when he finds out her race is responsible for the overtaking of his entire planet, he sets out to uncover the truth about her.

Danielle didn’t mean to fall in love with a Maslonian boy. Her job was to observe and report. But when Shayne’s well being is at stake she goes against orders to help him, putting her own self in danger.

Together, Danielle and Shayne discover that things are not as they seem. They must stop Danielle’s race from destroying the Maslonian planet, and free Shayne’s people.

About the Book

What is the book about?

The Overtaking is about a teenager who gets kidnapped, along with the rest of his civilization. Their powers are disabled and their memories are altered. They think they live on 21^st century earth, so even though it is a science fiction book, much of the backdrop is contemporary earth.

When did you start writing the book?

The idea for this book came to me years ago, but I didn’t start earnestly writing it until late summer of 2010.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took about eight months to write the book.

Where did you get the idea from?

The story came from a few “what if” questions.  What if we found out we weren’t really from earth? What if we had powers we didn’t know about? What if we were living a lie?

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Yes. There were a few places where I couldn’t figure out what should happen next, but usually if I just keep going I can work through those spots, even if I have to delete some of what I write.

What came easily?

The scenes where the characters really connect come easily for me. I love writing dialogue, so the parts where they are talking and opening up to each other seem to write themselves.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

They are entirely fictitious. Although I do know someone who will be written into a novel at some point, but I’m not telling who.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I read a lot of different authors, and they all probably have influenced me a bit. Probably the author I’ve read the most of is Mary Higgins Clark, and I know the way she uses suspense has influenced my writing.

Do you have a target reader?

I write clean romances, so my target reader will be the kind of person who likes the emotion that two characters can have for each other in a romance novel without the bedroom scenes.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I start with the first scene and mostly write straight through to the end. I have gone back and added in scenes after writing, but I prefer to write chronologically. I also start with an idea and go with it. I don’t plot much. I let the story unfold before me, which can be scary because I don’t even know how the story is going to end.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just Chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

No, I don’t outline.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I do edit as I go. With my life being kind of busy, sometimes I don’t get to write every day. I also have a terrible memory so when I sit down to write I usually have to read the last few pages that I’ve written to get back into the story. As I read them, I see things I want to change. So I do it while I’m there, because of my terrible memory.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes. I do think it’s important to hire a professional editor.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I usually have to have silence while I’m writing, otherwise I get nothing done. Along with my bad memory, I’m easily distracted.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Yes. I submitted Not What She Seems, my first book, to eight agents before self-publishing it. When Not What She Seems hit the New York Times best selling ebook list, I had quite a few agents email me. I am now signed with Rachel Vogel from Moveable Type Literary Group. She’s wonderful, and she’s currently shopping The Overtaking as well as Not What She Seems to editors.

What made you decide to go Indie? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I did a lot of research before submitting to agents. I wasn’t a huge fan of the odds of getting an agent, and then the odds of getting a publishing contract, and then the odds of the book selling more than 1,000 copies. The odds were very slim for a new author to make it in the traditional publishing world. What bothered me the most was the likelihood of my novel being out of print after a short time. I was fairly certain that my book would appeal to people if they just tried it. When I heard about the success that Joe Konrath and Karen McQuestion were having selling on the Kindle, I was thrilled. I could sell directly to the public. That is when I decided self-publishing on the Kindle was for me.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?

Both. I took graphic design classes in college, and I do all of the graphic design for my rubber stamp company, so doing the cover myself was a no-brainer. I do think if a writer doesn’t have any graphic design background they should pay a designer.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

My marketing plan is to pretty much wing it. I am sending out review copies, I have the book advertised in the back of my better selling novel, and I have a few giveaways planned. If it doesn’t start selling well, I’ll rinse and repeat.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

My best advice would be to join a critique group and whip that book into shape. Even the best marketed book will fail if the writing isn’t tight. I learned so much from critiquecircle.com that I would highly recommend them. After publication, my best advice is to never give up. If the book isn’t selling, get some other writers to help you figure out why. The best part about this is you can tweak things until you get them right. There is no “too late.”

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a small town in Nebraska. Reading was a large part of my youth, and I’m sure that shapes a lot of what I write today.

Where do you live now?

I live in another small town in Nebraska, not too far away from where I grew up. I love the small town life.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m reachable. I have a website where readers can contact me, if they have any questions or just want to tell me something. I’m open to any and all comments.

What are you working on now?

I’m finishing up a short story, a contemporary YA romance. And I’m also working on the sequel to The Overtaking.

End of Interview:

Victorine can be found on her website here. You can buy her book here and here.