Call me a bird because I winged it, and still am. It takes research and stamina to find the best ways for marketing.
Sydney Paige McCutcheon – 29 February 2015
The Back Flap
Sent into Witness Protection, Prue Collins is shipped to a small town outside Astoria, Oregon under the protection of the most unlikely guardian.
Rude and sarcastic, Ex-Officer Henry Clay wants nothing to do with his new roommate and doesn’t mask any hard feelings, only secrets. His wheelchair gives Prue a glimpse of his tragic past and she can’t fight curiosity as more clues come her way, opening her eyes to the true stranger she’s been sent to live with—and possibly, meant to help save.
But Prue has a secret too, and the truth is a loose string on an old shirt—pull at it and the entire fabric could come undone. Will Prue leave well enough alone? Or will she risk everything, even her own heart, to know the truth?
About the book
What is the book about?
The story follows Prue Collins who, after witnessing her sister’s murder, is sent into Witness Protection and meets a very unlikely guardian. Along with her comes a secret that can’t stay hidden and endangers more than just her own life.
Her guardian, Ex-Officer Henry Clay, is rude and cold to Prue from the start. The story centers around the secrets of his life as Prue stumbles upon clue after clue: a white box, an urban legend, his wheelchair. As Prue gets closer to finding out the truth she questions whether or not it is such a good thing to know everything about Henry and she must decide whether to risk it all or leave it alone and go back home.
When did you start writing the book?
The summer after I graduated high school (2010)
How long did it take you to write it?
Two and half months (the fastest I’ve ever written a first draft so far. My first novel I wrote, not yet published, I completed over the course of my Senior year in high school).
Where did you get the idea from?
I can’t recall, really. I just remember seeing a guy in a wheelchair drenched in a dark past and then this girl comes into his life to brighten it up. He fights it and he fights hard but Prue can be just as stubborn sometimes. Also, the secret Prue carries was a story I had always wanted to write about and it fit perfectly, thank God, into this novel with Henry.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
The struggles of writing seem a lot like childbirth. I haven’t yet had any children, but like the scripture says in John 16:21 “A woman, when she gives birth to a child, has grief (anguish, agony) because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she no longer remembers her pain (trouble, anguish) because she is so glad that a man (a child, a human being) has been born into the world.”
There are times I can recall where I struggled with the next chapter. I knew what I wanted to write but it wouldn’t flow, and sometimes I didn’t know at all what to write. At times I felt I wouldn’t finish but here it is finally published. I don’t recall all the hard times, pushing through one chapter to get to next, it’s vague because I relish on the completed work.
What came easily?
Seeing the characters, especially Prue and Henry, came so easily. Henry with his dry humor and deep brown eyes, his voice sometimes quiet and raw, then other times hard and cold. Prue is young, naïve, and very opposite of Henry in many ways. If I re-wrote this novel, I wouldn’t change who Prue is. It is her child-like way (at times) that draws the townspeople to her, just as toddlers and preschoolers draw adults in. They carry something we lost growing up and some, like Prue, are able to keep it. Her situation though forces her to grow up in different areas.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Yes, they are entirely fictitious except for Prue. A few things of myself got put into her character and her relationship with her sister is something I’m sure siblings can relate to. I have an older sister that protects me and there is a scene in the novel that really portrays that unique relationship between siblings, that I’m sure will have a few people nodding their heads in agreement.
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?
Hmmmm. I think it varies with each genre. With music, I don’t have a favorite artist, just favorite songs, and the same goes for books with one exception. An author whose books I really love is Eva Ibbotson (I’ve read all of her young adult books and keep them on the top shelf of my bookshelf, first in line). She really takes you to that time and place of the early 1900s and I love the descriptions she gives. I also really like Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy, when she describes the meals in the Capitol I taste the food as I read, and her writing, to me, is clear and makes it easy to see what she is showing. Every author is different and advice I have been given is to read lots of books because you will learn what you like and what you don’t like and then write what you’ve learned.
Do you have a target reader?
I like the idea of any reader enjoying my novels. Books have genres and even subgenres but people aren’t like that. One person could enjoy sci-fi while also reading chick-lit on rainy days, and I don’t want to omit any reader. But I’ve also read books in my favorite genres that I didn’t like, so it’s just up to the reader whether they like the book or not.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Hmmmm. Writing process…. I like to have a drink beside me, usually coffee and sometimes soda if it’s late at night. When I write in the mornings I like to have natural light, a couple pillows beneath my computer, a charger close by along with music playing. I also like the house to myself haha.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
My first novel (not yet published) I didn’t have an outline. I just wrote all the scenes I wanted to happen, printed those out, then went back and added details. For Henry, I had an outline pretty much chapter by chapter and that helped.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
For my first two books I didn’t edit as I went. I finished the draft then reworked it. When I’m stuck on something I sometimes go back and rewrite it, which isn’t always a good thing.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Yes. My music tastes range widely but for Henry I listened to Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine—a lot. It seemed to fit their story, or at least how I interpreted the song it did. I felt that Henry was in the darkness but Prue found her way to him and brought light to his life.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Yes. At first, I wanted my other book to be published and had some interest for it but it didn’t end up going any further. I then decided to give my baby Henry out to the world of agents, sending queries but got rejections. I took time off from writing, then when I returned I chopped about ten thousand words off the manuscript and sent out more letters.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
Going the Indie route was a very gradual process. I know editors who told me self-publishing was a good route but I wanted an agent because I hadn’t a clue how to self-publish. After getting more rejection letters, I gave up. I packed Henry in a box and told myself to forget that dream. Then a month later as I sat at my computer trying to figure out what to do with my life, self-publishing came back to my mind. So I got on the bull, researched all things self-publishing and with a friend’s recommendation I found a great website to help me accomplish the job.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
The cover of Henry was professionally designed by JP Jones (Collipsis Web Solutions).
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Call me a bird because I winged it, and still am. It takes research and stamina to find the best ways for marketing. Some sites offer authors to promote books for free but what ends up happening is that everyone belonging to that group is an author trying to promote their book—not buy someone else’s. I am still seeking and researching different marketing avenues but one way is to have people you know help promote it. I have family members and friends who will talk to strangers on the street telling them about my book, so that is nice to have and I appreciate their help.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Consider the options. Research the pros and cons of having an agent and not having an agent and decide which side you like better. If you go indie, put aside money from every check so that you can afford professional services. The main two things are editing and the book cover. The interior design, in my opinion, isn’t top of the list. There are youtube videos that can help you make your interior professional and it isn’t complicated. Also, seek out other self-publishers who are popular and ask their advice.
Oh, and people will tell you ‘no’. It’s nature. People aren’t interested in caterpillars, they just want the butterflies forgetting that all authors start out as caterpillars. So keep eating, keep stuffing, keep filling yourself with as much as you can (research, tips, reading other books, writing drafts) it will be worth it. Go for the gold and if it doesn’t work out you can at least say you tried while others have only wished.
About You
Where do you live now?
Arizona.
What would you like readers to know about you?
Growing up I had many people tell me what I could accomplish and what I couldn’t—really, they just told me the latter. It hurt and can still hurt but it didn’t stop me. Now, I’m not the type to vent my anger through kickboxing. I either write a poem, write an angry and confused note to God, complain loudly, or overeat. (I’ve had friends tell me that when they’re stressed they lose weight and I look at them thinking, ‘how nice for you, now wait a minute while I finish this fifth donut’.) You will have critics but you can’t answer those critics, something my Dad always tells me. Giving this book out to the world was scary and still is at times.
I never thought I’d be a writer. I thought writing was just a hobby, but I’ve come to learn, sometimes begrudgingly, that life doesn’t happen how we thought. But I trust in God to get me through, even when I don’t understand. Why? Because He never leaves me, and I would have left me a long time ago.
What are you working on now?
I am finishing up a collection of short stories and poems that I wrote and it should be published before the end of January (I hope!). I am also going back to my first novel and breaking it up into parts to be published.
End of Interview:
For more about Sydney, visit her Goodreads author’s page or connect with her on Pinterest.
Get your copy of Henry from Amazon US (paper or ebook) or Amazon UK (paper or ebook).