Often people reveal more about themselves by what they don’t say than by what they do.

April Tompkins – 13 July 2024

The Back Flap

Karen Grace has just realized her life’s dream of buying an old motel to renovate — by herself. How hard can it be? But money slips through her fingers fast and she’s forced to find a job in town, where she meets the love of her life. Then the real trouble begins. She begins finding her belongings destroyed, ominous messages scribbled on her walls, an effigy planted behind her property. It’s clear someone doesn’t want her in town and they’re going to make sure she leaves.

About the book

What is the book about?

With her newfound windfall, Karen Grace sets off on the road to locate her “gem,” a roadside motel she can buy and renovate. The motel she finds has been boarded up for three years, but she is enchanted by its history and goes to work to fix its many flaws. Soon she runs out of money and has to take a job in town. Her realtor offers her a temp job, filling in for his assistant who’s taken an unexpected leave. Eventually, Karen and her boss fall in love, but instead of happy endings, someone begins vandalizing her property and leaving ominous messages. Karen needs to find out who’s committing these deeds and put a stop to them.

When did you start writing the book?

I began Inn Dreams in March.

How long did it take you to write it?

The book took about two and a half months to finish.

Where did you get the idea from?

Over the winter, I got hooked on one of those motel renovation programs, and growing up in my mom and dad’s motel, it seemed a natural story to write.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Oh, yes! The book is a novella, but the first version came out far too short. I hit upon the idea of adding a side character who was only referred to in my original version, but had never made an appearance. This newly-added character led me down many roads, and the original version doubled in length, almost equaling a short novel.

What came easily?

I love writing dialogue and revealing character through the words people speak (or don’t speak). Often people reveal more about themselves by what they don’t say than by what they do.

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

They’re entirely fictitious. Writing is my escape from real life.

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 love old-school novels. I remember borrowing Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds from my local library and getting lost in it. I would love to write a sweeping drama like that.

Do you have a target reader?

Since my books are about a woman’s journey to either find herself or find her life’s purpose, women will relate to them probably more than men, but I think a good story is a good story.

About Writing

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

Time only allows me two or three writing sessions per week, for about four hours per session, so I have to make the most of them. I think a lot about where I want a story to go ahead of time (my best ideas seem to come to me in the shower), but often my plots take on a life of their own. Many of my books have spiraled off in directions I’d never intended, but I love those unexpected twists and turns.

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

I’m a discovery writer, which is what brings me joy. I love surprising myself.

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

I wish I could wait until the story is finished, but I can’t bring myself to do that, sometimes to my own detriment. If the previous passage isn’t cutting it for me, I have to fix it before I move on.

Did you hire a professional editor?

No, but I’m not sure I’d want to. I’m good at editing, both for structure and flow and for grammar.

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

As a musician and songwriter myself, I find listening to music while I’m writing to be too distracting. I tend to concentrate more on the song than on my prose. If I stream music while writing, it’s usually a playlist of instrumentals.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Initially, when I wrote a couple of novels, but I was such a novice, I’m not surprised I was turned down. Now I exclusively write novellas, and I love the self-publishing process. Even if I was to write another novel, I would publish it myself.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I self-published my first novella and got some good reviews. That hooked me. I like being in control of the process.

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

I do all my own covers using Canva. Designing covers is one of my favorite parts of the process.

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

I have a tiny marketing plan, to go along with my tiny budget. I’ve found some free methods for finding ARC readers and I also send out a newsletter. Other than that, I’m very picky about where I choose to spend my advertising dollars.

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

Learn as much as you can by joining a couple of writers’ forums. Offer (or at least read) writing critiques when other writers request them. You’ll be surprised how much you learn about your own writing that way. Learn about story structure and flow. And just keep writing. Hardly anyone writes a best seller on their first try, but the more you write, the better you’ll become.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in rural northern Minnesota and later in a small town in North Dakota when my parents bought a business there.

Where do you live now?

I live in a suburb of Minneapolis.

What would you like readers to know about you?

My husband and I are part of an indie band. I write songs and even manage to sing them somewhat competently. Writing has always been a part of my life in one way or another. I also love blogging and photography.

What are you working on now?

I always take a bit of a breather between books – a couple of weeks to work on marketing my latest before I start a new one. That’s not to say I don’t have an idea, because I definitely do.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of Inn Dreams from Amazon US or Amazon UK.