Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Author Guest Post: Ann Summerville (Trouble at the Manor)

Ann Summerville is visiting to talk about her most recent book, Trouble at the Manor.


Here is what she has to say...


Q.Tell us about your latest release.

A. Trouble at the Manor is a cozy mystery set on the west coast of England.

Excerpt:

She leaned down with her hands on her legs breathing deeply, but her eyes took in a sight she hadn't expected. Apart from a sandless beach, no flowers along the car park were visible and although it was the middle of summer, the beachfront looked like a snow storm had come in during the night and covered the car park, the buildings, and the rocks. Not the white blanket that was normally associated with the drifts of fluffy white snow, but dingy yellow trapped in the suds of the sea.  But that wasn't what her eyes came to rest upon. It was the white scene of crime van and blue printed police tape stretched in a square the size of a small room. Surrounding the people wearing suits like astronauts on a moon landing, were police men and women in uniform and a detective she was familiar with. Taking her eyes from the foam covered beach, she wondered who had died.

Q. Is this part of a series?

A. Trouble at the Manor is the fourth book in the Lowenna series:

A Graceful Death

High Tide

Gwinnel Gardens

Trouble at the Manor

Q.Do you hear from your readers? What kinds of questions do they ask?

A. I was recently invited to a book club (they read A Graceful Death) and it was interesting to hear how they pronounced some of the Cornish names.
The question I'm often asked is about Lowenna and if it is based on a particular village.
I lived in Cornwall for many years and have combined several villages for the description of Lowenna. The two prominent ones are Perranporth and St. Agnes/Trevaunance Cove.

Q. Who is your favorite author?

A. I have recently picked up the Mitford series, that I read some time ago, and am enjoying it as much the second time around. Jan Karon has a wonderful way with developing her characters.

Q. Tell us about the absolute best fan letter you have received.

A. The letter wasn't written to me directly, but a fellow writer passed it on. It was from an aunt of hers who lives in New Orleans. Apparently I have a following of little old ladies there.

Q. What advice would you give new authors?

A.
Find a critique/writing group
Attend author workshops/conferences
Read in the genre you write in
Never give up

Q. Who are your books published with?

A.  All my books are independently published.
I wasn't overly impressed with the traditional publishing industry. I have heard so many horror stories from authors whose writing was changed dramatically by an editor. Some books are only on the shelf for a year or two before the publisher discontinues printing which can be discouraging if you've spent years perfecting a novel. Self publishing doesn't have the stigma it once did and now e-reader files are so easy to upload, it eliminates costly printing. Printed books are POD (print on demand).

Q. Where are your books available?

A.
My books are available both in print and for Kindle on Amazon.com. My author page is http://www.amazon.com/Ann-Summerville/e/B005CAPSOG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1361634909&sr=8-1

E-books for other e-readers are available on Smashwords.com


Thank you for inviting me today, Jo. I hope your readers will stop by my blog and visit.
Ann Summerville

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for inviting me today. It's always nice to share my love of writing.
    Ann

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice interview! Like the part about the self-publishing. Times are changing in that department and it's also nice to have a place like Amazon to connect with.

    ReplyDelete

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