Random Interview Questions With Ryder Islington

Questions

1. Where can we find you? My blog is ryderislington.wordpress.com and I love to hear from people at my email: ryderislington@yahoo.com

2. What is the link for the best review you have had?

3 Why did you choose Solstice?

4. What’s your favorite cover you have seen recently? (feel free to add a picture but please try to keep it pg 13 lol!)

5. What catches your attention with other books?

6. Do you treat a book as a book, for the story inside, or do you judge a book by the author and or the way it’s published?  I used to never even consider the oversized paperbacks with the shiny covers and less than 350 pages because I thought they were either self-pubbed or done through some vanity press, etc., probably not quality writing, and also, too short. I like the longer books in general. I was being uppity with my opinion. But I learned my lesson twice, once when I was drawn to a cover that ended up being a really good book, and the second time when my book was pubbed in that format. I learned that different fonts can really make a difference in page count. My book is about 104K words, but only 300  pages. And publishers choose the cover. Now that I see my debut novel, Ultimate Justice, A Trey Fontaine Mystery with that shiny cover, I am humbled.

7. Ebooks VS Books (Feel free to explain)  I think the older generations were raised on books—things we can hold in our hands and feel, while younger generations are attached to electronics and would likely choose ebooks. The good news is that ebooks are great for the environment, and people can afford them more easily than traditional book formats. I have over 500 books in my library and I love them. I don’t own an ereader—yet.

8. If you can have anyone read your book and give you feedback who would it be and why? Greg Iles.  I love his writing. His books are not breakneck speed, but that’s fine because he delves into his characters in a way that makes you want to stay with them.

9. What is it that addicted you to your genre? I worked at a major metropolitan sheriff’s department. I studied administration of justice. I love the law. I watch cop shows, serial killer shows, etc., Love it when the good guys win.

10 Your favorite author. This is tough. How about Irisgregjames Johansenilespatterson?

11. Favorite color. Scarlet

12. Something your bio’s won’t tell us.

13. Advice to others? The first draft is always ugly. I once spoke to an author of 57 hits who said she prints out her first draft, sits down with a red pen and makes a mess. You can’t revise a blank page, so write the really bad stuff and then fix it.

14. If you have a day job how do you balance everything.

15. What does your writing schedule look like. Schedule? Uh..are we supposed to do that? Okay, I’ll bite. Whenever I can write, I do. Sometimes that means ten minutes a week. Sometimes ten minutes of every hour for as many hours as I’m awake.

16. Do you find that writing keep you sane?

17. If you could bring one of your characters to life, would you, and why?  Ooooh! Trey Fontaine! He’s yummy! Wait. I’m married, so I guess that would be a bad idea, sorta like sending a chocoholic to See’s Candy Shoppe.

18. If you had a magical power what would if be? To heal the sick and injured.

19. Do you believe in magic? Not magic. I believe in blessings and miracles.

20. If we were to play rock paper scissors what would your first choice be? Rock.

21. If you could control one of the elements what would it be?  Light—the freakin’ sun! If I could just turn it down a few degrees! Of course I say that in the heat of the summer when going outside makes me sick. If I were answering this question in mid-winter…well, who knows?

22. What annoys you in books? In novels, colons and semi-colons. They make me stop and think when I just want to get on with it. I hate it when big name authors are so important that they are no longer edited and end up doing things we all know are wrong. Not just wrong, but…well lazy.

23. Have you ever came across a book you don’t know why a publisher published? Yes. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I mean, really?

23. Are you a grammar nazi, or do you find yourself more intertwined with the story to deal with the editing part. I’m more of a comma queen. I find that proper grammar sometimes gets in the way of the story, especially in deep third person and in dialogue.

24. Do you believe in self publishing? Yes. But only for niche genres where no publisher will touch it because it doesn’t appeal to the masses. There are thousands of small press publishers out there. If you polish enough, and send it out enough, you’ll find the right publisher.

25. Make up a question and have at it J

26. Tell us a joke. What’s the difference between a lawyer and a catfish? Answer: One’s a cold blooded, scum sucking bottom dweller, and the other is a fish.

27. What is the weirdest thing you have come across in your writing career?

28. Randomly tell us what you thought as you were reading these questions.  This is very freeing. I liked being able to pick the questions I wanted to answer and not be pressured to answer ones that I didn’t think were interesting. (or were too hard—hehehe.)

29. Are you a believer in Karma. I believe that what goes around comes around. Karma is part of a religion that I don’t follow, so I don’t call it that.  Halfway through my writing journey, I met some wonderful people who helped me in ways I didn’t even know I needed. I now have the obligation to help others who need help. I don’t feel like I’ve ‘made it’, but I’ve come a long way because of the help I received. So if newbies out there need help, give them my email addy.

30. Give a shout out to another writer, you can include their links work ect.

Anne Hamilton’s remarkable tales of her travels to Bangladesh, which led to the forming of the charity Bhola’s Children. The charity is a direct beneficiary of all sales of A BLONDE BENGALI WIFE.  You can read an excerpt, see the cover, and purchase the book in paperback or ebook format at

www.ll-publications.com

My debut novel, ULTIMATE JUSTICE, A Trey Fontaine Mystery came out June 24^th and is available in paperback or ebook format at www.ll-publications.com and Amazon. If you like drug addicted FBI agents, serial killers, detectives at their wit’s end, and gruesome details of murder, you might want to check this out.