Today we are fortunate to have author Cindy Davis join us.

Welcome, Cindy. It is so good to have you here today.

In visiting your author page on Amazon, we see you are a very prolific writer, with work ranging from Westerns, through Women’s Fiction and Mysteries. Just how many books have you published to date?

The westerns were a series for kids. They are out of print—still showing available on Amazon. I mostly write mysteries. I have, I think 16, two series and several stand alone titles. I cut my teeth on the Bobbsey Twins, moved up to Nancy Drew and graduated to Agatha Christie. My favorite TV character is Jessica Fletcher.

How many of your books are fiction? Thirteen: one women’s fiction and the rest mysteries. What is the subject of your non-fiction titles? Two were walking tours of a very historical area in southern NH; one is a self-help guide on editing: You Have the Power, Self-edit Your Way into Print.

The earliest book listed on Amazon seems to be Final Masquerade published in 2003.  Can you tell us a little about it? It was my first. I finished the first draft in three months. I typed THE END and burst into tears. At that very moment, my husband came home from work. Naturally his mind went in a whole other direction—he thought I’d crashed the car. The story was inspired by a homeless woman we saw riding a bicycle with a kerosene can on the back. With it, she heated a car she lived in—on land that she owned. I wondered what made a person live in this manner, and the story was born (which was entirely fiction).

How long did it take you to write, from when you finished that quick first draft to the thrill of publication? As I said, the first draft took only three months. Two more months of edits, then a few months looking for a publisher. It’s since been through three more printings and has been re-titled Take the Money and Run.

What is your timeline for new releases, currently? A long time. I had three life changing events over the past two years and it pretty much brought my writing to a halt. In August, I vowed to get back on track. First, complete the sixth in my Angie Deacon mystery series—which I did this past weekend. It’s currently out with my beta readers. Second, to write book four in the Smith & Westen series. Third, to write the romantic suspense stimulated by my trip to Italy. It’s going to use many of the same characters from A Lethal Dose of Love.

I noticed you have gone through a number of small publishers and are now with Enigma Books. Can you share a bit about your experiences working with the various boutique publishers? They’re all pretty much the same. Some faster. Some with a bit more promotion. I think through the years, I graduated to publishers with whom I felt the most at home. Originally I took the first one that said yes. Right now, I have a few self-published books. The others are with two publishers: The Wild Rose Press and Champagne Books.

Many of my readers are independent authors. What do you think are the advantages of using a small publisher, rather than going indie? You get professional editing for one thing. And professional cover design. As an editor, I have so many self-published authors come to me AFTER they’ve put a sub-par book online. Books need professional service no matter what method you plan to use. What other services do the publishers provide for you? They do the layout and formatting and submission to the right venues. One of my publishers, The Wild Rose Press, does a phenomenal amount of promotion. That’s not to say I don’t have to do a lot myself, but it’s nice to have a backup with an excellent reputation in the business.

You have lived in New England most of your life, but recently visited Italy, one of my own favorite places. What one impression of Italy has stayed with you the strongest since returning home? A week before I left for Italy I bought a home in Florida. If I hadn’t done that, I would now be living in Volterra, Tuscany. I LOVED the ambiance, the views, the people. I am planning a return trip to set a book there.

Since expanding your career into freelance editing, what are the most frequent mistakes you find in the manuscripts you’ve edited? First, as mentioned above, authors who think that because they’ve put there book on Kindle or wherever, that it’s a given that it’ll sell. They see NO sales and/or bad reviews, then come to me for mending. Huge mistake because your name has already been out there. If you want to know the biggest mistake I see in manuscripts, it’s probably that authors don’t understand deep point of view. Too many think it’s putting thoughts into italics when it couldn’t be further from the truth.

I understand you have a new book out this month. Would you like to tell us a little about it? Stone Cold Sober is the sixth in my Angie Deacon mystery series set at New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee. My heroine Angie, runs a community theater. Her partner has just left for Broadway and all the responsibility is on her shoulders. She’s so proud when she hires her first leading man. The problem? Wives keep popping up like dandelions in a field. When multiple wives find out about each other…nothing good can happen.

This sounds like a fun read, Cindy.  I’m sure many of us will be checking it out.

Thank you so much for being with us today. You have a world of experience to share. If readers would like to find out more about you, your books and your editing services, where should they go?

Please click on any of the links below:

 www.cdavisnh.com.

www.fiction-doctor.com.

www.writerscollege.com/