Q & A With Author Karin Gillespie

Hi Karin! Welcome to Judging More Than Just The Cover. Let's get started. What are your ambitions for your writing career?

It’s important to always grow as a writer, so with each novel I try something a little different and try to challenge myself. When I think of my ambitions, I think of my readers. My first goal is to entertain them but I also want to make them think and affect them emotionally. I would love for my books to affect their lives in some positive way no matter how small.

What would your career look like in an ideal world?

Again, I tend to see it from the point of view of the reader and ideally I’d like them to get a bit more from each book.

What’s your guilty pleasure TV show?

I love the Mindy Project. It has an over-the-top humor that’s almost impossible to pull off in a novel.

I love that show too! Do you believe in fate or love at first sight?

My husband and I absolutely did not connect the first time we met or even the second and third. But fate was determined and kept pushing us together in such bizarre and unbelievable ways, we both stopped resisting and decided to fall in love.

What is the strangest fact about you?

When I was a baby my head buzzed so loudly you could hear it from the next room. The doctors never figured out what caused it and one day it simply stopped. I might be an alien. Who knows?

Fascinating! Which writers inspire you?

Anne Tyler, Elizabeth Strout, Liane Moriarty.

Anne Tyler and Liane Moriarty are on my list of favorites too. What are you working on right now?

A novel about three generations of Southern women called “The Debutante’s Bible.”

Why do you write?

It reveals so much more about the world and myself then just thinking or speaking. Also it’s my chief passion.

Do you have any advice for someone wanting to publish their own book?

I’ve not self-published so I can’t speak from vast experience but I’d say you’d need to like being an entrepreneur.

What book are you currently reading?

I just finished a sprawling 600-page debut novel called The Nix. It was extremely entertaining. If you liked The Nest, you’ll probably enjoy it.

I did enjoy The Nest, so I'll add it to my to-read list! How can readers discover more about you and your work?

I have a website.

Thanks for joining me, Karin, and best of luck with your book!

El Deafo | Cece Bell

“And being different? That turned out to the best part of all. I found that with a little creativity, and a lot of dedication, any difference can be turned into something amazing. Our differences are our superpowers.”
Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel/Memoir. Number of Pages: 233. Perspective: First. Location: Virginia.
This graphic novel follows the author throughout her time as a young girl in the 1970s and her experiences losing her hearing from meningitis at the age of four. She learns how to make friends and accept herself. For a complete summary, you can go here.
This was a beautiful story about someone who copes with becoming deaf. I took an American Sign Language course in college and we talked a lot about the deaf culture; it was interesting to learn about some of the daily challenges that someone who is deaf faces. This book explains those challenges in a way that children can understand and relate to. We have come a long way with accessibility since the 70s, but we all could use …

5 Reasons Why I Hate Book Series

Many of you know that I hate book series. If at all possible, I try to stick to stand-alone novels. A few rare trilogies land on my bookshelf and an even rarer few get a good review. Here are my reasons why I hate trilogies:

1. The first book is perfected.

Authors have an unlimited amount of time to perfect the first book. They may have many rewrites and rejections before it is finally accepted by a publisher. By that point, the book should be pristine. The author may not have a deal with the publisher for a series yet, but once the first book proves its worth, the publisher will definitely ask for the rest of the series. Depending on the popularity, the author will be forced to get the next books out quickly—unless you are George R.R. Martin. There will be less time to perfect the story and it will be sent out without many rewrites, as to appease the fan-base. As a result, the rest of the series suffers in comparison to the debut.
2. The waiting is torture.

Part of the reason why the …

My Journey with Scoliosis [and related book reviews]

I have scoliosis. That is a fact and it is a part of my identity. I am on a continuous journey to correct my spinal curve. Part of this journey is educating myself and figuring out which approach I should take next. So I received and reviewed several books on scoliosis ( I will be adding more as time goes on). But before I can begin my reviews, I think it is important that I share my own personal journey with scoliosis.
I was diagnosed with scoliosis, a curve in my spine, when I was about eight years old. It was purely an accident. My mom was seeing a chiropractor for her own slight curvature, and I was playing around on the scales when the doctor noticed that when I stood on two scales, one foot on each, one side of my body weighed significantly more than the other. So he decided to give me an X-ray. My curve was noticeable at that time, but it became more severe as time went on. The worst was during puberty when I hit a growth spurt. In several years, my spinal curve increased almos…

Hex | Thomas Olde Heuvelt

“Whoever is born here, is doomed to stay 'til death. Whoever settles, never leaves."
Genre: Horror. Number of Pages: 384. Perspective: Third. Location: New York.
Hex is the story of a town that is cursed by a witch with her eyes and mouth sewn shut. She shows up in houses and just stands and stares for days at a time. The people of the town can never leave and are plagued by the fear of what would happen if the witch’s eyes and mouth are ever opened. For a complete summary, you can go here.
This book started off kind of funny and light-hearted. The middle starts to get a little creepy and suspenseful, and the end is downright strange. It was an enjoyable book, but you’ll have to wait a long time for the climax. The bulk of the action happens in the last 50 pages. For me, that felt rushed and left me with more questions than answers.
Hex was originally written in Dutch and translated to English. With that in mind, I am utterly impressed with the flow and readability of the story. Th…

Ten Things Writers Need to Know

This is a guest post by Heather Weidner. I was asked recently what advice I would give to someone who wants to write. Here’s my list…
1. Read. Read. Read.

Read everything you can get your hands on. Learn about the genre. Learn about techniques and style. See what works and what doesn't.

2. Seek out writers like you.

Find a writers' group. I write mysteries, so Sisters in Crime was a perfect fit. I am also in the online community, Guppies. They have tons of resources and advice. And they are so supportive and helpful.
3. There are a lot of books out there on the craft of writing.
My favorite is Stephen King's On Writing. Invest in books that help you. But use your library too. FREE is good.

4. If you are serious about writing, find a critique group.
It's an investment in your time to read the submissions. Make sure that the feedback is helpful. Critiques need to be constructive and not personal. My critique group specializes in mysteries and crime fiction. And that works fo…

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