Interview with Karina Fabian
The Blog Ring of Power Presents...
An Interview with Author Karina Fabian
Author Karina Fabian is here today to talk about her (recently released) latest novel, I Left My Brains in San Fransico, the second book in the Neeta Lyffe series, and to share some words of wisdom with other aspiring authors. (And yes, that is a crazed woman holding a chain saw in the picture to the left :-) )
This is part five of a five-part interview. Be sure to check out the other BRoP sites for the rest of the interview:
Part 1 @ Teresa's site - Thursday, November 8
Part 2 @ Emily's site - Friday, November 9
Part 3 @ Sandra's site - Monday, November 12
Part 4 @ Dean's site - Tuesday, November 13
BRoP: Tell us about your route to success –how did you land your agent/publisher?
Karina: Mine is an unusual path. I have gotten most of my writing contracts via knowing people online—and in fact, I have gotten requests for books an stories from publishers the same way. Attending conferences and conventions is important in this business, as it writing a great story.
BRoP: What are the most important elements of good writing?
Karina: A good story.
Fully realized characters.
Basic understanding of grammar and spelling (beyond what grammar check says, because it’s often wrong).
BRoP: What tools are must-haves for writers?
Karina: A computer with a word processor, e-mail, and Internet. Imagination, command of the written language, willingness to learn the business, and the guts to put your work out there. The rest is gravy.
BRoP: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Karina: Rejection isn’t personal. While we cannot know what an editor is thinking when reading a story, most likely he or she will reject it because it doesn’t fit the theme of the magazine, isn’t right for their editing schedule, they’ve run something similar recently, or your story simply isn’t as good as the competition. They’re job is to make money for their magazine or publishing business—not to fulfill your dreams of being a writer. When both happens, it’s awesome, but a publisher should be about selling the books or magazines.
BRoP: What do you feel is the key to your success?
Karina: Depends on how you define success—and I recently redefined it for myself. I’m a success because I’m having fun with my writing, have made some great friends, keep getting books published, and am building a loyal fan base. Someday, I may be able to define success in terms of best-sellers or big sales, but right now, I have other priorities—namely family—so I’ll leave that to God’s will.
BRoP: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Karina: How about “Thank you for reading my books and telling others about them. It thrills me that you enjoy them as much as I do.” Or is that too obvious?
Also, I invite you to register for my infrequent newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dc-8M.
BRoP: What are your current / future project(s)?
Karina: This is an easy year for me, writing-wise, as I need to concentrate on family. I’m doing this blog tour, of course, and after the contest, I’ll finish up the *I Left My Brains in San Francisco* video trailer. I’ll also be working on Gapman, I think, as it’s been sitting the longest. It’s the next DragonEye novel, a super-hero spoof that is a lot of fun. After that, I may do something serious, but I think I’ll have to wait and see what God calls me to do. I have a half-dozen or more ideas in various stages of development. My previous life goal had been to write 3 books a year, which I can and have done, but for this year and the next, at least, I’m slowing down from that. I also want to explore self-publishing for a few of my novellas and other works. I love working with publishers, but there are a couple of things I think would work better on my own. However, I’m a technical dinosaur and have a teeny-tiny business brain, so I want my husband to help me with that, which could mean waiting for his retirement.
Where can readers can stalk you:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Google+
KARINA FABIAN Winner of the 2010 INDIE for best Fantasy (Magic, Mensa and Mayhem) and a Global eBook Award for Best Horror (Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator), Karina Fabian’s writing takes quirky twists that keep her--and her fans--amused. Nuns working in space, a down-and-out Faerie dragon working off a geas from St. George, zombie exterminators—there’s always a surprise in Fabian’s worlds. Mrs. Fabian teaches writing and book marketing seminars online.
I LEFT MY BRAINS IN SAN FRANCISCO: Zombie problem? Call Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator--but not this weekend.On vacation at an exterminator’s convention, she's looking to relax, have fun, and enjoy a little romance. Too bad the zombies have a different idea. When they rise from their watery graves to take over the City by the Bay, it looks like it'll be a working vacation after all.
Enjoy the thrill of re-kill with Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator.