Since my interview with Gail back in August 2013, she has released her first novel, Creedor, book trailer, and launched a new website. So I thought I'd just add the links, and below is the interview with Gail, hope you enjoy it.
Creedor - Kindle Edition
The official book trailer for the science fiction novel, Creedor
Gail's New Website
I would like to welcome author Gail Morgan McRae to my blog.
Gail is the author of the soon to be released
Creedor 1, due out November 22, 2013.
Daniel Kaye - Where were you born,
and where do you call home?
Gail Morgan McRae - I was born in
Lumberton, Robeson County, North Carolina, USA, but I have called Laurinburg,
Scotland County, North Carolina home for the past 34 years.
DK - What is the name of
your most recent book or WIP and if you had to sum it up in 30 words or less,
what would you say?
Gail - My most recent books
are Creedor 1, due out November 22, 2013, and Creedor 2, just submitted for
editing. My WIP is working titled Hellritch 1. We see how descendants of Earth
whose ancestors left for other life-sustaining planets survive. Wizards,
changelings, military coups, and the slaughtering of innocents weave the
threads of this intricate tapestry.
DK - If you gave one of
your main characters the opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they
say about you?
Gail - I imagine that
several of my characters would like to have a word with me, most of them via an
in-my-face confrontation for the things that either they do or that happen to
them. If I could have those conversations, I would point out that they did it
to themselves – I just wrote it down for them. I think that Dr. Simon Slogar
would want to know why he’s portrayed as an obese, alcoholic who has been
tasked with the saving the Creedorian people from the plague that is
devastating them daily.
DK - Do you have plans for
a new book, and is this book part of a series?
Gail - Yes, I currently have
two books completed and four more in the works as part of the Reglon Empire
Series. I also have ideas for a couple of companion books to supplement the
series.
DK - Where and when do you
prefer to do your writing?
Gail - I write most often in
my overstuffed recliner in my den. I prefer writing in the morning and again in
the afternoon and into evening.
DK - Laptop, desktop or
pen for writing?
Gail - I prefer a laptop.
It’s easier on my wrists than pen and paper. It’s also nice to lean back in my
recliner instead of sitting at a computer station.
DK - Who designed the
cover of your book?
Gail - Gentry Publishing
arranged the cover design.
DK - Do you have a book
trailer?
Gail - No.
DK - What are your
thoughts on book trailers?
Gail - I think they’re a
great publicity tool. I just haven’t had time to put much thought into one, and
I personally think that successful book trailers require a great deal of
planning.
DK - Do you have any
advice for other writers?
Gail - Yes. Just write.
Don’t worry about making every sentence perfect before going on. Get the story
down, and then go back with fresh eyes. Also don’t think that good books just
drip from the pen or ooze from the keyboard. It just doesn’t happen that way.
Good writers have talent, but they should understand that writing is also a
skill that must be developed. Frustrating though it may be, the proofreading
and editing processes are vital to a clean, professional finished product.
DK - Great writing tips.
DK - Is your book in
Print, eBook or both?
Gail - I believe that they
will be in both formats.
DK - Have you
self-published and if so how would you describe the experience?
Gail - I did self-publish
once. I think that if I had known then what I know now, I would have gone the
free self-publishing route instead of buying the publishing package. I would
have gotten a finished copy for myself, but I wouldn’t make it available for
others. The process of getting a self-published book ready is a great
experience and overall, worth the effort.
DK - What books have influenced
your writing?
Gail - It’s hard to say.
When I was younger, I worked in a small-town library and was tasked with
reading the Children’s Library collection, some 2,000 books. I found the books
of Lloyd Alexander, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Rudyard Kipling the most fascinating. I
think that’s when my love of science fiction/fantasy began. In the worlds they
created, anything was possible. What a revelation for me as young woman who
grew up in a four-room house without benefit of indoor plumbing, television,
telephone, or automobile!
DK - Is there an author
that you would really like to meet?
Gail - I would love to meet
J.K. Rowling.
DK - Do you have an
e-reader, and do you prefer it to traditional published novels?
Gail - I have a Kindle Fire
HD, but I still prefer the good old book in my hand when I read.
DK - Where do you prefer
to buy your books?
Gail - I buy most of my
books in bookstores, mostly Barnes and Noble. I like to plunder through some of
the indie bookstores, but I’m allergic to dust so my visits are short. Besides,
I love the coffee shops in the B&Ns.
DK - What book would you
like to read again?
Gail - When I finish the
series, I’d like to read all the Harry Potter books (J.K. Rowling), Memoirs of
a Geisha (Arthur Golden), The Black Cauldron (Lloyd Alexander, and The
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams).
DK - What book are you
currently reading and in what format?
Gail - Right now I’m reading
the paperback titled Grace for the Journey by Beverly and George Thompson.
DK - Your thoughts on
receiving book reviews - the good and the bad.
Gail - I think that book
reviews are good whether the reviewer likes them or not. To me, the reviews can
give useful feedback, though not always. Also, writers have to develop a thick
skin when it comes to their work. Trusting your publisher and editor in their assessment
of your work is the best way to handle both good and bad reviews – they shoot
straight so you already know where you stand. Also, if you take their editing
advice, you’ll have a better chance at a good review – at least that’s my hope.
DK - Do you have a
nickname?
Gail - No, I don’t have a
nickname.
DK - Did you have a
favourite toy as a child?
Gail - Yes. I had a worn out
old teddy bear that I kept until it disintegrated from use and had to be
discarded.
DK - An early childhood
memory –
Gail - When I was little we
lived upstairs at my grandmother’s house. I remember one cold, winter evening
sitting on my daddy’s lap in a rocking chair pulled up close to the potbellied
stove. I’d been begging him for a taste of his chewing tobacco and this night
he gave in. My older brother came in and hung his flannel pajamas on the draft
knob. Well, it wasn’t long before they caught on fire. Daddy jumped up to stomp
out the fire, dumping me onto the floor. That “chaw” of tobacco went down and
immediately came back up. As I recall, it was chaos for a few minutes before my
mama came to the rescue. I never asked Daddy for another chaw. Oh, but those
were the good old days!
DK - Any pets that you
would like to tell us about?
Gail - We have a little,
brown dog named Louise who’s a mix between a pit bull and a dachshund. She’s
very short but very powerful and quite protective. After my husband lost his
lower right leg after an accident last year, she bit someone who came into the
house unannounced. She only bit his knee because she couldn’t reach anything higher
– lucky for him. Then there’s our cat Tammy. When I walk Louise, Tammy walks
right along with her totally unafraid of the dog. Tammy’s a grey and white
American Longhair who showed up under an azalea bush when she was so small she
fit in the palm of my hand. Our daughter wished for a kitty and within a week, her
wish was granted. Unfortunately, our daughter was headed off to college, so we
got to take care of the baby kitten.
DK - Coffee or tea?
Gail - I survive on strong
coffee and lots of it.
DK - Do you have a favourite
food?
Gail - I love chicken and
pastry.
DK - Do you like to cook,
and if so what?
Gail - I love to cook. I try
new things as often as I can, but have quite the menu of staple dishes that my
family loves such as pot roast, mac and cheese, collards and cornbread with
fatback, baked spaghetti, linguini with clam sauce, loads green salads with
fruit and nuts added. Today for lunch, I made salmon patties with homemade
tartar sauce.
DK - What do you eat for
breakfast?
Gail - Breakfast varies for
us. Sometimes toast and jam or cheese toast with fruit. Sometimes the full monty
with eggs, bacon or sausage, biscuits, grits with lots of Smart Balance instead
of butter, and juice. Sometimes it’s just cereal and fruit. It all depends on
how much time we have when we get up and how hungry we are.
DK - Name three things you
never leave home without (apart from keys, money and phone)?
Gail - Driver’s license,
debit card, and sunglasses.
DK - Sleep in, or get up
early?
Gail - My husband and I are
early risers.
DK - Your favourite gadget
–
Gail - Laptop.
DK - Where is one place in
the world that you would really love to visit?
Gail - The UK, especially
Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. My husband’s folks are of Scottish heritage and
mine are primarily Irish and Welsh.
DK - One of your favourite
quotes –
Gail - Matthew 22:37-40 “Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and
greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Jesus
Christ
(I think if we all
lived by those words, the world would be a better place.)
DK - List three of your
favourite all time movies?
Gail - Gone with the Wind
Dr. Zhivago
The Passion of the
Christ
My facebook page: Gail Morgan McRae - Author
Twitter: @GailMMcRae
I would like to thank
Gail Morgan McRae for allowing us the chance to have a chat, and for giving us
a glimpse into her writing world.
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