Name:
Marjorie Doering (Pen name: Marjorie Swift Doering)
The Title of Your Work or Group: The Ray Schiller Series:
Dear Crossing
Shadow Tag
Targeted
Where are you from? Does not have to be the name of the place exactly. You can say Hick-ville Florida, for example if you are more comfortable with that.
I started out in the S.E. corner of Wisconsin and have slowly migrated to the the N.W. side of the state.
In what genre do you write?
Mystery/police procedural although I’ve written many, many short stories in everything from romance to horror.
In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it?
“You’ve gotta read it!” – Okay, beyond that, if we’re talking about Shadow Tag, Book 2 in the series, and I weren’t the author, I’d say: “This guy, Ray Schiller, leaves his two, young daughters and estranged wife to take a job as a homicide detective two hours away in Minneapolis. He wouldn’t have done that, but he’s really torn about his relationship with his wife and needs to put some distance between them for a while. Besides, it means getting the chance to tie up some loose ends from a case he recently worked on. The wife of a Minneapolis executive had been murdered in the couple’s summer home.
Anyway, just about the time Ray solved that case, her husband was found dead in the ACC boardroom in the Cities. It looks like suicide—the board members insist that’s what it was, but Ray and his new partner knew the exec from having investigated his wife’s case and neither of them buys the Board’s story.
They figure they’re getting stonewalled, but not just by the Board of Directors. There’s another executive who stood to gain from his death, or it could be the guy’s young, hot-looking administrative assistant, or even one of the security guards. They all have opportunity and plausible motives.
The case is heating up when Ray’s called back home after his seven-year-old daughter is seriously hurt. He and his wife are thrown together at the hospital for a couple of days, and just about the time you think Ray’s marriage problems are going to get worked out, well…think again.
Ray goes back to the Cities and just as he and his partner figure out who the killer is, the tables get turned and… Well, I won’t tell you the end. You’ll have to find out for yourself.
What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens?
I don’t outline. I pretty much refuse to do that unless the timing of events is so intricate that I need to see it laid out so I can shuffle things around. On the other hand, I don’t fly by the seat of my pants—no propeller back there. I have to know, ahead of time, how the story starts, where it’s headed and how it’s going to end. That’s not to say that’s how it winds up, but I can’t begin without having a basic plan for the beginning, middle, and end.
Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?
No, it’s more like: OMG, what’s everyone going to think? I’m kidding…more or less. Actually, I would be thrilled to have the whole world to read my stories, but while they’re very entertaining, they aren’t meant to have earth-shaking ramifications. I write because I enjoy it and want others to enjoy what I write. It’s that simple.
Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself?
As a college grad with a degree in English, I’ve done my own editing so far. Even so, I’m seriously considering having the next story edited professionally. That’s the sort of thing you learn from life experience rather than a diploma. As for my cover designs, those are done by professionals. Three covers—two cover designers.
Here’s a little heads-up. In an effort to brand my books as a series, I’m currently having a third designer work her magic on my covers. It’s a work in progress right now.
Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy.
I have a lot of favorites, so one doesn’t stand out, especially since I enjoy more than one genre. There’s Sandford, Hoag, King, Koontz, Freeman. If anything, having more than one favorite helped me realize it’s important that my writing sounds like “me”—my style, whatever that is. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life!
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Oh, yes! To keep moving along quickly. I tend to agonize over every word, sentence, and paragraph. I know it’s stupid, but it’s still a real stumbling block for me.
Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?
I pop them out of a mold I’ve made up for them in my head, but once I set them free, they take charge occasionally, sometimes at very unexpected moments.
Do you ever write yourself into the characters?
Little bits and pieces, but nothing major.
Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.
I’m retired, thankfully, but now I often spend more time in front of my computer than I ever did daily when I was receiving a paycheck.
If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?
Too many choices. Don’t make me go there. Ha!
There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?
I’m weird—not seriously weird, but I think I have a quirky imagination that tends to lead elements of my stories in surprising directions. Readers can probably expect to experience one or two I-didn’t-expect-that moments when they read my stories. At least, I hope so.
In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from?
This is one, right, Nicole? Actually, I’m still trying to feel my way along like most other Indies. If I find something miraculous, you better believe I’ll pass it along!
Now give me your links so we can get people to your book sites!
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/marjorie.doering
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