PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'Altered' Rob Kaufman⭐ #Altered #interview

 

Rob Kaufman novels are known for having characters with whom people can relate, while at the same time, bringing them on a journey from which most people would crumble.

His degree in Psychology was the first step toward getting beneath the surface of the people in his life. What followed was a lifelong search for what makes people tick – what forces them to become evil when deep down they are yearning for love. Rob’s characters walk this search with him, deep into the human psyche, creating psychological thrillers from everyday events.

Rob’s books are perfect for those who enjoy thrillers but also need strong emotion to keep them deeply involved with the characters.

“All my books hit home for me,” says Rob. “There are always pages parts that make me laugh out loud as I write them… and many, too many, that make me cry. And the great thing is, I’m finding that many readers of my books experience the same emotions.”

Rob’s books receive both national and international praise with most reviews noting that his storylines are extremely “unique” and “sobering” and the twists and turns are “masterful”.

Website or Blog:  www.authorrobkaufman.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AuthorKaufman

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRobKaufman

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/745558.Rob_Kaufman

 

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself? 

 

Most of the research I did involved “Dissociative Identity Disorder” (DID), most commonly known as multiple personalities. I had to make absolutely certain that any actions taken and words used by Frank Devlin (the character with DID) was accurate and had precedence. I also wanted to be sure that people understand DID is a mental health disorder and so I was intent on not characterizing Frank as “crazy”, like movies so often do.

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub? 

 

Self-published because it gives me more freedom to market as I please and connect with my readers easier.

 

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?

I wanted to release after the holidays, when people were less busy and had more time to sit back and enjoy a new book. 

How did you choose your cover? 

I worked with a cover designer in the UK who had worked with a friend of mine. He provided options. When I saw the one I’m using, I loved it at first sight. It was perfect for the topic of DID.

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went? 

I wrote a chapter and then revised it the next day. I continued doing that with each chapter until the end. Then I reviewed and revised the entire book two more times before sending it to the editor. Then I revised it again based on her edits and recommendations.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book? 

No swag.

Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book?  If so, what’s the link? 

https://youtu.be/71cLhKYBlzE

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book? 

Giving away a certain amount of copies works when you have other books in your pipeline. When readers enjoy one of your books and style of writing, they typically enjoy reading your other books. Giving away books to sell that same book doesn’t work very well… at least in my experience.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released? 

Research – if any of the subject matter is new or foreign to them.
Edit/Proofread – Make certain your book is properly edited and proofread. Indie books get a bad rap because many authors release unprofessional books. Therefore, it’s a must, for the author and the industry as a whole, to release books that have as minimal errors as possible.

Get opinions – Find ARC readers who will read your book and provide an HONEST opinion. Friends and family are a good start, but they may be biased. That’s why it’s imperative to have a group of people who don’t know you (and vice versa) who will tell you what they truly think and provide thoughts and recommendations.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released? 

Market – Make sure you follow the marketing plan you put in place before release. Watch your ad sales, conversion rates and royalties every single day so you know what ads/promos are working and which aren’t.

Connect – Stay connected with your readers. Respond to any comments they post on your ads, send out a newsletter or “hello” to your followers/mailing list, let your readers know getting sales isn’t your only goal – making readers happy and satisfied is number one priority.

Start writing your next book – While sales are up and people are excited about your new book, start writing your next one. If the one you just released is good enough, they’ll be waiting for the next one. So start now!

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?

I did promotions with about 12 book promotion sites (a pre-release) and sent an email out to my subscribers. That was a month before release. I will do the same a week before… just in case someone was missed. 

Do you have a long term plan with your book? 

This novel is Book One of a three part series. It’s my first series and from the emails I’ve been getting, people are looking forward to Book Two. The long-term plan is to sell them as a package instead of individually so that people can enjoy them all at once. 

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

I’d like to say “thank you” to people who read my books. I’m not sure if they understand it's an honor for an author (at least for me) that someone takes time out of their day, or night, to read the words I put on paper. Sure, I struggle to get it right, to make sure they stay interested, to keep them on their toes so they can’t wait to get to the next chapter – but without them reading what I write, the struggle is useless. So I can only say “thank you” and I hope you keep enjoying my work.

 

 

Inside the Book

When Frank Devlin walks into Justin Wright’s office, the renowned New York City clinical psychiatrist decides to take on one of the most challenging cases of his career.

After their first session, it’s obvious Frank has multiple personalities (“alters”) and each one couldn’t be more different than the other. Justin must get to know each individual alter in order to discover the best route to take so that Frank can live a full and happy life. He must also delve into Frank’s past, one filled with mystery, darkness and trauma — the true causes behind his personality split.

As Justin deals with Frank’s issues, he’s also confronted with his own demons: the kidnapping of Michael, his youngest son, seven years earlier… a wife he adores, Mandy, who refuses to accept her son is gone… a constant struggle with his oldest son, Dylan, who was watching over Michael the day the boy was taken. And his problems get worse as, unbeknownst to Justin, Frank and his alters are secretly weaving themselves into his life in ways that will affect the Wright family forever.

A suspense-filled story driven by emotion, angst and the ultimate revenge, “Altered” brings readers down a twisted path of uncertainty and mind games ­— leaving them shocked, heartbroken and questioning what could possibly come next… 

“Crazy-good plot lines and shocking information that had me gasping for breath at every turn!” – Anne F., Amazon Vine Reviewer

“It was an amazing ride with tension building throughout until the final twist ending.” – Patricia G., NetGalley Reviewer

Release Date: November 15, 2022

Soft Cover: ISBN:979-8358757523; 329 pages; $13.99; Kindle $7.99; FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BlpCjs 

PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'The Siren's Scream' Thomas White⭐ #TheSirensScream #interview

 

Thomas White began his career as an actor. Several years later he found himself as an Artistic Director for a theatre in Southern California and the winner of several Drama-Logue and Critics awards for directing. As Tom’s career grew, he directed and co-produced the world tour of “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out Of Their Shells”. The show toured for over two years, was translated into seven different languages and seen by over a million children. Tom served as President and Creative Director for Maiden Lane Entertainment for 24 years and worked on many large-scale corporate event productions that included Harley Davidson, Microsoft, Medtronic Diabetes, and dozens of others. The Siren’s Scream is Tom’s second novel that follows up Justice Rules which was nominated as a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2010 Literary contest.

Tom’s latest book is the mystery/horror, The Siren’s Scream.

Visit his website at www.thomas-white-author.com or connect with him at Facebook.

 

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?

At first, I did very little research. I was re-working the mermaid mythology and had a pretty good understanding of it and the direction I took required me creating more of the mythology. However, once I got into the story, I had to do quite a bit of research on the early 20^th century in regard to architecture, fashion and everyday life.

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?

I vehemently pursued publishers for my first book. I had a file of almost 70 rejections. Along the way I went through 3 literary agents, all of whom had faith in me and all of whom left the business for marital reasons, 2 marriages and one divorce. Finally, I self-published and the novel, Justice Rules ended up as a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association Literary Contest, one of 8 finalists out of 2,800 submissions. I ended up selling almost 3,500 copies and when I went back to those same publishers, nothing. My favorite response was, “If you had sold 10,000 we might be interested. I thought, if I had sold 10,000 I wouldn’t need them! With The Siren’s Scream I skipped the frustration and went directly to self-publishing.

If published by a publisher, what was your deciding factor in going with them?

One of my strongest beliefs about self-publishing is maintaining the professionalism of the craft. You have to put out a professionally edited and crafted book. The great thing about self-publishing is that authors who deserve to be read can get their work out there, the bad part, anyone who has written sixty pages about their summer vacation can also get out there. It is up to the author to maintain the highest standard of publication. So, to answer the question, yes, I hired a company that helped edit, correct grammar, design a book cover and create a web site. I was VERY dissatisfied with the results. I ended up re-designing the cover myself, editing their mistakes in editing, and having a ton of trouble moving forward with the process. They did create a nice web page, that I mostly designed myself, but next time around I will do things differently. They finally got my work up online for sale but I am still dealing with them for the errors that were made and not yet corrected. Next time I will subcontract each of these elements and put it together myself.

If self-published, how did you determine the price?

I went shopping. There are so many different organizations out there and my feeling was that they were preying on each author’s ego to get the book done. I thought I had found a trustworthy group but I was very wrong. Will not use these services again.

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

I re-wrote this book probably 15 time. I started it 20 years ago, re-wrote it, finished it, re-wrote it again and finally shelved it. It was what I called, my practice novel. After I released my first novel, Justice Rules, I took another look at it. There was a decent story that was lacking a hook and the writing was awful. I scrapped the whole thing except the outline and re-worked it again. This time I was successful in creating something different and exciting with a nice ‘catch’.

Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book?  If so, what’s the link?

I didn’t hire anyone, I did it myself. I am the recipient of 7 Telly Awards as well as several other video production awards and have the programs and experience to do it myself. Here is the link. https://youtu.be/QlD-pdXYy

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I believe in getting my work out there to a point. I have donated copies to silent auctions and have given away copies to reviewers etc. I am not a fan of Kindle Unlimited. Having someone read my book for free and then more on down the line does nothing for me. I am looking for reviews and feedback along with the very distant possibility that I could make a living as a writer. Giving away my work does not really move me in that direction.

What are some of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

The first and most important thing is to have your work professionally edited. It is the authors responsibility to maintain the professionalism of their work. The second thing is to create an eye-catching cover, something that not only tells you about the book but jumps off the self at you. The third thing is to create a strong online presence. A well-done website, online outlets such as Facebook, Twitter etc. are also a must. And along with this online presence there must be links to be able to buy the book. Every book sold moves you closer to making a living as a writer.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

The first and most important thing is to have your work professionally edited. It is the authors responsibility to maintain the professionalism of their work. The second thing is to create an eye-catching cover, something that not only tells you about the book but jumps off the self at you. The third thing is to create a strong online presence. A well-done website, online outlets such as Facebook, Twitter etc. are also a must. And along with this online presence there must be links to be able to buy the book. Every book sold moves you closer to making a living as a writer. 

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

What are the three most important things when buying real estate? Location, location, location. What are the three most important things to do after you’re published? Marketing, marketing, marketing. There are many different ways to do that but using all of them are very important. Services like PUYB are one of the most effective ways. Dorothy has created a virtual book tour that exposes your work to an entirely different audience than you will usually have.  The next most important thing is to continue to market! Do online interviews, get yourself invited to guest on podcasts and radio/TV broadcasts, promote your website every day. The third most important thing is to keep marketing, are you with me here? Don’t stop! Everyday do something that exposes your work to the world. You become a best-selling author one book at a time. Thomas-white-author.com

Do you have a long-term plan with your book?

I have been told my many that this will make a tremendous movie. How I can make that happen is a mystery right now but I am working in it. 

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

The Siren’s Scream is a fun thrill ride through an old mythology. You have never seen the lore of the siren that explains origins and motivation. Sirens sit on the rocks and with their song lure sailors to their death. Why do they do that? Are they mad at the sailors or just a murderous bunch? The Siren’s Scream lets you know why!

Inside the Book

Title: The Siren’s Scream
Author: Thomas White
Publisher: Savvy Books
Pages: 492
Genre: Mystery/Horror

An old mansion sits atop of a cliff, overlooking the ocean, in Santa Cruz, CA. A young realtor, Darcy Wainwright, manages to sell the dilapidated old house to Henry Childs, an obese nebbish who is obsessed with the property. In the backyard is a pool. Not an ordinary pool but a giant tide pool. In the tide pool is a siren with an evil agenda for revenge.

The Thornton Mansion was a talisman for the death and mystery that surrounded it. Unoccupied for years until Henry Childs was summoned by the house. As directed, he reached out to unsuspecting, novice realtor Darcy Wainwright. Darcy finds herself intricately involved with the house, its history and the haunting tide pool that filled the backyard. It was the pool that beckoned her, and it was the pool that would decide if she lives or dies. The Siren’s Scream. Available on Amazon.

Release Date: October 5, 2022

Publisher: Savvy Books

Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-1088067819; 480 pages; $21.14

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TEz7kx

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sirens-scream-thomas-white/1142494493?ean=9781088067819

Purchase your copy at the author’s website: https://thomas-white-author.com/