Meet Blue Ridge Agency author, Phyllis Humphrey!

This time around, the agency fortnightly author visit features Phyllis Humphrey. Phyllis was one of the very first people I spoke to via the agency yahoo group when I was fortunate for Dawn to take me on back in March. I am very grateful for such a warm welcome and very much look forward to getting to know Phyllis a little better. Please remember to email me if you'd like an interview at rachelbrimble@googlemail.com - I am getting VERY low on interviews and I know there are still many, many of you lovely authors who haven't appeared on the blog yet. I'd love to hear from you! Okay, over to Phyllis... 1. Goals for 2011? I never give myself a goal of "selling" a book, because I have no control over when--if--an editor will offer a contract. My goal for 2010 was to try to promote COLD APRIL, released in December, 2010. Thanks to my hours of research about the Titanic, I’ve been able to post some blogs (www.phyllishumphrey.com) with information I think others will find as fascinating as I did. 5. Favorite author & book? REBECCA by Daphne du Maurier has always been my favorite book, and, judging by how many of her books I’ve purchased, I guess Sue Grafton is my favorite author these days. 7. Where do you write? I have my very own ten-by-ten office, which overflows with paper. It has two doors: one inside and one to the garage so I can sneak out if necessary. 11. How many books have you written? Nineteen complete, plus four incomplete. I’ve sold thirteen, and two of my backlist will now be indie published too. 12. Which comes first, plot or character? In the case of COLD APRIL, the plot, because Titanic sank, and I had to save my hero and heroine. Usually, I think of them together: that is, a character with a problem or a goal and I want to show her solve that. 13. Do you ever suffer from writers block? Not really. I’ve had my share of crappy days, but I remind myself that a famous writer once said, "Just keep writing. When you read it later, you won’t be able to tell which came when you were feeling inspired." 14. What do you like to do when not writing? We’re all social animals, and mustn’t sit at a computer all the time, so I joined a Performing Arts Club and I act in their plays and sing in their musicals. I love it. 17. How do you deal with criticism/rejection? Rejection is a given in this business, and I try to learn from criticism. Sometimes, a comment from a contest judge has alerted me to a way to improve and I ended up with a better book. 10. Your biggest piece of advice for beginning novelists? Persistence. Never give up. I sent out one book nineteen times before it sold, and another 27 times before getting a contract. (Of course, I tried to improve the book in between.)