Interview with Angela Dublin

Published 2016-02-03.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I love to dabble in Oil Painting and turn old Saws into beauty. If I am not painting, you can find me down at the Kuhler's Bar and Grill hanging out with the locals, playing pool, or enjoying a nice dinner. I also try to work out at least 40 minutes of each day, whether that be running, walking, Pilates, anything that gets my heart moving and makes me feel rejuvenated. Oh and I forgot to mention, I and my Shepherd love playtime too.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yes I do. It was a short story about abused Children and how a little boy who was no bigger than a shrub tried to shield and protect his sister from their abusive father. Hiding in the dark, fearing for their lives, heart pounding in their ears was a nightly encounter. The neighbors turned a deaf ear to the cries of those two small children, most believing it was none of their business, and yet, had just one of those neighbors taken the initiative, those children would have had a chance at a normal life. A child cries, but no one hears, or perhaps no one wants to hear. Finally a passer by hears their tortured screams as the abusive man continues his drunken rampage with his fists to small forms, and he dials 911 and goes in to help those children. Rescued and safe, they grow up. But nothing is ever normal, and one day the young girl gets a call. Her brother had jumped from the bridge. Behind he left a note. The last words were, Hey sister will you remember me? I will remember you and love you through eternity, but I am not you and I can't take the nightmares anymore. I realized today that I will never be normal and decided that I had to end the agony. I am sorry. I still remember that story and it is a frighteningly real one for it happens all the time.
What is your writing process?
I have my own technique where I do what I call bubbling. I use a large Poster board and draw a center circle for my topic and then from that I bubble out the What, When Where, How and Why. I then turn each of those into bubbles adding notes as they come to me. It actually makes it quite fun to see it all come together that way. After I get all this finished, I transfer it to notebooks, which I like to save. Like I said I definitely have a unique way of doing my writing. Once the book comes together that is when I go about editing and trust me, you can never edit just once...
What are your five favorite books, and why?
I love all the Iris Johannson books. The Eve series. She has a way of writing that keeps you riveted until the last page. These are the types of books that you can't just put down. You have to finish them once you start. I also enjoy Lisa Jackson, and just finished Chosen to Die. Very good read and I can't wait to get the next one. I like the guessing game of trying to figure out the who done its of books.
Describe your desk
It's really quite simple. I love the color Black and so you guessed it, a Black desk with my Laptop, a picture of my mom to the right and a vase with fresh cut flowers sits to the left. Pen and tablet on the shelf and my satchel tucked underneath. And a cup of coffee can always be found next to the Laptop.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
My father was Military and so I had the chance to see the world, or a big portion of it. From Germany to the Netherlands, the Black Forest, Dachau, and most of the United States, we were always traveling. From the age of 9 I can remember writing notes in small notebooks about what I would see. The one that stuck with me all of my life was the trip we made to Dachau. It is something that I shall never forget. I was only about 8 at the time and I remember all of it. The ovens, the showers, the pictures and although you may find this odd to say the least. I felt like those souls were still there. I could actually feel them. It was terrifying and yet I was totally engulfed in all of it.
What's the story behind your latest book?
I was driving along a stretch of Highway 97, heading over to visit my parents who lived outside of Tonasket, WA., and it was getting pretty dark. In fact on that stretch of road there are no lights, no Gas Stations, and of course, no bathrooms and I had to go pee. With a vivid imagination, I imagined all kinds of scenario's. A woman out on a stretch of road with no where to go to the bathroom, but the side of a road. When mother nature calls, you cannot take it for very long and you have to pull over. Talk about a scary memory, thus my Novel They Watch was born.
What are you working on next?
I am currently working on a new venture. An Historical Romance about Innish Island just off the coast of Ireland and it is finished as far as the book goes, and I am now editing and re-editing. The story is about the Irish Viking clashes and Ivar the Boneless along with the Erickson brothers who were known for their evil hearts. I have tried to stay with as much of the History as I researched, but a good Romance would not be so great if it did not include the Romance, risks, and terror that existed even in those times.
What motivates you?
First and foremost, I am motivated by an old saying which sits above my work station. It says, Do not put off today, what you think you can do tomorrow, for tomorrow may never come. This is so very true in my case. I lost my Brother when he was in his early thirties and the night he was killed in an accident I remember talking to him just an hour before and he had said," Hey sis, sorry I didn't make it to dinner." And I said, "That's ok, we will just do it tomorrow." Well tomorrow never came for us. Since that day I have tried very hard to never put something off until tomorrow.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
(Laughing) My German Shepherd, Kika. Like clockwork she will run and make a flying leap onto the bed every morning at around 5 am and swath my face in big tongue licks. That is definitely inspiration enough to jump out of bed.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
Through fans, friends, family and yes even Google and Facebook.
How do you approach cover design?
Idealistically I would try to create a cover that depicts the content of the book that I am presenting. As with They Watch, I came up with the eye peering out as the highway fades to background. My next Novel, Lands of Drogheda is an Irish-Viking Historical Romance, so I would probably want to put together both designs from that era, along with a ship at sea. Perhaps including the waves crashing against the bow. Book Covers are what brings the eyes to the book, so it is very important that you create a cover that catches the eye.
When did you first start writing?
When I was around 9 I kept a diary of all of my families adventures which could count as the beginning of my writing career. Again, at the age of 13 I kept a journel of our trip along the Alcan Highway that flowed through Canada into the deepest realm of Alaska. Another writing adventure. In High School I penned poems and Haiku and it wasn't until I was in my mid Twenties that I began to really sit down and write. My first attempt at writing was a short story called Someone Hears, No one comes. I have enjoyed writing all venues, however, I love writing Children's Books and Sci-Fi the most.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
Now that's a trick question. Guess I would have to say the movement.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Still working on being succesful in my writing career.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Imagination. Plain and simple. I love imagining all kinds of beginnings and endings.
What do your fans mean to you?
They are the backing to the book. Without them, I wouldn't be the person that I am today.
Who are your favorite authors?
I would have to go with Iris Johannson and Dean Koontz. Both are thrilling in their own venue.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
Believe it or not, it was Moby Dick...and I still remember that feeling of complete satisfaction for the read.
What do you read for pleasure?
Mostly online stuff, but a good book is hard to pass by and so I would have to say any new Iris Johannson, or Dean Koontz on the shelf wouldn't stay there long.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
Kindle
Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author or publisher.

Books by This Author

They Watch
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 49,910. Language: American English. Published: May 26, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » General, Fiction » Science fiction » General
A famous Novelist disappears on Highway 97. Her beautiful black Labrador companion is also missing. Ten years earlier, a young woman is cut to pieces by a presumed killer. More recently, women have been disappearing in the Okanogan Mountains outside of Tonasket, Washington. Someone or something is out there, waiting, watching. It is time. Time to feed.