Interview with L. Chambers-Wright

Published 2013-12-27.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
My favorite children's novel was "Season of the Ponies," by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. My first adult novel I read at 13, "Phantoms," by Dean Koontz. I fell even more deeply in love with the written word. The two novels allowed me to escape into worlds that were vastly different from my own, and I've loved the experience ever since.
How do you approach cover design?
I try to find a notable element from the story and create the cover around it. I think showing too much on the cover, no matter how well done, doesn't always entice readers. It's better to tempt the reader and let them use their imagination, than to rob them of that privilege.
What do you read for pleasure?
Everything. I love fiction and non-fiction. My favorite fiction authors are Dean Koontz, George Orwell, Ray Bradbury, Tolkien, among many others. There are so many wonderful authors and that makes it difficult to select even five favorites.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
I love to read on my laptop.
What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?
I've tried the standard book signings and things, but was not impressed by them. I do far better through social media and web sites.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in the Blue Ridge area of the Appalachians. My youth was filled with tall tales, legends, and ghost stories. They greatly influence what I write today.
When did you first start writing?
I've written all my life. I knew I wanted to pursue it as a career at 13. I lost my father a few weeks earlier, after an extended battle with cancer. While he was ill, I wanted to be a radiologist. After he passed, I discovered the therapeutic value of writing and knew that was what I was meant to do.
What's the story behind your latest book?
"Infectious," was my last novel. It takes a blue-collar girl out of her element and pushes her into worlds she never imagined. She suddenly becomes wealthy and that takes everything familiar away from her. To make matters worse, she's a self-avowed skeptic who finds herself in a dangerously active haunted house. She navigates through the strange elements of her new life, but discovers her own failings in the process.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
Years of struggle in the traditional industry. I'd been an eauthor before, back in 2001, but the company closed when the publisher developed severe health problems. I adored the experience. I continued pursuing traditional publication for years, but never found the same joy or reception. I switched to indie publication in 2011 and fell in love again with the entire process.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Smashwords was a launching platform for me. I started with Smashwords. It helped me gain the confidence to also publish through Kindle, Createspace, and Nook. It's an amazing experience.
What do your readers mean to you?
Readers mean everything to an author. They keep books in circulation and "word of mouth" remains the greatest form of promotion in existence. They're also often the best editors and will let you know if you do something wrong. The greatest reward in writing is knowing someone has enjoyed your hard work.
Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author or publisher.

Latest books by This Author

Monarch
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 43,410. Language: English. Published: October 27, 2012 by Black House Books. Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Utopias & dystopias, Fiction » Science fiction » Apocalyptic
She was born to serve the Monarch. She was bred to serve the Monarch. All ways are the Monarch's ways and all thoughts are the Monarch's thoughts. She had vowed her everlasting faithfulness to the entity, which knew all things past, all things present and all things of the future.
WTF: Write To Fail
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 7,930. Language: English. Published: October 20, 2012 by Black House Books. Categories: Nonfiction » Entertainment » Humor & satire » Form / parodies, Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing
15 Easy Steps to Ruin a Perfectly Good Writing Career. A writer's life can be filled with frustration and rejection. This book is dedicated to frustrated writers and their daily ordeals. Helpful, supportive and slightly psychotic, this is perhaps the only writing instructional that requires a disclaimer to protect those involved with its creation.
Stranger Stories
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 26,770. Language: English. Published: August 31, 2012 by Black House Books. Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Flash fiction, Fiction » Anthologies » Mystery
Distraction, curiosity, and apathy take these characters to places they never imagined.
Infectious
Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 97,990. Language: English. Published: July 26, 2012 by Black House Books. Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Psychological thriller, Fiction » Horror » Ghost
(5.00 from 1 review)
A supernatural contagion with one hell of an infection. Time is running out.
Stormy Weather
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 17,660. Language: English. Published: March 1, 2012 by Black House Books. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Paranormal, Fiction » Horror » Weird fiction
Nathaniel Mayfield doesn't expect anything more than a routine business trip. When he attempts to cross the notorious "Sam's Gap," mountain pass, things take a turn for the terrifying.
Misery Hall
Price: $1.99 USD. Words: 5,070. Language: English. Published: February 7, 2012 by Black House Books. Categories: Fiction » Horror » General, Fiction » Anthologies » Short stories - single author
The beast is sleeping in the old Kings Mountain Memorial hospital. Grace wakes it.
Destination Unknown
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 85,480. Language: English. Published: September 19, 2011 by Black House Books. Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Horror, Fiction » Anthologies » Mystery
"Destination Unknown" is a collection of strange journeys, both literal and figurative, where the characters arrive in destinations they never imagined.
Wither
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 9,740. Language: English. Published: July 20, 2011 by Black House Books. Categories: Fiction » Horror » Ghost, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Psychological thriller
Hangar 408 of the Nelson Airfield is legendary in the paranormal world. It has been studied, evaluated, and investigated by the most respected paranormal professionals in the nation. Phillip Moore knows it's a farce. The professional skeptic is eager to end the fear-mongering.
The Black Gash
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 14,230. Language: English. Published: July 11, 2011 by Black House Books. Categories: Fiction » Horror » Ghost, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Psychological thriller
Ash volunteers for a courtroom renovation to earn extra college credits over the summer break. While preparing the aged documentation for the transition, he stumbles across a case that is nearly two centuries old.
The Moon Sees Me
Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 86,090. Language: English. Published: April 7, 2011 by Black House Books. Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » General, Fiction » Women's fiction » General
She remembers what happened that night, but the doctor said her mind couldn't be trusted. The physician says they aren't memories, just hallucinations, mere by-products of a head injury. She knows there is more to that night than what they're telling her.
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