Interview

Interview with the reader….

Recently I decided it would be a good idea to interview a reader instead of an author.  This is an interview with Lara; she is a mother of two grown boys and wife to a fabulous chef.  She and I got to know each other as I wrote The Legacy of Kilkenny and she became one of my Lovies. 

Lara, thank you so much for this interview.  I appreciate you taking time out to answer my questions.  I thought as a writer, it is interesting and imperative to find out what the reader wants, it helps us to know our market.

 As a reader, what POV do you prefer?  Do you like first person? 

Lara:   It depends on where the story is going and how the author can take you on your journey.  I tend to like a first person point of view because you get a more in-depth view of the character.

In a character, what do you look for?  Do you like the damsel in distress?  Strong willed characters? 

Lara:  I tend to like the stronger characters; I love a good hero that can swoop in and save the day. 

Me:  Oh yeah, I do to!

What genre has been your go-to over the last year?  Why? 

Lara:  I have always been a supernatural/horror kind of girl.  I like to be able to climb into a good book and let go of real life for a while.

Me:  It is nice to escape isn’t it?

Do you have an e-reader?  If so, do you prefer ebooks or the kind you can hold and feel the pages?

Lara:   I do, and I L-O-V-E it!!!  It is kind of bittersweet to me on my preferences.  One of my favorite smells in the world is books….I know, crazy, but I look at the one small contribution that I am making toward senseless tree slaughter.

Me:  I feel exactly the same way!  I’ve met a lot of people that read the book on the e-reader, but buy the book too. 

So tell me what entices you to read a book?  Is it the cover, or do you read reviews of books and decide from there?

Lara:  I tend to read a lot of reviews, and word of mouth goes a long way, but that is not to say that a good cover has not caught my eye and made me pick up a book and look it over.

Do you write reviews of books and post them on a blog?  Do you rate books on Goodreads?

Lara:   One of two things has to happen for me to take the time to write a review, I either have to really love it or really hate it.  Those poor people with mediocre books will never hear from me.  I do have an account with Goodreads, but since I have a nook, I tend to review on their website.

Do you read any Indie books?  If so, what made you take the chance on them?

Lara:   I will read just about anything, I don’t really care who wrote it.  As long as it looks like it will be a good book, I am in.

Me:  Thank you on behalf of the Indie community! 

What is your view of the new rage of self published authors?

Lara:   More power to you!!!!!  I love the fact that someone can have the initiative to get out there and do something for themselves, it is a hard business to break into and sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands.

Christmas is around the corner, so tell me, do you give books as gifts for children?  Do you look at the illustrations or the message?

Lara:   I think that a book is one of the best gifts you can give a child.  I have 2 children and they had a ton of books.  The message is can be a powerful tool that will stay with a child that will be recollected throughout the years.

Me:  I agree with you.  I couldn’t imagine a world or children without books.

I’m sure it feels like I’ve grilled you to death.  This is my final question (with multiple parts), here we go.  Quick!  Other than yours truly, who is your favorite author right now?  Last year?  High school?  Growing up? 

Lara:  Mr. Stephen King is my man.  I have read his books since I was in middle school, I am pretty sure that covers all of the above time frames.

Me:  Oh, he was my favorite in high school.  Thank you for participating and thank you for all of your wisdom this last year.

I hope everyone found this helpful as they are taking into consideration what our readers are looking for.  As the holiday approaches, I wish everyone a safe and happy season.  Remember to be kind to everyone, they might be writing the next best seller and you don’t want to be the villain. ~  Devyn