Title: Sword Across Time
Author:  Catherine Anne Collins
Publisher: Treble Heart Books
ISBN #1-931742-87-1

The following interview was conducted by Katherine J. Turcotte

Catherine Anne Collins
Author of Sword Across Time
Interview

I was happy to get the opportunity to interview author Catherine Anne Collins after the publication of her first book, Sword Across Time published by Treble Heart Books this year.  Sword Across Time was also the first place winner in the paranormal romance category in Treble Heart Books annual awards. She has recently completed a romantic suspense book called Sweet Dreams in a Small Town and is nearly finished with another fantasy titled Beyond the Faerie Realm which she tells me is her favorite and likely to be her best work yet. I think we will be seeing much more of Catherine and her wonderful, imaginative books!

Catherine and her husband reside in Ontario and own a martial arts and wellness center where they teach karate, tai chi, ba gua, meditation and reiki. Her big dream is to someday have a hobby farm with lots of pets.



Katherine: ~ When did you develop an interest in writing, and did you think
that you would ever write a book?

Catherine ~ Actually, I started out writing poetry, but the thought of writing a book never crossed my mind.  I mean, who was I to think I could ever write a book?  That’s something that writers do.  Somewhere along the way (as my 40th birthday approached) I felt the overwhelming urge to write a book.  So I did.

Katherine ~ What inspired you to write your book Sword Across Time?

Catherine ~ I’ve always been attracted to the era of King Arthur and the magic of Merlin the magician and the Sword Excalibur.  It is a part of history that called to me and that made it easy for me to write the story.

Katherine ~ What genre or era do you prefer to write about?

Catherine ~ I find myself leaning toward anything that involves myths and legends, so I suppose you could say that I enjoy fantasy the most.  Of course, it has to have a heavy dollop of romance, as well as a happy ending. As for what era I am attracted to…hmmm, that has changed over the years.  I went through a King Arthur period when I was younger and then suddenly developed an intense interest in anything to do with Henry Vlll and his six wives. In high school I signed up for Greek mythology because I wanted to, not because I thought it would be an easy course like everyone else did. I also had a period of interest in Atlantis—my first (unpublished) book is based on that theme. Presently, I’m still interested in the King Arthur period and have a couple of ideas for another book in that direction.   

Katherine ~ Briefly, what is the process that goes into the development of
a book? Do you outline characters, settings, plot before you actually
begin writing?

Catherine ~ LOL.  No, I don’t plan anything.  With each of my books, I’ve started with an opening scene, that’s all.  I sit down and write that scene, and everything else develops from there.  Sure, I have a very general idea of what I want the story to be about, but the characters and plot don’t come until I start to write.  I have no idea what’s going to happen until I find out my characters personalities, what they want from life, and what tests them.  I develop situations and scenes from that.  I tried to outline once or twice and found myself staring at a blank screen for so long, that I finally dove into the writing and then I was fine.   

Katherine ~ How disciplined of a writer are you - do you write daily? Do you keep a journal of ideas and thoughts for future books/stories?

Catherine ~ I’d love to be able to write daily and I really do try.  Unfortunately, we run our own business and that’s the one that pays the bills, so I have to give that first attention.  I live for the day when I make enough money with my writing to hire an accountant and I can spend more time writing.  Hmmm, maybe I can hire a maid as well.  Wouldn’t that be nice. 


Katherine ~ Rejection letters are a part of every writer’s career - how should a writer handle rejection?

Catherine ~ I have a drawer full of rejection letters so you could say I’m a bit of an expert on this subject.  My first rejections were standard form letters addressed to Dear Author.  Or, even worse, a huge NO scrawled across the top of my query letter.  Those are the ones you ignore, unless you receive enough of them, then it’s time to re-evaluate your query and your manuscript to make sure it’s the best it can be.  The competition is tough.
As my writing and knowledge of how to write a query and synopsis improved, the rejection letters took on a whole new tone.  Suddenly, I was somebody, because the agents (or publishers) were referring to me by my name.  Hallelujah!   Most of them even went so far as to insert a comment or two about my work.  Those comments are gold and should not be ignored.  Never assume that you know it all and never turn your nose up at advice.  Take it all in and see if it makes sense, then, if you really don’t agree you can disregard, but be open to the experience and knowledge that even a rejection letter can give you.
My favorite rejection letter went something like this:
Your publishing potential far outweighs the abilities of our small press, I suggest you look elsewhere to market your work.
Now, how cool is that?  I was rejected, but with style and panache.  You’ve got to love it.

Katherine ~ When Sword Across Time was accepted for publication and you finally saw the fruits of your labor, how did you feel?

Catherine ~ I couldn’t believe it at first.  I stared blankly at the e-mail confirming that they wanted my story and that a contract was attached.  When it finally sunk in, I think I screamed, I do remember that my hands were shaking for awhile.

Katherine ~ How much time do you devote to marketing your book and what does
the publisher do to help you market it?

Catherine ~ Ah, here’s the problem with small presses, you have to do most of the marketing and promotion yourself, leaving little to no time to write.  I spent hours upon hours doing chats, interviews, e-mailing bookstores asking them to carry my book, spending money on banner ads etc, and the payoff was not much.  Keep in mind this is just my experience, others may have a different story.  I find that I sell more books face to face.  Book signings, fairs, any special event that goes on where I can take my table and set up my books.  That’s where the payoff is for me.
No matter what, though, it is time consuming.  So much so, that I recently hired my own promotions person.  She does the legwork for a percentage of everything I make.  It took a load off my shoulders and has enabled me to return to writing, my true love.

Katherine ~ Who are some of your favorite authors/books?

Catherine ~ It’s been a progression over the years from my childhood.  The one who influenced me the most, was Walter Farley and his Black Stallion series.  Those are the books that would get me out of bed early in the morning when I was a child, so I could read before going to school.  The stories of the wild black stallion are what turned on the switch to creativity and imagination.  The rest is history.  As a child I went through the usual Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and such.  My teenage years are when I discovered romance. Bertrice Small, Johanna Lindsey, Virginia Henley, Victoria Holt, Phyllis A. Whitney…the list goes on.  Now, I’m into my fantasy stage and loving books by Anne Bishop, J.R.R. Tolkien (of course), Deborah Chester and Marion Zimmer Bradley.  This is an incomplete list, as there are far too many good authors to mention.  

Katherine ~ How do you feel about getting emails from fans?

Catherine ~ I don’t mind at all, especially the ones I’ve been receiving about Sword Across Time.  The positive response to this book has blown me away.  


Katherine ~ What do you do to unwind and relax when you are not writing?

Catherine ~ Read.  But spending too much sedentary time is not good, so I get physical.  My husband and I share interests such as kayaking, camping, hiking and archery.  I also love horseback riding and photography.

Katherine ~ Do you have any upcoming appearances?

Catherine ~ My promotions manager has been able to schedule me for some book signings in some Chapters stores in and around Ottawa.  I’m doing three of them the end of August.  You can always check my website to find out what’s new and where I’ll be.  www.catherineannecollins.com