Hot off the press! Check out this great Q&A with the phenomenally successful self-published author Rhiannon Frater. We’re thrilled to announce that Rhiannon will be teaching a workshop with the Writers’ League on October 1 titled Self Publishing: How to Do it Right. Click on the title to learn more about the workshop, and click HERE to register for it!
What are you reading right now? Anathema by Meg Jenson, an indie author. The Bookish Brunette recommended the book on her blog and later sent me a personal reference. I’m enjoying it so far.
When you’re not reading or writing, what do you like to do with your time? I love to play my Xbox 360, or watch TV shows on Netflix or DVD. I also love swimming and dancing. I have serious wanderlust, so I also like to travel.
What’s your favorite opening line of a book? The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.
What life lesson did your last book or project teach you? Being a vampire is complicated and not always easy. Which I guess translates into do your very best and be prepared for the very worst. And when all else fails, stake ‘em.
What word do you love? What word do you detest? I like the word “amazing.” I hate the word “moist.”
What is a little known fact about yourself? I was once a lifeguard and can swim like a mermaid.
How do you deal with ups and downs of the publishing business? Margaritas, shopping with my friends (Betsey Johnson bags are my downfall), gaming with the hubby, and bitchin’ to my close friends helps when I’m frustrated. There are a lot of downs in publishing, so I try to make blowing off steam by having fun. When things are going really well, I go dancing. Well, I go dancing when they’re going bad, too. I just try to take it all in stride and not freak out.
How do you balance writing with work and family? I warn my husband when I’m sitting down to write so he knows not to disturb me. He gets most of my attention when I’m not chained to my desk, so it all works out.
What is your writing routine and where do you write? I have no set routine. Each day is different. Sometimes I spend a lot of time on emails before writing, other times I write all day and tackle work emails at the end. I have a home office where a do a lot of my writing, but if I hit writer’s block, I relocate to a coffee shop.
Do you outline or just start writing? I dream, I wake up, I scribble down the idea, and when its time, I just start writing as I listen to the new muse in my head.
Do you have trusted readers you turn to as you write, and if so, who and what stage? I have around four of them and it depends on the project. Sometimes they don’t get the book until it’s done, other times, they get the book in three chapter increments. Three started off as fans that had really interesting feedback for me in their reviews and one is an editor at Permuted Press. I’m blessed that they are all my good friends now and I value their input quite a bit.
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? When I discovered books when I was a little girl.
The Fast Five
1. What are three things in your office/writing space that would surprise someone who popped in? The size of my monitor (it’s huge), the lack of corpses, and the heavy black curtains that keep out sunlight.
2. What book first influenced you as a child? The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
3. What time of day do you write? Depends on the novel. The zombies seem to like daylight, the vampires like the night. The other monsters seem to like dusk.
4. If you could have a beer or coffee with a writer living or dead, who would it be and why? Anne Rice. She’s amazing. We share a lot of common viewpoints and she has such a passion for life.
5. Beer or coffee? MARGARITAS!
Rhiannon Frater originally self-published her zombie trilogy As The World Dies in 2008 and was offered a three-book deal with Tor in 2010. Rhiannon’s career has given her a unique perspective on self-publishing versus traditional publishing. The first book in the series, The First Days, is now in bookstores everywhere. The First Days also received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. All her novels (self-published and traditionally published) have been optioned for TV and film. Rhiannon has a writing blog at and a website.
