Spotlighting Denise Weimer with a GiveAway

Denise Weimer holds a journalism degree with a minor in history from Asbury University. A former magazine writer, she is
an associate editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas as well as the author of The Georgia Gold Series, The Restoration Trilogy and a number of romantic novellas due for release in upcoming months. Represented by Hartline Literary Agency, Denise is a wife and swim mom of two daughters who always pauses for old houses, coffee and chocolate!



 Social Links

http://deniseweimerbooks.webs.com/

https://www.facebook.com/denise.weimer1

https://twitter.com/denise_weimer

Books 
Holly, Ivy & Intrigue Collection: https://www.amazon.com/Holly-Ivy-Intrigue-Celebrate-Publishing-ebook/dp/B0773K3SFK/

The Restoration Trilogy, WHITE: https://www.amazon.com/White-Restoration-Trilogy-Book-One/dp/0990841685/

The Georgia Gold Series, SAUTEE SHADOWS: https://www.amazon.com/Sautee-Shadows-Book-Georgia-Gold/dp/0982905483/

Interview

1. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
I do think it would be difficult to create gripping scenes without feeling strong emotions. While many people could find the proper words to relate what’s happening, relating it convincingly is another matter. I often “put myself” into the scene, feeling the emotions through the character as I write, mentally “play acting” them. This “play acting” translates into cadence, sentence structure, and dialogue that rings true. Sometimes I feel rather wrung out after writing a scene with a lot of tension or pain.


2. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
I know few published authors. Online, I’m blessed to be connected with many. I greatly value my fellow bloggers at Colonial Quills and the talented authors I’ve joined in several novella collections (https://www.amazon.com/Holly-Ivy-Intrigue-Celebrate-Publishing-ebook/dp/B0773K3SFK/ and https://www.amazon.com/Backcountry-Brides-Collection-Colonial-America%C2%92s/dp/1683226224). They’ve taught me so much about social media marketing and the ins and outs of the publishing world.

3 What are the ethics of writing about historical figures?

 Research, research, research. I prefer my main characters to be fictional so that I can take creative license with their lives, but when I introduce historical figures in cameo appearances, I take great pains to get things right. If I’m not sure about something, I don’t include it. I try to frame the historical character in the setting I know most about. For instance, if I have an army officer, I’d be more likely to portray him in camp or battle rather than at home. Like my agent just said in a Facebook post, it only takes one small inaccuracy to discredit your whole story.

4 How do you select the names of your characters?

 For historicals, I often start by looking up the most popular names the year my character was born. I’ve also been known to consult census records. I factor in ethnicity and social standing. It’s amazing how including authentic names alone can provide an accurate sound to the story. (Mahala = my half-Cherokee heroine in The Georgia Gold Series. Verity = my 1700s heroine in the final book of my time slip Restoration Trilogy. Clara = my Edwardian heroine in the time slip novel I just finished writing.) For contemporary novels, I usually pick names I like that sound like the character—hard or soft, humble or proud, poor or wealthy, etc. Sometimes my friends and launch team get to vote!

5 What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

 When writing romantic suspense, I think I find it most challenging to create a mystery void of any plot holes. You have to be sure everything that happens is believable, multiple suspects could be to blame for any incidents, and one thing that did or didn’t happen couldn’t unravel it all. It’s like building a house of cards! More nerve wracking, but less time consuming, than historical research.

6 What is the biggest surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer? Two things surprised me:

A. The amount of time I’d need to devote to marketing, both online and in person. Both are invaluable in connecting to the reader. Most writers feel most comfortable working quietly behind their computer screen, but selling our books forces us to become public speakers. It also opens us up to public criticism through reviews and online comments. Those things can be scary, especially when we put so much of ourselves into our books!

B. How little writers make … even successful writers with lots of titles published. Everyone gets a piece of the pie: printer, editor, shipper, agent, publisher, author. If you stock a gift shop that requires forty percent (the common amount required), they make more per book than the author does. With self-publishing and e-books, it now takes a lot of time and effort to build a readership and connect with larger publishers so that you actually do better than break even. But that’s where we trust that if God has called us to write, He’ll provide!


GiveAway:

Denise Weimer is in a blog hop with Celebrate Lit and the giveaway is a $25 Amazon gift card! So be entered go here: https://promosimple.com/ps/c515