Meet Author Chris Redding

I’m pleased to welcome author Chris Redding to my blog today. Chris has two books published, The Drinking Game and Corpse Whisperer. Her third will be out this Spring tentatively titled Incendiary. She lives in New Jersey with her family including a dog and three rabbits. She teaches an online course titled Show Up Naked: Writing the Male POV. When she isn't writing she works per diem for her local hospital teaching CPR.

Katie: Chris, please share a little bit about your latest book, Corpse Whisperer.

Chris: Sure. Grace Harmony is on the cusp of her thirtieth birthday and about to lose her power to talk to murder victims. She’s happy to lose her gift until she doesn’t solve a murder and must rewind in time again. And again. Each time she lands back in time, she’s closer to her birthday and the stakes have been raised. And each time her relationship with the Zach Holten begins from scratch. Being able to talk to the dead has never been so important. For the first time in her life, Grace may regret not being able to help dead people.

Katie: What interested you in writing paranormal novels?

Chris: I've always liked the woo woo stuff.I was raised on a steady diet of TV shows like that. Outer Limits, Night Gallery and reruns of The Twilight Zone.

Katie: Do you plan on writing more in this genre? Why or why not.

Chris: I'm sure I will again, but I have a few more non paranormal stuff to sell first. I enjoyed the freedom of creating my own world in a way. It was a lot of fun and as long as it made sense I could get away with a lot.

Katie: Do you find that your characters reflect your own personality, or have you drawn more characteristics from people you know?

Chris: I think they all have a bit of me in them. As a teen I had some paranormal experiences. I feel my heroines are stronger than I am. Other times I use a personality trait I admire in someone else or one I don't admire. I doubt anyone can see themselves because I don't take whole people, just pick and choose traits.

Katie: What was the hardest part of writing this novel? The easiest?

Chris: The hardest part was keeping track of the time line. I'm not so good at it when the time line is point a to point b. The novel jumps around in time so I had to make sure the events made sense. The easiest was the rest of the plot. I'm a more plot-driven writer.

Katie: What kind of writing schedule do you keep, if any?

Chris: If I'm in the depths of a first draft I write 5 pages a day before I go to work. I have a flexible schedule, but I do like to get in and get out before my kids get home from school.

Katie: I see that you have this book both e-published and print published. How did you come up with this combination?

Chris: It was the publisher. They wanted both rights.

Katie: Tell us a little more about the process of e-publishing, both pro and con.

Chris: I think the con is the lack of distribution. I think the pro is that the book is in circulation longer and that more promotion can be done online. And free!

Katie: What kind of marketing and promotion work have you done for this book?

Chris: Not as much as I should have. I didn't know that much when it was published and I've learned so much more for my next book. I created a blog. I am on some loops.I've done chats and I belong to a group called Bookworm Bags that is an author cooperative that sends out promo items.

Katie: What has been the most successful? The least?

Chris: I think teaching my online class has resulted in the most sales. The second has been the street fairs I've done with other authors. The least were the chats because no one showed up.

Katie: Thanks, Chris, for being on my blog today! Learn more about Chris at http://chrisreddingauthor.blogspot.com, www.chrisreddingauthor.com, and order her book from Amazon.com.