Save the Best for Last

Today, the lovely Bettye Griffin stopped by the blog to discuss one of her latest projects, Save the Best for Last. Bettye is the author of eleven contemporary romances and five works of women’s fiction. All of her previous novels have been published traditionally and I wanted to know why she chose to publish this novel independently.

So on with the interview!

All of your previous books were published by traditional houses. What made you want to pursue Save the Best for Last independently?

Simple. I loved the story, and it had been with me for so long I decided to just do it myself. I figured it would be something nice for my readers who were waiting to see another romance from me, (I’d been writing exclusively mainstream after 2007). I’m happy to say that the response has been pretty favorable.

The current state of the publishing industry has a lot of authors feeling down. How do you stay positive amid all the negativity?

The situation has certainly gotten scary. Some authors have even taken to asking their readers to please buy their books the week they come out. Nobody’s begging of course, but it shows how authors are scrambling. But I always understood that everyone is not meant to be a superstar. I never expected to become a sensation, and I’m satisfied with the very modest success I’ve had. Anything related to the arts is a crapshoot. Some people are going to be wildly popular even with limited talent (with apologies to her fans, I’ll name the singer Rihanna, who is no Patti Labelle, as an example), and some are not going to be household names despite wonderful talent (anybody remember Oleta Adams?). Then there’s someone like Beyonce, who gets to claim both talent and success. But there’s only going to be room for a few of these. That’s just the way it goes, folks! Bottom line, if I’m supposed to have a publishing contract, I  guess I’ll have one. And if not, I guess I won’t. I feel that as long as I wake up in the morning, I’ve been given a gift I’m not about to complain about.

What is your writing schedule like?

The unfortunate answer to that is, when I get to it. I’ve given up on trying to put myself on a schedule. Writing can be hard work, but it’s supposed to be enjoyable, or else why bother? I’m all for keeping my stress level down, but I do stay mindful of my deadlines. I tend to have a short attention span, and I don’t do anything on a full time basis, including work. And there are plenty of other things I enjoy doing. Somehow it all gets done—it always has.

As a writer, what is hardest for you to tackle? Plot? Dialogue? What’s the easiest?

Writing the synopsis is the most difficult, because I’m working out the major plot points. Once I have my blueprint, I go along pretty smoothly.

How do you choose the names for your characters?

I’ve often used names of  deceased friends and family. (Anyone who has read my most recent mainstream, A New Kind of Bliss, will recognize the name Beverline Wilson. That was the maiden name of one of my paternal great-aunts.) For minor characters I’m starting to use the names of my devoted readers (with their permission, of course). I do have another source for character names, but I’ve got to plead the Fifth on that one!

What is your favorite thing about the writing process? Your least?

My favorite part is crafting a story. My least favorite is promotion.

How has your life changed since being published?

I’ve been doing this for so long now I don’t remember a whole lot about what life was like beforehand! Even when my husband of 18 years came to pick me up for our first date I was in front of my computer working on something until he rang the doorbell.

What’s one thing you wished you knew as a debut author?

I’m sure there’s something, but nothing comes to mind.

As far as promotion goes, what have you found that works? What doesn’t work for you?

I used to have great success with signings in certain places, but all those stores have since closed. I’m now older, heavier, and generally lazier. So what works for me is anything that doesn’t require me to get up, put on makeup, squeeze into something that makes me look svelte and drive somewhere, (unless its fairly close). That would mean the Internet.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? What advice would you give other writers?

Write what you like, for you’ll do your best work there. If you like what’s currently strong in the market, that’s wonderful. If not, write for the joy of it and hold on to everything you produce, but don’t write anything you’re uncomfortable with…it’ll show. Wait a minute. Now that I think about it, I may have said that myself! I’m a comfort and convenience girl at heart. But it’s still good advice, kind of a longwinded way of saying, “To thine own self be true.” (To this I would like to add that many authors are consummate writers and can easily move between genres, so this doesn’t apply to everyone.)

What writing project are you working on now?

I’m working on a synopsis for my publisher, Kensington’s Dafina imprint. In the old days it used to be called an option. Nowadays, its more like an audition. And I’m also working on my next effort from my own Bunderful Books, which I hope to bring out in the spring—sometime between the mass market release of my 2008 Dafina mainstream, Once Upon a Project, and my new Dafina mainstream, Trouble Down the Road.

We can’t skip the hair here at Curl Up and Write! How do you wear/maintain your hair?

Badly. I’m one of those do-it-yourselfers, (as are a startling number of women I’ve spoken to in Northeast Illinois/Southeast Wisconsin). I relax, deep condition, and even trim my split ends myself. It’s long enough now to be pulled back, and that’s usually how I wear it during the cold winters that are terribly drying. I wear it loose in the summer. There’s more gray showing these days, but I don’t bother with color. I earned every one of those gray hairs!

I’d like to thank Bettye so much for stopping by and sharing her thoughts. Guys, click here to order a copy of her latest novel, A New Kind of Bliss, and her upcoming release, Trouble Down the Road, is available for pre-order. Click here to reserve your copy. Make sure you stop by her blog, Chewing the Fat With Bettye, where she dishes about writing, her books, and more.