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Book: Rollover

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Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

Hi, my name is Paula Longhurst, I’m an author, blogger and bookseller at indie bookstore the King’s English in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was born in the U.K and we moved over to the U.S just after we got married. I’ve been writing for a long time but being around authors and meeting so many of them encouraged me to start a local writing group and gave me the discipline to complete stories and get them published.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Rollover’ book?

I wrote Rollover back in 2007 and the key challenge was finding an editor and an agent that loved the book as much as I did. I was lucky to find both but as we started shopping the manuscript to publishers. I kept writing and completed a trilogy (‘Thunderball’ and the spectacularly named ‘Miss Scarlet in the Library with the Lead Piping’), this led to an offer of a three-book deal which we accepted and which, unfortunately, went nowhere. I published a different trilogy with Open Flame starting in 2017 which led to Rollover finally being published last year.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

I’ve loved mysteries and spy thrillers since the age of 10 when I grew tall enough to reach my dad’s bookshelf. Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Earl Stanley Gardener, Ian Fleming, Eric Ambler I was hooked. On top of that I’d started reading the gently homicidal works of Agatha Christie and I’d say she is still a big influence.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

I’m a country girl but London is where I feel most at home. It’s a kaleidoscope of experiences and so full of history and mythology. You can walk past a soaring modern skyscraper and around the corner there’s a 15th century church complete with bells. My favorite walks are close to the Thames.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?

I know some writers who plan out the entire book before they write a word that is so not me. I have a general idea and a couple of main characters and when I need to do research it’s done as I’m writing. This sometimes coincides with a trip to see family, or I’ll use Google Earth and webcams which helps with grounding the story in time and place.

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Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Rollover’ book?

The first draft came together pretty fast as I wrote it during NanoWrimo (November is National Novel Writing Month – this is a yearly competition where the prize is a finished manuscript.) the editing and subsequent drafts took about another couple of years

Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘Rollover’ book to buy?

Rollover (and the sequel Thunderball) can be ordered in paperback from all Independent Bookstores (please shop local wherever possible) The bookstore where I work has copies in stock ready to ship through our web shop.(www.kingsenglish.com)

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Rollover’ ?

The title for Rollover comes from the U.K national lottery, which is the organization Nikki Doyle works for in the books. A ‘rollover’ is a jackpot that isn’t won and rolls over to the next week. The book cover shows a scene from Rollover. I have been fortunate enough to be closely involved in the process of cover design which is one of the benefits of working with a smaller publisher.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I do that by asking if a) I’m feeling bored during rereads because if I’m bored, then the reader will be too b) by asking myself ‘What if’ e.g. what if my protagonist did x, y or z, how would that affect the story? d) promoting a minor character to throw events off course – sometimes that minor character does something unexpected (you’ve heard writers say that the characters write themselves. It’s a rare gift but it does happen.)

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

Well, the village of Storr Downs draws heavily on the place where I grew up and whilst most of the events in the book are fictional, a couple actually did happen…
Also Nikki’s family is based upon my own; although we never did win the football pools and my brother is still very much alive.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Rollover

Book: Utah! A Novel

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Q1. Hello Sir, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

My name is Levi Rogers. I am a writer and former coffee roaster currently based in Portland, Oregon where I live with my wife and two daughters. I have been writing for over ten years, but this is my first novel.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing Utah! A Novel?

This was my debut novel so everything was new to me. Creating a plot and characters to sustain an entire novel was a challenge, as well as putting the final touches on everything and polishing it up so that everything connected and flowed and read perfectly.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

Dave Eggers was an early influence on me. I liked his energy and humor. Also the more “classical” works of people like Cormac McCarthy, Vonnegut, DFW, all the Russian writers from Nabokov to Tolstoy. Then I was influenced by a lot of great women writers like Anne Lamott, Lidia Yuknavitch, Maggie Nelson, Karen Russell, Annie Dillard, and Leslie Jamison. Right now I’m loving some George Saunders, Rumaan Alam, Mitchell S. Jackson, and Kiese Laymon.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

Two of my favorite spots to visit are Zion National Park and Yellowstone National Park. And they’re both in the book! That’s how much I love them. I enjoy the National Parks of the U.S. and these two feel vast and special to me, otherwordly almost.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?

My process is actually to just start writing and let the words and characters take me where they want to go. I lived in Utah for eight years and so I considered this most of my “research.” But I prefer to just write and be surprised at where the novel is going. Although next time I might outline a tiny bit more, ha! I learned a lot about writing through this project and have a much better feel for what works now and what readers in particular are looking for when they sit down to read a book.

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Q6. How long did it take you to write Utah! A Novel?

The novel took me five years to write. I started it in 2015 and finished it in 2020.

Q7. On what platforms readers can find Utah! A Novel book to buy?

Utah! A Novel is on Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and my own website! https://levirogersisafraud.com/

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title Utah! A Novel?

I wanted the title to reflect the almost anthropological way in which I approached this novel, which was like an introduction to the state of Utah itself. I thought an exclamation point was kinda funny and would make it seem more exciting than it really was. I also wanted the cover to be like a vintage postcard from the state from fifty years ago. Shout out to Beste M. Dogan from Atmosphere Press for the design!

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

Hmm, that’s a great question. One thing I’ve heard is that if you’re not having fun as the writer, then your reader probably isn’t having fun either. Now, that’s not to say that all of writing is fun. Most of it is tedious and can be a drag or slog to get through certain aspects and set things up and all the blocking, etc. But I also tried to keep it fresh in that I wanted to try to write something that had no pre-ordained outline or formula to it. Which ended up being both good and bad. I found out there’s a reason why people stick to certain formulas and pacing and plots for books, ha!

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

I would say that while the novel is a slow burn there are some very exciting, surprising, and explosive things that happen in the end, and you’ll be glad you finished the novel once you do!

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Utah! A Novel