Virtual Book Tour…author Bill Frederick

In June, author Bill Frederick accepted the challenge to set up a 10-stop/10-day virtual book tour in just five days, using the system outlined in his new book, My Virtual Book Tour Secrets. He asked 3 Questions to be one of his tour stops and last week readers had an opportunity to ask Frederick questions about his book, virtual book tours and anything else they wanted to know, including did he meet his challenge. Here are his responses in the order that the questions were posted:

What's so difficult about setting up a Virtual Book Tour that you need a book to tell you how?

It's relatively easy to do. You contact blog owners to do an interview or a guest post and you set up a date and you're pretty much done. There's a lot of blogs out there. According to Technorati, there's about 1.4 new blogs worldwide every 30 seconds, roughly 70 million new blogs each year. For an author to sift through those 70 million blogs to see which one will be the best fit with your book takes a lot of time. How do you pick which ones to contact? There's some good and some better ones for your book, finding those are difficult.


And virtual book tours are more than just selecting blogs and providing content. What you do after the tour is just as important as what you do before the tour, building the buzz and promoting the book. After the tour it is important to update your own blog to reflect the archive the blogs that hosted your tour. A lot of people don't realize you can generate a lot of buzz for your book by going back to the blogs and looking in the comments and answering right there in the comments about what the readers are curious about, concerned about and just following up. A lot of authors don't realize there's just as much work after the tour than during the tour and when setting it up and I cover that in my book.

Do you really reach enough people online to impact sales in comparison to traditional book tours?

Yeah, yeah I think you do. If you set it up correctly, you're contacting blogs that are targeted to the topic of your book, that have a high readership, you can actually do better than with the brick and mortar type book tours, going to the cafes or the Barnes and Noble doing the readings and things like that.

For instance author Tom Dolby with his book The Troubled Boy was able to reach 70,000 readers with his virtual book tour. You're not going to be able to touch that in a brick and mortar book tour going to Barnes and Noble where half a dozen people show up. That's going to be a lot of Barnes and Noble stops you're going to have to make to reach 70,000 readers. He didn't have to leave his home to reach 70,000 readers and those were targeted readers so his annual figures reflected that.


Why did you choose to publish an e-book instead of a real book?

For this book I thought an e-book was a better idea than a traditional book. I've got several books on my shelf here that are great books but after some time I pull down one of them and the weblinks in there are not up to date. They were up to date when the book was published but with the Internet being so changing and dynamic that a lot of time the links that they publish in their book are no longer accurate. An e-book allows me to go back through and add or update very easily. I can update links, change links, add new technology, publish it and I can contact my customers, send them a brief email and say "I made some changes to my book. Go get it here." I don't have to worry about the print run or links being outdated because I can actually update it as things change, then I can let my customers know and they can get it when it's convenient and everything is working and up to date.

How does someone buy an e-book?

You purchase an e-book the way you would purchase any book online. If you go to Amazon, you select your book and you click purchase and fill out all your information and hit submit. Then they'll send you an email saying that your book is being shipped. With an e-book, they instead send you to a page where you can download your book immediately any time of day or night.

Earlier it was announced that you were challenged to book a 10-day/10-stop tour in 5 days using your system. Did you meet the challenge?

I knew that question was going to come up. This is a yes and no answer here. This was really fun, but one of the challenges that I faced was that I went on vacation immediately following the challenge. So Friday I was done and Saturday morning I was heading up to Massachusetts to spend some time with my family and kick back and relax. The problem I ran into up there was that my wireless Internet connection would not work. I was hoping to be able to touch base with some of the bloggers I had contacted to confirm times and dates, but I was away for a whole week without Internet so I couldn’t do that. I did set up 10 stops but it's over a 15-day window so it's a 10-stop/15-day Virtual Book Tour and I was able to set that up within that 5-day challenge time. I did set the tour up but because I didn't have the Internet to confirm some dates, it's over 15 days instead of 10.

How beneficial are virtual book tours?

In creating a buzz for book, and it goes back to selecting the appropriate blogs to host your tour, they're very beneficial. Whether you're doing a guest posting or an interview or if someone will review your book on their site those are archived and any reader (the blog) may acquire later can go back through and read about your virtual book tour so they're very beneficial in creating long term buzz with people talking about your book. You'll see a little spike in the interest of your book, and then it will get real steady because all those postings are archived and available for people to read for a long time. So they're very beneficial for getting people talking about your book.

Amazon's Kindle

Can they really increase your sales?

Like I said earlier about Tom Dolby, his Amazon numbers jumped 1000%. Even with this book, I’m very pleased with the sales.

How did you set the price?

Market research, looking at what other people are doing with their books. There are a couple of similar books out there. And over-delivering - giving more content for the money. You don't want to set your price too high or set it too low. For a nonfiction book especially an e-book, you're paying more for what you can get out of it. A better question might be what's it worth not what's it cost. If you can compare the value of the content to the price of the book, most people will think it's a good investment. You have to look at this as an investment as an author promoting your book. How many books will you have to sell to break even? What kind of profit do you want to make?

How does one publish an e-book?

I basically created a text document in Microsoft Word and then I edited it, formatted it, and got it looking how I wanted it. Then I purchased an Adobe software program to create the pdf file. I used that format because it could be read on pretty much any computer. There are places online that will convert your text files into Adobe pdf files for free.

How many book tours, virtual or otherwise have you done?

I'm not exactly sure how many. I owned a company called Apogee Publishing. It was an online book publisher and we were selling books as pdf files. I started out doing books for other people, not myself. I've done a lot of book promotion for other people. This is actually the first one I've done for myself. It's very exciting.

Sony's The Reader Digital Book

What made you write this book?

I've got two books coming out later this year that will be self-published but traditional paperback books. And after I had gone through the printing and all, there wasn't a whole lot of money left for me to promote them. So I had to look for a way to promote these books once they were printed and I got the physical book in my hand, and I needed to do that on a pretty limited, almost zero dollar budget. I started doing some research and talking to other authors and I learned about virtual book tours. So I started setting stuff up for a couple of other authors and I liked the results I was getting so I decided to write a book about it.

What do you think of devices like Amazon's Kindle and Sony's The Reader Digital Book?

I like them. I don't own one but I've played with them a couple of times. I like their size and portability, the ability to take your e-books with you wherever you go just like your paperbacks or hardbacks. It's hard to carry your PCs with your e-books on them. Printing them out and putting them in a 3-ring binder sort of defeats the purpose of e-books so these electronic readers are nice. I think they'll become more popular as technology improves - better screens, more memory and things like that. You store all your e-books on one of these readers and take them with you wherever you go. I think they will have a lot to do in the future of reading and things like that.

Will I need one of the to read your book?

No. You can read my book on your computer. Each reader has its own software and some of they might have their own formats but I'm not too familiar with all that.

I have purchased test-prep e-books online to assist in my studies for various standardized tests (GRE and the like), but I have never seen any "reading for pleasure" books (fiction/non-fiction) offered as e-books. Do you know of any?

Oh there are lots out there. There are a few publishers that specialize in that. My own Apogee (books)...a lot of them were fiction books; you know stories, westerns, children's books in e-book format. Even Amazon is branching out into the electronic book field. There are a lot out there. Booklocker.com is a (rapidly) growing e-book publisher and they do a lot of nonfiction and I think they have some fiction you can download.

Have you published any?

All my books have been nonfiction.

Would you consider e-books as sort of the "wave of the future?"

I see them supplementing traditional publishing. I don't see them taking over the role that of a print or hardback book. I do see them as very useful because they're portable. Like if you take the Amazon Kindle, you can put a lot of books in a small package, a small bundle, and take it with you. I see that as very useful. And I see things like the Ginsberg Project that's taking public domain, copyright-free books, a lot of classics and things, and turning them into e-books. People can go online and read them for free. So I see it as a way to supplement traditional publishing but I don't see it replacing traditional publishing.

I asked him what would he do differently for his next tour?

I'm already thinking about my next tour. I will give myself more than five days and I will not go on vacation shortly after setting things up. Take your time and evaluate more blogs, that's very important. Set up email alerts to receive email notices every time someone writes about a topic close to my subject and evaluate them more closely try to get more targeted traffic that way.

What was the hardest thing?

Coming up with key words. In the book, I say you should come up with a list of key words. It was hard to come up with a whole list of 20 with this book but I think with the fiction books it will be a little easier because you can be a little broader.

Who is your target market? Who could benefit from purchasing your book?

Self published authors, authors with a small publisher that have little or no money for marketing. Any author who wants to learn how to promote his book on the web.

If you have further questions for Frederick, he has set up a website just for you: "Ask Me a Question."

My Virtual Book Tour Secrets sells for $29.97 and comes with Tips and Insights from Best-Selling Authors, My Complete Virtual Book Tour Checklist, the list of 40 Blogs that Host Virtual Book Tours and the 30-plus Press Release Resource. Frederick does offer a money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the book for any reason within the first six months, Frederick will refund your full purchase price.





Bill Frederick has been a writer and editor for over 10 years. You can follow is virtual book tour on his blog and you can order My Virtual Book Tour Secrets here.

Opportunities Abound…3 Questions Needs Your Input

The Skeptical Frog

What sort of input are we looking for?

OK, so "abound" might be an exaggeration, but there are opportunities for our readers to have a say. First, we have another Virtual Book Tour coming in 10 days and we need questions and comments for the author. Details are below.

Next, 3 Questions…and Answers wants to open its pages to 15 guest writers. From Sunday, September 7 to Thursday, September 11, 3 Questions will publish the top 15 submissions, three guest writers per day. See the full guidelines below.

What do you think about a virtual book tour about a book on virtual book tours?

Author Bill Frederick recently published the e-book: My Virtual Book Tour Secrets! - A Self-Publisher's Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Your Own Successful Virtual Book Tour in as Little as 30 Days. On August 5, his virtual book tour will stop here at 3 Questions…and Answers.

Frederick has been a writer and publisher for over 10 years and now he has put together a step-by-step guide to promoting your book online. The e-book sells for just under $30 and features: Tips and Insights from Best-Selling Authors, My Complete Virtual Book Tour Checklist, a list of 40 Blogs that Host Virtual Book Tours and a 30-plus Press Release Resource. Frederick is so confident that he offers the book with a six-month satisfaction guarantee. Why is he so confident that his system works? Let's ask him!

To participate in the Virtual Book Tour, please post a comment below with your questions by 12:00 noon EDT on Friday, August 1. Frederick will answer them on August 5. If you'd like to read more about Frederick's book of secrets, go to his website.

How did the 9/11 attacks affect you?

The seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States is less than eight weeks away. The entire world felt, and in some cases still feels, the impact of those events. 3 Questions…and Answers would like to hear from fellow writers about how the events of that day affect your work as a writer. The top 15 submissions will be published on 3 Questions…and Answers from Sunday September 7 to Thursday September 11 (three guest writers per day).

Guidelines are:

1 - Word count 250 words or less, nonfiction prose or poetry ONLY. All submissions must be written in ENGLISH.
2 - Submit to AmyM3QA(at)gmail(dot)com ONLY. Submissions posted to the 3 Questions' comment section will be deleted.
3 - Write "3 Questions" in the subject line or the email will be deleted.
4 - You may embed your text in the email or attach a MS Word file, a RTF or a Plain Text file.
5 - Include a headshot photo in a JPG or JPEG file.
6 - Also include your first and last name, your location/hometown (city/state), web address if you have one. This will be published with your piece. If you would not like your full name/location published, please indicate an alternative (such as your initials and the state only), but 3 Questions needs the full info for its records. *
7 - NO gratuitous foul language, NO fictionalized accounts, NO other graphics, photos, etc. except for your headshot.
8 - DEADLINE: all submissions must be received by 6:00 p.m. on Monday August 25.
9 - There is no payment but your website will be posted within the article and in a permanent list on the front page of the zine.

* 3 Questions will not distribute any contact information, including email addresses, to any other party. Nor will we spam you. If you'd like to join our e-mailing list, please use the box on the right.

We hope to hear from you soon.

A How-To Challenge…Author Puts His Book into Action

Ed. Note: updated 6/10/08

What's this all about?

Author Bill Fredrick recently published My Virtual Book Tour Secrets! - A Self-Publisher's Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Your Own Successful Virtual Book Tour in as Little as 30 Days. With a title like that, I had to ask the obvious question: "You are going to do a Virtual Book Tour yourself, aren't you?" Frederick took that as a challenge…well, actually it was…and now not only is he setting up a tour, he is attempting to set up his 10-day/10-stop tour in just FIVE days.

How will we know if he succeeds?

Frederick plans to set this up before our eyes online. You can watch his progress as he puts the system he reveals in his book into action on the My Virtual Book Tour Secrets Fan page, the book's Group page or at WFFredrick.com. He will document and explain everything he does to secure 10 stops schedule over 10 days at different blogs and other websites. The actual VBT will run from July 21 to August 1. 3 Questions hopes to get on the schedule.

Who is Bill Frederick?

Frederick has been a writer and editor for over 10 years. He formerly owned Apogee Publishing, where he worked with writers from around the world. He founded the literary ezine Le Mot Juste and served as the editor for Central Pennsylvania Writers Guild newsletter FineLines, the Prince Gallitzin Chronicle and others. His articles have appeared in several newspapers and websites, including the Star-Courier, Connections and the Benedictine. He has also tried his hand at poetry ("I love haiku") and short stories. He is currently writing a play about the 9 Muses.

If you want to learn about promoting your book online and setting up Virtual Book Tours, stop by one of his webpages to get a step-by-step lesson as Frederick puts his book into action. If you'd like to ask Frederick a question about virtual touring or setting up a virtual book tour, he has a special "Ask Me A Question" page. He'll answer the submitted questions during his 10 day/10 stop tour.

Virtual Book Tour 2...author Paul Kilduff

Author Paul Kilduff has been writing since 1998 when he read a financial thriller and learned that the author had gotten a large advance. He knew he could write a book at least as good as that author's book so he did. In fact, he wrote four financial thrillers for Hodder Headline in London, drawing on the places, people, scams, scandals and cities he had encountered in his real life as an accountant in London's business district. He still works his day job, but now in Dublin, and he writes on the weekends, holidays and any time he's not working.

In 2004 Kilduff found himself abandoned by his airline Ryanair in Malaga, Spain for 10 hours and later hatched the plan for his first work of nonfiction, Ruinair. Flying all over Europe on this low-fare" airline, he explores the new travel trend for as little as one cent a flight. Published by Gill & Macmillan in February 2008, Ruinair has been number one on the Irish nonfiction bestsellers list for nine weeks.

Kilduff has begun a sequel to Ruinair. Ruinairski takes him through the 12 countries of Eastern (or New) Europe with all the indignities of low-fare flying still in tact. The book is due out in 2009.

Last week 3 Questions…and Answers readers had an opportunity to leave questions for Kilduff about Ruinair and his writing life. Below are his responses: (The questions are in the order in which they came.)

How long did it take you to complete this book from idea to publisher?

It took about 3 years plus from the idea in September 2005 to publication in February 2008. I would say 2 years were spent writing the book and editing it and then I used my London literary agent for a few months before my Dublin agent sold the book to Ireland's biggest nonfiction publisher, Gill & Macmillan.

How many trips did you take?


I lost count and after a while I was suffering from Ryanairitis! But I think it was about maybe 25 return trips. Sometimes you take a trip to an awful place that you just cannot write about and so you have to bin the chapter and go somewhere else that works better!

Would you recommend discount flying now?

Yes, I would if you play by their rules. Book well ahead to get cheap fares, go off-peak or off-season, be on time, travel light and smile at them!

What prompted you to become a writer after being an accountant?

I qualified as an accountant with Deloitte first because it was a smart and safe career move and I still have a good day job. Writing is not secure especially when you are starting off in the world. Few writers make lots of money in their first years unless they are J.K. Rowling?

Do you still work as an accountant?

Yes, I still work in a bank but I plan to leave this year to write full time. I can always get another banking /finance role at a later date if I need to.

What sort of response have you gotten from the airline Ryanair?

We got no official response from the airline except that a journalist from The (Daily)Mirror newspaper in the UK asked them for their reaction and their press spokesman said, "We view all books about the airline with total difference." - I am certain they do not wish to give us any extra publicity.

Did you worry about legal action? Isn't there an issue of libel or defamation?

Yes, that can be a worry but my publisher ensured that the book was read by Ireland's leading libel lawyer. He made us take out, say, 10 sentences in the book, which I was very happy to do. Also on the first draft of the book cover he asked us to remove the Ryanair corporate harp logo from the side of the aeroplane. Sure, anyway Ryanair attacks everyone else so it's about time that someone little like me had a go at them in reply and a little bit of controversy never did anyone any harm! Ryanair and little me are like McDonalds Corp and Morgan Spurlock!

How hard was the transition from fiction to nonfiction?


It was not that hard to be honest. It's very easy to write a book about which you are passionate. I had lost some of the passion about writing fiction since the boom years of banking and finance are likely over and I was much more excited about writing nonfiction. Also some of my fiction was aimed at a narrower finance niche market while travel writing as at present is much more mass market and commercial.

What do you like better about nonfiction in comparison to fiction?

I think nonfiction is easier because you can go somewhere or research something and write about it, but writing fiction to me always felt like I was draining the well of my imagination and its more solitary sitting at home writing fiction that being out there in the real world with nonfiction.

What made you feel like you wanted to write a book? Is it something that you've always wanted to do? Or did it come from dissatisfaction with your job?

It was something I always wanted to do. I have an urge to create. Before my books I wrote great letters to friends, or so they tell me. I was not dissatisfied with my job and my advice to anyone who is would be to move jobs immediately. There are plenty of good jobs out there.

Do you think you will continue to write both fiction and nonfiction?

Yes, if I can - for example my fifth financial thriller is presently being considered by a new London publisher. I will write both if I can sell both types.

How hard is it to maintain the humor throughout the book?

Good question and like most things in life, less is often more. I try not to over-do the humour, nor end every paragraph with a punch line. I don't think that you can manufacture humour so you have to let events unfold and find the right angles to amuse the reader. I learn from Mr. B (Bill) Bryson. Also note that in this part of the world we do not have any 'humor' - we have humour!

This book seems so vastly different from your novels.
Why did you want to write it?

I wrote it because it was a topic of interest to me, I thought there was a market for it, it was topical and funny, and I love to travel too.

Did you have to put on a different persona to write it or is this voice more you than in your novels?

I always try to be my natural self when writing fiction or nonfiction - it's so much easier than trying to be someone else which can be hard to sustain for any period of time. I am the voice of an investment banker in my financial thrillers and the voice of a baffled passenger in Ruinair.

Bouncing off of an earlier question, how did your experiences in your professional career contribute or hinder your personal writing process?

I think my professional career actually helped my personal writing career. I had a job in a major London bank which involved heading off to a foreign city like NY or Hong Kong and to write a 10,000-word report on some event, problem, scandal or loss. So I learned at an early stage how to write and structure my thoughts and how to provide detail and also I lost the fear of having to write a daunting 100,000 words for a book.

Kilduff with a crew from Sky Europe Airlines while researching Ruinairski.

Ruinair is available through Gill & Macmillan and through Amazon.com. You can learn more about Paul Kilduff on his website.

Virtual Book Tour is coming again to 3 Questions…and Answers

Font Literary Agency & Writing Centre of Dublin, Ireland, is once again sponsoring a Virtual Book Tour with one of its authors. On May 19, 2008, 3 Questions…and Answers will host Paul Kilduff and his new travelogue Ruinair.

What should you know about Paul Kilduff?

Having spent six years working as an accountant in London, Kilduff returned to his hometown of Dublin, Ireland, and began writing fiction. His first novel, Square Mile, a thriller set in the global finance industry, was published in 1998. He published three other global finance thrillers by 2003.

After being stranded for 10 hours in an airport in Malaga, Spain, Kilduff came up with the idea for Ruinair, his first work of nonfiction about traveling Europe on a low-fare airline. The result is a witty travelogue of an airline that charges for wheelchairs, sells hangover cures and lands its planes at the wrong airport. Ruinair spent seven weeks as the number one bestselling nonfiction book in Ireland and continues to sell strongly.

What are the critics saying about Ruinair?

"This is a travelogue in the best sense of the word - it captures the tone and the landscape of the changed Europe where we can now fly for a tenner, so that a reader in 100 years' time could quickly visualise the importance of what has happened. Kilduff's strength is the variety of destinations he visits and his contextualisation of the Ryanair experience. Kilduff's style is eminently suitable for an airline that is constantly mocking itself and taking the urine out of the airline industry it has enlivened." - Irish Independent


"This is a thoroughly humorous, witty and evocative book. Kilduff has produced a travelogue every bit as good as McCarthy's Bar, and one that promises to be a must-read in airports and on airplanes for many years to come." - Evening Echo.

"It's chocks ways for a breathless tour of the low-fares revolution. Kilduff has done his homework and displays a keen eye for bizarre detail, settling on the quirks of our European neighbours with touching exuberance. His no-holds-barred style echoes O'Leary himself, which should be a compliment. It's not half bad. There are worse ways you could while away the wait for your next Ryanair flight." - Irish Mail on Sunday.

You can read readers reviews of Ruinair at Amazon.com

How can you participate in the Virtual Book Tour?

Kilduff will be happy to discuss all aspects of his work, both past and present, in particular, the transition from fiction to nonfiction writing. He is also happy to talk about his travel writing or to lend writing tips and inspiration to any aspiring authors out there.

So if you have questions for Kilduff, please leave them in the comment section below before 6pm EDT on Friday, May 16. I will forward them to him and publish his responses on May 19.

If you'd like to know more about Paul Kilduff and Ruinair, check out his website.

A Little Bit of This…and That…3!

Have you ever wanted revenge on an airline?

The Virtual Book Tour, sponsored by the Font Literary Agency & Writing Center, is coming back to 3 Questions…and Answers on Monday, May 19. Novelist Paul Kilduff has a new travelogue, entitled Ruinair, where he seeks revenge on an airline that overcharged him and disrupted his flight from Malaga to Dublin. Full details of the tour will be announced May 11 and there will be an opportunity for readers to leave questions and comments for Kilduff.

Want to win?

The deadline for the Writer's Digest 77th Annual Writing Competition is coming up fast, May 15. The contest has so many categories that chances are you can find something to enter. Over $30,000 is up for grabs. Check out WD Competitions for details and a required entry form.


Another contest that found its way into the Inbox is Memoirs, Ink Fifth Annual Contest. Deadline is August 1. The entry fee is $15. The contest seeks personal essays, memoirs or autobiographical stories. Visit Memoirs, Ink Contest for details.

Can you do the job?

Yahoo HotJobs lists two editorial positions open at Scholastic Inc.

1) Supervising editor, Scholastic Classroom and Library Group (ID # NY3866). Located in New York City, this job requires 5-10 years experience. Initially posted on April 30; it was reposted May 5.

2) Editorial Director, Children's Press: Scholastic, Inc. (ID # NY4056). Located in New York City, this job requires a BA degree in education or related field and 7-8 years experience. This job was also posted April 30 and repost May 5.

Go to Scholastic, Inc. and type in the ID# for details.

You can find details of the positions below at The Biz at Variety.com.

Screenwriter and Playwright - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is seeking produced playwrights and film and TV writers to join the faculty of the Writing for the Screen and Stage Program. You can find more info on the UNC website. This job was posted April 30.

Freelance Writer/Producer - Fox Networks Group is seeking someone to work from June 1 to November 28 in the On-Air Promotions department. Minimum of 5 years experience as a writer/producer is required. This ad was posted May 2.

Promotions Writer/Producer -Univision/Telefutura is seeking an individual with 1-2 years of editing experience who is fluent in Spanish to work in the News and Creative Services Department. An Associate Degree or Bachelor Degree in Mass Communications or related field is also required. This ad was posted May 2.

Virtual Book Tour…novelist Orna Ross

Orna Ross (real name Áine McCarthy) spent fifteen years as a freelance features journalist in Dublin and London before she decided, at age 40, if she was going to write a novel, it was time she got started. As her biography states "I thought it would take me about two years…but I underestimated the challenges of writing fiction with two small children at home - and also didn't realize…that I was going to write what effectively was three stories in one." It was five years before Ross finished the 668-paged Lovers' Hollow.

She had an equally long struggle finding a publisher, dealing with an agent who couldn't generate any interest. Ross finally took it on to find a publisher herself, eventually signing with Penguin for a two-book deal. This process piqued her interest in publishing and the struggles of other writers on the road to publication. She soon founded the Font Literary Agency & Writing Centre in Dublin. Currently, she is the director of the Writing Centre.

Lovers' Hollow is the story of 38-year-old Jo who returns to Ireland for her mother’s funeral to find that she has been left a suitcase of papers and letters from the past, unearthing family secrets of love and revenge, happiness and duty, and even a murder that has haunted three generations. The novel reached #2 on the Irish bestseller list and has received impressive reviews from across the United Kingdom. Ross' second book, A Dance in Time, will be released in the September and she is working on her third novel.


Over the last week 3 Questions…and Answer readers have had the opportunity to leave questions for Ross about Lovers' Hollow, writing and publishing. Here are her responses:





What led you to the story of Lovers' Hollow?

ROSS: My great-uncle was shot in the Irish Civil War, in an incident very like that described in Lovers' Hollow -- though the reasons attributed in the book are entirely imagined. What is the same, I think, is the sense of secrecy that surrounds Jo's family history. Not that half the things that happened in hers happened in mine but my father’s uncle was shot in the Irish Civil War in an incident very like that described in the book.

Nobody in the family ever talked about this. Our village was still divided about this conflict 50 years on, with families not speaking to each other, when I was growing up there. The silence that swirled around the topic drew me to it. It’s the same with any fiction I have written since. Wherever there is silence, there is pain and concealed truth and that draws me -- like a magnet.

How was the title chosen?

ROSS: I had a different title - Going Under - which seemed to me to encompass the state of mind of Jo, the heroine, when she returns home, and also referred to the excavating, digging down, that she had to do. Both through the family papers that her mother left her and back through her own motivations and behaviours in the past. But the publisher said it was too depressing a title, so they changed it. Somebody along the line also said that the word "love" in a title increases the possibility of sales three or fourfold. I don't know whether that is true.

Lovers' Hollow refers to a spot in the novel where the couples meet to be together. It is also the scene of a murder on sinking sands. It was mentioned only in passing at first but once the title was settled on, I wrote it in more, setting scenes that were originally planned elsewhere there instead.

Do new authors have a lot of say so in the title?

ROSS: It depends on the publisher. At Penguin, my publisher, there is "author consultation" -- but the publisher reserves the right to make a final decision. It's the same for jackets.

How much did you deviate from the original story outline of Lovers' Hollow?

ROSS: Completely, utterly and totally! The only thing that remains the same is that past shooting during the Civil War. The other death, though, was the one that came to really take over my imagination, a much more mysterious, secret murder that arose out of a different divide -- that between men and women.

How long has this story been in your head - from the original thought to publication?

ROSS: When I was 14, I said to the girl who sat beside me in school that I was going to write a novel about my family's experience in the Irish Civil War. I was 45 when Lovers' Hollow was published.

When you finish a novel and send it off to be published do you have regrets, second thoughts, a desire to re-write, change things, etc.?

ROSS: Absolutely. I am a compulsive fixer. All my best thoughts are second thoughts. If I was to write Lovers’ Hollow now, I think I would do it quite differently. Thank heavens it is published and set between two covers -- so I've had to drop it and move on.

Your story involves the Irish Civil War. How much research was involved in the history of the conflict? Did you find and read real papers written by families affected by the war?

ROSS: Yes I did. I read absolutely everything I could get my hands on. It involved visiting army barracks, old newspaper libraries, veterans who were alive during the war... There is also a contemporary (1970s & 1990s) front story which required research -- trips to London and San Francisco and lots of reading there too, as Jo’s life negotiates her own freedom struggles and intimate wars with lover and family.

Are you happy with the cover art? The story seems much deeper than what the cover leads you to believe.

ROSS: I agree. I think it's a nice image but I'm not sure that it reflects the theme and concerns of the book that well. People seem to like it though -- especially the all-important trade. It is the bookshops that now set the agenda for jackets. Their sense of what will sell.

I have not read the novel yet but in reading a review it seems to have a Romeo and Juliet type story running through it. Were you influenced by the play directly or is it a case where this is such a common thing that it seemed natural to write about it?

ROSS: You can't write anything that Shakespeare hasn't written already! I did know that it was a Romeo and Juliet style story but it has a distinctly modern take and a very different ending. Yes, this is a very common story but of course each individual experiences it differently. Writers will always be attracted to write about the power love has to disrupt...everything.

When you finished researching the topic of the Irish Civil War how do you keep focused on the story at hand and not go and develop other story ideas? It would seem that many ideas would spring forth begging to speak.

ROSS: You are right. That conflict, like the American Civil War, which I am currently researching and writing about, yielded so many stories. Many of these amazing, riveting stories remain as yet untold but only this one was mine. I think, really, that it is a case of the story choosing you rather than the other way around.

I read one review of this novel that compares it to Gone With the Wind. How do you feel about this?

ROSS: Flattered, obviously, and wondering when my David O Selznick is going to appear! I am an admirer of Margaret Mitchell's achievement and I can see similarities. Both books are big reads that set intimate family and love tensions within a larger social conflict. Jo is a flawed heroine, and as selfish in her way as Scarlett is in hers -- but the big difference is that Jo moves. She is not the same one at the end of the novel out she is at the beginning. And my book weaves backwards and forwards in time to mirror and interconnect her story with the story of her family’s past.


3 Questions…and Answers would like to thank Font Literary Agency & Writing Centre and Orna Ross for allowing us to participate in this Virtual Book Tour. We'd like to thank our readers to for contributing their questions.