About INGRID MCCARTHY:
I grew up in Bremerhaven, Germany, and now reside in Ottawa, ON, Canada. After a 33-year career in the theatre as a producer, director, and actress, I am now an award-winning author of 18 dramatic novels and novellas for adults that are famous for their many twists and turns. I have also authored a children's fantasy trilogy, The Black Pearl of Osis, and the Sex and the Seasons series, an erotic romp offstage and onstage in the world of theatre, written under my pen name Rose D. Franklyn.
My latest novel, "Anna's Shadow", has been awarded the following distinctions: Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Literary Titan Book Award, and a 5-Star Gold Medallion from Readers’ Favourite, to name a few.
What inspires you to write?
I'm an avid reader and believe that reading has turned me into a good listener. People tend to tell me their life stories and those stories, in nearly every case, have inspired me to create my novels/novellas using a heavy pinch of imagination.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
I am an avid reader with an eclectic taste. When I read, I either want to learn or be entertained. Therefore, I enjoy fiction and non-fiction in equal measure: literary fiction as well as commercial women’s fiction. Occasionally, I pick a book from Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. They cheer me up and never fail to make me laugh out loud. I then wish I had her sense of humor.
Tell us about your writing process.
I am a seat-of-the-pants writer. While I always know the beginning of a story, which is usually based on a true event, I never know the end. And, even if I have a vague notion about how I intend to finish a novel, it rarely happens that way. Why? Because the characters always lead me in a different direction. Let me explain. When I write, I wear my former theatre director’s hat. Instead of placing my players/characters on the stage, I visualize them in their environment, breathe life into them, and allow them the freedom to act, react, or play tricks on me. In this way, they help me create twists and turns that often even take me by surprise so much so that I have on many occasions found myself saying: “Wow! Where the heck did this just come from?” And I love it. Outlining would take the fun out of writing. The suspense from chapter to chapter, not knowing where or how the story will end, is the thrill that keeps my fingers busy on the keyboard.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Strangely, I do not talk to my characters. They talk to me. Although I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer allowing my characters the freedom to react in a way that shuts me out of their lives, I do watch over them and, with the power that I yield over their fate and destiny, I push them in a different direction if things go too far. It sounds odd, yet it works for me, all the time. The ability to write in that way is the greatest gift from my Muse.
What advice would you give other writers?
Read, read, and read some more. Books are your best and most patient teachers.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
In 2019, I signed up with a literary agent in the UK. My manuscript for “Anna’s Shadow”, a novel that is part mystery, part WWII story, and part romance, caught his attention. He began his submissions to publishing houses in the fall of that year and early 2020. Then Covid struck and the dream of being acquired by any of the big publishing houses or their imprints came to an end. With a heavy heart, we parted ways. Since I already had a solid publishing platform on Amazon with KDP, I decided to go solo again with this particular novel and have never looked back.
Wold-wide success is not always guaranteed if traditionally published and, there are far more advantages to being an indie author than being a traditionally published one. I enjoy the control I have over my work and the freedom of choosing how to steer my work through the jungle of books that are on the market without being tied to a contract. While it appears to be prestigious to be part of a traditionally published team, the reputation of self-published authors and their bestsellers should not be underestimated. There are a plethora of competitions for indie authors, platforms for interviews, and awards exclusive for self-published authors that can propel them to the top in their genre. It is old news: writing a book is hard work, but once written, the work that follows is even harder. But that’s what the life of an author is all about, regardless of being self or traditionally published. We write because we are passionate about telling stories, not because we want to be laughing all the way to the bank. Although to be frank, I wouldn’t say no to the latter.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I’m convinced that the book publishing industry will survive any reformation. Readers will always want to read and search for a new story, and authors will always be there to tell those stories. Readers' and authors' passions go hand in hand and there will be an industry to satisfy that passion.
What genres do you write?: Spicy romance novels, children's fantasy novels, women's commercal novels, historical novels, a childhood memoir
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
INGRID MCCARTHY Home Page Link
Link To INGRID MCCARTHY Page On Amazon
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
