Free Book Friday August 12: In Conversation with Carrie Newberry

It’s Baaa-ack.

Yes, it has been a while since I have posted an interview. Sometimes there is a lull in authors wanting to participate in the hilarious segment I call “In Conversation With”. It depends if I create a BookFunnel or StoryOrigin promo, or put out a call on some of the forums I regularly visit.

I try not to ask the same questions every time, so therein lies the difficulty of crafting each one. I do a little research on the author, combing through their garbage—umm, I mean their social profiles, looking for some lesser known tidbits* to highlight.

So, join me in a 5 week run of Friday conversations starting with:

In Conversation With: Carrie Newberry

Carrie Newberry is a writer of urban fantasy, horror, and a little bit of everything else, as well as a faculty member at AllWriters’ Workplace and Workshop. Her first novel, an urban fantasy called Pick Your Teeth With My Bones, is being published by EDGE Lite Science Fiction and Fantasy, a Canadian publisher.  The book was accepted on its first submission.

Today I have the pleasure of sitting down with author Carrie Newberry. Can I offer you anything to drink before we begin?

I’d love a cup of coffee. I’m addicted, just like my characters are.

I read that you are a dog groomer. Get bit a lot?

It happens, but not often. It’s kind of a job hazard, though. And usually, dogs are just trying to communicate. If I’m not listening to their warnings, well, that’s on me.

Probably more than if you were a hairstylist, though.

Hahahahahaa! I would hope so. (Laughs)

Your first book was picked up by EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy, a Canadian publisher. Most creatives strive to go the other way (to the US). Was it the allure of the cheap Canadian dollar? (currently at $0.76 US), or the fact we are just so damn—oops, pardon me—darn polite?

(Laughs again) Honestly, as I was looking at publishers to submit to, I checked the EDGE website and fell in love with their philosophy. They’re in it because they love books and want to populate the world with as many good books as they can.

“Populating the world with books.” I like that. What book made you want to be a writer?

When I was a kid, I played pretend all the time. I would pretend I was someone or something else. And writing allows me to still play pretend. I even get to make money doing it. This way, I never have to grow up or give up what I love. But the book that made me want to write fantasy was the Fellowship of the Ring. I spent years starting and stopping stories about normal people doing normal things. Then I went to see the first LOTR movie, and my mind exploded. I wanted to leave the movie and go write. I didn’t know what I was going to write about, but I knew it would be weird. I couldn’t wait to get started.

What authors influenced you?

Mmm, that’s a long list. Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorites. Her novel Bitten was the first urban fantasy I ever read, and I’m rereading her Cainsville series right now. Charles de Lint is amazing. I wish I could write like him. I actually named my dog Jilly after his character, Jilly Coppercorn. I have a soft spot for Laurell K. Hamilton’s character, Anita Blake. The series has a lot more sex in it than I really like, but Anita is tough, acerbic, not always likable but always wonderfully sarcastic. I really admire Lisa Gardner’s ability to plot a mystery, and both Kim Harrison and Patricia Briggs rank pretty high on my favorites list, too.

Do you have a favorite book?

Oh, boy. If my “authors who influenced you” answer didn’t answer that for me… I don’t have a favorite book. It varies based on the day. If I had to pick an all-time favorite, I think it would be Bitten by Kelley Armstrong. Or Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint. Or maybe Narcissus in Chains by Laurell K. Hamilton? Or even Instructions by Neil Gaiman, which is technically a children’s book but it’s such a beautiful book to read out loud. Wow, that’s such a tough question!

I’m all about tough questions. Here’s another: Who does your cover art?

I don’t actually know the name of the artist. I know the cover was done by 100 Covers. Which kind of sounds like a garage band but actually, they do amazing cover art. I love the new cover.

It does sound like a band name. Speaking of bands, I can’t name any famous musicians that have come out of Madison. Want to give a shout-out?

Oh, boy. I have no idea. I’m kind of a philistine when it comes to music. Honestly, my favorite band is Metallica. I wrote my first book while listening to their S&M album. A lot of writers tell you they can’t write while listening to anything with lyrics, but Metallica is perfect – they drown out all the real-world noise and let me sink down deep into my imagination.

[silence]
[looks up from phone]

Sorry, I was looking up bands from Madison. The only one I recognize is Garbage, and I don’t remember the last time I listened to them.

Are you ready for the lightning round?

Ummm…I’m not sure. Aw, hell, sure, let’s go.

Favorite city?
I don’t have a favorite city, but my favorite place in the world is Aruba. I went there with my mom, my sister and my sister’s family several years ago and fell in love with the place. It was a dream vacation! When I need to go to my happy place, I picture Aruba.
Social media platform you use the most but wish you didn’t?
Ah, that would be Facebook. Actually, I kind of love Facebook, because it allows me to pretend to be social while safe in my apartment, also known as Introvert Haven.
Being from Wisconsin, do you have a favorite cheese?
Of course! Extra-sharp white cheddar. It’s great on a burger or a salad or just snacking with crackers. But I’m a big fan of cheese curds, too.
Follow-up: Packers, Brewers, or Bucks (or none of the above)?
Packers. I don’t watch football unless the Packers are playing, but I’m a huge fan of the Pack.
Without looking, what Canadian city is directly north of Madison?
I have no idea! I suck at geography. I can’t even fill in all fifty states on a map. Not sure how I managed to graduate middle school, to be honest.
In case you want to know, it’s Thunder Bay. I was going to ask if you had been there, but have you ever been to Canada?
No, but I wish I could. I kind of wish I could defect to Canada at the moment. It’s hard to feel patriotic these days. I manage that problem by trying not to watch the news and escaping into fiction as often as I can.
It is pretty cool here . . . weather jokes aside.

Well, this has been a pleasure. Thanks for chatting. Any links you want to share?

Thank you so much, Leon! This was a lot of fun. My website is Author Carrie Newberry – some secrets are right under your nose…, and my Facebook author page is www.facebook.com/authorcarrienewberry  . Take care!

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The story behind Free Book Friday:

I’ve met many authors and readers during my time marketing, cross-promoting, and blogging. I think writers have a responsibility to inform readers about all the indie authors out there in the very crowded world of book publishing. You can’t do it alone, and why would you when you have a supportive group available?

Readers don’t just read one author – they stick with their favorite genres. There lies the power in cross-promotion. If one of my readers buys a book from an author I promote, then chances are there will be a reciprocal effect, or so is the hope. Do I want to boost sales? Of course I do. Do I want to boost other’s sales? Why not. It’s called karma.

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Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.

My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/

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