Today I'm thrilled to be introducing you to Eden Baylee. She's a very talented writer who has written many novels and short stories. Eden also contributed stories to Triptychs (Book 3 in the Mind's Eye Series). She's one of the friendliest authors I know and she's always very supportive of fellow writers.

Eden has also offered to give away one of her books to one of my blog readers. Keep reading this post to find out how you can enter to win.

INTERVIEW WITH EDEN BAYLEE




Welcome to my blog, Eden, it's lovely to have you as a guest. Firstly, tell us where does your inspiration come from?

It doesn’t come from any one person or place. I can name a few writers I’ve admired for various reasons: Charles Bukowski for his brash honesty and brevity; John Fowles for his imaginative storytelling; John Steinbeck for his masterful prose; and countless poets who’ve inspired me to think differently about my writing.

Many musical talents have also inspired me with their lyrics and style – Paul Simon, David Bowie, the Beatles.

I believe inspiration can hit at any time if we are open to it. Whether it’s at an art show, live theatre, or an encounter with someone who makes me see something outside the norm, I am always ready to be amazed. It doesn’t happen too often, but it’s great when it does.

Tell us about your latest book.

My latest book is a novella called The Lei Crime Series: Charade at Sea for the Lei Crime Kindle World. I wrote it to unite two characters I introduced in my first two books for the series.

In A Snake in Paradise, I introduced Lainey Lee, a recently divorced woman trying to make it on her own after years in a bad marriage. She travels to the Big Island as a gift to herself but falls into the middle of a crime ring.

In the second book, The Lei Crime Series: Seal of a Monk, Lainey returns to Hawaii and meets ex-Navy SEAL, Max Scott in Kauai. They work together to find a missing girl and romance is hinted at the very end of the book.

In Charade at Sea, the storyline focuses on the developing romance between Lainey and Max. The setting is a cruise ship around the Hawaiian Islands.

Unfortunately, these Kindle World books are available only on Amazon.com for now.



How much research do you do when writing a book?

It really depends on the story. For the Lei Crime series, I knew nothing about Hawaii, tattoos, and Navy SEALS. I had to research each of these topics as my stories unfolded. The old adage of “Write what you know” is a great one, but it also points out how much I don’t know!

Ha, ha!

As well, if I were only to write what I know, it would be a less interesting journey for me as I enjoy learning new things.

Very true. I agree. One of the great things about writing is that we learn about a lot of things we would otherwise never know about!

In my novel, Stranger at Sunset, I was familiar with the setting of Jamaica where the story took place, but there were many plot points I had to research. As an example, the story involved murder using an unusual substance, so I consulted a Professor of Pharmacy to ensure the scenario I wanted to write was possible.

An author can make up some things, but unless you are writing fantasy or science fiction where you create new worlds, it’s still important to get the facts straight.



Who does your cover design? Is there anyone you’d recommend?

All of my cover designs are done by JBGraphics.

Full disclosure. He is my husband, so we work closely on every aspect of my book design and media. My best advice for anyone looking for design work is to visit a designer’s website. See if their style is something you might like for your own designs. In my case, I am lucky I have a lot of input into how my covers ultimately turn out.

For me, book covers are important in presenting a mood and an idea for what the story is about. The clearer you are able to convey this to the designer, the better he/she will be able to give you what you want.


What type of music do you prefer to listen to?

I’m an audiophile and I love most music. I tend to listen to classic rock if I have a choice. It’s familiar and always good, and I can sing along to it. I also listen to a lot of blues and jazz if I’m just relaxing. I grew up in the disco age, so I know that era of music very well, but it’s not my “go-to” music.

I have an open mind for most types of music, so if there is something new or different, I will give it a listen before I decide whether I like it or not. Music tends to sit deeply in my unconscious. A song can conjure an old memory for me, and if it was a pleasant memory, then I fall in love with the song all over again.

When writing a novel or story, do you think word count is important? If so, what is the ideal length?

I use word count as a guideline for readers, so it’s more important for them than it is for me. In my novellas for the Lei Crime Kindle World series, the stories range from 18K-24K. A novel can be anywhere from 50K – 100K. Depending on where you get your information, these numbers may differ.

I don’t know if there is an ideal length for readers. The trend toward shorter stories, packaged in a series, as opposed to the 100K-word novels might lead one to think it’s better to write novellas or short stories, but I think this would be a mistake.

Ultimately, you cannot chase the trends, and the only thing an author has control over is their story. The story will dictate the number of words necessary to tell it. Whether you decide to break up the final product into a series of shorter books or sell it as a novel is just packaging.

Agreed

Do you have any advice for writers as to how to deal with bad reviews?

Yes. Read it and move on. Don’t dwell on it. If you think there is merit to the review such as bad grammar, the plot had holes in it, the characters were wooden, etc, then learn from it for the next time. If you think the review is bogus, ignore it.

Readers can love or hate a book for any reason. They do not need to justify themselves in a way that satisfies the author, so there is no point in getting upset or telling the whole world about it.

Bad reviews can teach us much more than good ones. For example, if you are getting bad reviews consistently, and the reviews are all saying the same thing, then it’s worth taking a step back. Read your book again with objectivity, and remove your ego from the equation. Learn how you can improve. Writing is a lifelong process, and there is always something we can learn!

Wise advice!

Thanks you for joining me here, Eden!

Thanks so much, Maria, for inviting me for an interview. I truly appreciate your generosity.

As a gift for your readers, I’d like to offer a commenter an e-book from my Lei Crime Kindle Worlds series. They can choose the one they like. Though readers outside the USA cannot buy it, I can still send them a gift of it.

I’ll let you choose the winner!

Thank you, Eden, that's very generous!

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About Eden

Eden Baylee left a twenty-year banking career to write and is now a full-time author of multiple genres.

She has written three collections of erotic novellas and flash fiction ~ Spring into Summer, Fall into Winter, and Hot Flash.


In 2014, she launched the first novel of her trilogy with Dr. Kate Hampton—a psychological mystery/suspense called Stranger at Sunset. In addition to working on her next novel, Eden created Lainey Lee for the Lei Crime Series, a feisty divorcée who finds adventure and romance in Hawaii. 

An introvert by nature and an extrovert by design, Eden is most comfortable at home with her laptop surrounded by books. She is an online Scrabble junkie and a social media enthusiast, but she really needs to get out more often! 


To stay apprised of Eden's book-related news, please add your name to: her mailing list.


For more information about the author, visit her website: http://www.edenbayleebooks.com or find her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/edenbaylee and Twitter: https://twitter.com/edenbaylee

You can also follow her on: Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Eden-Baylee/e/... or Amazon.UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eden-Baylee/...

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Remember, for your chance to win a copy of one of Eden's Lei Crime series books, just leave a comment below. I'll pick a winner on Friday 12th August!


Good luck!