A few weeks ago @jwmefford started following me on twitter announcing the release of his book on 11/1/11, and I followed him back. I soon saw him popping up in my stream as he interacted with other writers and readers announcing the release of Committed.

He was working social media in a good way, building up momentum for when his book hit the eshelves. I checked out John's blog and website, learned a little more about his book and thought it would be good for John to share a little about himself.

Let's meet John, learn about Committed and don't forget to support the indie thriller writers. We tell some good stories and would love for you to read them.


Title: COMMITTED (The Michael Doyle Chronicles: Book One)Author: John W. Mefford
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/ThrillerBrief Blurb:

Sinful deception. A malicious corporate takeover. A grisly murder. Unrelenting greed.
We all have that inner voice, the one who knows all but refuses to let even our closest confidantes inside. The one we must calm when we're most unsettled, and the one who seeks to understand our path, our destiny.
Michael Doyle lives in emotional anonymity, resistant to fully devote himself to anyone or any cause. Without warning, a technology conglomerate acquires Michael's company, and he quickly sees through the fog of political posturing: false hope, layoffs, and blatant dishonesty.

Then, death reaches up and grabs him. Shaken to the core, Michael leans on his live-in girlfriend, who has touched his heart like no one else. But her haunting past resurfaces, and she's pulled into a seedy web by an outside force so cruel, so cunning it destroys every soul in its path.

Can Michael rise above his greatest fear to uncover the truth about a murder and save the life of the person he loves most?
Only if he's...COMMITTED.

Q & A with John W. Mefford
Doug: Do you remember the spark for the idea of your novel?
John: My spark was more like a rolling wave of dominoed flickers,each one propelling the next great idea. They say write what you know. I'veexperienced a lot, and read a great deal more. I decided to take a current-dayissue (greedy corporate takeovers) and wrap an intricate murder plot aroundit.  Then, I needed the vehicle for theprotagonist to resolve the murder – that's where I brought in his associationwith the local paper, The Times Herald.Finally, I needed the protagonist to have some skin in the game, to understandhis motivation and fallacies. That's when it all clicked.

Doug: What was the biggest aha you learned in writing your firstbook that you'll apply to future books?
John: Ensuring the protagonist has a unique and well understood pointof view was the most important lesson from my first book. POV can be a powerfultool, if used wisely. It can strengthen your main character(s), or if usedincorrectly, it can confuse your readers.

Doug: What advice do you have for other writers out there?
John: Two things. First, ignore everyone, at least anyone whodoubts what you're doing and how you're going about it. Keep the negativepeople out of your thoughts, especially during the creative process. Second,continue to find your voice. That's an ambiguous statement, but if you keep workingon your craft, you'll discover what you do well, what you don't do as well, andthen work on the "holes in your game." It's like a baseball player realizingthey can throw, run, and hit a fastball. But he can't hit a breaking pitch. Ifhe takes batting practice against someone throwing sliders and curves,eventually he'll figure it out. The best part about writing is that you don'thave to worry about someone throwing a blunt object at your head sixty feetaway. Unless one of your creative naysayers is around (see first point).

Doug: Are you a plotter, outliner or do you just write?
John: I begin the whole book-creation process with a high-levelsynopsis, but it usually changes as I make headway on the first draft. When Istart a writing session I like to have a sense of where I'm headed, even if Idon't get there. I like to summarize in 1-2 sentences what will take place ineach chapter, but only 3-4 chapters at a time (my chapters are shorter andfast-paced). And, like everything else, those are subject to change as I thinkof new plot twists and different character traits.

Doug: Favorite book?
John: I've never been able to say this is my favorite all-timebook, other than the last good book I read, which was Michael Connelly's TheBrass Verdict. The book that had biggest impact on my life was Grisham's TheFirm.

Doug: Kindle or Nook?
John: That's like asking red or white. If it's good wine, I'llenjoy drinking it. If the book is a page-turner, the device will be longforgotten. Same as watching a great TV show. I don't know the brand of TV Ihave, only that Nathan Fillion is funny as Hell on Castle. For me, it's all aboutthe story, not the gadget.

Doug: Tell us a little about your decision to or path topublishing. Did you try traditional, straight to indie? What influenced your decision?
John: When I started writing I purposely stayed away from anythingthat resembled publishing direction or advice. I knew it had the potential ofderailing me. Plus, I wasn't sure I wanted to publish. When I finished one ofmy early iterations, I began researching next steps. Too much information isout there! The internet is a scary place at times. Unsure who to trust, who tolisten to, I started down the traditional path, read query-writing books, andstarted cranking out "personalized" queries. I didn't realize that I and manyothers were unknowingly in the eye of the publishing industry hurricane, whichwas spinning wildly out of control. Several iterations later, I finally dug inand did the research to understand the current state and motivations in thevarious business models. When I decided to go indie, it was a huge load off myshoulders. Then, the real work began.

Doug: Where will your book be available?
Amazon (US): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0060LL4IA
Amazon (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0060LL4IA
B&N.com: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940013250741

Doug: What plans do you have for marketing your book?  Things you've done until now preparing forthe launch and what do you have planned post-launch?
John: From what I've heard, doing an Author Interview on DouglasDorow's Thrillers R Us blog has the same impact as a sit-down interview withOprah Winfrey. Other than this interview, I've lined up a few guest  blogs, Indie Author spotlights, and bookreviews. In the last couple of months I've developed a Twitter following thatis growing by the day, have a Facebook Author page, and post updates to myblog. I'm also letting everyone know that I'm open to speaking with book groupsvia conference call, in person if they live in my area (Dallas / Fort Worth),or Skype.

Doug: Who designed your cover?
John: The talented Jeroen Ten Berge created my cover. Jeroen is awonderful communicator and actually has a process in which he creates hiscovers (left brain meets right brain). He takes a unique approach to each coverfor every author. I love my cover art!www.jeroentenberge.com

Doug: Did you use a critique group, beta readers, editor?
John: I used a combination of beta readers and an editor. Once Ifinally got to a point where I wasn't inhaling water down my windpipe, I becamemore confident as a writer. That's when I met my editor. She's a tough one, butjust what I needed. She brought strong opinions.

Doug: What's next? A sequel or a stand alone? Give us a hint?
John: A very early first draft of Book Two is completed. So, thatis next. Then, I might do a sequel short, sort of a 2A. If not, I'll dive intoBook Three. I have plenty of ideas for other books in other genres. All in duetime.

Website: http://www.johnwmefford.comBlog: http://www.johnwmefford.com/something-like-that---the-blog.htmlTwitter account: @jwmeffordFacebook Author page: http://www.facebook.com/JohnWMeffordAuthor