Author Biography
K.G. McAbee always intended to be a writer, but life kept getting in the way.
Finally, she decided that she had no intention of wondering on her deathbed
whether or not she could have made it. So she took a leap of faith, quit her
job, and gave herself two years to get something, anything published. After
eighteen months of non-stop rejections, she was starting to consider revamping
her resume, when she sold her first fantasy short story to that incredible
Canadian sf/f magazine Challenging Destiny. Shortly afterwards, she received
her first book contract and hasn't looked back. Eight books, forty short stories,
and several awards later, she's now doing what she loves and loving what she does.
K.G. McAbee is also the executive editor of NovelBooks, Inc., a burgeoning new
electronic-and-POD publisher of the finest in genre fiction. In her few
nanoseconds of spare time, she enjoys reading, collecting books, gardening
and traveling to spots that whet her passion for history--England, Mexico and
Egypt so far. She can be reached at kgmcabee@hotmail.com or check out her
website: www.kgmcabee.net
Below is an interview I had with K.G.(Gail)McAbee on AOL
Instant Messenger.
Come join me and get to know a little about Gail and her
books.
Welcome to my spotlight of K.G.(Gail)McAbee
Anita: Good morning,Gail. Thanks for joining me. We're here to talk a little about you're writing style and your book ESCAPE THE PAST, due to be released this month from NovelBooks,Inc. For our readers, what genre do you write?
Gail: I've written mostly fantasy, although I've got a Regency coming from Awe-Struck and a paranormal coming next August, also from NBI.
Anita: How did you get started writing and how old were you?
Gail: I've wanted to write ever since I read Harlan Ellison's DANGEROUS VISIONS; I was so struck by his passion for his craft. But life and stuff kept getting in the way...
Anita: Did you take any writing classes?
Gail: I never took a writing class. I just wrote, beginning hundreds of partials, many of which I've never finished to this day. I finally decided to 'leap and the net will appear'. I quit my job and gave myself 2 years to get something published. Remember I'd still not finished anything, not even a short.
Anita: How long were you writing before you made your first sale?
Gail: 18 months of nonstop rejections. I was starting to think about updating the old resume, I can tell you!
Anita: Wow--it takes a lot of faith in yourself to quit the old day job and just write!
Gail: I was terrified...yet oddly proud of myself at the same time! I think it was the bravest thing I've ever done!
Anita: What was your first sale?
Gail: I sold a fantasy short to CHALLENGING DESTINY, a Canadian sf/f print zine.
Anita: Do you read a lot? What genres?
Gail: Constantly-- in the tub, while I wash dishes, at a red light. I love history and biography, fantasy and sf, horror, mystery--almost anything.
Anita: Were there any authors who helped you break into the field, or did you do it on your own?
Gail: Totally alone, but there are plenty of authors who've influenced me; Heinlein, Asimov, Zelazny, Ellison, Patrick O'Brian, and hundreds more. My hero is Lester Dent, who no one's heard of; he wrote a Doc Savage pulp, one a month for 18 years. My hero!
Anita: Let's talk a little about your writing style--are you a plotter?
Gail: More of a 'seat of the pants' writer, actually. I start with an interesting scene and the book just grows from there.
Anita: Do you start at the beginning and write towards the end, randomly, or what?
Gail: Very linear-- beginning to end. Then I'll back up and drop in foreshadowing, clean up events and situations, stuff like that.
Anita: Do you revise as you write, or after?
Gail: I do some revising as I go along, but not very much. I've often written a short story of 3-6K words, proofed it, and mailed it the same day
Anita: Which comes to you first--character or plot?
Gail: Character, usually. Sometimes a plot jumps into my head and I create characters for it, but usually the people are there first.
Anita: ESCAPE THE PAST,your novel coming this month from NovelBooks,Inc.--where did you get the idea for this story? And how long did it take you to develop it?
Gail: I really have no idea! It started with a naked man running through the forest, and for a long time, that's all I knew. After I'd written about 10K words, I submitted the first 3 chapters. I was AMAZED when the publisher asked to see the entire manuscript and I scrambled to finish it. It took me eight days! I'm still having trouble believing it!
Anita: Your characters--how do they come about?
Gail: I have a really rich fantasy life, have had since before I started grammar school. Most of my characters have been with me for a very long time. Some came from books, of course; some I created to match up with other characters.
Anita: Do you do a lot of research for your books? What tools do you use?
Gail: I'm a serious history buff and a stickler for accuracy. That may be why I write fantasy; I get to make up my own history. But I've got tons of reference books, all over my house, and I could live in a library!
Anita: Any sites or books you'd like to suggest?
Gail: I think everyone should read Barbara Tuchman and Antonia Fraser, as history writers; I love Patrick O'Brian's books on the British navy during the Regency, his Aubrey/Maturin series; he's a brilliant historical writer.
Anita: What do you consider your strongest writing skill? Your weakest?
Gail: I'm a good grammarian, so I don't have to think about that as I write, which saves me time. I've a good grasp of description and dialogue, but my plotting skills need some work, I'm afraid.
Anita: So what do you think is the most important thing for you to do to continue to improve as a writer?
Gail: I need to work on my plotting, and to make sure that my characters are as clear to others as they are to me!
Anita: What is your next book and when is it coming out?
Gail: I just had a new fantasy released by Echelon Press, the first in a series, called MAGE OF THE NEXUS: JOURNEY TO MALMILLARD. And in February, NBI is releasing another fantasy, A FINE IMPERSONATION, which was a 2001 Eppie fantasy finalist.
Anita: Any books in the "idea" stage?
Gail: I'm working on a sequel to JOURNEY, called NEST OF VIPERS.
Anita: Besides writing, what subjects are you passionate about?
Gail: History, travel (been to Egypt, England and Mexico), my house (we're remodeling a log cabin built in 1818), gardening...and reading, reading, reading!
Anita: You are the executive editor at NBI, so I'd like to mention epublishing. Some people seem to think it has no real clout, as in it's not really publishing. Comment?
Gail: There are certainly some vanity epublishers; it's silly to think there aren't. But the legitimate epublishers are just that--legitimate small presses.
Anita: And you think epubishing is here to stay?
Gail: Oh, yes, without a doubt. I'm sure someone asked Gutenberg if the printing press was here to stay--probably a monk who was busy illuminating a manuscript!
Anita: What advantages can epublishing offer an author over traditional publishing?
Gail: Speed; a book can appear months earlier than from a traditional pub house. Variety; genres ignored by the big publishers are welcomed by epubbers. And the personal touch; it's nice to be on a first name basis with your publisher.
Anita: There are some who think epublishers will "publish anything." As an editor for an epublisher, can you give us an idea of the actual process?
Gail: We are very careful about the books we choose to publish. First, they have to be well written, in the technical sense and in the dramatic sense. We're running at about a 9% acceptance rate right now. Then, the author has to be willing to accept editorial changes/comments. Any book can be improved...and we want to offer the best books possible at NBI.
Anita: What advice do you have for the aspiring writers out there--would you do anything differently if you were just starting out?
Gail: Since my first book came out 3 years ago, there have been lots of epublishers coming--and going. If a writer is serious about going the epub route, s/he needs to do the research on publishing houses. It also helps if they approach the pub house as pleasantly and courteously as possible; it's hard to accept a book from a writer who's unpleasant or rude. And they have to be good writers, natch!
Anita: Good writers, of course! Gail, thanks for the insight and for joining me here this morning. I enjoyed talking with you AND reading ESCAPE THE PAST.
Gail: You're welcome, and thank you!
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