Pump Up Your Book Chats with “Willow Pond” author Carol Tibaldi

C Author  Carol Tibaldi arol Tibaldi is the author of “Willow Pond.”

Carol Tibaldi was born and raised in Bayside, New York and attended Queens College of the City University of New York. She loves to travel and has lived in London and Los Angeles. For twenty five years she worked as a newspaper reporter and covered the crime beat. She is a history buff and loves to research different time periods having a special affinity of the prohibition era and the Civil War. Willow Pond is her first novel and she is hard at work on the sequel.

You can visit Carol Tibaldi’s website at www.caroltibaldi.com

Link to book on Amazon (or where it is sold): Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/AthqHg

Amazon: http://amzn.to/QAdAo3

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/H595Aj

Find out more about “Willow Pond” on Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13283219-willow-pond

INTERVIEW:

Book  Willow_Pond lg cover Thank you for joining us with this interview, Carol.

1)   How long have you been a professional author and what led to your decision to write fiction?

I started writing professionally nearly 25 years ago when I started working as a reporter for a community newspaper. I wrote my first short story when I was around eight or nine years old. I was always making up stories in my head.

2)   What actually prompted you to write “Willow Pond?”

The idea for Willow Pond came from two things. The first thing was that I was fascinated by the jazz age, speakeasies and flappers and the second thing was an interest in the Lindbergh Kidnapping. I had researched the case and decided I want to write about it, but instead of writing a true crime book I decided to fictionalize it. In the end, aside from the fact that the core of the story is about the kidnapping of the child, Willow Pond has nothing in common with the Lindbergh case.

3)   What are your thoughts about marketing?  How have you approached marketing your book?

I’ve been very proactive about marketing Willow Pond. I think that’s very important for authors, especially indie authors. There are a lot of places on the web to promote your book.

4)   What would you say are the biggest mistakes one can make in choosing a publicist?  The greatest rewards?

I’ve never worked with a publicist so it’s hard for me to say. I think they can help you make the right connections with media outlets which will bring you book to the public. Choosing the wrong publicist means spending the money to hire one and not getting any results.

5)   Where can we find out more about “Willow Pond?”

You can check my book out on Amazon and you can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and on my website.

http://amzn.to/AthqHg

https://twitter.com/#!/cat5149

http://on.fb.me/H9e2VW

www.caroltibaldi.com

6)   Do you use an editor and why are they important for writers?

Yes, I did use an editor and I think they’re very important. An author can be too close to a piece of writing and need an editor to point out problems

7)   How do you cope with bad reviews?

I was very upset when I got my first 3 star review and didn’t want the reviewer to post it, but of course she did. Of course I prefer 5 star and even 4 star reviews. What I hate are those hatchet jobs; reviews where the reviewer is unnecessarily cruel.

8) What are your thoughts on covers?

Covers are very important. The original cover of Willow Pond wasn’t very good. When I had the new cover created sales increased. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on it.

9)  Who is your favorite character in “Willow Pond?”  Was that character taken from someone you read about or a composite of people in your mind?

It’s hard for me to say who my favorite character is. One day it’s Virginia, the next day Laura and the day after that, Erich. One thing is certain: Phillip is not my favorite character! Virginia is the only character who is a composite of a woman named Texas Guinan who owned a speakeasy called the 300 club and was famous for greeting male customers by saying, “Hello, Suckers.” I also based Virginia’s character on my grandmother who was one tough lady.

10)   What’s the greatest advice you could give a new author?

Never give up. No matter how discouraged you get keep writing and improve your craft.


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