Today I am speaking with Ciar Cullen.

Hi Ciar! And welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews! It is really wonderful to have you with us today. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for us. The readers are eager to hear about Ciar Cullen.
Ciar, I noticed on your website that you have many books in progress, would you care to tell us about them? Oh, and congrats on The Biggest Kahuna winning the Romance Weekly Reader’s Choice Award.

Thanks so much for your kind words and the chance to chat! I have a number of books in various stages, so it’s hard to know where to begin. But as you say, my website www.ciarcullen.com spells it out fairly well. By the time anyone reads this, my very first print release, Mayan Nights (exotic contemporary archaeological suspense LOL), should be available at Samhain Publishing, and shortly thereafter, at Borders. That’s very exciting for me! I have a number of releases coming from Samhain, including re-releases of my fantasy Anfall series, and the brand new sequel to Mayan Nights called The Serpent House. But first up, a sexy fantasy called Lords of Ch’i, available in August. Loose ID recently brought out The Biggest Kahuna, as you kindly pointed out, about a shapeshifting Hawaiian shark god, and that’s getting a great response. I’m currently working on the sequel to that book. And I’m also stoked to announce that Loose ID will publish a contemporary dark paranormal called Love’s Alchemy, about the immortal children of The Last Sorcerer—some sexy dudes in that one! Finally, a few releases under my previous pseudonym, Therese MacFarland, are still available.

If a reporter wanted to follow you around for a whole day what daily routine would they most likely see?

Poor thing! It would be a combination of boring and exhausting. But she’d have to strap on her running shoes. Up at 7, fast out the door after kissing husband and cat, the quick stop chez Dunkin Donuts, and then off to work (at a local college). Lunch hour spent on the loops or reading/writing a review, back to work, race home. Either go to martial arts class, go for a quick run, or sit on a goofy ball with free weights for an exercise video. Dinner, and maybe an hour of writing, then an hour of TV (or whatever the mood brings) with husband, off to bed! Weekends are nuts. Sunday is generally my writing day.

What do you think about the e-book industry, its progress and future?

I’m not much of a prognosticator, honestly. My MIL does the psychic readings on my blog. I’m in a somewhat easy-going mood these days, so I’m watching things develop from an emotional distance. Epublishing has been fairly kind to me, but I notice the spawning of so many new companies, ones that seem to be a rush to get the “hot” stuff out there. Makes me wonder who will be left standing in a year or so, because I don’t think the current market can handle all the offerings. It’s a simple supply/demand curve thingey. I think some of these publishers (Ellora’s Cave being the most obvious) are starting to blur the lines between epubbing and print, some even going to mass market. And NY picking up on trends that had a start electronically, at least it seems that way. It will be interesting to watch. For me, it’s been a great way to get my feet wet, my first book published, and to learn from some great editors. I’m still very new at this, 2.5 years in. I used to look at RWA report of first sales and scratch my head. “Suzie Q has been writing for five years…” It makes a lot more sense to me now! I do wish the vampire/paranormal/shape-shifting trend would fizzle out a little, although there seems to be no end to the desire for those! My stories are “hot” so to speak, but the push for hotter, hotter, hotter is another trend that will be interesting to watch. Kinda like the stock market!

Do you have an agent?

Nah. Think I came pretty close recently, with a ton of bites on a query (I write a damn good query I guess), but no offers. I’m giving that a rest for a little while, because the push took a lot of the joy out of it for me. This writing is a hobby, and I want to control the tone, pace, and course of it. I see so many folks being snatched up by agents, and a lot it seems in a rush to fill slots at Kensington hot lines, etc. I may be moving in a different direction, more towards fantasy. Some folks say fantasy is dying, but hey, I’m an ex-archaeologist, so I’m happy to dabble in a lost art!

Have you ever written a screenplay or thought of doing so?

I have not until now. Hmnn. Nah, sounds like too much work! Although dialog is my bag, baby. Definitely.

What was your reaction when you got your first contract?

Surprise doesn’t begin to cover it. I wrote on a whim, submitted on a whim, and before I knew it, The Princes of Anfall was getting reviews, and pretty good ones. So I kept going!

What were some of the greatest joys after the release of your first book?

The greatest—the pride of my husband. He simply couldn’t stop talking about the achievement. I kept saying, “Hey, it’s a small publisher, and only a few hundred folks will ever buy it.” But he kept reminding me how many folks would love to accomplish that. It’s starting to sink in. That, and the fact that I got some awesome comments from readers. It still shocks me when someone asks about a character or story! They read my book?

Do you have problems promoting yourself?

Did someone put you up to that question? Big heavy sigh. I don’t seem to have any trouble putting myself out there, but it burns me out sometimes. I’m not shy, which helps. I have a really active loop with my pal Leigh Ellwood, and lots of fun contests, but I don’t do much advertising any more. The return just doesn’t seem to be there for epublishing.

Do you often find promotion hard work?

It is if you let it. I’ve changed my strategy recently. I won’t do anything that drains me. No live chats, no constant loop surfing, etc. I’m limiting myself, and if it means I sell a few less books, so be it. There’s a lot of weirdness on the Internet, and you really have to monitor who you let in your virtual life, in the same way you wouldn’t open your front door to everyone who knocked. I’m enjoying the promotion I’m doing now—reviewing books by others, encouraging new writers with contests, etc. You can actually promote just by being around, if you know what I mean.

What are some of the avenues you've used for self-promotion and do they work?

Well, I guess I mentioned ads. I think RT ads work for print, and on large sites like Fallen Angels and a few others. But I do track hits on my website, and by and large, I think the best new avenue is blogging. Not so new for some, but new for me. My guess is that loops are going to go by the wayside in favor of blogs. Chats haven’t helped me much, so I don’t do those. Hmmmn, not quite sure, still working this one out. Again, I think the best you can do is be yourself and do what feels good to you, hook up with some writer and reader or reviewer friends, make it as painless as possible. Folks can spot a phoney baloney pitch a mile away. They get sick of the constant promos. I think it’s important to be real, if that makes any sense. Honestly, the best way to sell books seems to be to get published by the best-selling publishers! That has made a huge difference for me.

If you had the opportunity to work with any author, past or present who would you choose?

OMG, what a good question. I don’t think you have the bandwidth for my answer. I’d start with the Latin poet Ovid and work my way forward in history. To pick one, gosh, maybe Terry Pratchett, the fantasy satirist. Actually, I wrote an erotic comedy called The Wizard of Time—a FAR Recommended Read—that is free for the asking at my website! It was an homage to Terry Pratchett! Or Mark Twain. I simply love to laugh, and I’d like to get better at making others laugh.

There is a lot of talk about the value of obtaining "reviews" of your work. How do you feel about having your own books reviewed and what value, if any, do you get from them?

I think reviews are important on many levels, but not especially sales, oddly enough! Feedback is essential to your mental health when you write, and the validation of a good review is so important. It does give you an opportunity to promote, of course, but readers do claim to buy based more on word-of-mouth, etc. I take reviews very seriously, always looking for the sentence that tells me what hooked the reader, or what they didn’t like. It’s only one person’s opinion, of course, but you can learn so much if you read carefully. For example, I wrote The Biggest Kahuna thinking it was sexy and serious. The reviews have called it funny, sexy, and sweet. Sometimes your self-perception may be a little off.

Is there anything off the top of your head that you would like to share with your readers?

Yes, that I love them! And my first name is pronounced KEER :o) And if they want a free ebook (The Wizard of Time), to write me through my website!

Do you have any pet peeves?

Next question.

If you could change one thing about the way you write, what would it be?

Plot. I need to learn to plot better. I’m a pantster, and it can get you into real trouble. I have no trouble (I think) with dialog; love to create characters, but sometimes they’re just floating out there, unanchored. So as I work on a long new fantasy, I’m trying to go slowly and really concentrate on plot.

Is there one habit you know you’ll never change?

Yes, I think so. I have some quirkiness in each of my books. I like that. It comes from a somewhat wry sense of humor, a penchant for the unexpected and dramatic, and an interest in big themes. So you never know when a spirit or dragon or ancient Mayan King will show up! Or when a pet parrot will start speaking and making perfect sense.

Do you have a favorite movie that you could watch over and over again? Or a favorite actor that you would love to star in one of your books?

Favorite movie might be Vertigo, a Hitchcock classic. Or Spellbound, also his. Keanu Reeves is probably never destined to win an Academy Award, but I’d love to sit with him over his role…and a glass of wine or four.

Do you have a website other than http://ciarcullen.com/index.php that you would like to share with your readers?

Oh, yes, my blog is a bit more active than my website.

For Fun: What is your best comfort food? Which do you prefer Coffee or Tea? And of all the cities to visit in the U.S. which would you say would be the best to take a vacation and enjoy?

Fortunately, I don’t really eat for comfort, at least any more (60 pounds lighter for making that change). There’s always the single piece of PMS chocolate, but sweets aren’t my thing. Actually, spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) is my favorite food. I lived in Greece for many years and developed a real fondness for it LOL. Coffee, definitely. What’s tea?

Ciar, thank you so much for chatting with us today. Anyone interested in reading more about Ciar and her exciting books, please visit her website to read more about her magnificent works. It has indeed been a pleasure Ciar. Good luck to you and your writing.

Thanks so much, what fun!

Interviewed by: Linda L