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K’Anne Meinel

K'Anne Meinel - Author
K’Anne Meinel – Author

K’Anne Meinel

1 Name: K’Anne Meinel

Website www.kannemeinel.com

Blog http://kannemeinel.wordpress.com/

2 Country: United States

3 Do you prefer to read a particular genre?

Historical Romance

4 Do you write in the same genre K’Anne Meinel? If not which one?

Occasionally, my books The Journey Home, Pirated Heart, Pirated Love, and Sayyida are all historical romances.

5 Have you always written and what got you started professionally?

Yes, I was always the student who got her reports done quickly because I enjoyed it so. I published my first novel about 8 years ago.

6 How many books have you published?

Novels, Novellas, and Shorts, about 94

7 Which one would you like to tell us about?

Vetted

8 Why did you write this book book and what is it about? It was a story that occurred to me and I just wrote and wrote…it’s about two very different people falling in love and coping with life. There is an age disparity. One is a student, the other a Veterinarian.

9 Book cover and ISBN/ASIN:

Vetted by K'Anne Meinel

ASIN: B074YGY8QB ISBN:13: 978-1975638399

10 What would you like your next book to be on, K’Anne Meinel?

Actually, the next one was my first science fiction novel which is being very well-received.

11 If you could go anywhere in the universe, where would you go and why?

If it is real, I’d love to check out heaven…based on the premise in the bible. Only if I could retain the knowledge I have now and can come back, remembering it all.

12 Is there anything you can share about yourself or your work that not many people know?

Yes, I was a child prodigy.

13 What is your favourite foreign food?

Italian.

14 Are you, or have you ever been a terrorist?

Not in REAL life, fictionally is another subject.

15 Have you ever accidentally called your spose/partner by the name of a character in your latest book and if so what was his or her reaction?

Nope.

You can use the above questions and answers tocompare and contrast with other authors on this blog, but then we moved into free range, and K’Anne told me more about herself which I will relate below.

Where were you born? Milwaukee, WI

Where did you grow up? Oconomowoc, WI

Do you have any siblings, K’Anne Meinel?

Yes, I’m the youngest of five.

What were your parent’s professions?

My mother was a housewife, my father worked for the county as an inspector.

Why do you write?

To exorcise the stories that keep popping into my head, sometimes there are demons accompanying said stories.

What do you think makes good writing?

A good grasp of the language. You have to ‘think’ in stories in order to write them. Furthermore, it’s not just putting words on paper, it’s feeling the story and translating it from your head to something that others would want to read.

How do you choose the names for your characters?

Many times they just come to me, but if I see or hear a ‘cool’ name or one that just clicks I will write it down for future use. I have a list of names I have already used and ones I want to use.

What is the first piece you ever wrote?

A book I wrote when I was about 18, if I ever find it I may finish and publish it. I was always writing stories, I remember being fascinated by Native Americans in the fourth grade and writing notes down about them all the time. My first published piece is SHIPS and is available as a novel. I wrote it in 2003.

When you are writing each novel, are the experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life, K’Anne Meinel?

A little bit of me and my life goes into almost every book. Life experiences, no matter how small are important to make the stories sound real.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Always but you can tweak a book to death, just like you can edit it too much. Also, if I kept tweaking them, I’d never finish them.

What is the hardest part of writing a book?

For me, it’s deciding where to end or how to end it.

What is the easiest part of writing a book?

Just simply writing the story, I can’t seem to type it fast enough sometimes.

What was your inspiration for the writing of such detail and in-depth stories that people can almost relate to in their own lifetime?

I like detail, I like feeling I am a part of the stories. Additionally, I hope that my readers like that too. Occasionally, I have been criticized for providing TOO much detail but I think it’s important to a lot of the stories. Not everyone is going to agree, not everyone is going to like what I write. That’s okay though, I have such a wide variety of stories in my portfolio that there may be something for everyone.

Do you have any writing rituals? And can you tell us about your writing discipline.

I have to pretty much have quiet to write. No tv, no radio…and then contrarily I get inspired by both the radio or a movie and a section of my book may come to me while I’m listening/watching…then I have to go write what came to me.

What is your greatest fear as an author, K’Anne Meinel?

That I would unknowingly plagiarize someone because I’m also a voracious reader. However, I’ve read that there are seven basic stories out there and every book ever written is a deviation of said basic stories so you may be telling the same story, but your version of it. I really hate when I come across another author though who has copied not only the basic idea but the feel of a story…that’s a type of plagiarism I avoid at all costs.

Who do you have fans compare you to (other authors)?

When I first started in writing my stories I was called the Lesbian Danielle Steel, not only because of the detail that I write in, but the length of my stories. I’ve refined since I first began writing and I firmly believe I get better with each novel or novella or short that I release. I have also been compared to Dean Koontz whom I have never read so I can’t comment on that one.

What are you working on now?

A couple of stories at any given time. My first science fiction novel just came out, a book about a singer, and a murder mystery…I have at last count 165 books in various stages of completion on my laptop. This includes outlines, titles, and nearly completed Novels, Novellas, and Shorts…it’s a process. When they are ready, they will come out and be completed…

How do you keep your different characters separate in your mind?

I write in the header of my Works in Progress, hair color, names, characteristics, something to trigger why I’m telling the story and who these characters are. As the book gets completed I may start another document with all the characters on it so that the header isn’t so full. These characters though are real people in my mind…even my pet characters are ‘people.’ Furthermore, they add to the story line in little, realistic ways.

Do you write full-time or part-time?

Pretty much full time. But as I also own Shadoe Publishing I have to take care of my other authors and read their works, format them, make covers, promote, etc. I love the business of it all. I stay very busy. Furthermore, I like using my knowledge and success to help others.

Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?

No, I like that my day is NOT structured in any way so that I can randomly choose to write or not to write. I had structured for many decades…now I like the idea of doing what I want, when I want.

Do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?

As and when….

Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?

Nope, never.

Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand?

Always on the laptop, I hate writing it longhand and my mind allows me to type it out. Cut and paste are handy too.

Have you written any other novels in collaboration with other writers, K’Anne Meinel?

I have tried, but I’m a control freak about my own work, I would hate to lose a friend who is another writer over what I perceive how things should go. So no….

Where do your ideas come from?

They are random, and I love that. Frequently, I can be watching a movie and some small part of it triggers the creative urge. I don’t plagiarize but I am always thinking how I would have written something or done it differently. Sometimes that inspires a totally different story and I dig that!

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

All of that…depends on the story. If I get a random idea I type it up. Sometime I even have the title and that gets put up too. Sometimes the entire story is outlined or synopsized in a way that I can come back when I’m feeling the whole story and just start again and finish it. Other times the story is so strong I have to just sit down and write it, the ideas keep coming and I keep typing until I’m too tired to do anything else and I finish it.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A school-teacher. Which is cool, because I am still teaching others now.

What genres do you normally write in?

Personally, I like Fiction, Drama, Romance, a little murder-mystery. I have a historical romance coming out this fall, my first came out over two years ago. I’m hoping my first sci-fi adventure will be out by the end of the year.

What genres do you typically read?

Romance or Biography

Is there a genre you haven’t written in that one day you’d like to tackle?

Suspense…my murder-mysteries might already do that.

Are there any authors who have influenced your work?

Danielle Steel, her older stuff…not the last 15 years or so. Definitely Bertrice Small, I hope someday to write as well as she did. She passed away two years ago and I was devastated. I even wrote her a fan letter, she wrote back, even gave me the name of her agent who never answered my query letter.

What was the first book you ever published?

SHIPS, CompanionSHIP, FriendSHIP, RelationSHIP

When did you first sign with (your current publisher)?

I own the publishing company. Five years and counting!

What was the craziest thing you’ve ever done when it came to a storyline in your book?

I put details such as diarrhea in the book, but those are REAL things that happen to REAL people. Gross, but they happen.

Do you have any specific things (or rituals) that help you to write or that inspire you?

Watching a movie helps as my mind is always off on a tangent. I have to multi-task to stay focused.

Is there a certain time of day you prefer to write?

Whenever the mood strikes.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Yes, I’ve always been a voracious reader so I wanted to write like the authors I admire. They didn’t release their books FAST enough so I had to start writing my own.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

Yes, every week I hear from someone and it’s GREAT to hear from these anonymous strangers who LIKED my babies. Who can’t WAIT to read the NEXT in a series. Who tell me how much the book meant to them.

Tell us about your new release.

I currently released Recombinant Love. It’s about a woman who disappears in 2015 and wakes up in 2525 on a space ship. She has to first realize that it isn’t a government facility, that they aren’t conning her, and that all the technology is real. Falling in love with a part android woman she also has to deal with her feelings and emotions.

Is there someone famous she resembled when you wrote her? Or is she based off someone you personally know?

I like strong women. She’s well-mannered, a bit cynical about her situation, and her side-kick is a dog which I included in the story named D.O.G. (DeeOooGee).

What are your favorite character traits that you cannot resist?

Strong and capable.

What part of the female physique captures your attention?

The eyes and a great smile and of course a quick mind!

As an author and essentially the “creator” of your character, do you find yourself attached to her in a personal way?

Yes, to a degree I fall in love with the person for a while but I think that comes through in the writing, you want the reader to have that experience too.

If you could actually meet the character of one of your books, the exact woman you’ve conjured up in both looks and personality, which one would it be and why?

Alice Weaver from my Malice Series. She’s a petite blonde with a ‘take no guff’ attitude. She’s a serial killer that at first you don’t and shouldn’t like. Later, as you get to know her better, all her kills are justified and you respect her for her stance. You respect that she takes care of her own.

Tell us what kind of heroes/heroines you prefer to write about.

Always survivors. Strong and gentle and kind, but they get the job done.

Does your heroine, take after you? Or is she someone you wish you could be?

Yes, I think those descriptions could be about me. I’m a survivor of cancer, broken bones, abuse, and still I’m here to tell the tale.

Out of all your books, do you have a favorite?

That’s like asking which of my children are my favorite. To a degree I will ALWAYS have a soft spot for SHIPS as it was my FIRST. But as to a favorite, no…some I feel were better written than others. That is a process though.

What is your biggest distraction when you write?

Anything, everything…an author gets distracted easily I believe…multi-tasking helps keep me organized and on track.

What are your major sources for research? Do you use books or google? Even movies?

I love reading books that inform and educate me. I’ll use google if I can’t get to the library. I even use movies but I don’t want to plagiarize so I’d prefer a documentary.

Which grammar rule is your favorite to break? Which one do you never break?

Rules? What are rules? I break ‘em every chance I get.

If you could do a DREAM job (other than writing) what would it be and why? Have you used it in any of your stories?

Professional Traveler, but like every job, that would get old after a while.

What kind of jobs have you have in the ‘real’ world?

I’ve run multi-million-dollar companies. I’ve been a bus driver, a saleswoman, a marketing executive…sometimes simultaneously!

If you could meet anyone famous, PAST or PRESENT who would it be, and why?

Eleanor Roosevelt, I would have liked to observe her, without her knowledge for a period of time to understand what made her tick. I’d like to verify that she may have been a closeted lesbian.

Is there anything in your life you would delete? Anything you would replay?

A lot of things but if they hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be who I am now.

What were you like at school?

I was always the over-achiever. Unfortunately they didn’t advance students in public school back in the 70’s so I had a couple of teachers who didn’t challenge my intelligence and verbally slapped me down. My mom put me in private school and suddenly I was challenged once again. I graduated early from High School, went right on to college. Someday I will return there.

Were you good at English?

No, I sucked at it because public school didn’t teach me it and private school they had already learned it…I never liked it or the structure of it. But I read so much I absorbed sentence and structure which is why I write very well.

Do you speak any foreign languages? Which ones? What if any would you like to learn?

I speak a little German; I took 3.5 years of it. My heritage is German so I felt it was important. I’d like to learn Spanish if I could.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

I’ll just keep writing the books Also, I like to write and hope that the fans appreciate them.

If you could have anyone play the main character of one of your books, any actress, who would you choose and why?

In SHIPS, I’d love Elizabeth Mitchell for Grace as I based the character on her.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

If I put the time all in at once a few weeks to write a novel. Unfortunately, I don’t always write it end to end and things get in the way. I’ll also have other stories pop up.

Do you ever get writer’s block?

Yes, reading and watching movies helps me.

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

Each book gets better as I write.

Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?

Bertrice Small, Johanna Lindsey, rarely but occasionally Danielle Steel. I have all of their books (except Danielle’s) and even Louis La’mour.

For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

Paperbacks!

Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?

I proof read my own and used to edit them too. I realize that is not my skill and my older works are being edited and re-released. My new stuff is edited before I put it out.

Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit, K’Anne Meinel?

Sometimes, but rarely. I’m anxious to get it out to my readers.

Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.

Many times I will see a picture that inspires the book or vice versa.

Who designed your book cover’s? I design all my own book covers.

I have a background in design as I ran a mail order catalog for 20 years, designed artwork for signs, and learned to manipulate art.

Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?

Absolutely, you have to capture the reader’s attention.

How do you market your books?

Social media, word of mouth, and a good following that I’ve built up over the years.

Why did you choose this route?

It was all that was available to me when I started, that was free…just hard work.

What do you think of “trailers” for books?

If it’s done well it will inspire the reader to read the actual book. however, it has to enhance the book and follow the story to get them to buy it!

Do you think that giving books away free works and why?

It probably depends on how you do it. However, just giving them free books doesn’t give you much VALUE for all your hard work.

Did you format your own book?

Yes, I format all my own books…I learned how years ago and have templates set up.

In what formats is your book available?

Always paperback if it’s a novel, even some of my novellas. Then Kindle, e-book, e-pub, Mobi, Pdf too..

How do you relax, K’Anne Meinel?

I usually ride my motorcycle.

Where can you see yourself in 5 year’s time?

I’d love to be the first lesfic writer on the New York Best Selling Author’s list…to bring others along for that ride because we need people to realize that lesfic does not mean erotica or in some of their minds, porn.

What is your favorite movie and why?

I have many favorites as I collect movies. I have over 1000 in my collection.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Buy Microsoft…Then, I could have retired sooner and enjoyed life without worrying about the bills.

Did you have a good childhood? Were you a wild child? Are you the ‘odd’ one out in your family?

Yes, I had an excellent childhood. I was a tomboy. Our nearest neighbour was a mile away so I had to develop a good imagination. Books were my friend.

So, if you had to use THREE words to DESCRIBE yourself and you were looking from the outside, how would you describe yourself, K’Anne Meinel?

Strong, capable, and ambitious.

If you could have one and only one super-power, what would it be and why?

To read minds, so that I would know if a person was honest.

Have you ever Googled yourself? If you did, what did you find out about yourself?

Oh, yes, I’ve found many things. Then, I love the interviews or blogs I find that I didn’t know I gave or did as well.

Pen name vs no pen name? What was your rationale?

Personally, I wanted MY name on my work. Many people think K’Anne is a pen name but it is actually on my birth certificate this way.

Besides writing THE END, how do you KNOW a story is over and you should conclude it?

Sometimes you can just FEEL it.

So, what do you think of the ‘explosion’ of available titles for the Lesfic Reader that have come onto the market vs say 5-10-20 years ago? Is this a good thing or bad?

I think it’s a great thing. Nevertheless, unfortunately you get a lot of people who don’t have the work edited, even eventually. So they give lesfic a bad name. I will admit some of my early stuff was done that way and I’ve been correcting it now that I have the means to do so. Furthermore, there are some people who simply don’t have the talent though and are putting out mediocre or even crappy work and it gives all of Lesfic a bad name.

Are you a quiet person or verbose in person, K’Anne Meinel?

I think it depends on the situation and my comfort level.

Is there something in life you wish you had been braver about?

Yes, coming out…but then I didn’t know I was a lesbian until later in life.

20 years from now your books are assigned to a women’s studies class. What would you want them to say about your body of work?

That she wrote strong characters, very unique women. Not everything was gold but look at the variety of stories and ideas she created.

Do you consider yourself successful at this thing called writing? Furthermore, what makes you think that?

Yes, I do, as I have a lot of followers and authors who see me as successful.

Were there any teachers that stood out through school, K’Anne Meinel? Anyone that made it bearable and that you remember fondly?

Oh, yes, my German teacher…I looked her up 25 years later in order to say ‘thank you.’ She was puzzled as she remembered me differently but grateful for the compliment that I felt she was inspiring.

You can read a review of Vetted by K’Anne Meinel on this blog here: Vetted

and find her book, in our bookshop

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