Interview with author, Chris Stralyn

I'm happy to welcome Chris Stralyn to my blog today. Chris' novel This Time You Lose is nominated for best cover on Goodreads.

Stop by and vote if you have a chance http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/14472.Best_Cover_Fall_Winter_2011#12853426

Tell us something about yourself and how you became a writer.

I never intended to be a writer. Short-order cook, security guard, safety officer, childcare provider, and teacher were all titles I’d worn – but never writer. Then I entered an essay contest for “The Worst Vacation Ever” and won. Writing became my new hobby, and soon I had several articles in print with local publications. This was followed by a short story, The Khaki Pants, which was published by RDR Publishing in an anthology that went on to sell over a million copies.

A suspense thriller was my next undertaking, and in 2008 This Time You Lose was named a finalist in the TNBW Strongest Start Novel Competition. Four months later it earned the distinction of being a TNBW Readers Choice Top Ten Novel, and has remained on the Top Ten list ever since.

I continue to put pen to paper in my endeavour to appease the Muse within. I live in Michigan with my husband and family.

Tell us about your novel and where readers can purchase a copy.

This Time You Lose is an intense read. It is the terrifying story of Lisa Kaamp, who operates a small childcare business out of her home in the sleepy little town of Nogeksum, Michigan. Highly respected and known for going the extra mile for her daycare kids, Lisa thought she had handled every daycare emergency possible.

But nothing prepared her for the nightmare she now faced. Lisa awakes one morning to find herself bound and gagged, four strange men in her home, and the daycare children being held hostage in the next room. Terrorized by her captors as the authorities work to meet the ransom deadline, she tries negotiating with the men for the release of the children, and soon realizes that at least one of them has no intention of letting anyone go. With the deadline quickly approaching, Lisa must do the unimaginable to protect the children and get everyone out alive.

This Time You Lose is currently available thru my website: www.thistimeyoulose.com as well as on Amazon.com. Beginning in November, it will also be available in most independent bookstores in western Michigan and beyond. If you can’t find it...ask them to order it for you!

What have you had published to-date?

Numerous small articles in local publications

The Khaki Pants, published by RDR Publishing
This Time You Lose, published by Createspace

Tell us a little about your road to publication. Was it a long one? Do you have an agent? In your opinion are they even necessary?

My road to publication began 4 years ago when a neighboring community was plagued with a series of home invasions. A childcare provider myself at the time, I wondered what would happen if one of these invasions occurred in a childcare home. A woman home alone, caring for up to a dozen children in a deserted, middle-class neighborhood made the perfect target for one of these invasions – and thus my story was born. 
The first draft was completed in 6 months, but it took another year and a half of editing and rewriting to get it to the point where I felt confident sending it out. After many, many rejections I finally got an agent in New York. She sent it out to all the major publishers – who rejected it, but offered constructive comments. I then reworked the story based on their comments and my agent resubmitted it. This time most of the publishers really liked it, but still turned it down. My agent explained that it had more to do with the current economy than the writing....the big publishing houses just weren’t taking many chances on unknown authors right now. She suggested shelving it for a year or so, and trying it again later. So I put it away for awhile. Then after much thought and research, I decided not to wait, and went with a print-on-demand publishing company.   
 

How much of the marketing do you do?

100%

Anything you’ve found to be particularly helpful in marketing your book?

I purchased the book Guerrilla Marketing for Writers. It has a lot of good information and unique ideas for marketing/promoting both the author and books.

Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process?

I am currently in the process of formatting This Time You Lose as an eBook. Lots of nit-picky stuff....but I’m sure it will be worth it in the long run.

Where can readers find you? (Include all links you want, facebook, twitter etc....)

Website: www.thistimeyoulose.com

Facebook fan page: This Time You Lose
Twitter: @ChrisStralyn
Email: chrisstralyn@gmail.com