Welcome to the last day of the All’s Fair in Blogs and More 2012 Blogger Book Fair! Today I have a special treat, interviews with some of the authors I’ve featured on my blog these past few days. And to be a good sport, I’ve answered the interview questions also. So let’s find out some more about these talented authors!

And be sure to check out all of the participating authors and bloggers on this last day of the fair and vote for your favorite book in the Reader’s Choice Awards.

Sam Bennet, author of Memoirs of a Trumpet Teacher

1. Which books/authors have most influenced you as an author and why?
James Herriot: “All Creatures Great and Small” series; Jean Shepherd: “A Christmas Story”

I enjoy their use of humor without being negative towards their characters!

2. What is your favorite part of the publishing experience so far?
MSP has been super helpful!

3. What is your least favorite?
It’s been frustrating trying to generate publicity with local outlets.

4. What advice would you give your pre-published self, knowing what you know now?
Just keep trying, don’t get discouraged!

5. And for the bonus fluff question, what three things do you want on hand when the zombie apocalypse hits? Remember, the power grid will likely fail so that laptop and iPhone won’t be very useful.
My book!
The sports section of a newspaper.
My trumpet.

Memoirs of a Trumpet Teacher links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Alan Zendell, author of The Portal, Wednesday’s Child, and Critical Focus

1. Which books/authors have most influenced you as an author and why?
I’ve been most influenced by two authors and their books.  One group are Orson Scott Card’s books, especially those dealing with children (not necessarily the Ender series).  There’s something very special in the way Card portrays a father’s love and commitment to his children. There are certain things we’re all a bit self-conscious about when we write, but reading his books made it easier for me to express similar feelings in my characters.  No matter what I write about, that is always at least a significant sub-theme.

The other author is Neal Stephenson, whose amazing intellectual scope and talent enable me to turn off all those critics and advisors who would have us believe that there’s no market today for creative epic novels that force readers to think.  Stephenson is the antithesis of our sound-bite, commercial best seller oriented culture.  In particular, books like Anathem and Cryptonomicon are the kind of creative, intellectual fiction that a reader can become thoroughly absorbed in, and come away from feeling that he or she has grown from the experience.

2. What is your favorite part of the publishing experience so far?
The best part is the feeling of completion, of tying off an important loose end that comes from seeing a finished work in print or loaded on my Kindle.  There are other rewards, of course – positive reviews, accolades from friends and family, even the occasional royalty check.  Most important of those, for me, was developing a great professional relationship with the CEO of the company I worked with to get my books out there. We helped each other accomplish our goals in a totally unselfish manner, I learned a lot, and I’ve made a great friend in the bargain.

3. What is your least favorite?
That’s an easy one.  I thought the hard part was going to be writing a good book.  Wrong!

No one warned me that in today’s world you have to be author, agent, publisher, advertiser, and marketer all in one.  I’ve found learning to adapt to the social media culture extremely difficult and unpleasant.  For me, it’s like trying to function in a fog of static and background noise.  I feel disoriented in that world,never sure of my place or my footing.  For someone who spent his life in a quantitative world of science and logic, the soft fuzziness of social media is simply appalling.

If I wanted to be a car salesman, I’d have lived my life quite differently.  Who knew?

4. What advice would you give your pre-published self, knowing what you know now?
Start earlier, for one thing, and begin cultivating contacts at the same time you begin writing.  Those contacts should be other writers, professional organizations, agents, and editors.  I think the worst mistake new writers make is thinking they have all the time in the world to finish what they start, which makes it far too easy to put off starting in the first place.

I would lecture my novice self about how writing is no different from any other significant activity we invest ourselves in.  Know what you’re getting into, make sure you have the tools and resources to see a project through to completion, and above all, don’t allow yourself to have blinders on about those aspects you’d rather not deal with.  They won’t go away.

And don’t use your family and friends for feedback.  Find people who will tell you your work sucks to your face.

5. And for the bonus fluff question, what three things do you want on hand when the zombie apocalypse hits? Remember, the power grid will likely fail so that laptop and iPhone won’t be very useful.
The power grid may fail, but I’ll want my own generator with a lifetime supply of fuel and rechargeable batteries.  I refuse to live in a world without light and air-conditioning.  The air-conditioning would be at the top of the list if I’d expect my wife to live there with me.

I will also ensure that the same fuel that powers my generator works in my flamethrower and my laser-ray gun (this will hopefully occur in a future in which those exist).  My second-greatest source of joy in that future will be burning zombies to a crisp.The third thing I’d want is an unlimited supply of the zombie antidote and some zombie-effective cholorform, so I can subdue and cure them one at a time as I see fit, and populate my new empire with people of my own choosing.  Even a zombie apocalypse can lead to a brighter future if I’m in charge, which would be my first-greatest joy.

The Portal links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobobooks | Google Books | Bookbrewer

Wendesday’s Child links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobobooks | Google Books | Bookbrewer

Critical Focus links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Cindy Young-Turner, author of Thief of Hope

1. Which books/authors have most influenced you as an author and why?
This is a hard one because I have so many favorites. I’ll pick a couple. Ray Bradbury, because I think he’s a brilliant writer and I love the way he uses language. I adore his short stories, especially those collected in The October Country. Sir Thomas Malory, whose tales of King Arthur have always enchanted me and and introduced me to a world of knights, wizards, magic, chivalry, and love. And Charles Dickens, because Oliver Twist inspired me to write about a pickpocket.

2. What is your favorite part of the publishing experience so far?
Holding a copy of my book. It’s really amazing to see your words on the printed page after working so hard to get to that point.

3. What is your least favorite?
The marketing. I want to be writing, not trying to sell myself and my book. But that’s how it works these days. The ultimate dream is to do this full time and be able to hire a publicist so I can concentrate on writing.

4. What advice would you give your pre-published self, knowing what you know now?
Don’t take so long to write, just do it! And start working on marketing before the book comes out so you’re ahead of the game next time.

5. And for the bonus fluff question, what three things do you want on hand when the zombie apocalypse hits? Remember, the power grid will likely fail so that laptop and iPhone won’t be very useful.
A great zombie-killing knife from my friend Jim who makes knives, which I probably wouldn’t be able to use because I’m too squeamish.

Pen and paper so I can keep writing.

Matches, since who knows how long it will be before Overlord Alan shares his generator with us peons.

Thief of Hope links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo