Author Interview: Debbie Piccurelli

Plug time. What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

In the Midst of Deceit an inspirational romantic suspense. It was released in March 2004, by Jireh Publishing Company. You can check it out at http://www.roadtoromance.ca/ft0404/ftpiccurelli.htm .

How long had you been writing seriously before you got “the call” that you were going to be published? Tell us how you heard and what went through your head.

I had been writing for approximately seven years. I was watching a video with my mother and niece one day when the publisher called. I was shocked. I truly didn’t expect it. I was literally speechless. All I could say was “So what happens next?” That made her laugh.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Most definitely. I can see that since that book, I have learned so much more about the craft, and realize I still have so much more to learn. Of course, I want it to be the very best it can, so I always wonder if it is.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

I think it’s the same that everyone has heard: persevere, don’t give up. The most successful authors are the ones who persist.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever heard?

I don’t think I’ve really gotten any bad advice, so much as I hadn’t gotten enough of it. I’m a sort of self-taught writer. I haven’t been able to attend conferences or get into a critique group, so the really meaty stuff was long in coming, and still is.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier on that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

Some of the marketing techniques that are fairly easy and inexpensive. I was mostly doing book signings, which except for the very first one, averaged only 4-6 copies sold. That was disheartening. Later, I learned that was about right for most, even some well-known authors. There’s still a lot I have to learn about marketing myself, but I’m getting better at that, too.

Do you have a scripture or quote that has been speaking to you lately?

I watch Joel Osteen a lot. When he says I have the favor of God and should live like I expect it, that really gets me motivated. It helps me to know that I didn’t choose to be a writer, but God chose it for me, and so He will make a way for the proportion of success he has preordained for me.

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

This is hard for me, but I’ve recently come to realize, as I’ve mentioned earlier, that there are a lot of things I didn’t know about the craft when my first book was contracted. Things like style rules, mostly. Even so, I have received cards and letters from many readers who tell me they loved the book and couldn’t put it down. Some have asked for a sequel, or when my next book will be coming out. So that makes me feel a little better. I know that many of the big name writers’ works were not what they are now, either. We all keep learning more and more as we navigate this journey we call writing, getting better and better.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

I love Catherine Cookson, a British author whose books are also popular here in the states. I love every book of hers I’ve ever read. The first one that got me hooked was called The Maltese Angel. To say it was unique is an understatement. Then of course, there’s Jane Austin’s works, like Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice.

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

Well, I only have the one book, right now, which I am proud of, but I also wrote an article for my local newspaper as a rebuttal to our state governor’s proposal for funding embryonic stem cell research. I knew I’d heard there were great strides being made with adult stem cells, so I did a little research of my own, and wrote that article citing some of those instances, and urging people to do their homework before making a decision for or against.

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

Only that it takes so long to hear back from agents or editors when you query or submit. But that’s really no one’s fault, there are a gazillion writers vying for their attention. I can understand how harried they are.

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

There really is no typical day for me. I wish there were. I have an autistic son to care for. That takes up a lot of my time besides all the other home and family obligatons, so I write whenever I can. I really do try to do some writing every day, a couple hours at least, but it’s rare on weekends, since everyone is home.

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

I heard Angela Hunt say that she writes her first draft very fast, just to get it down. Then her editing techniques make the remainder of the process go much more quickly. I’m trying to do that with my WIP.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

First, I always want to touch readers’ hearts. I want to impact their lives in some way. Also, with my WIP, I have taken my writing in a new direction, so I’ll let my new niche slogan speak for what I’d like to accomplish with it: Exposing the unthinkable through fiction.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

Yes, very recently, for the same reasons I mentioned earlier. I keep wondering if I’m ever going to “get” some of the rules and techniques of writing.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

My favorite is the joy I experience while being in the thick of creating a story, and then the impact it might have on the reader. My least favorite part is that I will eventually have to speak, or be interviewed on TV. I’m shy, so that just scares the life out of me. I did do a radio interview for
In the Midst of Deceit. I’m sure listeners could tell it was my first time, and that I was very nervous.

Parting words?

My main goal as a Christian writer is to please the Lord, and write whatever he puts on my heart. That should lead to my other goal of satisfying my readers. Having said that, I would love to know if I am accomplishing those goals, so when someone reads my book(s), I appreciate hearing feedback from them, good or bad.