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Do you do in-depth character sketches of your main characters regarding appearance, personality, backstory, motivations, etc. before writing your books, or do they reveal themselves to you as you write? Your characters seem so real and thought out. Thank you!

Great Question! While I do know the basics of my main character before I start, but it's more like we're casual acquaintances.  As I write, I learn more about them and incorporate that background information.  During the subsequent drafts they reveal themselves through what they say and do.  By the time I’ve finished, I know them very well! 

What's the most difficult issue you have come across as a writer while trying to write about characters or the plot of a story you are telling?

First, I try to do something new in each book I write—in Envy I wrote a book within a book, in Deadline I wrote first person diary entries, in Mean Streak I didn't reveal the male character's name until 2/3 the way through the story.  Each book has its own unique issue. I do this to challenge myself and keep things interesting for me as well as for my readers.

I am writing the final book in a western historical series. The other books in the series have been somewhat on the light side, although I did manage to torture my H/h sufficiently. This book, however is turning out quite dark. I love the story and the way I have it plotted out, but I'm concerned that readers might not like it because it's so different from the others.

Callie…I firmly believe that each book needs to be written the way it needs to be written.  There will always be people who love what you write, people who like what you write, and people who don't like what you write. If you start writing to please everyone, then you're not pleasing the most important person. You. And if you're not happy with what you're writing, then there's no point in writing.  Neil Gaiman said, "Write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can."    The first reader you have to be true to is yourself.  

I am a new writer and have a question about promotion. How is the best, effective, way to go about promoting my works without annoying people?  I don't have an agent.  

*One of the best things a writer can do is be active on social media—and by be active, I mean participate rather than constantly promote your work (because that gets old for everyone). Social media is about engaging with people and building a network. If you can find a way to occasionally tie the two together, then all the better.  Also, a professional looking website with contact information and start a newsletter, even if you send them infrequently. At least people who are interested can sign up now. One example I can give is this: We have Pinterest boards for all my suspense novels and even a group board for my Texas!Trilogy which allows fans to pin along with me.  All that said, the best promotion is a good book.  Focus first on writing one!  

I would like to break into traditional publishing as opposed to ePublishing, but query letters terrify me. I'm really not sure how to go about writing one, and I was wondering if you could give me any advice on the topic? It's such a daunting task, and I'm really not sure where to begin or how best to go about it.  

First, relax. It's a letter/email, not the end of the world. I promise!

Second, research potential agents, find out how they like to be queried, and make sure they represent your genre (and if they're on Twitter, check them out!).

Third, set yourself up a spreadsheet to keep track of it all.

Fourth, condense your plot line down to one sentence.  What’s the book about?????  Tell it in one sentence. Example “Jaws” A great white shark terrorizes a Long Island beach town. “Gone With the Wind” A spoiled and willful southern belle must learn to survive during the Civil War and Reconstruction. “Mean Streak” A woman betrayed and imperiled by those she trusts is rescued by a mysterious and violent stranger. You get the idea.  I call this the “nutshell.” This will be part of your query letter's opening.

Next comes the blurb.  One of the best ways to learn to write a blurb is to read them. In other words, spend some time on amazon or kobo or bn.com, or even hit the bookstore and pick up books.  Your entire query letter should be approximately a page long, so your blurb should be short and to the point.  A blurb is meant to entice, just the blurbs on the backs of books entice us to pick them up. It's NOT a summary of your entire novel.

Now there are exceptions to every rule, including the rules of writing query letters so I'll just say it goes a little something like this:  

Dear Agent,  

The Lost Dogs of Rifty Ridge is a 75,000 word science fiction novel set in an alternate universe where dogs rule and humans drool.  

[THEN YOUR BLURB -- which I won't even attempt to make up. Try to keep it between 100-200 words. ]  

Then what qualifies you as someone they should take a chance on? Are you a member of any writers groups? How many manuscripts have you written? Have you been a finalist or won any writing contests? [these three questions give agents an idea of how serious you are about your writing] Have you previously published? Did the Lost Dogs of Rifty Ridge get ten million reads on Wattpad?   These are things an agent wants/needs to know.  

The most important thing I can share with you is this: When you get rejected, and you will, it's not personal. DO NOT EMAIL them back. I say this because it happens. I've read the tweets about it. So my advice to any writer is to just move on and know there are other opportunities out there.