GAIL R. DELANEY
author, editor and publisher
Desert Breeze Publishing
Gail
R. Delaney, MY editor and THE editor-in-chief and publisher of Desert Breeze
Publishing, is with us today. I’m very happy to welcome Gail. She is a lady
with amazing talents and has accomplished much in her writing and publishing
career. She shares straight from her heart today, a story you've probably never heard.
Tell
us, Gail, about finding the box in which your mother had kept every scrap of
writing you had ever done in your life and how this clenched your decision to
pick up the pen.
Sure, Jude. My mother was always my best friend, we were very
close. I was barely into my twenties, with a husband and a toddler when I lost
her in 1995. Afterwards, I was with my dad, helping him go through records and
files, and I found this metal file box. I knew she kept a green one similar to
it for photos, but didn't know what this box was.
When I opened it, I found absolutely anything and everything I'd
ever written. Poems as a second grader, short stories about woman superheroes I
wrote in fourth and fifth grade, even every book report and research paper I'd
ever done. She had the notebooks I'd left at home when I went to college with
all my ideas and first drafts of books.
At that moment, I saw myself through my mother's eyes. I'd
always loved to write, it was part of me, but I hadn't ever seen myself as a
'writer'. I decided I had a responsibility to live up to the girl my mother saw
and do it 'for real'. Three months after she died, I started my first book I
wrote for the intent of seeking publication. That book was titled Gray Clouds, and is as of yet
unpublished. It needs work. Lots and lots of work.
Gail,
finding that box was certainly a defining moment in your life, wasn’t it? Your
very first book you say is still on your computer and for your eyes only-right?
I understand that, but where did your writing go from there?
Well, there's the real first book I wrote (I typed it on an old
typewriter) when I was about fifteen, and then the first book I wrote seeking publication. That's the one I
mention above, titled Gray Clouds. I
actually gained an agent with that manuscript (clearly, not having any luck),
but as I grew in my writing I understood the book was not up to standard for
me.
I
think many of us can relate to this. But you took off, in a fascinating way, to
make that writing dream come true.
After writing Gray Clouds,
I wrote Precious Things, which has
been published... but let me tell you, the first generation of that book was very
different from what was finally published. It was about 600 pages long and so
convoluted it's sad. But, I edited and reedited and had it published in the
early 2000s with an ebook publisher. From there, I wrote another and another...
Wow-600
pages! These were your romance books, I’m guessing. You are amazing in your
eclectic style of writing and seem to do all the genres well. I enjoy a couple
of genres myself, but since you enjoy quite a mixture of genres, does the idea
of ‘branding,’ which we hear so much about, give you any conflict?
Thank you very much for the compliment. I don't consider my
branding by the genre I write, but by the type of story I write. That probably
sounds conflictive, but instead of saying I write contemporary or suspense, I
say I write character-driven novels with very real, very intense emotion. No matter
the genre, my characters are the key. Not necessarily the setting, or the
events, but how those things affect my characters. When I was with another
publisher, they wanted me to write sci fi under Gail R. Delaney and my
contemporary works under a pen name (Which made little sense to me since I
wrote contemporary first and under Gail R. Delaney). I did it, but found it
hurt me more than anything else. So, when given the chance, I published
everything again under my name and my name alone.
You’re
welcome. What you say is quite interesting to me for I write nonfiction under
my legal name and fiction under a pen name. Sometimes it does get a little
confusing. Well, there is so much out there about branding, but I see what
you’re saying about your strong characters sort of being ‘your brand.’
Do
you have a favorite genre you like to write? The sci-fi arena would be my
guess.
Sci fi is definitely my favorite. I love the 'what if...' of
science fiction. I love how I can explore ideas and concepts without being
restricted to the possibilities of today. And I love creating a whole new
world, even though it's right here on earth.
I
can see the thrill of this. You’ve written how many books, Gail? You have a new
exciting release, Janus, which is
creating lots of buzz! Tell us a bit about this book. Give us a mini synopsis
of the plot.
I have written six contemporary novels (five of which are
published), one suspense, five science fiction novels, and one novella in a
science fiction anthology. I've got more ideas sitting on my computer than I
know what to do with. J
My latest release is Phoenix
Rising Book one: Janus, the first in a 'new' science fiction 4-book series.
I say 'new' because Phoenix Rising is
a continuation of my 4-book science fiction series The Phoenix Rebellion, picking up about a year after the end of the fourth
book, End Game. So, while the 'game'
has changed a bit, it's within my Phoenix universe.
Here's the story in a nutshell:
It's been a year since
Humanity rose up against their alien oppressors and took back Earth from the
Sorracchi. The war left Earth devastated, crippled, but not beaten. Under the
leadership of President Nick Tanner and in collaboration with their new Areth
and Umani allies, the Earth seeks stable ground again.
John Smith of the Areth was a soldier before his queen asked him to serve as
ambassador to Earth, and he is out of his element. Restricted in his position
from carrying a weapon, he has no way of defending himself or his adopted son
when the Xenos -- a group of Humans wishing to purge the Earth of all alien
influence -- decide they want him dead.
Jenifer is a soldier for hire, and answers to no one but her own common sense.
She first refused the "job" of serving as John's bodyguard, but a
glimpse at the heart of the man convinces her to accept the responsibility.
John has two faces: a soldier and an ambassador of peace. Jenifer has two
faces: the steel-skinned warrior and the forgotten person she once was. Too
many people hide behind masks, and it's those hiding who want John dead.
Oh,
does this sound compelling! Yes, I’d say the characters are strong and
multi-dimensional and I’m sure you’ve worked to keep them from ‘coming off the
page.’ As editor and publisher of Desert Breeze Publishing, I’m sure, you do
all your own publishing, but did you have a first publisher?
I was published with two other publishers prior to opening
Desert Breeze. My first publisher was Wings ePress, who is still a small ebook/print
publisher. I don't want this to sound like I'm putting down Wings, but I felt
my dreams for my writing was bigger than what they wanted to support. So, after
publishing two novels with them, I moved on.
I published several novels with a publishing house that is now
defunct. Those of us affected by their sudden shut down refer to them as
"The Publisher That Will Not Be Named". You'd be surprised to know
how many current DBP authors were there.
Most of the books I currently have available at DBP were
re-releases from those other publishers after I regained my rights.
Only Janus (coming 21 May), Something Better (released December
2010) and my contribution to the anthology Borealis
(released October 2010) were never published previously. All my past work is
now available again, so going forward, everything I release will be brand new.
Gail,
it sounds like you’ve had many and varied experiences in our field. Goodness! When
and how did you decide to incorporate publishing into your writing journey?
That must have been an exciting yet momentous decision!
My decision to open DBP came from my experience with other
publishers, actually.
It began with the fact I was 'encouraged' again and again to
write more explicit material in my books. And I complied to a degree, but held
my ground insisting I didn't want to read it, so I didn't want to write it. I
was told that type of material 'sold', but I wasn't comfortable with it.
Then there was cover art. I was always getting covers with bare
chested men, and when I said they didn't match my book, I was told 'sex sells'.
It was one truly horrific cover -- I mean, it made me weep --- I received while
visiting my best friend in California that pushed me over the edge. Jenifer
begged me to beg them to let her do
my covers. They refused.
And one of us said "We should just open our own
company". A company where no one had to add heat to be with us, where no
one got covers that made you blush (or weep because they were so bad), a place
where readers and writers could find the kind of books they wanted to read
without climbing through the piles of erotica to get to them.
In the next two years, my husband and I decided to pick up roots
in New Hampshire and move to California, take his parents with us, and Jenifer
and I opened Desert Breeze Publishing.
I
never knew this story, but thank God for your determination and strength, is
all I can say. We DB authors are thrilled you made the decision to begin Desert
Breeze Publishing. Quickly, what’s your take on the future of print vs.
electronic means of publication?
I think ebooks are here to stay, and the industry is just going
to keep growing. But, there will always be a place for print. The face of print
publishing is also changing, though.
Any
recommendation or secret to writers for keeping ‘all the balls in the air’?
Just keep swimming. Put one foot in front of the other. You can
only eat an elephant one bite at a time. J
I
like that. Or, bird by bird, as Anne Lamott also says. Who is your hero?
My personal hero? Always and forever my daddy. He fought for our
country and taught me to respect men in uniform. He loved my mother and me
unconditionally, and sacrificed to give us what we needed -- and sometimes what
we wanted. He was a proud man, but never let his pride make him stumble. He laughed,
he cried, and he never held back an "I love you". He sang like an
angel, and now he's amongst them.
Beautiful
words. Any parting comments?
A couple things...
First, if you'd like to catch up on the Phoenix books by reading
The Phoenix Rebellion, and you
haven't yet, you can buy it now at Desert Breeze Publishing as a discounted
pack. Save 30%!
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-312/The-Phoenix-Rebellion--dsh--dsh-/Detail.bok
And, if you'd like a free prequel story to the Phoenix books, email me at gail@gaildelaney.com and I'd be happy to send you a pdf copy.
How
and where can readers find your books, Gail? Your website?
I like to keep in touch with readers through Facebook. I have
two pages, one for writing in general and one dedicated to the Phoenix books.
Gail,
I thank you so very much for sharing some very personal experiences with us.
We’ll close with a special excerpt from Janus,
which you’ve created just for this
blog.
Jenifer had assumed her usual
spot in the presidential office, falling quickly into the old habit of standing
near the massive hearth across the room from Nick Tanner's desk with the
couches between her and the desk, and facing the door. With a turn of her head,
she could see through the second story windows to the property outside while
keeping the entire room under surveillance. John paced across the front of the
couch, having apparently recovered from his temporary fatigue from the hop,
his arms crossed over his body and he stared straight down as he walked.
She wondered how much of
Nick's anger John actually felt, felt in the way he'd told her he could pick up
on people's emotions. Probably was why he paced.
John paused at the end of the
couch closest to her, raised his head, and his gaze connected with hers. A
subtle sensation she refused to call a tingle shifted over Jenifer's shoulders
and down her spine. She tilted her head and arched an eyebrow. Two strides brought
him to her, closing the space between them until it was barely existent. He
leaned into her the way they'd done for weeks. So why did she notice the warmth
of his proximity so tangibly?
"A great deal has
happened in the last forty-eight hours or so," he whispered, leaning close
enough his breath stirred the hair around her cheek and ear. "I've never
felt Nick so unsettled."
"The description seems
inadequate," she said, turning slightly toward his cheek.
John pulled back to look into
her eyes. "You feel it too?"
"It doesn't take a Talent
to know he's angrier than a mule chewing on bumblebees."
John's eyebrows shot up and he
chuckled quietly, only the shake of his shoulders and low rumble in his chest
evidence of his laugh. Jenifer rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh herself.
She hadn't slipped into one of her grandmother's colloquialisms in years, but
the slip was worth it to see John's face.
"I'm goin' to remember
that one," he said with a grin. The grin slipped slightly and the lines
tightened around his eyes a degree. "What about you?"
"What about me."
"You've been angry with
me since last night."
"With good
reason..."
"I suppose." He
shifted closer, his entire body within a breath of touching her. John bent at
the knee the slight degree needed to bring him more eye level with her. "I
wonder what made you angriest."
"You want an itemized
list?" She tried to stir up the ire again, but couldn't seem to find the
well of frustration she'd felt even minutes ago when they arrived in the
office. The fury was gone once she saw his energy return.
"Just the top offenders.
Was it my decision to come back to Alexandria, because I didn't tell you the
trip would probably tap me a bit, or..." He paused, and when he spoke
again his voice was heavier, almost rough. "Or was it because I dared
think about kissin' you last night in the church?"
