Interview with Samantha Gail

Welcome to Jagged Edge!
Would you like to tell us a little about yourself?
Hi Kati and Happy Fourth of July!
I live along the Pacific Ring of Fire on a remote island in southeast Alaska with my husband and four dogs.  It’s paradise.  We can sit on our deck and see humpback whales breaching, otters, ravens, bald and golden eagles soaring the sky.  Then there’s the fishing – it’s world-class.
When I do write nowadays (and that’s rare since becoming the co-owner of a publishing company) my work is under the pseudonym Samantha Gail.

What is your favorite Quote?
"Success is the best revenge." ~French proverb

If you could jump into a book, and live in that world, which would it be?
That’s a tough one.  Choose just one book?  I’m not sure that’s possible.  LOL!  There are many fabulous authors with books that call to me.  Piers Anthony, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Jayne Castle, Dara Joy (love those Charl warriors), George R.R. Martin, Linnea Sinclair.
If you absolutely want me to make a decision, let’s go with Anne McCaffrey’s The Dragonriders of Pern.  How cool it would be to fly on the back of your own dragon?  It’s been many years since I read her stories, but the impression they made is still strong.

What is the one thing that every writer needs to have or do?
Get a really great "crit" partner.  Preferably someone brutal who won't pull any punches.  
It’s one thing to brainstorm with loved ones, but having your best friend (or a family member) critique your manuscript does a great disservice to everyone involved.  Take the pressure off and wait until the final story is ready for their enjoyment.
Equally important is networking.  Our most successful new authors have been the ones who devoted time and energy to make the acquaintance of professional authors and others in the publishing industry, both online and in person.
They’ve gone to conventions, seminars, workshops; chatted up strangers, and put themselves in social situations outside their comfort level in an effort to broaden contacts.  By the time that first book was released, a host of people were willing to help them get the word out.

What are you most excited about this year?
Decadent Publishing will celebrate its 1st birthday!  Break out the cake and pop the cork.  A year ago this August, my friend/editor Heather Bennett and I opened this company for business.  It’s been a real labor of love.  We did the research, came up with our own business model, worked hard, and let nothing sway us off course.
Today, we have over a hundred authors, ranging from first-timers to multi-published writers such as Desiree Holt, Natalie Dae, Sahara Kelly & SL Carpenter.
We even have a couple of soap opera stars.  Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth-Hayes just signed their historical romance novel with us.  Bill and Susan have been on Days of Our Lives for many years.
This month we’re in the midst of a massive YA blog tour spotlighting our authors with young adult fiction stories.  One of those novels, Of Light and Darkness, is currently being filmed for release as a movie.
Having a business partner with ADD means there is never a shortage of ideas. We have quite a few plans on the horizon, including the design and construction of another website in order to divide our romance/erotica titles from our mainstream genres, as well as another rock band/author collaboration.

What book do you wish to see come out as a movie?
As for a book not my own?  Well, I'm a sucker for sci-fi/fantasy.  I mourned for weeks when Firefly was cancelled and joined the throng of fans raising hell until Serenity was filmed.
I would love to see a movie(s) made from Nathan Lowell’s Trader Tale Books in the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Series.  Best to begin with Quarter Share and go from there.  They’re like Lay’s potato chips.  Seriously!  You can’t stop after the first one.

What's next in life for you?
As my spare time increases, I plan to pursue a fine arts degree in film studies and try my hand at writing television and movie scripts.  Screenwriting is a different path of creative expression than I envisioned myself traveling down, but a friend planted the seed a few years ago and it has started to germinate.  When the muse calls, there’s no choice but to follow.

LAST QUESTION:
Was there a question you wish I would have asked but didn't?
Can you really see Russia from your house?
Just kidding J  And BTW, the answer is “NO”.