Author Interview with Joanne Kerzmann-Troppello

Joanne Kerzmann-Troppella is a freelance writer / marketing consultant, located in Pennsylvania.  She has two books published. Shadowed Remembrances is a mystery novel.  Her inspirational romance novel, Mr. Shipley’s Governess, was released with Wild Horse Press on November 9th.  She is contracted to work for several different companies, to write non-fiction, how-to articles each week.  She currently works out of her home office for a local medical organization, which is also located in Pottstown.

Shadowed Remembrances is a story about a young woman who has walked away from the past and her small town and started life over in the city.  On a visit back home, she is confronted with the hurts of her past, the rekindling of an old flame, and a murder.  Torianna Silverman is a crime scene investigator, specializing in fingerprint identification.  She is a NYC detective who is on vacation in a small Pennsylvania town.  She encounters God in a special way and has to come face to face with her fears and find a way to move forward and solve the crime. 

Visit www.signedbytheauthor.com and enter item #1272 to find information on Shadowed Remembrances and order an autographed copy for only $12.00.

Mr. Shipley’s Governess released on Nov. 9^th, 2010 by www.wildhorsepress.webs.com is an inspirational romance novel.  For Jane Austen enthusiasts, this is the story you just have to read.  Sophie Baird is looking for a way to escape the painful reality of her parents’ tragic deaths.  She can no longer live in their home because the memories are too painful.  She decides to leave her position as a teacher at the local elementary school and takes a job as a tutor for Anastasia Shipley, a young girl with an illness who has never attended a day of school in her entire life.  Sophie has walked away from God, angry that He chose not to save her parents.  Unprepared for the emotional connection she makes with Sebastian Shipley, Anastasia’s father, Sophie gets swept up in an unexpected romance with him and a renewing of her relationship with God.  Will Sophie find peace from her past at the Shipley mansion?

Why did you become a writer…was it a dream of yours since you were younger or did the desire to write happen later in your life?

Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to be a writer.  I started writing in my senior year in high school and kept working on my first novel and editing time and again until I finally felt ready to submit the manuscript for publication.  I was working fulltime in various office environments doing public relations and in other management positions until 2008 when I launched out in my home-based freelance writing / marketing business.  Now I have more time to write, which I am overjoyed about, and I completed my second novel and am almost done writing my third.

What was the inspiration for your latest work of fiction?

The inspiration for my writing is first and foremost, my faith in God, and my desire to write compelling stories about the journeys of faith that my characters are moving along. 

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

I am observant, a people watcher, and I take my inspiration from the people and places that I see and visit and live in every day.  My experiences do play a part in character and plot creations, but I do get other ideas from my imagination. 

What was the most interesting research you had to do for any of your books? 

For Shadowed Remembrances, I really enjoyed doing research on crime scene investigation and especially researching fingerprint identification.  For Mr. Shipley’s Governess, I had fun doing research on the geographical locations of England, France and Italy that my characters visited in the latter part of the book.  I truly believe that research is an important part of any writer’s journey to creating a complete manuscript.  If you do not have the correct facts woven throughout your story, you will lose credibility with your readers and in turn you will lose your readers as fans. 

How do you go from an idea for a book to the birth of the story?  Is the process the same for every book you write? 

I usually follow similar procedures in going from an idea to a book.  I have so many ideas for new books, so I keep a list of all those ideas and add to it when I think I have a book-worthy idea.  I try to work on the title first.  It’s always a working title because my first idea is not usually the end result for the title.  Once I get that working title, I work on the chapter outline and try to be as detailed as possible, with the realization in the back of my mind, that as the story progresses, the chapter outline will most likely need to be changed to allow my characters the chance to tell their own stories.  I never edit any of the chapters while I am writing because my first draft is obviously not the best I can produce.  If I start to edit after I write each chapter, I know myself; I’ll get discouraged and won’t want to finish the book.  After the book is complete, I actually enjoy the editing process since I truly want to make my book the best possible product that I can produce. 

Do you have any advice for beginning writers on how to write a book?  Do you have any advice for them regarding promoting that book once published?

For new writers, my most important advice is to keep writing.  If you want to be a writer, you need to write.  Wishing you were a writer on the best seller list is not going to get you there.  You need to combine those hopes and dreams with a strong work ethic and hard work…then anything is possible.  Once your book is signed with a publisher, you need to get a website set up.  There are many good free websites out there, like www.weebly.com you can utilize until you begin to get a good investment on your book and then you might want to switch to a fee-based website like www.godaddy.com.  After you establish your website, you should set up accounts on Facebook (a fan page is suggested, not just your own personal page), Twitter and LinkedIn and any other social media networking sites; however those three are the most currently utilized sites.  Really try to create a strong online presence for your name, not just for your book titles.  Try to network with other local authors to schedule book signings and readings.  Always be active in self-promotion of your work.  You are your most avid fan and you need to utilize that factor.  No one cares about your success more than you; use that fervor to your advantage and never stop marketing yourself. 

My website:  http://joannetroppello.weebly.com