Mary Carter is a freelance writer and novelist. My Sister’s Voice is her fourth novel with Kensington. Her other works include: She’ll Take It, Accidentally Engaged, Sunnyside Blues, and The Honeymoon House in the best selling anthology Almost Home. She is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, which is part of the Rochester Institute of Technology. She has just completed A Very Maui Christmas, a new novella for Kensington that will be included in Holiday Magic, a Christmas of 2010 anthology. She is currently working on a new novel, The Pub Across the Pond, about an American woman who swears off all Irish men only to learn she’s won a pub in Ireland.
Her latest book, My Sister's Voice (Kensington Books, $10.12) can be ordered at local bookstores in the Virginia Beach area on May 25, 2010.
Thank you for this interview, Mary. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?
My first novel was published in 2006 with Kensington Books. Prior to that I wrote plays, essays, poetry, and one screenplay. I studied and worked as an actress and a sign language interpreter. I’m originally from Ohio, and have traveled and lived on both coasts, but currently reside in New York City.
Can you tell us briefly what your book is about?
It’s about twin sisters, one Deaf, and the other hearing, who are raised separately and only learn of each other’s existence when they are twenty-eight-years-old. One wants to be best friends, and the other only wants answers.
Who is your intended audience? Have you been able to crossover into other audiences as well?
The book is marketed as Women’s Fiction, so the intended audience is women of all ages. However, I have had plenty of men read and enjoy my books, and not all of them are related to me.
Why did you choose your particular genre?
It’s actually the publishing company that is interested in fitting the book into a genre. I’d like to be considered mainstream or contemporary fiction.
Do you ever experience self-doubts with your work?
Yes, especially when I’m beginning a new novel. I calm myself down by reading books on writing and on writers, and it’s comforting to know that all writers experience self-doubt.
Where do you write? Do you have a favorite place?
I like to take my laptop to coffee shops, but it doesn’t always work out. You need a good seat with an available outlet. I write in my living room a lot, on my leather sofa, with my laptop. It’s not as social, but the coffee is already paid for and the bathroom is always free.
What kind of research did you have to do during the writing process?
I researched Philadelphia, and twins, and toddler development.
Who is your publisher and how did you get accepted by them? Did you pitch your book yourself or go through an agent?
I am published through Kensington Books. I went through an agent, and highly recommend having one.
How are you promoting your book thus far?
I am using Pump Up Your Book of course, and I have a website, I’m on Good Reads, Facebook, The Writer’s Room, etc. I wlll advertise in the interpreting and Deaf Communities for this book, as well as give away books at a festival that takes place in Twinsberg, Ohio this summer for--- you guessed it, twins.
If you could give one book promotion tip to new authors, what would that be?
I’m groaning. Can you hear me groaning? This is the million dollar question. It’s really difficult to tell what works and what doesn’t. There’s a saying that goes—I’m wasting half of my money on promotion. The only problem is, I don’t know which half. I haven’t quite figured it out myself. It’s almost a full time job and it’s hard for an artist to turn into a promoter. I never want to feel like a used car salesman, you know? I read a book on writing recently that helped bring it into perspective. They said your best promotional tool is: Your book, your book, your book. I think at the end of the day, that’s the key. You focus on writing the best book you can, and the readers will spread the word about your book.
(great advice)
What’s next for you?
I’m working on my next novel for Kensington called: The Pub Across the Pond. It’s about an American woman who, after swearing off all Irish men, wins a pub in Ireland.
Thank you for this interview, Mary. Can you tell us where we can find you on the web?
Absolutely! Marycarterbooks.com. I also have a Facebook fan page, Mary Carter Books.
You can pick up your copy of Mary Carter's new book, My Sister's Voice, at the following locations:
Barnes & Noble
4485 Virginia Beach Boulevard
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
(757) 671-2331
Borders Virginia Beach
1744 Laskin Rd., Virginia Beach, VA, 23454
(757) 425-8031
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