Author Interview: Donna J. Thompson!

Good morning fellow book lovers! Today, an author whose amazing book I just reviewed HERE is here hanging out to answer some of my questions. At the end of the interview, you'll be able to ask her some of your own questions as well. 

Are you guys ready? Are you excited? Good! Then say hello to Donna J. Thompson! 

Donna J. Thompson is a reader turned writer. She believes that everyone has a story and her observation of people helps her to write about complex characters, and make them come to life. This is Donna J. Thompson’s second novel. Lost Causes isn't a "who done it" like her first, but it will keep you wondering why they are doing it until the end.

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First of all, thank you SO MUCH for agreeing to this interview!  

You're welcome, Krystal. I'm happy to be here.

Would you like to share with us a little bit about yourself? What your (other) hobbies are? Anything we don't already know?  

Writing, reading, and gardening. I love flowers.

What made you decide to become an author? 

 I've always loved to tell stories. 

Are there any author's you look up to? Or ones read as a child/teenager that inspired you?   

I've always loved Agatha Christy, but there are just so many that I can't name them all. Today, Karin Slaughter, is one of my favorites. 

What is the name of your newest novel?  

Lost Causes, silent scream.

Would you care to tell us a little bit about it?

In my press release, it says its about the murder of a nurse, but it is way more than that. Its also about Lust, greed, jealousy, murder and betrayal. It covers at least four of the seven deadly sins. 

Sounds interesting! What made you decide to write it? 

I got the idea, believe it or not, when the school insisted my son and his wife put my grandson on Ritalin. It turned him into a zombie. 

What types of readers will be interested in your book?

People who enjoy Romance, mystery and suspense.

What is so special about your book? What differentiates it from other books in the same category? 

My books all draw attention to abuse in some form or the other and what it does to the person who suffers the abuse. You will find it in most everything I write. I like to make my reader think about the effects it has on people without sounding preachy. 

When you're writing (or even plotting to write), do you picture people/celebrities as the characters? Do you find this helps?  

Sometimes, but not always. I have a clear picture in my mind of how the person looks an acts before I start. I do something I've never known anyone else to do. I do an interview with, especially, my main characters. I think you would agree that my novel is character driven. There isn't very much, of what I call filler words, in any of my stories. I don't describe for three pages what my character is wearing, how it matches his/her eyes. This is the part, as a reader, that I skim over to get back to the meat. What I mean by interviewing my characters, I ask them questions and write down their answers. I know how they will react in any situation. I don't do this out loud, because I'm afraid my husband will send for the men in white coats and the little jacket that ties In the back, and haul me off to Lakeview. (smile)

What kind of research goes into your novels? Especially one like Lost Causes, silent scream?  

I did a great deal of research for this novel, on mental illness and on the drugs used to treat the condition. Also, about the history of the different Institutions that housed mental patients. Look them up on the internet. I can't remember the link I used, but they allow you to see inside of these institutions. It's a virtual tour through them. They even showed old hospital records of the different patients housed there. Most all of the ones I went through have long since been closed, thank God. They were awful places.  

How did you get your novel published?

Through Outskirts Press, I decided to self-publish this time. By the way, I think OP did a great job on my book cover.

What made you decide to self-publish?  

For several reasons.I like to do things my way. I used my Grandson's name in the book. His name is spelled Arron instead of Aaron. A traditional publisher would have made me change that. I also wanted to get my work out there instead of trying to shop it around. I'm not getting any younger, you know.   

Any advice for aspiring writers who are thinking of Self-Publishing? Yes. Go for it. Just be prepared to do your own promotion. Even Traditional publishers, want their writers to do most of the promotion on their books any more. Why not do all of it and get more profit out of each book.

Have you published any other books? Do you plan to publish more?

Yes, my first novel "Plot Twist" is now an e-book on Amazon.com. It is free to check out of the library for the next ninety days. And yes, I am working on my third novel, "Dying to Keep it."

I can't wait to read them all! And finally, is there anything else you'd like to say?  

I would like to thank you for having me, Krystal, and also thanks to all of your readers out there. It is easier to self publish these days because of people like you Krystal who give us independents a chance.  

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There you have it guys & dolls! I hope you've enjoyed my brief chat with Donna (and I hope to have her back in the future to talk about her upcoming novels). If you have any questions for Donna, please feel free to leave them as a comment to this post & she'll try her best to answer them.