Interview with Barbara Roman

Author of The Crystal Clipper

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. I subsequently migrated to Las Vegas, to Santa Cruz, CA and now live in Carlsbad, CA.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

I wanted to be warm! Seriously, all through my childhood I dreamed about going to L.A. to study acting and musical theater, and bask in the west coast sunshine. I began singing as a teenager, traveled with bands and wound up in Las Vegas (lots of sunshine there!). In Vegas I began writing music and working as a journalist. After I “escaped” from Vegas (it was a tortuous place to live – very negative energy), I moved to Santa Cruz and worked for a software company. When I was downsized from my job there I moved to San Diego where my son was married and living. I never did make it to L.A. but I fell in love with the San Diego area and here I am. Through it all, I was writing books and music, and singing as well.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

While working as a journalist in Vegas, I also began researching music’s influence on body, mind and spirit. I wrote many news and magazine articles on the subject which subsequently developed into a self-help book. This was published by a NY house (Dodd, Mead & Company). I truly thought non-fiction was my future. But surprisingly I began to move toward fiction. Ideas and inspiration come from a variety of sources, and usually when you least expect it. I wrote some children’s stories – all with a spiritual, humorous, or metaphysical theme.
Inspiration for The Crystal Clipper (Book One of the Moon Singer Series) grew out of a magical “singer” crystal I acquired at a crystal party, shaped like a miniature sailboat. I believe this crystal chose me, as they are programmed to do. In pondering its energy, a story began to take shape and guided me through writing all of the adventures in the series.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

The term “coming of age” is often used to describe teens whose lives are transformed by some unexpected or inexplicable experiences. Young David Nickerson comes by his own Singer because it was meant for him; he is the one true owner of the Singer crystal which manifests into the Moon Singer ship which takes David on all of his adventures. Because the sacred gem holds all of the secrets and knowledge of the universe, it is David’s vehicle to learn about life, courage, selflessness and unconditional love. His deafness is pivotal for the stories. It is tied to his Karma, to his relationship with his mother – whose death he mourns – and opens the door for his going “within – listening to his soul song” to come of age and create miracles for everyone he loves.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

I think a lot of that depends on my own marketing and promotional messages – what words I use, what emotional tags they encompass. Judging by the reviews I have received, my books appeal to people who respond to the underlying heartfelt tone of my stories. Having a music background, music is an integral – and I mean VERY essential – ingredient in The Moon Singer series. And I hope people in the music field will be attracted to this element.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

That this is what I’m meant to do, compelled to do. Despite the years of trial, failure, rejection and some success, that I could no more give it up than stop breathing. I want to hone and refine my craft and write good stories. In the process, I learn a great deal about myself. Self-discovery. That’s the best part.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Reach for the stars, but keep your feet on the ground.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

As many as possible, of course, but that will be limited by genre. I’m hoping The Moon Singer Series will bridge the generations from teens to adults. The main character in The Moon Singer series is a deaf teen, David Nickerson – who is a gifted musician, skilled with computers and is also fascinated by crystal energies and the occult. I had envisioned it being of interest to teens with a disability who would be looking for a super hero, or who might want to read “higher minded” stories as opposed to those with vampire sex, teen killing machines and such darker fare. But I find that it’s adults who read and review the books – that I know of. It’s possible teens are reading samples and Kindle Unlimited free pages; I don’t know. Adults are also attracted to my children’s books, which doesn’t surprise me as they are somewhat sophisticated in their vocabulary and underlying messages, but just about all the reviews recommend the books as important to children. And I do have a suspense fiction (Whatever Became of Sin?) which is for the fans of intense, complicated plots turning on good vs evil.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Often, I feel like an anachronism. I am a WWII baby and grew up on great books, movies and plays that relied on characters and plots, and not special effects, etc. The Crystal Clipper and the entire series, focuses on wholesome values – family devotion, love, self-sacrifice, with a paranormal and fantasy theme. Reviews are very hard to get in my genre. The competition is fierce and you must be diligent. There is no guarantee for success.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Try and fail, try and fail, try and fail, try and succeed, try and fail, try and succeed, etc.! Mostly learning through trial and error – and much rejection. Tenacity. Learning not to take rejection personally, not to succumb to writing for “the market” (whatever that is) I’m a slow writer. Because I still have a day job, I have to compartmentalize. I let an idea germinate for a long time while I take notes, throw things in the computer, let inspiration take me. Then let it all go and do something else (going to movies is a great inspiration for me) until new insights appear. I constantly research marketing opportunities (such as interviews and book features), connect with other authors and see what they are doing, what works, what doesn’t. And share any information I think is valuable with my fellow authors.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Again, I’m a slow writer. I can’t churn out five books a year – or even one. I do procrastinate, but as I said in my “strengths” answer above, I take a long time to let a book sizzle. But again it’s because I don’t have the time every day to spend on it. I’m working on a retirement date!

When do you think you will write your next book?

I do have a new suspense thriller in the works. I know where it’s going but I don’t know how it will get there. So that’s the fun – keep putting my ideas down but letting the characters and story find their own way.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

It was only after negligible exposure of my self-published books that I just happened upon the Indie publisher Creativia Publishing (now Next Chapter Publishing). I researched Creativia, sent an email query and miraculously they took on my Moon Singer trilogy and all my subsequent books. It’s still a challenge to be noticed in the river of millions of books on the market, thanks to self publishing making it easier for authors to have a book published very quickly. It would be nice to have a big agent or publishing house behind me, but it takes forever to get published going down that road.