Interview with Wayne Kerr

Author of A Pinot Noir to Die For

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

I was born and raised in Biggar, Saskatchewan (town motto: New York is big, but this is Biggar) a small town in western Canada. I now split my time between West Kelowna, British Columbia and Green Valley, Arizona.

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

A couple of years after graduation I married my high school sweetheart and moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. We lived there until my wife’s career took us to Minneapolis, Minnesota. We were there for thirteen years and very much enjoyed living in the area. Retiring quite early we moved to Green Valley, Arizona where I began writing. After eight years we decided to return to Canada where most of our family lived. The harsh winters on the prairies and in eastern Canada did not appeal to us so we searched the milder regions of British Columbia and found the beautiful Okanagan Valley. We now have homes in West Kelowna and Green Valley.

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

When my daughter was young, she preferred it when I made up bedtime stories that often incorporated her and her friends. As a gift for her twenty-fifth birthday I put one of her favorites into book form. She loved it and I thoroughly enjoyed doing the project. Even though the ‘book’ was only approximately thirty pages long it gave me the courage to try writing an actual novel. Using the premise from another of the stories I’d told her – a kid’s version of ‘The X – Files’ I began. Three months later I had finished the manuscript for what would become ‘Monsters and Miracles’ book one in the ‘X + Y Files’ series.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

I have written books in several genres including paranormal mysteries for middle grade readers, a middle-earth fantasy for young adults, a military action adventure for adults and my last three books have been psychological murder mystery/thrillers.

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

Readers who like character driven drama with touches of comedic relief. Even though the characters in my books can find themselves in extremely dicey situations they react realistically and find real world solutions to their problems. Nothing annoys me more than reading a book or watching a movie when I say to myself that wouldn’t happen in real life. As a writer I try be as realistic as possible with my characters’ reaction to encountering a serial killer, a human trafficker or in the case of my children’s books – sasquatch, ghosts or aliens.

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

The most surprising and important thing I learned during the process of producing a novel was the importance of a good editor. After finishing the second draft of ‘Monsters and Miracles’ I felt it was ready for publishing and sent the manuscript out to twenty literary agents. I got several polite ‘thank you, but this is not what we’re looking for’ replies. Fortunately, one agent replied that she loved the story idea, but my manuscript was in serious need of editing. If I worked with an editor and improved the book, she was interested in representing me. She even suggested three editors I could use. I chose one and the experience was amazing. The editor was very supportive with several great suggestions to improve the readers experience. It was like taking a master class. Don’t publish a book without using a good editor. I learn something about writing from every editor I work with.

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

Be brave and start writing sooner. It was always something I thought I could do but the idea of writing an entire book was daunting.

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

Of course, I’d love everyone to read my books. However, since that isn’t possible, I’m thrilled every time a read a review or hear back from a friend or fan that enjoyed one of my books.

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

While I was working with the editor on my first book I attended a writer’s conference that focused on self-publishing. I hadn’t even realized there was such a thing. The idea appealed to me. I’m a do-it-yourself kind of person. I self-published my first five books before deciding to pursue a traditional publisher. I thought it would be more prestigious. Receiving a book advance and the book launch were very exciting. I quite liked the editor I worked with and the people at the publishing house. However, I’d lost control of many aspects. Small things such as: I felt my cover designer would have come up with a better cover, the interior design and font hadn’t thrilled me, plus the chosen title wasn’t my first choice. The biggest frustration was that most of the marketing burden was still mine and now I recieved a much smaller slice of the profits.

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

a) My biggest strengths when it comes to writing are imagination and discipline. During the writing, rewrite and editing phases I do a minimum of four uninterrupted hours of work seven days a week come rain or shine.
b) I love every aspect of the publishing process big and small, from choosing fonts, to working with editors, cover designers and distributors. It takes a lot of help to produce a book and I get to work with some amazing and talented people.
c) My favorite part of marketing is doing readings and book signings.

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

a) Even after finishing eight novels I’m still intimidated by the thought of starting and writing another.
b) The toughest thing for me is deciding when a manuscript is ready to be published. It is easy to get caught up with trying to make every chapter, paragraph and line perfect. They seldom ever are.
c) I don’t spend enough time on social media promoting my books. Like many writers, I’d rather be writing.

When do you think you will write your next book?

For the first time since I started writing six years ago I’m on a break while I turn my novels into audiobooks. I’m doing the narration myself (the do-it yourself guy). My audio studio is in my house in West Kelowna. Once I go south for the winter I’ll begin to write again.

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

Before I answer this question, I’d first like to thank Claudia Chapman and AuthorVoices for the wonderful interview and for featuring ‘A Pinot Noir to Die For’ in their online magazine.
I’ve been published in all three methods. As I mentioned earlier my first five novels were completely self-published, my sixth book was published traditionally and my latest two were using a hybrid-publisher which still allowed me to choose my own editor, cover designer, etc. The hybrid-publisher I’m using has superior connections to distributors. So far, this has been the best of both worlds. They also have an audiobook division.