Today I’m very lucky to be
interviewing Barb Shuler author of The Cowboy Way Series, Rescue Novella
Series, and Shattered Lives Series.
ME: Hi Barb, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a
little about yourself and your background?
Barb Shuler: I'm originally from Texas but I am currently living in
South
Carolina. I'm 37. Have a potty mouth, which i blame my best friends and
mama for. LOL I've got a Texas sized temper that can get the nest of me at
times. Generally, my redneck only shows a little. I'm a bookaholic introvert
who is as content as can be to say in watch movies, read a book, work on my
quilting, listen to music and/or write.
ME: Which writers inspire you?
Barb Shuler: My first love when it comes to books was Stephen King.
I always
said I wanted to be like him. I never thought I'd actually take that
leap, but after reading so many books, I got that itch to write and do it for
real. I may never be Stephen King quality but I still admire his relationship
with writing and aspire to be that kind of writer.
ME: What are you working on at the minute?
Barb Shuler: Ah, I am a multitasker, so I have many things going on
at this moment:
Working on edits of my upcoming
release (Sept 29) Primal Darkness.
Working on a new short story for
the "Dirty Fairy Tales" Anthology which is to raise money for Autism.
It's set to release in October.
I'm plotting and outlining four
more books I plan to release in 2018.
And, last but not least I am
working on "Finding Harmony" a cowboy
contemporary standalone that is
set to release November 29th.
ME: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Barb Shuler: Yes. I'd love too. This is a little snippet from
Primal Darkness.
~ Dylan ~
As class rolled on I let my mind
play back the first night I’d seen Ryker. He had been in the shadows, waiting
for me to die, yet he saved my life, instead of letting nature work its magic
on me.
The forest floor crunched under
my feet, my body was on fire in multiple places and the blood covered my entire
right side. The burn on my chest, the cross that deranged psycho put there. It
fucking hurt. I tried to hold the cloth of what used to be my shirt over it as
I stumbled along into the thicket of trees and brush.
The farmhouse was just ahead of
me. I made it to the barn and fell into the hay. My breathing was ragged as I
tried to get my mind to stop spinning. The torch light was not bright but it
allowed me to see the burn mark on my chest. The cross was huge. I pried the
cloth from the wound bringing with it flesh and blood. I cried out in pain.
Breathing heavy, as if I had done a day’s work in the field. Tears leaked from
me as the blood leaked from my chest. Death was waiting on me. I could feel it.
I pulled the small knife from my boot and brought it to my wrists.
“Flesh to flesh. Heart to heart,
until we meet again,” I murmured as my knife bit into the skin and into the
flesh of my arm. I dug deep. The man’s words had been
ringing in my head since
he placed that cross on my skin.
“Sinners be damned souls, lad. Be
one with the Lord, let the devil inside ye free. Come join the living once
more. Be a creation free of sin.”
The dimness in my eyes started to
fade as the blood seeped from me to the hay below me.
The attack in the woods had
happened so fast. I had taken a torch and made my way along the path to gather
water from the river. It would be needed when first light came. This would save
mother from having to go and gather it herself. I could feel the pain of the
attack all over again. I coughed softly, wincing as pain took me to a new level
of hell. My body would fade, and I would leave my
family alone. 
There was a hiss from close by.
My eyes fluttered open to see a woman was standing before me. She whispered
something as a man knelt alongside me. His golden eyes bore into mine before he
changed. His body went to all fours and then a wolf was before me. I tried to
jerk away but the lack of blood and coordination stopped me.
With one fluid motion, he had my
arm in his muzzle. The bite sent fire through me. A second bite caused a
shuddered groan to leave me before my body convulsed. My head fell back further
into the hay as my back arched. Pain radiated all over now. A howl rang out
across the barn as my body slumped and my vision went black.
© This snippet is unedited and subject to
change.
ME: Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead
character from your most recent book?
Barb Shuler: Oh, from day one Kellan Lutz has been my inspiration
for Dylan
Talk about Heaven in a pair of
jeans. (faints) He really brings Dylan to life in my head as Dylan is a
Lacrosse playing, undercover cop who can turn into a 1400-pound grizzly
bear.... So yeah.. muscles and dimples. That is what I see.
ME: When did you decide to become a writer?
Barb Shuler: I've always liked to write but a year ago in June I
decided to stop talking about it and just do it. I needed something to relieve
some stress, so it became a win win situation.
ME: Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand?
Barb Shuler: Right now, I switch between writing in my notebooks
and writing on my laptop. I will use the notes app in my phone as well. If I am
not able to be on my laptop I have the google doc apps on my phone so I just
use that. It makes it so I can write anywhere.
ME: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just to see
where an idea takes you?
Barb Shuler: That depends on the story itself. I usually have an
outline. I want this, this and this to happen... but the voices don't always go
for that. I have only two outlines that went from a to z as planned. The rest
were started, the voices did something unplanned and we just rolled with it.
That can be more fun, and more of a frustration but if it works, it works.
ME: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors.
Barb Shuler: I read all the time. I have many, many favorite
authors. I don't think there are authors that I don't like. There are books I
prefer over others. Some of my absolute favorites are Shari J Ryan, Annie
Anderson, Jessie Lane, Jesse Lorenzo, Susan Stoker, Shannon Mayer, Kelly St
Claire.. the list goes on and on. haha
ME: Do you think that giving books away free works and why?
Barb Shuler: I do. In moderation. I like to give books away, that
is something good for fans, readers and the alike. It's a way to get your name
out there and hopefully you get a new fan from it. It sometimes only takes one
book for
someone to read everything you have.
ME: How do you relax?
Barb Shuler: Reading, writing, sewing, and playing with my dog are
my usual modes to chill. My dog is a great stress reliever. Watching her run
back and forth to catch her ball is peaceful.
ME: What is your favorite book and why?
Barb Shuler: This is a really hard question, as I have a few
favorites, but my all-time favorite book is Stephen King's Pet Semetary. Talk
about a book that never gets old. I love it so much!
ME: What is your favorite quote?
Barb Shuler: "The secret of being happy is accepting where you
are in life and making the most out of every day." ~ Unknown
ME: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Barb Shuler: I will give the same advice given to me of over the
last year. Be yourself. Write with the passion burning inside you, and don’t be
afraid to write what you love. If you have confidence in your writing, it will
show.
ME: What does your writing process look like?
Barb Shuler: Chaos. It's a lot of chaos. I have to have my Avengers
cup full of something to drink. There has to be music, and then my desk/or the
table where I sit has notebooks, pens, post its, markers everywhere. Again, I
say, chaos.
ME: What is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process?
Barb Shuler: The legal stuff on the publishing sites. I have a hard
time comprehending exactly what it means. It should be a helluva lot simpler.
So, I go to my friend, and fellow author Annie Anderson for help. Without her,
I'd be lost.
ME: Is there a certain type of scene that's harder for you to write
than others? Love? Action? Racy?
Barb Shuler: The only thing that gives me trouble is writing the
naughty stuff. I mean, I can do it, but I always feel it sucks. It's like I
want it to be perfect, yet it’s hard to write something in detail when you may
have never done it before. (laughs)
ME: Did you learn anything from writing your book(s) and what was
it?
Barb Shuler: That I really can do anything I set my mind to. The
dream of a little girl long ago has come true because I made it happen.
ME: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family
members.
Barb Shuler: There have been many but I would have to say my
biggest fan is my bff, Emily. She has been by my side through this all. I have
been writing things that have been published on social feeds since late 2009.
She has always been there to hold my hand basically, and tell me "you've
got this." This is a journey that I could not have started without her,
and it's one I could not continue without her.
ME: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your
writing?
Barb Shuler: Some days I just have to many things going on at once
that it is hard to concentrate. That stresses me out more. Writing is my
therapy. Plain and simple. So when it's taken from me, I sort of have a meltdown.
ME: What book are you reading now?
Barb Shuler: I multitask as a reader as well. My ADHD makes it hard
to do one thing for long sometimes so I rotate out my reading. Right now, I
have:
Firestorm - Shannon Mayer
Acca - Christina Bauer (Audio
ARC)
SEAL's Promise - Sharon Hamilton
Claiming Alexis - Susan Stoker
ME: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and
why?
Barb Shuler: It's hard to choose here. I have always wanted to meet
Stephen King and Reba McIntyre. Both of whom I simply adore. They are tied on
my scale of 1-100. They are both 100's.
ME: What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?
Barb Shuler: Suspense/Thrillers. they are the easiest and most fun
to write. i can take someone and completely tear their lives apart but then I
get to put them back together.
ME: What is your favorite theme/genre to read?
Barb Shuler: It's a tossup between so many. Horror, suspense,
thriller, and PNR.
ME: What secret talents do you have?
Barb Shuler: Well, not sure it's a talent but I can sort and color
code with the best of them. I blame my OCD. LOL
ME: Where is one place you want to visit that you haven't been
before?
Barb Shuler: I want to go to Australia. It has been on my bucket
list for, forever! I will get there one day. even if I have to deal with
spiders the size of my head...
ME: How can readers discover more about you and you work? i.e.
Website: Blog: Facebook: Twitter: Lnkedin: Pinterest: Amazon Author Page:
Smashwords: Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.) Goodreads:
ME: Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t
included?
Barb Shuler: Not that I can think of. I would like to say thank you
to you and all of the bloggers out there. This would be so much harder without
the hard work you guys and gals put into sharing and putting our books out
there. <3
ME: Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy
schedule to take part in this interview.
Barb Shuler: Thank you for having me. It was an honor. :)
Great interview!
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