Author Interview with Joy V. Smith

1. When did you start writing?

When I was a kid; I made my own little books (folded booklets with covers).

2. What was your journey towards becoming an author like?

I was first published in college--a little article--but there were times I despaired of accomplishing my goal of being a writer and having books published. Btw, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) helped me graduate from short stories to novels.

3. What can you tell me about your latest book? (Feel free to include an excerpt.)

I write mostly SF with a sprinkling of fantasy, westerns, and children's stories, but I had no interest in fantasy mermaids – too boring, I thought. 

My SF mermaids include some with tails (like grandmere), and her descendants, who do not have tails. She rescued a seaman adrift in the ocean, and their descendants do not have tails.  They have gills behind their ears and a body adapted to water. 

Excerpt: 

Chapter 1: The tide is coming in 

Small waves lapped warmly over his shoulders. The tide was coming in leisurely; it might be an hour yet before the water covered his head. At least the gashes on his arms had stopped bleeding; he was grateful for that much. A swirl in the water to his left caught his attention. So, it looked like Slits' little knife had done its job after all.
Something nuzzled his leg. Under the dock at night, with the moon shining thinly now and then through rapidly scudding clouds, he couldn't see a thing. Whatever it was seemed to be moving deliberately down his leg. Then it stopped. He imagined it was curious about the chains around his ankles.

4. What sort of methods do you use for book promotion?

Social media and writing newsletters and reviews and opportunities I come across. I believe in papering the planet.

5. Where do you get your ideas for stories?

Sometimes from stories I admire. Nope. Nothing ripped from the headlines.

6. What are you working on right now?

I have a story involving aliens and a herd of eohippus sitting on a publisher's desk. (She's published one of my books in the past.)

7. Any advice for other authors?

Edit your stories – more than once – and persevere.

ABOUT JOY:

After college, Joy V. Smith worked at a newspaper and later moved from Boston to Florida to be near her mother after her father passed away. She started her own business with her sister before focusing on writing. She built two houses (with contractors, of course) and remodeled two houses, rescued cats and dogs, and also collected books (her house is full of bookcases). She also write articles and nonfiction. She has been published in magazines, e-zines and anthologies. Her books include Strike Three, Sugar Time, Taboo Tech, Velvet of Swords,

Well Met by Water, Detour Trail, Cold New Planet, Pretty Pink Planet, Hot Yellow Planet, Hidebound, and The Doorway and Other Stories.  Her latest novel, Well Met by Water, is available here. Her website is at  http://www.joyvsmith.com/ and you can follow her on Twitter here.