Indie Author Interview with R.J. Belle - Author of the Military / History Non-Fiction AFTER: The Battle Has Just Begun.
R.J. Belle began writing as a teenager as a way to express her creative side. In 2013, she found herself spending a great deal of time working on plot development and character creation, and decided to make the jump into writing for publication. After spending 15 years in the lending industry, R.J. Belle left her career to write full time and within three months, she published her first Fiction Mystery Novel, First One Down: A Paul Sutton series novel.
Interview with R.J. Belle
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| Author R.J. Belle |
R.J. Belle: I began writing stories as a young child. When I realized later that this was really the career I wanted, I began reading everything I could find in areas I liked, researched techniques and developed a support network of other writers. Experience has been my ‘formal’ classroom.
Who are your favorite writers, your favorite books, and who or what are your writing influences?
As a child I loved Judy Blume. My favorite was Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and I adored the Nancy Drew series published under the collective pseudonym Carolyn Keene.
I read a lot of Clancy, Patterson and Grisham in my twenties and thirties. I am currently reading Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith and an assortment of technical forensic books.
Much of my writing influence comes from researching true-crime cases, specifically ones with strong survivors.
When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?
I started to truly love writing when I was eleven but didn’t seriously consider writing for publication until 2013. I think I have always wanted to be a writer. I just didn’t believe I could be one until later in life. A major life event occurred in 2013 and I literally woke-up one morning and decided it was time. Within a few months of making that decision I resigned from my day-job and the rest is history. Someday I will write about that event – in a fiction novel, of course.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yes. It was a love story of the princess variety.
"I write daily but [...]"
Tell us about your writing process. Do you have a writing routine?
I’m somewhat old school. I outline longhand and use index cards to move the pieces around. I wish I could say that I have a routine that I stick to; I write daily but not always a set word count. One of my goals this year is hitting my word count goal daily. I schedule my writing time in my planner like everything else. I spent a lot of time last year on the business side of writing. I could write a book every day, but if I can’t master the business end of things none of those books will reach my readers.
Please, describe your desk/workplace.
My home office is my haven and inspiration. The walls hold a series of storyboards – there is always more than one story unfolding at a time. About 40 neon sticky notes litter my desk with random ideas and thoughts to follow up. I love that various inspirational quotes vie with photos of my family and important moments in my life that keep me moving forward when I have those moments of doubt or writer’s block.
"The hardest part is the editing process [...]"
What do you find easiest about writing? What the hardest?
The easiest thing is coming up with characters and stories. The hardest part is the editing process – deleting sections, moving around pieces that you labor over until they are ‘perfect’ and knowing later you will want to change them again.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I love creating something new or new ways of seeing the everyday things we take for granted.
RJ, please tell us a little about your Military / History Non-Fiction AFTER: The Battle Has Just Begun.
AFTER began by accident. I was doing character creation for Second Sight and wanted to meet with a local organization that assisted homeless Vietnam Era veterans. I was introduced to the director of Freedom Station not realizing that her foundation did something totally different. What started as a small project about Warrior Foundation Freedom Station (WFFS) turned into a two-year long project. This was by far the hardest piece I have ever written and has taken me longer than any other piece I have ever worked on. That might seem strange given its length, but the subject matter had a profound effect on me emotionally and the responsibility to do justice to the men who shared their stories with me kept me awake more nights than I would like to admit.
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| Click to Read an Excerpt |
What inspired you to write the book?
After touring WFFS and meeting some of the men who resided there, I was deeply inspired by their courage to move forward toward reintegrating into civilian life against enormous odds and by the dedication of the WFFS volunteer team.
"[...] look beyond the cover."
Who do you see as your target audience?
The target market for this book is not just injured veterans or combat-veterans. This book aims to reach caregivers, health and mental health care providers, other non-profits as well as the average citizen who has never been affected by war. I expect that the cover will get labeled as a book for conservatives but I hope others will look beyond the cover. This book is not about the war – it’s about what happens to our combat injured after they return from war. I hope it reaches a broad audience.
What makes your book special?
The men who shared their stories and the non-profit who assisted each of those men make this book special. I hope to see more books published that focus on healing after war. The dialogue definitely needs to expand on this issue.
How would you describe the success of your self-published books so far?
I’ve learned a lot in the past two years. When First One Down released in 2014, it did very well – on accident. I had no idea what I was doing in regards to marketing. AFTER, which released in early March, has been on various Top 100 lists almost continuously since it was on pre-release. I am excited and grateful for our success thus far.
"Establish a good working relationship with an editor [...]"
Can you give some advice for other Authors regarding the writing process?
Establish a good working relationship with an editor, learn the business end of self-publishing and write every day.
Are you working on another book project? Can you tell us a little about it?
On April 22 we re-release First One Down (book one in the Paul Sutton Series) with a new cover, formatting, small tweaks to the story and additional editing. I am very excited to move ahead with my Paul Sutton series. Book two, Second Sight, will release in late summer followed by book three, Third Strike, at the end of this year.
"[...] be a part of the self-publishing industry"
Where do you see the book market in 5 or 10 years? Will there be only eBooks and will book stores disappear like record stores disappeared?
I don’t believe bookstores will ever vanish and I hope they don’t. The number of new books and indie authors has enhanced the availability of more new titles on bookstore shelves. That gives the reader more options and that is a win-win. I am excited to be a part of the self-publishing industry and optimistic about the future for all writers.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
Kindle, but I read paperback just has much as I read on my Kindle.
Do you write full-time or do you have a day job? When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I write full-time. When I am not writing, I spend time with my daughter and our bulldogs. I travel with my husband on his out of state marathon trips and attend most of his speaking engagements. We also travel frequently to visit my son in college.
How can readers connect with you?
Through my website at AuthorRJBelle.com
Twitter: @AuthorRJBelle
Instagram: @AuthorRJBelle
Facebook: RJ Belle
Thank you very much for the Interview, R.J.
About the Book AFTER: The Battle Has Just Begun
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| Click to Read an Excerpt |
This project looks at the struggles of these incredible men to reshape their lives after combat. It also sets these stories within the context of current veteran healthcare; injury, suicide, and disability statistics; and looks briefly at the impacts on the caregivers who support these men. Being face-to-face with combat-injured veterans has given me an insight that all Americans should have. Veterans of the Vietnam era began the process of opening our eyes to the grim realities that await veterans both psychologically and physically. These men’s stories show how much more we have to accomplish.
This book isn't about war or politics - it is about figuring out what it takes to move forward AFTER the war. I wrote this book to raise awareness of what our warriors need most when they return, what the government does and doesn't provide and why there is a high demand for private non-profits to fill the gaps. Make no mistake - we are in this period of recovery and rehabilitation for decades to come. It also introduces the non-profit organization Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station which has taken on the task of helping our combat-injured men and women make the daunting transition from military to civilian life. 100% of the proceeds benefit them in this much-needed labor of love.
It's not about the war. It’s about the warrior.
100% of the proceeds benefit Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station.
- "This is such an eye opening read. It definitely brings the reality of what our soldiers go through home. I could not put it down. This book makes you want to find a way to volunteer your time to help." - Reader Review
Link to the Book
Link to the Paperback AFTER: The Battle Has Just Begun on Amazon
Link to the eBook AFTER: The Battle Has Just Begun on Amazon
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