Inside These Walls by Rebecca Coleman (Review, Interview and Giveaway)

From the moment you open Inside These Walls by Rebecca Coleman, you're transported to the world of a women’s prison and introduced to Clara Mattingly who is serving a life sentence for murder. Rebecca’s writing is superb, and Clara is instantly a likeable and sympathetic character, whom you will cheer for, even though she’s also a cold-blooded killer.

Rebecca isn’t tricking the reader into liking Clara. It’s obvious that there’s more to the story than just murder—that Clara has the proverbial skeletons in her closet. After twenty-five years behind bars, she’s choosing to forget the past and stay focused on her present, which in prison means keeping her head down and staying out of trouble.

The problem is Clara’s famous, and so other inmates love to pick on her, which often results in serious injuries. Her crime, along with her boyfriend Ricky, was made into a movie. Hollywood turned their story into an almost Charles Manson type of drama, where Ricky led Clara and his other friends into a 24-hour crime spree that resulted in several murders.

Clara lives her prison life helping her blind cellmate and working on Braille textbooks, while remembering her life as an artist and her love for ballet before the night that changed her life forever. You'll keep turning pages because of the author’s set-up, trying to discover how did this bright, young, talented girl follow her boyfriend and murder people?

Rebecca reveals the true story once an unexpected visitor appears to see Clara in prison, and her heart immediately yearns for love and freedom. At the same time, a reporter writing a book about Ricky asks Clara for information, even though she has never before granted an interview. Because of the visitor, Clara decides it’s time to reveal the truth; and as the book progresses to the end, you discover the circumstances leading up to the crime.

Themes in this book include religion—Clara is Catholic and does follow her faith in prison, including going to confession and taking communion; forgiveness; self-preservation; abuse; independence and freedom; friendship; loyalty; love; truth and more.This is the perfect book club choice, as readers will debate Clara’s crimes, her confessions, her circumstances and even the ending. On Rebecca’s website (http://www.rebeccacoleman.net), book clubs can sign up for a possible Skype or phone visit from the author.

Inside These Walls is one of those novels that will keep you up past your bedtime because you want to discover the secrets Clara has kept and what landed her in one of the worst places imaginable—prison. Here are a few words straight from Rebecca about her novel and writing career: 

WOW: What made you want to write about a woman in prison--and then in a high-profile case?

Rebecca: Once the story started taking shape, it became more interesting to make it a high-profile case because it would make sense why someone would want to interview Clara for a book. But as to why I wrote it in the first place--the only truthful answer is. . .because it's the story that showed up in my head! I never start out with a specific topic in mind--I want to write about an emotion, and then I find a story that gives a structure and a progressive arc to that emotion. With Inside These Walls, it was about the feeling of being given a second chance at something very, very important and how far a person would go not to squander that chance. And what could challenge that more than being in prison?

WOW: Thanks for explaining how the story took shape. It's always interesting to hear from successful authors how their brain works. How did you get your agent, Stephany Evans (in other words--meet at conference, slush pile, etc)?

Rebecca: I sent her a query letter by e-mail, but it was an unusually nervy move for me. Normally I'd go to an agency's website, look to see who the newest agents were, and query them, thinking they were still building their lists and would be more open to a new, untested writer. I'd gotten stacks and stacks of rejections. Then my first book, The Kingdom of Childhood, became a semifinalist in Amazon's ABNA contest, and that gave me the courage to query higher up the food chain. I have to say, Stephany is the perfect agent for me. She is conscientious and tenacious and attentive. I ended up feeling glad for all the rejection because in the end it gave me the opportunity to work with Stephany.

WOW: The advice we all hear is that finding the perfect agent should fit like finding the perfect spouse or mate. We're so happy that has happened for you. What's up next?

Rebecca: Thanks for asking! I'm working on a new story that features a character my readers have seen before--that's all I can say.

WOW: Now, that's a teaser. I can't wait to find out about that! How do you balance writing and marketing?

Rebecca: It's a serious challenge! You have to schedule the business part, so the creative aspect doesn't eat all your time. It's easiest for me to spend the first hour of a work day dealing with Twitter and e-mail, then set myself free to write for the rest of the day. It's tough because writing asks you to lock yourself in a room with your imaginary friends, and marketing requires you to go out there and take risks with real people. A lot of writers write specifically because they don't want to do that.

WOW: Very true! What's one piece of advice you would give to new writers?

Rebecca: Don't be a diva. To succeed in this business, you need to be able to take criticism, be enjoyable to work with, be flexible, and make many more friends than enemies. If you can do all that and be true to yourself as a writer, then nothing can hold you back.

WOW: Thank you for that wonderful advice. Please keep WOW! readers informed on your next book. We'd love to hear about it. 

Readers, don't forget, you can enter to win a copy of this wonderful book, Inside These Walls, by entering the Rafflecopter form below! Good luck!  

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6 comments book review, finding a literary agent, women's fiction, writing process

Write Your Book in Five Days: The Tom Bird Method

Besides being the author of 21 books, best-selling author Tom Bird has devoted himself to delivering the method he designed, which has led to his success, to as many aspiring authors as possible. A combination literary midwife and book whisperer, Tom says that what he shares transforms aspiring writers into published authors. Recently, he has become best known as the architect of his "Write Your Book in 5 Days Retreat" and his "Publish Now" program, which takes an author from finished manuscript to published and internationally distributed book in as little as three days.

WOW: Tom, your programs sound amazing! Tell us about your writing retreat, "Write Your Book in 5 Days." If a writer signs up for one of these retreats, what can she expect?

TOM: In my "Write Your Book in 5 Days Retreat," the results are multifaceted. Here's what an attendee can expect to receive.

1) To have any type or sort of writers' block, which may be inhabiting their efforts--even in the slightest way, cleared immediately. Not only will any writers' block be cleared, but also they will be offered basic, proven skills to make sure they never get it again, or if they do, how to immediately rid themselves of it on their own.

2) Each attendee is schooled in how to self induce, at any time, her own access to the deepest level of her creativity and literary voice.

3) If she follows the methods which are shared, each attendee walks away with a completed manuscript at the end of the five days and with a complete understanding of how to reproduce the same exact experience at home on her own.

4) Each attendee will have literary agents interested in representing her book by no later than a few days after the retreat. In fact, during one retreat last October, those in attendance had over 1500 offers (cumulatively) from literary agents, who sought to potentially represent their first books.

WOW: Sounds great--what a method! But, is it really possible to write a book that quickly? How many words are these books, and do retreat members do research work before they arrive?

TOM: In each retreat, everyone walks in with that same exact question in their minds, and everyone leaves with a completed manuscript. The average length of the books written at the retreat are 60,000 words.

WOW: Thanks for the details. You also have a stay-at-home retreat option. Who is this a good option for and how does it work?

TOM: The stay-at-home retreat offers the same exact results as the "Write Your Book in 5 Days" retreat. The big difference is that the attendee is asked to write 2 to 3 hours a day over the course of a month as opposed to the 45 hours spread out over the 5 days.

WOW: Two to three hours a day definitely sounds doable--your retreat is giving writers some discipline! Finding an agent is another task many writers face and want to run away screaming. How do you help your authors with this task? Do you offer classes on finding an agent?

TOM: Finding an agent is not nearly as difficult as so many writers make it out to be. In fact, over the last 25 years, my authors, whom I work with, have over 20 literary agents interested in representing their work within a few weeks. To achieve this level of success, you first have to write a dynamic query letter, which very few people know how to do. Obviously, I recommend using my system for doing so, since it is far and away the one I have seen garner the most success.

Then, after the query letter, it is important to submit it to as many agents as possible. The more agents, who are then interested, the more "market value" you have in their eyes and the better job they obviously do in representing your work. Without some sort of "market value," most writers are doomed to failure.

I do offer online classes on getting published and submitting query letters. To get more information on my next upcoming classes, authors can either check out my website, www.TomBird.com, or e-mail me at TomBird (at) TomBird.com. (Replace the at with @.)

The most dramatic way that I help authors secure the agent of their dreams, though, is through my "Selective Guide to Literary Agents Database," which offers access to the top agents in the world at a click of their mouse. It is updated weekly to keep it void of the frauds that so litter this arena, and it has over 2,200 agents listed on it. If someone is interested in knowing more about it, I would suggest that they visit my website and take a tour of it through the 6-minute introductory video. At present, a year subscription to the guide is $289.00. There are cheaper, much less effective ways to go about getting an agent; but if getting published by a big name, conventional publisher is your goal, then you can't afford to go with anything less than what my database has to offer.

WOW: The database sounds awesome and like a wonderful product for writers. I hear the question all the time: "How do I even know which agent to submit to?" So, there's definitely a need for an agent database. Some of your classes are free. What type of free classes do you offer? What's the format for these classes?

TOM: I offer a wide array of free Internet classes. I suggest that anyone who may be interested in attending them either check out my website for a listing of them on a consistent basis, or better yet, subscribe to my mailing list to get up-to-date notices of what classes I will be offering and when.

WOW: Thanks for all the information about your classes and what you have to offer writers. Please tell us about your latest book, The Call of the Writer's Craft. Who will this book help, and what will it help writers do?

TOM: My latest book, which sells for only $12.95, is for anyone who wants to write or publish for any reason or for anyone who is considering joining one of my retreats. It is the ultimate book on The Tom Bird Method for both writing and publishing and should be read by anyone who seeks to succeed as a published author.

WOW: Tom, thank you so much for sharing this information with us today. Here's to much writing success for all!

interview conducted by Margo L. Dill, http://margodill.com/blog/

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Leave a Comment advice for writers, craft of writing, finding a literary agent, Margo L. Dill, Tom Bird Method

Tracking and Capturing a Literary Agent: Tips from Annette Fix

Literary Agents. When you read those two words what happens? Do you feel excited? Do you feel dread? Does your head start to ache? Finding the perfect agent doesn't have to be a struggle. All you need are some good tracking skills and the right bait. Annette Fix is ready to show us how to set the net in her upcoming class The Hungry Writer's Guide To Tracking & Capturing A Literary Agent: How to Get the RIGHT Agent for Your Manuscript.

Author of The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir, Annette has experienced first-hand the frustration of chasing down that agent. Her own experience led to perfecting her specific technique which she now teaches at writer's conferences and is offering to us through WOW! Workshops & Classes. Limited to 10 students, How to Get the RIGHT Agent for Your Manuscript begins on Monday, August 2nd and runs for 4 weeks.

You probably remember Annette as she is the former Senior Editor of WOW! She is with us today to talk a little bit about her upcoming class, common mistakes, and what it takes to find the right agent.

WOW: Hello Annette, it's fun to have you here with us today.

I love this image of you at the bookstore posing with your book, what an inspiring picture for all of us.

Annette: Thanks. It was definitely exciting to see my book on the shelf for the first time. I found it very difficult not to grab someone passing by, point to the book and say, "Hey, look! That's me! I wrote that!"

WOW: LOL, you look very happy.

We are talking today about your upcoming class on finding the right agent for our manuscript. When is a writer ready for an agent?

Annette: When the writer has a completed, polished manuscript that is as perfect as she can possible make it, then she's ready to approach an agent. Never pitch or query an agent until you've completed and polished the manuscript--unless you are writing nonfiction, in which case, you need a completed and polished book proposal in lieu of the book manuscript.

WOW: Our project should be ready to sell then, before we send out any query letters. Writing a great query letter is an art in itself; what is the most common mistake you see regarding agent queries?

Annette: There are two mistakes that are most common. The first is when the writer uses the shotgun approach--sending out queries to any and every agent who accepts submissions for the genre in which the author writes. The agent listings in certain well-known publications are not the best place to find the right agent. The writer needs to research agents who are currently signing and selling books similar to what the writer has to offer. Querying is not a numbers game; it's very specific and strategic. That's the only way to avoid a muse-killing flood of rubber-stamp rejection letters.

The second biggest mistake is not crafting a concise query letter that hooks the agent, and clearly conveys the story premise and the writer's voice. The query letter is a sales tool, not a story synopsis. Many writer's take off on plot tangents, introduce too many characters, and give too many details that make the storyline difficult to follow. The query letter should come in around 250 words from "Dear___" to "Thank you for your time and consideration."

WOW: Talk about making every word count!

A new writer with little to no previous publishing experience may be anxious about how to represent herself. How important is it to an agent that the writer has a list of publishing credits?

Annette: Agents want to be able to pay their bills and stay in business doing something they love, so their primary interest is whether or not you have a manuscript they can sell--and long term--if you will continue to write manuscripts they can sell. Writers need to focus on fulfilling that desire--and their own. Don't worry about previous publishing credits. Every writer starts out with none.

If you have publishing credits, you can certainly include them; depending on the credits, they may add credibility--like if you've been published in The New Yorker. But previous credits are not necessary. With fiction and memoir, you need to be a good storyteller--the manuscript is Queen. For nonfiction topics, you need an established platform and expertise in your field. And it certainly helps, both for fiction and nonfiction, if you have an online presence, though you don't need to mention it in the query unless it directly relates to your topic.

WOW: In addition to the written query, you also work with students in perfecting a quick, in-person presentation or "elevator pitch." What information should be included in the pitch?

Annette: The pitch capsule should include the title, genre, and premise in about 50 words or less. A writer needs to be able to deliver it--pitch aloud--in the hall between conference sessions, at a round table meet-the-agents session, during networking mixers, or any time they have a spare moment with an agent. With the pitch, less is more. All you want to do is hook the agent enough to have her ask you to submit your manuscript. That's it. The more you talk, the more you talk her out of wanting to read your manuscript. If her eyes are glazing over while you're still telling her about all the turning points in your plot, you've already sunk your submission ship.

WOW: With all this talk about how to find an agent, some writers may wonder how agents are compensated.

Annette: Agents typically receive 15% of any advance and royalties.

WOW: That seems reasonable, especially considering the big houses work almost exclusively with agents.

Annette, you've been teaching this course for a while; do your former students stay in contact? Do you have any success stories you can share?

Annette: Most of the students I've had have been so eager to begin searching for an agent that they've jumped the gun a bit: they didn't finish writing their manuscripts before taking my class. On one hand, it allows them more time to feel out the market and monitor what is selling (and who is selling it). On the other, it's not a good thing if they intend to put it to use immediately. I strongly advise against approaching agents before the manuscript is completely polished--which is often several months (or more) from the time the first draft is complete.

I have had success stories that I've heard from two writers who worked diligently with me to craft their in-person pitches. Their final products resulted in agents requesting to read their manuscripts. No word as to whether they were offered representation. Of course, that depends solely on the strength of the manuscripts.

WOW: That's wonderful! The request of the manuscript for reading is the success.

What should your students expect to come away with from your class?

Annette: Students will definitely come away with a solid understanding of what it takes to get in the door with an agent. You can have an amazing manuscript, but if you don't approach the business side of publishing in the right way, no one will ever read it. After my course, students will be able to pitch their stories in a succinct and compelling way, write a concise and engaging query letter, and know how and where to find the right agents. That's what it will require to move their writing careers to the next level.

WOW: For those of us serious about selling our manuscripts, this four-week class could save months of frustration, leaving us with time and energy to spent on our next book! Thank you, Annette; it's been a pleasure talking with you.

How to Get the RIGHT Agent for Your Manuscript is limited to 10 students. This is a popular class, so sign up today while there are still openings.

Interview by Robyn Chausse

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Leave a Comment agent queries, Annette Fix, finding a literary agent, How to get the right agent for your manuscript, WOW Classes