Recently at TheIndieView

A couple years ago we did a survey of our readers likes and dislikes. One of the questions asked what features they would like to see in addition to reviews. A large percentage (more than 70% if I remember correctly) were interested in seeing author interviews. This feature was added, but later dropped when BigAl took over a second site which had author interviews and occasional interviews with reviewers as the primary content aimed at readers.

I know I enjoy author interviews for two reasons. First, is learning the history of a book and its author that I've already read and enjoyed. The second is that depending on how an author comes across in an interview, I'll decide their book might be worth checking out. I and at least one of the pals have decided to pick a previously overlooked book in our immense queue of submissions based on an interview. I'm guessing that if it sometimes works to sell me on giving a book a shot, it probably does for other readers as well. 

All of this is a long prologue to say that we're going to be adding a new feature which will run periodically (probably every 2 to 4 weeks) listing recent interviews at The IndieView. As an introduction, there are four different types of interviews you'll see there.

The IndieView

This is an interview with a standard set of open ended questions. While they focus on a specific book, they also delve into the author's history as a writer and the path they took in becoming an indie author.

The BookView

This is a shorter interview format for authors who have already done an IndieView which focuses just on their most recent book.

Reviewer IndieView

These are interviews with reviewers who have their own review blog that delve into their approach to reviewing. A great way to find other book blogs you might like to follow. (For authors, there is also an extensive database of indie friendly review sites you might like to check out.)

Allirea's Realm

By invitation only, these are quirky, often irreverent interviews done by longtime Books and Pals follower, Allirea.


(Authors and reviewers interested in doing an IndieView should visit this page for details.)



BookView with K.P. Ambroziak, author of A Perpetual Mimicry

I think anyone who loves romance will enjoy it. It is, at its core, a love story—a human story, despite its protagonist being a fallen angel.


IndieView with L.A. Lewandowski, author of A Gourmet Demise

I belong to a dinner club. People who cook and dine with each other develop a special relationship. Sharing a meal you have labored over is a gift to your guests. So, I decided to create a dinner club full of chic people who live in the most exclusive area of Tampa.


IndieView with Lynne Cantwell, author of Crosswind

Land, Sea, Sky is a follow-on series to my earlier urban fantasy series, The Pipe Woman Chronicles. When I had finished Naomi’s story, I began wondering what would happen next. It stands to reason that the military-industrial complex would cling tenaciously to its money and power, and I figured it would take a couple of election cycles for the gods’ opponents to really pull a plan together.


IndieView with Morgan Bell, author of Sniggerless Boundulations

 I am an extremely picky reader, and I don’t like filler. If you can say what you want to say in 500 words why write more?


IndieView with Melissa Bowersock, author of Burning Through

Burning Through is a paranormal (not scary) ghost story that is a mix of suspense and romance. Without revealing too much, the story hinges on fire as a catalyst for both the ghosts and the living people, burning away the extraneous to get down to the core of what’s really important.


IndieView with Ken Doyle, author of Bombay Bhel

Bombay Bhel is a collection of interlinked stories named after the city’s ubiquitous snack food, bhelpuri. Like the food, the book blends a variety of ingredients to serve up glimpses of life among the Goan and Anglo-Indian communities–minorities in one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities.


BookView with Stephen Kozeniewski, author of The Ghoul Archipelago

What breaks out is a swashbuckling power struggle on the high seas of the South Pacific, with our heroes pitted against pirates, cannibals, zombies, and three dreadful villains.