Interview with Senior Editor Charlene Kyle-Davis

Okay, I do not want to show favoritism to any one press but I do love to interview people from the Wild Horse Press, because instead of getting to say I am in the Backseat I get to say I am seated on the back or my buckskin mustang.  So much more fun and my trail riding partner today is the Senior Editor for the Wild Horse Press Charlene Kyle-Davis.   Lets jump on in then - what made you decide to become an editor?

Charlene: A very dear friend of mine was writing her first novel and asked me to review her manuscript.  So, one novel turned into two, three & four novels.

TK: What really catches your eye as an editor? What makes an author a good match for WHP?

CKD: I look for unique qualities and originality in a novel. That's what makes WHP so special to me. You never know what's going to come next.  I grew up reading all types of romance novels. The one pet peeve I have is when I can predict the events of a story. I found myself skipping ahead or starting in the middle of a book. WHP broke me of this habit.

TK: So predictable bad, interesting and unpredictable good?

CKD: Oh Yes!

TK: How much of your time is spent looking through new submissions and is there something that immediately catches your eye?

CKD: About 15% of my time. I am not the only editor that reviews our new submissions. Lately, most of our submissions have been from current authors. I first review for a solid and interesting story line with good character development.

TK: What themes interest you? I mean other then love - Romance has a love story.

CKD: Paranormal filled with action and suspense. If a bit of sci-fi is thrown in on the side, I'm great!  One of our newer novels, Dark of kNight has a hint of sci-fi.

TK: Why do you think the paranormal is so popular? Is it just a great escape?

CKD: Actually, paranormal has always been popular. So, I don't believe this is a trend. You're also talking with a woman who grew up in Sleepy Hollow. LOL. I'm not sure if it's the whole bad boy with a good side fixation that we can sometimes find ourselves looking for in our own lives. Or maybe it's more a thirst and our hearts desire for adventure.

Personally, the thrill of a new adventure is what drives me.   It is definitely an escape for so many.   I'm finding that so many people are under various kinds of stress, from health problems, relationship issues to financial burdens. Everyone needs a get away from time to time.

TK: I have heard rumors of the rise of Sci-fi, any thoughts?

CKD: The whole Sci-fi/Fantasy interest has been around for a few generations and started when we were just children.  Then we grow up and the fasination with Sci-fi and Fantasy remained.  So, supply and demand calls for a shift.  Look at some of the popular movies that have come out over the years. I've been a Sci-fi buff since I was a little girl, when I was introduced to "The Crystal Singer" by Anne McCaffrey.

TK: ah the good old days, reading fantasy - till I realized there just was not enough sex in them and I jumped ship.

CKD: FOFLOL   I love it! I know and now we can have both! Victory!

TK: Well Charlene - Thank you so much for the company and info on this
morning ride! It has been a blast!

Charlene: Thank you. Have a good day and I hope we will speak again soon.

Don't miss RITBS's interview with WildHorse Press Publisher J.M. Smith - HERE

Visit the Wild Horse Press Website to Find Out More

Feature on The Wild Horse Press with J.M. Smith

Terry Kate: Okay readers, writers, and anyone else interested. Today I get to invite you to get ON the back and take a seat in the saddle for my interview with the owner of Wild Horse Press, J.M. Smith. I know, horseback interviewing is new to me too, but no cars today.

J.M. Smith: :) Cute... as an avid horse fan, I love the intro. But then if I weren't crazy about horses I wouldn't have named my company Wild Horse Press.

TK: That is what my beautiful buckskin mustang and I thought. So tell us a little about Wild Horse Press. What is 2010 looking like for you guys?

WHP: 2010 is looking fantastic so far! :) We have submissions coming in weekly and already have releases set up through the end of March, as well as one or two parts of a series scheduled through the end of the year. We're actually celebrating our anniversary this month and are offering all of our titles at 30% off over at All Romance Ebooks for the two weeks of the month. (check it out here - http://allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=publisher&qString=Wild+Horse+Press)

 
Oh Sales! I love sales.So tell all the little shoppers out there what kind of books can we find being released with your house, and how many purchasing opportunities do we get a month?

WHP: Most of our titles are split between paranormal romance and contemporary romance, ranging from sweet to erotic. Our titles are available at All Romance Ebooks, Amazon Kindle, our website, and Coffee Time Romance. The sale, however, is only at All Romance Ebooks. We also offer titles in paperback through Amazon and Target websites. As part of our anniversary celebration, we're giving away a tote bag of goodies, including a 10% coupon for any of our paperback titles. To enter, all you need to do is email wildhorsepress@gmail.com with the subject ANNIVERSARY DRAWING with your info. A name will be drawn on January 15th.

TK: So how many titles do you put out a month?

WHP: We typically release two titles per month. Every now and then we schedule a 3rd title. It really just depends on how long the titles are. Since we release everything from short stories to full length novels, there may be times when we release two short stories and a full-length just because we had more time to edit them.

TK: How many editors do you have reading submissions?

WHP: We have two editors, but I also edit on occasion. If we have a lot of titles that need a little more work (rewrites), then I usually help out so the editors can focus on getting the books ready for publication.

 TK: You mentioned moving into the Young Adult or YA market can you share a little more about that?

WHP: We released two YA paranormal romances in 2009 from Linda Palmer, a previous Silhouette writer. In 2010 we will be adding another author, Jessica Coulter Smith, to our YA line with another paranormal romance. The YA books have done well and we look forward to future YA submissions for 2010.

TK: What are you doing to reach out to teen readers?

WHP: We have requested reviews from sites that lean more to the YA audience as well as joining group chats for that particular genre. As the YA area is new to us, we're kind of learning as we go. We also get input on our YA titles from YA readers to see which parts work for them and which ones don't.

TK: What is the appeal, I read YA myself and enjoy it greatly, why do you think so many are getting on the bandwagon?

   WHP: Well, for me, it allows me to relive my teen years without actually having to go through it all again. And I think alot of the adult books are starting to sound the same. There are a lot of new YA authors out there giving the genre a new feel to it. They also seem to do well blending humor, suspense, and teen angst all into one book.

TK: Not sure teen angst is something I miss myself.

WHP: :) Well, I wouldn't say I miss the angst part, but I guess it's nice to read it from another perspective. Not to mention it always turns out okay in the end. Plus I think a lot of teen readers can connect better with the today's YA books than they have in the past. Even teens who have claimed to not like reading are now flocking to the bookstores.

TK: Yes they do tend to run in herds. :)    J, I can not thank you enough for your time and the look at Wild Horse Publishing

WHP: Thank you for having me. :) It's been a pleasure chatting with you.

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