The Tower
Samantha (Sam) Jensen works for her
brother Allan, as his assistant. Allan
owns IDEA (International Diagnostic Environmental Agency). This agency covers the world providing consultations,
and investigations into any situation which affects the environment or the
people.
Sam finds herself in a foreign country, without a memory of who she is. A full scale investigation is started by her brother Allan. The story takes you from Oklahoma to the continents of South America, Europe and Asia. It has mystery, action, romance, betrayal and murder, all tied together with Sam and her brother Allan.
You follow the lives of Sam and Allan as they try to find closure to Sam’s kidnapping experience. You also follow each of the criminals to the final outcome for each. Each character in the story has their own agenda, and trying to have those agendas agree leads to twists and turns you won’t expect.
Sam finds herself in a foreign country, without a memory of who she is. A full scale investigation is started by her brother Allan. The story takes you from Oklahoma to the continents of South America, Europe and Asia. It has mystery, action, romance, betrayal and murder, all tied together with Sam and her brother Allan.
You follow the lives of Sam and Allan as they try to find closure to Sam’s kidnapping experience. You also follow each of the criminals to the final outcome for each. Each character in the story has their own agenda, and trying to have those agendas agree leads to twists and turns you won’t expect.
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An Interview with Shirley McLain, Author of "The Tower"
What inspired you to write your book?
Retirement, I retired from nursing in March of 2010. I had never had time to just sit down and write as I wanted , so when I retired I started writing.
What is it about?
“The Tower” is a mystery about a young woman kidnapped from her home and taken out of the country. This story takes you from Tulsa to the Bhutan. It has lots of twists and turns.
Was there a character you struggled with?
No, I didn’t struggle with the characters. They take on a life of their own. Everything just fell into place as it needed to. I found it a very amazing process.
How many unpublished books do you have lurking under your bed?
I can honestly say I don’t have any books under my bed. I am currently working on projects but nothing I have given up on.
How did you find your publisher? How do they treat you? Would you recommend them?
I found Xlibris doing research for publishers. They treated me very well but I do not plan to use them again. Being a first time writer there were questions I didn’t know, that I should have asked. I don’t like the fact I can’t tell how many books have been sold except by a quarterly report. I want to know what my advertising is doing. They tend to not pay as much attention to you after you have published. I also wanted suggestions and help which they did not give. It was just my decision. In all fairness they did a wonderful job putting the book together.
What's the best/worst part of being a writer?
I feel the best part of being a writer is being able to make what’s in your mind come to life on paper. Being able to share your stories that are constantly bubbling up in your mind.
The worst part of being a writer is the amount of time sitting in front of the computer. I have found my writing to be almost totally consuming. I don’t know that I would change it at this point in time. I am blessed with a very supportive husband, and it’s just he and I, so I have all the time I need to write. There are times I just have to get up and give my bottom a rest from sitting.
What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?
Late in the evening is my best time. My husband tells me it is because I worked nights for so many years. I am not a morning person at all, so it takes me a while to get moving.
Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?
I have done both, actually. I may start my idea on paper and then move it to the computer and go from there. I have a stack of paper, which I have written notes on for my books.
What/who do you draw inspiration from?
I draw inspiration from people around me, or other authors. I particularly enjoy Diane Gabaldon’s writings, but I am very eclectic in my reading and my writing.
Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?
I am not usually a goal setting person. I tend to let things happen as they will. On the other hand I do try to keep my chapters close to the same word count, give or take a hundred or so. It just depends on how the flow is going for the chapter.
What are you working on now that you can talk about?
Right now I am working on a Historical Fiction called “The Dobyn’s Chronicles’.” It is based on a branch of my family who became orphans after the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1888. This book has been a really fun write for me.
Do you have a critique partner? Yes, I do. I belong to FanStory.com and have developed some very good writing friends that help me with my writing. I wouldn’t want to be without them.
Retirement, I retired from nursing in March of 2010. I had never had time to just sit down and write as I wanted , so when I retired I started writing.
What is it about?
“The Tower” is a mystery about a young woman kidnapped from her home and taken out of the country. This story takes you from Tulsa to the Bhutan. It has lots of twists and turns.
Was there a character you struggled with?
No, I didn’t struggle with the characters. They take on a life of their own. Everything just fell into place as it needed to. I found it a very amazing process.
How many unpublished books do you have lurking under your bed?
I can honestly say I don’t have any books under my bed. I am currently working on projects but nothing I have given up on.
How did you find your publisher? How do they treat you? Would you recommend them?
I found Xlibris doing research for publishers. They treated me very well but I do not plan to use them again. Being a first time writer there were questions I didn’t know, that I should have asked. I don’t like the fact I can’t tell how many books have been sold except by a quarterly report. I want to know what my advertising is doing. They tend to not pay as much attention to you after you have published. I also wanted suggestions and help which they did not give. It was just my decision. In all fairness they did a wonderful job putting the book together.
What's the best/worst part of being a writer?
I feel the best part of being a writer is being able to make what’s in your mind come to life on paper. Being able to share your stories that are constantly bubbling up in your mind.
The worst part of being a writer is the amount of time sitting in front of the computer. I have found my writing to be almost totally consuming. I don’t know that I would change it at this point in time. I am blessed with a very supportive husband, and it’s just he and I, so I have all the time I need to write. There are times I just have to get up and give my bottom a rest from sitting.
What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?
Late in the evening is my best time. My husband tells me it is because I worked nights for so many years. I am not a morning person at all, so it takes me a while to get moving.
Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?
I have done both, actually. I may start my idea on paper and then move it to the computer and go from there. I have a stack of paper, which I have written notes on for my books.
What/who do you draw inspiration from?
I draw inspiration from people around me, or other authors. I particularly enjoy Diane Gabaldon’s writings, but I am very eclectic in my reading and my writing.
Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?
I am not usually a goal setting person. I tend to let things happen as they will. On the other hand I do try to keep my chapters close to the same word count, give or take a hundred or so. It just depends on how the flow is going for the chapter.
What are you working on now that you can talk about?
Right now I am working on a Historical Fiction called “The Dobyn’s Chronicles’.” It is based on a branch of my family who became orphans after the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1888. This book has been a really fun write for me.
Do you have a critique partner? Yes, I do. I belong to FanStory.com and have developed some very good writing friends that help me with my writing. I wouldn’t want to be without them.
