The Grayton Beach Affair

Enter to win a print copy of Grayton Beach Affair!

Just comment on the post below and leave the first bit of your email address. You do need to be a NOR Newsletter / Fan Club subscriber to enter. USA Postage Only. Ends - 3/25

***

James Harvey, author of Grayton Beach Affair
www.graytonbeachaffair.com

When I started writing Grayton Beach Affair, I intended the book to be for the male reader. It was going to be a war, action, danger story that included German agents, escape from POW camps, French Resistance fighting, etc. Then I introduced Maggie and made her a strong female, willing to take control of her life, and the book began to evolve into more of a romance.

Truthfully, I would not call myself a romance author; I’d classify myself more mainstream. Grayton Beach Affair is my first novel. I did not write an outline before starting the manuscript, but allowed it to unfold as it went along in an "organic" fashion. There were many nights I would lie awake and try to figure how I was going to get a character out of a situation, and I found this a more enjoyable writing experience. Grayton Beach Affair turned out being a romance, cloaked in a war drama.

I realized I was walking a thin line in trying to create a story that both genders would enjoy, but it seems to be working so far. My targeted audience includes adult men and women who have an interest in reading about the subject matter, i.e., a World War II action, romantic thriller. It seems that most readers will be 40+ years old or older, and at book signings, most purchasers are in that age bracket.

I conducted extensive research for my book. I read several books on German U-boats, life on a U-boat and visited The Museum of History and Technology in Chicago. Because I grew up near Grayton Beach, I am familiar with the location, but I also researched websites for additional information on the history of the area. I read several books on German POW camps, researched France and the French Resistance primarily on the internet, and also visited the Resistance Museum in Lyon, France. I live in the Atlanta area and am familiar with the Atlanta landmarks such as Rich's Department Store, Piedmont Park, East Lake Country Club, etc.

A little on my background: My writing background has been in the business world, writing marketing material for IBM and commercial real estate development. I grew up on the Gulf coast near Grayton Beach, FL and heard stories of German submarines that cruised along the area during the War, sinking allied ships. When I discovered there were also German prisoner of war camps in the area during the war, I realized that a lot of people were unaware of both and began to think that it would be a good story to tell. Grayton Beach is also a popular vacation spot, and I believed that people would enjoy reading about that area. Simply put, I thought I had a marketable book – whether it was printed or an ebook.

I am seeing a lot of e-book sales for Grayton Beach Affair. I think having that option is a win-win for both the author and reader because of the low cost to produce and purchase. My book is most likely classified as a casual "beach read", not serious literature, and both paper and e-book format should meet the reader's needs.

I believe that the publishing industry is being turned upside down and now is a great time for an author to produce and sell books using the new technologies available. As more peopIe purchase e-book readers, I believe the e-book will be the primary format. The key to selling a book in either format is, in addition to writing an interesting story, also having a strong marketing and public relations program.

As far as my next project goes, I am doing research for the next novel, but it is still in a development stage. I write for my own enjoyment and not under a timeframe or deadline. Right now I am spending most of my time making readers aware of Grayton Beach Affair.



Amazon: Grayton Beach Affair