Spotlight Interview with author Cody Toye

Q1: Thanks for participating in our Authors.com Spotlight Interview series, Cody! Please introduce yourself and your book to help our readers get to know you.
A: My name is Cody Toye.  I live in SW Missouri with my wife, Heather; my son, Gideon; our Labradoodle, Rose; and our wiener dog, Artie.  One of my books about to be released is The Adventures of Zorza the Alien: Book 1 The Journey.  This is the first book in The Zorza trilogy.  Follow Zorza as his home planet is destroyed, his exile from the surviving members of his race, and his crash landing on an unknown blue planet.

 

Q2: Please explain how you came to be a writer, what inspired you to write your book(s) and how long it took. 
A: I told bedtime stories to my son, nieces, and nephews.  They would ask me to tell the same stories, or continuations, every night.  My son told me they should be in a book, so I decided to write them.  It took me about six months to get Zorza the way I wanted it, and the way Gideon agreed with.

 

Q3: What did you enjoy most about creating this book? 
A: Reading to my son and getting his input.  If he didn’t like a certain part, it usually got changed.  I liked giving the characters life.  Silith was a small character in my bedtime stories, but my son expressed such an interest in her that she ended up with a much larger part in the book.

 

Q4: What facets of your life, both personal and professional, are  woven into your book, if any?  
A. Several of my characters are based off of my family and my wife’s family (but, don’t tell them that).  It is not necessarily their nicer traits.

 

Q5. How did you get published?

 

A. I started off using Lulu -self publishing.  After several months of not a single sale, I tried my luck with Smashwords.  They have a sort of list of Indie publishers.  I contacted Trestle Press; they sent me a contract the same day.

 

 
 

Q6: Did you have any surprises or hiccups along the way during the  book writing and/or publishing process?

A. Yes, several.  To start off with, when do you decide a book is truly done?  After completing the first Zorza, I was addicted to the characters and plot so much that I decided to make it a trilogy.  I had trouble deciding which direction to take the characters and how to tie them all together.

 

 

Q7: What one thing did you wish you'd known before you started this project? 
A. E-Books.  I didn’t know very much about them or how popular they have become.  I would have spent more time formatting for the eBook and less time worrying about page numbers.

 

Q8: You're a fly on the wall when readers are discussing your book.   What would you hope to hear them say about it?
A. I would hope they would focus more on the humor of the story and less on the seriousness of planets getting annihilated.  I want children and adults alike to fall in love with the characters and want to relive adventures with them in the future.

 

 

Q9: Tell us one thing about you that most people don't know or  would surprise them. 
A. I usually have an idea for a story pop into my head while I’m taking a bath.  If I have a bit of writer’s block, I take a bath.  My wife complains about our water bill.  I also have a horrible memory and am scared to death of fruitcakes.

 

Q10: What single piece of advice would you give new authors?
A. Weigh all of your options before putting your story out on the internet.  When I started writing, I did not know the differences between the types of publishing.  Each type has their strength and weaknesses find the one that works best for you.

 

Q11: Share a short summary of a typical day in your life with us  please. 
A. I start the day with coffee, large quantities.  While my son is in school, I spend time with my wife.  I take a bath, then I write.  If I get stuck, I take another bath.  When my son gets home from the bus, we play video games together.  I put away several more pots of coffee.  Somewhere in between the other things, I eat.

 

Q12:  Describe where you do most of your writing. What would I see if I was sitting beside you?
A.  I despise furniture; so I will almost always be found with only the laptop, coffee, and a nice piece of carpet under me.

 

 

Q13: What's your motto or favorite quote you like to live by?

A. Start your day off laughing.

 

 

Q14: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us in closing such as your website, an imminent book launch or what you're working on presently? 
A. I am currently working on my Dribbles the Squirrel digital short series, the first of which can be found on amazon.com.  I am halfway through Xander’s Demise, which is the second book in the Zorza trilogy.  You can find out more about my books at www.toyebooks.blogspot.com.  Thank you for taking the time to get to know me.

 

 

Thanks for your time Cody! Please share this Authors.com Spotlight Interview with friends and fans by linking to it, Tweeting it, Digging it, sharing it on Facebook and generally shouting about it anywhere you can.

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