An Interview with Logan Fret: Author of Where’s Our Purple Heart

Logan Fret is a relatively new author, with only 5 works published. A musician by trade, he spent a great deal of his time reading in hotel rooms between shows. One winter when he was putting his motorcycle away for the year, he searched for books related to motorcycles and motorcycle clubs. With nothing to read, he decided to write a book himself. After completing 4 books in the Three Rings series, he tried his hand at the horror genre with Until It Rings. Since releasing those books, Logan took time to work on a book that deals with abuse and the aftermath of that abuse.

Tell us about your book.

Where’s Our Purple Heart is a story about family, abuse, coming out, and how repressed memories come back to haunt you when you least expect it. It asks a question that should be asked about the families who endure abuse when someone comes home from war and doesn’t deal with what they experienced in battle. There’s no recognition for the families, who often endure more horrors than the soldiers did in battle, over a prolonged period of time.

Why did you want to write a book?

It started out as a way to process the things that occurred during my childhood. As I was writing, it became about more. It became about providing a voice to the many other people who have similar stories and letting them know they’re not alone. At that point I started including more of my experiences in it, including what it was like to finally come out to the people in my life, and to finally tell the truth. I think that sharing those experiences with readers will give them hope, will give them the strength to do it too. Hiding half of who you are and how you got there is no way to live a life. I wish I’d had something like this available to me a long time ago.

Why did you choose to self-publish?

I’ve already been self-publishing for a while. I’d considered trying to go the traditional route with this book. In the end though, I didn’t want a committee changing what the content of the book is. I want this book to be brutally honest and feel like a corporation might try to water it down to make it appeal to the general public more.

What tools or companies did you use, and what experience did you have?

I’m not a fan of using “tools” to write a book. I use Microsoft Word to write, and Excel to keep track of information as I’m writing to keep things on track. I used bookcoverzone.com to choose a premade book cover. I like the quality of the covers available on there, as well as the customization that is included. I have a person I’ve been using for beta reading and line editing. That’s my process in full. I like my books to be in my own voice, so I don’t use any other tools.

What do you think are the main pitfalls for indie writers?

A lack of exposure and the fact that marketing yourself and your work is brutal. Trying to stand out in any market is tough, but when everything is up to you, there is a steep learning curve. I’ve still got a lot to learn about this side of things.

What tips can you give other authors looking to self-publish?

Don’t take advice from me. Lol. I’m still a newbie at this compared to others out there. I will say that it is definitely worth your time to watch videos and learn from the people who have gone before you and succeeded. One thing I’ve learned is that you shouldn’t be in a rush to get things out to the public. Wait until you’re completely happy with your book. Wait until you have a game plan for marketing before you start taking steps to publish.

What was your steepest learning curve during the publishing process?

Marketing. There are just so many different things that work for different reasons on different platforms. Learning how to know what will work best for you is a steep curve.

As a writer, what is your schedule? How do you get the job done?

I only write when I’m inspired to. I don’t stick to a schedule. Sometimes a month will pass without writing a word. Other times I will wake up feeling inspired and then suddenly it’s fifteen hours later and I’ve been going nonstop. The one schedule I do stick to is when I make changes. After I get my beta reading results, I let myself stew on them and think about things for at least three months so that my changes aren’t reactional. The result is something more well thought out.

How do you deal with writer’s block?

I stop writing until it goes away. I’ve got a creative mind and a bit of OCD. My brain won’t let it go, and eventually something will come to me that I like. I know that if I try to force it, everything I forced will get deleted anyway. I wait until I know what I want to write instead.

Who are your biggest writing inspirations and why?

Chris Paolini and Lee Childs. Ordinarily I write books that are very different from this one. Chris Paolini is a genius at making the reader forget that magic isn’t real, and dragons don’t exist. His stories make you just accept it and focus on the very real, very human stories he is telling. Lee Childs is great at calling back to things that you forgot about and giving it a payoff. I love when books give you something and then don’t touch on it until it’s paying off way later. Plus, let’s face it, Reacher is badass. He’s managed to keep a single guy interesting for what…a hundred books now? Okay not that many, but you get the point.