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Readers, vote on a book cover!

8/27/2016

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Author Lisa Brunette is hosting a FUN cover vote-a-thon!

Entering is easy. Readers pick one of 6 cover choices for Lisa’s next mystery book, Bound to the Truth. Everyone whose pick wins gets a free copy of the ebook when it’s released this fall, and one person out of that bunch gets a free, signed copy of the print book!
 
So, what are you waiting for? Hop on over to Lisa’s blog post and vote:

http://www.catintheflock.com/2016/08/vote-for-a-cover-win-a-free-book.html
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Check out an excerpt from this upcoming release:
http://www.catintheflock.com/2016/08/sneak-preview-bound-to-the-truth-dreamslippers-series-book-three.html
 
You can find Lisa Brunette online:
 
https://www.facebook.com/LisaBrunettePage1/
https://www.instagram.com/Lisa_Brunette_Author/
https://twitter.com/lisa_brunette
https://www.pinterest.com/lisaannbrunette
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Interview with author Sheridan Winn

8/24/2016

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Tell us about your genre.  How did you come to choose it?  Why does it appeal to you? 

I think writing children’s fantasy found me! I have always believed nothing happens by chance, so it was meant to be. Fantasy was not a genre I read much as a child – maybe there was less about then. Then I enjoyed adventure stories and anything involving horses.

In early 2007, I was a freelance journalist writing profiles of business leaders. For years I had been waiting for a story idea when, at 1.30am on 21st January, the idea for the Sprite Sisters popped into my mind. I noted the words in my diary – ‘four girls with magical powers, east, south, west, north’ – and went to sleep.

For several years I had been studying with an Iroquois shaman, Grandfather Peter Redwolf, who lived here in Norfolk. I learned much from him – particularly about balance and the right use of power. The underlying theme in the Sprite series is balance and the wise use of power. Everything comes back to this. The sisters must find the balance to keep their magic strong – which means they have to work together. They must only use their magic for good or they will lose their power.

When I woke next morning and thought about my idea, I knew it was the one I’d been looking for. I started to play around with it. Everything came together very quickly – as if by magic.

As soon as I got the word ‘sprite’ I realized I could make my characters sisters – I am the eldest of four girls. I liked the alliteration of ‘Sprite Sisters’. By 10am I had Flame (Fire), Marina (Water), Ash (Earth) and Ariel (Air) clearly in my mind. And I had their ‘world’ – Sprite Towers – a home that captured the sense of magic I had experienced at Littlewood House, where I grew up.

Around 11am, I mailed Brenda Gardner at Piccadilly Press. She said she liked the idea and asked for more information. I managed to write a paragraph about my Sprites and their powers – and Brenda took the concept to a sales meeting. A few weeks later I had a contract for the first book, The Circle of Power. Would that selling one’s work was always so easy . . .

Writing Sprites allows me to recreate some aspects of my childhood and bring in some of the knowledge I learned from Grandfather Peter. Fantasy allows me to create my own world. For me it is about recreating Littlewood House, our family home of forty years (photos on my website). This big old house was on the outskirts of a Norfolk village and had twenty acres of grounds. We had fields and woods and garden to play in. That’s a lot of space here in the UK, and, being some time ago, we had a lot more freedom than children do now.

I always knew I would be a writer, but had no idea how I would start. After school I attended art college, then married a fellow student – a cartoonist and illustrator – and for many years we worked together and brought up our children. It was wonderful, but we never had any money!
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In 1990, Chris created a cartoon character called Mad Gadget and I sold it into the first edition of the Daily Telegraph’s Young Telegraph. The cartoon about the crazy boy inventor – based on our son – was the most popular strip on the weekly newspaper and ran for seven years. We tried to develop Mad Gadget for an animated television series – invested everything and nearly got there. Sadly, it didn’t make it and we lost everything – our house, health, each other. Shortly afterwards my parents sold Littlewood House to a developer and it was later burned down.

At that point – in all that loss – life led me towards freelance journalism. There I learned the craft of writing – and it is a craft. I specialized in writing profiles of business leaders and enjoyed it, but somewhere there was a book in me – if only I could find the idea.

On 21st January 2007, I found the idea. I love the idea that we all have magic power if only we could access it. I love to write about adventure – and I know a fair amount about sisters.

Perhaps the Sprite Sister stories are ‘real world’ fantasy.
 
What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?

The fog. It’s horrible. When it descends I cannot see where I am going. If I’m at the beginning of a story (as I am now – writing the second Sprite prequel), I have to focus and wait. I trust the idea will come when I am ready to receive it. Sometimes I wait days for the beginning of a book. What shape will it be? What challenge will the sisters face? What is this story about? I have no idea – cannot see it. Where is it . . .

If I’m in the middle of the book and wondering what happens next, I go for a walk. I have to trust. Once I have balanced, I usually find the next bit of the plot comes into my mind. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle: I build the story bit by bit. Often I do not get the resolution until the last few chapters – and I think, ‘Hey, that’s how they’ll do it!’
I find it is much easier to keep up the pace in the plot if the ideas come quickly. However, I have learned to wait. Age brings patience – or is it experience?
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The creative process is wonderful and awful. Sometimes it feels like flying. Sometimes it feels like physical pain. I squeeze the words out one by one.

Where do ideas come from? Why do they form the way they do? I do not know the answer.

When and where do you do your writing?

I sit at my iMac in my office on the second floor of my house and have a clear view of the sky. At twilight, I watch the moon rise. I write at all different times of the day. There is no fixed pattern. I used to start at 10pm and write till 2am, but I cannot do that now. These days the early evenings are a productive time for me, as I seem to be able to focus more easily. It’s as if the day’s clutter is done and I can escape into my Sprite world. Some days, though, it’s the afternoons that I make progress. So – there is no set way for me. I am mercurial, like Ariel.

What have you learned about promoting your books?

That marketing is even more difficult than writing! And, that you have to keep up.

My Sprite Sister series has sold over half a million copies in Germany. When German readers write to me (I always reply), they say the same things as the British readers. They like the books for the same reasons. Because Fischer Verlag has done such a wonderful job of publishing and promoting my books in Germany, I have good sales there.

I would love to be able to reach the same number of British and North American readers as I achieve in Germany.

Hence, the blog tour. I feel I am reaching out and connecting. It’s like magic.

What are you most proud of as a writer?

That I have created a series of – what will be – thirteen books and sold over 500,000 copies. To date, I have written twelve books in nine years. That feels good, considering where I started. When I look at all the Sprite Sister books lined up on the shelf, I feel really proud in a quiet sort of way.

If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?
​

Jane Austen! We would be witty and bright, discussing people and manners. We would muse on the subject of sisters and family, Mr Darcy and love, being a female author – and how times have changed

Author Bio
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Sheridan was born in Norfolk, England, and grew up in a big, rambling house in the country that became the inspiration for Sprite Towers. The eldest of four sisters, she drew on many childhood experiences as inspiration for the stories.
 
After boarding school she gained a degree in graphic design, followed by a postgraduate teaching certificate. For 25 years she worked with her illustrator husband as his business and creative manager. Together they produced a number of children’s picture books, along with the ‘Mad Gadget’ cartoon, which was the most popular strip in Daily Telegraph’s ‘Young Telegraph’ newspaper for over seven years.
 
In 2001, Sheridan changed career and became a freelance journalist specialising in lifestyle features and profiles of international business leaders. Today she spends the greater part of her time writing fiction.
 
In 2014, Sheridan wrote Boudica’s Daughters, a YA novel about two pairs of sisters living two thousand years apart. Essentially, a modern-day tale about coming to terms with a terrible violation, the story of the daughters of Queen Boudica of the Iceni tribe echoes that of today.
 
A lively and engaging speaker, Sheridan enjoys the chance to interact with her readers and other writers. She lives in Norwich and has two grown-up children and a granddaughter. She has a keen interest in the Arts and finds walking a good way to think up ideas. She always carries a notebook.
 
http://www.sheridanwinn.com
 
On Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2aJBqNH
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheridanwinn/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/SheridanWinn
 
The Sprite Sisters: The Boy with Hawk-Like Eyes (Vol 6) on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2b8dsMX
{FREE ON AMAZON FROM AUGUST 24th-28th}
The Sprite Sisters: Magic at Drysdale's School (Vol 7) on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aOj041
{ON SALE FOR 99 CENTS ON AUGUST 29th}
The Sprite Sisters: The Mystery of the Locked Room (Vol 8) on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aOj9Ew
{FREE ON AMAZON FROM SEPTEMBER 2nd-6th}
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Interview with author Dr. Paulette Kouffman Sherman

8/14/2016

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Tell us about your genre.  How did you come to choose it?  Why does it appeal to you?  

My genre is spiritual psychology/self-development.  I am a psychologist and life coach who writes about healing by addressing mind, body, emotions and Spirit.  I have written many books that seem different—some are children’s books, books about relationships, spirituality or my cancer experience—but the through line is that that they have one of three overarching themes.  They all help people to love more, to shift from fear into love and/or to empower them through change.
 
It’s natural for me to write about healing since I’ve been a healer most of my adult life as a therapist and certified life coach.  I’ve always wanted to help people to grow, to live lives that they love and to join others in making this world a better place.  Beyond that, I originally was inspired to write books based upon what I was seeing in my work as a healer (most of my relationship books) or based upon things I learned in my personal journey that I thought it would be helpful to others to share (such as my cancer books for other survivors going through what I did).  I also wrote a few children books that I wanted my kids to read because I thought that they were important messages for future generations. 
 
In a broader context, I began to write a book legacy 4.5 years ago when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to go to chemotherapy and radiation for a year.  I prayed and received a message that I would be okay but I had a book legacy of 22 books to write.  I didn’t know how much time I had to leave my messages behind so I decided to do this quickly and to just write and self-publish them on Amazon one after another with little marketing.  So, I just wrote about things that inspired me and didn’t worry about whether my ideas would be marketable.  I was able to complete 21 books so far and have one book to go, with many more ideas.  And book #21, The Book of Sacred Baths, is now being published by Llewellyn Worldwide, a publisher I love.  I learned how to meditate in my sacred baths to get regular guidance on creative ideas and next steps so inspiration would flow and now I write more from my Spirit than from my ego mind.


What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?


The writing feels pretty easy for me because I try not to judge myself too much and just to write as I would teach or talk.  I am not writing a novel so I don’t have to rewrite each sentence ten times, or at least that’s what I tell myself.  I am not trying to be anyone but myself and there’s no need to impress.  I think it’s important to know what you think will help that reader and just to practice talking to them through your written words.  Plus, when I have a publisher I’m lucky enough to have an editor to fine tune my work.  My challenge is to write from my heart, to be authentic and to complete each project so there is an opportunity to help someone.

Actually for me the most challenging part of the writing process is not writing, it’s marketing or getting the word out about my current book.  That is a whole other project and these days the author is expected to spend 6 months to a year writing articles about their topic, doing media and learning to promote their work.  I have learned a lot about pitching, making placements and spreading my message through various media including social media, television, radio, writing etc.  This is time consuming unpaid work and there is often a lot of rejection so I’ve learned to just keep going.  I almost treat it like a game where I spend two hours at a time just contacting people and I have learned to connect my topic to current media events and related articles that are in process.  This is something very valuable for authors to learn, otherwise it’s like dropping your baby off on the doorstep and hoping people will find her.  It’s important to help get your message into the world.


When and where do you do your writing? 

I commute to my psychotherapy office for 50 minutes on the subway (now that’s only two days a week but it used to be more) and I usually get a seat.  I always have a notebook where I jot down ideas for articles and books.  Believe it or not that was my main quiet or liminal time because I have kids and no longer like to write at night because I strive to get 8 hours sleep.  I wrote a bunch of books on the train ride or in interim work breaks and when I had enough notes I would find pockets of time to type it up at home. 

After that, I started taking sacred baths for 25 minutes and it was the perfect relaxing, focused time to help me incubate and receive creative inspiration.  As I took these sacred baths daily I began to channel ideas for my books very quickly and then my work came from my higher self instead of my ego, so there was less worry, judgement or blocks and things seemed to flow more quickly.  So now I get my best ideas in my sacred baths (which I have written about in, The Book of Sacred Baths, being published by Llewellyn Worldwide) and then I make notes during the day in my notebooks to develop them and when I have a pocket of time I type them up.  When I have deadlines to edit a manuscript or a book is due, I look at my calendar and devise longer pockets of time to get into the flow and to really work on it.  Often I will print out my first draft and put it in a binder and carry it around with me to edit it on the subway rides or when a client cancels.  That binder goes everywhere with me until it’s ready to be changed on my computer.  There have been times my husband will take our kids to the play- ground for two hours at a time on a weekend so that I can work too, if I’m on a deadline and sometimes my mother-in-law has the kids visit on a weekend so I can work.


What have you learned about promoting your books?

I have learned a lot about book promotion but still have so much to learn.  I have read a lot of marketing books because I didn’t have money to pay a PR person each month (although I loved my PR person at Llewellyn who helped me two months before my PUB date and 3 months afterwards).  This was a boon but I still approached it as if I were expected to do the lion’s share of the work on a small budget because the author needs to invest in promoting the book.  I spent some of my advance flying to The American Librarian Association Conference in Orlando and on creating a television reel about my book.  Other than that, I focused on free ways that I could spread the word.  This included booking radio shows and doing them from home on the days I did life coaching by phone.  I wrote a bunch of related articles and placed them in different publications.  I posted daily on social media about sacred bathing for a year.  I taught myself how to use Hootsuite and spent several hours curating daily posts for 3 months at a time so that when it got busy I didn’t have to worry about it.  All this was in lieu of having an ongoing paid team.  Many popular self-help published authors have a social media manager who posts for them, a dedicated ongoing PR person and more, but when you are beginning or do not want to spend money that you aren’t making writing than I think it’s important to learn these skills yourself.  My friends are amazed that I am spending time writing articles and booking events and radio shows all for free but that is the cheapest way to spread your message.  Plus, very few people write to make money.  Most of us are mission driven and just want to reach people and when you see how many talented writers pray just to be published, you become grateful for that opportunity regardless.

What are you most proud of as a writer?

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As a writer I am probably most proud of leaving my messages of love behind and for listening to that guidance to do this.  I believe in leaving behind a legacy to make this world a better place and my books, my children and my therapy work are part of my legacy.  I was also happy to win 14 book awards, to have my books translated into five languages, to be published by Simon & Schuster and Llewellyn and to have learned a lot about the book industry.  I’m proud of my tenacity to keep writing even when no one reads it, publishes or applauds it.  I still keep sharing, learning and expressing myself.

If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?

This is a good question.  At this moment I think I would meet with Dr. Masuru Emoto, with an    interpreter as he was Japanese.  I say this because I dedicated my current book to him, ‘The Book of Sacred Baths: 52 Bathing Rituals to Revitalize Your Spirit.’  He was a fellow Atria author and a forerunner in the research on water.  He showed that water responds to our consciousness, intention and prayer.  He wrote several amazing books on this, including, ‘The Hidden Messages in Water.’  He passed away unexpectedly while I was finishing the last draft of my manuscript and I would have loved to show it to him and to see what he thought.  We had never met so it would be fun to continue discussing our joint love of the metaphysics of water and how it can influence our consciousness and connectedness.

Author Bio

Dr. Paulette Kouffman Sherman is a licensed psychologist, life coach and author of the upcoming, The Book of Sacred Baths: 52 Bathing Rituals to Revitalize Your Spirit, published by Llewellyn,  Dating from the Inside Out, published by Atria Books and 19 others.  She won 14 book awards and her books are translated into five languages.  She’s a monthly expert in JDate's JMag and on Eligible Magazine.  She’s been an expert on television like Fox 5 The Ernie Anastos show, the CBS Early Show & the AM Northwest Early Show and a radio guest on the Curtis Sliwa show, NPR’s Cityscape, Pathways and others. Dr. Sherman was quoted on MSN.com, USA Weekend, the NY Post, Newsweek, Lifetime.com, More, Match.com, Foxnews.com, Fox Business, Crains, Better Homes & Gardens, Reader’s Digest, Redbook, Glamour, Forbes, Woman’s Day, Metro newspapers, Men’s Health, Seventeen, Men’s Health, New York Magazine, Web MD, Everyday Health, Complete Woman magazines, the Huffington Post and the NY Times.  She has a psychotherapy practice in Manhattan and does dating coaching by phone. 

To learn more, visit her websites at  
www.sacredbathing.com , www.DrPauletteSherman.com and 
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www.parachutejumppublishing.com/books/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kpaulet

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pauletteshermangroup/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/29HsXNm

BarnesandNoble: http://bit.ly/29FbPVc

Walmart: http://bit.ly/29TcgRG

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/29Biiky
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Interview with author Andrew Joyce

8/13/2016

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Tell us about your genre. How did you come to choose it? Why does it appeal to you?

I did not choose the genre, it chose me. My first book was a 164,000-word historical novel. And in the publishing world, anything over 80,000 words for a first-time author is heresy. Or so I was told time and time again when I approached an agent for representation. After two years of research and writing, and a year of trying to secure the services of an agent, I got angry. To be told that my efforts were meaningless was somewhat demoralizing to say the least. I mean, those rejections were coming from people who had never even read my book.

“So you want an 80,000-word novel?” I said to no one in particular, unless you count my dog, because he was the only one around at the time. Consequently, I decided to show them City Slickers that I could write an 80,000-word novel!

I had just finished reading Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn for the third time, and I started thinking about what ever happened to those boys, Tom and Huck. They must have grown up, but then what? So I sat down at my computer and banged out REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer in two months; then sent out query letters to agents.

Less than a month later, the chairman of one of the biggest agencies in New York City emailed me that he loved the story. We signed a contract and it was off to the races, or so I thought. But then the real fun began: the serious editing. Seven months later, I gave birth to Huck and Tom as adults. And just for the record, the final word count is 79,914. The book went on to reach #1 status in its category on Amazon—twice. It also won the Editor’s Choice Award for Best Western of 2013. The rest, as they say, is history.

But not quite.

My agent then wanted me to write a sequel, but I had other plans. I was in the middle of editing down my first novel (that had been rejected by 1,876,324 agents . . . or so it seemed) from 164,000 words to the present 142,000. However, he was insistent about a sequel, so I started to think about it. Now, one thing you have to understand is that I tied up all the loose ends at the end of REDEMPTION, so there was no way that I could write a sequel. And that is when Molly asked me to tell her story. Molly was a minor character that we met briefly in the first chapter of REDEMPTION, and then she is not heard from again.

So I started to think about what ever happened to her. After a bit of time—and 100,000 words—we find out what did happen to Molly. It is an adventure tale where Huck Finn weaves through the periphery of a story driven by a feisty female lead. Molly Lee was my second book, which achieved #2 status on Amazon.
Now I was finished with Huck Finn for good. Now I could go back to my first novel and resume the editing process.

But not quite.

It was then that Huck and Molly ganged up on me and demanded that I resolve their lives once and for all. It seems that I had left them hanging, so to speak. Hence, RESOLUTION: Huck Finn’s Greatest Adventure.

What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?

A good question and the first time I’ve been asked that. I write mostly Historical Fiction, so I reckon I’d have to say that the most challenging aspect of the writing process for me is the researching and making sure that everything in my books is 100% accurate.

When and where do you do your writing?

I prefer to write in the early morning hours when things are quiet. I usually get up around 2:00 a.m. and go to work. The commute is not long . . . only a few steps to my computer.

What have you learned about promoting your books?

That I hate promoting my books!

What are you most proud of as a writer?

My average star reviews on Amazon. My current book is averaging 5 stars. The average for my other two books is 4.6 stars. (By the way, another good question. It gives me a chance to do a little bragging. Thank you.)

If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?
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I guess it would have to be Louis L’Amour. I would not ask him about his writing. I would want to know about his life. He lived a life far more exciting than anything he ever wrote about. And if Louis was busy that night, then I’d ask William Shakespeare over. God! I’d love to know where he came up with some of his stuff.


Author Bio
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Andrew Joyce left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. He wouldn’t return from his journey until decades later when he decided to become a writer. Joyce has written four books, including a two-volume collection of one hundred and forty short stories comprised of his hitching adventures called BEDTIME STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS (as yet unpublished), and his latest novel, RESOLUTION. He now lives aboard a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his dog, Danny, where he is busy working on his next book, YELLOW HAIR.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Andrew-Joyce-595023267193024/?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/huckfinn76
http://andrewjoyce76.com
 
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/1tuAbeR

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30009309-resolution

B & N: http://bit.ly/260BsIg
 
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Interview with author Terri Lee

8/11/2016

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Tell us about your genre.  How did you come to choose it?  Why does it appeal to you? 

You would think this would be the easiest question of all, but it's not. I wouldn't say I chose my genre...because my stories CHOOSE me. That being said, though all three of my books have been different, they are all LOVE STORIES.  The Romance genre is a very large tent and I'm happy my stories are at home here. My tag line is: 'Romance may be pretty but love stories are real.' That's the kind of story that appeals to me. Real people, real stuff.

What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?

To make sure I'm being historically accurate with details. My stories have spanned from the Edwardian period to the 1920's and most currently the 1960's. I'm a dog with a bone about details and actually love the whole research process.

When and where do you do your writing?

I'm so lucky to have my own writing space. A home office decorated with all my favorite things. With my beautiful Yellow Lab, Elizabeth Bennett by my side, I spend hours at a desk so big it has its own zip code. I have no set schedule for writing. I'll collect dozens of thoughts, words, phrases, and notes in my audio files in between writing sessions. When I can actually sit down at the computer, I'm ready to go.

What have you learned about promoting your books?

That you can never do enough. Ha ha. What I LOVE about the process is all the people I've  been able to connect with, who follow me on my social sites. To have this little relationship with people from all over the country and all over the world...it's humbling.

What are you most proud of as a writer?


That I actually published a book. Do you know how many people talk about writing a book one day? How many people dream about it? I took that dream and nailed it down on paper. I'll be forever proud to say, "I did that."

If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?

I'd prefer to have a big dinner party with the table full of interesting guests from all eras, because my tastes are too varied to put into one box. I'm usually reading at least two books at any given time and I go back and forth depending on the mood of the day. But if I were lucky enough to be invited to this fabulous soiree, I'd hope to be seated next to Jane Austen. I wonder if she'd be pleased to know I named my dog Elizabeth Bennett?

 


Author Bio

ROMANCE MAY BE PRETTY BUT LOVE STORIES ARE REAL.

Down every road is a story. The telling of my story has a distinct before and after quality to it. My life before, was a love story. A Hallmark movie. With a couple of I Love Lucy episodes thrown in for good measure. Boy meets girl in High School. Sweeps her off her feet and marries her. But after 41 years of love and laughter the bottom fell out with the uttering of one little word. Cancer. A love I thought I'd grow old in, slipped away in the middle of the night. Leaving me to ask, what now?

Thankfully the writing that sustained me through my entire life was there to catch me when I fell. At first I poured it all out onto the pages of my journal. A mix of words, ink, and tears tucked safely between the leather covers. 

Here I am in the after part of my story. But the after is also the NOW. Eventually the purging of emotion led me back to another story that had been pushed to the back burner during trying times. Characters who had been waiting patiently began to nudge and push. It was time to sit down at the computer and let the story be told. Let the healing begin. 
When I ask the question, who am I now?...I realize though the road may have changed, I'm still a storyteller.

If it's one thing I know about, it's love. But I'm not interested in simply writing about; boy meets girl. My tag line is: Romance may be pretty but love stories are real. And that's where I want to be when I'm writing...down deep where the real story lives. Because love is messy. And glorious. I want to roll around in a story and fall in love. Want to come with me?
 
On Facebook: http://bit.ly/1t64wzz
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/terrileeauthor
Website: http://www.terrileeauthor.com/
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/2afWlfq
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Author Interview with David Wallace

8/11/2016

1 Comment

 
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Tell us about your genre.  How did you come to choose it?  Why does it appeal to you?

The thriller genre for Trojan came naturally from the idea that spawned the story. While I was attending the Naval & Marine Corps Computer Science School at Quantico, one of the instructors removed the covers off a few of the systems in our lab. I noticed the tiny CPU chips, the brains of these systems, were all manufactured overseas somewhere. This shocked me and made me a little nervous that our defense systems could be dependent on foreign parts. It begged the question, what if rogue computer logic was embedded on these systems at the time they were manufactured, causing them to crash at a predetermined time, incapacitating our defense systems. It was that idea that led to the creation of Trojan. The thriller genre appeals to me because I love action packed stories. I also like mystery elements added to the story. It’s the style in which I wrote Trojan. The number one thing I look for in a story is entertainment. The added bonus for Trojan, it that it’s relevant to today’s escalated cyber terrorism activity.

What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?


Without a doubt, the most challenging aspect of writing is finding the time to write. I make my living as an information technology professional and I work 50-hours a week. I’m a single father of a 14-year-old son and we spend time together doing things. Now that I’ve self-publish, the marketing and self-promotion of my work takes up even more of my time. I force myself, no matter what, to put in at least a couple of hours a day on writing.

When and where do you do your writing?

I find myself waking up in the wee hours of the morning write. I wake up early or go to bed late to write. I’ve also learned to just write through the noise and distractions around me.

What have you learned about promoting your books?

It’s a lot of work. Tons of communication. A full time job in itself. I have the upmost respect for anyone who’s successfully self-published and promoted their own work.

What are you most proud of as a writer?

To have just about completed two full novels and a children’s story. Trojan is my flagship novel, the first I completed.

If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?


Steven King. We’d discuss his ability to continuously crank out novel after novel, year after year, for decades, while maintaining the highest quality. He’s a master craftsman. I see him as a modern day Shakespeare.

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Interview with author Hettie Ivers

8/9/2016

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​Tell us about your genre.  How did you come to choose it?  Why does it appeal to you? 

This series is a paranormal romance. Writing in the paranormal genre expands the world of possibilities. And while I wouldn’t say that I necessarily believe that werewolves and vampires exist, I do believe in the paranormal and extrasensory perception and I think that what most of us see and experience on earth is not all that’s out there. As a kid I used to see and interact with spirits in the house that I grew up in, so it’s always been a normal part of life for me.

What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?

My greatest challenge is finding the time to sit down and write! I have a demanding job that leaves me with very little time to write at all. I tend to write stories out in my head during the day while I’m running around doing other things, and then when I finally find space to sit down at my laptop, I basically regurgitate everything that’s in my head as fast as I can possibly type it out.

When and where do you do your writing?

In bed late at night.

What have you learned about promoting your books?

That I’m terrible at it and I hate it. 

What are you most proud of as a writer?

I’ve always written for fun and for my own private amusement, mostly, so the greatest joy and pride for me in sharing some of the things that I’ve written has been the friends that I’ve made through the sharing process, and most especially, seeing friendships come about between my readers, because creating something that resonates with others is awesome, but seeing readers positively connect with one another over something that resonates with them both that I had some small part in is outstanding.

If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?

My mind always goes straight to Albert Camus with this question, because The Stranger is my favorite book of all time, and boy, would I love to talk Absurdism with Camus over some wine. I’d probably end up wanting to make out with him by the second glass, though, and that just wouldn’t be right. Next my mind goes right to Anais Nin, because I obsessively read her diaries years ago and find her to be such a fascinating human being and female writer on so many levels. I’d for sure wind up sleeping with her—and probably while we were still at the dinner table.
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So ultimately, I’d have to pick dinner with Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, because what a man and what a life! I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to shake that man’s hand and give him a solid hug—even though he’d totally spit on my American lifestyle and fluffy werewolf smut-writing (;p I just wouldn’t mention anything about myself over dinner). The Gulag Archipelago and Cancer Ward are literary works that will haunt a reader forever, and I classify them among the greatest contributions to the world that any writer has ever made. 

Author Bio
 
Hettie Ivers loves to tell stories—the more twisty, darkly humorous and smutty, the better!  A workaholic insomniac with an overly active imagination, Hettie began writing as a distraction from the real life corporate mergers that were giving her nightmares. 
 
As a dog lover and lover of hot men, she thought it'd be fun to write about both—combined into one paranormal package.  Hettie favors stories in which realistic, relatable characters must navigate fantastical, larger-than-life circumstances. She's a sucker for sexy antiheroes, underdogs, and flawed protagonists, and she enjoys fresh spins on classic tropes with a sprinkling of satire. 
 
https://www.facebook.com/hettieivers/
https://twitter.com/hettie_ivers
http://www.hettieivers.com/
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/29H0SmT
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Cover Reveal: Redemption's Price

8/7/2016

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Redemption's Price
By Angie Smuin and David Smuin
Genre: Christian historical fiction, Christian suspense
 
What happens to Saphire?

Is Carnoff dead or alive?

Will they find Lord Colton?

Overthrowing Carnoff’s castle was only the beginning of the challenges for Lady Mariah and Lord Stone. They must now deal with the devastating effects of forced marriages, corruption and the destruction brought on by war.

Lady Mariah and Lord Stone’s love is not enough to bring peace to the lands that have been ravaged by war. Redemption’s price may cost them everything.

Extending trust is difficult when people are divided and loyalties are challenged. Mariah and Stone will learn that not every heart corrupted by evil can be restored.
 
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaveandAngieSmuin/

On Twitter: @angelasmuin

http://dna.smuin.org/
 
Available on August 10, 2016! Pre-order your copy: http://amzn.to/2axZH93

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Interview with author, Bill Walker

8/7/2016

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Tell us about your genre.  How did you come to choose it?  Why does it appeal to you? 

I have more than one genre in which I enjoy writing, but for the sake of this interview we’ll stick with the genre for Abe Lincoln On Acid.  I’ve always loved reading “what if” stories about history taking a different path.  When my co-author, Brian Anthony, and I started our Lincoln series, it soon became apparent that adhering to the usual constraints of Alternate History was to our disadvantage.  Obviously there is a paranormal aspect with a seemingly immortal Lincoln, but it was also important that it dovetail with real history as much as possible.  This precluded Lincoln re-emerging as a national figure.  Rather, all he wanted was to help his country and all the current politicians want him to go away.  This way Abe Lincoln On Acid and its predecessor, Abe Lincoln: Public Enemy No. 1 are really what I would call “Secret Histories.”

What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?

The most challenging thing is to come up with a workable idea.  At least that’s the case with me.  I envy the prolific output of Stephen King and his ilk, but that’s not me.  I also have to be obsessed with an idea.  When I am I will work tirelessly, ever day, to get me to a finished first draft.  And that requires discipline, as well.  Sitting down at the computer, even if I’m not “in the mood.” 

When and where do you do your writing?

I have my little office nook where I work best.  I also work best in the morning, but if an idea grabs me at midnight, I’ll at least spend the time to jot down the basics for more serious consideration in the morning.

What have you learned about promoting your books?

That promoting books is harder and more expensive than ever.  Many people touted the internet as a panacea for authors to promote their work.  And while the opportunity to do so is a good thing, the reality is tough going because every other author is doing the same thing.  Even in the old days of advertising, it was hard.  My father was one of the original “Mad Men” in the 1960s and I remember him telling me that to be effective an ad has to be in the public eye for 90 days.  I imagine that timeframe has lengthened somewhat.  We as consumers are used to tuning out the deluge of ads and information so to really cut through takes persistence and a fair amount of cash.

What are you most proud of as a writer?

While I’m proud of everything I’ve published, the one book that is of special significance is A Note from an Old Acquaintance.  It’s a love story written from a man’s point of view, which is not common.  It seems to touch a chord in people and I’m happy that I could give readers the emotional wallop I intended.

If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?

I would say it would have to be Stephen King.  I would really love to talk about how he generates ideas and the process he goes through when he writes.  Another author would be the late Jack Finney, who wrote—as far as I know—the first time travel romance, Time and Again.  That has been my favorite book for many, many years.  I’d want to ask him why he thinks no one has adapted it into a motion picture after the nearly fifty years since its publication in 1970.


Author Bio
 
BILL WALKER is an award-winning writer whose works include novels, short stories and screenplays. His first novel, Titanic 2012, was enthusiastically received by readers, and Bill's two short story collections, Five-Minute Frights and Five-Minute Chillers, are perennial Halloween favorites. A highly-respected graphic designer, Walker has worked on books by such luminaries as Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Dean Koontz and Stephen King. His most recent novel, Abe Lincoln: Public Enemy No. 1 was published in 2013.

https://www.facebook.com/bill.walker.108

https://www.facebook.com/brian.anthony.520?fref=ts
 
http://walkeranthonybooks.com
 
Purchase Links:
 
Kindle: http://amzn.to/27Uiipr
Hardcover: http://amzn.to/1sB4hfD
Paperback: http://amzn.to/1TD0c1u
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    Author

    Freda Hansburg is a psychologist and co-author of two 
    self-help books, PeopleSmart - which h​as sold more than 75,000 copies and has been translated into ten languages - and 
    Working PeopleSmart, 
    as well as numerous professional publications.  Her first novel Shrink Rapt, 
    is a psychological thriller with a dash of romance. She lives in the South Carolina Low Country.

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