Interviewing Authors

Leigh Savage Interview - Book Giveaway

2009-09-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

** Book Giveaway ** Details at the end of this interview!

Author Pen Name:
Leigh Savage

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

Leigh: I took Leigh from Vivien Leigh who I’ve always admired. Then Savage came from my Fathers pen name Kain Savage. The combination of the name I thought fit me very well with Leigh showing my romantic side of my writing and Savage being for the dark side that my writing sometimes leads me.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

Leigh: I write mostly vampire paranormal romance. I’ve had several poems published online and in print. In November I released my first children book The Smile Box (written under my married name Carrie Lea Williams).

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Leigh: In high school I became a huge Romance junkie and I loved to read any romance that had anything paranormal however at the time those type of books where had to find. So I started writing my own paranormal romance short stories to help get my fix. I remember sitting in my science class and a couple of the boy and girls would want to see what I had written so they’d be sitting in class reading my stories instead of their science books. Our science teacher never said anything to them since they where A students. Those very stories that I wrote while in class are featured in the Bound by Blood novel. I’m trying to keep the stories true to the original so that readers can see how I’ve grown as a writer since those first short stories too my full length vampire novels that I now write..

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

Leigh: I would have to say my Father even though he mostly wrote horror but he took the time to write stories just for me and he would read them to me at bedtime. My Father installed the love and reading and writing into me at an early age. In 2005 I lost my Father and my mentor. I still find it hard sometime when I come up with new ideals I want to pick up the phone and call him and I have to remind myself that he’s no longer there. That’s why the release of Bound by Blood is so important to me it gives me a chance to honor his memory and share his work with the world as he always wanted.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Leigh: For the most part since I’m working with a on demand publishing company I have no deadlines so I have lots of freedom with my schedule. Once I start writing down ideals I’m very in the zone don’t bother me. Recently our laptops motherboard went out so I’ve found that I’ve gotten spoiled to being able to write using one and find it hard to make myself sit in front of the desk to write. I’m currently saving to get a new one so I can get back to work on the third vampire novel Embrace of the Immortal.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

Leigh: Now that this isn’t my first time it’s more of the aftermath of the release that seems to be never ending. Getting your book in print is really only a very small part of the job. Now that’s it’s out there you have to make your book noticeable among a sea of books.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

Leigh: It have’s to be my spelling and punctuation. I got my Father’s love of writing J but my Mother’s horrible spelling abilities L

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Leigh: I spend time with my husband of 12 years and my daughter who’s 6 and my son who’s 4. I’ve been a stay at home mom since the birth of my daughter. Hang out with my other Mom friends. When I get time to myself *sighs* I love to curl up and read a book, watch TV (mostly anime), and of course surfing the clearance racks for great bargains. I enjoy drawing and painting. This came very handy when designing the book cover for Angel of Death, Shadows of my Past and the illustrations in my children book.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

Leigh: Shadows of my Past which is my newest release that was hinted at in the end of the first novel Angel of Death. Angel of Death has also been released with a new sexier book cover and both books are available in Print and EBook formats.
I’ve also released my children book The Smile Box and had a great response from it so far. The book is currently being used in the South County YMCA Preschool program as part of the teaching Curriculum.

I’m currently working on getting a collection of short stories that I wrote with my Father called Bound by Blood getting it ready for print and hope to have it out later this year.
It’s really hard to choose a favorite…hummm…well if I have to choose Mika from Angel of Death and Desi from Shadows of my Past because both of them are strong female charters that can kick a** but at the same time be soft and loving.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

Leigh: For the most part my characters tend to create themselves taking on a life of their own while I’m writing. So as I’m writing I get to see my charters develop and grow the same as a reader would the first time they read the book.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

Leigh: Know that getting published is only a small part of the battle. Be prepared to put many hours of work into getting your book noticed by social networking, interviews, reviews, book trailers, signing and so much more that it can make your head spin.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

Leigh: They can Email: leighsavage@sbcglobal.net

Become one of MySpace friends: www.myspace.com/leighsavage
http://www.freewebs.com/thebookhouse/operationbook.htm
http://paranormalbookbreak.ning.com/profile/LeighSavage
http://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=d33dlit\

Shadows of my Past is currently available at:
Paperback:
https://www.createspace.com/3378917
http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-my-Past-Leigh-Savage/dp/1442131535/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2
EBook: http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=4074161

Angel of Death at:
Paperback:
http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Death-Leigh-Savage/dp/1434843017/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251131989&sr=1-5
https://www.createspace.com/3337961
EBook: http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=4074161
The Smile Box A Story About Feelings:
Paperback:
http://www.amazon.com/Smile-Box-Carrie-Lea-Williams/dp/1438204167/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251132607&sr=1-1
https://www.createspace.com/3340332

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

I would like to take the time to thank you Crystal for taking the time to have me on your blog and interview me. I’d also like to thank the readers for taking the time to stop in and read the interview.
If you’d like to read reviews for my first novel Angel of Death visit:
http://themonstersnextdoor.com/angelofdeath.html
http://kaseysview.blogspot.com/2008/06/angel-of-death-by-leigh-savage.html
http://joyfullyreviewed.com/reviews/Dec08/angelofdeath.LS.html
Watch the book trailer for Angel of Death at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy_v5oZAQek
If you’ve read the interview and leave a comment I’ll choose one lucky winner to receive a Signed Copy of Angel of Death and Shadows of my Past.
I will post a list of name of all winner on MySpace Blog at the end of the contest.

CA: Thanks Leigh for a wonderful interview! Now, like she said, if you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win a signed copy of Angel of Death and Shadows of my Past!! Make sure to leave your email addy so we can contact you if you have won!

Stephen Zimmer Giveaway

2009-05-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

** Giveaway **

A signed copy of the book, a poster of the cover art,a set of 7 glossy, full color art cards with illustrations from the book,a bookmark, and an 8X10 of the cover art! That is an awesome giveaway if you ask me! Now, what do you have to do to get your hands on these goodies? Just leave a comment or question for Stephen and at the end of the week, I'll use random.org to choose a winner. Please leave an email address so the winner can be contacted! You really don't want to forfeit this prize!

Author Pen Name: Stephen Zimmer

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

SZ: I have to say that my name was given, rather than chosen, though I suppose
that I have chosen to stick with it so far!

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

SZ: I am primarily a fantasy writer, although elements of horror and science
fiction do work their way into my material. As time goes on, I look to do
a few things that are more centered in the horror genre, although
crossover elements will almost certainly be included.

The Exodus Gate, while predominantly fantasy, reflects quite a blend of
things. It draws off of lore about the Nephilim, Angelic/Demonic lore
from Christian and Jewish Mysticism, Sumerican/Babylonian mythology,
Apocryphal texts such as the Book of Enoch, Persian and Asian mythology,
and a whole lot more.

In terms of why I write the stories that I write, my answer is that I
write the kinds of stories that I would like to read myself. My stories
are ones that I would buy in a bookstore myself. In this sense, I
certainly hope that there are a few readers out there who share my taste
in stories and books!

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

SZ: I have always been driven to be a story teller, which is at my foundation,
but in high school I began to start getting more serious about writing
novels. (Though I definitely could not do anything serious with what I
wrote during that period!)

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

SZ: J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. The worlds of Middle Earth and Narnia were
the wonderful, magical places that beckoned to me as a youth, and I
responded whole-heartedly. It was all thanks to the fact that my mother
read me the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit as a small child (when I was
about 7), a chapter a night, and then bought me the seven Narnia books.
She had a real passion for all of those books, and strongly conveyed it in
her readings to me.

As I began to become more serious about writing, I also give credit to
Clive Barker, George R.R. Martin, Glen Cook, Roger Zelazny, and David
Gemmell for providing yet more inspiration.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

SZ: My predominant writing schedule is early morning, or later evening, if I
am not feeling too tired. I love to write all day if given the chance. I
need to try to shield myself completely from all distractions when I
write, as I really immerse myself mentally into the things that I
envision, and describe what I see, hear, and feel in my head. Once I am
in my writing zone, I try to stay in it until done.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word
that describes how you feel?

SZ: Grateful!

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

SZ: Getting the material to where I felt confident enough in it to pass it on
to an editor. I have really worked, reworked, and honed this material
over a few years, including doing a major overhaul when I felt that it was
not where it needed to be.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

SZ: I am also a filmmaker, and enjoy that medium as a storyteller as well.
Though constrained by low budgets, as a writer/director I have one indie
feature (Shadows Light, modern fantasy/supernatural thriller) and one
short film (The Sirens, horror) in distribution (more information on these
movies are on my website). Screenwriting is a very different beast than
writing novels, with its own unique set of challenges.

I have a wide range of other interests, including sports, exercise,
history, traveling, reading, movies, and much more. It is a benefit to
have a wide range of interests, as you tend to glean something from
everything that you do and experience for your writing.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

SZ: This is my first book, tentatively planned to be a series of 5. I have
also completed the first book in a series that is more of an epic
medieval-type fantasy series, which my editor is nearly finished with.
The first draft of the sequel to the Exodus Gate is finished, and I have
drafts for the 2nd and 3rd books done in the medieval series. I do have a
couple of completed novels that I wrote earlier in life, which will not
see the light of day unless they go through a major reworking.

As far as preferences, I can’t say that I really have a favorite yet. I
do have a deep passion for medieval history, myths, and legends, all of
which get to run loose and wild in both of these series.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally
from your imagination?

SZ: There are always inspirations and influences that come from the people
that you encounter in this world. They have a way of coloring the
characters that you create, no matter how fantastical or non-human they
might be. However, none of the characters in The Exodus Gate are directly
based on a real person, though a few of the more political figures have
been heavily influenced/inspired by some notable figures from our world.
I will leave it to the reader to take their own guesses. I placed this
story in a parallel world so that people do not get too caught up in
direct comparisons.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

SZ: Read. Read often. Truly, a good writer is a good reader, I believe, and
I think that it is very helpful to read a number of different styles in
the genre that you like.

Secondly, don’t view your editor or test readers as adversaries.

If you have test readers who are genuinely interested in seeing you
succeed, listen to what they have to say. As far as editors, it astounds
me how many writers develop a combative approach to their editors.
Editors can see what you do not see. That does not mean that you will not
have a disagreement with them once in a while, on a matter which you need
to discuss and explain further with your editor in the context of the book
or series that you are working on, but never forget that your editor is
there to make your work better.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

SZ: I am pretty easy to find, at http://www.stephenzimmer.com where my email,
myspace contacts, and other information can all be found. I am also on
FaceBook under my name for Lexington, Kentucky.

I am making a number of personal appearances over the summer, and love to
meet readers in person. After having attended recent events like
MidSouthCon 27 in Memphis and DemiCon 20 in Des Moines, I will be at
ConCarolinas (Charlotte, NC), Hypericon (Nashville, TN), InConJunction
(Indianapolis, IN), Fright Night Film Fest (Louisville, KY), Archon (St.
Louis), and more. Check my site to see the most current list, under the
Appearances menu.

The book itself is available in print, eBook, and Kindle. My site has an
online store, and there is also one at my publisher’s site at
http://www.seventhstarpress.com

The book is available at all the usual online outlets (Amazon, Barnes and
Noble online, etc).

My publisher’s site also carries a list of bookstores that are actively
carrying the Exodus Gate on the shelf. I really encourage people wanting
the book to support these stores, as it is not easy for a small press
author to get shelf space. The stores willing to allow that should be
rewarded! Please buy it off the shelf whenever possible.

I also want to mention that really enjoy hearing from readers, and am more
than happy to discuss things about the book. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

SZ: I want to reassure those that are brave enough to give my book a try, and
end up liking it, that I really do know where this series is going and
that I will not take overly long in releasing new installments.

Right now, the plan is to release one book from The Rising Dawn Saga each
year, give or take a month. We plan a similar schedule for the epic
medieval series (first one due around the fall of 2009). This will result
in 2 books a year, so that readers enjoying each series will get a new one
without having to wait too terribly long.

I also want to mention that I don’t put frivolous sections/threads in my
books. Everything in The Exodus Gate has a purpose, is going somewhere,
and the threads get tighter and tighter as everything works its way to a
spectacular conclusion. Stick with me and find out what happens. I
don’t think you will be disappointed in the least if you like your fantasy
epic, rich, and deep!

Those buying The Exodus Gate will also discover more than a little added
value as well. Artist Matthew Perry produced the cover art and no less
than 15 full page illustrations in the book. This hearkens back to the
good old days when novels commonly came with illustrations, and Matthew
really came through with some outstanding images, samples of which you can
find on our publisher’s site.

I suppose that does it for now, and I want to thank Crystal very much for
the opportunity to do an introductory interview, and those who have read
it! It is very much appreciated!

CA: Stephen, thanks so much for an amazing interview! Good luck with all of your tour this year, it sounds very promising! Your writing style also sounds unique and very interesting, I wish only good things for you in the future with your writing!

**Remember just leave a comment or question for Stephen to be entered in his awesome giveaway! **

Mistress Rae Interview

2009-05-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: Mistress Rae

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

MR: It’s simply just an abbreviation of my full name. Folks either spell it wrong or pronounce it wrong, so….lol.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

MR: I like writing dark paranormal romance, horror, and erotica--sometimes a combination of all three, lol. I enjoy writing stories that are out of the ordinary, which is why I was always fascinated with anything NOT the norm, even when I was a kid. Horror is just plain fun--and not the ‘splatter gore’ and ‘torture porn’ you see nowadays. I enjoy the works of Poe, and a lot of the Roger Corman movies that starred Vincent Price. These are movies that had class! They’re part of my inspiration when I write. I like a lot of the 80’s horror flicks (Freddy, Jason, Michael, Pinhead) and some of the vampire movies of that time as well, like my top fave, The Lost Boys. There’s tons of other horror/vampire movies I like too---these keep my brain revved up, lol.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

MR: It stared in 3rd grade with a simple writing assignment, using our spelling words for the week.. The assignment didn’t have to be bigger than a paragraph, but I kept writing, and writing, and writing….lol. The teacher was stunned, and handwrote the story on one of those huge sheets of grade school paper, and had it taped outside the classroom door. I was happy for the ‘A’, but just as embarrassed when I got those typical ‘looks’ from my classmates!

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

MR: Poe. King. Nature (the fall season especially). Current events--depending on what they are, and how bad they seem, help me create ‘what if’ scenarios. Non-fiction books that discuss the legends and lore of the vampire and other supernatural creatures.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

MR: I write either in the early morning or very late at night. Rainy days especially. These times are when the business and buzz of the world is at its lowest, and I can concentrate much better.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

MR: Nervous. (But hoping for the absolute best, lol)

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

MR: Making sure I had the absolute cleanest typo-free manuscript. Just when I think it’s at its best, I STILL find something I overlooked. That’s my biggest and most annoying bane.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

MR: I LOVE finding subjects to photograph. I like creating dark, ‘atmospheric’ photos, and have a continuously growing gallery at my website. I also like creating digital art, and designing book covers for individual authors. I like checking out movies every now and then, and going to state parks. If I’m not doing that, I’m working on Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine, which I publish twice a year, along with my Yahoo Group’s bi-annual horror/gothic anthologies.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

MR: I’ve written over seven so far, my favorite being my current dark paranormal romance series, ABRAXAS. I’m really having fun with this one, and I have loads of free chapter excerpts and trailers at its webpage, http://BloodTouch.webs.com/abraxas.htm . I have the latest book in the series coming out this summer, and a special Halloween one coming out this fall.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

MR: A few are inspired by folks I know or used to know, but not that many. Most of my characters already come to me, ready-made and ready to speak, lol.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

MR: NEVER stop doing what you love, even when other try to discourage you. Stay away from dream-killers! Remember: ‘Misery loves company’! Associate yourself with folks who share your interests and dreams and who can help you climb up the literary ladder.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

MR: They can contact me through Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, my Yahoo Group, blog or through my website. They can also find my books at www.lulu.com/gratistavampires. I have lots of free chapter excerpts and short stories available there too.

WEBSITE: http://bloodtouch.webs.com/
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Gratista_Vampires
Blog: http://bloodtouch.wordpress.com/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Cinsearae
Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Cinsearae-Santiago/766915535
Myspace: www.myspace.com/Cinsearae_s

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

MR: Feel free to explore my website! I have tons of fun things writers of the darker genres might like to know about, especially Dark Gothic Resurrected magazine, which I created especially for ’newbie’ writers, poets, and artists trying to get their feet wet in the literary world. It’s also an outlet for authors to get a free bit of promo for their books, as I have a section dedicated to new and upcoming books from today’s hottest writers. I also invite writers to join my group if they have a love of anything creepy, horrific, or Gothic. My group recently released it’s fourth anthology, “A Look Into The Mirror Darkly”, which is showcased at http://www.adult.blazingtrailers.com/ (just put Cinsearae in the search box) Folks can also check out my own artistic trailers at www.youtube.com/user/Cinsearae
Thank you so much for having me here, Crystal!

CA: Mistress Rae, it was a pleasure having you here, I look forward to reading your book and posting the review : ) the interview is very promising and so as I said I look forward to your writing. I am a huge vampire/paranormal fan, so your books are right up my alley! Thanks for being here this week!

Kevin Hughes

2009-02-15T15:24:00.001-08:00

Author Pen Name: Charles Porter for Just Another Shade of Blue, but Kevin Hughes for the latest ones.

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

KH: It’s a combination of my middle name, a nickname and the nickname of the aunt who raised my mother. But I only used it for my first novel until I found an agent and she convinced me that using my real name was better for marketing, at least on the local level.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

KH: Well, I suppose the official genre is mystery/ thriller/ suspense, but Casualty Crossing would also fit into the character study category. I write about what I know and my day job affords me a lot of experiences that generate some very interesting plots. Fiction seems to be my forte and one of the reasons I prefer to write a tale versus nonfiction is because I’m the one who decides the ending.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

KH: I was never much of a reader until I was 18 and read The New Centurions by Joseph Wambaugh. He’s the writer who made me a dedicated reader and it was around that time that I just knew deep inside I would write a novel one day.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

KH: Hmm … that’s hard to explain. Something inside of me triggered the urge and once I started, I was hooked.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

KH: Absolutely insane.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

KH: Accomplished.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

KH: Getting published. The book biz is brutal and although you expose a little of yourself in your work, you can’t (at least that’s what I’m told) take the rejections and criticism personal.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

KH: I love my day job, so I’m very lucky. When I’m not working, I enjoy reading and traveling.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

KH: I’ve written three and the fourth will be released in 2010. My favorite? That’s tough, because in a way all of them are my favorite, but I think for now it’s Dogging Truth. But, when Archer is released next year, I have a hunch that might go to the top of the list … at least until I write the one that follows.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

KH: My standard and straight-faced response is that all of my characters are fictional. (Okay, perhaps they’re influenced a little by my life experience.)

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

KH:If you are truly a writer, never give up. Ever. And while you’re at it, find a good editor—it’s worth the expense.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

KH: Gee, I just happen to have a few links: my email is Kevin@kevinhugheswrites.com; to order my novels you can hit my website for links at http://www.kevinhugheswrites.com/ or through my publisher at http://www.stonegarden.net/. Amazon also lists my stuff and most bookstores will be happy to order any of the titles you choose. (Naturally, I suggest you purchase all of them and if you like them, post your comments on the Amazon site.)

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

KH: Yeah, Crystal Adkins rocks.

CA: LOL, thanks Kevin : )

Lucien Black

2009-02-06T04:36:00.001-08:00

Author Pen Name: Lucien Black

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

LB: Well I once played a game and one of the characters in the game had the name Lucien. I loved the name and combined it with Black, which I thought was a good solid last name. What I later found out was that Lucien means light and well black signifies dark so it turned out to be a very cool play on words.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

LB: I write fiction stories, which I classify as Science Fiction/Fantasy. With my series, No Vacancies, I am introducing readers to four completely different storylines; each one with different elements of fiction. For example, One More Sunday is about a detective that investigates the death of one of the city’s superheroes known as the Protector. In Outcast, I blend horror and action adventure. Therefore, readers can experience multiple tales that all have unique characters and storylines. Some of these stories will continue in future volumes and others will be self-contained. I really feel that this format keeps the storytelling very fast paced and makes the reader come back for more.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

LB: When I was 19, I fell in love with the notion of writing. Within three years, I had successfully brought together a few creators and we self published a comic book. That was an exciting time and we were thrilled to see it in print. I have multiple titles that I wrote as comic book series, but I am in the process of transforming all of them into the short story/serialized fiction format used in No Vacancies. Volume 1 includes three of those stories (High Stakes, Outcast and One More Sunday) and one unique story that I wrote as a short story.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

LB: I had a very long writing dry spell after some long personal strife. I met my wife about four years ago and my life has changed infinitely for the better. She is my rock, my support and my inspiration to keep with whatever I do. She backs me 200% and forces me to stick with it. I could not imagine my life without her.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

LB: Well since I work a full time job, I write when I can. I have my lunch hour devoted to either school or writing and that has really focused my energy. Outside of that, I write on the weekends and when I have spare moments.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

LB: Exhilarated.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

LB: My biggest concern as a writer is definitely confidence in my work. I am without a doubt my own worst critic and tend to be hard on my work. Writing a story that draws the reader in, gives them an exciting ride and leaving them wanting either to know more about a particular character or to read the next part of a story and doing it well is a major obstacle. In the end, I just have to let the chips fall where they may and see what turns out.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

LB: I work a full time job and spend my spare time with my wife and family. I try to write when I have the free time and that is usually early in the morning or during lunch hour. That has become my ritual writing and study hall, as I am a part time student as well.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

LB: No Vacancies is my first book, but it really contains four different stories. I think my favorite story is One More Sunday, though years ago if you asked me that question that answer would have been different. I had only intended to write OMS as a self-contained story, but because of the feedback, I think the characters from One More Sunday will be back again soon. After that, it is a tossup.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

LB: Honestly a little of both. Most of my characters are from my imagination but I try to infuse certain characteristics of other people or myself. I think what personal experiences bring is that absolute sense of realism. One of the main problems in comic book writing is that many writers miss adding in those life experiences. If you are trying to accept characters as real, there has to be that human element. Divorce, death, loss of jobs are all critical aspects of life that should be blended in with the action or horror. When I started re-writing these stories and redeveloping my characters, I added in many elements from my own life that I thought would add that sense of realism.

There may be a few supporting characters that are thrown in for, let’s say cathartic release, but any similarity to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

LB: Stick with it. It can be a long and hard road to get published (even self published). Stay confident and keep writing. I tried so many times to get my writing out there. When I finally saw the finished product in my hands, my knees went weak.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

LB: I would love reader feedback. They can contact me at lucienblack@gmail.com or they can connect through my website http://www.lucienblackbooks.com/. I have links to my blog and various other sites. The book is available on Amazon.com and Lulu.com.

CA: Thanks Lucien for an awesome interview. I first heard the name Lucien in a movie… maybe Gladiator and loved it as well. LOL I guess your pen name is contradictory but it works right?!

R. Scot Johns BOOK GIVEAWAY!!

2009-01-04T05:54:00.001-08:00

****CONTEST AT THE BOTTOM OF THE INTERVIEW!!********

Author Email: scot@fantasycastlebooks.com or scotjohns@cableone.net

Author Pen Name: R. Scot Johns

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

RSJ: I suppose I ought to have used some clever epithet like Roger the Hermit or Mithridates Meat-Cleaver, or some such thing as that. But sorry to say, I wasn’t that inventive, and just stuck with my real name, boring as that might be. Do you think it’s too late to change it now?

CA: Scot LOL if you change it to something ending in Meat-Cleaver then I think I’ll have to ummm… not run this interview. *grin*

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

RSJ: I tend toward what I like to call “historical fantasy,” that is, fantasy fiction set in the real world of a past time period, like Homer or the Arthurian legends. The Beowulf story is a good example of this, although the mythological aspects in the original poem far outweigh the historical references. In my novelization, The Saga of Beowulf, I’ve tried to balance those out somewhat more evenly, developing the historical elements from references within the poem as well as external evidence from chronicle and archaeology. I’m fascinated with ancient and medieval history, and would like to write a work of pure historical fiction, although instead my next book will go the other route and be pure fantasy.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

RSJ: I actually woke up in the middle of the night some twenty years ago with this full-blown story running through my mind, in that utterly lucid state where it’s just as real as life and you know it like your own life story. I grabbed a pen and paper and wrote until the sun came up. Then - after a lengthy nap - I went out and bought an old manual typewriter that very day and set up a card table in my attic. That was 1988, as I recall, and that story will be my next book. After working on it every day for several months I decided that if I were going to approach writing seriously I should get a proper education in the craft. So I went to college for six years and wrote a completely different book instead, and only now am getting back to that first story.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

RSJ: Like many fantasy authors, Tolkien is among my foremost inspirations, if for no other reason than the fact that he wrote the book he wanted to regardless of how long it took or what anyone else thought that it should be. Of course, the fact that it’s brilliantly written and immaculately conceived has been a source of wonder (and emulation) for fantasy authors ever since. But also in my ongoing study of history I am always drawn to the works of literature that define their time – from Homer to Asimov, Hamlet to Beowulf – so that it is writers who I most believe to be the foremost chroniclers of the human race. Without writing, in fact, there would be no history, and much of what we know would long ago have been forgotten.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

RSJ: Incredibly erratic. It would be wonderful to be an author full-time and have a steady writing schedule, but I can barely imagine that, so unlike it is my real life. As it is, I write when I can, so that I will go through periods when I have no energy at all left after work and get no writing done for days and months (and sometimes years); and then I’ll get a break or find some inspiration and I’ll write in every spare moment I can manage for a string of weeks and months, barely surfacing for air. Fortunately, I do now have a job with summers off, so that’s become a major creative time for me of late. But oftentimes, when it’s down to rewrites and editing (or publishing and promoting), it’s really just a matter of putting in your time like any other job, plowing through a few hours at a stint until it’s done, whether there’s energy or not. That’s one the biggest surprises I’ve discovered about the writing process that I really didn’t anticipate: a lot of it is just plain hard work, choosing words and piecing sentences together, tedious beyond belief when you’re faced with rearranging 360,000 words as I was with this one. But, in the end you have this world where nothing was before, and that makes it all worth while. It’s like giving birth, but to something solely of your own creation, emerging from your mind and soul to live for all of time.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

RSJ: Trepidation. But mixed with great excitement and anticipation as you wait for the initial response. One word can’t really cover what you feel, there are so many factors involved at that point: enormous relief at being done with it, and that sense of accomplishment is very buoyant and ethereal. But then it’s like rocks being tied about your ankles to bring you back to earth when you send it out, because what you’re bound to get for quite some time – at least if you pursue traditional publishing avenues – is rejection, and lots of it, from people who won’t even read your book. And just when you thought you were done writing, you suddenly have to come up with this wealth of promotional material: queries and blurbs and outlines and letters and synopses and proposals and tons of research into agents and editors and publishers, and all for nothing for the vast majority of us. Writing the thing, it turns out, is a very small part of becoming an author. But having done it, I can say that there is really nothing to compare to it, in my experience at any rate.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

RSJ: Overcoming my own doubts, mostly. There were a lot of challenges, not least of which was the fact that this was an adaptation, so that I felt I had a lot to live up to. And there was an enormous amount of research to be done, which took quite a few years in itself. But really, what blocked me most and caused the most grief throughout the long and grueling process that this turned into (ten years from start to finish), were nothing but my own misgivings. Unlike most authors, I had never written so much as a short story before, so I was really starting from ground zero. It was a ridiculous project to undertake, but my experience in college English Lit courses (along with a few professors) prompted me to think that I could do it. At least some of the time, that is. But it was enough.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

RSJ: Sleep! Actually most of the time I read and listen to music. That’s pretty well how I spend my time. Never too many books, never enough time to read them all. However, I tend to spend as much time daydreaming, as I have one of those minds that likes to wander, as most writers do, I imagine. When I read it stimulates my thought processes, and suddenly hours will go by while I’m staring out the window with the book still at the same page. I get a lot of good story ideas that way, and it’s how I tend to work out my plot complications when I’m stuck.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

RSJ: This is my first that’s finished, so I guess that narrows the choices down as to which is my favorite. I’m very excited to write this next one, though, because I think it will be a very different experience from the first. With The Saga of Beowulf, because it was an attempt at doing a thorough and accurate adaptation, I was very restricted in where the story could go, so that greatly limited my free writing, and every choice I made had to be based on a number of criteria not dealt with in pure creative writing. The next one, The Jester’s Quest, will be a very open-ended adventure tale, a hero’s quest type of road trip. And although I know the overall story arc and where it will all end up, there’s a lot of latitude (literally) that I can cover in my literary wanderings. I will also be writing this one online – or more accurately, posting my writing sessions each day on my blog (at http://authoradventures.blogspot.com/), so that readers can follow along and comment on it as it grows, and in so doing, very likely effect how it turns out. So join me there for a fun-filled adventure, and see what writing a book is like!

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

RSJ: Definitely from my imagination. I’m sure there are a lot of real-life elements that I borrow from unconsciously, of course, since writing is really reenactment in a lot of ways (or “acting out” as parents like to call it). But I didn’t base them on my friends or anyone I know specifically. And again, since this was an adaptation, many of my characters came pre-made, so to speak, if very thinly sketched. The vast majority of them I had to create wholesale to populate the world. So I built my characters based on the needs of the story rather than building the story to fit characters I wanted to write about. At least for this one, anyway. That might change if I write a true historical work. But with Beowulf there is nothing at all known about the few historical characters involved, in terms of their personalities and whatnot, and even very little about their activities, so that I had to make them up almost entirely from scratch. I had a good idea what I wanted from the outset, and the story fleshed them out as they made their way through it. You hear authors often talk about characters coming to life and taking over their own story, and it’s true, and very weird when it occurs. Whole characters will emerge fully formed from nowhere just as if you turned a corner or walked through a door and there they were, like in real life. So you say hello and let them in.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

RSJ: Good lord, no! Don’t listen to me, I don’t know what I’m doing. Honestly, though, I would say to read: read all the time, read tons of stuff, but most of all read what’s good. Read the classics. “Good stuff in, good stuff out,” I like to say. Sort of a “you are what you eat” philosophy for the mind. We are all very much the products of our environment, and if you read crap that’s what you’ll think good writing is. Be critical of everything your read, and especially your own work. Develop your ability to discern what is good writing, and adhere to it at all cost.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

RSJ: I have both a website and a blog, as well as MySpace and Facebook pages, so you can look me up. My blog link is http://authoradventures.blogspot.com/ and the website addy is http://www.fantasycastlebooks.com/, where you can find a vast wealth of resources for your further enjoyment of my debut novel, including free downloads of the first six chapters (the first part of which is also online) and audio readings of several pages, as well as artwork, extensive adaptation notes, a deleted sequence, and a “Norse decoder” for two bits I put into the book in Nordic Runes, but intentionally gave no translation for. You can print out your own bookmarks, too, by the way, with artwork I did for the cover. There’s a page with links to many of the places you can buy the book online, in either print or eBook form, but Amazon has always got the best price so far as I can tell.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

RSJ: Your blog rocks! Everyone should have a feed to Crystal’s fifteen blogs. Leave your comments and I’ll answer them as quickly as I can. And if you read my book, please tell me what you think of it, as readers are the “weighers of a writer’s soul,” as it were. Feel free to contact me at any time, either at my blog or through the contact link on my website. I look forward to hearing your responses.

CA: I interrupt lol, I don’t have 15 blogs only 3… but who knows maybe I’ll create another one just because I can… lol!

RSJ:Oh, and by the way, we’re doing a drawing here on Crystal’s killer blog for a copy of my book, drawn from among the comments left here to this interview, one week from today. Only one entry per commenter, but feel free to comment many times. Also if you leave a comment on either of my sites saying that you read the interview at Crystal’s place I’ll count that too, but still just once per entrant. And for anyone who leaves a comment, but doesn’t win the book, I will be more than happy to send you an autographed bookmark if you like, just for being a good sport and reading all this drivel.

CA: Thanks so much Scot for an awesome interview and for the great giveaway! I’ve told you why Beowulf sticks in my mind, and one of these days I’ll make sure to read your book… but from all the sites I’ve seen you on, it must be really good! Now everyone, like Scot said, he’s going to be giving a way a copy of his book, The Saga of Beowolf to those that leave a comment or question here. The winner will be announced on Monday Jan. 12, so make sure to leave a way that Scot or I can contact you. No way to contact, no win.

Happy New Year to you all, may 2009 be the best!

Jacquie Rogers- Contest!!

2008-12-14T11:28:00.000-08:00

*CONTEST* Read the interview to find out how to win some goodies!!!

Author Pen Name: Jacquie Rogers

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

JR: It’s my real name. I was going to use JD Roberts because people are always saying Roberts instead of Rogers, and my first initials are JD. But then I found out about this author named Nora who also writes as JD Robb . . . so I stuck with my real name. That’s the truth—I didn’t read romance at the time and I had no idea who Nora Roberts was. Wow, was I ever missing the boat!

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

JR: My genre is actually humor, then you add in romance and fun settings—different times and places throughout history and into the future. The only thing I don’t write is straight contemporary, vampires, or erotica.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

JR: I’m not sure I’ve realized it even yet because writing sort of just claims you. My mother wanted me to be a writer so of course I wanted to be a baseball announcer. I ended up a software consultant. Who knew?

But then about 10 years ago I dreamed a book, wrote the first 200 pages in three weeks, and decided I’d better figure out exactly how to do this gig. I quit my business and set up an office at home. My dh is very patient with me. He proofreads all my work and finances all the PR without a gripe. Okay, so I’m grounded until January, but that’s because we have four birthdays as well as Christmas to buy for. Internet shopping is my friend.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

JR: My daughter, Moriah, was the first one to encourage me to give it a shot (meaning, when I actually did start writing fiction). I think she hooked me when she read me a passage from one of her romance novels (I didn’t read romance at all then) and the hero said, “You’re a wanton woman.” Only Moriah said, “You’re a wonton woman.” So now Chinese food reminds me of romance novels.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

JR: I write from 3pm to 5pm, and from 10pm to 2am. With Pirate breaks.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

JR: Petrified.

But now you have to let me explain. First of all, it’s hard to put a book out just because your heart and soul are now open for criticism. What if someone doesn’t like your book? Readers think books are books, authors think books are a part of them. Big difference. With humor, there’s a double-whammy because let’s face it, humor is very subjective. That’s why I’m scared to death. On the other hand, I’m also excited because my ultimate goal is to give someone a few hours away from their troubles, and put a little joy in their hearts.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

JR: Finishing. I have the attention span of a gnat and I keep thinking up new ideas that seem considerably more intriguing. To counterattack, I created an ideas folder and I allow myself two pages per idea. No more. And then I have to get back to the book I’m writing.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

JR: I play fantasy baseball. My team won the championship in our league this year. Yay! I also play Pirates: Rule the Caribbean on both facebook and myspace. Of course, I love to read and watch movies, although I’m seldom enticed to watch TV programs.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

JR: I’ve written a bunch of books that haven’t been published and two that have. Any one of them is my favorite for a different reason. Faery Special Romances is my first published book, plus it was a challenge to write for several reasons, so of course it’s near and dear to my heart. Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues is set near where I grew up and is populated with characters who have the same attitudes as my friends and neighbors had, plus I adore Socrates, so I love that book, too. An unpublished western historical romance that may never see light of day, throws out the B-western mythos and features a heroine who’s strong and confident. I love that book but it doesn’t follow the “rules.” I could go on and on. LOL

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

JR: Both. Most of my characters are from my imagination, but some of them do have elements of the people I’ve known. It’s actually difficult to make a real person into a character because fiction has to be two things: plausible, and bigger-than-life. Let’s face it, bigger-than-life is not plausible, so it’s definitely a tightrope to walk.

In Faery Special Romances, Princess Keely is an amalgam of my oldest daughter’s tenacity, my younger daughter’s orneriness, and I threw in a big dose of Emma’s (from Jane Austen) confidence that she right with her matchmaking. And she’s always wrong. Also in that book, Sir Darian in the first story is patterned loosely after my own ancestor in 1199a.d. But most of the characters are figments of my imagination.

Brody Alexander, the hero in Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues, is imaginary, but his moves are based on two real rodeo clowns: Leon Coffee, one of the best bullfighters of all time; and Jim O’Keefe, a person friend who was a rodeo clown for years. All Brody’s injuries as well as his daring, determination, and slick moves are from Leon and Jim, although I did tone it down considerably because non-rodeo goers couldn’t believe what they really do. Rita, well, she’s a teensy bit autobiographical, except I stayed in the city with my city boy and I like it here just fine. LOL. Rita’s a high achiever and is very goal-oriented, and only Brody can upset her balance sheet. Socrates came out of the blue. He’d resent it highly if I were to attribute his finer qualities to anyone else.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

JR: Write, study your craft, and write some more. Follow your own instincts, but stay open to new ideas. Most of all, let your hair down and put your soul on the page.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

JR: Website: http://www.jacquierogers.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jacquierogers
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jacquie-Rogers/18676302690
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jacquierogers
Gather: http://jacquierogers.gather.com
Email: jacquierogers@gmail.com
I’m also on a bazillion ning sites, but here’s Keely’s special place:
http://faeryworld.ning.com

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

JR: I write a weekly article about writing craft or business for Texty Ladies (http://www.textyladies.com) Magical Monday and a monthly article in Unusual Historicals (http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com). I’m a member of IWOFA, Infinite Worlds of Fantasy Authors (http://www.iwofa.net) which is a wonderful place to find out about paranormal books and authors. We’re having a fabulous contest starting Dec. 15th, so please check it out. Lots of prizes are available!

I’d also like to mention the cause I work for: neurofibromatosis (NF) awareness. NF is a genetic disorder where painful tumors grow on the nerves. These tumors grow inside and outside the body, so obviously the children don’t make good posters, and those who suffer from NF have kept out of the public eye. More children are born with NF than muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis combined, yet most people have no idea what NF is. I didn’t, not until we found out our oldest daughter has it. All royalties from Faery Special Romances go to the Children’s Tumor Foundation (http://www.ctf.org), ending neurofibromatosis through research.

(CONTEST) And finally, I’m not above bribery—no sirreebob. So all you have to do is ask me a question about my books, Socrates, Princess Keely, my book videos, NF, or Justin Saragueta, or make any g-rated comment, and you’ll be in the drawing for these prizes:

Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues T-shirt
Faery Special Earrings
Faery Special Notepad
Faery Special Pen.

Crystal will choose the winner.

Also, the first person to post a comment stating who this Justin Saragueta fellow is will win a Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues T-shirt and a calendar magnet. If you include his myspace page link, you get a signed copy of Faery Special Romances.

And finally, finally, if you’re on facebook and you play pirates or dragon wars, friend me, please. Aaarrgh

Crystal: I just love Jacquie she’s so much fun and her books are also fun to read. I’ve had the pleasure of reading/reviewing both Faery Special Romances and Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues. You can check out the reviews here, and I hope it will intice you to pick up one of each or more lol to give out as gifts.
Faery Special Romances: http://bookreviewsbycrystal.blogspot.com/2007/06/faery-special-romances-by-jacquie.html
Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues: http://bookreviewsbycrystal.blogspot.com/2008/11/down-home-ever-lovin-mule-blues-by.html

Now as Jacquie said she’s offering up some pretty cool goodies here! SO first person to identify who Justin Saragueta is will win a T-shirt and calendar magnet—if that same person includes his myspace page address they will win a copy of Faery Special Romances!!

And you could win her other goodies by asking her questions, or by simply leaving a comment. Here’s what you can win:
Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues T-shirt
Faery Special Earrings
Faery Special Notepad
Faery Special Pen

To win though, you must leave your email address or a way that I can contact you. I’ll choose a winner by random.org on Sunday night and notify the winner by email( I will not spam your email or share your info it is for this contest only.) You will have 5 days to respond or your prize will sadly be passed on to another.
Now get to commenting!

Jacquie, it is always a pleasure!!

Dianne Ascroft

2008-12-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

Author Pen Name: Dianne Ascroft

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

DA:I use my maiden name, Ascroft, for my fiction writing. My uncle, George, when he first heard that I was writing a novel, was delighted and very proud to have a writer in the family. Because he was so enthusiastic, I decided to publish the book under my maiden name, the surname we share.

CA: What genres do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

DA:Though my novel, Hitler and Mars Bars, is an historical fiction, I enjoy writing contemporary and historical fiction. It’s the characters that are most important to me rather than the time period that the story is set in. If a writer captures the humanity and personalities of their characters then they write the kind of books I want to read. And those are the kind of books I want to write too. I have ideas bouncing around in my head for both contemporary and historical stories so I plan to write both in future. A lot of my writing is inspired by my own memories and experiences. But I sometimes hear an interesting story about someone else’s life and it sparks an idea that becomes the basis for a story. In the case of my recent novel, Hitler and Mars Bars, I met a man who, as a child, had participated in the Red Cross project, Operation Shamrock, and his story roused my curiosity. I did some research about the project and I eventually used the material to write the novel.

CA: When did you first realise that you wanted to be a writer?

DA:It took me a long time to realise that I wanted to write. Since I was a child I’ve always enjoyed reading. I rarely went anywhere without a book and I spent every free minute reading. But, despite having a very active imagination, being an avid reader and enjoying essay writing at school, I never considered writing anything more than school assignments. I enjoyed reading others’ stories but didn’t have the desire to create my own. I was in my thirties before I got the urge to write and it occurred to me that I might be able to do so. Then, for several years after the idea first occurred to me, I yearned to write but didn’t put pen to paper. I was busy with too many other activities. Finally, I was galvanised into action, in the spring of 1998, when I heard an advertisement for a Belfast radio station’s Annual Short Story writing contest. I decided to enter it. There was only one weekend left to submit my entry before the contest deadline so I got started immediately. I didn’t win but my story, The Contest, was short listed and read on air. That success encouraged me to continue writing. I wrote sporadically, without any attempt to get my work published, until 2002 when I enrolled in the Writers Bureau correspondence course. Having assignments to complete focussed me and helped me decide what I wanted to write. Now I fit in course assignments between my other writing projects. One day I may find time to actually finish the course!

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

DA:When I first began writing I just had the urge to write. I’m not sure who or what prompted it. But I do know what inspired Hitler and Mars Bars - I heard about an unusual childhood. I met a man who was born in the heavily bombed Essen area of Germany during the Second World War. He lived in a Children’s Home until the Red Cross project, Operation Shamrock, transported him along with hundreds of other German children, to Ireland to recuperate from the horrendous conditions in their homeland. His life story opened up a new aspect of German and Irish history for me - one that has been overlooked in history books. I was very curious about Operation Shamrock and began researching it. Besides the German man, I met other people who participated in Operation Shamrock. I spent a lot of time researching the Red Cross endeavour and acquired a large quantity of material. For a history lover, like me, it was exciting to uncover little known facts but I also encountered amazing people (in person and in others’ recollections) - men and women who had survived the horrendous conditions in World War II Germany and kind, generous people who opened their homes to them in Ireland.

These individuals’ stories moved me and captured my imagination. Images and impressions of them filled my head. So, it only needed a little prompting from my family to set the wheels in motion and I began writing Hitler and Mars Bars. BBC broadcaster and journalist, Brian D’Arcy, when he reviewed my book, understood that these individuals’ experiences were the foundation for Hitler and Mars Bars. He commented that the book was ‘beautifully written with a strong human element running through it’.

CA: What is your work schedule when you are writing?

DA:Like many writers, writing has never been my primary occupation. I’ve always held a day job and written in the evenings after my household and farm chores are complete. I don’t manage to write every evening but I usually spend a couple hours, several evenings each week, writing. I’m up early each morning but I have chores to do so I don’t manage to do any writing before I leave for the office. But I do carry with me the piece I’m currently working on and spend any quiet times during the day revising it. When I sit down to write later, I look over what I’ve already done and then continue on. On the weekends, after the chores are done, I also find time to write.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

DA:Amazed.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book?

DA:Sometimes I borrow traits from people I know when I create characters. They are often taken from several people and no character is based completely on one person. Characters will also have traits that I have invented for them. I used to worry that a friend or family member reading my work might think a character was modelled completely on him. Even worse, I worried that people I know might mistakenly identify with an unpleasant character. It made me hesitant to create memorable characters. Eventually I realised that I wouldn’t be able to write anything believable if I didn’t stop worrying whether others would see themselves in my characters. Admirable and despicable characteristics are universal. I had to trust that my friends and family would realise this and understand that my characters ultimately come from my imagination. If I do sometimes throw in a bit of someone I know, I don’t mean to be insulting.

CA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

DA:Music is an important part of my life. I especially enjoy folk, Celtic, Americana and bluegrass. I played the bagpipes in a pipe band for many years and now I am learning to play guitar. I really enjoy it and wish I could devote more time to practising guitar than I do. Since I was a child I’ve enjoyed crafts and quilting is my favourite. Lap and baby quilts are my specialities. Whenever I have a reason (birthday, baby gift etc) to make a gift I start work on a new quilt. I’m not a sporty person but I love to walk. I find it very relaxing, especially if I am surrounded by beautiful scenery. My husband and I often walk in a forest near our house and it is a great way to spend an afternoon.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?

DA:Hitler and Mars Bars is my favourite - but then, it is the first novel I’ve written! I have contributed a short story and poems to the Fermanagh Authors Association’s Fermanagh Miscellany 2 which was released this month. But I haven’t written any other full length novels - yet…The ideas are dancing in my head, just waiting to leap onto paper.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

DA:As I said earlier, although I do sometimes borrow traits from people I know, I try not to base characters too closely on real people. A lot of my writing is inspired by my own memories but, although I do draw traits from people I know, I try to use these details to create different fictional characters. But Hitler and Mars Bars was an exception because the story is loosely based on real events. So I did draw some of the characters from real people who were involved in the initiative. It would have been very difficult not to do so. But, although some characters are based on real people, they are not identical to them. The characters are also partially drawn from my imagination and I added other details to make each character unique.

CA: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers out there?

DA:Characters are central to every story. A writer must create believable characters that the reader will care about. Capturing the humanity of characters is crucial. I read authors such as Maeve Binchy, Jodi Picoult, Adriana Trigiani and Diana Gabaldon because they make me care about their characters. I would suggest that new writers should read widely and find writers who they feel create good characters. They should analyse why they like these characters and try to use their observations in their own writing. Although every writer has his own voice, we can learn from reading each other’s work.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

DA:If a reader would like to learn more about Hitler and Mars Bars, please drop by my website at www.geocities.com/dianne_ascroft. If they have any questions my email address is dianne_ascroft@yahoo.co.uk. My Virtual Book Tour continues until December 24. The full schedule is posted on my blog, Ascroft, eh? at http://www.dianneascroft.wordpress.com/. Hitler and Mars Bars is available to order from Trafford Publishing (www.trafford.com/07-1955), Amazon and other online retailers and my website.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

DA:Let me tell you a little about my novel. Hitler and Mars Bars is the story of a German boy, Erich, growing up in war-torn Germany and post war rural Ireland. Set against the backdrop of Operation Shamrock, a little known Irish Red Cross project which helped German children after World War II, my novel explores a previously hidden slice of Irish and German history. Erich, growing up in Germany’s embattled Ruhr area during World War II, knows only war and deprivation. His mother disappears after a heavy bombing raid, leaving him responsible for his younger brother, Hans. After the war the Red Cross initiative, Operation Shamrock, transports the boys to Ireland, along with hundreds of other children, to recuperate from the devastating conditions in their homeland. During the next few years Erich moves around Ireland through a string of foster families. He experiences the best and worst of Irish life, enduring indifference and brutality and sometimes finding love and acceptance. Plucky and resilient, Erich confronts every challenge he meets and never loses hope.

Thanks for chatting with me, Crystal. I enjoyed visiting your website today.

Bobby Ozuna

2008-11-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

Author Pen Name: Bobby Ozuna

Author Interview Questions:

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

BO: By birth, I am the second Robert Ozuna in my family. When I was younger—and apparently when my father was younger—everyone called me (us) Bobby. When I was in grade-school, I went by Bobby. When I grew older I had people start calling me Robert—you know, the whole “I’m a big kid now” stage—and I suppose in an attempt to remain youthful later on (because Bobby’s are so much more fun than Robert’s) I had people start calling me Bobby again when I joined the US Marines. Those new friends didn’t know me anyhow, so it was easy for it to stick. Robert is too official and now I only answer to it when I’m in trouble!!!

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

BO: I write literary fiction and my only novel thus far (PROUD SOULS) and even my short-stories have never been classified or confined to a “genre.” I understand categorizing a person’s work is critical to help the publishing world sort out their clients and help facilitate bookstores and libraries with locating the millions of works on the market, but I personally prefer not to label my work anything more than fiction.

I am very fond of saying, “all fiction stems from some form of truth within the author” and never has that been truer than with my personal works. I think the greatest artists of our time are those who dared to walk the unbeaten path. Robert Frost said it best when he said, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Writing is as therapeutic for me as it is pure pain. I live with these stories in my head and I am forced to sit and write them to quiet the voices within my mind. I am a fan of the human struggle. The moments that define us as individuals, groups, a race, a species—are the moments we overcome the greatest of individual adversities. Peace and joy and happiness are what we strive for, but in order to obtain those small moments that make life worth living, we have to go through the struggles of life. And how people choose to overcome their pains, hurts and roadblocks has always intrigued me. That and my willingness to take the risks others only talk about...

I have openly walked two paths in my life, the road most civilized people might call “right” and “proper” and the one those same individuals might call the “wrong” one. I do it without shame or regret and in total disregard for the consequences. Instead, I drink water from two wells and live to tell the tale. I think to better understand and relate to an audience, in a world so dark, you have to be willing to take the chances other authors will not. It has become the staple by which I exist. And in the end...I confess my sins through my characters...

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

BO: I can't say there was any definitive moment in my younger years when I knew I wanted to be an author, but I can say I have always had a wild imagination and once my writing ability caught up to my imagination...well...apart from being an actor in Hollywood...writing was the next best thing for me.

I was the kid in class who stared out the window and daydreamed; I would definitely be classified as ADD today but who really cares right? I always viewed the world from a different perspective than everyone else around me. Discovering that truth led to some of my early insecurities knowing I was “different” but later it would become a driving force in the development of my stories and my often choice to opt the road less traveled. The choices I made in life helped develop the other side of Bobby Ozuna, the part of me who is free to speak his mind, daring enough to write about topics most people won't and witty enough to justify the creativity of my fiction. In a nut-shell, you can say I have been writing all of my life...not always on paper...

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

BO: That's always a tough question for me. I worry every time that question is posed that someone—somewhere—will say, “Hey! That isn't true!” I can't say there was any one person who inspired me to pick up the pen and write. There were several people throughout the course of my early years (<18) who nurtured my creative spirit, such as my older brother Joe; He is a painter. Being 12 years apart we weren’t very close growing up, but it was always a magical moment for me when I was able to sit around and watch him work, with his dirty fingers and the smell of oils and thinners and ready canvas enveloping the room. There were many moments he took me and our youngest brother to art stores and would let us walk around and see the various types of creative possibilities. It was a real eye opening experience for me. He is still a huge supporter of my creative ambitions to this day. So if I had to mention a person who sparked my creative sense, it would be my brother Joe. Later on in life, it was my eleventh grade English teacher—Kenneth Polito—who charged that creative spark by introducing me to the symbolism, passion and poetry within the literary world.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

BO: I write daily, or at least do everything I can to write something new everyday. Now that can vary from a blog post, a short-story, or work on my upcoming novel: The Other Side of Glory. Being an independent author I am responsible for ALL aspects of my writing career, varying from promotional work, marketing research and salesmanship. And before that I am a father and a husband and my family does come first. I work part time within the IT field and I help develop websites with my partner, Jeff Sneed of Onsite Computer Repair where I develop graphics for business logos and website and blog banners. I work for a small logistical company in Southlake, Texas and from there it's off to school to pickup my kiddos—Elizabeth and Dominic—and then home where we do homework for about one hour, help my wife Michele with dinner, eat and do whatever is required around the house. Then later in the evening when the kiddos are winding down, I work on my writing career. Most of the work I do happens between moments or late at night when the kids get to bed. It makes for a very busy schedule—one I would not recommend to anyone not serious about their work. People have a bad tendency to call my work a hobby and let me be quick to say, with the intensity and quantity of time it takes to be successful in the literary world...I wouldn't do it if I wasn't intent on writing the rest of my life.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

BO: Let me tell you how I felt when Proud Souls hit the Amazon storefront in November of last year (2007). It's an amazing feeling to see your book in print and after all the struggles I had—not just learning the publishing business—but overcoming the initial setbacks because of the controversy with my original book printer, I was ecstatic! It was the only thing I could talk about for about the first twelve months because I worked so hard to do everything right the first time. Not a day goes by (still) that I don't get online in the morning and check the Amazon storefront to see my book on display.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

BO: Time. I work hard to promote my work because I take my writing career extremely serious. I research for hours on end (sometimes up to 6 hours per day) and I plan on working as an author the rest of my life. There are still many more stories to be told! But considering my responsibilities as a father and husband and still working (part time), it seems there aren't enough hours in a day to accomplish all the minute tasks I require of myself on a daily basis. If I knew a way to squeeze another hour or two of daylight within a day...I'd be outside doing a dance right now...

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

BO: Haha...I think about writing every moment I am not writing! Seriously, it's what I do. Every moment I am awake I am working on some new material and I even work while I am asleep! You wouldn't believe my dreams. But I do spend a lot of quality time with my kiddos. Because they range in age from 13 to 2, I am constantly having to switch modes between the protective and teaching father of my daughter Elizabeth, to baseball coach and reading tutor for Dominic and lastly, wrestling partner to my baby, Damian. Then, there is baseball and softball practice during the Spring and Fall seasons. I love watching movies and listening to music with my family while we sing and dance and act like rock stars.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

BO: Every character I create is a figment of my imagination. But let me add one important disclaimer. I never write about anything I haven't experienced. I could sit by a window and write a story, because I am that creative, but I wouldn't dare try. I don't write about the ocean unless I've tasted it myself. I take my experiences, both good and bad, and use them to my advantage. For everyone who has ever told me no, tried to hold me back or dared to conspire against me, well, they are lucky I don't write science fiction. But if you ever came across a homosexual cowboy with a bad back, a hairy-lipped insecure female boss who wears open toed shoes or perhaps a corporate manager with chronic hemorrhoids, well, let's just say, they should keep their private business to themselves or perhaps find another person to mess with. NOTE: Never mess with a creative mind. You never know how you will be eternally remembered... Thank God for the words, “...any relation to people or places is completely coincidental.”

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

BO: Yes….Dare to be different…dare to be yourself…and above all else...be prepared to work hard. Success builds on success. What that means for me is this: If you are not working EVERYDAY towards advancing your knowledge of your respective field (writing, painting, photography, etc.), or working to better your abilities, then you aren't preparing for a successful future. I would say to imagine yourself a farmer. If you expect a crop the next season, then you are going to have to first prepare the soil a season or more in advance. Then, you will have to plant the seeds, tend to the watering and finally, reap the reward. If you miss any of the steps along the way, you are only hindering and delaying the moments of success down the road. For everything I do today, may not benefit me right now, but it will, some day and some time along my journey.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

BO: I am easy to get in touch with! I am always online and I use various social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace, the Book Marketing Network, Gather and The Odd Mind community on Ning. The best way to get in touch with me is via my blog: “Drawing Stories...With Words.” I love helping others as much as I enjoy being an author. I collaborate with many types of artists online and I am great at pointing people in the right direction. Being I spend so much time online reading a wide range of blogs, I feel I am a resourceful friend to have.

My book, Proud Souls, is available online via Amazon.com. You can walk into any Barnes & Noble and have them order a copy. You only need the authors name, the book title and/or the ISBN number.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

BO: Yes, I want people to know that apart from working to promote my own material, I spend as much time working to find material that will be helpful to my fellow artist. I am an advocate for the arts and I believe in tapping into your creative side, whether that be for a living, for profit or just to find a balance in your life. I offer marketing tips and tricks, character development help, and insight into how I (either) created my characters and storyline for Proud Souls or how I am working to develop my second book, The Other Side of Glory. I love answering questions from readers. I post a segment on my blog called: PS, We Wanna Know, where I answer any questions posed by my fans. If you send them in, I will answer them.

Again, I network a lot and I reside on many social networking sites. Below is a breakdown of where I am and how someone can find me. Feel free to connect with me, I'd love to hear from you!

Bobby's Homepage: www.BobbyOzunaOnline.com
Bobby's Blog: http://inotauthor.blogspot.com
Bobby on Gather: http://inotauthor.gather.com/
Bobby on MySpace http://www.myspace.com/inotauthor
The Book Marketing Network: http://bookmarket.ning.com/profile/BobbyOzuna
Bobby on The Odd Mind: http://theoddmind.ning.com/profile/BobbyOzuna

The book is PROUD SOULS and you can find it here...

Thank you!

CA: Thank you Bobby for hanging out here this week! I don’t think anyone would have a hard time finding you with all of your networking connections : ) Have a great week!

Aasiyah Qamar

2008-11-17T06:32:00.001-08:00

Author Pen Name: Aasiyah Qamar

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

AQ: First of all, thanks for this lovely opportunity to be interviewed on your blog.

The genre I write? It’s basically culture-based romantic fiction, with a slant on Indo-Mauritian culture.

I grew up and live in this cultural setup, with one foot in the world of tradition and ancestral ways, and the other foot in the mainstream world of modernity and globalization. My stories are about finding your place as a young person of distinct cultural origin in the gap between these two, apparently irreconcilable, worlds. My books are also about finding love in today’s age.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

AQ: I don’t think it ever came as a lightbulb moment. I loved reading since I was very young, and I always loved playing with words. I took to language classes like a duck to water and was already writing twice as much as I needed to in primary school. Many a time, my teacher would warn me before I started an essay – “Don’t go writing a novel, you hear?” Lol, he didn’t know how prophetic his words were!

I wrote in a diary every day when I was growing up, and now when I look back, I realize a lot of what I penned resembled a chick-lit or YA kind of rehashing. In secondary school, I loved story-writing essays as I got to let my imagination run wild. In a way, I’ve always written. It’s only lately that I started doing it fully.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

AQ: I grew up on a steady diet of soap operas and Indian movies. Indian movies always have a happy ending, so is it a wonder I write romance? I always looked for the HEA everywhere.

If I needed to point towards a person as my inspiration, I would say my father. He always encouraged me with reading and writing. We loved to sit down on quiet weekends and play Scrabble, which helped me hone my vocabulary. We discussed books, news, everything. Both he and my mother never pushed me to become something big like a doctor, lawyer, etc. They always allowed me to find my way and become my own person.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

AQ: I used to have a very rigorous schedule when I started. One day a week fully to writing, no distractions, silence, and 4-5 half-day skeds during the working week. But my son was a toddler then and as he grows up, I find it harder to stick to a schedule. The key to being a housewife-mom-writer is to be flexible, and that’s what I try to be. Basically, I write when I can now, trying to fit in a couple hours here and there. Depending also on whether I’m in the writing stage or the editing stage, I spread my time accordingly. If I am actively writing, I try to clear two mornings a week to focus only on writing. Edits are done when I can snatch some time at the PC. Having a plot outline helps me do this. If I was simply waiting on inspiration to strike, well, I’d be chasing the rainbow!

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

AQ: Jittery. In an ecstatic but also nervous way. Stage fright feels a lot like it.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

AQ: Trying to balance the writing life with the ‘normal’ life. It is so tempting to just stay in the zone when you’re writing and are on a roll. I sometimes have problems breaking away and not feeling resentful towards my husband and son because they also need me and all I want to do is keep on writing. I know, it sounds harsh of me to say so, but hey, that’s the life of a writer. Torn between the passion for writing and the ‘curse’ of the real life outside.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

AQ: Enjoy some silence, which is utopia when you have a small kid! I make do though, and I lose myself in Sudoku puzzles or in a good book. I also like to catch up with the people in my house, get to know how their day was, that sort of thing. I find this contact keeps us bonded, and maybe allows me to feel less guilty when I leave them on their own when I’m writing.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

AQ: I have written 3 full-length novels, a handful of novellas and a few short stories. I can’t say I have a favourite as each story has something that drew me to it and this makes it special to my heart. Each story has characters that appealed to my feelings, and as such, each one is unique and valued as such.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

AQ: When I first started writing, I found a lot of myself flowing into the heroines. I also found echoes of people I know in the supporting cast. But as time goes by, I find that this happens less and less. They always say your first stories are the most autobiographical, and I think that’s true. At the time being, I can say that yes, everyone stems from my overactive imagination.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

AQ: Never give up. Believe in yourself always. Plunge ahead, never stop at the first hurdle. As much as anyone doesn’t want to hear this – hurdles will be there all the way, everywhere, all the time. Buck up and face them head on. Hone your skills too, learn the craft. Practice by writing, even if what you’re writing will end up under the bed.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

AQ: My website can be found at the following address: http://www.freewebs.com.aasiyahqamar/
My book can be bought from the following site http://www.lecygne.com

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

AQ: I have enjoyed this very much. Thanks again for the opportunity! I love hearing from readers, so don’t hesitate to contact me.

CA: I am so glad you’ve enjoyed yourself! I hope you have a great week here!

Marcello Milteer

2008-11-10T06:15:00.000-08:00

Author Pen Name: Marcello Milteer

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

MM: I don’t necessarily use one. I stuck with using my real name. I think For a writer who writes in only one genre, a pen name would actually be harmful. I don't want to let a pen name make it that much more difficult for readers to find me. But if you meet me in person, feel free to just call me 'Cello'. =O)

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

MM: I write and illustrate Children Books. I try to aim from ages 3-9 because honestly, that was the time in my own life where I was most interested in books. I feel especially attached to this age group, partly because I so keenly remember my own childhood, so it's familiar territory. I also think it's an important developmental stage in that age range of kids. The conflicts and the ways they see the world are extremely interesting. A good message or an engaging image is most likely to have the most impact on kids because they are so impressionable. This gives me a bigger stage to convey my story and to spread a good message to the people who will get the most out of it (children!).

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

MM: I've always wanted to be an author deep down. I remember writing an autobiography at age 7 on my moms computer =). In college I wrote independent movie reviews that had a fairly large audience. But I never really took it seriously until now. Something that has gotten me closer and closer has been choosing things that I'm naturally good at instead of things that seem like what I ought to do or that would be very cool or pay a lot. The thing is, the things you're naturally good at might seem kind of pedestrian to you and so you may resist them. Maybe you really want to be a rock star but are really good at accounting. Do the accounting and play in a weekend band. When you start to do the things you're naturally good at, you get into the flow zone. I came to realize that I was really fighting myself before when I was trying to do other things. Now I feel a lot more comfortable with myself and I felt this book was something I HAD to write and share with people.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

MM: I thought about my future, and a better life for myself while making this book. 8 months ago I was a college educated person working at Papa Johns making pizzas. Although there is nothing wrong with that scenario, I knew that there had to be more to my life and I felt I wasn't utilizing my talent as much as I could have. Fast forward now and I still use that thought process to get out of the bed every morning and have my work ethic remain top notch. Since then, my life has improved 1000% and this book is visual proof and a reminder that dreams do come true.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

MM: I work an unrelated 9-5 and usually when I get home I take some time to unwind. During the process of this particular book, if I wasn't working, I was at home illustrating and writing on average 3 hours a day. I kept this pace up for 10 weeks. One would conclude that this took a toll on me, but I loved the process of making this book and it's the same as involving yourself in your favorite hobby after work. The only rule I set aside for myself was to never write on a Sunday.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

MM: Blessed.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

MM: I wanted to write a book that I could envision myself enjoying when I was a child. I was one of the most stubborn kids in my class. If a teacher assigned a book and I didn't like it, I wouldn't read it knowing full well I would fail the assignment. I started reading when people stopped telling me to. And yes, I do think my teachers were not giving me stories I could relate to.

I wanted to create a kids story that had a simple uplifting message, but at the same time, illustrate the scenes on a mature level. In other words I want kids to read my book but not feel like they are reading a watered down/junior version of some other book. There is as much thought, effort, and imagination in this book as you would find in any other 'mature' book. Then, at the same time, make sure kids can identify with the story.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

MM: I am an artist by trade, so if I am not illustrating a book, I am doing other things art-related. I design websites, graphics, vector portraits, etc. which You can find on my Myspace Page (www.myspace.com/celloman). I am also a huge movie fan and I spend a lot of my time listening to music. Both are great sources for creativity.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

MM: As of May 2008, the idea of writing and illustrating a book wasn't even conceived. It wasn't until a turn of events sparked the idea in June. This is my first book and I feel it is one of the best things I have produced in my lifetime. If I do decide to create another book it, I have to make sure that the product turns out better than the first, which will be a hard thing to accomplish.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

MM: Imagination. I wanted to write this book the same way a child tends to think. I used the method of 'Freewriting'. Freewrites are where you just sit and write whatever words come into you head for a set period of time with as little thought as possible. Then re-read and see if you like and of the sentences or ideas you've come out with. From there, I created storyboards from those freewrites and then created full color illustrations around the storyboard ideas. The outcome is a totally clear, spontaneous, creative, visual story that isn't cluttered with too many components.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

MM: Realize that you deserve to do this! For years I was crippling myself with the fear that I shouldn't write a book because nobody would read it. Fear of success is the lack of belief in one's ability to sustain personal progress and accomplishments. A doubt that you are not as good as others think you are and that you can be replaced by just about anybody else. It is also the fear that once you have achieved what you had set out to, you still may not be happy or satisfied. Fear that your motivation levels will dip.

Once you release these fears that you had set for yourself you can do anything you set your mind too. The internet give you all the tools you need to self publish a book and it is easier now to reach an audience then it has ever been. Ignore the critics and focus on self motivating yourself, because hard work definetely pays off.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

MM: You can E-mail me at: artstateofmind@gmail.com
or visit me on the web at: http://cello-man.blogspot.com

To purchase my Children's Book, Karate Cat, it is available for sale at Amazon.com. You can find the link here:
http://www.amazon.com/Karate-Cat-Marcello-Milteer/dp/1440415161/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222873010&sr=8-1

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

MM:Thank you for interviewing me. I had a blast!

CA: You’re very welcome : ) glad you had fun!!!

J.C. Wilder

2008-11-10T06:07:00.000-08:00

Author Pen Name: J.C. Wilder

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

JCW: I write in all sorts of genres. Paranormal, erotic romance, futuristic, contemporary…
Basically I write what appeals to me at the moment. J

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

JCW: Seventh grade – or that’s when I wrote my first novel.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

JCW: Most definitely my father. He gave me a love of reading and my desire to write came from that. He encouraged me to read anything and everything so I did.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

JCW: I don’t have a set schedule even when I’m writing. I either write first thing in the morning or in the evenings – those seem to be the times when my creative juices are flowing. If the writing is coming along then I have a tendency to cancel any outside commitments and hole up in my house like a hermit…or serial killer. J

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

JCW: I don’t know that there is one. Excited would probably come the closest.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

JCW: Keeping my backside in the chair. Even though writing is a sit down job, one of the issues I keep running into is back pain. I find the older I get the more I have to keep the body moving and that’s tricky when I’m typing. J

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

JCW: I’m really into gardening so in the summer I spend a lot of hours outside. I also am an avid movie watcher and reader. Right now I’m working on redoing several rooms in my house so there’s always some sort of busy work to do.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

JCW: I think I’m in the thirties now, I don’t know for sure. My favorite is usually my last book and in this case it’s Winter’s Daughter. It comes out in paperback in October, 2008.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

JCW: Well, usually someone will say or do something that will inspire me to create a character. When I was writing a series of vampire titles several years ago a friend said to me, ‘is that a crucifix in your pocket or are you happy to see me’ and a character was spawned from that sentence. I never know where my imagination will take me.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

JCW: Sit your butt down and write the book. Almost everyone I meet tells me they’d love to write a book but they just never sit down to do it.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

JCW: My books are available at your local bookseller or online at http://www.amazon.com/ or any other online bookstore.
You can contact me at http://www.jcwilder.com/.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

JCW: Thanks for having me, Crystal!

CA: JC, it was a pleasure having you, and glad you took time out of your “hermit” phase to hang out this week lol!

Contest

2008-11-07T06:50:00.000-08:00

New Contest!: Win a Flip Video Camera
October 30, 2008

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We are giving away a Brand new in the box Flip Video Camera $150 Value.
Technical Details
Simple to use, pocket-sized camcorder with one-touch recording and digital zoomHolds 60 minutes of full VGA-quality video on 2GB of built-in memory; no tapes or additional memory cards requiredConvenient USB arm plugs directly into your computer for easy viewing and sharingBuilt-in software lets you easily e-mail videos, upload to YouTube and AOL, and capture still photos from videoWatch videos instantly on TV with included cable
TO ENTER:
1. You must be registered for our Message Boards (register on the right hand side)
2. You must be a subscriber to our blog (subscribe on the right hand side)
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Dylan J. Morgan

2008-11-02T16:27:00.001-08:00

Author Pen Name: Dylan J Morgan

CA: Your debut novel has just been released, can you tell everybody a little bit about it?

DM: Sure, it’s a fast-paced horror novel set in a ski resort called Snow Peak located in the Canadian Rockies. A team of archeologists have made a fantastic discovery on a mountainside near town: a First Nation family-of-four superbly preserved and frozen in ice. The team removes the male but what they find inside his icy torso is a horror unlike anything ever seen before. Snow Peak is overrun by a mutant organism and it’s up to Sheriff Richard Wade and Doctor Lauren Kemper to battle not only the species, but the worsening weather in an attempt to rid Snow Peak of its terror. However, by a cruel twist of fate, Lauren’s past comes back to haunt her, throwing her into a life-and-death situation even more shocking than the creatures sliding through town.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

DM: As you can gather by my answer above, I predominantly write horror, although I would prefer to classify my work as ‘dark’ or ‘speculative’. Horror is narrow, but dark fiction, speculative fiction, covers a wider range. I’m not going to be limited by a genre and will write what I want to write, which in some instances may be viewed as more speculative rather than horror.

I guess I write these stories because that’s the kind of plotlines manipulating my mind. If I had a plotline forming about a romantic western that I felt was strong enough to be told, I suppose I’d write a romantic western story, but so far monsters and frightening elements are the subjects that seem to be plaguing my subconscious the most.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

DM: I can’t pinpoint an exact time, but I know I was young, not even ten years old. With that said, I’ve only been writing seriously for a few years, but I always remember those early efforts of writing a four page story—which was basically just crap—and then stapling the pages together to form my own book. I’ve always had stories in me that I’ve wanted to put onto paper, and it’s only now I’m starting to realize that dream.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

DM: I’ve been inspired a lot by Stephen King’s early works and a lot of Dean Koontz’s books too. Koontz has such a way with his words that holds me from page one until the end—and there’s not many authors out there who can manage that. Once I realized I could competently formulate a plot and write a story, my own imagination has kept me inspired.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

DM: I have a full-time job and a full-time family so my writing time is limited. My problem is I need calm to write to the best of my ability, and with a house-load of noise I tend to write at night when things have become quieter. I try to maintain an output of one thousand words a day, but I’m also a firm believer that if all you can produce is a paragraph, then as long as it’s constructive towards the completion of the novel you’ve achieved for aim for the day.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

DM: Excited. Strangely, I don’t feel nervous at all, I’m just excited to see what people think of the story. Good or bad, I’m anxious for feedback because it will help me grow as a writer. So yeah, I’m excited, I can’t wait for the reviews to come in and the messages (if any) to be sent. Of course, I’m hoping for some sales too, but that’s a given.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

DM: I guess my biggest challenge writing this book was developing the story into a novel length work. I’ve had about a dozen short stories published in various venues over the last four years, but there’s a big difference between 2,000 word stories and 75,000 word stories. Since writing Hosts, I’ve faced newer challenges in the form of developing myself and my craft into becoming a better novelist and a better story-teller. I’ve written a second novel and am currently working on my third, and so the challenge is to keep learning and keep improving.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

DM: I like to spend time with my wonderful family. I have a beautiful girlfriend who’s very supportive and two lovely daughters aged twelve and nine; I enjoy spending quality time with them. I play guitar, enjoy listening to rock music, so sometimes I put the headphones on and jam to my favorite songs. I read and play Playstation to relax.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

DM: I’ve completed two novels: Hosts, which is available now in e-book format through Wild Child Publishing, and Flesh which is currently going through revision drafts before I’ll send it out to agents. I’m currently working on my third full-length novel. My favorite is the one I’m working on now. While writing Hosts it was my favorite, while writing Flesh that was my favorite, and the new one is now my favorite of all three. I hope that means I like each one better than the previous because my writing is improving, but I can’t be the judge of that.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

DM: Totally from my imagination. I don’t think I’ve ever created a character and thought he/she reminds me of this/that person. I’ve been told that some writers put a little piece of themselves in their characters, but I’ve never subconsciously or consciously done that either. I never try to inject my own, or anyone else’s, mannerisms into my characters, but I let the characters control me.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

DM: Aspiring writers? Ha, I am one! All I can say, I guess, is never give up and above all else believe in yourself. As an author you need to have a bit of arrogance or else you wouldn’t be bold enough to send your stories out to publishing houses. With that said, don’t for one minute think you’re the bees-knees because writing is a continuous learning curve.

One other thing: you need to have broad shoulders and be able to accept criticism and then learn from it. If a critique, or a review, has a negative comment about your story, work out why it elicited that negative remark and work to improve your writing.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

DM: Readers can contact me by email at freaksauthor1@yahoo.com, and if they need to find out the latest about whatever project I’m working on at the moment they can visit my website at www.dylanjmorgan.com. Alternatively, if they have a myspace account, they can add me as a friend: www.myspace.com/dylanjmorgan. Readers can also purchase my novel by visiting the publisher’s website: www.wildchildpublishing.com.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

DM: Yeah, for everyone who purchases my novel Hosts, there’s the opportunity to receive a free .pdf of five of my previously published short stories. Just forward the confirmation email you receive from Wild Child Publishing to my email address listed above, and I’ll send the stories post-haste!!

Thanks for taking the time to interview me, Crystal. It’s been a pleasure.

CA: Thank you Dylan for sharing a little bit of you with me and the readers! Have a wonderful visit!!

David Boop

2008-11-02T16:22:00.000-08:00

Author Pen Name: David Boop

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

DB: No pen name. I was born that way. No, my mother’s name is not Betty, nor is my sister’s, my daughter’s, or my wife’s. I did have a great aunt Betty, so who knows? Maybe she’s the inspiration. I could be a billionaire and don’t know it.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

DB: I write across the board. I have science fiction, fantasy, mystery, horror and children’s stories. However, I seem to get my cross genre stuff published the most; sci-fi noir, ghost westerns and such. She Murdered Me with Science is a science fiction mystery.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

DB: I’ve been writing my whole life, but hated the process of revision. When I first started, everything was on typewriters, which meant rewriting whole pages when you edited. It turns out that I have ADD and that’s a trigger; repetitive actions. Along comes the word processor and now I can write like a dream.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

DB: I don’t sleep. I get most of my ideas from a half-dreamlike state. The idea for the novel came from there. I dreamt of a hairless man running down an alley in the rain, pursued by something. He escapes into a crowd of partiers and thinks he’s escaped when his head explodes. I woke up and wanted to know what killed him, so I invented someone to solve the crime. Other times ideas come from the everyday. I wrote a children’s story after watching fireworks over a lake one 4th of July. My son also inspires me. He’s got a great imagination.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

DB: I write whenever I can. I work a 50 hour week, go to school part time and am a single parent. I write during lunch breaks, at night, on weekends, wherever I can.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

DB: My novel came out in August. My shipment was late, so people got it before I do. It was weird thinking other people were holding my book, reading it, before me. I think because of the galley process, I was already over the awe by the time it came out. It’s seeing it on shelves that still gives me a chill.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

DB: The 100th revision! LOL! I get numb during the revision process, even if it is easier. My mind fills in a lot of blanks, and while I think I’ve caught every mistake, I don’t. It’s those deeper details, the ones that paint such a colorful picture that I need to spend the most time on. I think I’ve explained everything, but my first reader always asks me for more. Heh, heh.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

DB: Spend time with my son, play video games, travel, camp, watch movies/television, art shows, theater and read.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

DB: I have one novel out, so it’s my first child. It’ll always be my favorite. I also have three anthologies coming out. The first, Space Pirates, is already out. It’s part of a series I came up with called Full-Throttle Space Tales, a harkening back to the old style of sci-fi story telling where there was still a sense of wonder in the writing. I wanted authors to write the type of stories that inspired them.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

DB: Both. Some characters are amalgams, bits of one person, a smidgen of another. Some are straight out of the truth. I use real historical people in SMMS. I wanted the reader to feel as if this could have really happened, so I name dropped. My favorite was Art Shay, the famous photojournalist who showed us the real Chicago for the first time. I saw an exhibit of his at the Chicago History museum and it blew me away.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

DB: Surround yourself with people who will give you good critical feedback. Learn how to take it. Nothing in your story is so precious that it can’t be edited out. Remember, once you remove the bad stuff, the good stuff can be seen clearer.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

DB: My books can be bought at Amazon, BN.com or directly from the publisher. They can be special ordered through almost any store. I have a myspace: www.myspace.com/shemurderedmewithscience. Add me as a friend, then send me a quick hello, and I’ll send you a discount code to save 20% off the publisher’s price.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

DB: I’m touring throughout 2008/2009. If you’d like me to come to your town/convention/ or school, drop me a line. I love this stuff!

Ann Raina

2008-11-02T16:21:00.001-08:00

Author Pen Name: Ann Raina

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

AR: Usually, I write Science Fiction with a deep erotic, sometimes BDSM touch such as “Freedom in Chains” which was published with eXtasy books at the beginning of 2008.

I have loved writing for as long as I recall. I wrote fanfiction, I wrote action stories and a lot more. It’s one of my favorite wastes of time.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

AR: I’ve been a writer for many years, but only last year I dared to send my manuscript to eXtasy to have it checked for publication. Many of my other stories were read by friends and they pushed me to try and become an author.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

AR: I have a lot of imagination that needs a vent. I’m lucky to say that I’ve got a girlfriend who shares my points of view and who helps me creating storyline and characters.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

AR: I don’t have a schedule. I write when I find the time between being a parent, working, doing housework etc. Some weeks I write page after page while other weeks I don’t find a minute to put down a line.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

AR: Lucky.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

AR: To make ends meet. To never lose focus on the important moments in the story. To keep the story interesting and entertaining. I read it several times to make sure I took down all important details.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

AR: I’m a mother of two, that keeps me quite busy. And it my spare time I like to ride.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

AR: I wrote several books during the last three years, most of them rather long stories. I favor my latest SF novel because it’s funny, it got moments you can laugh about but there are also tragic and dramatic scenes, which will – hopefully – touch the readers’ soul.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

AR: Every character comes from my or my girlfriend’s imagination. I feel much better if I don’t try to characterize some known people in my novels. I tend to refer to actors in their outer appearance (hey, who doesn’t?) but not concerning their characters in or out of the movies.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

AR: Write down a storyline first. You are the only one who knows where you want to go with your story – from action to drama to children’s book. Ask yourself what you want to write and how to keep suspense throughout the story. And don’t be shy to ask bystanders to read it and be honest with you (after all, publishers won’t take your story if they think it could be better…). And one more – don’t be discouraged if you don’t find a publishing house soon. Jack London needed years to find a publishing house and he became very famous… So it’s your chance to be next in line!

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

AR: “Freedom in Chains” is available through eXtasy books. My next two novels will be published with the same company. My website is www.annraina.com. You’re welcome to leave a message on my contact sheet. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

AR: When I was asked by a German publisher why I write, I told him that I just love to tell stories. If I can make one person happy who reads my book it’ll be very satisfying. I hope to brighten people’s days.

CA: Thanks Ann, I hope you have a great week hanging out : )

Contest Leigh Savage

2008-10-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

**Contest** For a chance at winning a copy of Leigh's book, all you have to do is leave a comment and she'll pick a winner at the end of the week, you don't want to miss out so make sure to leave an email addy so we can contact you :)

Author Pen Name: Leigh Savage

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

Leigh: I took Leigh from Vivien Leigh who I’ve always admired. Then Savage came from my Fathers pen name Kain Savage. The combination of the name fits me very well with Leigh showing my romantic side of my writing and Savage being for the dark side that my writing sometimes leads me.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

Leigh: I write mostly vampire paranormal romance. I’ve had several poems published online and in print. In November my first children book The Smile Box (written under my married name Carrie Lea Williams) will be available to buy.
I would say that even at a young age I was drawn to anything paranormal and that carried over into my writing.
CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Leigh: In high school I became a huge Romance junkie and I loved to read any romance that had anything paranormal however at the time those type of books where had to find. So I started writing my own paranormal romance short stories to help get my fix. I remember sitting in my science class and a couple of the boy and girls would want to see what I had written so they’d be sitting in class reading my stories instead of their science books. Our science teacher never said anything to them since they where A students.
After graduating and entering the work force I had given up writing. I had seen over the years the ups and downs that my Father had gone though trying to get published and decided that I wasn’t going to put myself though that. Then in 2002-03 writing found me again with the story Angel of Death. I had to get it out…I remember at the time I was working as a waitress and ideals would come to me while at work so I’d write whole chapters of the book on napkins. Everyone that worked with me would get a kick out of me standing in the waitress station trying to hurry up and write my ideals down before I’d get a new table.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

Leigh: I would have to say my Father even though he mostly wrote horror but he took the time to write stories just for me and he would read them to me at bedtime. My Father installed the love of reading and writing into me. My Father was also the one person when I first started writing that I could run all my writing through for guidance. In some ways he was my first Editor. In 2005 I lost my Father and my mentor. I still find it hard sometimes when I come up with a new ideal I want to pick up the phone and call him and I have to remind myself that he’s no longer there.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Leigh: For the most part since I’m working with a on demand publishing company I have no deadlines so I have lots of freedom with my schedule. Once I start writing down ideals I’m very in the zone don’t bother me. My kids will come up to me and ask for something and I’ll tell them to wait just a minute and the next thing I know it will be a hour later.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

Leigh: Mixed…I can’t just choose one emotion there are too many.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

Leigh: It has to be my spelling and punctuation. I got my Father’s love of writing J but my Mother’s horrible spelling abilities L

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Leigh: I spend time with my husband of 12 years and my daughter who’s 5 and my son who’s 3. I’ve been a stay at home mom since the birth of my daughter. Hang out with my other Mom friends. When I get time to myself *sighs* I love to curl up and read a book, watch TV (mostly anime), gaming, chatting online with MySpace friends and of course surfing the clearance racks for great bargains. I also enjoy drawing and painting. This came very handy when designing the book cover for Angel of Death and the illustrations in my children book.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

Leigh: Angel of Death is my first in print novel. Soon to follow will be my children novel The Smile Box.
Still in the works is the follow up novel to Angle of Death called Shadows of my Past I also have a collection of short stories that I wrote with my Father called Bound by Blood and A book of Poetry that I’m still working on to get them ready for print.
It’s really hard to choose a favorite book…hummm…My favorite characters would be…Mika from Angel of Death and Desi from Shadows of my Past because both of them are strong female charters that can kick a** but at the same time be soft and loving.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

Leigh: For the most part my characters tend to create themselves taking on a life of their own while I’m writing. So as I’m writing I get to see my charters develop and grow the same as a reader would the first time they read the book.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

Leigh: I don’t know if I’m one to give advice…but I will say that this is one of the best times to become a writer there are so many ways to get your work out there that only a few years ago weren’t available. Now with E books, print on demand, blogs as well as more traditional methods of getting published. If you have the will you can find a way to get your work out there.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

Leigh: They can Email: leighsavage@sbcglobal.net

Become one of MySpace friends: www.myspace.com/leighsavage

You may buy Angel of Death at:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1434843017/ref=cm_pdp_arms_dp_img_1

https://www.createspace.com/3337961

Coming Soon: The Smile Box

https://www.createspace.com/3340332

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

Leigh: I would like to take the time to thank you Crystal for taking the time to have me on your blog and interview me. I’d also like to thank the readers for taking the time to stop in and read the interview.

If you’ve read the interview and leave a comment I’ll enter you into a drawing for a chance to win a Signed Copy of Angel of Death. I’ll choose one winner a week for the remainder of October.

If you buy a copy of Angel of Death and email me at leighsavage@sbcglobal.net with the confirmation of the order I’ll enter you for a chance to win a Signed Angel of Death T-Shirt. I will choose one winner a week for the remainder of October.

I will post a list of names of all winners on MySpace Blog at the end of the contest.

CA: You heard the lady, a chance at winning her book! All you have to do is leave a comment for your chance to win!! Thanks so much Leigh for hanging out this week : )

Hubert Mullins

2008-10-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hubert Mullins Interview

CA: So Hubert since the last time we spoke and I reviewed your last vampire novel, Rage of the Vampire what have you been up to?

HM: I’ve been hard at work on the third and final book of the trilogy titled ‘War of the Vampire’. I’ve just begun work on my newest book, a prequel called ‘Birth of the Vampire’.

CA: Where do you get your inspiration for your novels?

HM: Usually just every day life. If you pay attention to people and situations, you can come up with really interesting things. I can create a whole character simply by cobbling together personality traits and mannerisms of real people around me.

CA: Why vampires? What makes them more attracting than say… werewolves?

HM: For me, it was the idea of breaking the ‘cookie-cutter’ mold that has plagued vampires in common literature and media. I wanted to make them different, or at least rewrite the rules for their being. This idea fascinated me. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll give the same treatment to werewolves.

CA: How do you balance your writing with your daily life?

HM: It’s all about scheduling. I’m a very systematic person. If I can squeeze in just one or two hours a day of writing, I can make that go a long way. At the end of the week, I try to schedule in at least a whole day of writing or world-building.

CA: If you could accomplish one thing with your writing, what would that be?

HM: Just to entertain people. I’m not trying to change the world. If I can make one person forget their problems for a few hours, then I’ve accomplished my goal.

CA: What age group do your books fall in?

HM: Generally my age group is around 18-25, but recently I’ve discovered this has opened up. Lots of older people have started enjoying my books and I’ve even talked with a few children as young as 12 who have read them.

CA: Who is one person living or not so living… that you would like to meet? Why?

HM: I would love to have met H.P. Lovecraft. He is one of the few authors who dabbled in dark fantasy. That is such a rare thing today and Lovecraft did it like no other.

CA: Are you planning more vampire novels in the future?

HM: I’m currently working on a prequel novel that revolves around the life of famed vampire Kersey Avonwood, titled Birth of the Vampire and should be released next fall.

CA: How can readers learn a little more about you and your books? Do you have websites they can visit?

HM: Sure, I invite readers to visit my website at www.HubertLMullins.com or my MySpace at www.myspace.com/hopescovenant

CA: Is there anything you would like to add? Maybe an exerpt?

HM: I have just posted the first chapter of my new book War of the Vampire on my website. I encourage everyone to check it out.

CA: Hubert, thanks so much hope you enjoy the interview!

HM: Thank you!

J. Walt Layne

2008-10-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: J. Walt Layne

Author Interview Questions:

CA: What genre(s) do you write?

JWL: I guess you could say I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, I’ve written a legal thriller (Frank testimony, featured here), co-authored a Cthulhu Mythos tale, a trilogy of espionage/ techno thriller screenplays, and I’m currently working on a series of old school pulp detective novels, written in the hard boiled style.

CA: Why do you write the stories that you write?

JWL: This is a good question, I’m never happy with the way I answer it. In some cases, I’ve resurrected stories forgotten or in progress, or tied them together to help out a writing friend, as in the case of The Coming of T’Loal (more on this later). In another case, with Frank Testimony, I didn’t even know the story was inside me until I got a prompt from a flash fiction group I belong to, I blew that flash, but 40 days and 144,000 words later I had a novel, my first work over 100,000 words.
It isn’t always clear to me why I am writing a story, sometimes not until long after it’s done. Writing is a compulsion with me, and when I sit down to write I can usually tune in to the muse within a couple of paragraphs and then it just sort of takes care of itself.
With the pulp series, I think it is a combination. I love the pulps and have wanted to do some detective stories for a while. I think this is part tribute to my favorite writers; some of it is just a fascination with the language, and curiosity at whether or not I can actually pull it off. All in all I guess I write the kind of thing I hope I’d like to read.

CA: Tell us about your most recent release:

JWL: Frank Testimony is the story of Frank Burchill. The road to death row at the notorious Parchman Farm Penitentiary is long and difficult for Frank. He inherits a fortune when Mae, the woman he loves dies, but throws it away in the blink of an eye to square up with the guy who killed her. Bobby Lee Russell the antagonist in the book is that mean kid everyone knows from grade school. He’s mean because he’s ignorant and unsophisticated. He never grows out of it and becomes the perfect recruit for the grand old hate club. I set the story in the rural town of Bedford in Nathan County Mississippi; I like to think that the location is a very important character in the story.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

JWL: Oh, I’ve been writing stories since I learned to spell the words. I had and entire bookshelf full of notebooks and legal pads full of stories I’d written through the years and actually lost a lot of it during various moves and purges of excess stuff over the course of my younger years. I started thinking seriously about writing and being a writer when people who didn’t have a vested interest in not hurting my feelings were telling me that my stuff was solid. When other writers said so, it really meant something to me and I wanted to write more.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

JWL: I think somewhere inside me is a very angry person who needs a lot of therapy. My inspiration aside from that voice I refer to as the muse, comes from mileage, life experience, walking a lot of miles in my own boots, and having a lot of overbearing influences in my young life telling me what I couldn’t do and assuring me that I’d fail… They were right; I sucked at doing it their way.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

JWL: Ha, I’m a mad man… I get up early and write before work, sneak in some time to write at work, take my laptop and write before class, and then if I’m not too exhausted after helping kids and myself to homework I write before bed time.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

JWL: Excited and maybe a little scared. I’ve had several people who’ve read it email me and tell me how much they like the story, including two of my professors. I don’t expect everyone will like it, but that’s the beauty of being human beings, everyone’s taste is different. I do hope that people read it all the way through before they pass judgment.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

JWL: Time- I have four full time commitments family, work, school, and writing. Luckily my wife and I own our business. Before I left my job to help build our business (Independent Accounting & Bookkeeping Service, Inc) I would sometimes write through the night and then try to work on no sleep… It was crazy. I certainly never suffer from writer’s block, if anything I have more trouble turning it off so I can get some rest

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

JWL: Spend time with my wife and kids, I read a lot, I like movies and we watch the crab show on Discovery. We do lots of family stuff, it’s the second marriage for both of us and we are making the most of it. We have three girls between us (hers, mine, and ours) and we do as much as we can with them, building a good crop of stories to tell the grandkids, which better not get here for another 20 years. Cooking, my wife and I love to be in the kitchen together. We believe that teaching the girls to cook helps them learn responsibility. They’ve made everything from dill pickles to chicken enchiladas.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

JWL: I’ve completed maybe a dozen novel length stories, and I’ve published two of them… My current favorite is Frank Testimony, my legal thriller. It came about in an odd way, and I guess that’s why I’m attached to it.
I belong to the writing community at http://www.zoetrope.com/; I used to participate in a couple of flash fiction offices there. In the more active of the two, there was no flash planned for the weekend of new years (2006). Another member of the office, posted a challenge, the prize was going to be publication in her online magazine The Redrum Tavern (no longer online). The prompt was Death. As I mentioned earlier, I really blew that flash, but I managed to write my best work to date… Happy accident that.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

JWL: I like to think that my characters are themselves, born entirely from my imagination, but I know that the influence had to come from somewhere. Most all of my characters have their own distinctive voice and personality, very few of them have I sat and done painstaking character studies on. I like for them to live and breathe so you can get attached to them, so when I kill them off you’ll genuinely feel bad for them and want to keep reading and see the antagonist get his, or hers.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

JWL: Yes, absolutely. If you want to write and publish your work to sell, you have to read and write a lot. Don’t be afraid of writing the wrong thing. It’s a dumb idea, but I hear new writers say it a lot. I had a professor who dearly loved reading and writing, a PhD and lots of hours of post doctoral study on writing… She couldn’t write because the rules were in her way, she said she envied the ability to just write on impulse… I told her the same things I’ve said here- read and write a lot, don’t be afraid of writing the wrong thing… There is no right and wrong when it comes to telling your story. Right and wrong come into play when you are talking about grammar, and diction, and structure. You’ll know when they do; if you’ve done this part wrong it will hit your ear like nails on a chalkboard. The first draft is for the writer, tell the story, and let it unfold, listen to the story as it plays in your mind and just type or write it out…. In the second draft you tighten up the language and the grammar. This is where you’ll spackle over any small pits to answer any vague questions. You’ll know if something doesn’t work when you proceed through this. Then print a copy to farm out to a few people to read. I like to give each reader a different color pen to make notes with on the hard copy, if they’re reading it from a word document, then the comments tool is brought into use. You’ll get there, its all trial and error.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

JWL: Readers and fans, if I have any (READ ADORES THOSE WHO LIKE HIS WRITING) can contact me through my website at http://www.jwaltlayne.com/ or www.myspace.com/crimewriterguy to purchase Frank Testimony please go to www.lulu.com/jwaltlayne

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

JWL: Yes, I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to share with your readers about myself and my writing. I’d also like to thank my wonderful wife, Paula for all the most precious gifts in my life.

CA: J. it is always a good thing to thank your wife, more men need to learn that! And thank you, for taking time out to hang out at the blog with me this week!

Pamela S. Thibodeaux

2008-10-20T01:57:00.000-07:00

** FREE STUFF **

*Free Stuff*
Also, everyone who posts a comment will receive a .pdf file called Thib’s Teaser which contains blurbs and excerpts of all my published books/stories, a Free short story and discount coupons worth over $20 in savings when they purchase books directly from me!

Author Pen Name: Pamela S Thibodeaux

Author Interview Questions:

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

PST: I write Inspirational ‘with an edge’ romantic and women’s fiction. I write romance because I love – LOVE and all those gooey emotions that go with it. I write Inspirational to share my faith and God’s goodness with the world.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

PST: I don’t remember ever ‘wanting’ to be a writer. I’ve always been an avid reader and after reading one too many disappointing books, thought I could do better. A bit arrogant as it turns out that writing well is a lot harder than I initially imagined.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

PST: As I mentioned in the previous question, thinking I could do better than what I currently read was the impetus for me to begin writing. However, in 1989 I recommitted my life to Christ and my writing to Him and that’s when my focus changed from secular romance to what I write today.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

PST: Well, like many I maintain a full-time job so my writing is limited to mornings, evenings and weekends. When I’m actively writing or editing a book or story, I try to focus mainly on that in the time that I have. If I’m between projects, I use that time to promote, blog, write articles, etc.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

PST: Humbled.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

PST: Read. I sometimes watch a good movie with my husband but I LOVE to read!

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

PST: I currently have 5 published novels, 1 contracted novel, and 1 not-yet-contracted, which is a total of 7 full-length novels (70K words or more). My favorite is the one I haven’t written yet. J Seriously, it’s hard to pick a favorite out of those I’ve written as I become attached to the characters and story so much during the writing/editing stage that I can’t pick just one! I love the creating process. I also love when the story is over because then I can move on to the next one.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

PST: I’m sure each character has traits similar to those of someone I know, but they are all totally imagination. Each one takes on a life of his or her own.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

PST: Whatever you write, write well. Strive for excellence. Stay teachable, pliable, and flexible. Never believe that you know it all because knowledge is power and the more you know the more valuable you become. Above all share what you learn with others and make someone’s load lighter to bear.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

PST: Readers can email me at: pthib-7@centurytel.net or pthib07@yahoo.com or pthib07@hotmail.com
My Website is: http://pamelathibodeaux.com/
My Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com/

My E-books are available through The Wild Rose Press and ComStar Media and the print books are available through Amazon.com and other book stores online.

Readers can also read some of my articles at Associated Content and/or Rate them at Helium!

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

PST: Yes, I’d like to THANK YOU, Crystal for interviewing me for your blog. I’d also like to THANK my faithful readers for their continued support and to WELCOME new readers into my world. Most of all, I’d like to THANK GOD, for His continued blessings and faithfulness in opening doors for the publication of my work.

*Free Stuff*
Also, everyone who posts a comment will receive a .pdf file called Thib’s Teaser which contains blurbs and excerpts of all my published books/stories, a Free short story and discount coupons worth over $20 in savings when they purchase books directly from me!

CA: Thank you Pamela, I’ve not read your books yet but I hear good things, so you must be doing something right : ) Hope you have a wonderful week!

Shawn Oetzel

2008-10-20T01:52:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name:

I use my real name, Shawn Oetzel

Author Interview Questions:

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

Shawn: I worked too hard on my writing to let some unknown entity take credit! I use my real name, Shawn Oetzel.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

Shawn: I tend to stick more with speculative fiction though I do dabble into crime fiction, fantasy, and horror. I write the stories I do because if I ignored them I am fearful my head might explode! Seriously though, I just have a passion for the craft and an incessant need to write. It is the one thing I do which brings me true happiness.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Shawn: I think deep down on some primal level I always knew. I learned to read at a pretty young age. When most of my peers were reading See Spot Run, I was already reading novels. This led to a natural curiosity to try and write my own stories. I really started my writing seriously about six years ago. I got my fist short story published around that time, and from then on I was hooked.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

Shawn: Terry Brooks has always been an inspiration. I was given his novel The Sword of Shannara the summer my parents got divorced. I was in the third grade. Whenever things got too heavy I could always lose myself in the worlds Mr. Brooks had created. I always hope I can have that same kind of effect on a young reader, and this is what continues to drive me.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Shawn: I do not have any kind of set schedule for when I write. I know some writers try and write everyday, and I tried doing that when I started out. It was a complete disaster however and my writing suffered. I have these creative moments or frenzies which is more accurate that come over me and that is when I sit down and write. There is no rhyme or reason to it. I do tend to write better at night and I never sit at the computer to write. I ink all my work on to legal pads and then type them into the computer. I find if I sit and stare at the monitor I freeze up and can’t write a word.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

Shawn: Jubilant!

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

Shawn: Fighting myself. I don’t get writer’s block per say, but I do experience writer’s laziness from time to time. Plus I have three kids that range in age from 3 to 13 so life tends to get in the way sometimes as well.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Shawn: I love to read and go to the movies. I think those are two natural hobbies for writers. I am also a huge sports fan. I have been a die hard Chicago Cubs fan my whole life and have been savoring every minute of this season!

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

Shawn: Dying Moon is my only novel being published at this time, but I am hoping to change that soon. I also have a middle grade/young adult novel entitled The Adventures of Captain Kitchen which I am shopping around to agent and publishers. I am in the process of putting the finishing touches on a project tentatively titled “The Agency”in the speculative fiction genre, and I honestly believe it is my best work to date and therefore my favorite.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

Shawn: I would say it’s a combination of the two. Usually my main characters are an amalgam of people I know or have met. I take bits and pieces of family, friends, and acquaintances and incorporate them into my characters, but I also put my own spin in there as well.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

Shawn: Write! If you have a story or an idea write it out. It’s the old axiom of practice makes perfect. Study the craft and write…write…write!

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

Shawn: Sadly as of yet I have not joined the modern age and have my own website, but I can be found at my MySpace page at: http://www.myspace.com/dogfarmer73. My email is oetzel@verizon.net, and I would love to hear from your readers.

My book will be available January 28, 2009 through LBF Books. It will of course be available through their website: http://www.lbfbooks.com/ as well Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the other major chain websites.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

Shawn: First let me thank you for having me. I greatly appreciate this opportunity to tell a little about myself. I would also like to ask your readers to look for my short story “Scrunchies from Hell” which will be appearing in The Horror Express’s anthology later this year. Also please check out the latest issues of Tales of the Talisman magazine and Shroud Magazine which will have some of my book reviews as well as an interview I conducted with David Lee Summers. And of course keep your eyes open for my debut novel Dying Moon from LBF Books due out January 28, 2009!

CA: Thanks Shawn for taking the time out to do the interview, I’m sure the readers will enjoy : )

Lawrence Watt-Evans

2008-10-20T01:46:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name:
Lawrence Watt-Evans

Author Interview Questions:

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

LWE: I didn't; the editor of my first novel did. I wanted to use another pen name he thought was stupid. I explained that I couldn't use my real name unless we included the middle name because there was another author with that name (who, it turned out, was never going to publish another word after 1978, but I couldn't know that in 1979), and Lester, my editor, came up with the current hyphenated version as a compromise.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

LWE: I write fantasy. I like the freedom of fitting the world to the story, rather than making the story fit the real world.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

LWE: Second grade. My teacher praised a writing assignment I'd done – my very first creative writing assignment, actually – and said maybe I'd be a writer someday, and I realized yeah, I wanted to do that. A lot.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

LWE: Haven't a clue. I've just always wanted to tell stories.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

LWE: My wife goes to bed around 11:00; when she's asleep I go down to my office and start writing. I quit around 3:30 in the morning and go to bed.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

LWE: Depends which book, but really, I mostly don't worry about it because I'm already focused on the next one.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

LWE: Well, for this one, which is my first book-length non-fiction, I had no idea how time-consuming the research would be. It wasn't all that difficult or unpleasant, but going through everything over and over to make sure I had it all straight and hadn't missed anything significant ate up a lot of hours.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

LWE: I'm boring. I watch TV and mess around online.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

LWE: I lost count, and it depends how you figure it – do collaborations count as one or as fractions? Do reprint collections of short stories count? What about novelizations?

But it's more than forty, fewer than fifty.

My favorite is probably Dragon Weather. I think I got it right with that one.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

LWE: They're mostly out of my own head.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

LWE: Don't quit your day job. Even more than in times past, writing's a very precarious source of income; the web is changing everything.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

LWE: My books are in bookstores everywhere, and all the usual online outlets, but if you can't find them or want to reach me, my website's at www.watt-evans.com. New readers are always welcome in my discussion area.

CA: I have a copy of Mr. Evans’ book for review so check out my blog site within the next few weeks for that : )

J.S. Marlo * GIVEAWAY*

2008-10-13T06:38:00.001-07:00

Ebook giveaway! All you have to do is leave a comment with your email addy to be entered for a chance to win Salvaged. I’ll draw a winner next Monday, the more comments the better chance you have to win.

Author Pen Name: J.S. Marlo

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

JSM: Marlo is a nickname my hubby gave me a long time ago, and J. and S. are the initials of the two people responsible for getting me to write again.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

JSM: I write romantic suspense. Why? Well, I can either thank or blame my overactive imagination for that. What can I say, I like to take my readers for wild rides and keep them holding on to their seat, but at the same time, I also believe in true love and happy endings.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

JSM: Always and never. I’ve always dreamed of writing, but I never thought it would become a reality.
As a child, I loved to read and imagine different endings to my favorite books. I used to write short stories in my math class. My teacher turned a blind eye on my creative activities as long as I let her read them (and finish my homework). Since I was raised to be practical, I let writing slip away to earn a business degree. Then, four years ago, by accident, I stumbled on a writing site and rediscovered my passion for writing, except this time, I held on to it.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

JSM: As a military wife and mother of three spirited children, I’ve had the pleasure to travel over the country, to live in wonderful places, to meet “memorable” people and to experience “unforgettable” adventures. Notice the words in brackets and the wicked smile on my face? Okay, you can’t see the smile, but it’s there. I guess every day life was an inspiration.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

JSM: Totally random! My laptop follows me everywhere. I’m writing this sitting in a restaurant for breakfast. I try to write 1,000 words a day. Sometimes the words I labored over are gone the next day. I find I’m most productive between midnight and 2am when the house is asleep and the wind is blowing against the windows. Unfortunately, I’m usually too tired to stay up that late more than once or twice a week.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

JSM: TERRIFIED!!!

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

JSM: Language. English is my second language. I’m French Canadian and I only learned English in my late teens. Twenty-five years later, I still struggle with the language…and I never lost my accent.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

JSM: Does eating chocolate count? I love to walk, read and travel to go see my children scattered over the country.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

JSM: “Salvaged” is my first original novel and very special to my heart. I’ve also written two dozen stories for an online romance site. They’re all my babies, some more rambunctious than others. I’ve learned a lot from each of them, and I had fun writing every one of them.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

JSM: Mostly from my imagination, though some of my characters share a few traits with people I’ve known over the years.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

SJM: First, NEVER GIVE UP. If I made it that far, you can. And second, write for yourself, have fun with your characters and love your story. It will show in your writing.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

JSM: People are welcome to visit my webpage at http://members.shaw.ca/JSMarlo and email me at JSMarlo@shaw.ca
To purchase my book, follow the link to my publisher or go directly to http://sapphirebluepublishing.com

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

JSM: Grab a book, buckle up and enjoy the ride. You’ll love the destination. Thank you!

CA: Thanks J.S. it has been fun reading your interview!

**Ebook giveaway! All you have to do is leave a comment with your email addy to be entered for a chance to win Salvaged. I’ll draw a winner next Monday, the more comments the better chance you have to win.

Kara Griffin Giveaway

2008-10-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

* GIVEAWAY* If you’re reading this post, leave a comment and I’ll enter you into a drawing to win one of two jump drives preloaded with ebooks. You’ll get my latest release, Cosmic Hearts, a sci-fi romance. You’ll also get stories from Lizzie T. Leaf, Maura Anderson, and Celia Kyle. Not bad, eh? I’ll check periodically to add names to the drawing and we’ll choose a winner next Monday. Good luck!

Author Pen Name: Kara Griffin

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

KG: I write in many genres, whatever strikes my fancy. I love sci-fi romances, historical/paranormals, erotic contemporary, and even vamp romances…or other paranormals. My first love is historical/paranormal. I suppose I write it because I love history and revisiting it even if it’s only in my mind. But when I need a break from it, I delve into sci-fis. For me sci-fis are fun and I can be zany.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

KG: I’ve always had stories floating around in my brain, but seriously writing for me began in 2000 when a story just wouldn’t go away until I began typing it. I’ve been writing ever since.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

KG: It’s funny…none in my family are really big readers. I have always been, since I was young. I’ve been inspired by many authors whose stories delighted me so much that I sometimes reread them again and again. For me there is nothing more inspiring than opening a book.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

KG: Grumbles… I wish I had more time to write. From September to June, I work in school so my time is crunched, especially when you add in family things. So during the summer I’m usually writing from sunup to sundown and beyond. I sometimes forget to eat—which is probably why I only weigh…well…a girl should never tell. I can spend hours on the computer, and the kids tease that that’s when they ask me the questions I’ll say no to.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

KG: Excited!

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

KG: Getting published. Seriously, lol, writing is the easy part. Finding a publisher is a difficult thing, especially a publisher with whom you can develop a relationship with. I’m very lucky to be with Aspen Mountain Press and Midnight Showcase. My advice to aspiring authors…don’t give up – no matter what. Your dream is reachable.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

KG: Hmmm…that’s hard to answer because when I’m not working in school…I’m writing. The only thing that takes me out of my writing world is my 3 teenaged daughters. So I’d have to say spending time with them or helping them with something…or heaven forbid, cleaning their rooms.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

KG: I’ve fully written about ten books so far including anthologies. There’s about twenty more started, waiting on my laptop. My favorite would have to be Claimed By A Charmer, the second book in the Pith Trilogy, a historical/paranormal. The reason…I can so connect to the heroine and there’s a lot of me in her – except she’s more courageous that I ever have been. If I could be one of my heroines, it would definitely be Isabel. And I suppose that even though I’m happily married…having Douglas wouldn’t be bad either.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

KG: My characters are solely based on my imagination. The only thing I might include are expressions or the way a person moves, or basic gestures. Non-writers might think this is strange (can’t help being a bit eccentric), but the characters tend to control who they are and what they do. I’m just along for the ride.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

KG: Writing is one of the most pleasurable things a person can do. Enjoy it, and write what makes you smile or happy. Write from the heart and you can’t go wrong. And as I said earlier, don’t give up on your dream if you’re having a hard time. Keep working, keep submitting, keep moving forward.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

KG: I always love to hear from readers. They can contact me at karagrif66@comcast.net and to find my books, check Fictionwise or my publisher www.aspenmountainpress.com or they can always visit my website for a complete look into my books at www.karagriffin.webs.com

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

KG: *Giveaway* If you’re reading this post, leave a comment and I’ll enter you into a drawing to win one of two jump drives preloaded with ebooks. You’ll get my latest release, Cosmic Hearts, a sci-fi romance. You’ll also get stories from Lizzie T. Leaf, Maura Anderson, and Celia Kyle. Not bad, eh? I’ll check periodically to add names to the drawing. Good luck!

And, thank you, Crystal for such a fun interview and for allowing me to share on your blog! It’s been fun.

CA: Thank you Kara for doing an awesome giveaway and for a great interview! I wish you tons of luck and keep it up : )

Elyse Draper

2008-10-13T06:34:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: Elyse Draper

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

Elyse: I’ve actually written in both Non-Fiction and Fiction. In Non-Fiction I wrote for an anthology entitled “Voices of Autism”, a reference guide and support book for families and care providers dealing with autism. Why? Well I’ve worked with children for about seventeen years and over the last three specialized in working with those that have special needs. Having the opportunity to write for such a wonderful group as The Healing Project, who have published many “Voices” anthology books covering issues from cancer to Alzheimer’s, was too important to pass up.
In Young Adult Fiction, I am writing a series that falls into the genre-bending categories of a paranormal, science-fiction, fantasy. The inspiration for the series came from dreams that started soon after my latest stint of hospice work. The idea of good people dying so young left me sore from the unfairness of it all. In my dreams I created a world where special people, lost too young and traumatically, weren’t really lost. That proposal grew into a story about a world intersecting with ours, and explains all sorts of mystical questions. Playing in parallel myths, teenage angst, and wonderful characters both dramatic and independent, this is turning into a ghost story that has been truly exciting and compulsive to tell.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Elyse: To tell the truth, I never really thought of my writing as anything more then a creative outlet. After encouragement from family, friends (one old, very good friend in particular) and a Philosophy professor who has became a wonderful friend as well…I decided to take the chance that my writing could be more then just an outlet. I’ve always been self conscious about my spelling, but with Spell-check… I didn’t have any excuses not to try. I’ve learned that this is not an easy business, but with patience, perseverance and a good support group you can accomplish anything.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

Elyse: I’ve had many sources of inspirations for writing…most have come from watching very tough people cope with very difficult situations. In particular my mother, with her philosophies, internal strength, and a remarkable writing talent of her own; she inspired me to always keep pushing forward.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Elyse: I still work regularly with my Special Needs Children, and I’m a mom and wife; so finding time can be difficult. I have learned though, that in treating my writing as a full time job, I find time…at least 36 hours a week to write. If the novels aren’t flowing, I still sit in front of the keyboard and free write in my journal until something clicks.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

Elyse: Relieved

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

Elyse: Finding time, and then sticking to that schedule no matter what.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Elyse: I love to read, swim, box, paint, and enjoy the outdoors. When doing any activities, including writing, I always have music playing.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

Elyse: Three. I’ve enjoyed them all for different reasons, but my favorite so far would be my second book in the “Free Will” series; “Consequences”.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

Elyse: I do tend to base my characters on real people…but then they develop personalities outside that foundation. By the end, they are completely different creatures built almost entirely out of imagination.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

Elyse: When I started writing fiction… I had to switch the gears of my imagination from drawing and painting to writing; a smoother transition then I thought. Book finished, I thought the hard part was over…WRONG. Finding representation, queries, self marketing, promotions…I still feel the aggravation. So, I developed a theory that helped curb the frustration.
There is a farmer in the UK who loves his cattle so much he actually paints with their manure. The truly crazy part is; he actually has a following. There are people that genuinely like his stuff. Just goes to show; if you find the right market, you can actually sell excrement on a canvas.
-Moral of the story, frustration aside…if you believe your work is sellable; with patience and perseverance you will find a market.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

Elyse: Amazon and Barnes and Noble both carry “Voices of Autism”, and please check out The Healing Project at http://www.thehealingproject.org/main.html. I’m am still in the process of selling the novels, but I do have sneak peeks at both “Free Will” and “Consequences” on my MySpace blog. If you would like to contact me, just send me a message on my MySpace page, http://www.myspace.com/authorelysedraper.

Mary Dressel

2008-10-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: Mary Dressel

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

MD: Right now I write Historical, Paranormal, and Contemporary Romance. I have to write the stories I write. The ideas just come to me, and I have to make a story out of them. I feel complete when a particular story is finished, like it was the story that was calling to me.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

MD: Oh, goodness, I have always known that I would be a writer! Ever since a child, I wrote, or made up stories and poems. Writing has always been something that's been important for me. It’s my solace.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

MD: Other authors have been my inspiration, and still are. Always being an avid reader myself, I envied the people who had their name on books, and could fill the pages for other's enjoyment. When I was a child my dad was the one who got me into reading. He was a reader, so I in a way, he inspired me, too. Writing is my warm fuzzy! It's one of the most important things in my life. Whether or not I ever got published, or if I never get published again, I will still write.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

MD: I usually write in the evening since I have a regular job during the day. I work at a middle school for ten months of the year, and I feel so lucky to have summers off to write. Then, I usually get up early before anyone else, and stay up late. Sometimes now, I write in a notebook at night while family stuff is going on, then later put it in the computer. When I am really motivated and the words are just flying free, I call it my “writing frenzy” because I can't stop. I try to fit it in every free minute I have.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

MD: When my books are ready to go into the reader world, I am both scared and ecstatic at the same time. I so want my readers to love it, I guess that's why it's scary, and of course ecstatic because I'm so proud of what I've accomplished.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

MD: Finding time is and always has been my biggest challenge. With my first book, I had a family and ailing parents to work around, and now it's a full time job, and a new family to work around.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

MD: Photography is my hobby, and I enjoy creative photography. I'm still an avid reader, and have two or three books I'm reading right now.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

MD: Well, I've written the two I have published, and have three or four others in progress as we speak. At first Visions of Enchantment was my favorite. Then I wrote the second in the series, Enchantment's Embrace, and to date, that is probably my favorite. I'm beginning to really love the paranormal (vampire) I'm working on, too. My most current project is a novella, and it’s a bit more than sensual. Quite different for me. It’s winning a good race of my favorites!

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

MD: Probably about 97% of my characters are totally from my imagination. There are a few of my characters who are actually inspired from people I have known. My grandmother, whom I was very close to, inspired me to create one of my characters. Most come right out of my imagination!

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

MD: The best advice I can give aspiring writers is the same advice I got, and that is Write What You Know. When you have to write about something that you don’t know, then research until your reader believes you know it. And, most importantly, Never Give Up On Your Dream of becoming a writer.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

MD: I have an official Website and can be reached through that via guestbook, or email. That address is http://www.maryjdresselbooks.com My email address is dresselmj@aol.com I personally answer all my email, and love to hear from my readers and friends.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

MD: I write newsletters on a regular basis, and would like to invite everyone to read, and then hopefully subscribe to them. They can be found at http://www.maryjdresselsnewsletters.blogspot.com My February newsletter has an interview I did with C.J. Hollenbach, Fantasy Hunk of 2001, and Male Cover Model. Yikes! You have to check him out. In April I interviewed a Book Cover Designer who actually designed the cover for my two books, and one even won a Best Book Cover Art Award. He works at my publishing company. You can visit my BLOG, too! Http://www.maryjdresselbooks.blogspot.com

Lisa Pietsch

2008-10-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: Lisa Pietsch (That’s my real name too ;-)

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

LP: I consider myself a cross-genre mutt. I write espionage with lots of action/adventure and romantic elements.

I write the stories I write because, if I don’t, the characters keep bugging me and keep me awake at night acting out new scenes. It sounds crazy, I know, but my characters pretty much write the stories themselves. I see the scenes being acted out in my head like a movie and I just have to put them on paper.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

LP: I’ve always wanted to write. My parents succeeded in convincing me that I needed a trade rather than a dream of success in the arts so I bounced around a bit and then joined the Air Force. It wasn’t until after I got married that someone actually encouraged me to write. I wrote my first novel for kicks after our first son was born and when my husband liked it, I realized I wanted to go the distance with writing novels.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

LP: My life, the things I’ve done and the people I’ve met along the way are my inspiration.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

LP: Ha! Everybody I’ve met who writes professionally says “Create a schedule and stick with it.” Well, I can’t do that. I have a pre-schooler and an infant at home so I have to grab writing time whenever I can. I prefer to do my writing early in the morning so I get up at 0400 to get a few hours of writing in every day. At the end of the day, I’m so drained that I can barely put two words together.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

LP: Thrilled!

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

LP: Finding the time to do revisions when I finally got a publishing contract. One thing after kept popping up. My oldest son got sick, then the baby got sick, then I got sick. By the time I’d recovered, a month had passed. Then my computer crashed. Once I got my fallback computer set up and ready to go, it crashed too. There are always going to be challenges when we choose to follow our dreams. We have to just adapt, improvise and overcome. Nothing worthwhile is easy.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

LP: I like to read real news stories and non-fiction about arms dealers, terrorists, human trafficking, drug trafficking, kidnap & ransom. I love reading Ian Fleming’s James Bond books and Cindy Gerard’s The Bodyguards series of books is another favorite. I also like watching movies about all of the above: James Bond movies, movies like Lord of War, Blood Diamond, Proof of Life, the Bourne movies.

I’m not all business though. I love Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling and Shakespeare too!

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

LP: I’ve written one and am currently in the middle of revisions on it for my publisher, Sapphire Blue Publishing (http://www.SapphireBluePublishing.com). This is the first book in a series of seven books I have planned. The other six are outlined already. I also have a trilogy outlined to work on after I’ve finished this series.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

LP: Every character of mine begins with the seed of reality. Some are based more loosely than others on real people. Then there are others that I just completely dream up.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

LP: Don’t let anyone squash your dreams. If they try to, kick them to the curb. Keep pressing on. There are some questions I always asked myself when I got down about writing:

How many people say they want to write a novel before they die?
Of those, how many of them actually write one?
Of those, how many try to get it published?
Of those, how many do get published?

Writing the manuscript is just the first step but it is a huge step and praiseworthy.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

LP: I love making friends on MySpace! http://www.myspace.com/lisampietsch
My website is http://www.lisapietsch.com.
My publisher’s website is http://www.SapphireBluePublishing.com

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

LP: There is no more amazing feeling than that which fills you when you follow your dreams and do what you are truly passionate about. If writing is what makes you feel alive then pursue it with every bit of your being. Don’t give up!

Valerie Anne Faulkner

2008-10-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: Valerie Anne Faulkner

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

Valerie: My first novel, “I Must Be in Heaven, a promise kept,” is ‘a true, inspirational love story’ and has just been published in paper back. You ask why I have written this particular story…
Well, I never considered writing a book, however I have always enjoyed telling stories, and listening to them. Everyone I’ve ever met seems to have a story or two to tell, if you know what I mean.
My story literally had to be put on paper and shared. Its message is meant to offer hope, and insight. I personally experienced God’s presence in ordinary people, total strangers that I met, at the time this story takes place. Seemed one after another showed up… just when I needed them. Quite often people are placed along this path we call life; they shed light, on our darkness. But, we are too scared… we’re all afraid of the dark!
I for one had to keep faith when life seemed way to dim. And, I had to open my heart and my eyes to ‘see’ the light glowing, from these angels amongst us.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Valerie: For me, I decided to write this story, when I realized I needed to write it all down and remember the miracles… and since I had made a promise, I needed to stay true to my word. At first, I planned to actually “Tell the Stories,” then the thought of writing a book to share them with people everywhere came to me.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

Valerie: God has definitely been my inspiration.
Allow me to explain…It all began, due to a turn of events in my life. See, my hubby and I go back along way… childhood sweethearts, marriage, kids, ‘life was good.’ In May of 2005, life as we knew it, changed.
I endured a month of distress-dismay- and constant prayer at a hospital… watching, wondering if my husband whom had a brain aneurysm explode in his head, would survive! His prognosis was not good at all, and I asked family, then friends, and even mere acquaintances for their help in prayer.
One night while saying my prayers; I asked-like so many times before-for a miracle. It was that night I felt a presence like never before, and realized…should say I promised… to ‘Tell The Stories.’

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Valerie: Yipes, well I’m an electrician with my husband during the day (well most of the day) so I try to get out my correspondences in the morning, e-mails etc. as I am always working to get the word out so-to-speak. I also write a column for the Christian Fiction Online Magazine… so that takes quite a bit of time. It’s fun though so I love doing that. As far as another book… I’ve been asked already to continue with a sequel but I have only mulled that around in my head at the moment.
Evenings I do things like this! And my hubby, God bless him, works at his computer too, and then we go to bed. One funny thing people always ask, is how we can be together 24/7 and not get in a tiff? It’s love!

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

Valerie: Blessed!

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

Valerie: I tend to be a bit fanatical, and I desired perfection. In writing I would write-write-write, then read it, then have my husband read it – then rewrite it and start over again. It was a process that I eventually accepted, however if I didn’t go through all my steps… I couldn’t begin the next chapter. Of course it was pretty neat at the finish. I had very little I found that needed to be changed.
Then I sent it out to an editor for grammar and punctuation as well as flow. We compromised on ‘very few’ changes and the rest is history!

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Valerie: I like my regular job except this time of year it’s hot and Bill, my husband and I get dragged out and tired after a full day. He taught me how to do electrical wiring and the trade, as well as the people we meet are definitely interesting. If I’m not writing/working I love to go to the beach or swim in the pool. I am very fond of my dog Jake, and when possible he goes everywhere with us.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

Valerie: One, ‘I Must Be in Heaven, a promise kept” and it’s my favorite, too!

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

Valerie: Since this book is based on a true story, all the characters are very ‘real’ people.
I did consider who could play the movie roles since Bill and I resemble them so well. He could be Mathew McCaughnehey and I could be Kate Hudson. J

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

Valerie: Actually I do. This business of writing will amaze you, especially when you have your first book in hand. Try to focus on each day and each accomplishment rather on the ‘big ‘picture. Be patient, keep the faith, and be the best you can be. Write with your own voice! If you are satisfied and have given your project your all, be happy with your accomplishment. And constantly remember, to thank God, for the special gift he has given you. Then go out into the world with confidence and ‘show and tell’ them about your story!

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

Valerie: I have a website. I also do book signings at local Florida locations, and keep an up to date calendar on my homepage. Basically if anyone outside my area wants a book they can also go to the website and purchase through pay pal. I sign and mail those copies, myself.

www.imustbeinheaven.com (and /or) shop at amazon.com
I am set up there as well, and they can take your order.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

Valerie: Crystal this has been most enjoyable, and I hope you will keep in touch. I am so glad you invited me to join you and your friends today.

CA: Thank you Valerie for hanging out and sharing your works with the readers! I’m sure they will enjoy it!

Jennifer Shirk CONTEST

2008-09-29T05:03:00.001-07:00

*CONTEST* Jennifer is offering a copy of her ebook, The Role of a Lifetime to someone that comments this week! Make sure to leave an email addy so that I can contact you if you win!

Author Pen Name: Jennifer Shirk

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

JS: I write humorous contemporary romances. I probably write them because I’m addicted to reading them. Susan Elizabeth Phillips must sprinkle crack cocaine in her ink, because I’m a total junkie when in comes to her books. J

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

JS: I realized I wanted to write when I became first became pregnant. I started reading a lot more and decided to try my hand at it, since I had the time to devote to it—in between diaper changing, and naps, and cooking and cleaning.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

JS: My dad. He LOVED reading all kinds of books. He never tried to write one, but if he were living today, I bet he could.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing? Non-summer/holiday months are pretty much a Monday to Friday schedule, where I try to devote at least all morning or afternoon while the kiddo is in school to writing. I try to keep nights and weekends free for my family.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

JS: Stressed! It’s one thing to write for yourself and like what you write. It’s a whole other can of worms worrying if other people feel as you do about your own writing.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

JS: Honestly, with The Role of a Lifetime, there were no challenges. (Don’t ask me how that happened.)
But with the book I’m working on now, my biggest challenge is conflict. My hero and heroine are working things out way too soon. LOL!

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

JS: Reading! Oh, and I love to cook and try new recipes ALL THE TIME. I’ve just started running, too, but I’m not really sure I “like” it.

CA: How many books have you written?

JS: I’ve written three: one which will never seen the light of day, one I’m still looking for a home for, and The Role of a Lifetime which is out now. Which is your favorite? Ha! The one that sold, of course.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

JS: They’re from my imagination, but I’m afraid I do tend to take a small piece of my own personality and put it into these characters in some way. Love me, love my characters.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

JS: Keep writing! Ugh, I hated it when I heard other writers say this to me, but it’s so true. The more you write, the more your style changes and your voice really begins to develop.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

JS: Feel free to contact me via my website (http://www.jennifershirk.com) and you can purchase my book through The Samhain Website at (http://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/product_info.php?cPath=13_37&products_id=980)

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

JS: Yes! I love hearing from readers, so if you’ve read my book (and liked it) please feel free to e-mail me and tell me. Oh heck, even if you didn’t like it, you can e-mail me. LOL!

CA: Jennifer is offering a copy of her ebook, The Role of a Lifetime to someone that comments this week! Make sure to leave an email addy so that I can contact you if you win!

Beth Fehlbaum

2008-09-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: Beth Fehlbaum

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

BF: My debut novel is considered YA fiction but it will appeal to wider audiences because of its subject matter and the sheer number of people affected by the main theme, recovery from sexual abuse. It also deals with issues common to everyone, such as censorship, bullying, tolerance, diversity, forgiveness, hope. Most of all, it's about finding freedom through living in the light of truth..even when it's not an easy thing to do.

The reason I wrote Courage in Patience was to give hope to people who are struggling with things that feel too big to deal with, too scary to make it up and over that mountain. To let them know that they're not alone.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

BF: I cannot remember a time that I wasn't a writer. It's like breathing to me. I know what you mean; writing is hard work and becoming published is definitely hard work. But I would be writing even if nobody else read it but me. It's something I HAVE to do, an itch I have to scratch.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

BF: A need I felt down to the marrow of my bones to get the thoughts out of my head and see them on paper, try to make sense of them in black-and-white. A friend of mine suggested to me that I ought to try writing a novel, and I stopped-and-started for a few months, then when it started flowing, that was it, it just came out.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

BF: I'm a middle-of-the-night writer. I've just about resigned myself to the fact that my next book will, in all likelihood, be born in the middle of the night, so I suppose that means I'll be working on it most in the summer, since my day job is teaching.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

BF: Hopeful.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

BF: Getting started. I knew what I wanted to say but getting it to come out was a challenge. I had to overcome my fear.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

BF: I'm a language arts teacher of children whose first language is Spanish, and I love my job. I've always taught English and I love working with kids, so during the school year, when I'm not writing, I'm teaching.
In my free time, I like reading, working on my physical endurance-- I aspire to be a distance runner; spending time with my family and laughing a lot, and music-- all kinds. But I have a special place in my heart for folk music by singer-songwriters like Chuck Pyle, Eliza Gilkyson, Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Steve Seskin, Tom Russell, Jackson Browne, and Stephen Allen Davis, among many others. I very much admire and respect their gift. I use their music to teach my students English, to help them grasp the deeper meaning and appreciate the beauty that is figurative language. Last year my students especially loved Chuck Pyle's music. They wrote to him, invited him to come to our school, and offered to feed him authentic Mexican food. He not only took them up on their offer of lunch, he even performed a concert for the whole school! It was one of the most awesome moments of my career as a teacher, showing my kids that they could have a dream and it could come true.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

BF: Courage in Patience is my first novel, and I think it will always have a special place in my heart.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

BF: Like any writer, I draw on my own experiences and people I've known to some extent, and the rest is imagination.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

BF: JUST WRITE. Let the thoughts flow from your mind, right down your arm, and come out your fingertips. Don't let your fear of "not doing it right" or "not being perfect" keep you from trying. Just do it. Let it come.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

BF: Courage in Patience is available online through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Chapters, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Independent Publishers Group, and also through brick-and-mortar stores like Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc. Librarians can order it through their wholesalers, too.
Readers can e-mail me, and also visit my websites:
Courage in Patience, MySpace, Kunati Blog, Beth Fehlbaum, and Kunati Page

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

BF: I am very interested in hearing from my readers of all ages, as well as corresponding with schools and English classes. So, teachers and librarians, contact me if you'd like to take me up on the offer!

Joe Miller

2008-09-29T04:54:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: Joe Miller

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

JM: I write about motivational ideas to help people find happiness in life. Helping other people is my passion, and if I can write a book that will help just one person then I am happy.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

JM: Very recently. I wrote my book in December 2006 and after writing it I really enjoyed the process so much that I want to do more.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

JM: My Brother Chris was my inspiration for writing the book "Find Your Spinach" but my friend Pat Longo has been my constant writing companion and inspiration.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

JM: I am a speaker for a living so I have a lot of free time to work on my writing!

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

JM: Excited!

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

JM: I love to climb mountains.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

JM: I have written two books. "Find Your Spinach" is my favorite.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

JM: All of my characters are based on real people and experiences.

CA: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

JM: Write what is in your heart and don't change it for anyone.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

JM: My books are sold on my website: www.findyourspinach.com
You can also find us on MySpace: www.myspace.com/findyourspinach

Melanie Anderson CONTEST

2008-09-22T06:53:00.001-07:00

*Contest* Win one of Melanie’s E-books!! Just leave a comment with an email address and we’ll draw a winner Sunday*

Author Pen Name: Melanie Anderson

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

MA: I write contemporary romance books that are set in the world of racing. I write about racing because I LOVE it. Go Jimmie Johnson #48!!! Oops, sorry, got carried away.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

MA: I know it is a cliché, but for as long as I can remember. I used to have a Hello Kitty diary that I’d scribble gibberish in.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

MA: What inspired me to get serious about my writing was the DC area sniper. It was a terrifying time that really opened my eyes. If someone could get killed doing something as innocent as pumping gas, what was I waiting for?

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

MA: I wish I had a work schedule. I work a full time job and have a teenage son. Plus I’m good at procrastinating. My writing comes whenever I find a moment or get inspired. Mostly on the weekends and on work nights. I work well under deadline though so I always get it done.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

MA: Accomplished. It took me a long time to do this.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

MA: Research. Hands down. It’s a four-err-eight letter word.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

MA: Spend time with my husband and son. Sadly, I also watch a lot of television. Then there are my computer games… I’m a big addict.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

MA: At the time of this interview, I’ve written three books-On the Run, Born to Run, Racing for the Shore and have two short stories that are including in anthologies. All my books are published by Linden Bay Romance.

I have to say my favorite is On the Run because it’s my first. But also because I love Gary the hero. I often say that I can’t believe I’m the one who created him.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

MA: Well, they might be loosely based on real people at first. But once I start writing, they become their own person.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

MA: Just keep writing. I know that’s what everyone says, but it’s true. There are no writing books out there that can help you unless you write. Believe me, I know. I own a lot of them.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

MA: My website is www.authormelanieanderson.com. They can purchase my books on http://www.lindenbayromance.com/ Amazon.com and most places ebooks are sold.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

MA: I have recently started adding my own type of interviews and features to my blog. I invite everyone to come and take a look! http://authormelanieanderson.blogspot.com/

This interview was a lot of fun! Thank you.

CA: Thanks Melanie! Glad you had fun and now I hope the readers enjoy it!!

*Contest* Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win one of Ms. Anderson’s E-Books!

Shannon Leigh

2008-09-22T06:48:00.001-07:00

*Having Technical Issues Sorry For The Layout/Run Together*

Author Pen Name: Shannon Leigh

CA: What genre(s) do you write?

SL: I mainly do paranormal stories, which includes vampires, werewolves, ghost, demons, guardians, time-travel, etc. I have one contemporary, and I'm currently working on two science fiction stories. Currently, I've only written romance or erotica. I'd like to venture into some other genres--thrillers, horror, fantasy--but I'll probably stick with the romance for a while.

CA: Why do you write the stories that you write?

SL: I have always loved paranormal stuff--fantasy, magic, unicorns, dragons, fairies. I started reading romance stories when I was about 12. When I started writing, it just seemed natural to me to put the two together.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

SL: I've actually been writing since elementary school. My first story was a Friday the 13th type tale that involved my classmates. We were given a project at school to write a short story that would then be put on file in the library. Most of the kids wrote a couple a pages and had their books combined into one binding. Mine was a whopping 13 pages--pretty good for a ten-year-old--and was bound by itself. I was pretty proud of myself. After that, I wrote a lot of little stories for myself, mainly romances. My friends usually read them, but I never really thought about getting them published. It wasn't until I was about 27 when I realized I needed to do something with my stories. I'd started on a book called Immortal Desires. When I finished it, I knew I wanted to see it in publication so I started on a new quest and in 2002, it was published by DLSIJ Press in both ebook and print.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

SL: I read a lot of fantasy novels--Anne McCaffrey, Piers Anthony. At the time I started Immoral Desires, I was dedicated watcher of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Those shows really got my creative juices flowing.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

SL: Well, I unfortunately have to work a full-time job, so that cuts in to a lot of my time. I'm also a single mother of four wonderful boys, who also demand a lot of my attention. I'm always working on one writing project or another (right now I'm actually working on 5!) so I have to squeeze it in whenever I can. Night seems to be my most productive time, after all the kids are in bed.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

SL: Ecstatic! I love knowing my hard work is about to be tangible. I don't expect to get rich writing, so it's never been about money. I love hearing favorable reviews from my readers, that makes it all worth while.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

SL: I like to draw. Erotic artwork and fantasy are my favorites. I also love to scrapbook (I've spent a small fortune in supplies!) And if possible, I try to catch up on a little reading.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

SL: I've written two full-length stories, and seven short stories. My favorite...hmm...that's a tough one. Of course my first will always hold a special place, but I guess my second, which I'd actually thought about for years before writing, would have to be my favorite. The characters really came to life for me. One of the stories I'm working on is the sequel. I've had to set it aside for a while to finish up some contractual works, but I hope to get back to it soon. I hate leaving my characters in limbo.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

SL: Everything I write comes strictly from my imagination. Sometimes I scare myself. ha haI'll go back and read something I've written and think, "Where in the world do I get this stuff!"

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

SL: My website has links to all my books, as well as ones I'm working on. Anyone is welcome to email me personally if they have questions/comments. And all my books are available directly from the publishers as well.

My website: www.angelfire.com/planet/shannon_leigh
My email: author_shannon_leigh@hotmail.com
My My Space: www.myspace.com/author_shannon_leigh
My Blog: http://authorshannonleigh.blogspot.com/
Amber Quill Press: http://www.amberquill.com/
DLSIJ Press: http://www.dlsijpress.com/

Wild Child Publishing: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/

Join my newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shannon_Leigh_Newsletter

Come Blog with me:http://authorshannonleigh.blogspot.com/

EK Powers

2008-09-22T06:46:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: E.K. Powers

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

EKP: The genre I love to write is Fiction. I love writing fiction because you have to use your creativity, your imagination and my favorite part is creating interesting characters.
This will be my first novel and the reason I wrote this novel because I was tired of the same old novels that told the same old story but told in a different way. I wrote this story with that in mind, something different, exciting, intense and very entertaining.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

EKP: I first realize that I wanted to write was when I was a senior in high school. I always was infatuated with how movies were made and how the script was written for that movie. So one day while in drama club we were putting together a play about drug abuse among teens. That was my queue! I've written the script for six characters, the play was successful and I knew then that I had to become a writer. No matter if it was writing plays or books just as long as I can do what I love to do.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

EKP: My inspiration comes from writers like Spike Lee, Eric Jerome Dickey, James Patterson, Nikki Giovanni, Mario Puzzo and Stephen King but there are so many great writers that I love and follow. But I also inspire myself that I can write a great story, create moving characters, come up with shocking plots and then the ultimate goal would be to turn it into a full movie production.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

EKP: My work schedule is pretty hectic because I still have a career as an IT professional but I try and follow my writing schedule and focus on writing only every Tuesday and Wednesday at 9pm for an hour. I like to write at night where it's not that busy in my household and I can think and create. And sometimes there are days where nothing is coming through for me so I just call it a night. It's all a process for me.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

EKP: Unbelievable!

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

EKP: The biggest challenge was editing. You read your manuscript over and over again to make sure everything is perfect then after you do that you hire an editor and they still catch errors. But it's all worth it because you want your book to be perfect.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

EKP: I play basketball a lot, go to a lot of baseball and football games, I indulge myself in listening to great jazz, love good movies, reading, study screen plays and camera shots, help others get published and develop there stories and of course I spend time with my family.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

EKP: This will be my first novel and for this to be my first novel it's very intriguing. But I've written a lot of teen and scary short stories that got me noticed in college, received awards, made speeches at other colleges and high schools, taught writing classes. It's been a great trip so far and with this first novel more doors will be open and I will be able to help other people as well.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

EKP: I tend to base my characters on real people because the people I know are kinda like characters…lol. The reason I do that because I can connect with the character and develop them well with their strong points, weak points, etc. And some are from my crazy imagination that sometimes takes over the story. My imagination characters takes me somewhere I never been and it's spooky but exciting!

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

EKP: Just write, put your ideas down on paper and don't worry about if it doesn't makes since at the time just put it down because it won't make since for you not to. Be patient and do your research on the writing industry, the more you know the better off you'll be.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

EKP: Readers can go to www.ekpowers.com and you also can purchase the book on my myspace page @ www.myspace.com/ekpowers and you also can write to me as well @ E.K. Powers PO BOX 72, Clifton Heights, PA 19018

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

EKP: First, I want to thank you Crystal for this interview. I love writing and creating twisted stories that interest people, stories that will have readers thinking, and stories that will have my readers wanting for more. My goal is to direct movies and make a way for others to follow so they can make there dreams come true and they start another path for new comers and so on. This debut novel that I've written is incredible, it's a page-turner with powerful characters. So with that I thank you for this opportunity.

CA: Thank you EK for hanging out here this week and taking the time out to do this interview , I hope you get some new readers coming your way : )

ZULMARA CONTEST

2008-09-15T05:29:00.001-07:00

*Contest Time* Zulmara is going to give away an assortment of writing goodies to one lucky commenter this week! All you have to do is leave a comment and an email addy so that we can contact the winner next Monday. So make sure to leave a comment to have a chance at winning!!

Author Pen Name:
Zulmara (My professional publications are under Zulmara Cline, my poetry is under Zulmara)

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

Z: Right now I am focusing on Bilingual Children’s books. I write with a co-author, Eduardo Estrada Montenegro from Nicaragua and we collaborate on the books. Some we have co-authored and I do the translations for the books. I am also writing curriculum for the books and an EZ Bilingual Newsletter to help others enhance their bilingual skills. The newsletter is available for free and comes with a free gift at sign up.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Z: I have always loved to write and make up stories, but never thought of writing as a way of life or career until I completed my doctorate…that is when I discovered I had things to say others wanted to listen to, to read, and they took me seriously. I became a recognized expert in the field of bilingual and biliteracy education and was often asked to present the Latina or child or young adult perspective. The more my writing was taken seriously, the more inspired I was to write. I have also written and published poetry and a story for Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

Z: I am inspired by the concept of “paying it forward” so in my writings, I am constantly trying to help others succeed and do well. I enjoy offering advice and instructional strategies on various educational issues and concerns, I know if teachers use some of my ideas, children will be positively affected.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Z: Busy, busy, and very busy. I tend to write after work. I get home at around 5:00 and take an hour for eating and an evening walk. Then I proceed to write for my various projects that I have going. It is when I do my networking, blogging, writing, and other business related activities.

CA: Your books are about to be sent into the world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

Z: Fanstastica!!…I love it when I get emails and comments from those who have read about what I am doing and are just as excited. EZ Bilingual offers me an opportunity to put into words what I have learned about teaching in dual languages. I get to practice what I preach, as I help teachers do a better job and offer support for parents. The response has been fantastic. I have even begun to have others ask about contributing to the publishing company bilingual children’s books they have written and would like to have published.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

Z: I translated these books for my partner and the hardest part for me was to capture the essence of what it was he wanted to say and to stay true to what he had written. These are folktales from Nicaragua, so I wanted them to maintain a certain flavor of the country of origin.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Z: I live by the beach, so I try to find time for beach walks weekly…I also enjoy biking, reading, writing, and traveling…I love traveling, especially to tropical settings. I have been to Costa Rica, Brasil, Hawaii, Mexico, and Toronto.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

Z: We have 4 books we are debuting and I love all of them. Estrellita is my favorite because she is spunky, in a little girl sort of way.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

Z: In these story books the characters were inspired by a combination of both.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

Z: YES, read, read, and read some more and then write, write, and write even more. If you want to be a writer, you have to write…all the time, everyday. Respond to blogs and posts, read book reviews and leave a comment, read poetry and leave a comment. You will not believe how these little comments will keep you fresh and current and quick on your feet. It gives you a sense of personality and helps you to make friends and connect with others in the writing world. I love responding to blogs, it is like exercising the writing muscle.

Also, start a blog with what you want to say…pose questions, post ideas, pet peeves, what interests you, quotes, songs, lyrics…it does not matter, write and write every day, read and read everyday…and read all sorts of writing, it will help you with your own writing.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

Z: My books can be purchased at http://www.ezbilingual.net/ and I can be reached at http://www.myspace.com/zulmaracline

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

Z: Yes, I love this blog and have tried to read and respond faithfully. It is one of the best ways to get to know interesting authors, especially those who write in a different genre…nothing helps your writing like the inspiration gained from reading about writers and living the writerly life..

CA: Zulmara, you’re an awesome friend! I can always count on you to leave a comment on the author interviews of the week. And your interview was fantastic! I just love the idea of The Little Star That Fell From The Sky, my little guy would love it! Thank you for being such a great friend and follower of the blog!

*Contest Time* Zulmara is going to give away an assortment of writing goodies to one lucky commenter this week! All you have to do is leave a comment and an email addy so that we can contact the winner next Monday. So make sure to leave a comment to have a chance at winning!!

D. Renee Bagby

2008-09-15T05:28:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: D. Renee Bagby and Zenobia Renquist

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

DRB: As D. Renee Bagby, I write mostly fantasy interracial romance, at the moment. J As Zenobia Renquist, I’ve moved into the realm of contemporary and sci-fi romance as well. I don’t limit my sub-genres within the realm of romance because my imagination refuses to be limited. I’ve learned it’s better to give in than fight it.

No matter what sub-genre, my stories all have an interracial theme. When I was purely a reader, I always wanted to see a black heroine get into some of the same trouble (time-swept, highland lover, etc) as the other heroines, but it didn’t happen. Lacking options, I decided to write some of my own. My black heroines aren’t the typical “sistah” type most people are used to, but I’ve heard no complaints thus far.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

DRB: Middle school. Well, actually high school. In middle school, I wrote as coping mechanism to my life not going the way I thought it should. In high school, I got together with my then best friend and we decided to do a comic. While that never took off, I realized I liked coming up with plots and making the characters dance to my tune. It was all downhill from there.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

DRB: My original driving force was to have some sort of written record for the stories I concocted in my daydreams to entertain myself. My best friend in high school encouraged me a lot because she loved reading the comic scripts I wrote.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

DRB: Hectic. Actually, that’s my whole life. I never know what I’m going to be doing until I do it. Becoming a career writer means changing that about myself, to a certain extent. I have to learn to plan things out months (sometimes a year) in advance, like conventions and advertising and the like.

But, writing isn’t just a career for me, it’s my hobby. People ask me what I do in my free time, I tell them I write. The only time I have free time and I’m not writing is when I have writer’s block or I get sucked into a playing a few rounds Cake Mania 2 or Diner Dash. I do spare some time to promo and chat on the loops, but I’m usually at my computer writing, editing or reading over what I’ve written and tweaking it.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?
DRB: Anxious. I thought the feeling would go away after the first book, but no such luck. If anything, it’s a little worse with each new release. My constant worry is that this will be the book that disappoints my readers and leads them to drop me forever. I love my stories and I want others to love them as well. I know not every story I write will be beloved by those who like my work. Every author has that one book a fan read because it was by that author but they weren’t impressed. Heck, even I have those with my fav authors. It’s to be expected and I know that. I’m just hoping I don’t lose a reader because of it.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

DRB: Finishing! Before Adrienne was submitted, I had never truly finished anything before. I had one story I wrote for a competition back in high school, but that didn’t (and still doesn’t) count, especially since I’d lapsed on the deadline.

When I finished the first draft of Adrienne, it gave me a sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that I could actually finish a story if I worked at it. After being published, finishing is not so much a personal challenge as it is a time challenge. I have to juggle so much—promotion, chat loops, conventions, day job, random bouts of writer’s block due to stress from one of the before mentioned. All those things come with being a writer and I didn’t know that until my book went live on Samhain Publishing’s site.

I’ve learned to step back a little and only do what is absolutely necessary so I don’t detract from my writing time or cause myself unnecessary stress. It’s working so far.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

DRB: I like to keep my hands busy. I’ll read something (hey, it counts. I’m flipping pages), knit some chainmaille, play a few rounds of Diner Dash or Cake Mania, or pretend to clean my study. I’m really good at the last one. I pretend to clean my study at least once a week. When I’m done, I can see the floor, but that only lasts for a day or two.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

DRB: Four. Two novel-length books (Adrienne and Serenity) as D. Renee Bagby and two novella-length books (Acknowledging Meirion and A Valentine’s Gift for Tori) as Zenobia Renquist. At this particular moment, Serenity is my favorite. It’ll be usurped once my current WIP is finished, contracted, and published. But then, the current WIP will only keep the title as long as it takes me to finish the one I have planned after it. Do you see a trend?

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

DRB: My imagination. I use people and experiences around me for character interaction ideas, but none of my characters are based on real people.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

DRB: Keep writing no matter what. Get to know your characters as much as possible and they’ll talk to you more. Ask “why” until you can’t answer the question anymore. Only then do you know that the story is complete.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

DRB: Sites – http://dreneebagby.com and http://zenobiarenquist.com
MySpaces - http://www.myspace.com/kuraimegami and http://www.myspace.com/zenobiarenquist
Yahoo Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dreneebagby_multiverse/
Blog - http://dreneebagby.blogspot.com/

My sites have excerpts and the complete first chapters of all my releases as well as buy links.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

DRB: My books are a crazy ride but I hope you love every minute. As two reviewers said I’m building new realms of passion as D. Renee Bagby and as Zenobia Renquist my readers will discover different and unique romances.

Kissa Starling

2008-09-15T05:25:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: Kissa Starling

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

KS: So far I’ve written erotic romance with both heterosexual and lesbian characters, romantic comedy, and sweet romance. I write whatever comes to me. I enjoy thinking up stories when submission calls are sent out.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

KS: I’ve always written, since I was little. I didn’t write, with the intent to publish, until a few summers ago. I was sucked in by a Christmas contest and I haven’t slowed down since.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

KS: Writing is a natural outlet for me. I started out in a diary and now all of my thoughts are out there for the world to see.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

KS: I always have several irons in the fire. It works out well because I can let a manuscript set for a while and then go back to at after finishing something else. I always see a story differently when I take a rest from it. I usually only write at night and on the weekends. And then only when everyone else in the house is asleep. Being a night owl helps.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

KS: Super-cali-fragulous-be-exbe-aly-do-cious (I’m sure that’s the southern spelling! Haha)

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

KS: My biggest challenge is finding the time to get everything done that I want to. I need so many more hours in a day!

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

KS: I love to do yoga, meditate, box, read, and I also review books for three different sites. I spend time with my family- we love board games and cards. We go camping and travel whenever we get the chance.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

KS: I’ve officially sold seven stories, most of them shorts. My favorite story is always the one I’m working on. I get so into it that I don’t have time to think about any of my earlier submissions. I love to do research and that helps to pull me into the characters heads and the time period of the story. I currently have nine stories out there with publishers and I’m a few weeks away from submitting a tenth. My current work-in-progress is called Swing Pointe. It’s about an amusement park that caters to adults. It’s been a lot of fun to write and create the park in my mind.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

KS: I take bits and pieces of every person I’ve ever met and combine them into my characters. Some are totally from my imagination. Chloe, in Love Angel, is not based on anyone in particular but I will say I’m a bit clumsy myself. Meeko, in Search for the Brown Boobies, is a self-driven photographer who will stop at nothing to get her picture. I’m a bit diligent myself. I see a trend. Hee, hee

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

KS: Go for it! There are so many deterrents out there to stop you from writing. Don’t let yourself become one of them. A word of advice= join this yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Avoid_Writers_Hell/join I’ve learned more at that group than I’ve learned anywhere else. My writing has definitely improved since I joined.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

KS: I have a website at www.kissastarling.com that has all of my information. I started a yahoo group called Kissa’s Karma Korner that I absolutely love. The members chat, play games, and win contests periodically. Here’s the link to join that- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kissaskarmakorner/join I’m a part of Midnight Seduction Authors and also Romance Divas so you can find me there browsing around most days.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

KS: I’d like to thank you for having me on your blog this week. Great site here by the way. I hope everyone will drop by to see me sometime or email me at kissa_starling@yahoo.com

CA: You’re welcome Kissa, it was great having you here! I hope you get some readers coming your way!

Douglas Allen Rhodes

2008-09-08T02:45:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: Douglas Allen Rhodes

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

DAR: My novel, “Sex and Murder,” definitely fits in the Splatterpunk or Extreme Horror category. But I’ve written pieces in a variety of genres, everything from fantasy to western; hell, I even do poetry on occasion. Regardless of the genre I write in, though, all the pieces share a common darkness.
That’s the place my fiction heads when I start to write—whether I intend it or not. The world’s a dark place, and I’ve experienced more than my share of it. My writing reflects what I’ve lived and seen.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

DAR: I was about eight years old. My school district had a program called “The Young Authors’ Contest,” which encouraged elementary school kids to write, illustrate, and bind their own books. Mine won first place and I found what I wanted to do with my life.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

DAR: I love the work of Robert Heinlein. He saw the best of what humanity was and what it could be—the total opposite of how I write. Still, his work is brilliant and it made me want, more than anything, to write a piece that would have the impact on another person that his books had on me.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

DAR: I try to write at least two or three hours at a time when I’m working on a short story. With my novel I put in six to eight hours a day for about six months, then spent a year rewriting it, followed by a year and a half of getting it into its final form (of course once it went to my editor, the amazing M. E Ellis, I ended up rewriting it three more times).

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

DAR: Drunk

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

DAR: Actually, that’s kind of funny. I wrote “Sex and Murder” in prison, so aside from not getting the stack of pages it was scribbled on confiscated by a guard, it was probably just dealing with the daily inhumanity of where I was.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?
DAR: I read constantly, whether its books, short fiction, or comic books (which will always be my first love). I’m a heavy drinker, so there’s always that. Golfing takes up a nice bit of my time, though I’m still not that good.

CA: LOL a heavy drinker and golfer, if you’re mixing the two maybe that’s why you’re not that good : ) just kidding!!!

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

DAR: “Sex and Murder” is my first novel. I’m working on a couple others right now, as well as some short stories and a comic book script.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

DAR: I do a mixture. Some of them are lifted entirely from people I’ve known; Erik the Red, for example, is based on Walt Fazenbacher, a crazy-ass, son of a bitch I did time with. But others are entirely home grown.

CA: You wrote this book while you were in prison? How long did it
take you to write it?

DAR: It took me six months to write my first draft. I started it about two days in, as a way to get my mind off of where I was. After the first draft was completed I mailed it out a few pages at a time (to keep suspicion low) and had my family photocopy the pages and mail the originals back to me, again a few pages at a time.

This might seem paranoid--it's only fiction after all--but if you've read "Sex and Murder" you know that its graphic nature would be more than enough to get me flagged by the good folks of the Ohio prison system.

CA: Did any of the inmates influence you in any way while writing?

DAR: A good bit of what I experienced in prison, as well as the folks I was forced to live with went into the book.

As I said in an earlier question, Erik the Red is based pretty strongly on a guy named Walt Fazenbacher. He was a crazy german guy doing 10 years for manslaughter who actually worshiped the old Tutonic (similar to Norse) gods. It's an actual religion, they call themselves Odinists, and he was pretty freaky into it.

He's probably the only literal inspiration I used, but the stories I heard and the guys I met definately had their effect on my writing.

Just as an example, I new a guy who went by the name of Silk (short for Silky Smooth--seriously). He was in his mid-40s, a veteran of the air force, and a long standing pillar of his community. His sister had been murdered by drug dealers who were trying to make an inroad into the city he lived in, pretty brutally too from what I could gather. So, one day Silk is out an about and who does he run into but the guy who supposedly killed his baby sister. Well, he did what a lot of us would want to and he attacked the guy, stabbing him repeatedly in the neck and throat. The dealer tried to get away from him and the two of them ended up crashing through the window and into the living room of a nearby house. That's where Silk finished killing the miserable bastard, right in front of the family whose house they'd tumbled into.

Neither the judge nor the prosecuter wanted to do anything to Silk, his whole life had been one of giving to the community, but something had to be done. They decided to charge him with manslaughter and breaking and entering, they let him plead to both charges but promised to give him parole the second he was eligible. True to their word they brought him out after two years.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

DAR: Write and submit constantly, in a variety of formats. Maybe the best advice I can give is to go to Duotrope.com and open a free account. They list thousands of markets and give details on who to contact and what sorts of fiction they want. It’s an invaluable tool for any beginning writer.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

DAR: “Sex and Murder” can be purchased at WildChildPublishing.com, and will soon be up on Fictionwise.com and Amazon.com. I can be reached via MySpace, under Douglas A Rhodes, or by email at DRhodes32@DouglasAllenRhodes.com, there’s also my websites DouglasAllenRhodes.com and SexandMurder.com. I always answer all serious email.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

DAR: Just to invite everyone to check out “Sex and Murder,” it’ll knock you on your ass.

CA: That last sentence is enough to make me want to read it alone! Thanks for a great interview!

Tiva Wallon

2008-09-08T02:43:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: Tiva Wallon

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

TW: I am a multi genre author but my main passion is romance and erotica. Why I write the stories I do is because each one has a piece of me woven throughout the story. Weather it be real or just part of my terribly vivid imagination I have to give my fantasy life so hopefully others will fall in love with my characters too.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

TW: I have always been a dreamer. As a child I would create all kinds of fantasies so I wrote my first two page story when I was around ten. Sci-fi was my main genre back then and I lived and breathed the stuff.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

TW: I would have to honestly say my grand mother. She led quite the adventurous life. Through the years and hearing about her countless escapades I couldn’t help but want to experience the things she did. The only way for me to do that was to pen them and of course, embellish them enough to make them my own.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

TW: I work a full time day job…unfortunately. When I get home I have about two hours to work on my stories then I fix dinner. After that I can spend another couple hours on the computer then I spend the remaining time with my hubby. So I guess you could say I’m a part-time writer. But hey, it works for me because I now have 11 books out since 2004.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

TW: Blessed

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

TW: When I write, I put myself into the minds of my characters. I become them which takes concentration, peace and quiet. My challenge is the phone ringing, neighbors or friends stopping by, having to stop and fix dinner. All of these pull me out of my story and I have to start over to get back inside.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

TW: My hubby and I recently bought 2 ½ acres of property in the country. So I like to go out there and listen to the silence, listen to nature, watch the fire and work on my garden. It’s refreshing to the mind. Out there the next chapter begins to formulate in my head.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

TW: I now have 11. My favorite would have to be ATWATER CASTLE : GATEWAY TO HELL. It’s filled with lots of action, passion and suspense. Not to mention it’s my first paranormal erotica. It’s been one of my biggest sellers.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

TW: Both, but mostly from my imagination.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

TW: Never give up, write something every day and never accept no as an answer. If you get a rejection letter, just consider it a learning tool. Use it to better your writing skills. It doesn’t mean your story stinks, it just means that particular publisher can’t use your story. What one doesn’t want, another one will. If you’re going to be a writer, you have to accept criticism. Not everyone will like what you write, but others will.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

TW: I urge everyone to check my web page out to see all my books, read all the blurbs. There is information on where and how to order my books on my web page. http://tivawllon.bravehost.com/ Please stop by, say hi and sign my guest book. I am also on www.myspace.com/tivawallon

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

TW: My latest book, “Mr. Teddy Bear” has been accepted by Dark Castle Lords and will be released in a couple months. This book is also listed at lulu.com and can be purchased in paperback form there. I also have a thriller/suspense due out this year and a Sci-fi paranormal/erotica in the works. I have a 9 book series with 3 books out so far. Number 4 is also set for release later this year. 2009 will bring book # 5 of the series, 2 romance novels, a book of poetry, a cook book and a coffee table photo book. Check my web page to learn more.

Margaret L. Carter

2008-09-08T02:41:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: Margaret L. Carter

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

MLC: Horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance. I started in horror. I’m motivated by fascination with getting into the mind of the “monster” and exploring relationships between human and nonhuman characters.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

MLC: When I was thirteen.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

MLC: Reading DRACULA at the age of twelve. The book enthralled me so much that I went on to devour all the horror and fantasy I could get, and I started writing the stories I couldn’t find enough of at the library.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

MLC: I allot most of the afternoon on Mondays and an hour or two each on a couple of other days of the week. I hope to be able to quit my part-time “day job” within a few years and spend more time writing.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

MLC: Hope.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

MLC: Structuring the plots to avoid weak spots in the middle.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

MLC: Listen to folk and filk music; occasionally play Dungeons and Dragons; mostly read all the time.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

MLC: Between fifteen and twenty, depending on whether you count stand-alone novella-length electronically published works as books. My favorite “book of my heart” is my first vampire novel, DARK CHANGELING.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

MLC: They come mainly from my imagination but may include details of physical appearance and mannerisms from real people.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

MLC: Read constantly, within and outside your field of specialization. Find a good critique partner or group. Never give up.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

MLC: Please visit my website: www.margaretlcarter.com. In addition to information about my work, it features a variety of intriguing websites on the Links page, especially in the vampire category. My publishers are Hard Shell Word Factory (www.hardshell.com), Amber Quill Press (www.amberquill.com), and Ellora’s Cave (www.ellorascave.com), with a short piece forthcoming from Mundania Press (www.mundania.com). Most of my print books are available on Amazon.com, and most of my e-books are sold by Fictionwise.com as well as the publishers. For my erotic paranormal romances, go directly to Ellora’s Cave.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

MLC: My monthly newsletter includes brief book reviews, interviews with guest authors, and excerpts from my fiction. To subscribe, visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/margaretlcartersnewsfromthecrypt.

My website includes links to information about my discontinued fanzine THE VAMPIRE’S CRYPT. All issues are still available from the distributor. They contain exhaustive book review columns and numerous interviews with distinguished vampire fiction authors, as well as original stories.

Kevin Morrison

2008-09-01T04:18:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: Kevin Morrison

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

KM: Actually, Crystal, my pen name and my real name are one in the same. Scary huh? I never thought of giving myself a pen name, when I became an author. I’ll reserve the creative names for my characters in my storytelling.

CA: What genre(s) do you write?

KM: My writing genre could be categorized in more than one way. Some could call it dark fantasy, while others could call it fantasy horror. It’s a blend of sword and sorcery and modern technology with the dark element mixed in. So, my writing could be incorporated in fantasy related events or horror related events.

Why do you write the stories that you write?

KM: Because I like to incorporate the horror element and action with magical things. For example, in my writing I have a vampire priest summoning demons from within a magical orb to attack armored knights defending a fortress. Another reason would be, because I haven’t seen this type of genre overdone or written too much.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

KM: After I got out of college my imagination was stimulated by the comics I read, the videogames I played, and the role-playing games I have tried. I started to wonder what I would like to incorporate in my own world of storytelling.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

KM: After working part-time for a video store and getting frustrated by the many poor quality movies released on video, I started to wonder why such bad writing was getting produced. I began to ask myself again if I could possibly write something entertaining, if not better than what I was looking at. You could say that I was motivated by crap. It is a scary thing to challenge yourself sometimes. You never know what you will end up with. Most of the poor quality movies I was referring to happened to be horror movies. From that point on I decided to create my own mythology of horror in my own world. Since many origins of monsters have different depictions on them or rules, I decided to keep the rules I liked and reinvent the rest to bring a fresh look to a lot of the horror icons out there. The icons I am referring to that I have reinvented are vampires, werewolves, demons.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

KM: It varies from day to day and week to week. Sometimes I will spend 20 minutes to write a dialogue sequence on paper and incorporate it into a story on computer later on depending on where it fits in. It really depends on how much story I have to work with. Some days I would spend only an hour or two writing on the computer. Other days with editing I could possibly spend two or more hours behind the computer screen. Of course it also depends on how much free time I have. So, let’s say my writing schedule varies from 20 minutes to 3 hours a day.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

KM: Excited!

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

KM: Telling the story in a descriptive format that the reader could see in my words. I had to figure out what my writing style was and how to keep my vision pure, even though I did take ideas from many sources. My storytelling is very visual, so there is a wealth of details for the reader to get through in order to appreciate my writing. So, the challenge lies with being satisfied with describing the characters, the layouts, and the action taking place in each chapter. Once that was done, all the chapters seemed to fall into place.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

KM: Drawing, playing videogames, watching movies, reading.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

KM: To this date I have only written one novel that is published so far and I have plans to write a whole series of books that are related to my first one

The Accursed Realm: The Blood Gem (Published by PublishAmerica)
Currently, I am working on my second manuscript and plan to submit it to a publisher in the very near future.

I have also written a short story that is published in a horror anthology.

From the Shadows (Published by Triad Publishing Group)

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

KM: I tend to base my characters from my imagination, after they have gone through a mental distilling process of birthing them out of ideas I have seen from many sources until I can call them my own.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

KM: Keep a notepad with you at all times. You never know when a good idea will appear in your mind and the need to write it down before it fades away. Ideas are like water. If you don’t contain it, it will eventually evaporate.

Have fun with the process of writing the story and developing characters. Frustration of condensing the ideas on paper is part of being a writer.

Believe in the work you are doing and hang around others who will inspire your work and give you good advice.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

KM: I can be contacted through two sites:

www.myspace.com/accursedrealm or www.theaccursedrealm.com

My books can be purchased online from the publishers directly or through the major booksellers, such as Borders or Barnes and Nobles.

Join my friends list on myspace, if you have an account.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

KM: Thanks for the interview. I would also like to mention that I am also an artist. So, feel free to stop at my main website and check out my galleries. I welcome comments and don’t share or sell email addresses. Have a great day!

CA: HI Kevin, thanks for hanging out and sharing a little bit about yourself with the readers today!

Contest Interview with Hal Lanse

2008-09-01T04:15:00.000-07:00

** CONTEST** Leave a comment on this interview to have a chance to win a copy of Hal's book! If you also visit www.authorvbt.blogspot.com and leave a comment that qualifies you for a second entry :) so please comment for your chance to win. Make sure to leave an email address so that I can contact the winner Monday ( 9/8)

Author Pen Name: Hal Lanse

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

HL: My latest book, Read Well, Think Well, is an informational book for parents who want to help their children become good readers. It’s also a book that teachers can use to plan instruction. Since my publisher has asked me to send a proposal for another book, it’s likely that I will continue to write books for parents and teachers.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

HL: Well, I started writing poems in kindergarten; but I started thinking about becoming a professional writer after I completed my Ph.D. I realized that if I could complete a book-length dissertation (for which I won an award) then I could write other books.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

HL: My inspiration is the children and adolescents I teach. I want them to have great futures; so everything I write is to support them, their parents, and teachers.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

HL: When I wrote Read Well, Think Well I was asked to complete the manuscript during my two month summer vacation. I basically lived at my computer for eight weeks and saw very few people other than the Chinese take-out guy. Next time around, I’ll ask for six to eight months and work mostly on the weekends.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

HL: Accomplished

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

HL: My answer’s not surprising. What’s every author’s favorite activity? I love to read. I’m a very promiscuous reader. I go with a lot of different genres. I also love the opera, especially Mozart. Walking is a blissful activity for me. There’s a beautiful wooded park near my home. And of course it’s summer, the time my son and I go to see every action movie Hollywood can come up with. A shout out to my pal Hell Boy!

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

HL: I wrote two sci-fi books for kids. They didn’t sell very well. (J.K. Rowling’s not tossing in bed worrying about competition from me—LOL.) Now, I’ve written Read Well, Think Well. It’s by far my favorite book because I feel that I’ve contributed something valuable to the world.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

HL: I can be contacted at www.readwellthinkwell.com. There’s also a link to my blog on the site and links to Amazon and B&N. The brick-and-mortar B&N stores have the book in the education section.

Charlotte Emma Gledson

2008-09-01T04:14:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: Charlotte Emma Gledson

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

CEG: Horror all the way! I have written some dark poetry also but there is always a horrific edge to every thing I write. I write horror for many reasons. I enjoy it! I like to break boundaries, take my readers to places where they are drawn to, and want to stay, but feel they shouldn’t…and then shock them! Seriously though, I do find writing dark fiction therapeutic. It’s a way of exorcising my demons. I had a lot of trouble in my past, harbored most of it inside me, and through my writings it’s released!

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

CEG: I think it was way, way in back…in 1997! After a bereavement I started to write poetry. Writing my feelings down became beneficial to my healing process, which led me down the road I am on today! As a kid I read a lot of horror. Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’ was the pinnacle of my desire! (as was the Kubrick’s version released in 1980), along with other authors such as, Herbert, Saul and Layman. After reading these fabulous authors, I thought wow; I wish I could do this. But sadly as a youngster, I was finally diagnosed with dyslexia and prior to my diagnosis, I was classed as a dunce! Yes seriously! They tested my eyes and ears when I was thirteen years old because they didn’t know why I couldn’t read or write very well. Hey, look at me now! It just proves that you can overcome all hardships, and goals can be eventually reached.J Also I have a fascination with the criminal mind and as to WHY such murderers and villains commit such deadly deeds.

CA: How does it feel to be in a best selling horror Anthology Sinister Landscapes that peaked to number one on Amazon??CEG: WE BEAT STEPHEN KING I AM TOTALLY STOKED!!!!! I am so utterly proud and it's a huge congratulations to Alan Draven who is the editor. Also to all that contributed. Without the brilliant stories found in this fabulous collection it would not have been possible! Way to go guys!!

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

CEG: In the literal sense, James Herbert, Stephen King, John Saul, Richard Laymon, M.R. James and Poe. Masters of Horror! Personally, it is my father. He wrote poetry and they were very deep, passionate, and dark. However some were lyrical and upbeat! He was an incredible writer, but he never fulfilled his dreams, I am doing it for him now!

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

CEG: Haphazard! I have four kids all at different ages and temperaments, my youngest just turned four last week. He is at playschool in the mornings so I do a lot then. After two and a half hours of churning up ideas (usually with my sister on the phone!), shopping, chores, laundry etc, I do manage to put some structure into my ideas. The afternoons are very random. If Eddy is happy to play the X box I will write, but he does, (and rightly so) insist that I am sitting playing and interacting with him. When the older kids come home, they take Eddy off me, and I can do more writing. Then at five o’ clock I cook, and help the older kids with homework etc and just hang out with them. So you could call it a chaotic structure that I conform to! Evenings are the best time to write, weekends also, as John my hubby will take off some of the load and cook breakfast!

CA: What is the Lonely Tree and Other Twisted Tales of Torment about? When will it be released?

CEG: The Lonely Tree is a collection of short sharp shockers. A lot of true horror comes (I feel) from ourselves and our own fears. Horror can be close to home. My twisted tales are of a more physiological nature, but I do use some graphic violence that some may find hard to stomach, but at the end of the day, its horror, and things like this do happen around us, but many tend not to talk about it.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

CEG: Spelling and Time!

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

CEG: Karaoke. But now I have new neighbors that scare me, I don’t bother so much now, and it’s breaking my heart!! Also I have a keen interest in the paranormal and have been on a few ghost vigils. Though I have never seen a ghost, I would love to see one. I lived in a house for many years that had an entity, but I had never seen it, though I felt it. Every visitor that arrived at the house felt the negative vibes that this spirit incurred.

CA: Being a mother to four young children, how do you find the time to write?

CEG: When they let me! They are now finally seeing that I ‘work from home’, so when I have done the important things with them and they are settled, (or they are next to me on the PC as I have a laptop now whoo hoo!) they eventually leave me to it!

CA: As a UK female horror author and Mother that writes emotionally with graphic violent scenes and physiological harrowing situations, how do others receive you?

CEG: Not to well to be honest. A lot of my friends and family have no interest in the horror genre and when I do tell them what I have been up to, I have been getting little response. However with my peers I get a lot of support and without them, I would not continue to do this. I really feel that many just can’t believe a ‘mumzy’ figure as I am, is capable of writing graphic horror. This is why I want to promote all female horror writers to be as creative as they want, and break the mould. Be free with your mind, write your horror down and don’t be afraid to push boundaries. Ignore the ridicule, just express yourself!

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

CEG: Write for yourself, enjoy what you write and be open to all types of constructive criticism. If you get a knock back, don’t be disillusioned. Move on, keep going. Share your work with fellow writers if you are comfortable to do so. It’s always valuable to get differing interpretations. If you want to be writer, you will get some negative feedback. It goes with the territory. Some will either love or hate your work, but never let their opinions stop you from moving forward and achieving your goal. As they say ‘as one door closes, another one opens’ and I am proof of that! Also doing research is always important, and make sure you have a large drink once your have implemented that final full stop at the end of your creation! Treat yourself!

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

CEG: I am available at www.myspace.com/lotte38 and my website is http://www.charlottemmagledson.com Also my email is lotte_37uk@yahoo.co.uk

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

CEG: Just to say that this summer and fall you are able to see a lot of my work in anthologies and magazines, so look out for me. (For example, Darkened Horizons issue 5, SNM Horror Magazine, Tales from the Moonlit – Path, NVF magazine, 9 0f Swords, Word Weaver’s Ladies of Horror 2008, Cassandra Lee’s Concrete Blood, and more! Sinister Landscapes is out on Amazon.com NOW. This is a Gothic Anthology edited by Alan Draven; author of Bitternest, with a forward by Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc. The Edward Ballister Project is still on the go, where each esteemed author pens a chapter for this unique horror novel. I am also writing a novel entitled ‘Bluebells For My Baby’ hopefully to be finished by next year. Finally I want to say a big ‘Thank You’ to you, for promoting authors and aspiring authors as myself, Bless you Crystal! Thanks for letting me ramble!

CA: Thank you for rambling lol! It is always a pleasure talking to you Lottee :)

J. Rife

2008-08-25T05:42:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: J. Rife

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

JR: My real name is John Rife. In my family, John is a heavily used name on both my mother and my father’s side, so I felt it better to use something closer to my nickname (JR).

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

JR: I write Fantasy primarily though I have composed other works. In my career outside of writing, I do a good bit of business and technical writing. I have been a fan of Fantasy since fourth grade. I had a desire to write since first grade, though I didn’t find my “theme” until I read a version of The Knights of the Round Table in the fourth grade. Since then, I’ve been drawn to all things fantasy.

Despite my commitment to fantasy, I have been doing some writing concerning paranormal or unexplained phenomena as seen in my latest work, Pennsylvania: A Paranormal Journey.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

JR: Though I had been writing since a very young age, I did not have the desire to be a professional writer until after High School. I was the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band Day of Wrath in 1998-1999 & again in 2000-2001. During both of these periods, I received a lot of positive feedback about my writing/lyrics. I still to this day (though admittedly they’re packed away somewhere) have letters from fans telling me how much my words meant to them and how I was able to inspire and encourage them. It was in 1998 that I seriously thought of writing full-time as a career and begin making notes of intended works.

Trying my hand at Hollywood, I answered a casting call for a major motion picture and attempted some B-movie success. This really slowed down my attempt at becoming a writer. I never made it to the B-movie screen and my Major Motion Picture part didn’t even result in a credited part. Instead I was reduced to an extra and in the end, all the scenes I was in were cut (unless you’re one to watch “deleted scenes” on your DVD Bonus Features menu).

For nearly a decade, I slowly put some of my works together and then in 2006, I just decided to “do it”. I had been out of the music business for a considerable amount of time so I wanted to explore my creative side again. In 2007 I saw the fruits of my labor in my first work, Lord of the Forrest. Since then, I have been doing some serious writing and getting better practiced in my craft.
CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

JR: Each piece really is different in terms of where the inspiration comes from. I have a great affinity towards Welsh culture and legend. I believe that Stephen R. Lawhead is a master at bringing this culture into today’s mainstream. His use of the language and settings are incredible. Lawhead is a major inspiration to me. But aside from people, there are written works I am highly influenced by; classic standards such as The Mabinogion and Le Morte D'Arthur.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

JR: It’s basically turn up the music and block everything out. If need be, I go to the local library with my laptop and MP3 player. When I’m on a project, I generally work 90 minutes a day for 5-6 days. I have become very disciplined in my work and schedule and rarely if ever stray from it.

This includes the research period, the writing period, and the review/edit period. The Braveheart soundtrack is usually on repeat in any of the processes. If I’m not in the mood for the instrumental stuff, I will listen to Extol, As I Lay Dying or even Blind Guardian.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

JR: Hopeful

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

JR: Time. Even the 90 daily minutes I allot myself is not enough it seems. As with just about anyone else, my life is quite busy and I have a lot going on between my family, trying to come up with an income to support us all, and just some time to sit back and breathe.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

JR: When I’m not writing, I’m definitely “Dad”. I love my kids and I love being with them. They’re wonderful beyond words. And when the kids aren’t home, my wife and I like to get out and just be together. And when I’m not with anyone in my family, I’m usually playing Lego Star Wars II or Guitar Hero alone or with friends.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

JR: I’ve completed 3 books. My favorite is probably an unwritten book but as far as the completed ones go, Lord of the Forrest is my favorite. This is a book that can appeal to anyone; even those not fans of the genre. Many readers find the story comparable to that of the The Princess Bride as it shares many of the same elements and innocence.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

JR: It’s a combination of the both. The first book I wrote definitely had some characters translated out of my personal life; as well as an opportunity to kill off a few of my own demons. But in my works, real people may inspire the flow of the story more so than receiving their own portrayal in my works. For example, in Lord of the Forrest, there were many casualties on both sides of the good and evil coin. But around the time Lord of the Forrest was about to be released to the public, I lost someone very close to me. It is because of that loss that none of the heros in Sword of Jyr died. The loss of this person put a desire in me to really take out some of the loss and mourning that is quite often a major part of my writing. It was indeed a tribute to him and though his memory is still strong in me, my future works will be returning to my standard formula of epic drama.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

JR: Writing is definitely not for the weak. There are many failing and disconcerting moments. If you can survive those moments, then you are already a success regardless of how many copies you sell.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

JR: I now use MySpace as my home page. All my published works can be found at www.myspace.com/jrifefiction .
Lord of the Forrest and Sword of Jyr are published by PublishAmerica and are available at nearly every on-line retailer and at any stores where I do signings.
Pennsylvania: A Paranormal Journey is only available for purchase through Lulu as it is a self-published work.
Just go to my home page on MySpace and you can hyperlink to wherever you need to make your purchase just by clicking on a book cover.
Email contact is: jrifefiction@comcast.net

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

JR: Yes… Crystal, my sincerest thanks to you for putting this together and supporting writers everywhere!

CA: You’re very welcome John, and Thank you for being part of my interviews with authors. There really need to be more dads out there that spend time with their families like you do :P

Candace Morehouse

2008-08-25T05:41:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: Same – Candace Morehouse

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

CM: I write romance in just about any form – historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, what I like to call mystery/romance. All of my plot lines feature some sort of mystery or mysterious happenings so they are more than just boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, happily every after.

I’ve tried writing straight fiction but I always interject romance – so I guess I’m just destined to stick to romance! When I was growing up in a small town, reading a romance book was my favorite thing. My best friend and I would buy books or go to the library and share our reads. I think it took us to a fantasy world, where we weren’t simply living in Small Town, USA but could step into the mind of someone more exciting and worldly. And of course there was the heroes – hunky alpha males who would sweep us away from the drudgery of real life!

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

CM: When I was about 7 years old, LOL! I’ve been writing stories since I learned how to write. It wasn’t until I met and married my wonderful husband and got fired from my last “real” job, however, that I felt I could finally comfortably pursue becoming a writer/author for a living.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

CM: I’ve got to thank my sister for that. Seven years older than me, she was always doing something creative and she inspired me to do the same. In my family, everyone practiced an art of some type – playing a musical instrument, drawing, painting, etc. and with an older brother and sister it turned into a competition. For me, though, writing seemed to be the one thing I could be best at and not compared to my siblings’ talents.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

CM: Unfortunately, because I have to make some money writing freelance, I can’t always write creatively when I want to. I try to get my work done first, and then add to my current work in progress at the end of the day.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

CM: I’ve already had one release, Golden Enchantment, and it was thrilling to see it in published form for the first time. I am really looking forward to next year’s releases, Suspicion of Love (available April, 2009), an Edwardian mystery/romance, and Full Throttle (available October, 2009), a contemporary romance and first in a three-part stories, “The Women of Phoenix”.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

CM: Sticking with it from start to finish! I always have an idea in my head for the next book and sometimes it’s hard to stay on track with the current WIP and not stray off to new story lines or characters who are filling my mind and just itching to get on paper.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

CM: I love to read, of course. And I love being outdoors – fishing, hiking, playing with my dogs. My husband and I recently moved to the White Mountains of Arizona and only a short, five-minute hike away from my house I can be in the national forest. There’s even a historical site up there on the mountain behind my house where I can find dozens of pieces of old Indian pottery within minutes. Being there and exploring the old ruins is a spiritual experience for me.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

CM: So far I’ve written three books. I’d have to say my favorite was Suspicion of Love because I did a ton of research to get all the historical facts straight and really enjoyed the characters and their madcap escapades. However, Full Throttle is somewhat autobiographical, as it is based on my experience owning a motorcycle dyno, so that one is very near and dear to my heart.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

CM: I think all authors base their characters on real people, to some extent. It is from your own experiences that you create a person and their thoughts, actions, deeds, etc. and who is lifelike. If an author couldn’t do that, the reader would be not be able to relate to the characters and would probably just put the book down without finishing it.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

CM: Persevere and have patience! Know that it can sometimes take years to get published, but don’t give up. Take advice and criticism to heart, but also know when to throw out that which is not useful. If you worry about what everyone else thinks, you will never have the guts to go all the way through the publishing process.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

CM: The best way is through my website, at http://www.candacemorehouse.com/. My email address, cmmorehouse@hotmail.com is listed there as well as links directing readers to Champagne Books, where all my books can be purchased.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

CM: I’m venturing into new territory now by beginning a collaborative effort with another author I’ve become quite close to. He is going to write from the male perspective while I take over the heroine’s character. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun!

I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you over these past months, Crystal, and I appreciate the chance to be part of your forum. You provide a wonderful service for authors and readers alike.

CA: Hi Candace, Thank you and your welcome lol. It is so amazing to see that you among other authors were writers at such a young age. Good luck with your writing in the future, now have fun and behave… don’t go stirring up any trouble this week. LOL just kidding.

Cindy K. Green

2008-08-25T05:39:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: Cindy K. Green

CA: What genre(s) do you write?

CKG: I write in several genres: Inspirational, Contemporary, Suspense, Historical, Young Adult, and Fantasy. I love to read in all these genres so it only follows that I would write in them. I think switching around keeps my writing fresh. Why do you write the stories that you write? I like to write stories that matter—that affect people in a positive way. I write mostly sweet romance, and I love to touch that part of my readers’ hearts.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

CKG: I always loved writing. Starting from the age of 12, I began keeping a folder with all my scribblings. I still have it. Story ideas to last a lifetime.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

CKG: My inspiration probably came from the writer’s I read during my pre-teen and early teen years: L. M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables series and more), Louisa May Alcott, and Jane Austen.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing? Crazy! I am a stay at home mom with two boys ages 4 and 10. I also homeschool them. So finding time to write can be tricky. I do have a set schedule. I write Mondays and Wednesdays and a bit on the weekends. My husband makes sure to entertain the boys on those nights.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

CKG: When my first print book released, the only word I could think of was Surreal. I saw my book listed online at Barnes and Nobel and Amazon, and it didn’t seem real. This is where I buy most my books and there was my book. Really amazing!

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

CKG: Finding the time and distractions. I have to get my mind into the correct mindset and if I am continually bombarded, it is hard to write anything worthwhile. I cherish those moments of quiet. As for the actual writing, my only problem is when I need to finish one manuscript and my muse revs up to write another. I have to keep focused.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

CKG: I love to read of course. I would hope every novelist loves to read as well. My guilty pleasure is watching Period Dramas. I love them!

CA: How many books have you written?

CKG: I have 10 contracts at the moment for stories of varying lengths.

CA: Which is your favorite?

CKG: Of my released books, I would say that it would be A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding. I have been absolutely surprised at the reaction this book has received from reviewers and readers. I've received so many comments and email messages about how the story has touched and moved them. It is an Inspirational story and it made me realize what a responsibility we authors have in the way our stories touch the lives of our readers. This book began as a writing assignment in a Romance writer's workshop. Our heroine was supposed to meet the hero and ask for directions. What I wrote then is basically the first part of chapter one - through much editing. A Funny Thing… is essentially a story about forgiveness and healing with a smathering of humor thrown in. I love to include humor in my books. Oh, yes, and a yummy youth pastor. Can't forget that! I've been asked to write a sequel of this story and I may one day.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

CKG: I borrow from people I know, but never a complete person. I think we all borrow; it makes the stories more realistic because you as the reader will say, ‘I relate to this character because I’m like that’ or ‘because I know someone like that.’

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

CKG: Keep writing. Read in the genre that you plan to write in. Read instructional books on writing or take a writing class. Join a critique group and write, write, write.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

CKG: Visit my website at www.cindykgreen.com. You can read the blurbs, excerpts and find the buy links. You can also visit www.thewildrosepress.com and www.bygracepublishing.com. Make sure to find out about my newest release, Meeting Mr. Right Online, a sweet Chicklit novella.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

CKG: I’d love for you to join my Newsletter. I send it out each a quarter. It includes: reviews, news, excerpts, and a free read short story in every issue. I also hold a contest in each issue. All you have to do is send me an email at newsletters@cindykgreen.com.

Thanks for having me today, Crystal.

CA: Thank you Cindy for sharing, and for visiting this week! Have fun!

M. Christian

2008-08-18T06:02:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: M.Christian

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

MC: Well, I like to call myself a ‘literary streetwalker with a heart of gold” meaning I usually write what folks – meaning publishers and editors -- want, which can mean anything from non-fiction to horror, from science fiction to humor, from advice columns to gay fiction, from blog stuff to smut, although most folk seem to want smut most of all. Not that I’m complaining, you understand: smut has been very, very good to me. In fact it’s how I got started and how I made my ‘name.’ Not to toot my horn … at least not too much … I’ve sold close to 300 stories short stories that have been in a whole lot of ‘best’ erotica books: Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica … well, you get the picture. I also have four collections of my stories in print: Dirty Words (gay erotica), Speaking Parts (lesbian erotica), The Bachelor Machine (science fiction erotica), and Filthy (more gay erotica); and have edited 20 or so anthologies including Confessions, Amazons, and Garden of Perverse (with Sage Vivant), and the Best S/M Erotica series. I also have written five novels and am working on my sixth: Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Me2, Brushes, and Painted Doll – of which only a couple are erotic.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

MC: I was in the fourth grade or so when I first realized that I liked the idea of writing, and that people could actually make a living at it, but it wasn’t until high school that I really gave it a shot. Alas, it took close to ten years before I sold my first story – a smut story, by the way – but after that I’ve been really working on getting stuff out there and working even harder on having fun doing it.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

MC: I’d like to say some of the great and noble gods like Hemmingway and such but I found most of my true inspiration from, and admiration for, honest working writers in science fiction and comics. Okay, I really do love Steinbeck, Kipling, Hugo, and Dickens, but William Gibson, Alan Moore, Alfred Bester, Adam Warren, Ted Sturgeon, Alexander Jablokov, and Phil Dick are who I adore. I also really love classic movies, especially directors like Frankenheimer, Billy Wilder, and Wim Wenders.

I also can’t say enough for writers of simple, beautiful prose who are too often dismissed because they happen to write for things like television; Paul Dini, Hilary J. Bader, and Joss Whedon, and so forth. As I like to say: good writing is good writing, and it doesn’t make a difference if it’s for the New Yorker or a Saturday morning cartoon.

CA: When writers block attacks, what do you do to get back on track?

MC: I have a rather strange work ethic in that I don’t believe in talent, a muse, or suchlike. I’ve always just plain worked at my writing. Sometimes a story isn’t going well but I try to push through it nonetheless, trying to get to the heart at why it might be trouble. I also don’t wait for inspiration: most of the time what I’m doing is because someone, somewhere, asked for it. But that doesn’t mean I sell my soul. I really do simply love to write, to tell stories. When I get an assignment, or an opportunity crosses my path, I always try to make whatever it is ‘mine’ with a story I want to tell, no matter what the eventual market might be.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

MC: I don’t really have a set schedule but I’m always very much aware of what has to be done and when it has to be turned in. Right now, for instance, I’m writing a bi-monthly article for Dark Roasted Blend (www.darkroastedblend.com), getting the word out about my four new books (Me2, Painted Doll, Brushes, and The Very Bloody Marys), and working on a new book for Zumaya – one I hope to get done in a few more months. Beyond that I’m trying to round up some new novel gigs and trying to find a new day job … after getting laid off recently from my last one, which I had for over ten years (sigh). Between all this I also have a wonderful partner in all things, Sage Vivant, who I adore, and various hobbies I’ve been regretfully ignoring. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to write for a living but until then I’m working as hard as I can to get myself out there: opportunities don’t come to you, you have to look for them.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

MC: One word: sigh. I’ve never been a huge self-promoter but I’ve been forcing myself to work harder at it. Like I just said: things don’t find you, you find them. Sitting in the dark hoping someone, anyone, will call just doesn’t work. That doesn’t mean I like having to send out press release after press release or do interview after interview (no insult) but to get where I want to be, which is to be able to write more books, it takes getting people to know who you are. It’s not fun, but it has to be done.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

MC: Alas, I’ve been ignoring a lot of my hobbies lately but I do plan on getting back to them eventually: robots and fun electronic stuff, little art projects, photography, food (eating and cooking), and travel. One of these days I’ll be able to get back to them but for right now the writing and the job search is taking up a lot of my time …probably too much of my time, but them’s the breaks.

CA: What is something shocking or weird about you that your readers don’t know about?

MC: Well, the biggest one I can think of is that even though I write a lot of gay themed books, for a lot of gay publishers and anthologies, I’m straight – but certainly not narrow, as the joke goes. I'm actually pretty proud of being able to make my projects, whatever they are, respectful of the audience and the ‘theme.’ I'm happy that my publishers don’t mind who I am, and that so many of my readers like my work --it's something that keeps me going. I just hope it continues because while it can be challenging, there’s a lot of enjoyment that comes with that challenge, and I really think it’s helped my writing.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

MC: I’ve already nattered about what I’ve done, so I don’t need to do that again. As for my fave … well, I don’t really have one. Sure I thought that Me2 came out really well and Painted Doll, Very Bloody Marys, and Brushes were lots of fun – and collections are always a kick -- but I like to say my favorite is the one I’m either working on right now or will be working on next. I just don’t like to look back, I guess. Besides, if you think your best is behind you, it doesn’t push you forward. I like the books I’ve written but I also think I could do better, which is what I try to remember whenever I do something new. I also try to stretch as much as possible, taking risks each time so I can learn and grow.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

MC: That’s a toughie: I do but I don’t. I don’t put ‘real’ people in my stuff, meaning friends and such, but I do put a lot of myself into whatever I do. I’m not gay man – and I’m not equipped to know what being a lesbian is like – but I do know what desire, hope, fear, embarrassment, pride, and love feels like so I write all of that into my stories and books. I also try to project as much of myself as I can into whatever I’m doing, to really get into the people I’m writing about. Occasionally, though, I do borrow an actor or actress though it never feels … ‘real’ I guess you could say.

CA: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

MC: I once wrote a column called “Confessions of a Literary Streetwalker” for the Erotica Readers & Writers site, which I’ve been reposting on my own site at www.mchristian.com. Part of the reason I did those columns was because I was tired of the poor advice teachers and other writers were dishing out. Some of the more important topics I addressed was that writers, especially new ones, shouldn’t try and be the next ‘fill-in-the-blank’ celebrity author. Instead, they should work where there’s work and not be biased about different genres. I got my start in smut and am now writing novels for a wide range of audiences. I also think writers should focus on the writing and not spend too much time ‘playing the game’ of being a writer instead of actually writing. Finding publishers, agents, and such is important but doing the work is what it’s all about. Lastly, but not leastly, writing should be fun: if it’s not then you’re not doing it right. Being a writer sucks: the pay is cruddy; no one gives you any respect; and it’s a lot of hard, emotionally brutal, work – but if you enjoy writing then it becomes something truly amazing, and totally worth it.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

MC: All of my books are on Amazon.com under “M.Christian,” and I have links to all of them from my page at www.mchristian.com. I’d check that page out first and go from there. I’m also very free with my email address, so please feel free to write me anytime: zobp@aol.com or mchristianzobop@gmail.com.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

MC: Just that I also have a pair of fun blogs I post to quite often: Frequently Felt (http://frequentlyfelt.blogspot.com) is a place for fun and strange sex stuff, and Meine Kleine Fabrik (http://meinekleinefabrik.blogspot.com) is for fun and strange stuff (no sex). I’ve been posting my “Confessions of a Literary Streetwalker” columns on my main site as well: http://tinyurl.com/553r4u.

CA: I’ll have to hop over and check out your blogs, Confessions of a Literary Streetwalker is an attention grabbing title : )

Isabelle Rose

2008-08-18T05:59:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: Isabelle Rose

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

IR: I write fantasy, erotica, fiction and horror. I write because I love to daydream. I love to look at people and imagine what their lives are like, or what they’re thinking at that particular moment. Also, because I have an overactive imagination and writing is the healthiest way for me to express myself.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

IR: My whole life I wanted to be a writer. Ever since I was able to hold a pen and form sentences.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

IR: Other writers help inspire me to write, like Terry Moore (Author/Artist/Creator of Strangers in Paradise and Echo) and Laurel K. Hamilton (I really like the Merry Gentry series). But also random things in life help inspire me to pick up a pen.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

IR: Well right now since I’m pregnant with my first child my writing schedule is basically nonexistent. (I’m pretty sure the baby has something to do with it). But when I was able to write I wrote every day, whether I was at home or at work.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

IR: Thrilled. I love knowing that people are reading my work. And also a little worried because I want people to enjoy my work and be entertained.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

IR: Coming up with an ending. Sometimes I can go on and on and on…well…you get the idea. J

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

IR: My husband will tell you that I’m cranky when I’m not writing…and I agree with him. But lately I’m just taking a break from it all right now and letting my brain relax for a bit. I wrote three books in a year and a half, which has to count for something. So right now I’m just going to concentrate on finding a good home for my books and see what happens next.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

IR: Four. Naughty Fairy Tales V1 and V2 (through Stardust Press, which no longer exists but I combined the best of both books and turned it into one solid book that can be found at www.lulu.com ) Under the Moonlight (Now available through Cacoethes Publishing) and The Laurel (still looking for a publisher).

IR: My favorite? Hmmm…I would have to say The Laurel, because I really got a chance to explore something that I had never done before and that was very exciting for me. But I love all of my books.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

IR: Mostly from my imagination.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

IR: Never stop writing! Don’t give up. Be open to criticism you might learn something and also grow as a writer because of it.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

IR: You can either email me at isabellerose23@yahoo.com or leave comments on my blog http://isabellerose23.livejournal.com I also have a website www.freewebs.com/isabellerose23

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

IR: Here’s a blurb for Under the Moonlight:

In the blink of an eye, Detective Morgan Carbone’s life changes from day to night. Sociopath, serial killer, and charmer David McAllister won’t reveal where the bodies of several young women are located, and Morgan is determined to get answers from him. She gets much more from him during an interrogation, when he sinks his teeth into her hand, causing her to bleed profusely. The bite leaves Morgan with flawless skin as her wound heals quickly and perfectly, and it leaves her with severe bloodlust as she has now turned into a werewolf, like her serial-killing nemesis. This drastic change casts Morgan into an action-packed, dramatic journey as she is pressured (a deadly chip in the brain can do that) by a man to go across the country to kill a vampire that has supposedly killed his sister. Morgan must decide if she will fulfill her goal for him or let her heart fall for the deadly vampiress, who eerily reminds her of her first and only true love – a woman who got away.

Under the Moonlight is now available through Cacoethes Publishing www.cacoethespublishing.net for $5.50 and it will be in print really soon.

CA: I’ve read and reviewed Under the Moonlight and it was awesome! Thanks for hangin’ out Isabelle.

Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc

2008-08-18T05:56:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc
None…what you see is what you get. ;)

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

ADVS: I don’t, never have and never will write under a pen name. It’s just my opinion that I honestly see no use in them. People are smart enough to realize that I write in many genres and they can judge accordingly what they wish to read. I like to have a variety of works available to people on all levels, so no pen name for me. Makes it too hard for people to keep up with what name you use for what genre.

At least as I reader, that is how I see it. Just give me your name…I’m smart enough to do my own research and decide what books of yours I want to read.

Just my two cents.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

ADVS: I write Horror Sinisteria (and in case anyone is wondering…no, I did not invent the genre. That is a common misconception) Occult, Macabre Erotica and I even dabble in kid’s books.

Horror and the Noir are particular favorites of mine. Always have been, always will be.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

ADVS: I didn’t realize that I wanted to be a writer. It was as natural to me as breathing. I just started doing it when I was a child and here I am today!

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

ADVS: Nothing and no one. Sometimes a storm will inspire a mood for a story and then it writes itself, but no one made me want to write and nothing inspired me except my own twisted mind.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

ADVS: 8 hours a day, five days a week. I may take a break now and then but that is pretty much my schedule.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

ADVS: Even though I am a bestseller and multi time award winner and the act of being published is something I am used to…that experience in the industry as a professional only goes so far. I still get giddy and excited when I am about to release a book. Oh, sorry, that was two words.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

ADVS: I have never had a challenge…except my novel The Legacy – The Grounds of Nachmasheeghan. I was never happy with it. I worked on it, changed things, edited, deleted, etc and almost drove myself insane before I agreed to let it go. It took me 14 years but it is now on the market.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

ADVS: Gravestone epitaphography, antique shopping, yard sales, thrift shops and cemetery photography.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

ADVS: I have 9 books out on the market and many more on the way. I don’t really have a favorite any longer, although I will say that Legacy is my pride and joy.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

ADVS: Both. People I hate in real life get theirs in my books.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

ADVS: SELF PUBLISH FIRST! If you have tried to get a big publishing house to look at your work and they won’t, I can tell you why. You have nothing to offer them. Big houses are in the market to make money and unless your work is so phenomenally awesomely fantastic that they can’t live without it, why should they take a chance on you?

Self Publish, work you ass off, get a fan base and then when you get ready to release your second book, you will have some hard data to take to that big house publisher. They may be more receptive if you can show sales, appearances and book signings rather than “Here I am…I have nothing to offer you and can’t guarantee you I’ll make you money, but here I am!”

Now bear in mind that self publishing and making a name for yourself doesn’t guarantee being picked up by that big publishing house, but it may open up a door or two for you, even if it is with a small press publisher.

Look at it from your own standpoint. Do you just jump into things if money is involved, knowing that you may lose it if the investment is bad?

Hopefully not, because that is what an author is to a publisher…a monetary investment.

Now myself personally, I have been on both sides of the fence and though I have spent a few years with traditional publishing houses, I am returning to self-publishing.

I am no longer willing to put my fate in the hands of anyone other than myself and when you self publish, you control everything. That is how I like it.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

ADVS: My books are available on Amazon…Search: Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc

In some major bookstores and via my online bookstore Thorn Hollow: http://thornhollow.ecrater.com/

My personal website is: http://thelosttheforgottenthedamned.com/

My MySpace is: http://www.myspace.com/gothicscrybe

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

ADVS: A HUGE thank you to my fans domestic and abroad. I am what I am because of you…

I love you all…

D.S. Haines Interview

2008-08-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: D. S. Haines

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

DSH: Military Non-Fiction. Why, because even the best of writers couldn’t make this **** (expletive deleted) up. Where else will you get stories of someone smearing crap on the floor of their commanding officer or someone adding a special protein filled sauce to a can of sausages that was given to a Somali?

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

DSH: Never. I am not a writer by trade. Several people have asked me to consider writing a second book. My co-author actually wants to find out if the Lt. kept a journal from the platoon’s six-month tour in Egypt. There were numerous instances of pranks on that tour ranging from throwing one sergeants bike over a cliff, to ordering another sergeant hair pieces and male on male porn, to constantly changing the lock on another sergeants locker. Oddly enough it was always the same sergeant.

To be honest I probably should be taking notes at our reunions, there have been a few comical events that would make for some interesting story telling. For example on our first reunion Nelson wanted to see a Tijuana donkey show, but we were too far from Tijuana so instead he wanted to steal a donkey from a petting zoo!

The 2009 reunion is being held in Vegas. Several of us are talking about renting a giant RV, hiring a driver and driving across the country. Oh yeah, six days in an RV with three of the platoon’s biggest maniacs. Wait I smell a second book…just kidding.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

DSH: There was no single inspiration. Both Tony and I had read several of the same books covering our genre. There was Swofford’s Jarhead and Crawford’s The Last True Story I Will Ever Tell among others. I think the platoon itself played a large part as well; we had a really great story to tell about an incredible group of men. Men that I will never forget.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

DSH: Hectic. On top of working a forty-hour week, taking care of the “honey do” list and spending time with the family I managed to pound out a few pages a day. After I got a few chapters done I sent them to Tony, my co-author, who made some alterations and sent them back to me. Several members of the platoon acted as fact checkers for us as well. Then the whole process repeated itself until the book was complete.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

DSH: One word? Are you serious? This is impossible but I will try my best: HORNY… Just kidding. It is absolutely unreal.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

DSH: There certainly is much more to writing a book than I ever imagined. There were so many challenges and conflicts, but the absolute biggest challenge was keeping it all organized. I am the kind of guy that would lose his head if it weren’t attached. I could easily set my keys down and forget where I put them within seconds. I had to keep every name and release organized on top of all the material. To top it all off I had to coordinate with Tony and the Lt. for changes, reviews and additions. Then there was keeping the query letters to agents and publishers organized as well. Thinking about it all kind of makes me jealous of those with OCD!

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

DSH: Spending time with my wife and son or SCUBA Diving. Now if I could just get them certified so I could do both of those activities at the same time all would be right in the world. There is just nothing like stepping off the back of a boat and looking down into the water at a wreck sitting in eighty feet of water. The only thing better is sitting on the bottom waiting for the ***-**** (expletive deleted) sharks to leave so you can surface.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

DSH: Considering it is a non-fiction I am going to go with real people. It was kind of upsetting that several members of the platoon declined the use of their names. They have pretty much shunned the platoon. It wasn’t many, like two or three, but it still bothers many of the guys in the platoon. We meet every two years and party it up together, and the fact that some of these guys are missing out on some really great times.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

DSH: Advice, oh hell no, choose another profession or you will be screwed. Actually the only thing I could say is to make sure you do your research. Do serious research before making any decisions regarding your work and should you be lucky to find an author or two that will answer your questions listen to them and take notes. Don’t be offended if you run into one of those “I am too good to talk to you because I am a published author. I am published hear me roar” types, there are more of them than authors that will actually give you good advice or even take the time to listen to you.

Should you run into one of those other authors the proper way to deal with them is to raise your fist, knuckles facing the idiot in question. Gently raise your middle finger, smile and say: **** (expletive deleted) you very much!

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

DSH: I can be reached on my mypace page: www.myspace.com/dshaines or by email D-Haines@comcast.net

The book can be purchased through Amazon.com or check your local bookstores

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

DSH: When we started this we just wanted to be able to say: We did this. We wanted to have enough books printed to give out to our platoon. We didn’t write this with hopes of getting rich, becoming pimps or showing up on MTV Cribs. We simply had a story to tell. That being said, every dollar made off of this project is going into a fund that will hopefully pay for future reunions or any emergencies that may arise for members of the platoon.

CA: D.S. Thanks for taking time to visit my blog. For those of you that don’t have a copy of Time Well Wasted… GO GET IT!! Here is my review for it: http://bookreviewsbycrystal.blogspot.com/2008/06/time-well-wasted-story-of-1st-platoon.html

Ronald Adams Interview

2008-08-11T05:46:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: Ronald W. Adams

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

RA: Hey Crystal, and thanks for the opportunity to chat with you and your readers. I write primarily in the mystery and suspense genres, and have written two books in the Joe Banks PI series. Lake Effect was published in 2003, and Enspiren Press in March/April 2008 will release my latest, Key Lime Squeeze.

RA: As to why I write mystery novels, it’s simple really. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were already written. Okay, seriously, I have to admit I have been a huge fan of the genre as long as I can remember. As a child reading the stories of Edgar Allen Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, to the Ellery Queen pulp mysteries, I was always ready to identify with the intrepid hero sacrificing all in search of the truth. Growing up, some of my favorite shows on TV included Spenser: For Hire, and The Rockford Files. Inspired by my great grandfather, one of the most voracious readers I have ever known, I began to read even more. To this day I am a fan of such diverse writers as Robert B. Parker, Janet Evanovich, John MacDonald, Kathy Reichs, Jimmy Buffett, (yes, that Jimmy Buffett), Stephen King, and Thomas Harris.

CA: Hi Ronald, thank you for hanging out here this week, I hope we can get a few new readers to come your way!!

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

RA: I think the first time I realized I wanted to be a writer was as a bored child in an oxygen tent with a pack of crayons. The nurses were not amused.

As a child growing up around an extended family, I learned to appreciate the stories told by my great grandfather of “the old days” in Boston, of the family histories related by my parents and grandparents. The family genealogy was brought to life by my aunt, my Dad’s sister, who’s research earned her a DAR scholarship. And then there was the odd assortment of characters that always seemed to be around my parents home. Priests, cops, bar owners, bikers, Marines, cross country hitchhiking cousins, and even international animal rescue workers all provided their own unique stories, and a base for my developing imagination. From my great grandfather, I also developed a love of reading, which became a lifelong desire to become a writer. I took this varied background and wrote (bad) poetry for my college yearbook, and published articles based on my experiences in occupational health and rehabilitation. Based on a lifetime of colorful individuals and a love of the mystery and crime fiction genre, I published my first novel, Lake Effect, in 2003. Since that time I have worked on the sequel, Key Lime Squeeze, and have begun a third Joe Banks novel.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?
RA: As I may have mentioned, I am a really big fan of Robert B. Parker, arguably the grandmaster of the mystery/suspense/PI genre. I am also inspired by some of my favorite musicians, including the story songs of Harry Chapin and Jimmy Buffett, and by the soaring music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I find inspiration in the stories and strength of my rehab patients, and in the wonder and playfulness of my children.

I am also inspired by the love and support of my wife, Trish. Writing was something I have always wanted to do, and she has supported my dreams 100%. She is my best friend, my toughest critic, and such a calming and grounding influence on me.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

RA: Our schedule is a bit, well it’s a little generous to call it a schedule. My wife and I work split shifts, so either mom or dad is always around for the kids. So, I write when I can, sometimes at night when the kids are in bed, sometimes in the morning before they get up, sometimes in the middle of the day during my lunch hour. I have also been known on occasion to break out my laptop during my son’s karate class. If it’s a slow class, that is.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

RA: One word? I’m not sure it exists. Excitanxious would be close.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

RA: Spending time with my family is my favorite thing to do, no matter what we’re doing. Time is so short and so precious, and as they are growing up I’m discovering how truly important it is to be there for them. As far as fun stuff goes, I like to read, watch movies, have a passion for sports, love to cook, and try to keep in shape. I also really like Texas hold’em poker, but I’ve discovered, just like my golf game, I play better when there is no money on the line.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

RA: I have written two novels in the Joe Banks series, Lake Effect (PublishAmerica, 2003), and Key Lime Squeeze (Enspiren Press, 2008). Of the two, I would have to say Key Lime Squeeze is my favorite. It has a more complex plot, more interesting and fully developed characters. I have also had the opportunity to work with a fantastic editor, who encouraged me to explore options with the story line I hadn’t considered. I have been very fortunate to work with some fantastic people on this project, and I think it shows in the quality of the storyline. Lake Effect was my first, and as such I took the lesson I learned on that book and worked them into the second, and I hope to do the same thing for third story.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

RA: My lawyers tell me to say that all the characters are fictional, and any resemblance between the characters in the book and any actual person…well, you know. Getting that out of the way, I know every character in every part of every story I write. Some of them are amalgams of several people, all rolled together. Some are just much cooler versions of real people I’ve met. Which ones are which, that’s for the reader to decide.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

RA: There is tons of how-to advice out there for the mechanics, style and structure. Those things were written by people much smarter and better trained than I am. What I would recommend would be for anyone who wants to try writing, is to read as much as they can in the style or genre they wish to write. Get a feel for what works and what doesn’t how others say or do what you want to say. Like your mom used to say, “It’s not just what you say it’s how you say it.” I would also recommend you keep notepad, pencil, tape recorder, something to note your ideas as they come along. You never know when something you see or hear or read will spark you. My wife bought me a t-shirt that says very simply “Careful, or you might wind up in my novel.” Enough said. The last piece of advice I can give would be to realize that rejection, like failure, is nothing more or less than the chance to start over again better.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

RA: The contact points will be changing as I go along, just because I am trying to expand my presence. The can contact me the publishers website, www.enspirenpress.com, or through my web page at www.bebo.com/rwadams.

Lake Effect is currently available through www.amazon.com, as well as through Waldenbooks.com and booksamillion.com. you can also order it from your favorite local bookstore. Key Lime Squeeze will also be available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble on line, as well as other online book sellers. I would also recommend to the readers to check out their local booksellers, and if they don’t have it, ask. That’s what they’re there for.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

RA: Only to thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself to your readers. I had a lot of fun doing this interview, and I hope the readers take away something positive about my writing and me.

CA: Ronald, I hope you had fun… but it is only just beginning! Readers, make sure to leave a comment for Ronald to make him as happy as a little duck! (smiles)

Carol Culver Rzadkiewicz

2008-08-11T05:38:00.000-07:00

Pen Name: Carol Culver Rzadkiewicz
Book: Mustang Summer: A Novel

CA: What genre(s) do you write?

CCR: I write both mainstream and literary fiction, albeit each with a definite and quite pronounced Southern flavor.

CA: Why do you write the stories that you write?

CCR: Years ago I read what I believe is the best advice any writer can receive, although, regrettably, I long ago forgot the name of who provided that advice. However what this person said was this: Write only the stories that haunt you, for those are the stories you are meant to tell. So that is exactly what I strive to do each and every time I sit down in front of my computer to begin something new—write the stories that haunt me. And haunt me they do, for characters often come into my mind at the most unexpected moments, and they remain there, incessantly demanding that I tell their stories and tell them as vividly and honestly as I can.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

CCR: When I was a little girl, probably around seven or eight, I would write stories, usually about horses, and then sell them to my daddy for a quarter. However, since I was quite a prolific writer, Daddy soon told me that I was going to leave him “broke” and I needed to find someone else to appreciate my work. So, then I began selling stories to my cousins, although I had to lower the price considerably since, like me, they received only a small allowance each week. In fact, I lowered the price to a penny. Still, since I was selling a good many, it didn’t take too long to accumulate enough to allow me to purchase a new tablet, pencils, or binder at Vickers’ 5 & 10 on Main Street. Of course, that was back when a nickel would actually buy something.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

CCR: That is a very hard question to answer, and I really don’t know if there is a definitive answer. Then again, if someone said, “Carol, you have to provide an answer or else face the firing squad,” I would say that other writers have always been my inspiration. After all, even as a child, I was an avid reader; and the stories and novels I read provided me with a window through which to glimpse a world much broader and far richer than the one I saw around me there in rural Georgia. Then again, as I matured, I realized how rich and full my own environment happened to be, especially with colorful and often eccentric characters whose stories I could tell.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

CCR: Since I teach both at the local campus in Lafayette, Louisiana, and online for the University of Phoenix, my writing schedule is not set in stone. In fact, I have to be extremely flexible. That said, I do try to write at least a little every day, even if it’s only for half an hour or so at a time. After all, as the old saying reminds one, “Use it or lose it.”

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

CCR: One word? Okay, what about “terrified”? Why terrified? Well, I’m terrified that the world will take one glimpse at my “child” and reject it as unworthy; but I imagine that is every writers’ innermost fear—that the world will reject that which you created with a lot of hard work, agony, and tears.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

CCR: I devote quite a lot of time to teaching, especially since online classes are extremely time-consuming. I also try to exercise at least an hour each day, normally walking or bicycling; and when I an allowed the luxury, I like to curl up on the sofa, under an afghan, and read a good book. I am currently reading Jonathan Kellerman’s novels. My husband, Chet, first discovered Kellerman, suggested that I might like his work; Chet was right. Kellerman writes good, tight psychological mysteries that are enjoyable reading. In addition, I am a big Stephen King fan, albeit not of his Dark Tower series but his deeper, more realistic tales, like Hearts in Atlantis, Misery, Bag of Bones, and “The Secret Window.”

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

CCR: I have actually written three novels, although Mustang Summer was the first to appear in hard copy. My first novel was Remembering Della, which appeared at the rate of one chapter per week at Zine5, an online literary journal. My third novel, Objects Are Closer Than They Appear, which sprang from my short story of the same title (the story was published by Toasted Cheese in 2004), has yet to be published; but a major house has it under consideration. In addition, I am working on another novel, An Eye for an Eye, and although, at last count, I have only 105 pages, I hope to have it finished by early summer.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

CCR: Real or imaginary? Real of imaginary? Now, that’s another good question. And to be honest, I think my characters are both real and imaginary—a blend of fact and fiction—or rather a composite of people whom I have actually known and people who have existed only within the realm of my mind.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

CCR: Readers can contact me at carolrzadkiewicz@authorshomewebpage.com. They can also visit my Web page, http://www.authorshomewebpage.com/, where they can use the link to send a message directly to me. In order to purchase Mustang Summer, they can visit any of the major booksellers’ websites and do a search by my name or the novel’s title. However, I should perhaps warn readers that there are two other novels by the same title, since one cannot copyright a title, but then again, I don’t think they will confuse my novel with the other two. For one, my book jacket is much prettier; and, two, other authors have last names that are both easy to spell and to pronounce.

Interview with Jimmy Gillentine Contest

2008-08-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

* Contest* Jimmy is going to be giving away a copy of his book Of Blood and the Moon to someone that leaves a comment this week! Make sure to leave your email address so that we can contact the winner :)

Crystal: Jimmy it is a pleasure to interview you for SNM Horror Mag. I just finished reading your story Of Blood and the Moon and was just floored, I loved it! Where did the inspiration of this story come from?

Jimmy: A few years ago, I one day started to think of vampires and werewolves. All of these legends of monsters and night creatures, what if they were real? What if the thing that had inspired those legends was still around? Moreover, what if this thing was trying its best just to live a normal life and to blend in. What could be even worse was if this thing had emotions like you and I. Could feel loneliness, the want of love and companionship, but because of what it is could never have those things. That was the base for what became the story ‘Of Blood and the Moon’. The story changed a little over the years through all of the rewrites, but that main theme has stayed there.

Crystal: How long have you been writing?

Jimmy: I have been writing on and off for my whole life really. It was only in the last few years that I decided to see if I was good enough to get something out there for others to read and enjoy.

Crystal: What is it about the horror genre that makes you want to write horror stories?

Jimmy: It’s not just horror I enjoy writing. I love to read and write all types of genres. Everything from fantasy to children’s stories, I enjoy writing. The only thing I don’t like to write is poetry. I just don’t have the knack for it.

Crystal: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Jimmy: When I’m not writing, I love to read of course. I believe you can’t be a good writer if you don’t read. I also love to play on video games and of course just sit and watch a good show on TV…when you can find a good show to watch that is.

Crystal: What are your current projects? Hopefully the sequel to Of Blood and the Moon (smiles).

Jimmy: Right now I’m working on a project that takes me into a different direction from horror at the moment. I am currently working on a children’s book with my wife for my publisher called ‘The Adventures of Kitty-One’. It is a cute little story about three cats that build a rocket for adventures in space. I’m enjoying the challenge of having to switch gears and go from blood, guts, and sex to sweet, little kitties. I’m also trying to find a home for another book of mine called ‘A Night at Death’s Door’ which is a vampire novel. Soon after I get a little feed back from people who have read ‘Of Blood and the Moon’, I’ll be starting up on the sequel for it. I have two more books planned for that storyline.

Crystal: What was it like, how did you feel when you were first published?

Jimmy: One of complete shock to be honest about it. I had gone through so many rejections for my book that I couldn’t believe it that someone had liked it enough to want to take a risk on it. I hope it works out for my publisher and me.

Crystal: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Jimmy: The best advice I can give anyone out there who wants to try to get published is go to the website The Absolute Write Water Cooler. It is a forum board for writers that has a huge wealth of information for writers about everything that has to do with the publishing business and how to write. Also, be sure to check out the website ‘Preditors and Editors’. That is a must for any writer wanting to submit their work. P&E has a listing on just about every agent or publisher out there and will let you know who is on the up and up and who is a scam just out to get your money.

Crystal: If you were not a writer, what do you think you would be doing?

Jimmy: I don’t write full time. I have a job that I work at to pay the bills just like everyone else. If I ever could make enough money to write full time with my work I would. But if I don’t, that’s fine also. To me it was more about doing something with my life besides just working a normal job all of the time. I was blessed with a good imagination, so I decided to put it to work for me. I’m just glad that I was able to do it.

Crystal: How can readers contact you or purchase your books?

Jimmy: My personal website is www.freewebs.com/ofbloodandthemoon . My fan email address is ofbloodandthemoon@yahoo.com . My book can be order off Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Just go there and type in my full name Jimmy D. Gillentine into the search and my book will come up.

Crystal: I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me. I really did enjoy Of Blood and The Moon and can’t wait to see what happens! Is there anything that I left out that you would like to add?

Jimmy: I think we both covered everything. Thank you for taking the time to interview me and enjoying my work. I look forward to writing more books and stories for people out there to be able to enjoy.

CA: Jimmy is going to be giving away a copy of his book Of Blood and the Moon to someone that leaves a comment this week! Make sure to leave your email address so that we can contact the winner :)

Interview with Devon Ellington Contest

2008-08-04T11:45:00.001-07:00

*Contest* To win a copy of Hex Breaker on CD please leave a comment with your email addy and Devon will choose a winner Sunday night!! Have fun!

Author Pen Name: Devon Ellington

CA: How did you choose your pen name?

DE: Each one of the pseudonyms came about differently. For the “Devon Ellington” name, I wanted to have a first name that was a bit androgynous, and “Devon” was a good choice. “Ellington” came about because Duke Ellington’s music was playing over the sound system at the restaurant. “Ava Dunne” is a play on another name, that people who know me well get as an inside joke. “Cerridwen Iris Shea” comes from two of my favorite goddesses, Cerridwen and Iris, and “Shea” went along well with the name. “Christiane Van De Velde” comes from names along my female ancestral line. There are other names, some that are retired, some about to be launched, that just seem to fit the genre they represent. The choice of pseudonym always has a meaning.

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

DE: I write in various genres in both fiction and non-fiction. I write in genres such as paranormal, action/adventure, fantasy, mystery, western, dark comedy, literary fiction, sports writing, travel writing. I love westerns. My dad and I used to sit up and watch all those westerns in the 1960’s: HIGH CHAPPARAL, LAREDO, BONANZA, ALIAS SMITH AND JONES. Love ‘em, even the bad ones. I also have a freelance business writing arm, Fearless Ink, where I do everything from writing brochure copy to raunchy speeches for bachelor parties to restaurant menus to direct mail campaigns and press releases. I write plays and screenplays. I write whatever interests me, and the characters and situation decide on the genre or format. Sometimes stories will come to me first in dialogue and/or image, so the first draft is a script, and I realize it’s too unwieldy to be a stage play or a film script, so I then adapt it back into prose.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

DE: I started writing when I was about six. I was published for the first time when I was eight. But in college, I moved away from writing into production work. I only got seriously back into writing, playwriting specifically, in the 1990’s, and then prose a few years after that.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

DE: Well, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Louisa May Alcott were strong influences on me. Remember that series, CHILDLHOOD OF FAMOUS AMERICANS? I was looking for female role models from the time I was little, so I got out all the ones about the childhoods of famous girls from the library. I kept going back to the stories of Harriet and Louisa, and finally received my own copies for Christmas one year. And then my family took field trips to see their homes in Hartford and in Concord. One of the things I always loved about both those women writers is that they not only told excellent stories, they tried to write their way to a better world.

As far as inspiration, I think the world is a fascinating place, the bad as much as the good. Almost anything and everything is an inspiration. I can’t really peg what was my FIRST inspiration – telling stories has always been my way of understanding the world.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

DE: I’m a morning writer. I like to do my first 1000 words of the day before I’m “tainted” by it, so to speak. I get up, feed the cats, put on the coffee, do yoga, and then write my first 1K. If I’m not working shows, I’ll hop on and off the computer all day and work on whatever’s on deadline. I prefer to read or edit in the afternoons – I’m not very creative in the afternoon. I perk up again in the evening, thanks to spending most of my adult life working in the theatre – at half hour, I get all perky again. Sometimes, if I’m on deadline, I’ll do another writing session at night. If I’m working shows, it’s a truncated writing day, and then I have to adjust and make up for it the next morning, by being even more focused. A typical, non-show writing day is a good 6-8 hours, and I’m usually juggling several projects.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

DE: Nauseous. In a good way. Seriously, that mix of excitement and terror goes right into a knot in my stomach.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

DE: There are good days and tough days in the writing, but I don’t find the writing the challenge. I find the actual writing process a joy. The challenge is in the editing – a process I enjoy – where you focus and hone the book and make it the best it can be. And the biggest challenge, of course, is finding the right publisher and then getting the work out to the audience.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

DE: Well, I’m interested in almost everything except math and anchovies, so I’m constantly trying new things. I love reading. Museums fascinate me. The best way to refill the creative well, in my opinion, is to go and look at paintings. Traveling thrills me, although airline travel has become so vile lately – it’s insulting. The major carriers deserve to tank. They’re so disrespectful towards the customers, and without us, they have no reason to exist. I cover sports for FEMMEFAN, especially thoroughbred racing and ice hockey, but I also enjoy sailing, archery, fencing . . .a wide variety of sports. I’m not necessarily good at any of them, but I like to cover them! I’m interested in many things, so whenever I get a chance to try something, I grab it. And then, of course, to make sense of it, I write about it.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

DE: I don’t really know. Isn’t that weird? I have several manuscripts out making the rounds and/or under consideration. I have several in the final stages of prep before making their way into the world. I’ve lost count of all the articles and short stories that have been written and published. I’m in a bunch of anthologies, and my plays have been produced in New York, London, Edinburgh, and Australia.

As far as favorites, each piece holds a special place in my heart. The Jain Lazarus Adventures, which launched with the release of HEX BREAKER on August 1, are a lot of fun, and I’m having a great time with these characters. My novel TRACKING MEDUSA, part of a trilogy of archaeological action/adventure stories currently on submission, is very close to my heart. And, short story-wise, NEW MYTHS will publish my pirate fantasy “The Merry’s Dalliance” in their fall issue. There will be more adventures with the Merry crew – I’m very fond of the characters and the world I’ve built for them.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

DE: Both. Very often a character will suddenly appear and start telling me his or her story, and it’s not someone based on anyone I’ve encountered. The first draft is like taking dictation, or conducting an interview. Sometimes, an individual will serve as an inspiration for a character, but, when I do my job properly as a writer, the character evolves away from the inspiration and becomes a unique individual.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

DE: How badly do you want this? If this is going to be your career and vocation as well as your passion, you have to be ruthless. There are no excuses for not writing, except that you don’t want it enough. There will never be enough time – you have to MAKE the time, and that means not letting anyone or anything keep you from the page – not your family, not your lover, not yourself. Writers write. So get that butt in the chair, stop making excuses, and put words on the page.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

DE: HEX BREAKER is available from Firedrakes Weyr Publishing (www.firedrakesweyr.com). If you want to read an excerpt, I have a site dedicated to the Jain Lazarus adventures, http://hexbreaker.devonellingtonwork.com. In a few days, there will also be a free short story to download featuring another adventure with these characters. The best way to keep up with my various work is through my blog on the writing life, INK IN MY COFFEE, http://devonellington.wordpress.com.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

DE: I’m offering a signed copy of HEX BREAKER on CD. Leave a comment on the interview, and, on August 10th, I’ll pick a name and that person will win the CD! Crystal, thanks so much for the interview. It was fun!

CA: Thank you Devon for doing the interview and the giveaway! Sorry it was so late that I posted it, I’m having technical issues.

To win a copy of Hex Breaker on CD please leave a comment with your email addy and Devon will choose a winner Sunday night!! Have fun!

Interview with Crystal-Rain Love

2008-08-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: Crystal-Rain Love

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

CL: Mostly paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Why do I write the stories I write? I really have no choice. No matter what I try to write, some paranormal or suspense element finds its way in, and believe me, I'm not the mastermind behind these stories. I start off with an idea or a scene... then these characters move inside my head where they become real and next thing I know, I'm watching them play out their story like a movie and I'm just there to jot it all down. (Now don't I sound like I should be medicated?)

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

CL: When I was a little kid, all I did was read (and not little kiddie-kid books, mind you. I was an oddball.) I read Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, C.S. Lewis and other classics. But I always loved to read and I guess writing came naturally with that. I wrote a story in fifth grade that the school librarian loved, and I always got awards for writing so I felt I wanted to do it even then, but I never really bothered to pursue it until around 2002 when I decided enough with stalling, if I was going to do this, I was going to do it. I've been steadily writing ever since.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

CL: A bunch of mean kids! LOL! I had a speech impediment and was not a pretty child so I got teased a lot, especially when I opened my mouth to talk so eventually I just quit talking to all those mean kids and buried myself in books. The more I read, the more I wanted to create my own little worlds... I also had a wonderful English teacher for the eleventh and twelfth grade (Dr. Dee Hawkins) who was the first person to really believe in me and push me to pursue writing.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

CL: Schedule? That's funny. I have a full-time job, do some cake decorating on the side, I'm a Home Interiors consultant, I have three young children and two pony-sized dogs that refuse to stay out of trouble (They just obliterated the garden for the second time this season). Usually I start writing around ten or midnight and don't go to bed until three in the morning. Sometimes I just have to tune out the sound of the children torturing each other in the background and write a chapter. Movies and video games are great distractions for them (Bad mommy, I know, but it's for the greater good!)

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

CL: Jittery. I'm excited yet nervous. I have this fear of nobody buying it.

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

CL: Love scenes! I get better as I go along but it was very hard starting out because I was like, “My family might read this!” But when you put it in perspective, I'm not writing about myself and well, I have three children. I think they know I'm not that innocent anyway. (-;

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

CL: Read, spend time with my children, play The Sims 2 ( I am beyond addicted) and surf the internet.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

CL: As of this date, I have 5 completed manuscripts (including The Fire Still Burns), 2 works in progress and about 20 stories lined up. My favorite is (working title) Destiny Be Damned, the 2nd book in my paranormal series. The characters had so many layers to them and the story itself was just so great, I constantly found myself reading it with bugged-out eyes, saying “Did I actually write this? It's like a real book!” I think it will always hold a special place in my heart—I totally fell in love with the hero. And The Fire Still Burns is up there too. It was my first sale!

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

CL: So far, my imagination but sometimes they happen to look like people I know or famous people. Adam from The Fire Still Burns looks a lot like the guy who plays Melinda's husband on Ghost Whisperer. But my characters tend to share my sarcasm and undeniable need to be a smart-ass.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

CL: Write! You'll need to believe in yourself, have a thick skin and learn to accept criticism if you intend to be published. Get used to rejection because even the greatest were rejected many times before selling!

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

CL: I can be contacted through www.myspace.com/crystalrainlove or crystalrainlove@aol.com. The Fire Still Burns will be available from www.sapphirebluepublishing.com in August 2008.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

CL: Buy my book so I don't feel like a loser! (Seriously, though, it's a great story). Drop by my Myspace and add me to your friends so you know when my next books come out and stay tuned... a few of us authors from SBP are going to be doing a basket giveaway!

CA: Thanks Crystal, I hope you have fun hanging out this week :)

LAST DAY & THANKS

2008-08-01T05:07:00.000-07:00

**REDZ** Is day 31's winner!! please email me at crystaladkins722@gmail.com

It was the last day, I hope you all had a lot of fun and thank you so much for all the kind comments! Sorry that Christmas in July is over, but sometime or other some of the same authors are doing a 12 days of Christmas Contest :) Thanks again to every single one of you that posted! I hope you'll come back at least every Monday to see what new authors interviews I have and see who is giving away copies of their books :) Talk to you all soon, or I'll see ya on the blogs!!Bittenbybooks.com is having a contest for the next couple days :)
Thanks again!!Crystal

Interview with Savanna Kougar

2008-07-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

Author Pen Name: Savanna Kougar

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

SK: I write anything and everything labeled paranormal romance. Just ‘cause that’s what I also love reading. Since age thirteen I’ve had an ongoing fascination with the paranormal, and constantly study different facets, from time travel to following Linda Godfrey’s werebeast investigations. Currently, I have an aristocratic fantasy erotic romance with Siren Publishing, All Shades of Blue Paradise. And, I also have a spicy sci fi lioness shifter novella with Liquid Silver Books, Red Lioness Tamed. The two books represent my split personality, and I think someone UP THERE is definitely amused the true me is being exposed.

I also enjoy the challenge of writing futuristics, one of which is coming out with BookStrand, about the end of the Mayan calendar, December 21, 2012.

Oops, I almost forgot, my current novels would be considered in the erotic romance genre or sizzle romance genre. So be warned.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

SK: I’m not certain I ever ‘realized’ it. Writing became one of several artistic passions I wanted to continue pursuing after college. Of course, in the meantime, life interruptus started hurling those nasty curve balls, and I was doing a lot of ducking for a very long time, before I was able to get a real career going. However, when I could no longer find the romance novels I wanted to read, before the rise of ‘paranormals’, I simply began writing what I wanted to read. Like so many authors that’s when I truly became a ‘serious’ writer.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

SK: Being a voracious reader, especially in my childhood, I value how a story can simply transport a reader to an entirely different world, or a realm only accessed by the imagination. So, of course, I absolutely love writing the heroine and hero’s love story set in those OtherWorlds, the worlds I visit in my lucid dreams and in my movie-screen imagination. It’s a big thrill for me when a reader enjoys one of the fantastical stories I’ve created, because I know what it means to me to go on those incredible reading journeys.

CA: When writers block attacks, what do you do to get back on track?

SK: The mundane of life usually works quite well for me. You know, actual cleaning, washing my clothes, paying the bills, grocery shopping...oh! and playing with my doggies.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

SK: My writing schedule is everyday, usually. Since becoming e-published, I’ve lost writing time because of the business end of being an author. So, I fit writing in however and whenever I can. Not always easy, I can tell you.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

SK: Trepidation.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

SK: See above – taking care of and playing with my doggies. I also thoroughly enjoy observing all the nature around me, since I now live on a country acreage. I also adore drawing and painting. If you look closely at the cover art for All Shades of Blue Paradise you’ll see a horse’s head, which I drew.

CA: What is something shocking or weird about you that your readers don’t know about?

SK: Hmmm...shocking or weird....thinking...okay, this is from my ancient memory banks, but it’s one of the highlights of my young life. As a teenager I had a half Welsh, half Shetland pony named Bucky, who could be one tough son-of-a-gun. One of the neighborhood boys, who acted like a bully sometimes, was throwing firecrackers at us. I whirled Bucky around and we charged this teenage kid. Bucky ran right over his foot. Ouch! And talk about poetic justice! Ha.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

SK: Okay, let’s see I have two published. And I have three contracted, two of them coming soon. As far as completed manuscripts, I would guess, about twelve.
Favorite is always the book I’m working on, and truly every book I write. I don’t write it unless I want to read it over and over again. It’s a strict rule I have.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

SK: Great question. I’ve determined my characters are mutts extraordinaire, meaning they are a combination of real everyday people, the celebs, the characters from movies, tv and also from other books. Or, they originate straight from my imagination. Lady Sheridan, the heroine in All Shades of Blue Paradise, introduced herself in a beautiful semi-lucid dream I had.

CA: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

SK: Boy! You got me there. I wish I did have some concrete valuable advice. But as I’ve mentioned before, my own path was full of strange twists and turns, none of which made any logical sense toward the end goal of being published. Certainly perseverance is always a lynchpin ~ unless you’re one of the lucky few who gets ‘discovered’ quickly. You know, that fairy godmother tap on the shoulder.

However, if you’re not, I would say, use your intuition about what works for you personally, and the path you should follow. And be persistent.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

SK: Right now, the easiest way to contact me is leave a comment at ~ savannakougar.com ~ and I will answer. Or, you can find me on the Siren-BookStrand readers loop and on the Liquid Silver forum ~ liquidsilverbooks.com/forum.
For purchase here’s the list of my novels and publishers, the ones e-published and on the way:

Red Lioness Tamed ~ spicy sci fi available from Liquid Silver Books, Molten Silver ~ liquidsilverbooks.com ~ Untamed lioness lost in space

All Shades of Blue Paradise [World of the Blue Pearl Moon, Book I] ~ aristocratic fantasy available from Siren Publishing ~ sirenpublishing.com ~ Which seductive shade of blue are you?

Tangerine Carnal Dreams ~ stallion shifter adventure coming soon from Aspen Mountain Press

When a Good Angel Falls ~ 2012 angelic fantasy coming from Siren-BookStrand summer 2008

Pleasures of Blue Lotus Oil [World of the Blue Pearl Moon, Book II] ~ aristocratic fantasy coming from Siren Publishing

Murder by Hair Spray in Gardenia, New Atlantis ~ futuristic coming from Siren-BookStrand

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

SK: Hmmm, always a tricky question for me. I usually have no clue what to add. Okay, I just finished the final edits on Tangerine Carnal Dreams for Aspen Mountain Press, so I am absolutely excited about that. And, I followed that with the major edit of When a Good Angel Falls for Siren-BookStrand. My coming soon personal page on the new BookStrand.com site is tingly-beautiful! I just took a nice long look.
And, I’m about to work on Black Cat Beauty, a purr-seductive shifter novella, which I’m hoping will be published for Halloween.

CA: Thanks Savanna for this interview, I loved that you made Bucky charge that kid LOL!!

Interview with Margaret Tanner

2008-07-28T05:32:00.001-07:00

Author Pen Name: Margaret Tanner

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

MT: I write historical romance. I have always been interested in history and I have always loved writing, so it seemed a good idea to marry the two of them.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

MT: I can never remember a time when I didn’t want to be a writer.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

MT: I felt that I had a story to tell. I wanted to encourage people to read history but not have to sit down and read some dusty old tome.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

MT: I write when and where I can. The weekends or evenings are probably my main times.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

MT: Ecstatic

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

MT: I am a medical audio-typist working on a casual basis now, but still more hours than I want, because it takes me away from my writing. I have got the travel bug, and have visited Europe, US and Asia.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

MT: About fifteen in all. I have two novels out with Whiskeycreek Press and another coming out with them in August. I have three novels contracted with The Wild Rose Press and one contracted with Enspiren Press. I have four novels under consideration and three or four more sitting in the cupboard while I decide where to send them.

My favorite novel would be “The English Rose” which is coming out in June from Enspiren Press, but I love all my novels..

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

MT: A bit of both really.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

MT: Keep on trying and never give up on your dream, no matter how many setbacks you receive. Getting published is never easy, but it is achievable, if you persevere.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

MT: My website is http://www.margarettanner.com/
Information about purchasing my books can be found on my website or my publishers’ website.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

MT: I would just like to thank you, Crystal, for giving me the opportunity of answering this questionnaire.

CA: Thank you Margaret for hanging out here this week :)

Interviewing Authors

Leigh Savage Interview - Book Giveaway

Stephen Zimmer *Giveaway*

Mistress Rae Interview

Kevin Hughes

Lucien Black

R. Scot Johns BOOK GIVEAWAY!!

Jacquie Rogers- Contest!!

Dianne Ascroft

Bobby Ozuna

Aasiyah Qamar

Marcello Milteer

J.C. Wilder

Contest

Dylan J. Morgan

David Boop

Ann Raina

*Contest* Leigh Savage

Hubert Mullins

J. Walt Layne

Pamela S. Thibodeaux

Shawn Oetzel

Lawrence Watt-Evans

J.S. Marlo * GIVEAWAY*

Kara Griffin *Giveaway*

Elyse Draper

Mary Dressel

Lisa Pietsch

Valerie Anne Faulkner

Jennifer Shirk *CONTEST*

Beth Fehlbaum

Joe Miller

Melanie Anderson *CONTEST*

Shannon Leigh

EK Powers

ZULMARA *CONTEST*

D. Renee Bagby

Kissa Starling

Douglas Allen Rhodes

Tiva Wallon

Margaret L. Carter

Kevin Morrison

*Contest* Interview with Hal Lanse

Charlotte Emma Gledson

J. Rife

Candace Morehouse

Cindy K. Green

M. Christian

Isabelle Rose

Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc

D.S. Haines Interview

Ronald Adams Interview

Carol Culver Rzadkiewicz

Interview with Jimmy Gillentine *Contest*

Interview with Devon Ellington *Contest*

Interview with Crystal-Rain Love

LAST DAY & THANKS

Interview with Savanna Kougar

Interview with Margaret Tanner

Stephen Zimmer Giveaway

Contest Leigh Savage

Kara Griffin Giveaway

Jennifer Shirk CONTEST

Melanie Anderson CONTEST

ZULMARA CONTEST

Contest Interview with Hal Lanse

Interview with Jimmy Gillentine Contest

Interview with Devon Ellington Contest