Today I’m very excited to be interviewing Kristin Vayden.
Hi Kristin, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Lets get started.
KRISTIN: I am a Stay at home mom. Seriously, its the best job in the world and I'm so thankful that I can have that luxury! If you were to see me on any given day( with the exception of Sunday!) I would be wearing my yoga pants or leggings, a long sleeve henley shirt and socks. No shoes. Everything I wear is washable. WASHABLE! But I wouldn't have it any other way! I tease my husband in saying that I could spend the entire day in the kitchen and never be bored. And its true. I love to bake, cook, experiment and my kids and family are well feed because of it! Also, I could always stay busy in the kitchen because SOMEONE is always hungry! I love to read and since I've started nursing (my baby is three weeks old today!) I've had much more time to do it! There's nothing better than a great book! Although I must admit that when I'm in the thick of it, you know, the really good part where you know it's all going to work out, or during the first kiss etc, I am totally guilty of ignoring my family and wanting to "nurse" for a hour. Shhh, don't tell.
ME: I think we have all had moments in a good book where we ignore our family, I'm totally guilty of it!!
ME: I think we have all had moments in a good book where we ignore our family, I'm totally guilty of it!!
ME: What inspired you to write your first book?
KRISTIN: I need to give credit where credit is due, so in this case, it must be laid at the feet of my amazing sister, Rachel Van Dyken. As I'm sure all of you know her. (and if you don't, FIND HER BOOKS!) I beta read for her...ok, honestly, she fed my rabid addiction for her writing, but eventually she convinced me to write as well. I did a few chapters, sheepishly sent them to her and the little traitor sent them to her editor. The rest is history.
ME: Oh shes is sneaky! (hahaha)
ME: How did you come up with the title?
KRISTIN: "Surviving Scotland" and "Living London" were actually pretty easy to come up with. Both accurately describe the books. In the first Westin Legacy book, "Living London" Jocelyn is literally, living the London scene in 1817, the well loved 'regency' era. She has to re-learn everything she thought she knew about life and love. Really its a re-birth into a world she discovers herself in the light of love. In "Surviving Scotland" the plot is much more adventure based with lots of humor and witty banter between the characters. Truly it is a story of survival, not only of the body but of the heart. After all, only love is strong enough to grasp what it was never mean to have...
ME: I love witty banter in books!
ME: Tell us about the cover of your book.
KRISTIN: My covers are designed by Laura Heritage at PS cover and designs. She is a genius and I am always impressed and in love with her work. Both covers feature the heroine along with a clock, to represent the time-travel theme of the books.
ME: I must say that "Surviving Scotland" is one of my favorite covers that I have seen. Its just so gorgeous!
ME: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
KRISTIN:: LOTS of history. It's funny what you think you know then find out you were wrong all along. I developed a fascination with Scottish History and am still studying it. Right now I'm finishing up my next release, "Knight of the Highlander" and researching a totally different era, The Stuart rebellion called the Jacobite uprising. Totally awesome.
ME: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
KRISTIN: In "Living London" the first part of the book is written from personal experience. You walk with Jocelyn as she says good-bye to her beloved "Nanna" and you smell the inside of the nursing home, you taste the tears she sheds and your heart beats with her loss. I wrote that part of the book shortly after I lost someone very close to me, my "Nanny" It was a rough time and I wrote with that same emotion, often having tears stream down my face as I re-lived that loss.
KRISTIN:: LOTS of history. It's funny what you think you know then find out you were wrong all along. I developed a fascination with Scottish History and am still studying it. Right now I'm finishing up my next release, "Knight of the Highlander" and researching a totally different era, The Stuart rebellion called the Jacobite uprising. Totally awesome.
ME: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
KRISTIN: In "Living London" the first part of the book is written from personal experience. You walk with Jocelyn as she says good-bye to her beloved "Nanna" and you smell the inside of the nursing home, you taste the tears she sheds and your heart beats with her loss. I wrote that part of the book shortly after I lost someone very close to me, my "Nanny" It was a rough time and I wrote with that same emotion, often having tears stream down my face as I re-lived that loss.
ME: I love books where authors use emotions from their real life and apply it to the stories.
ME: What book are you reading now?
KRISTIN: Don't laugh, "Surviving Scotland" I'm not kidding either! I re-released it and really just...wanted to read about Ioan again. I love him. I totally took my husband's mischievous nature and put it in Ioan's character so he's very dear to my heart. I love the chemistry between him and Elle as well. I hope that doesn't sound prideful! I just really love that story!
ME: What book are you reading now?
KRISTIN: Don't laugh, "Surviving Scotland" I'm not kidding either! I re-released it and really just...wanted to read about Ioan again. I love him. I totally took my husband's mischievous nature and put it in Ioan's character so he's very dear to my heart. I love the chemistry between him and Elle as well. I hope that doesn't sound prideful! I just really love that story!
ME: Who is your favorite author?
KRISTIN: Rachel Van Dyken along with Marcia Lynn McClure.
ME: Do you have any current projects?
Kristin: Ha ha, right now I'm in the process of finishing (let me count, hold on. Math's not my strong point) Five? I think, and one is a series so really, its more like eight. And yes, ironically enough, I CAN keep them all straight! ( I don't know if that's a good thing or not...suddenly I feel slightly crazy)
ME: WOW! Plus you have children and a husband!! My hat is off to you!
ME: Do you have any advice for other writers?
KRISTIN: Keep trying. You'll get stuck. WE all do. Keep writing and when you go back over it, revise, review, FIND A GREAT EDITOR because really, they are miracle workers.
ME: Do you have any advice for other writers?
KRISTIN: Keep trying. You'll get stuck. WE all do. Keep writing and when you go back over it, revise, review, FIND A GREAT EDITOR because really, they are miracle workers.
ME: Perfect advice!
Follow Kristin Vayden with the links below!Facebook: www.facebook.com/kristinvaydenauthor
Twitter: @KristinVayden
Smashwords: Kristin Vayden, https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/whispersfromabook
Goodreads: Kristin Vayden, http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6553295.Kristin_Vayden
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kristin-Vayden/e/B00A0RWW04/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Today I’m very excited to be interviewing K.S. Smith.
Hi Kym, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Lets get started.
KYM: My name is Kym, but my pen name is K.S. Smith. I picked it in the hopes that my boyfriend would get the hint (his last name is Smith). We've been together ten years and I'm beyond ready for a name change. :) I love spending time with my family and friends, they mean the world to me. I am super patriotic and love our Military, although the U.S. Marines are definitely my favorite branch. I'm very loud, my friends and family never have to guess when I'm entering the room because they can hear me from a mile away. I'm like Buddy the Elf, I love to smile, smiling is my favorite. Reading is also my favorite. I'm scattered brained and all over the place, I think they call it ADD...I just call it being me!
ME: That's funny, I'm loud and scattered brained as well!
ME: That's funny, I'm loud and scattered brained as well!
ME: What inspired you to write your first book?
KYM: My best friend and fellow author, Megan C. Smith, inspired me to write my first novel. We were talking about it one night and how fun it would be and the next thing you know we were meeting at Starbucks with notepads, colorful pens and highlighters. The rest is history.
ME: That's fantastic!
ME: How did you come up with the title?
KYM: The title was difficult at first and then out of nowhere it hit me. I was thinking about how fun Reagan and Cole's first night must have been and One Night With Him crossed my mind, I added it to my list of about 20 other possibilities and it was the only one that made the final cut.
ME: Tell us about the cover of your book.
KYM: I love the cover of One Night With Him. I am a very visual person and the minute I see something I begin to associate it with things. As a reader it always throws me off when authors put faces on their covers, because they usually don't look anything like the people they are describing in their book. That's why I went with just bodies, I think it's sexy, but not too revealing. I always want my readers to come up with their own visual for my characters. That's what makes reading so fun, we each come up with our own cast in our head.
ME: I like that!
ME: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
KYM: I learned that it's not as easy as you think. I was so worried
ME: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
KYM: I would say 90% of this book is fictional, whereas 10% was pulled from real life. My family is big on tradition, so I incorporated our Christmas traditions into the book. I also work at a law firm and deal with City Council, Developers, etc on a daily basis. This may be TMI, but some of the crazy sex scenes were real life also, although I won't tell you which ones. ;)
KYM: I learned that it's not as easy as you think. I was so worried
ME: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
KYM: I would say 90% of this book is fictional, whereas 10% was pulled from real life. My family is big on tradition, so I incorporated our Christmas traditions into the book. I also work at a law firm and deal with City Council, Developers, etc on a daily basis. This may be TMI, but some of the crazy sex scenes were real life also, although I won't tell you which ones. ;)
ME: What book are you reading now?
KYM: I am currently reading Forever: A Seaside Novella by Rachel Van Dyken. I got it as an ARC a few weeks ago, but have been so tied up in my release that I am just not getting around to it. (Shh! Don't tell her that!) I am a huge fan of hers and make it a point to read ALL of her books, especially her Eagle Elite series - Nixon Abandonato is pure perfection.
ME: Both great books!
ME: Who is your favorite author?
KYM: Rachel Van Dyken - you can't go wrong with her, she knows how to pull you in and keep you begging for more. All of her characters are amazingly written and the guys are smokin' hot! I just can't get enough.
ME: I agree!
ME: Do you have any current projects?
KYM: I have two WIP's that I've started recently. They've taken a back burner to my release of One Night With Him, but I'm excited to get back to them. And I'm jumping in late to the National Novel Writing Month with Fighting For Her, which is Cole's point of view as a follow up to One Night With Him. I am getting really good feed back on ONWH and the readers want more from Cole, so I am going to try and crank it out! I'm hoping for a June/July release.
ME: Do you have any current projects?
KYM: I have two WIP's that I've started recently. They've taken a back burner to my release of One Night With Him, but I'm excited to get back to them. And I'm jumping in late to the National Novel Writing Month with Fighting For Her, which is Cole's point of view as a follow up to One Night With Him. I am getting really good feed back on ONWH and the readers want more from Cole, so I am going to try and crank it out! I'm hoping for a June/July release.
ME: Sounds great!
ME: Do you have any advice for other writers?
KYM: Don't get discouraged. I never imagined that the day I released my debut novel I would also hit the Amazon Top 100 Best Seller Contemporary Romance List, but I did it! And really, who am I? I'm just your average romance reader turned writer. Anything is possible if you set your sights on it and go after it. Don't be discouraged by people who are doing better than you, be excited for them. Trust me, your turn will come. Rome wasn't built in a day, right. Have fun and do what you love, if you're doing that you are already ten steps ahead of most of the world.
ME: Do you have any advice for other writers?
KYM: Don't get discouraged. I never imagined that the day I released my debut novel I would also hit the Amazon Top 100 Best Seller Contemporary Romance List, but I did it! And really, who am I? I'm just your average romance reader turned writer. Anything is possible if you set your sights on it and go after it. Don't be discouraged by people who are doing better than you, be excited for them. Trust me, your turn will come. Rome wasn't built in a day, right. Have fun and do what you love, if you're doing that you are already ten steps ahead of most of the world.
ME: That's great advice!
Follow K.S. Smith with the links below!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kssmith23
Twitter: @kssmith_23
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/374380
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7215509.K_S_Smith
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/K.S.-Smith/e/B00GFLHKQ0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Follow K.S. Smith with the links below!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kssmith23
Twitter: @kssmith_23
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/374380
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7215509.K_S_Smith
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/K.S.-Smith/e/B00GFLHKQ0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Today I’m very excited to be interviewing C.L. Champlain.
Hi C.L. Champlain, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Lets get started.
ME: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
C.L. CHAMPLAIN: I live in upstate New York at the base of the Adirondack Mountains. I have two
children. A daughter that's heading off to college and a six year old autistic son.
ME: Sounds busy, how do you find the time to write
C.L. CHAMPLAIN: My oldest is a senior in high school and spends a lot of her time out with friends for study groups and activities. Weekends are family time. My youngest is special needs and goes to kindergarten for a full day. He likes to be left alone to play on his own a lot. He plays next to me a lot but prefers for me to leave him alone a lot of the time. I set an alarm every hour to take a break from everything, walk away from the computer, and do something for a few minutes with the family. My one hour kitchen timer keeps me sane, usually. It sucks when I'm in the middle of an awesome scene and it goes off sometimes...
ME: What inspired you to write your first book?
C.L. CHAMPLAIN: I was stuck on the couch after a back injury. An author I was friends with told me she liked my ideas about books, and since I loved to read so much I should try writing myself. After some more encouragement from friends and family, I opened up a new document and started writing. No outline, I just started writing an idea. Three days later I had 25,000 words. Within just over a week I had a 65,000 word book and was crying while I typed "The End"
ME: How did you come up with the title?
C.L. CHAMPLAIN: The first title was so hard! I finally decided, after it was written, that it really was about Saving grace from a bad situation, and getting her and her girls back home to Lee Land, land of the Fae.
ME: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
C.L. CHAMPLAIN: Oh so many things! I just finished my fifth, and I learn new things with each book! I learned I was a comma hoe, they are making me a t-shirt for it. I learned to take my time and be patient for edits. I learned some formats change when you upload them to Amazon, so upload the word doc to be more accurate. Though Amazon compresses books to save space, so your book will never be the perfect
layout it was on your computer.
ME: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
C.L. CHAMPLAIN: Yes my first series was about a girl who grew up with an abusive father. I really did, and I shared links and numbers for people who live in a domestic abuse or child abuse situation so they can get help to get out of that situation.
ME: What book are you reading now?
C.L. CHAMPLAIN: Dracula by Bram Stoker. I'm really excited about the new television show on Friday!
ME: Who is your favorite author?
C.L. CHAMPLAIN: Just one? That's like asking a mom to pick a favorite child, isn't it? I love many of them equally, but the three I read the most, over and over again are Rachel Van Dyken, Kerrelyn Sparks, and Richelle Mead. Though Nora Roberts was my first favorite, I have not read any of hers in about a year.
ME: What are your current projects?
C.L. CHAMPLAIN: Oh dear which one? I have notes started to finish my Scotland Romance series. I have a spin-off for my Fae of Lee series planned next year. I have "A Reason, A Season, A Lifetime which will be a romance series from first love, getting over first love and moving on to the final forever love. I also have notes started for a Celtic Myths and Legends series, and I'm playing around with a story about an American girl who can see ghosts. She travels helping people get ghosts out of their homes, hotels, etc.
ME: Do you have any advice for other writers?
C.L. CHAMPLAIN: Write what you love, not what people tell you to. Don't be afraid to put a little of yourself into each character so people can relate to them. Don't expect to get rich writing books, that rarely happens. Not everyone will love every book you write, just make sure YOU love what you wrote. Take time to read still. We all start writing because we love reading, writing and reading are soul mates, they need each other.
Thank you very much CL Champlain for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. I look forward to more books by you!
If you want to follow this wonderful author click on the links below!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClChamplain
Twitter: @AmiChamplain
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7178054.C_L_Champlain
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/C.L.-Champlain/e/B00DY96ADU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1382633028&sr=1-1
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing George Snyder.
Hi George, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Lets get started.
ME: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
GEORGE: Uneducated (about three years of college), grew up in Bakersfield, joined the Navy out of high school, aircraft carrier duty working on jet fighters all over the Far East. Offloaded in the Philippines to share facilities with Navy construction crews. Out of the Navy and back in Southern California, wrote short stories for men’s magazines. Moved around—a year in Houston, a year in Albuquerque, nine years in Seattle. Solo sailed a self-built catamaran from Seattle to Juneau and return. Have lived all over California—San Jose, Newport Beach, Long Beach, Pomona, Ontario, Cucamonga. Rode motorcycles more than 250,000 miles through five western states, Canada and Mexico. After retirement as Senior Editor Technical Publications, from Boeing, I solo-sailed to Mexico for a year. Wrote BAJA SAILOR TALES, a collection of stories and characters I met there. Once returned, I took three months to road trip camp around the country, and wrote a book on that. Now live aboard my small sloop in Seal Beach, California, after a couple dozen articles and short stories and 32 books, 12 are still available on Amazon.
ME: Wow! That is awesome!
ME: What inspired you to write your first book?
GEORGE: I’d hit Best For Men magazine with a steady supply of short stories. The editor had a connection with a paperback publisher in Las Vegas. He asked me to write a novel. I didn't think I could string out that many words end-to-end. But I did.
ME: How did you come up with the title?
GEORGE: I was into surfing plus a lot of other stuff. The book was a crime novel about a surfer. I titled it THE SURFER KILLERS—but—I was dealing with Vegas. The book came out titled SURFSIDE SEX. It is long out of print. I’m thinking of bringing it back rewritten.
ME: You should try to bring it back, I like the original title, but understand the change.
ME: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
GEORGE: A novel is like a short story only longer. Dumb right? But you plot out a short story, complicate it and add characters and you can put enough words together to make it a novel. What’s important is to keep it moving. I didn't think I could do it. But when I was writing Nick Carter screw-and-kill spy-adventure novels for a New York huckster, it was required to crank out a 60,000 word novel in six weeks. My quota—on a manual typewriter—was ten finished pages a day, five days a week. I lived in a singles-only apartment complex in Newport Beach and was the resident bartender so I gave myself weekends off. I don’t do that now because I’m older and slower. Now when I’m on a novel, I don’t have daily quotas but I’m at it every day.
ME: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
GEORGE: All of that plus endless research. Most places are those I've been to. Characters are a mixture of people I know or have seen and/or studied. As an introvert, I avoid crowds but I do go among them to study people—mannerisms, gestures, facial features, speech patterns. I use it all. I go to lounges, bars, restaurants, libraries, truck stops, campgrounds with my pad and pen and I pick what is interesting or dull or plain about the places. And I study the people there too. Experiences are from my knocking around, plus what I read, plus movies, plus news events. Not to get sensational. I dislike world doom stories or the end of mankind—anything that universal. I also don’t care for heart-warming feel good stuff. My books are tough, hard-boiled and about individuals getting by the best they can. The world, generally, doesn't give a damn about them. Women usually don’t care for my books.
ME: I haven't yet read one of them and very much look forward to reading one.
ME: What book are you reading now?
GEORGE: BUTCHER’S MOON, a Parker novel by Richard Stark. That’s a pen name for the late Donald Westlake. No question, Parker is the baddest of them all. Women don’t care for him much either. The thing about this novel is there wasn't another Parker book for twenty-five years. Then he came back. Donald Westlake died. With him and Elmore Leonard gone, it’s tough to find hard rough scheming men in novels. I’m doing what I can. Guys like Lee Child and his Jack Reacher are too, a lot better than me. Dennis Lehane and some others are trying. I've read all the Parker novels. They even finally made a decent movie from one of the books.
ME: Oh neat, what are the movies?
GEORGE: Lee Child's Jack Reacher was made into a movie titled, JACK REACHER, that starred Tom Cruise. badly miscast as Jack Reacher. Two Parker novels were borrowed from for the movie, PARKER that starred Jason Statham who turned out to be an excellent Parker. Jennifer Lopez co-starred
ME: OH! I have seen Parker, love Jason Statham. I didn't see Jack Reacher, I'm not a Tom Cruise fan.
ME: Who is your favorite author?
GEORGE: I like some of the books of Lee Child, not all. His last one showed me more about the New York subway system than I’ll ever want to know. Lots of techno-babble. I tend to stay with guys like Lawrence Block, although he mistakenly aged Scudder along with himself, and his last book reads like it. The main series character should stay the same age. A movie is being made from A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES with Liam Neeson playing Scudder. Won’t be out until next September. Looks like a good one.
ME: I like Liam Neeson, I'm sure it will be one I will have to watch.
ME: What are your current projects?
GEORGE: Wow. I just had two books released. BAJA BULLETS in July, the fourth in a series. And THE FAREWELL HEIST in October that I’m market pushing. They are from two different publishers, in eBook and print. Currently I’ve plotted and am writing three short stories based on my three series characters: Baylor “Bay” Rumble, Logan Sand, and Makayla “Mac” Tuff. Logan and Mac are PIs, Logan in the Northwest and Mac in the fictional town of Lakeside, Arizona just north of Lake Havasu. Bay is all over the globe sailing on his little boat.
ME: Awesome
ME: Do you have any advice for other writers?
GEORGE: Don’t be so hopped up about the nuts and bolts of publishing and marketing. Write and write and continue to write. This is on-the-job experience. When I started I was told not to look for publication until I had written a million words. I think I can work it down to a few hundred thousand. And unless you look for ways to improve, you’ll just keep writing the same mistakes over and over. That means read and read and continue to read. To knock heads against the competition you have to know how they’re doing it. And you have to do it better. Read more in the genre you write than other genres. Do you think your stuff defies genre? Better take a harder more critical look at your stuff. And don’t just read glowing wonderful words. Read the junk too. Movie directors spend much of their time watching bad movies. That’s how they learn. I’ve read a lot of bad self-published novels in my crime genre. I’ll keep on doing it. And did I mention you got to write?
ME: Great advice, I myself have thought about trying to write.
Thank you very much George for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. I look forward to your books!
You can follow George at the links below!
http://www.georgesnyderweb.blogspot.com
http://onewriterconnection.blogspot.com
Today I’m very happy to be interviewing Amber Nation.
Hi Amber, thank you for agreeing to this interview.
AMBER: Thank You for this opportunity!! I greatly appreciate it!!! My debut novel 'Not Alone' will be released on November 11, 2013.
ME: That's very exciting! Lets chat a little.
ME: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
AMBER: I am first and foremost a wife and mother. I have two girls ages three and seven who are my world. My love of books has transpired more throughout the past fourteen months, and now I am absolutely addicted.
ME: What inspired you to write your first book?
ME: What inspired you to write your first book?
AMBER: I had a set of characters and a storyline set up shop in my head, and I absolutely couldn't get rid of them. I had no desire to write a book at first, but the more their story progressed in my mind, the more it seemed almost necessary to get it all out.
ME: How did you come up with the title?
ME: How did you come up with the title?
AMBER: I really thought I would end up having a long list of names to chose from that would fit with the storyline. I started brainstorming and only one name came to mind, and it works perfectly. Not Alone.
ME: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
ME: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
AMBER: That no matter how many obstacles and struggles you face it'll all be worth it in the end. To see all of your hard word, blood, sweat, and tears poured into your finished product.
ME: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
ME: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
AMBER: Not per say. Different implements in the book are things that I am familiar with. For instance Grady was former Active Duty Army- my husband served Active Duty for five years. Emmalynne is extremely self-conscious about how she looks and doesn't see herself too positively which are a lot of the same qualities that I see in myself.
ME: What book are you reading now?
ME: What book are you reading now?
AMBER: I am currently reading Captured Innocence by Kennedy Layne (great read)
ME: Who is your favorite author?
ME: Who is your favorite author?
AMBER: I have sooo many favorites, but I think if I had to chose just one, it would have to be Nicole Edwards.
ME: What are your current projects?
ME: What are your current projects?
AMBER: Ummm....Can I get by with it's a secret?!? ;)
ME: Sure you can keep it a secret! For now.
ME: Do you have any advice for other writers?
ME: Sure you can keep it a secret! For now.
ME: Do you have any advice for other writers?
AMBER: Don't let anything stop you! Just follow your heart and your dreams and everything will fall into place. :)
ME: Great advice.
Thank you very much Amber for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. I look forward to reading your books !
If you want to follow this wonderful new author click on the links below.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ambernationauthor
Twitter: @nation_amber
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7266767.Amber_Nation
ME: Great advice.
Thank you very much Amber for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. I look forward to reading your books !
If you want to follow this wonderful new author click on the links below.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ambernationauthor
Twitter: @nation_amber
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7266767.Amber_Nation
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Dana & Blakely Bennett.
Hi Dana & Blakely, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Let’s get started.
Thanks so much for having us.
ME: Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?
We met when I was working with Greenpeace in south Florida. I liked her from the moment our eyes connected and still do. We wrote a novella called Checkmate and decided, in spite of the obstacles of getting published, that someday we would write full-time together—our own little business venture. Life, kids and work got in the way for many years, but we have returned more determined than ever. Blakely has already had her My Body Trilogy published which she wrote on her own and we are on the precipice of publishing a tandem written story called The Demarcation of Jack. It’s out November 7th and we are very excited.
ME: What inspired you to write this book?
Two things inspired this book. First we spent our honeymoon in Jamaica, mon and loved the experience which led to the ‘what if’ question. What would happen if …
ME: How did you come up with the title?
The title is a reference to emotional lines drawn in the proverbial sand.
ME: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
That writing is our bliss. We can work for hours and hours. And that the voices of characters must be consistent throughout your work. It’s not easy but we get compliments from readers about the consistency of our characters.
ME: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Total fabrication of the story, but the location and experiences do have authenticity based on personal encounters with different folks.
ME: What book are you reading now?
Dana is reading Geared to the Present
Blakely is working her way through The Naked Truth about self-publishing
ME: Who is your favorite author?
Blakely Bennett
ME: What are your current projects?
Dana: Geared to the Present, a historical time travel romance.
Blakely: Stuck In-Between, an erotic romance novel. The first of the Bound by Your Love series.
ME: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Write, write, rewrite, cull useless words then hire a professional editor. If you have only a little money, save enough and spend it on editing. The cover is important as well.
Thank you very much Dana & Blakely for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. I look forward to more books by you!
Thanks again for having us!
If you want to follow these wonderful authors click on the links below:
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Stevie J. Cole
Hi Stevie, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Lets get started.
ME: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
STEVIE: Well, I love to create things. I love writing, drawing, painting. . . anything that lets my wild imagination be put to use. I also love to watch horror films (the more ridiculous the better) and I love the beach.
ME: What inspired you to write your first book?
STEVIE: I've always loved to write. I actually wrote my first book when I was in third grade. It was so creatively titled, The Day the Unicorn Came to Town. Does that count? I mean, I was pretty proud of it back then.
ME: Definitely counts.
STEVIE: I wrote three books of poetry throughout high school and college. I used my writing as a way to get out all the emotions and angst we tend to experience in our early years of adulthood.
Earlier this year I completed a memoir of my life at the request of some friends who swear my life has been too crazy to not be a reality television show. The title of that book is, Who's Counting Anyways? I haven't published it yet, mainly for fear of the repercussions from some of the people in it.
I just finished my first novel in September, and that one is my baby! Bound to Submission is the title of my novel. It should be out on Amazon and Smashwords around mid- November, maybe a little sooner. I started writing Bound to Submission as a type of cathartic release from stress. The story started out in my head as a comedy, then turned into a romance, and as I was writing under the influence of a bottle of wine it ventured over into an erotic romance. I always knew I was a little perverted, but never knew how much I could enjoy putting that kink into words!
I guess a long winded answer to the question of what inspired me to write would be that I've always used writing as a way to escape from everyday stresses and monotony. It's almost a way to keep me sane.
ME: How did you come up with the title?
STEVIE: I had so many titles swirling around in my head. None of them felt right. One day I was sitting at my desk writing the poem that opens the book up. I wrote the last words down and read back over them. The words were "bound to submission". I started squealing. I knew that had to be the title. I loved the way it flowed and the play on words.
ME: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
STEVIE: I learned how emotionally draining writing can be. You get, or at least I did, really attached to these characters you've created. It's an entire world you've brought to life from words and you become very protective of it. I stressed about the decisions the main characters would make. I obsessively thought about the next scene, the next piece of dialogue... I wrote the book in two months because I became so obsessed with getting it out of me. The day I finished I was already starting to work on the second book in the series. I've learned that writing is very addictive!
ME: I have heard that.
ME: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
STEVIE: Not so much in this book. I can't say that there aren't some personality quirks that are partially based on actual people, but aside from that it all came from the deep crevices of my mind.
ME: What book are you reading now?
STEVIE: Sigh, Biostatistics: A Foundation for Analysis in the Health Sciences. I haven't been able to do too much pleasure reading lately due to graduate school, but I do have my eye on a few books I would really like to read. World War Z is absolutely on my list. Fifty Shades of Grey is also on my to read list... I know, I know... how have I not read these, right?
ME: I haven't read World War Z, but the hubs saw the movie and based on what he told me its not my kind of book either. I have however read FSOG, and well, while I was reading it I turned fifty shades of RED!
ME: Who is your favorite author?
STEVIE: That's a tough one. As far as traditional authors I really love F. Scott Fitzgerald, Anne Rice, and Stephen King. I also adore Jim Morrison, he was an amazing poet.
ME: I'm a big Stephen King fan.
ME: What are your current projects?
STEVIE: I am working on the sequel for Bound to Submission. I believe there will be three books in that series, and I know I'm going to be a little sad when I finish them. I really enjoy these characters. I'm also working on the book trailer and making a you tube station.
ME: I'm looking forward to them.
ME: Do you have any advice for other writers?
STEVIE: Let yourself go. As a writer you can't worry about what people will think (you should worry about what readers will think, not the general public). I was terrified about the entire erotic romance thing. I kept thinking, "What if _____ finds out?" Really, who cares? If you want to write it, write it! Don't deny your creativity for fear of what someone will think. It's very scary to know that you are going to put your work out there. Your book is a world that took a lot of time and effort for you to create, you've become attached to it, and it's terrifying to know that at some point someone out there is most likely going to rip it to shreds. That shouldn't stop you though. Not every one will love your book, but as long as you do you can take pride in all the hard work and discipline it took to finish it.
ME: That is fantastic advice!
Thank you very much Stevie for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. I look forward to more books by you!
If you want to follow this wonderful new author click on the links below.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevie.cole.73
Twitter: @StevieJCole
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/StevieJCole
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/24178505-stevie-j
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/steviecole73/boards/
Dannae, thanks for the interview.
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