Monday, June 11, 2012

Jonathan Gould joins us for Mention Monday!


 
 It's Mention Monday! 
Today we have with us

Jonathan Gould who is the author of
Magnus Opum

Welcome!!

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Do you work another job when you are not writing?

How should I put this? I regard fiction writing as my job. It’s just that at the moment, it’s not a particularly lucrative one. For that reason, I also have a “hobby” which pays substantially better. It involves writing content for online university courses. It’s quite an enjoyable and interesting hobby but it does take time away from my real job.

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing?

Thinking about writing. Well maybe not exactly. I do have a bit of an obsessive mind so when I have a story idea going, I get pretty overtaken with it. But otherwise, I have a pretty broad range of interests. When I can take time away from the afore-mentioned hobby, there’s lots of stuff I like to do. Sport and music are high on the list, but the main thing would be spending time with my family – so they can say “will you stop thinking about writing for a second?”

What is your favorite color? Why?

Green. Why? Because frogs are green and they’re my favourite animal. Why are they my favourite animal? That’s obvious – because they’re green and green is my favourite colour.

What is your favorite season? Why?

Definitely Autumn. The weather is great – not too hot or too cold. Plus the football is just starting and I love football. Though the way my team is going, maybe not so much at the moment.

If you could live anyplace on earth, where would it be? Why?

Anywhere there’s good food and good conversation and good music and a good book to read.

If you could have any car, what would it be?

One that got me where I wanted to go without breaking down. Cars to me are transportation – nothing more and nothing less.

Tell us about your writing: 

How long have your been writing? Was it a dream, a goal or is it just a hobby?

It’s something I always seem to be doing. When I was a little kid, I used to write stories – when my parents moved house a few years ago, they found them all up in a cupboard. I began thinking seriously about “being a writer” in my late twenties – not going to tell you how long ago that was. It’s partly a dream and partly a goal I guess. It’s something I love to do and something I think I’m reasonably good at so it’s worth pursuing.

How many hours a day do you devote to writing?

It’s really hard to quantify. After time spent on my “hobby” and time with the family, it’s about stealing whatever time I can. I tend to work in bursts. For several weeks or months, I can be amazingly productive, and then I can go for years without producing anything.

Do you have a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?

As above, it’s really about when I can make the time. It’s also about having the brain-space to let the ideas come and the writing flow. With all the distractions in life, it can be hard to get your brain into that creative mode.

Do you listen to music or do you need a quiet place to write?

Definitely quiet. If I have music on, I start to tap my feet and clap my hands and sing along, so I won’t end up getting anything done.

Tell us about your book:

It’s a humorous fantasy. I like to describe it as Tolkien meets Dr Seuss. Just like in The Hobbit, it’s about a character who is kind of small and shy and not very bold at all, who goes off and has a big adventure in a world that is very different from ours, yet at the same time all too similar.

What is the name of it and is it part of a series or a stand alone novel?

It’s called Magnus Opum. At the moment it stands alone. Whether any sequels emerge remains to be seen, but I have no plans at present.

Where did the idea come from? How long did it take to write?

From a variety of places. Partly from reading Tolkien and other fantasies of that ilk and thinking it would be fun to try my hand at a similar sort of story. I especially wanted to try a different approach to epic fantasy. It seems like the same stock characters are always reeled out – wizards and elves and goblins and the like. I wanted to create a world populated by a bunch of totally different and new races.

How long it took to write is another difficult question. I wrote bits of it in bursts, then left it for quite a long time, then came back to it. All up, from beginning to publication, is probably close to 10 years.

Your other work:

Do you have any upcoming projects in the works or other books that have been published?

I have published two other books:
Doodling – the story of a man who fell off the world (because it was moving too fast). I like to describe it as Douglas Adams meets Lewis Carroll
Flidderbugs – a mix of political satire, fable, and funny little story about a bunch of bugs with some very peculiar obsessions.
As for works in progress, I’m currently working on a sequel to Doodling, tentatively titled Scribbling. There’s also a YA fantasy novel I’ve been plugging away at for ages which I really want to get back to. The tentative title is Beyond the Flame – and this is the first time I’ve actually announced that so there you go – you just got a scoop.

Watch a Video Trailer:

Where can readers connect with you?

Via the links down below – I’m easily tracked down, reasonably friendly, and I don’t often bite.

Website: Blog: http:daglit.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jonathangouldwriter
Twitter: @jonno_go
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4747714.Jonathan_Gould


Where can we buy your books?
Amazon


Friday, June 8, 2012

Character Jan Weston Joins us today from Between Boyfriends by Sarka-Jonae Miller


Please welcome character 
Jan Michaela Weston
to our blog today!
She is the star of the book Between Boyfriends
Created by Sarka-Jonae Miller

Welcome Jan!  Wow... Love your hair cut!! All those layers look so cute in your blonde hair!  I'm so glad you are here today!  Have a seat and tell us about the story you star in!

Between Boyfriends is a story about how my jerk ex-boyfriend cruelly dumps me and I bravely soldier on.

Good for you!  Men aren't always worth it!

I realize that dating is insane. It never works out. 

Well sometimes they do....

Hearts just get broken and there are many more important things to worry about, like getting a job and paying for my apartment after my mother decides to no longer support me 
once I drop out of San Diego State University. 

Ouch! 

She doesn't understand that college is a waste of time. It's really hard and nobody gets a job. I started taking massage therapy classes because there is a much better chance of me finding a job after I graduate. 

Oh cool!  I love massages!

Life is a lot harder than I thought it was. Thankfully I make some great friends and figure out a way to pay for school. But I do miss my credit card.

lol.... I hear ya! Jan - Let me ask you a few questions...
We all want to be different, so what is the one thing you wish your creator had done differently with you?
She describes me as "mostly thin." Later on I get more fit, but couldn't she have just given me to body of a super model? Or at least make me a size 6?

We can all dream! If you could have added something to the story, and your creator would have let you, what would that have been?
A nice revenge scene where I go all Carrie Underwood on my ex's car would have been fun.

lol!  Baseball bat and all, huh! 
What do you love best about yourself? What do you like least?
I really love that I am changing. I used to feel crazy lonely if I was by myself for too long. I would freak out if my boyfriend wasn't calling me or if my friends weren't answering my texts. Now that I have more going on with my classes and I got back into playing tennis I don't worry as much that not everyone seems to like me very much. But that's sort of what I like least about myself too. I seem to rub people the wrong way and my boyfriends all break up with me no matter what I do or how hard I try to keep them. Even my parents don't like me very much and I can't seem to track down my grandparents. I'm an only child and I guess I wish I knew how to be more likable.

I bet you figure it out during the story! What part of the book was the hardest for you and your creator to work through?
Confronting my parents was the hardest thing. I've never been close to either of them and I'm kind of afraid of my mother. She's just really critical. But there were some secrets they were keeping from me and I had a right to know. 
Is there a sequel for this book? If so, what do you want to accomplish in the next book. If not, do you wish you could continue your story?
There is a sequel coming up soon. I get to go spend a semester in Thailand. Maybe I'll even get to start dating again. We'll see if I'm ready for it. 
To Purchase Between Boyfriends:

AMAZON
 
Apple iTunes


To contact the Creator Sarka-Jonae Miller
Your twitter: @sarkajonae  &@boyfriendsnovel

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Rosemary McCracken joins us for Writer Wednesday!


 It's Writer Wednesday and we are happy to have 
Rosemary McCracken, author of Safe Harbor

here with us today!

Welcome!!


Rosemary McCracken is a Canadian journalist who specializes in personal finance services industry. Her mystery novel, Safe Harbor, was shortlisted for Britain’s Debut Dagger award in 2010.

Tell us a bit about yourself:
Do you work another job when you are not writing?: 

I’m a freelance journalist based in Toronto, Canada. I’ve been a journalist for 35 years, worked for newspapers across Canada as a news reporter, arts and entertainment writer, and editor. For the past 12 years, I’ve been working freelance, meaning that I’m self-employed and accept assignments from whatever publication offers them to me. For the past several years, I’ve specialized in writing about personal finance – which gave me the idea for Safe Harbor’s central character, Pat Tierney. Pat is a financial advisor. 

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing?

Kayaking at my summer home in the Haliburton Highlands, which is about 2.5 hours north of Toronto. Unfortunately, Canada’s winters take a big bite out of kayak season so I spend months looking forward to it, but not actually doing it.

What is your favorite color and why? 

I love color in general, probably because of our white Canadian winter landscapes, and I have lots of color in my home. My favorite, however, is green. It’s the color of spring, new growth and hope – and the return of kayak season.

What is your favorite season and why? 

Summer, which is far too short in Canada. It’s the time when we northerners can shed our parkas and boots, and many of us here in the central part of our country head to the woods and lake country. Autumn, when the leaves change color, is spectacularly beautiful here, but it’s also a sad season for me because it means winter is on its way.

If you could live anyplace on earth, where would it be and why

The Haliburton Highlands in the spring, summer and early autumn. And down the road, I’d love to spend winters in a warmer climate. From what I’ve seen of Arizona, I think that would be lovely. Gorgeous rocks.

Tell us about your writing: 

How long have your been writing? Was it a dream, a goal or is it just a hobby? 

 I went into journalism because I wanted to write, and I also knew that I needed a career that would pay the bills. More than 30 years later, I’m still writing and editing newspaper and magazine articles. But about 15 years I began listening to the little voice at the back of my mind telling me that this was not enough. Slowly, I started moving away from just relating facts in my writing to creating worlds of fiction. One day, I may be able to transition completely to fiction writing.

How many hours a day do you devote to writing

I’d like to devote three or four hours a day, five days a week, to fiction writing – first thing in the morning, when my brain is rested. But, unfortunately, it doesn’t work out that way most of the time and that’s because of my non-fiction writing. I often have a telephone interview for an article in the morning, and then I need to type up my notes. And when I’m in the middle of a newspaper article, I try to finish it to get it out of the way, and then another one lands on my plate. So I tend to do my fiction writing when I’m at the cottage in Haliburton. And I’ll write most of the day when I’m there.

Is there some place special you like to be when you write? 

Because of the two different types of writing I do, non-fiction and fiction, I feel a real need to have two different places to write. I do my journalism writing in Toronto. And now that Safe Harbor has been published, I also do my book marketing in the city. I get most of my fiction writing done at the Haliburton Highlands cottage. I spend most of the summer there, and a fair bit of time in the spring and early fall. Even in the winter when there’s tons of snow and temperatures way below freezing, I make a point of spending a few days there every two weeks or so checking on things and writing. It’s another world, far away from the bustle of the city.

Do you listen to music or do you need a quiet place to write? 

 I need absolute quiet when I write. No music, no chatter. That’s why I get my best work done at my country home – and when I’m completely alone, not when I have guests or even my husband with me. Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband who doesn’t mind me going off without him. And I don’t mind being alone out in the middle of nowhere. A friend once asked me, “Given all creepy books you read, books about serial killers and stalkers and other nasty people, aren’t you terrified being out there all by yourself?” I’m not. I’m sometimes afraid of having an accident while driving there, but once I arrive I feel completely safe.

Tell us about your book:

What is the name of it and is it part of a series or a stand-alone novel? 

 Safe Harbor is the first murder mystery in a series featuring Pat Tierney, a fortysomething financial planner. 

Why do you write crime fiction? 

I started writing crime fiction because, as a beginning fiction writer, I liked its emphasis on plot. I believe a novel’s characters have to drive its plot, but I needed the clear plot points of the mystery or suspense genres to help me structure my novel. I began reading a lot of crime fiction, and I got hooked. I also like the sense of resolution at the end of a mystery or suspense novel. Over the course of the book, the protagonist’s world may have been changed, the villain may even have got away, but some kind of order is generally restored, even if it is only temporary.  

Where did the idea for Safe Harbor come from? 

 I wanted to write a mystery and I needed an interesting central character. I considered a journalist, because that’s a line of work I know very well. I quickly trashed that idea because it was too close to home. I needed some distance. And I wanted to explore another world.
As I said above, I’ve written about personal finance in recent years. I’ve interviewed a lot of financial professionals: financial advisors, investment managers, financial analysts. I attend their conferences. I know the issues they face and their concerns. They work in a challenging business. Investment markets have been murder in recent years. The best of these people are committed and caring; they help their clients realize many of their dreams. There are some bad apples in circulation, and there always will be. The financial industry deals with money, and therefore provides opportunity for people who are clever and greedy enough to challenge the system.

The committed, caring professionals want to see tougher penalties for fraudsters; they want to see them gone. These are the people who sparked the character of Pat Tierney. Pat cares about her clients, and she has sleepless nights during down markets. She’s a champion of small investors and doesn’t want to see them get taken.

How long did Safe Harbor take to write?  

Safe Harbor took about two years to write, but I’ve been writing novels featuring the character of Pat Tierney for more than seven years. Last Date, the very first Pat Tierney novel, was shortlisted for Crime Writers of Canada’s inaugural Best Unpublished First Crime Novel Award in 2007. That honor generated some interest from agents and publishers, but the publishing market had tightened and nothing happened. I kept on writing. I tweaked the second Pat Tierney novel, Safe Harbor, to stand as the first book in the series, and that manuscript was shortlisted for Britain’s Debut Dagger in 2010. That generated a lot of interest, but nothing substantial until Imajin Books, a small, independent Canadian publisher, took it on last summer. I’m currently finishing the first draft of the sequel to Safe Harbor, which has taken me about two years to write. I figure I’ll need another four or five months to do a rewrite and copy edit.

What is Safe Harbor about?  

Safe Harbor opens when a frightened woman barges into financial advisor Pat Tierney’s office with the shocking request: “Look after my boy. He’s your late husband’s son.” The next day, the woman is murdered, and the police say the seven-year-old may be the killer’s next target.

Pat overcomes her bitterness over her husband’s infidelity and rallies to protect the boy. Her search for his mother’s killer uncovers a deadly scheme involving money-laundering and illegal immigrants.

Watch the Video Trailer 

Where can readers connect with you?

Website: www.rosemarymccracken@rogers.com
Blog: rosemarymccracken.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosemarymccracken
Twitter: @RCMcCracken
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/13565642-safe-harbor

Where can we buy your books?  

Amazon

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Video Trailer Tuesday!


Video Trailer Tuesday!
On one Tuesday each month we bring you a few new video trailers and some great info on some books you might not know about.  Enjoy your visit and enjoy the videos! 

 The Treasure Hunters Lady
Allison Merritt





Book Blurb:
For years, Romy Farrington traveled at her world-famous archeologist father's side, exploring new lands and uncovering ancient secrets. It was everything she ever wanted, until a near-fatal encounter with hostile natives forced her and her father into a life of retirement in Boston and an undesired advance into proper society.

Everything changes again when she's saved from an accident by a brash Texan in a back alley. Abel Courte may act like a care-free cowboy, but he's harboring a secret—he's searching for the Diamond of Uktena, a legendary jewel that can cure any disease known to man. He needs information Romy's father has in order to get to the jewel. When he traces the origin of the Diamond to Dakota Territory, he sets off to claim the treasure, only to find the archeologist's fiery redheaded daughter stuck to him like a bug in sap.

In a race against time, Romy and Abel must learn to trust each other as they undertake a 
cross-country journey that will expose them to lands uncharted by white men, a deadly 
battle against the fearsome creature in possession of the Diamond and a fight to return to 
civilization where they might make the greatest discovery of all—love. 


Available on Amazon:






Follow Allison Merritt on Twitter at @allison_merritt
Visit Allison on her blog:
http://havenovelwilledit.blogspot.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collapse
Richard Stephenson






Book Blurb: America is falling, ready to join the Roman Empire as a distant memory in the annals of history. The year is 2027. Tired and desperate, the American people are deep in the middle of The Second Great Depression. The Florida coastline is in ruins from the most powerful hurricane on record; a second just like it is bearing down on the state of Texas. For the first time in history, the Middle East has united as one and amassed the most formidable army the world has seen since the Third Reich. A hidden army of terrorists are on American soil. This is the story of three men - Howard Beck, the world’s richest man, also diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, Richard Dupree, ex-Navy SEAL turned escaped convict, and Maxwell Harris, a crippled, burned out Chief of Police of a small Texas town. At first they must fight for their own survival against impossible odds. Finally, the three men must band together to save their beloved country from collapse

Available on Amazon:
Follow Richard Stephenson on Twitter at @collapsethenovel
Visit Richard on her Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5626171.Richard_Stephenson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Murder Takes Time
Giacomo Giammatteo


Book Blurb: There was only one rule in our neighborhood—never break an oath. But oaths are easy to take and damn hard to keep. 

Now I'm staring at my best friend, lying on the floor in a pool of blood, my bullet in his gut. Where the hell did it go wrong?

To understand that you’d have to go back to the beginning, back to when the three of us ruled the neighborhood.
Available on Amazon:
 

Follow Giacomo Giammatteo on Twitter at @jimgiammatteo
Visit Giacomo on his website

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alone
Marissa Farrar



Book Blurb: Caught in a violent and abusive relationship, Serenity thinks there is no escape. On the day she fears her life can get no worse, she meets a stranger, Sebastian, who shows her the possibility of a different future. 

Only Sebastian has a dark secret; he is a vampire.

As Serenity's life takes a terrifying turn, she finds herself drawn into a world she never knew existed; one of murder, love and immortality. She is forced to confront her own weaknesses to save both her own life and that of the vampire she has come to love. But in the end all that matters is; can she find the strength to be Alone?


Available on Amazon 
 

Follow Marissa Farrar on Twitter at @MarissaFarrar

Visit Marissa on his blog

Monday, June 4, 2012

Mention Monday brings us Tim Hughes and Convicted


 It's Mention Monday! 
Today we have with us

Tim Hughes, Author of Convicted

Welcome Tim!!

Tell us a bit about yourself:
 
Do you work another job when you are not writing?
Yes, I do work another job.  I am an independent Information Technology consultant.  It’s really a very strange combination of worlds.  I have been in the IT world for over 16 years now.  It wasn’t until August of 2011 that I began writing.  At this point, writing doesn’t provide enough income to pay the bills, but with God’s blessing I will get to that point sooner rather than later.
What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing?
When I’m not writing/promoting/working in IT, you can usually find me exploring Colorado with my wife, working around the house or surfing the internet.  Other than the excursions to see different parts of the Colorado wilderness, I am very much a homebody.  I’m an introvert at heart, and being with my wife and dogs or simply by myself is how I recharge.
What is your favorite color? Why?
This is an interesting question to me.  Honestly, I can’t say that I have a favorite color.  I know that sounds noncommittal, but it’s true.  I like almost any color other than gray.  It just depends on the setting, lighting and my mood.  Any color can be beautiful in the right setting and any color can be miserable in the wrong one.
What is your favorite season? Why?
Here in Colorado,  I enjoy all of the seasons.  If I were forced to pick my favorite it would probably be Fall.  The temperatures are perfect with the chilly mornings and warm afternoons.  The sun is out almost every day, and the brilliant colors of the leaves changing is breathtaking in the mountains.
If you could live anyplace on earth, where would it be? Why?
If I could live any place on earth, I’m not sure I’d change away from Colorado.  It would be nice to be able to go to the beach, though.  How about having a home in the mountains of Colorado and a vacation property in Malibu?
If you could have any car, what would it be?
A Ferrari 458 Spider.  I’m definitely a lover of fast cars.  Now, if I just had the pocketbook to match the taste!
How long have your been writing? Was it a dream, a goal or is it just a hobby?
I am just getting started in the writing world.  I began Convicted in early September of last year and made it available to the public on Kindle in late February of this year.  Becoming a writer was actually a bit of surprise to me.  I know that sounds odd, but it’s true.  In the summer of 2011, my wife and I began praying that God would use us for His purposes rather than the two of us doing what we thought was the best thing.  God answered our prayers one morning at the beginning of August, when he made it more than clear that I was to begin writing books.
I was lost, out of my element and scared, which is exactly why God was able to use me.  My background does not lend itself to writing fiction, so any enjoyment or moments of personal reflection my readers get from my books is solely attributable to God’s inspiration.  I am still very much in the learning process, but I do enjoy the writing and editing process a great deal.  More than I ever would have dreamed.
How many hours a day do you devote to writing?
For my first novel I spent two hours a day writing and completed the first draft in about 30 days.  My wife and I then spent the better part of five months editing it.  Since we finished in February, I have taken a break from writing and I am now learning the fine art of book promotion.  However, I have recently begun to blog and find it to be quite cathartic.  I don’t have a set schedule for writing the blog, as I only do it when I have something I think others would be interested in. 
Do you have a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?
I don’t have a set routine for writing except when I am in the process of writing a book.  Otherwise, it’s pretty much when the mood strikes.
Is there some place special you like to be when you write?
I write in the basement of my house.  Not exactly glamorous, I know, but it works for me.  I like to write in the late evenings when it’s dark.  It’s a walkout basement, so I close all of the shades, turn off all of the lights except for a small light over the table I am sitting at, and go about my writing.
Do you listen to music or do you need a quiet place to write?
I tend do my writing with headphones, listening to creative writing subliminal music.  It is the same melodic tune over and over again, but it helps block out the rest of the world and the lack of lyrics keeps my mind focused on what I am doing.  Other than that, I need:  no distractions, no other noise, nothing but me and the pen and paper (or word processer).  To me, it is very much like meditation and a chance for me to connect with the Holy Spirit for the guidance I need as I write my book.
Tell us about your book:
The book is designed to entertain.  It is fiction, and if a fiction book doesn’t entertain, it is doomed from page one.   However, there is a deeper message in the book, and if I am listening to God, there will be a deeper message in all of the books I will write.  My desire is for my readers to connect to the characters in my book in a way that causes them to look inward into their own hearts. 
This novel is about a man in his late twenties living in Atlanta in the year 2025.  There has been an economic reset and the world is a very different place than it is today.  The story draws inspiration from the parable of The Good Samaritan in the Bible and tells of the trials and tribulations of a man who is forced into situations he doesn’t understand.   Along the perilous journey he learns a great deal about himself and those around him are profoundly impacted by his actions.
What is the name of it and is it part of a series or a stand-alone novel?
The novel is Convicted and it is the first book of the Impact Series.  I don’t yet know how many books will be in the series, but all of them will be based off one of the parables of Jesus.  They will attempt to drive home the point of how we affect those we come into contact with every day, in an entertaining way of course.
Where did the idea come from? How long did it take to write?
The idea was divinely inspired.  Please don’t get me wrong when I say divinely inspired.  That doesn’t mean that God wrote this book for me.  My wife and I put in plenty of hours working and reworking the book, but the idea was provided to me by the Holy Spirit.  The book played out as movie scenes in my head and I transcribed what I saw in the best way I knew how. 
It took 30 days of writing two hours a day and I wrote it down long-hand on 12X18 sheets of paper.  I took the ideas on writing from Tom Bird and modified them to work with my situation.  After completion of the first draft, the editing process took five months and another 5 drafts.
What is it about?
Here is my typical description of the book:  
Join our hero, Declan Elliot, as he struggles to survive the brutalities of America in 2025. On the way home from work one evening, Declan's life changes forever. The night's events thrust him headlong into a perilous journey fraught with murder, catastrophic weather and out of control crime. In this 21st century retelling of the classic parable of the Good Samaritan, Declan battles to overcome rejection, betrayal and a high powered politician who will stop at nothing to see him dead.   With his faith tested and his spirit under attack, how will our hero respond?
Do you have any upcoming projects in the works or other books that have been published?
I am in the beginning stages of working on my second novel, but I am spending most of my free time promoting Convicted.  My main focus right now to is to learn as much as I possibly can about the both the writing and promoting process and to develop relationships with my readers and other writers.
Where can readers connect with you?
The best place to connect with me is via my website.  I have a blog there that is open to comments and a contact page.   In addition, I am active on Twitter and  I am just now getting started on Facebook as well.  
Where can we buy your books?
Right now, Convicted is only available as a Kindle eBook.  That will soon be changing and I plan to expand to Nook, iBook, Sony Reader, etc.  My intent is to stay in the eBook format for a while, but if the right opportunities present themselves, I will move to standard publishing as well.
AMAZON