Snowdrop and Other Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
On Project Gutenberg
------------------
Rescue Me by Sydney Allan
Description from Amazon: “Sydney Allan is a best selling author of over 40 published novels, as well as an historical costume-aholic, animal lover, and amateur interior designer-slash-DIY'er (one of her most treasured possessions is her Dewalt cordless drill). When she isn't penning her next romance novel, caring for her menagerie of pets, children, grandchildren (and husband), whipping up a 16th century blackworked smock, or demolishing a room in her house, she also writes erotic romance under the name Tawny Taylor and urban fantasy novels under the name Tami Dane.”
On Amazon
-------------------------
SteampunX - Episode One: Funk and Puck by Benjamin Jacobson
Description from Smashwords: “It’s 1875 on the Columbian calendar. Anowarakowa, the New World, has been at peace for a century. Deep in the woods of the Ten Hundred Nations, the man called Thunder creates miracles from wire, wood and stone. When twin teenagers discover the mangled body of Thunder’s cervine automaton, a plot is uncovered that could lead to the end of the hundred year peace.”
On Smashwords
Friday, November 11, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Interview: Holly Barbo, author of The Sage Seed Chronicles: The Unraveling
Author Bio: "Holly Barbo’s world is shaped by her love of her family, the beauty of the natural world and an irrepressible creative drive. When she is not writing she is happily working beside her husband of thirty-six years building custom furniture.
She has currently completed four books in The Sage Seed Chronicles series. The first one (The Unraveling) has just come out as an ebook. A paper edition will be formatted before December and can be purchased from the publisher: Red Willow Press."
What inspires your stories?
I live in a very beautiful spot in Washington State. The scenery’s incredible with a rich abundance of wildlife. This is so special and soothing that it feels like a quiet kind of magic. I’m drawn to creating stories where there is just a bit of something unworldly. Perhaps it is magic or psychic skills. They are mostly in non urban settings and usually have some kind of wildlife. I also like to escape when I read so I create the discordant drama inside the peaceful frame.
What genre do you gravitate toward and why?
I’m an eclectic reader. Anne McCaffrey’s science fiction, Patricia McKillip’s fantasy are mixed with several murder, suspense and mystery authors. So when I write I tend to blur the edges of some genres by mixing element together. Because I like to be transported to another place when I read, I tend to write in the science fiction and fantasy area. Creating my own world is both complex and very satisfying. Usually I tell people that I don’t have monsters in my stories as people can be monstrous enough. Perhaps I should qualify that statement by saying that I do stretch my wildlife just a bit beyond what we know here.
What are your work habits like?
Like many authors I have a day job. The interesting thing is that I am self employed. It’s a creative life. There are times when I am doing something that doesn’t require my whole brain. Then I am usually mentally working on my plot. I can have my laptop in the shop with me and take moments to write while some project is drying. In the evening I write while the plot flows out of my finger tips. I, pretty much, hit the ground running and go full tilt all day until around nine at night. Then I fold.
What do you consider your best work?
Hmm. Best? I’m not sure if I am qualified to answer that as I am too close to my work, but I can tell you that my favorite books in the series are: “The Unraveling” and it’s sequel “The Reweaving” because of the characters. I’m very fond of Erin and her companions. Erin started as a frightened girl and developed into a strong young woman who confidently faced down her fears and earned the respect of others. Her companions are multi faceted and I delighted in their depth. I particularly like Tempo.
Do you plot out your novels in advance or do you write on the fly?
A little of both. Wait a minute. Let me check the definition of terms. If you mean by “plot out”, do I write a synopsis and follow it in my writing? I didn’t know that was what I was “suppose” to do until I was querying for an agent earlier this year. A good percentage of “The Unraveling” happened outside of myself. It literally flowed out of my fingertips. I finally managed to take back the reins by the end of the book. The subsequent books were more under my control and I wrote as the story developed but had a plot line in my head as a structure.
What experience do you want for your readers?
I would like them to be sucked into the story, experiencing this unique world and holding their breath as Erin’s life is imperiled. I want them to be captivated by each of her companions and to care about the planetary danger that “the seeker’s” actions have set up. I want it to be a page turner.
Are any of your character traits or settings based on real life?
Yes. There are bits and pieces of my life in the book. The “Wise Woman”, Ree, is loosely based on my Grandmother Chérie as is her home, the cabin on the bend on the river. Washington State has a diverse topography from semi arid to temperate rainforest. The planet Ose’s land mass has many of those same elements. I once had a pet skunk. I know the idiosyncrasies of the little animals and Tempo was based on that knowledge. The rest are blends of personalities or snatches of experiences from my past.
What are your most significant challenges when you write?
When the story is happening I am challenged to type fast enough. I know that sounds funny but I type with two or three fingers. I have written these books while working doing something else. I haven’t ever had uninterrupted time to write. I’ve adapted by using the time away from the keyboard to “brew” the story.
What are you currently working on?
I left a “loose thread” in the Sage Seed series and I have been stewing on that fifth book but I have been working on a new book “The Sun Stone”. It is unrelated to these stories.
Do you have any writing advice you would like to share with aspiring authors?
I can only speak from my perspective. I’m not an expert by a long stretch. My advice? Write with passion about something you are really interested in. Go with the flow. Write from a stream of consciousness as you are composing the story. You can always go back and smooth it, filling in or deleting as you work. Don’t let that job get away from you but rework what you have written one chapter at a time. Develop your complexities down through the sub plots and back story and liberally sprinkle in the imagery gems that enrich the picture. Keep writing.
The Sage Seed Chronicles, The Unraveling
Erin’s parents have been murdered. Breaking through her grief is the awareness of unusual abilities that she has never had before. She can now communicate with animals! What grips her attention, though, is the malevolent energy she can sense seeking her to kill her also! As she frantically eludes the killer she concentrates on the deadly questions she has to solve: Who murdered her parents, why and why are they trying to kill her too. So focused is she that the quakes and storms don’t at first elicit any more than a “Oh Scrum!” Erin doesn’t realize until much later that the quakes are related to the deaths and things are getting worse as more murders occur! The fabric of her world is literally unraveling!
Erin is a young woman who faces the danger she is in, on her own terms. She cuts off her hair and hides herself, in plain sight, as a scruffy boy, taking a job on the guild caravan as it winds through the realm. Her wild companions, a falcon, a skunk and an owl are indispensable on her quest, as is Lor, the glow stone guild member. He is also one of the few, like Erin, who carry the sage seed and has secret unique talents.
Available at
Apple iBook store
Smashwords
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
The website for the series is HERE and you can find Holly on Twitter - @sageseedseries
The sequel, The Reweaving, is coming soon.
Thank you for interviewing, Holly! - LR
She has currently completed four books in The Sage Seed Chronicles series. The first one (The Unraveling) has just come out as an ebook. A paper edition will be formatted before December and can be purchased from the publisher: Red Willow Press."
What inspires your stories?
I live in a very beautiful spot in Washington State. The scenery’s incredible with a rich abundance of wildlife. This is so special and soothing that it feels like a quiet kind of magic. I’m drawn to creating stories where there is just a bit of something unworldly. Perhaps it is magic or psychic skills. They are mostly in non urban settings and usually have some kind of wildlife. I also like to escape when I read so I create the discordant drama inside the peaceful frame.
What genre do you gravitate toward and why?
I’m an eclectic reader. Anne McCaffrey’s science fiction, Patricia McKillip’s fantasy are mixed with several murder, suspense and mystery authors. So when I write I tend to blur the edges of some genres by mixing element together. Because I like to be transported to another place when I read, I tend to write in the science fiction and fantasy area. Creating my own world is both complex and very satisfying. Usually I tell people that I don’t have monsters in my stories as people can be monstrous enough. Perhaps I should qualify that statement by saying that I do stretch my wildlife just a bit beyond what we know here.
What are your work habits like?
Like many authors I have a day job. The interesting thing is that I am self employed. It’s a creative life. There are times when I am doing something that doesn’t require my whole brain. Then I am usually mentally working on my plot. I can have my laptop in the shop with me and take moments to write while some project is drying. In the evening I write while the plot flows out of my finger tips. I, pretty much, hit the ground running and go full tilt all day until around nine at night. Then I fold.
What do you consider your best work?
Hmm. Best? I’m not sure if I am qualified to answer that as I am too close to my work, but I can tell you that my favorite books in the series are: “The Unraveling” and it’s sequel “The Reweaving” because of the characters. I’m very fond of Erin and her companions. Erin started as a frightened girl and developed into a strong young woman who confidently faced down her fears and earned the respect of others. Her companions are multi faceted and I delighted in their depth. I particularly like Tempo.
Do you plot out your novels in advance or do you write on the fly?
A little of both. Wait a minute. Let me check the definition of terms. If you mean by “plot out”, do I write a synopsis and follow it in my writing? I didn’t know that was what I was “suppose” to do until I was querying for an agent earlier this year. A good percentage of “The Unraveling” happened outside of myself. It literally flowed out of my fingertips. I finally managed to take back the reins by the end of the book. The subsequent books were more under my control and I wrote as the story developed but had a plot line in my head as a structure.
What experience do you want for your readers?
I would like them to be sucked into the story, experiencing this unique world and holding their breath as Erin’s life is imperiled. I want them to be captivated by each of her companions and to care about the planetary danger that “the seeker’s” actions have set up. I want it to be a page turner.
Are any of your character traits or settings based on real life?
Yes. There are bits and pieces of my life in the book. The “Wise Woman”, Ree, is loosely based on my Grandmother Chérie as is her home, the cabin on the bend on the river. Washington State has a diverse topography from semi arid to temperate rainforest. The planet Ose’s land mass has many of those same elements. I once had a pet skunk. I know the idiosyncrasies of the little animals and Tempo was based on that knowledge. The rest are blends of personalities or snatches of experiences from my past.
What are your most significant challenges when you write?
When the story is happening I am challenged to type fast enough. I know that sounds funny but I type with two or three fingers. I have written these books while working doing something else. I haven’t ever had uninterrupted time to write. I’ve adapted by using the time away from the keyboard to “brew” the story.
What are you currently working on?
I left a “loose thread” in the Sage Seed series and I have been stewing on that fifth book but I have been working on a new book “The Sun Stone”. It is unrelated to these stories.
Do you have any writing advice you would like to share with aspiring authors?
I can only speak from my perspective. I’m not an expert by a long stretch. My advice? Write with passion about something you are really interested in. Go with the flow. Write from a stream of consciousness as you are composing the story. You can always go back and smooth it, filling in or deleting as you work. Don’t let that job get away from you but rework what you have written one chapter at a time. Develop your complexities down through the sub plots and back story and liberally sprinkle in the imagery gems that enrich the picture. Keep writing.
The Sage Seed Chronicles, The Unraveling
Erin’s parents have been murdered. Breaking through her grief is the awareness of unusual abilities that she has never had before. She can now communicate with animals! What grips her attention, though, is the malevolent energy she can sense seeking her to kill her also! As she frantically eludes the killer she concentrates on the deadly questions she has to solve: Who murdered her parents, why and why are they trying to kill her too. So focused is she that the quakes and storms don’t at first elicit any more than a “Oh Scrum!” Erin doesn’t realize until much later that the quakes are related to the deaths and things are getting worse as more murders occur! The fabric of her world is literally unraveling!
Erin is a young woman who faces the danger she is in, on her own terms. She cuts off her hair and hides herself, in plain sight, as a scruffy boy, taking a job on the guild caravan as it winds through the realm. Her wild companions, a falcon, a skunk and an owl are indispensable on her quest, as is Lor, the glow stone guild member. He is also one of the few, like Erin, who carry the sage seed and has secret unique talents.
Available atApple iBook store
Smashwords
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
The website for the series is HERE and you can find Holly on Twitter - @sageseedseries
The sequel, The Reweaving, is coming soon.
Thank you for interviewing, Holly! - LR
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Interview: Karen Mueller Bryson, author of The Adventures of Puggie Liddell, Tesla Time, Book 1
Author Bio: Karen Mueller Bryson is a published novelist, optioned screenwriter and produced playwright. Her latest book, The Incredibly Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell, published by Zeta Comics, is a fast-paced and action-packed time-travel adventure for young adults. Karen is also the creator of Short on Time books, a series of fast-paced and fun books that readers can finish in one sitting.
What inspires your stories?
I am inspired by classic literature, such as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I am also inspired by the world around me and by the stories I hear in everyday life. My latest book, The Incredible Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell, which is about siblings, who travel back in time, was inspired by the relationship my brother and I had growing up and also by my love of history. I wanted to provide an opportunity for young people to learn about historical figures and events in a fun way. The Incredibly Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell is a fast-paced and action-packed novel that readers (so far) seem to love!
What genre do you gravitate toward and why?
My fiction books nearly always have a comedic element to them. I tend to write things I most enjoy reading! I like books that are fast-paced and fun. I enjoy reading “chick-lit” and books for tweens/teens and those are the books I tend to write. The Incredibly Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell will be a series and I also began writing a series of fast-paced and fun novels for adult readers on-the-go called Short on Time books. The first in the series a romantic road-trip comedy called, Twyla’s Last Trip, set to be released later this month.
What are your work habits like?
I have a full-time job as a university faculty member, so that is my first priority. The majority of my free time is spent writing and promoting my books. I try to write every day but I don’t always succeed. I generally do “marathon” writing sessions on the weekends. It is not unusual for me to spend eight hours on a Saturday or Sunday writing.
What do you consider your best work?
I think The Incredibly Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell is the work I am most passionate about. I spent a lot of time doing research for the book, so that it would be as historically accurate as possible. I loved every minute of the research process! I also adore Puggie, the main character of the book, who is based on my brother. Puggie is a “wise-cracking whiz kid.” Even though I made Puggie up, he is much smarter and funnier that I am!
Do you plot out your novels in advance or do you write on the fly?
All of my recent stories began as screenplays, which I novelized. I love this method of work. I am also a screenwriter and I love writing in that medium. I write the story as a screenplay first and the screenplay then serves as an outline for the novel. Novelizing screenplays is a lot of fun. The process is quite similar to coloring a picture in a coloring book.
What experience do you want for your readers?
I want my readers to have fun! Our society is so fast-paced and serious. I want to write books that readers can enjoy in the little free time they have. I want readers to smile or chuckle to themselves when they read my books.
Are any of your character traits or settings based on real life?
Yes! There’s a saying that writers should “write what they know.” I think writers should “write who they are.” I think the most successful work is produced when writers write from their passion and from who they are as individuals. Writers should be courageous and not be afraid the expose themselves in their work. I think authenticity can produce amazing work.
What are your most significant challenges when you write?
I have too many ideas and too little time to develop all of them. I could use a clone. Or maybe more hours in the day!
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on Puggie’s next Incredibly Awesome Adventure. I’m also working on several more Short on Time books including another romantic comedy, One Last Class, and a book for teen girls called, Retro Geeks. I also have a few screenplays in the works.
Do you have any writing advice you would like to share with aspiring authors?
Read as much as you can! Most great writers are also avid readers.
Keep writing. You will not be good at anything unless you practice (a lot!).
Don’t let anyone ever discourage you. Keep your dreams alive!
The Incredibly Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell, Tesla Time, Book 1 is available on Amazon.
What inspires your stories?
I am inspired by classic literature, such as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I am also inspired by the world around me and by the stories I hear in everyday life. My latest book, The Incredible Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell, which is about siblings, who travel back in time, was inspired by the relationship my brother and I had growing up and also by my love of history. I wanted to provide an opportunity for young people to learn about historical figures and events in a fun way. The Incredibly Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell is a fast-paced and action-packed novel that readers (so far) seem to love!
What genre do you gravitate toward and why?
My fiction books nearly always have a comedic element to them. I tend to write things I most enjoy reading! I like books that are fast-paced and fun. I enjoy reading “chick-lit” and books for tweens/teens and those are the books I tend to write. The Incredibly Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell will be a series and I also began writing a series of fast-paced and fun novels for adult readers on-the-go called Short on Time books. The first in the series a romantic road-trip comedy called, Twyla’s Last Trip, set to be released later this month.
What are your work habits like?
I have a full-time job as a university faculty member, so that is my first priority. The majority of my free time is spent writing and promoting my books. I try to write every day but I don’t always succeed. I generally do “marathon” writing sessions on the weekends. It is not unusual for me to spend eight hours on a Saturday or Sunday writing.
What do you consider your best work?
I think The Incredibly Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell is the work I am most passionate about. I spent a lot of time doing research for the book, so that it would be as historically accurate as possible. I loved every minute of the research process! I also adore Puggie, the main character of the book, who is based on my brother. Puggie is a “wise-cracking whiz kid.” Even though I made Puggie up, he is much smarter and funnier that I am!
Do you plot out your novels in advance or do you write on the fly?
All of my recent stories began as screenplays, which I novelized. I love this method of work. I am also a screenwriter and I love writing in that medium. I write the story as a screenplay first and the screenplay then serves as an outline for the novel. Novelizing screenplays is a lot of fun. The process is quite similar to coloring a picture in a coloring book.
What experience do you want for your readers?
I want my readers to have fun! Our society is so fast-paced and serious. I want to write books that readers can enjoy in the little free time they have. I want readers to smile or chuckle to themselves when they read my books.
Are any of your character traits or settings based on real life?
Yes! There’s a saying that writers should “write what they know.” I think writers should “write who they are.” I think the most successful work is produced when writers write from their passion and from who they are as individuals. Writers should be courageous and not be afraid the expose themselves in their work. I think authenticity can produce amazing work.
What are your most significant challenges when you write?
I have too many ideas and too little time to develop all of them. I could use a clone. Or maybe more hours in the day!
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on Puggie’s next Incredibly Awesome Adventure. I’m also working on several more Short on Time books including another romantic comedy, One Last Class, and a book for teen girls called, Retro Geeks. I also have a few screenplays in the works.
Do you have any writing advice you would like to share with aspiring authors?
Read as much as you can! Most great writers are also avid readers.
Keep writing. You will not be good at anything unless you practice (a lot!).
Don’t let anyone ever discourage you. Keep your dreams alive!
The Incredibly Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell, Tesla Time, Book 1 is available on Amazon.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Book Trailer Tuesday!
Oh my gosh, these are SO COOL! Maggie Stiefvater does her own stop motion animation trailers for her books.
Tune in the rest of the week for:
Tuesday: Interview with Karen Mueller Bryson, author of The Adventures of Puggie Liddell
Wednesday: Interview with Holly Barbo, author of The Sage Seed Chronicles
Friday: The return of Fiction Freebies!
Tune in the rest of the week for:
Tuesday: Interview with Karen Mueller Bryson, author of The Adventures of Puggie Liddell
Wednesday: Interview with Holly Barbo, author of The Sage Seed Chronicles
Friday: The return of Fiction Freebies!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Interview: Barbara Gaskell Denvil, author of Fair Weather
Author bio: “BARBARA GASKELL DENVIL, the author of FAIR WEATHER (available on all e.books and Amazon’s Kindle store etc..) has been a writer all her life.
Born in Gloucestershire, England, she soon moved to London and starting as a literary critic for BOOKS & BOOKMEN , quickly built up a career publishing numerous short stories and articles.
She then spent many hot and colourful years sailing the Mediterranean on a yacht and living in various different countries throughout the region.
When her partner died, she moved to rural Australia where she still lives amongst the parrots and wallabies, writing full time before contemplating an eventual return to England.
Her first finished novel, FAIR WEATHER, is a fantasy set in England in the 1200s. Her love of medieval history subsequently led her to write historical and crime novels set in the late 1400s and early Tudor period.
FAIR WEATHER has been published to considerable success purely on the electronic system – soon to be followed by her second book – SATIN CINNABAR. No fantasy this time, the story is an adventure set against accurate historical fact, but including all the mystery and romance for which she is well known.”
What inspires your stories?
I’m inspired by life. The hard thing is to stop the inspiration getting in the way of the writing.
What genre do you gravitate toward and why?
My two literary loves are historical adventure and fantasy. My first novel combines them both, being set in 1204, but it’s a fantasy – whereas my next two books are straightforward historical mystery/crime/romance set in England in the latter half of the 15th century. These will be SATIN CINNABAR – due out in about a month – and SUMERFORD’S AUTUMN due out next year.
What are your work habits like?
I’m retired and live in semi-rural isolation, so I’m able to write most of the day, most of the week. I squash in housework only when the words temporarily dry up.
What do you consider your best work?
I have a particular fondness for my first finished novel, FAIR WEATHER (recently published) – part history, part fantasy. But apart from that my best work seems to be whatever I’m writing at the moment.
Do you plot out your novels in advance or do you write on the fly?
I start with a very rough idea of the plot and main characters and a whole load of fairly undisciplined inspiration. Then I just rush in. Once I have the title and the first paragraph (imperative beginnings) then I’m flying. After finishing, I rewrite endlessly.
What experience do you want for your readers?
Entertainment. I’d love to move people - it’s probably all an extended desire for simple, enjoyable communication. I insist on absolute historical accuracy in my work but I’m not arrogant enough to want to educate anyone – or make people think. They’re free to think anyway they want – but I’d love to bring a little extra happiness into the world.
Are any of your character traits or settings based on real life?
I include real historical characters sometimes, but basically my work is fiction and I don’t consciously base my characters on friends, or include situations that have happened. Of course all writing includes a muddles up version of the author’s experiences one way or another.
What are your most significant challenges when you write?
Probably back ache from slumping over the computer.
What are you currently working on?
THE WENDING – the sequel to FAIR WEATHER. So many people have asked me to write it, so I am delighted to do so.
Do you have any writing advice you would like to share with aspiring authors?
I don’t think I’m qualified to advise others yet – when I’m making my second million maybe. Or perhaps I should say – Don’t listen to anyone’s advice. There aren’t any rules. Just do what you love.
Fair Weather is available on Amazon Kindle
Born in Gloucestershire, England, she soon moved to London and starting as a literary critic for BOOKS & BOOKMEN , quickly built up a career publishing numerous short stories and articles.
She then spent many hot and colourful years sailing the Mediterranean on a yacht and living in various different countries throughout the region.
When her partner died, she moved to rural Australia where she still lives amongst the parrots and wallabies, writing full time before contemplating an eventual return to England.
Her first finished novel, FAIR WEATHER, is a fantasy set in England in the 1200s. Her love of medieval history subsequently led her to write historical and crime novels set in the late 1400s and early Tudor period.
FAIR WEATHER has been published to considerable success purely on the electronic system – soon to be followed by her second book – SATIN CINNABAR. No fantasy this time, the story is an adventure set against accurate historical fact, but including all the mystery and romance for which she is well known.”
What inspires your stories?
I’m inspired by life. The hard thing is to stop the inspiration getting in the way of the writing.
What genre do you gravitate toward and why?
My two literary loves are historical adventure and fantasy. My first novel combines them both, being set in 1204, but it’s a fantasy – whereas my next two books are straightforward historical mystery/crime/romance set in England in the latter half of the 15th century. These will be SATIN CINNABAR – due out in about a month – and SUMERFORD’S AUTUMN due out next year.
What are your work habits like?
I’m retired and live in semi-rural isolation, so I’m able to write most of the day, most of the week. I squash in housework only when the words temporarily dry up.
What do you consider your best work?
I have a particular fondness for my first finished novel, FAIR WEATHER (recently published) – part history, part fantasy. But apart from that my best work seems to be whatever I’m writing at the moment.
Do you plot out your novels in advance or do you write on the fly?
I start with a very rough idea of the plot and main characters and a whole load of fairly undisciplined inspiration. Then I just rush in. Once I have the title and the first paragraph (imperative beginnings) then I’m flying. After finishing, I rewrite endlessly.
What experience do you want for your readers?
Entertainment. I’d love to move people - it’s probably all an extended desire for simple, enjoyable communication. I insist on absolute historical accuracy in my work but I’m not arrogant enough to want to educate anyone – or make people think. They’re free to think anyway they want – but I’d love to bring a little extra happiness into the world.
Are any of your character traits or settings based on real life?
I include real historical characters sometimes, but basically my work is fiction and I don’t consciously base my characters on friends, or include situations that have happened. Of course all writing includes a muddles up version of the author’s experiences one way or another.
What are your most significant challenges when you write?
Probably back ache from slumping over the computer.
What are you currently working on?
THE WENDING – the sequel to FAIR WEATHER. So many people have asked me to write it, so I am delighted to do so.
Do you have any writing advice you would like to share with aspiring authors?
I don’t think I’m qualified to advise others yet – when I’m making my second million maybe. Or perhaps I should say – Don’t listen to anyone’s advice. There aren’t any rules. Just do what you love.
Fair Weather is available on Amazon Kindle
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Interview: DB Moon, Author of Summerland
Author Bio: “My name is Desi (D.B.) Moon. I have been a freelance (content) writer for four years, but a fiction writer since I could hold a pencil. My first story written at the age of seven was a historical piece ala Little House on the Prairie. My parents deemed it morbid, which set a precedent for pushing the envelope.
I reside in beautiful Boulder, Colorado with my writer/game designer husband, two incredibly energetic children who keep me on my toes, three very entitled cats and one hopelessly neurotic, but none the less lovable Beagler.
Humorous romantic comedy that skirts the cliff of sexual expression, but never takes the plunge, a bit of sweet, a touch of steam and a lot of laughter pretty much sums up my writing “style”. My contemporary romances are not “sweet” but they aren’t “dirty” either.
When not corralling or arguing with the voices in my head (ie. my characters) I work as a dog trainer, am a vet tech student, am an all around coffee snob, I love to bake decadent desserts and have recently discovered the allure of kickboxing.”
What inspires your stories?
Every story I have written has had it's own "trigger" for inspiration. In my debut novel SUMMERLAND, published by Noble Romance, it was standing in line at the grocery store, scanning the tabloid headlines. A character popped into my head (Characters almost always come first) telling me about how hard it is to have a normal private life while living in the Hollywood "aquarium" always being stalked and photographed.
What genre do you gravitate toward and why?
Romance seems to be at the core of every single one of my stories. The beauty of the romance genre is there are so many off shoots (contemporary, suspense, mystery, historical, paranormal etc..) I can experiment and still remain true to the genre.
What are your work habits like?
I treat my writing like any other job by maintaining a schedule. My mornings usually start around 5 a.m. I write until my four year old gets up, and then continue while the lil one is in preschool. Evenings and weekends I make a solid effort to stay off the computer completely.
What do you consider your best work?
That's like asking who my favorite child is, impossible to answer. Every one of my manuscripts are unique in their own way.
Do you plot out your novels in advance or do you write on the fly? When inspiration strikes, I usually have a semi-solid beginning and ending. Everything else unfolds organically as the characters tell me what's going on in their world.
What experience do you want for your readers?
The best reads for me are the ones I get so engrossed in I forget where I am at. I would love for my readers to experience that. As long as they feel satisfied that their time had not been wasted, then I have done my job.
Are any of your character traits or settings based on real life?
In SUMMERLAND, it is my addiction to Project Runway that forced me to make my main character a fashion designer.
In my newest work, Accidental Intent, my main character is a dog trainer. I draw from my own experiences as a dog trainer and use shelter dogs that I have worked with as characters in the story. I also set it in Colorado so I had a base for streets and places.
What are your most significant challenges when you write?
Time management. I get distracted so easily, that I have to make sure certain things are in place before I sit down to write. For example, I can not be connected to the internet. Something as simple as seeing a new email or a comment on Facebook will deter me for an hour.
What are you currently working on?
I have signed a contract with Rebel Ink Press to include one of my romantic shorts- "My Humiliating Valentine"- in Love Bites a V-Day Anthology and I have just started on my first round of edits on Accidental Intent, a romatic murder mystery.
Do you have any writing advice you would like to share with aspiring authors?
Do not compromise your voice to please the masses. Stay true to who you are as a writer, and you will always find pleasure in what you accomplish.
-----------------------------------------------
Summerland can be found at
Amazon
Noble Romance
Also be sure to check out The author's blog
I reside in beautiful Boulder, Colorado with my writer/game designer husband, two incredibly energetic children who keep me on my toes, three very entitled cats and one hopelessly neurotic, but none the less lovable Beagler.
Humorous romantic comedy that skirts the cliff of sexual expression, but never takes the plunge, a bit of sweet, a touch of steam and a lot of laughter pretty much sums up my writing “style”. My contemporary romances are not “sweet” but they aren’t “dirty” either.
When not corralling or arguing with the voices in my head (ie. my characters) I work as a dog trainer, am a vet tech student, am an all around coffee snob, I love to bake decadent desserts and have recently discovered the allure of kickboxing.”
What inspires your stories?
Every story I have written has had it's own "trigger" for inspiration. In my debut novel SUMMERLAND, published by Noble Romance, it was standing in line at the grocery store, scanning the tabloid headlines. A character popped into my head (Characters almost always come first) telling me about how hard it is to have a normal private life while living in the Hollywood "aquarium" always being stalked and photographed.
What genre do you gravitate toward and why?
Romance seems to be at the core of every single one of my stories. The beauty of the romance genre is there are so many off shoots (contemporary, suspense, mystery, historical, paranormal etc..) I can experiment and still remain true to the genre.
What are your work habits like?
I treat my writing like any other job by maintaining a schedule. My mornings usually start around 5 a.m. I write until my four year old gets up, and then continue while the lil one is in preschool. Evenings and weekends I make a solid effort to stay off the computer completely.
What do you consider your best work?
That's like asking who my favorite child is, impossible to answer. Every one of my manuscripts are unique in their own way.
Do you plot out your novels in advance or do you write on the fly? When inspiration strikes, I usually have a semi-solid beginning and ending. Everything else unfolds organically as the characters tell me what's going on in their world.
What experience do you want for your readers?
The best reads for me are the ones I get so engrossed in I forget where I am at. I would love for my readers to experience that. As long as they feel satisfied that their time had not been wasted, then I have done my job.
Are any of your character traits or settings based on real life?
In SUMMERLAND, it is my addiction to Project Runway that forced me to make my main character a fashion designer.
In my newest work, Accidental Intent, my main character is a dog trainer. I draw from my own experiences as a dog trainer and use shelter dogs that I have worked with as characters in the story. I also set it in Colorado so I had a base for streets and places.
What are your most significant challenges when you write?
Time management. I get distracted so easily, that I have to make sure certain things are in place before I sit down to write. For example, I can not be connected to the internet. Something as simple as seeing a new email or a comment on Facebook will deter me for an hour.
What are you currently working on?
I have signed a contract with Rebel Ink Press to include one of my romantic shorts- "My Humiliating Valentine"- in Love Bites a V-Day Anthology and I have just started on my first round of edits on Accidental Intent, a romatic murder mystery.
Do you have any writing advice you would like to share with aspiring authors?
Do not compromise your voice to please the masses. Stay true to who you are as a writer, and you will always find pleasure in what you accomplish.
-----------------------------------------------
Summerland can be found atAmazon
Noble Romance
Also be sure to check out The author's blog
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Book Trailer Tuesday
Just one trailer today, but look! It's accompanied by words! - LR
OUTER DARKNESS is an award-winning supernatural suspense thriller that takes place in the Westlake Village area of Southern California in the weeks leading up to Halloween. The events that take place in this quiet, upscale suburban town would shock its residents to the core, if they knew the unseemly details of what was going on just behind their backs.
It is a chilling tale of unseen supernatural warfare, compounded by the very real and undeserved physical threat inflicted upon an everyday family by a vicious satanic crime cult. Jim DiMario and his family accidentally step hip-deep into trouble by running afoul of the Temple of Anubis – will they be able to get out alive?
Black Bed Sheet Books, publisher of exemplary fiction and non-fiction in the horror and urban fantasy genres has acquired publication rights and released supernatural suspense author Bart Brevik's debut novel, OUTER DARKNESS
OUTER DARKNESS is an award-winning supernatural suspense thriller that takes place in the Westlake Village area of Southern California in the weeks leading up to Halloween. The events that take place in this quiet, upscale suburban town would shock its residents to the core, if they knew the unseemly details of what was going on just behind their backs.
It is a chilling tale of unseen supernatural warfare, compounded by the very real and undeserved physical threat inflicted upon an everyday family by a vicious satanic crime cult. Jim DiMario and his family accidentally step hip-deep into trouble by running afoul of the Temple of Anubis – will they be able to get out alive?
Black Bed Sheet Books, publisher of exemplary fiction and non-fiction in the horror and urban fantasy genres has acquired publication rights and released supernatural suspense author Bart Brevik's debut novel, OUTER DARKNESS
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