Time & Circumstance - Theresa Milstein

Today I am happy to have Theresa Milstein here to talk about her new book, Time & Circumstance.

How and when did you come to writing?

I'd always dreamed of being a writer. Even though I inhaled books and always earned A grades in English, certain people told me my dream wasn't a practical way to make a living. I didn't pursue it. But the dream didn't completely die. I took a creative writing class in high school and college. After graduation, I'd find myself creating a story in my head. I'd begin typing. Then I'd remind myself that I wasn't a writer and close the file. 

About ten years ago, I was working in a fifth grade class, and the author, Melissa Glenn Haber, came to visit our school. She talked about notebooks filled with stories that she'd hide in drawers. That sounded like me. One day Melissa's husband said she should try to write seriously because she seemed happier when she was writing. I admitted to myself, I was happier when I wrote too. 

I waited on line, making sure I was last. When it was my turn, I shared with Melissa my deepest secret: I'd always wanted to write. She received that information like it was the most normal thing in the world. She said something like, "You should do it." Melissa gave me her business card and told me the name of her agent. 

That led to me a six-week writing frenzy, which led to a middle grade rip off of Harry Potter with every cliche imaginable, which led me to join SCBWI, which led me to many workshops, conferences, retreats, how-to books, and critique groups that have taught me how to actually write. 

I think a lot of my early work was a rip off of somebody, too, lol. How did you get from there to Time & Circumstance?

A couple of years later, Vine Leaves Literary Magazine was looking for an assistant to the editor, which meant reading and voting on poetry shortlists. I applied and got the job. I eventually became a poetry editor. Reading hundreds of submissions for each issue helped me improve my own poetry writing. While I concentrated on my middle grade and YA manuscripts, I wrote vignettes for myself and sometimes shared them on my blog. 

The editor, Jessica Bell, asked for a few of my poems for some project she was working on. I sent them and promptly forgot about it. The literary journal expanded into Vine Leaves Press. Sometime later, I asked Jessica about the poems I'd sent. She said the project didn't work out, but she liked them. If I had enough pieces, I should put a collection together and submit to Vine Leaves Press. 

This terrified me.

Months later, I finally found the courage to take my vignettes and stick them in a document. I moved them around, looking for cohesion. Something began to take shape. I finally hit send. A few more months later, Vine Leaves Press accepted my collection. 

How did you choose what would go into Time & Circumstance?

Every vignette I'd ever written went into one document. From there, I searched for patterns. I decided the pieces should be ordered chronologically by the age of the different protagonists, with the exception of two poems I thought should start the collection. The unrelenting passage of time jumped out as a theme for me, so I came up with title from my favorite quote by James Baldwin. Then I read everything through. A few pieces, especially from my early attempts at poetry, stood out as bad, so I took them out. When Vine Leaves accepted the collection and sent me the first developmental edits, the first poem, a couple of other poems, and a prose piece all hit the chopping block. The editor suggested I divide the collection between poetry and prose. I had to reimagine how each piece worked together again. At that point, a prose piece I'd forgotten about was added. In the end, arranging the poems and prose required the most consideration. 

Explain a vignette, and how you ultimately chose to arrange both prose and poetry around one another.

Vine Leaves Press named itself after the vignette--which originally meant "something written on a vine leaf." I found a more thorough and lyrical explanation on The Review Review: http://www.thereviewreview.net/interviews/reviving-vignette "a literary form that absorbs readers in a setting, a mood, a character and allows the atmosphere to ripen through textual exploration." Instead of writing a story with a beginning middle and end, it’s a refreshing way to write.

Since vignettes can be both poetry and prose, I wanted to include both. I believe I first set up everything chronologically. During the developmental edit stage, the editor suggested dividing the two. So now the first part is prose and the second is poetry. Each section has its own chronological order.

What was hardest about the publishing process? Easiest?

 The hardest part about the publishing process is putting my work, myself out there. I’m quick to promote others, but asking for people to support me by hosting or reviewing or buying my book—that’s out of my comfort zone. I’m trying to connect with the local poetry community, and it feels less penetrable than the kid lit world. I attended my first poetry reading. We sat around a round table. Everyone was friendly and supportive. But when my turn came, I had to clear my throat and I stumbled. My hands shook like crazy. The next time it was my turn, I managed to speak a little more coherently and my hands stayed steady. When I finished, I looked at my chest shocked that my pounding heart didn’t make my shirt move.

What are you working on now?

I’m about 24k into a YA rough draft that’s going very slowly. My critique group looks at chapters, and I keep going back to fix what I’ve done instead of forging ahead.

And finally, just for fun (because those of us who have them love to talk about our pets…), Cats or dogs or Cats and Dogs living together? Who are your furry friends?

I’m a cat person, and I think this is because I’m much more like a cat in real life. My 12-year-old tuxedo cat and I understand each other. Each morning, we walk down the stairs together. She often sleeps on my bed and snuggles on my lap, but sometimes she’s got her own things to do. I respect that.

About 5 years ago, I broke down and let my family get a dog. He’s a Beagle. He’s fine. Friendly and all. But the cat and I are suspicious of him. He seems desperate for attention.

I think a lot of dogs are, lol. Theresa, thanks so much for coming and answering all my question, and I wish you the best of luck with Time & Circumstance!

“If you could relive any moment in time, what would it be?”

Leave a comment and you’re eligible to win a prize during Theresa’s blog tour!

1 $25 Amazon gift card

1 signed paperback copy

1 ebook

Extra entries if you share on Facebook or Twitter and link it to me.

@TheresaMilstein on Twitter.

@Theresa Milstein on Facebook

#ReliveMoment or #TimeandCircumstance

Winners will be announced on April 5, 2017

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Me - Featured!

Just want to share with you all that I'm the featured writer at Writing and Wellness. A big thanks to Colleen for this :)

The Morrigan's Curse - Author Interview with Dianne K. Salerni

The Morrigan’s Curse is Dianne K. Salerni’s third book in the Eighth Day Series, which began with Jax Aubrey discovering an extra day of the week sandwiched between midnight on Wednesday and 12:01AM Thursday. At first Jax thinks it’s the Zombie apocalypse but he soon discovers that there are certain people—Transitioners—who experience this day in addition to the other seven, and others—the Kin—who only experience this day.

Today, Dianne is here to talk about the third book, The Morrigan’s Curse.

Happy release day, Dianne, and thanks a bunch for stopping by to answer a few questions! For those who haven’t read the series, tell us a little about how the idea came to you, and how it evolved from the idea to the story.

Thanks for having me here, Marcy! The idea of a secret, extra day of the week came from a family joke. Whenever my daughters asked my husband when he would take them to the amusement park – or ice skating, or the beach, etc – and he didn’t have a specific answer, he’d tell them, “We’ll do it on Grunsday.” And the girls would exclaim, “Oh, Dad! There’s no such day!” I started wondering what it would be like if there really was a Grunsday, but only a few people knew about it.

Then I started wondering what it would be like for a person who lived only on Grunsday and didn’t experience the other seven days of the week.

You know I’ve loved this series from the moment you first started it, but when did you actually start thinking it would turn into a series? Did you have ideas for a second and third book, or did it come to you as you were writing?

I wrote the ending of the first book with a clear resolution to the conflict, but a hopeful “We’ll-have-lots-more-adventures-together” tone. I hoped that it could become a series, but I didn’t have the subsequent books planned at that point.

After HarperCollins bought the book and at least two sequels, I began to plan the other books. I was asked to write a 5-book story arc, even though they had only committed to three books. At that early stage, I planned a premise for each of the books but didn’t really outline the plot of each one until it was time to write it.

Lots of us dream of writing a series, but it isn’t as easy as it sounds. Tell us what was hardest about writing a series, and what was the easiest.

The easiest part was falling back into character with each subsequent book. I knew my main character, Jax, and his friends, Riley and Evangeline, so well it was easy to write their parts. That isn’t to say they didn’t grow over the course of the series – and that was one of the easier things as well. Their growth seemed natural and obvious to me.

The hardest part was that with each successive book, I was locked into the circumstances of the prior books. When writing the first book in a series, or a standalone, you can change the events, characters, or world-building as suits you. But when writing sequels, you are stuck with what appears in the published books.

Luckily, the publication process takes so long that there is often time to go back and change small details in the previous books before they go to print, just to make sure everything lines up correctly.

You drew a lot on Arthurian legends and Celtic mythology in the writing of these books. Was it planned, or did it just happen? And did your research prompt any new ideas?

While I was researching legends about alternate time and suspended time, I re-discovered an Arthurian story about Merlin being trapped in an eternal cave by his apprentice.  Several aspects of the story matched what I was planning for the inhabitants of the secret eighth day and the people who put them there. The more I considered the parallels, the more characters in my planned book started clamoring for Arthurian-based ancestors.

Once I got to the third book, however, I was introducing a group of characters who needed to come from outside the Arthurian saga. For The Morrigan’s Curse, I delved into Celtic mythology (which sometimes mixes with Arthurian legend anyway). The race of people trapped in the eighth day are loosely based on the Tuatha de Danaan, and I mined lists of Celtic deities for the names of my characters and their special abilities.

In The Morrigan’s Curse, you introduce The Morrigan—a three-in-one deity who embodies chaos and destruction. Did you go looking for her or did you discover her?

My research into Celtic mythology for Book 3 led me to the Morrigan, and I was immediately fascinated by her. She didn’t exactly fit among my planned villains, and it occurred to me that the Morrigan could be an outside force manipulating both sides of the conflict for her own dark purpose. If this were the case, however, her arrival needed to be foreshadowed earlier in the series.

This is one of those times when the slow publication process worked in my favor. As soon as I knew how the Morrigan would fit into Book 3, I went back and revised Book 2 to set the scene for her arrival. The Morrigan is mentioned a number of times in The Inquisitor’s Mark and makes a brief appearance at the end – but it’s in the third book that she becomes a force to be reckoned with.

The Morrigan’s Curse is the third but possibly final book of the series (I’m rooting for more!). How the heck did you manage to write a book that serves as both?

I was contracted for three books, with an option for a fourth and fifth, so I knew from the beginning of my planning that Book 3 needed to serve as either the end or the middle of the series. In order to do this, I had to write a story that would leave the reader feeling satisfied that the conflict in the series seemed resolved.  However, that doesn’t mean that there was a happy outcome for every character. There’s one character in The Morrigan’s Curse who does not get the happy ending readers will be rooting for. If the series continues, that character’s fate will be further explored.

In addition, one of my editors suggested that I plant a version of “Tom Riddle’s diary” in one of the early books. If you recall, at the end of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Tom Riddle’s diary is destroyed, and we have no reason to think about it anymore. However, we later find out that the diary is one of Voldemort’s horcruxes, and the search for the rest of them drives the plot in the later books.

Therefore, there’s an event in The Inquisitor’s Mark (Book 2) that appears to be resolved but is actually only the tip of an iceberg. Marcy knows what it is. (wink, wink) Everyone else will have to look for it!

Oh, yes! The scene in the…no, I won’t say, because everyone should discover it for themselves. In fact, everyone should immediately go buy all three books (if they haven’t already) and read them because The Eighth Day series is perhaps my favorite MG series since HP. Not to mention the fact that buying these books increases the likelihood of a book four and five, and I really want a book four and five!

Dianne, thank you again for stopping by and congrats on the release of The Morrigan’s Curse!

Author interview - Carol Kilgore

Today I have author Carol Kilgore here to answer a a few questions, tell us a little about the book she's written, and a little more about the book she'll soon be releasing.

When Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell returns to Rock Harbor, Texas, to tend to her uncle’s estate, she meets a mysterious former Navy SEAL, Jake Solomon, and learns her uncle didn't drown accidentally. His murder was one in a string of murders of a group of Vietnam veterans who called themselves the Compass Points.

Before her uncle died, he sent Taylor a message with the location of his buried treasure. Unearthing it will place her squarely in the killer’s crosshairs, but she’s determined to fulfill her uncle’s last wish.

Jake, sent to protect her and find the killer, has other plans. His mission would be much easier to accomplish if he could forget how good she’d tasted when he kissed her.

1. Where did the idea for Solomon’s Compass come from?

My ideas rarely come tied in a neat little package. Solomon's Compass was no exception. I knew the story would be set on the Texas coast, and I wanted to write about a small ship chandler. Nothing came together for me, so I let that idea simmer. I also wanted to write a story about the Coast Guard, and that one was starting to take shape. Then one night I had a dream. When I woke, I knew how to make the story work. I combined elements from both stories, changed some the characters around, and Solomon's Compass was born. But it wasn't an easy birth.

2. Wow, that’s pretty cool that a dream helped you pull the two ideas together. Who did you model Taylor after, if anyone, and how did her character reveal herself to you?

I modeled Taylor after USCG Captain Anne Ewalt, now retired. I didn't know her, but she agreed to a couple of short interviews. When we spoke, she was the commanding officer of the USCG Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia. She graciously took time from her busy schedule and answered all my many questions. Like Taylor, Captain Ewalt was a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, and every inch a Coastie. My husband is also a retired Coastie, so I've been around the Coast Guard for many years. There's probably a little bit of a lot of Coasties in Taylor. When the book was published, I sent a

copy to Anne. After reading it, she emailed me with an idea for a sequel and said, in part, "...every time you mention Taylor's crew, or her CG life, or her choices, pressures, etc. I say to myself, 'She got it exactly right!'"

3. That must’ve made you feel good! What did you learn from writing Solon’s Compass?

A lot! Mostly I learned how to trust my subconscious - not just in writing but also in life. I also learned more about the history of the Coast Guard, especially during the Vietnam Era. A few of the other things I learned were the principles of sailing a catamaran, what the cover of an old James Bond paperback looked like, and the importance of decluttering!

4. Ha! I need a lesson on decluttering! Tell us what you’re working on now…? Where did the idea come from? When will it be released? Cover pic?

I've just sent SECRETS OF HONOR to the formatter, and it will be released in Kindle and print on September 15. Like with Solomon's Compass, the idea for Secrets of Honor arrived in bits and pieces. If anything, it was even more scattered. I'm not sure what my initial inspiration for the story was. One day it was just in my head to write something "spylike" that had a jewel thief as the main character. In the first version, Kat and Dave were not a team, and there was a whole other subplot that I stripped out, as it didn't add anything to the message of what the story turned out to be. When I did that, I discovered that I needed different motivations for most of the characters. Once I had those, the story came together. I'm still in love with the cover, which was designed by the awesome Linda Kage. My next project will be a trilogy. I'm currently mapping out the overall elements of each of the three books and the trilogy itself.

5.  And just for fun, what was your first car?

Omigosh, major flashback! My first car was a beat-up, OLD, black Ford with a stick shift on the column and no air conditioning. Whenever my speed dropped below 30mph, I had to downshift or it would chug and lurch like a zombie with the hiccups. It's because of this car that I learned to drive fast :)

7. Finally last book read and next on your TBR list?

The last book I read was Organized to Death by Jan Christensen. It's a lighthearted mystery with an amateur sleuth who's a professional organizer. It's fun, and there's a romantic element with Hank the Hunk. I just started reading Blessed are the Dead by Kristi Belcamino. It's a darker story about a crime reporter at a newspaper, and so far very good. I highly recommend both books to readers that like reading in these genres.

Thanks for the recommendations, Carol, and thanks a bunch for coming by :)

 

Author interview - Susan Gourley

 Recon Marine Mak agrees to lead the combined scientific mission intended to track down all the illegal genetics labs. The trail of betrayal and deceit crosses from one galaxy to the next, each stop exposing atrocities that Mak can't help but take personally. Only one thing keeps him from quitting the mission. Doctor Molly Drant, the brilliant civilian who shares Mak's insatiable quest for scientific knowledge. Molly's brave, steady presence helps Mak face the horrible experiments performed on soldiers. It all reminds him too much of his own creation in an epigenetics program.

Mak's admiration for Molly deepens into something more and the genius doctor returns his regard. Recon Marines know little of love but Mak enjoys any type of education. But before he can learn the depths of Molly's affections, the increasing dangers of their mission catch up to them. A traitor traps Mak and Molly in a horrific military exercise intended to cover the tracks of the criminals they've chased over a million miles of space. Molly's genius will be tested along with Mak's soldiering skills but only love and trust will insure their survival. 

You can also find Susan at her website.

1. Where did the idea for The Marine’s Doctor come from?

The Marine's Doctor is the third and final book in my Recon Marine Series with New Concepts Publishing. The idea parked itself in my head years ago when I first saw Kurt Russell in the movie Soldier. Russell was a futuristic soldier who had been selected at birth and then brutally trained to be a soldier. The plot of the movie revolves around his group being replaced by a new generation of genetically enhanced soldiers. Russell finds his humanity as he battles the emotionless replacements. My Recon Marines are genetically engineered soldiers who want to like other men but haven't a clue how the civilian world works.

2. What did you learn from writing this book?

My heroine in this book, Dr. Molly Drant, isn't a physical kickass woman. She's a genius with a compassionate heart. She uses her brains to save the day. I loved writing her and figuring out how to demonstrate her intelligence without appearing a snob.

3. What author would you like to be compared? Why?

I fell in love with futuristic romance years ago reading Jayne Castle who I now know is Jayne Ann Krentz. I admire the witty exchanges between her characters and the unique worlds she created. Please someone compare me to her. LOL

4. Tell us what you’re working on now…? Where did the idea come from? When will it be released? Cover pic?

 I've started another science fiction romance series and the first one is under contract though I don't have a cover picture or release date yet. This series takes place in space, think space opera with more romance, where humanity has established scattered colonies. A vicious enemy travels through the outer regions like a swarm of locusts and kills everything in its path. The remnants of one distant planet has learned how to kill the enemy and will fight side by side with humanity in a last attempt to keep mankind from extinction. The Warriors of Gaviron search for revenge and find new hope with the brave Earthling women they encounter.

 I'm also outlining the final book in my fantasy series, THE MORBUNDA SAGA, that I write as Susan Gourley

5.  And just for fun, what was your first car?

My parents gave me an ugly green Rebel. It was a mid-sized sedan with a huge eight cylinder engine. It could fly. Gas was cheap then so it didn't matter to me that it was a hog. I think it created my bad driving habits because it ran like a warhorse. That big engine was hard to get started in the cold though and caused me lots of problems now and then.

7. Finally last book read and next on your TBR list?

I just reread The Black Prism by Brent Weeks and am going to reread The Blinding Knife by Weeks before the third book comes out at the end of the month. I have a stockpile of books on my Kindle that I'm going to read when I go on vacation in September. Most of those books are from my blogger buddies.

Find The Marine's Doctor here at an early discount. It will be available on Kindle and Nook soon.

Susan Says, my blog.

Susan Gourley on Facebook

Susan Kelley on Twitter

Interview with author M.J. Fifield

Today I am thrilled to have author M.J. Fifield here to answer a few questions about just released book Effigy and a few other things.

1. Where did the idea for Effigy come from?

Between my sophomore year of high school and my sophomore year of college, I wrote a series of eight fantasy novellas, and the story was most definitely finished by the end of the eighth. The problem was that I didn't want to leave the world nor the characters that I had created. Then the summer before my junior year of college, Effigy's main character, Haleine Coileáin popped into my head and wouldn't get out. Originally, Effigy was meant to be a prequel, but Haleine completely took over—as my characters tend to do—and changed absolutely everything. Effigy was no longer a prequel, but rather the first in a new series, and my eight novellas became history.

2. Ha! I can relate to characters taking over! What was the easiest part of writing this book?

Well, the page numbering went pretty smoothly after that little Microsoft paper clip guy (who quite possibly doesn't exist anymore and I've just severely dated myself) explained how it worked to me. But on a slightly more serious note, I'd say the dialogue was probably the easiest part. That has always been rather straightforward for me.

3. The hardest?

Naming characters generally gives me a hard time. Usually, my characters go through two or three names before I find the one I like. And occasionally, they end up with names like "Mercenary Guy" or "Insert Name Here" because I'm just that creative.

4. I'm picky about names, too. What did you learn from writing the book?

I learned that plotting out a story ahead of time isn't necessarily the worst thing in the world. I used to be a hard core pantser but through the course of putting this book out in the world, I have evolved into a soft core plotter. I'm sure hard core plotting is just around the corner. It's pretty addictive. If you're me, anyway.

5. What are you working on now?

I am working on Effigy's sequel, Second Nature, the second book in the Coileáin Chronicles.

6. Is there any other profession you might want other than 'writer'?

I've always wanted to be an international ass-kicking secret agent/super spy ( à la Emma Peel or Sydney Bristow). That, or a concert pianist. Or a Broadway actress.

7. I loved Emma Peel! Guilty Pleasure?

Pinterest. For some reason, I feel I must pin all the things. It's a huge time suck, and I always feel guilty after a massive pinning spree. Also, cake.

8. First car?

My first car was an 80's Pontiac Grand Am. It was brown, very ugly, and you didn't need a key to start it. It turns out that you didn't need a key to start it because it had been stolen (not by me) from some woman in Connecticut (sorry about that), and I had unknowingly purchased it from a used car dealer who went out of business shortly after this information came to light. Oops.

9. Last book read?

I just finished Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater. That woman's work rocks my world. Seriously, I would read her grocery lists. I bet they're awesome.

I love Maggie Stiefvater, too; she's amazing.

***

The survival of a once-mighty kingdom rests in the hands of its young queen, Haleine Coileáin, as it slowly succumbs to an ancient evil fueled by her husband’s cruelty. 

A sadistic man with a talent for torture and a taste for murder, he is determined to burn the land and all souls within. Haleine is determined to save her kingdom and, after a chance encounter, joins forces with the leader of the people’s rebellion. She gives him her support, soon followed by her heart. 

Loving him is inadvertent but becomes as natural and necessary as breathing. She lies and steals on his behalf, doing anything she can to further their cause. She compromises beliefs held all her life, for what life will exist if evil prevails? 

Her journey leads to a deceiving world of magic, monsters, and gods she never believed existed outside of myth. The deeper she goes, the more her soul is stripped away, but she continues on, desperate to see her quest complete. If she can bring her husband to ruin and save her people, any sacrifice is worth the price—even if it means her life.

Want to know more about MJ? You can find her at My Pet Blog. Interested in her book? Click on the pic to buy :)

The Boy Who Loved Fire

Today I am very pleased to have Julie Musil here to chat with us. She has recently released her first book,  The Boy Who Loved Fire.

Manny O’Donnell revels in his status at the top of his high school food chain. He and his friends party in the mountains on a blustery night, sharing liquor and lame ghost stories around a campfire. The next morning, as a wild fire rages in those same mountains, Manny experiences doubt. He was the last of the drunken crew to leave the cave, and he’s uncertain if he extinguished the flames. Within hours, he becomes the number one arson suspect.
 
Santa Ana winds + matches = disaster. You’d think he would've learned that the first time he started a fire.
 
As he evades a determined arson investigator, Manny, a modern-day Scrooge, is visited by ghosts of the past, present, and future. He’s forced to witness the fate of his inadvertent victims, including Abigail, the scarred beauty who softens his heart. Manny must choose between turning around his callous, self-centered attitude, or protecting his own skin at the expense of anyone who gets in his way.

Julie, tell us a little about your journey, from want to be writer to published author.

Marcy, thanks so much for having me on your blog today!

Writing was a hobby until a few years ago. I took a great course with the Institute of Children’s Literature, which I loved. It taught me how to write non-fiction for kids, how to prepare a query, and how to research markets. I started writing non-fiction and was fortunate enough to have pieces accepted by Scholastic Math and Highlights magazines. Writing articles was a great learning experience, and gave me a few writing credits.

What was your inspiration for The Boy Who Loved Fire and how did the story evolve from first draft to finished product?

The story was inspired by real life. Our home was almost ruined by a California wildfire. That event had a huge impact on me. I began wondering, who started the fire? If it was a child, would they ever learn how much it had affected other people? That was the “spark” that got me started.

The evolution...wow, the book has changed a lot. I had written Manny, the main character, parallel to Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. But I’d written him too harsh. I worked with my agent on softening him up and making him more likable. The roots of the story remain the same, but the tone of the story has changed a lot.

I’ve been following you for a while now and one of my favorite features that you do is sharing what you’ve learned from the books you read. How did you come up with this great idea?

I’m so glad you like that series! It’s one of my favorites as well. It started totally by accident. I’d just started writing novels, and found myself noticing all sorts of techniques used by my favorite authors. I wasn’t reading for this purpose, it just happened. I began using notebook paper as bookmarks and jotting down the lessons I’d learned. I’ve always thought of my blog as a “This is what I’m learning, so I’ll share” type of thing. Writing Lessons Learned fit perfectly with that theme.

What are you working on now?

I have multiple books in different stages. Now that The Boy Who Loved Fire is out in the wild, I’m turning my attention to the next YA book I’ll self publish. I have another manuscript out with beta readers. I recently finished draft one of another book, but I haven’t re-opened it yet. I have no idea how ugly it is! All this work should keep me out of trouble :)

What advice would you offer the person who has just completed their first manuscript?

Do not send it out yet. Let it rest, revise it a few times, then get more eyes on it. It’s amazing what we miss in our own work. While beta readers or critique partners are going through it, prepare your synopsis and query letter. Only when it’s clean and solid, send it out there—whether it’s to small publishers, agents, or Indieland. Once that book is making its rounds, begin your next manuscript. We’re less obsessive about book one after we’ve written books two, three, and four.

Lastly – just for fun – who is your favorite cartoon character?

Spongebob, hands down. That guy cracks me up. It’s one of the few shows my teen sons and I all appreciate. I can quote waaay too many Spongebob lines, and we know waaay too many inside jokes about Spongebob, Patrick Star, and Plankton.

Julie Musil writes Young Adult novels from her rural home in Southern California, where she lives with her husband and three sons. She’s an obsessive reader who loves stories that grab the heart and won’t let go. Her novel The Boy Who Loved Fire is available now. For more information, or to stop by and say Hi, please visit Julie on her blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

The Ghosts of Aquinnah

As promised, Julie Flanders is here today to chat about herself and her soon to be released book, The Ghosts of Aquinnah.

   A brilliant flash of light transcends through time.

   Another freezes a cloaked figure within a frame of salty mist as waves crash against a rocky shore.

   Her harrowing expression shadows the beacon to a pinprick.

   By the next blaze, she is gone. Only the lighthouse remains.

   Hannah’s eyes blink in step with each heartbeat. Images of her deceased parents and Martha’s Vineyard explode like firecrackers inside her mind.

   She shakes her head.

   For weeks this eerie woman dressed in nineteenth century garb has been haunting my webcam, but tonight she stared into my soul.

   Why? ...

   Who is she? ...

   Casting aside months of research on historic lighthouses, Hannah drives to the coast and boards a ferry.

   What is the strange connection she has to this mysterious woman suspended in time?

   Hannah finds out.

   But, it’s not at all what she expects ...

   Hannah unravels a century old murder.

And now, Julie Flanders...

 

Tell us a little about yourself, Julie.

I work as a librarian at a small college in Cincinnati, Ohio. I didn't realize I wanted to work as a writer until I was in my early 40s, so I am really making up for lost time! I started writing as a volunteer for Best Friends Animal Society and loved writing the features so much that I realized I had finally figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. Better late than never.

Since then I have written articles for online and print publications, but have focused primarily on writing my novels. My first novel Polar Night was published in February and my second, The Ghosts of Aquinnah, will be published on December 5, 2013. 

I love animals and share my home with my dog Clancy and my cat Nate. When not writing, I can usually be found reading, cheering on my favorite sports teams, and watching way too much television. 

I LOVE Best Friends, in fact, I probably read something you wrote at some point. How did you transition from writing features for Best Friends to fiction?

It wasn't really a transition that I planned to be honest. When I started my blog my writing goals were to continue writing articles and features for websites like I did with Best Friends. But then I had a dream that gave me the idea for my first novel and I decided to play with it a bit. Soon I couldn't stop! But I think that the articles I did for Best Friends helped me when it came to writing fiction because I loved the process of figuring out how to present my assignments in an engaging and interesting way when I did that writing. I'd learn about the rescue, animals, or cause the editor asked me to write about and from there it was about turning the feature into a story. Even though the pieces weren't fictional, I wanted them to be more than just the straight facts of the situations. I wanted the features to have emotional impact in order to best capture the amazing work the people involved were doing. As I got more confidence in writing the features I enjoyed trying to come up with the right words and phrases to make my articles the best they could be. So in a way each feature turned out to be like writing a short story. 

When you say you had a dream that gave you the idea for your first novel, can you explain? And where did you come up with the idea for The Ghosts of Aquinnah?

I had a dream that I was on an ocean liner in the 1920s and I met a man who had lost the woman he loved in Russia in World War I. From there I came up with the character in my novel who was a Russian soldier in that war. I wanted to write about one of the places that has the phenomenon of polar darkness in the winter and originally considered setting my story in Finland due to its proximity to and history with Russia, but I realized quickly that I was WAY out of my depth and decided to set the book in Alaska instead. I've never been to Alaska but at least I felt a little more knowledgeable working within the US! Anyway the final story doesn't bear much relation to the ocean liner dream, but readers will see that there is a connection.

As for The Ghosts of Aquinnah, a few years ago I was planning a trip to Martha's Vineyard and started looking at the webcam of the Gay Head Lighthouse that is on the Martha's Vineyard online website. I started thinking, what if you went on that site and every time you looked at the cam you saw the same person? Then I started playing with ideas in my head for who that person could be and why she was always there. I didn't really get anywhere with the story and set it aside until last year when for whatever reason it started coming together in my head. I signed up for NaNo last November and that was just the motivation I needed to finally get the story written. 

What a cool dream! How did you develop the character of Hannah? Any tricks of the trade you care to share?

Hannah has some of me in her. While she lives in Boston now, she grew up in Indianapolis, which is only a few hours from my hometown of Cincinnati. And like me she spent summer vacations going to Martha's Vineyard. In Hannah's case, her mother's family owned property on the island while in my case it is my dad's family. But both of us loved leaving the Midwest and heading for the ocean. I still get excited when I can smell and hear the ocean as I get close to the coast.
Hannah is also struggling with grief over the death of her parents, who were killed in a car accident a few years before the start of the novel. It's this grief that helps create a connection between Hannah and the woman she sees on the webcam. My father died last year and I think my own grief played a role in developing this story.

I don't really think I can share any tricks, I don't really know how my characters come to be. They just kind of come together in my head and I go from there.

What made you decide to go with a small publisher and how have you found the experience?

I sent out some query letters to agents originally but didn't get anywhere, and I found the whole process demoralizing. I didn't know if I had the perseverance to keep at it, and I had also met people who spent forever trying to get an agent, only to have the agent unable to sell their book anyway. I knew some people in the blogosphere who seemed very happy with their small presses. So I decided to investigate some and just see where it took me. I learned about Ink Smith through a writing site and so far I have had a great experience. They were just starting out too and I feel like we've been a good match.

That’s great that you’re happy with them. Last but not least, what’s the last book you read, last dessert you had, and last place you went on vacation?

The last book I read was Solstice by Debbie Christiana, last dessert was ginger snaps cookies (I love them!), and last place was Martha's Vineyard in May.

Thank you so much for coming and answering all my questions! And for everyone who wants to know, The Ghosts of Aquinnah releases on December 5^th – you can pre-order here.

 

Interview with author Donna K. Weaver

When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old, Colorado high school teacher wants to do is forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. Lyn plans a vacation diversion; fate provides Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship's make-believe world and temporary friendships, her emotions come alive.

However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he's navigating, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship--on the very anniversary Lyn is on the cruise to forget. Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs from Braedon and what he has to offer.

Their confusing relationship is bad enough, but when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise's snorkeling excursions in American Samoa things get worse. Paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped and Lyn's fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.

Today I am delighted to have author Donna K. Weaver here with me. Donna is a navy brat and U.S. Army veteran, and has lived in a number of U.S. states as well as South Korea, the Philippines, and Germany. An avid cruiser, she’s sailed the Pacific four times and after retiring from from Shorei Kempo Karate with a black belt, she decided it was time to put her imaginary friends and places on paper. She lives in Utah with her husband. They have six children and eight grandchildren. And right off the bat I'm dying to know the name of these six children and holy cow how did you manage six kids?!

Those six kids (all adults now) were part of a 'yours, mine, and ours' blended family--though I birthed five of them. I was widowed young and had a son and a daughter--David and Erin. My current husband brought a daughter with him from his first marriage--Shanna. Together, we had three sons: Robert, Paul, and Adam. No 'interesting' spellings for us.

I used to wonder if I could ever get caught up with the laundry, and then I realized I'd have to make everyone go naked for a day to do that. Um, no. lol  Managing? Organization and delegation. Make cleaning up fun--not with a spoonful of sugar, of course--but turning it into a game.

Well, congratulations on bringing up a tribe! I know what it’s like to belong in one and wouldn’t trade it for the world. Tell me, what does your family think about your publishing venture? 

Most of them are really excited for me. One son, though, is incredibly smug. I wrote the book just to see if I could write a full-length novel. I never dreamed of pursuing publication, but he said I should try. As I learned and edited and learned some more and edited some more, he continued to bug me about it. Now, he's pretty snarky with his arrogant "I told you so" comments. *sigh*

Heheh – sometimes kids think they’re so smart, don’t they? Speaking of your publishing venture, what has the journey been like so far?

It's a journey I didn't realize at first that I was going on. I'm a voracious learner, so I've been anxious to learn as much as I can and try to get better. Once I decided that I wanted the full experience--you know, the whole submission/rejection thing--I did further research. By this time, I had become friends online and in person with many wonderful writers and authors who were great resources. 

I took to heart a remark made at a conference by author James Dashner (Maze Runner series, etc.). He said he wanted to have something positive to look forward to, so he determined that he would take his wife out to dinner with every 10 rejections. I was so happy when my publisher, Rhemalda, wanted my story.

That must’ve made your day! Tell me about Lynn, your main character. Where did you find her?

Lyn just kind of grew. I knew she was going to be on the cruise with a friend (Elle), but I wanted Lyn not to be a huge socializer. This would give her more opportunities for alone time--and chances to interact with Braedon. Obviously, she had to be recovering from a huge hurt, so she would be vulnerable. However, I wanted her think--incorrectly--that she was handling her hurt well. And poor Braedon--completely clueless about her history--walked right into it.

And where did he come from? Did you already have someone like him in mind or did you discover him somewhere? Love the name by the way - very manly :)

The book began as a dream where a guy and a gal were marooned on an island with a tree house. I thought it would be handy, therefore, that the guy was a doctor. I wanted him to be capable yet also dealing with some of his own issues, and I wanted him to have shared interests with Lyn. It needed to be organic that they would enjoy spending time together. While I wanted the frosting of a physical attraction, I wanted it to be so much more. I wanted them to fall in love, not in lust.

That sounds like a fun dream and how cool that it grew into a story! I do like a good love story *sigh* Was there any part of the book that gave you trouble? And if so how did you work through it?

Part 2, for sure, where they are marooned. I wrote and cut and wrote and cut, depending upon what kind of approach. Was it going to be all about the survival? (I have a dear friend who wishes it was.) Was it going to be just about the love story? A combination? If I ever put together a collection of cut scenes, most of them will come from Part 2.

I noticed in your bio that you’ve lived in some far away places and I wonder if there was anything in particular you miss about any of them? Incredible beaches? Great food? Awesome beer, perhaps? You did mention Germany…

It's a very eye-opening experience to live in other countries. Some of them were extremely poor, and I learned to value the affluence we have in the U.S. It would be interesting to visit some of those countries again and see them through adult eyes. I would especially like to visit Germany again because I only had the chance to visit half of it, since I lived there before the wall came down. While I don't drink beer, those Germans sure do. Two-liter beer mugs! And their fest beer has a much higher concentration of alcohol. The Germans work hard and play hard.

I have heard that about German beer and I completely agree about spoiled Americans. My sister lived in India and Singapore and I think we don’t realize how easy life is for us. But enough reality! If you could temporarily switch places with a character from a book – yours or someone else’s - who would it be and why?

I think it would be Sara in Anne McCaffrey's "Restoree". That book has long been one of my favorites by one of my favorite authors. I love the characters and culture she created. While I wouldn't want to go through the terrible things Sara does (are we authors mean people?), I'd love to go for a visit.

Thank you, Donna, for stopping by today and answering all my questions and the best of luck with your new book. And for Donna's fans, here's the trailer... 

Interview with Hart Johnson

Roanoke, Virginia, is home to some of the country’s most exquisite gardens, and it’s Camellia Harris’s job to promote them. But when a pint-sized beauty contest comes to town, someone decides to deliver a final judgment …

A beauty pageant for little girls—the Little Miss Begonia Pageant—has decided to hold their event in a Roanoke park. Camellia is called in to help deal with the botanical details, the cute contestants, and their catty mothers. She soon realizes that the drama onstage is nothing compared to the judges row. There’s jealousy, betrayal, and a love triangle involving local newsman—and known lothario—Telly Stevens. And a mysterious saboteur is trying to stop the pageant from happening at all.

But the drama turns deadly when Stevens is found dead, poisoned by some sort of plant. With a full flowerbed of potential suspects, Cam needs to dig through the evidence to uproot a killer with a deadly green thumb.

 

First I’d like to welcome Hart Johnson, also known as Alyse Carlson, who has kindly consented to stop by and answer a few questions about her new book and other things…

Hart, I’m so happy you could stop by. I understand that The Begonia Bribe is what is known as a cozy mystery. Can you explain what that means for folks who might not know?


Cozy mysteries still have a murder (or two) to solve, but there are a couple features that make them different.  Violence tends to happen off the page--they are low on the blood and gore (and the victim is usually fairly dislikeable). They tend to stick to a PG line, so no swearing or sex (you can allude a little, but always shut the door). The sleuth is an amateur who somehow ends up compelled to solve the mystery (maybe a loved one is accused or in my case, Cam is the Public Relations gal, and murders keep happening at events she is working on)  And cozy mystery readers really want to be able to solve the crime along with the sleuth, so all the clues need to actually be in there and trickled through the book (along with several red herrings so it isn't too easy). And then the piece of Cozy Mysteries that I like best: they tend to have some humor to them.

I like the idea of humor in a mystery. Can you give an example of that in The Begonia Bribe?

Most of it is character quirks, but the example that comes to mind that I can get across quickly is the case of Rob, Cam's Sports Reporter boyfriend. His boss, knowing the pageant needs coverage, has decided Rob, the sports reporter needs to cover it because there is competition involved (that makes it a sport, eh?). Cam's best friend Annie is acting as photographer for the pageant and asks why he is there. When Cam answers for him, Annie says, "Oh, Rob! You get to use all your pretty words!"

I like both the set up of the macho sports reporter having to cover the kiddie beauty pageant, and the dynamic. Annie, Cam's best friend has funny interactions better than half the time. It's just how she is. She likes to tease and goof off. In fact she might channel a certain online Tart you know.

LOL. Sounds like Annie and I would get along just fine. But tell me about the main character, Cam. You’ve written about her before, I believe, and I’m curious about how you first discovered her. Did she come with a story or was she a mystery?

This series was one the publishers recruited for--an editor had a town, a 'theme' (gardening) and a list of about ten characters. Some had jobs and others had relationships to the main character. So Cam was 'defined' though that is loose. All I got was that she handled the public relations for the Roanoke Garden Society.  It was my job to infuse some personality.

My first real life job was in advertising and my first degree was journalism, so a number of my college and early working peers worked in PR. I know the field well. So I decided to make Cam a bit of a control freak (easiest to make events go smoothly if you are totally in control) and then balance her with Annie to bring out her fun side.  The pair of them actually have a lot drawn from my lifetime best friend and I, but I re-mixed the traits--all the serious, professional ones went to Cam and all the zany, outrageous ones went to Annie. I figured since the total mix was the same, the friendship dynamic could have the same balance, which has made it really fun to work with.

Can you explain what you mean by ‘recruited for?’

It is a Write for Hire, though it wasn't a full call for submission--they asked a couple agents they worked with 'do you know a writer well suited for this' so I was actually referred to 'audition'--wrote the first 50 pages to have them see if I was a good fit.

Well isn’t that the coolest thing! And isn’t The Begonia Bribe #2 in the series? Which must mean you’re doing something right! Tell us how you found out about this opportunity. Or did it come as a complete surprise?

It was a three book contract--the first was The Azalea Assault, so that is the one I 'auditioned' with. The Begonia Bribe, other than the continuing characters, was much more 'all mine'.  The opportunity came as a fluke. One of my writer friends, Elizabeth Spann Craig, http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/ had been encouraging me to give cozy mystery a chance because my blog voice fit it so well--sort of zany, but still able to carry a point. Her editor and agent actually asked her if she had time to write it, but she was in the midst of two series at the time. She suggested me to her agent who talked to the editor and they agreed to let me give it a shot.

You must’ve been thrilled! And three books! Holy Cow? Any idea what the third one will be about?

TOTALLY thrilled. It was a little surreal, really--to be one of the rare people who got a book deal (or at least the opportunity) because of my blog voice. I definitely snuck in there sideways.

As for the 3rd book, I've actually already turned it in. The premise is a political fundraiser--Annie's dad is a former state senator, so Cam and Annie get roped in from different directions. Neither is thrilled, but they decide the perfect fundraiser is a murder mystery dinner... no way THAT can go wrong, eh?

Lol. That sounds fantastic. You’ve totally got me interested in this series! Now, by any chance do you write anything else besides cozy mysteries? If so can you tell us about it?

I do!  In fact MOST of my stuff is different. I'd classify it as suspense, but am trying to master thriller. I write both YA and adult suspense that I haven't managed to sell. I had a near miss (acquiring an agent and submitting to publishers) with one called Kahlotus Disposal Site, YA, narrated by a ghost who finds her former mental hospital opening as a reform school.  I haven't given up on it, but I think it's missing a spark and nobody has told me how to find that. My latest books though, seem to be apocalyptic in nature.  My education is psychology and I love exploring the dark places people go and the surprise of which ones can tap resilience in awful situations. I'm toying with releasing those apocalypse stories serially.  I've been very inspired by Susan Kaye Quinn who is releasing her Debt Collector series like that right now. The one I'm currently polishing though, is a mystery--my beta reader called it cozy meets noir; I call it sassy. It is a microbrewery based mystery in Portland, Oregon and is just a little darker than cozies called What Ales Me. I hope I can sell that one traditionally.

I love that title – What Ales Me – and I hear you on trying to get an agent and get published traditionally. It’s a long road. Now, for my last question: What’s the last book you read you wish you wrote? And why?

Fantasy aside, because who WOULDN'T love to have written the Song of Ice and Fire series but I don't have the imagination for fantasy... probably The Compass Master. Helena Soister is a friend of mine and so it caught me a little off guard that someone I knew could write something so fantastic... it is a little like The DiVinci Code, only a female heroine (an ancient documents 'hunter') and the history is more accurate (in fact completely accurate) and the writing more solid than DiVinci Code.

Now that sounds interesting; I love historical thrillers involving ancient documents! Thank you, Hart, for stopping over. I love hearing about the different ways we all write and get published. You’ll have to keep me posted on book #3 – cover? Title? Publication date? Let me know! And thanks again for coming by – this was fun! 

click on the book to buy, and click on Hart to find out more about her at The Watery Tart :)