Saturday, March 31, 2012

About BlogTalkRadio on Blog Talk Radio blog

About BlogTalkRadio on Blog Talk Radio blog

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Our Interview with Lovely Whitmore!

Image of Lovely Whitmore              It's All Coming Back To Me Now


                                              Bio

Hi I'm Lovely Whitmore I'm a Georgia native, born in Macon Ga raised in Atlanta Ga from age 4 to 17. I went to Booker T Washington Magnet High School. I also went to Turner Job Corps, Central Texas College, and Western Governors University. I currently reside in Louisiana.

I am a mother of three who loves sports, reading, chatting, and meeting new people. I like writing fiction and realistic fiction for different ages. My first book was published Jan 2, 2012 it is titled Journals of a Wannabe Basketball Player inspired by my twin daughters who are on the cover of the book. Get your copy today.

Personal Interests
I love basketball! My favorite point guard is Rajon Rondo. I have his poster on my bedroom wall! I love singing even though my singing ability lacks talent LOL but I love it nevertheless. My favorite song is All I ask of You by Rafael Sadiq. Favorite author is VC Andrews I love those books!
I love listening to music from the 80's and 90's.

I like writing books about different things. I write for the enjoyment and have many stories to tell some are fiction for children, non fiction and some are for adults.

                                                      Bio provided author's site

1. What makes for a good hook in your stories? Where does your inspiration come from?
I try to come up with something that will have the reader begging for more.
2. Are you an organized writer? Do you do things like take notes and make lists of characters? Or do you free write and work it out as you go?Sometimes I am organized, but for the most part I am not. I do character sketch for my antagonist and protagonist. I do a smaller sketch for some of the other characters as well. Sometimes I find free writing to be more easy however, I am currently working on a chapter book that I have outlined the chapters and things that will happen during them which is different than my norm.
3. What is your normal writing day like? Do you write when you are inspired or do you have a schedule?Usually I am working on 2 to 3 stories at a time. Right now I have been going back and forth on 3 stories, 2 of them are middle grade children novels, and the other is a romance drama.
4. Who is your favorite author and how did they inspire you to write?
 I can't really say I have a favorite however I love V.C. Andrews series
5. It’s easy to see that you have a passion for writing but is there any part of it you don’t like?I get anxious sometimes and just wanna get done already. Heehee
6. Do you make time to read and if you do what are you reading right now? Well lately I have been meeting a lot of self published and new authors so I try to read a new book a week
7. How did you get started in writing in the fictional dramatic love story genre? Is there personal life experience in the writing?I started writing "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" 13 years ago. LOL It was in my closet collecting dust until a few months ago when I decided to finish it.
8. Your books have been published with Amazon.com, Does this mean you see the publishing industry headed this way?I sure hope so however I like the freedom of self publishing
9. Do you have any online sites where others can read more of your writings?I do have a website that I use to promote my books as well as others it is www.bestindieauthors.com
10. Do you have any more stories in the works? What kinds of stories do you plan to write next?Yes I am currently working on 2 children novels and 1 drama/love story
11. Who would be your first choice to play Randy Jackson from your book "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" ?Morris Chestnut for sure!
12. If you could meet anyone from any time who would it be and what would be your first question?Jesus, I'm not sure what I would ask him though

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Our Interview with Destiny Allison!

   Shaping Destiny: A quest for meaning in art and life


                                    bio
Working in bronze, stone and steel for the past 18 years, artist Destiny Allison first fell in love with sculpting while playing with her son’s modeling clay during a moment of writer’s block and domestic frustration. Since then, Allison has focused solely on her art. Dedication, tenacity, and what she calls “down-right stubbornness” have yielded her current success.

Allison’s work is exhibite...d extensively. She has won numerous awards and is represented nationally by renowned galleries. Her works can be seen in schools, churches, museums, corporate offices, resorts, hospitals and cities across the United States and in Jamaica. Recently, she installed major public works in Oklahoma and California, was featured in Southwest Art Magazine, was the cover artist for the magazine Sunshine Artists, installed 14 original sculptures in the new 4 Seasons Hotel in Denver and received several awards of excellence for her innovative work in steel.

“Each of my works has a story behind it, usually stemming from life’s challenges. They address my relationships and the roles I play: daughter, mother, lover, friend, sister, business woman, consumer, artist,” Allison said. “The premise behind all of them is that if I am to know myself and live authentically and fully, then I must examine who I am in every context. Behind all of this is a deep desire to confront the art world trends that attempt to break down society, the individual and individual relationships, reducing all of the combined human experiences to their simplest and most banal forms. I deeply believe that what is human is complex, rich and beautiful and I hope, through my work, to help rebuild a framework for both beauty and the best of humanity.”

Allison is a native of Santa Fe, New Mexico. As a young adult, she lived and studied in Washington, D.C. and Boston, Ma. She returned to Santa Fe in 1998. In Santa Fe, she is represented by Winterowd Fine Art at 701 Canyon Road and now, in collaboration with Winterowd Fine Art, she has opened her own gallery in Eldorado.

                                                    Bio provided by author's site


1. What makes for a good hook in your stories? Where does your inspiration come from?  
A good hook is a moment of tension where both the story and its underlying themes are interwoven. I think that suspense, by itself, is not always a good hook. Honesty, emotion, and idea have to come together so that the reader understands that there is more to the moment that what first meets the eye
2. Are you an organized writer? Do you do things like take notes and make lists of characters? Or do you free write and work it out as you go?
 I free write and work it out as I go.
3. What is your normal writing day like? Do you write when you are inspired or do you have a schedule? 
Because I do so many things -- make art, manage my businesses and write, I fit writing in when I can -- usually 1st thing in the morning or last thing at night.
4. Who is your favorite author and how did they inspire you to write? 
That's a hard question. I have so many favorite authors. I think the authors that inspired me the most are probably Henry Miller and Robert Persig.
5. It’s easy to see that you have a passtired of editing. Recently
ion for writing but is there any part of it you don’t like?
I get pretty tired of editing. Recently a friend called editing the 2nd circle of hell. I think she's right.
6. Do you make time to read and if you do what are you reading right now?
I read all the time. I am a book fiend and can't ever seem to get enough. I just finished re-reading Bastard out of Carolina and am not sure what I will read next.
7. How did you come to write about your journey to becoming and artist and author? 
I get asked so often to tell the stories about my art, and to relate how I ended up as a metal artist, that it just made sense to put it into a book. I would like to share my journey and hopefully empower others to transform their lives through art.
8. You will be publishing your book through (Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon or CreateSpace, Does this mean you see the publishing industry headed this way? 
There is so much flux in the publishing industry right now that its hard to say where it will go. I published through CreateSpace because, from a business standpoint, it was the only way to go for me. I don't think self-publishing is for everyone. It is an amazing amount of work, and I think you have to be really driven to not only write a good book but to edit it, design it, and do the work that will help the book find the right readers. It is often overwhelming. On the other hand, I can't justify doing all the marketing, building the platform, and then earning a tiny percentage on the book sales. I'm a business woman as much as an artist, and for me, this was the right decision.
9. Do you have any online sites where others can read more of your writings? DestinyAllison.com/artblog and ShapingDestinyThebook.com
10. Do you have any more stories in the works? What kinds of stories do you plan to write next? 
I'm tossing around a couple of ideas. One is to continue the story of Shaping Destiny. Another is to write more about the importance of art in healthy communities. Right now though, my energy is focused on letting people know about this book.
11. If your book were to become a documentary who would you want to have for the narrative voice?  
Good question. Jodie Foster comes to mind. Wouldn't that be something?
12. If you could meet anyone from any time who would it be and what would be your first question?
This is going to sound really funny, but I always wanted to meet Laura Ingalls Wilder. She was a hero to me when I was a little girl. I always wanted to ask her how she imagined the future.




Our Interview with Dawn Smith!

Image of Dawn Smith        Crimson Fury (Children Of Fury)


                                       Bio
Dawn Smith lives in Arizona with her husband, three daughters, and two very rambunctious Jack Russell Terriers. By day she is only Mommy, but by night she lets her many personalities out to play. She enjoys reading as much as she does writing and never misses out on a chance to curl up with a good book.


                                 Bio provided by author's site

1. What makes for a good hook in your stories? Where does your inspiration come from?
I always try to make my story line and plots original.(Which writing in the paranormal romance genre can be pretty difficult. There is not much that hasn’t already been done.) I think that is the best hook there can be. I also try to grab reader’s right from the start, sending them into a scene with action from the very first chapter.
My inspiration would definitely have to be my wild imagination. I also get inspired by the beauty of the city around me. Walking down the street I can come up with a hundred different characters and stories that beat on the doors to get out by the time I get home.
2. Are you an organized writer? Do you do things like take notes and make lists of characters? Or do you free write and work it out as you go?
I try to be organized, I really do. It never ends up that way though. Somewhere along the way my characters run away with themselves and I’m left wondering how it was they got themselves into the mess they’re in. The only lists I make are of the main characters, and I do go into quite a bit of detail working out who they are as a person.
3. What is your normal writing day like? Do you write when you are inspired or do you have a schedule?
A normal writing day for me starts when the day ends and peace and quiet finally rule my home. I try and stick to a schedule but mostly my muse likes to throw that out the window. I can’t write unless the inspiration is there. I don’t like forcing it because that shows in your story.
4. Who is your favorite author and how did they inspire you to write?
I have so many favorites it’s hard to name just one, JR Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Kresley Cole just to name a few. My inspiration, I desire to create a world for the reader to escape into, as do my favorite writers.
5. It’s easy to see that you have a passion for writing but is there any part of it you don’t like?
Right now the only part I don’t like about it is that I don’t have as much time to devote to my writing as I would like. My desk is a piled mess of papers that I write down snippets of story on throughout the day. Then I have to sort through it all and figure out what went where!
6. Do you make time to read and if you do what are you reading right now?
I always try and make the time to read at least a little every day. I actually just finished reading Lunar Light by Penelope Fletcher. I absolutely loved it!
7. How did you get started in writing in this paranormal romance? Is there personal life experience in the writing?
I started writing Hailey’s Coyote with the thought of sending it to Harlequin nocturne cravings. When that didn’t go the way I would have liked I self published instead. In Hailey’s there is not a drop of life experience, but the characters are loosely based on people I know.
Crimson Fury was a brain child that started a year ago when I a discussion about government experiments sparked the idea in my head. What would the government do if paranormal creatures were real and discovered living among us? In Crimson Fury there is a lot of my own life experience woven into the main character. Being thrust into a situation that completely and irrevocably changes your entire life, and how she deals with it.
8. Your books have been published with Amazon.com, Does this mean you see the publishing industry headed this way?
I do. I feel like unfortunately the days of driving to the book store and standing among hundreds of books are quickly coming to an end. It is much more economical and convenient for a reader to pick up their tablet or e-reader and download the book they want. Even I, who said I would never own an e-reader, bought one last year for just that reason.
9. Do you have any online sites where others can read more of your writings?
Yes I do. They can go to my blog dawnsmithbooks.blogspot.com and find not only short stories written by myself, but other guest Indie authors as well.
10. Do you have any more stories in the works? What kinds of stories do you plan to write next?
I actually have three in the works right now. Time Ever After, a vampire short should be ready for my blog in a couple of weeks, another book based on a succubus is in the beginning stages, but should be ready by fall 2012. I plan on finishing then moving on to the next volume in the Bear Canyon Shifters Series.
11. Who would be your first choice to play Evan in your book "Hailey's Coyote"
Chris Hemsworth without a doubt.
12. If you could meet anyone from any time who would it be and what would be your first question?
Amelia Earhart. What was it like to be the first woman to pilot an airplane? And just what is in the Bermuda triangle?

Sunday, March 18, 2012

MasterKoda Conference!

Our own shameless plug!

Kai's Journey - Charles & Wendy Siefken

by Page Bookshelf Central on Sunday, March 18, 2012 at 10:20am ·
"Kai's Journey" is a story about a young man, set ten years in the future. Kai has spent those years fighting for survival and trying to find a way rid the world of the disease his father created.. His father was a military scientist charged with the task of perfecting a formula that would create a superior breed of soldiers. Kai's father accidentally created a race of zombies. Like a virus, it soon spreads to the entire world, unleashing a period of unsurpassed chaos and conflict. In the midst of this turmoil, Kai comes across a young woman named Clover, who is part of a clan traveling across the United States to try to find what is left of humanity. Clover is a part of a clan of werewolves who can turn at will but aren't blood thirsty savages as depicted in general history. . Along the way Kai and Clover come across stragglers who join with the group as they journey across the upper part of what used to be known as North America.One night while Kai and Clover were watching a meteor shower they meet a group totally out of this world. Kai and Clover begin a heroic journey, fueled by the increasingly dim hope that somehow, the human race will have a chance to start over.

From the title I expected a story along the same lines as The kite runner, but oh no this is definately nothing like that. This is a story of a quest; a quest to cure a disease and rid the world of zombies and Kai, for reasons that will be made clear in the book, is the one who feels he must carry out this quest. A thrilling book and that is praise indeed as I don't normally read or watch anything to do with zombies.


We have an article in the Marshall Times, its an insert in the Marshalltown Times Republican. Its a local news paper. I really do like how Mike Donahey did the article too. Very well done! I was so excited I was all giggly at the gas station! not a normal mood for me to be in,, (Giggly) that is.. but was just excited to see my son in the paper and our book being out there! awesome!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Our Interview with David Bishop!

David BishopProduct DetailsProduct DetailsProduct DetailsProduct Details

                                                       Bio
I was born in Washington, D.C. From there my life likely mirrored that of a lot of my readers. We moved around. I got some education. Played some sports, and got some more education. Prior to becoming a novelist, I worked as a financial analyst determining the value of companies. But let's talk about my current and final career, writing mystery novels.

As a writer, I conjure up occurrences designed to quickly bring the story to a roiling boil. Along the way, I invent people. Victims and villains and heroes are needed, as well as a supporting cast. I make these people fun and interesting so you will welcome them and introduce them to your friends. Primary characters need habits and tics and talents, the qualities that bring them to life and make you love them or hate them. You'll want to see them humiliated or hunted down, be sucessful or seduced.

My mysteries offer you the opportunity to be challenged to find the villain from among the suspects. Clues as large as a log or as tiny as a bump thereon are salted throughout the stories. There are distractions in the form of false clues, called red herrings, which point to someone other than the real villain.

Take a journey with me. Laugh. Hold your breath. Cheer. Boo. The characters are rich and the plots are grabbers. I promise that you'll be glad you came along. Some people don't like golf or chocolate or even a hearty laugh. But I'll bet you like some of those things and I'll bet you'll like my mysteries. Yours very truly, David Bishop

                                       Bio provided by author's site

It was our pleasure to get the opportunity to interview David and learn more about him and how he came to be an author. David has quite a few books published that are doing really well in the charts! So get comfortable and give a warm welcome to David!

What makes a good hook in your stories?
Hitting the ground running, i.e., immediately giving readers at least one main character with whom they can relate and about whom they care what happens. As a mystery writer, I create interesting people, and place them in jeopardy. “If readers begin to think, I don’t care what happens to these people,” my book becomes a wall banger and they pick up a different novel. I know this and so I write to give the story traction on the first page. I actually change the terminology a bit and think of “hooks and come alongs.” The come along says, come along while I tell you this story. The hook drags the reader from one scene into the next. I try to start scenes with come alongs and end them with hooks.  That’s not typical terminology for writers, but it’s mine.



Where does your inspiration come from?
I can’t sing or dance, yet I want to be an entertainer, so I write. My inspiration comes through the opportunity to provide a few minutes of escape for my readers while they sit on an airplane, lounge in their backyard, or when they aren’t quite ready to go to sleep.



Are you an organized writer? Do you do things like take notes and make lists of characters? Or do you free write and work it out as you go?
It seems that every writer I talk to does it a little differently. Some organize to the point of using an outline, others do not. I’m in the “do not” camp. In most instances I start out this way: I decide the crime, pick a hero and a villain and fire the gun to start the race. First, I write a major biography of the main characters so I know who they are, and, by extension, how they can be expected to react and behave. The bio sometimes gets changed because the story develops in a way that makes me need to change a talent or tic of that character. The first writing I do is the last scene.  After that I return to page one and start the story. My theory is we don’t load up the car, put the kids in the backseat and pull away from the curb to go on vacation without knowing where we are going. A novel is like that. I have to know where the story is going, where the hero, villain, plot, and solution will come together. Then I can go back and pull away from the curb knowing that all my turns and twists are designed to get me to my destination. Once I know where I will end up, I just let the major characters behave as they would, based on their respective bios, and I write what they do and say.



What is your normal writing day like? Do you write when you are inspired or do you have a schedule?
 I write whenever I have the time. It makes no different what time or day of the week. I read the last page I wrote and continue writing. I have never experienced writer’s block. I don’t understand it. With modern word processors I can easily change or delete, so what’s to be blocked? Write the story. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Write the story. Perfect comes, or at least its pursuit comes in something like the tenth (or whatever) rewrite.



Who is your favorite author and how did they inspire you to write?
There are so many tremendous mystery/thriller writers whose work I admire. But the writer who most inspired me was Louis L’Amour, the greatest and most prolific western writer in history. I don’t write westerns, but nonetheless he was my inspiration.  A story to explain: I saw Louis L’Amour in a restaurant in Durango, Colorado. He was lunching alone. I went to him and said, “I apologize for interrupting your lunch, but I want to thank you for many hours of enjoyable reading.” He replied, “How nice of you young man. If you’re alone and having lunch, please join me.” I did. We talked for over an hour, and through that I learned that he wrote on a portable typewriter which he took everywhere. If his wife had a doctor’s appointment, he would be in the lobby knocking out a few pages. He said he could write anytime, anywhere and he did. He also said things which I would summarize as, don’t sweat the small stuff. Write. Fix it up later. I’ve followed that counsel ever since.



It’s easy to see that you have a passion for writing but is there any part of it you don’t like?
No. Oh, maybe the business side of being an author as it takes me away from my first love, writing stories. Yet, the business part is necessary and I don’t really mind doing it.



Do you make time to read and if you do what are you reading right now?
An author must take/make time to read for pleasure, but also to learn how others craft their stories. At the moment, I am reading a wonderful mystery titled Rejection, a Lou Drake Mystery, by Thomas K. Matthews. Lou Drake is an interesting detective and the plot so far has my undivided attention.



How did you get started in writing in the mystery/thriller/suspense genre?
I always loved reading in this genre, and always wanted to write in it. Like many of you, life sometimes gets in the way of bringing out the things that live in our ambitions. I wrote a highly technical, financial nonfiction book in 2002 which was published in English, Russian, and Chinese. After it came out, I decided I was going to pursue what I really wanted to write, fiction. I wrote fiction for ten years, studying and practicing the craft, before aggressively pursuing being published. I wanted to be ready and I am. My characters are interesting, the plots grabbers. I invite you to come along and cheer, boo, cry, and laugh with the nice and nasty folks who inhabit my stories. I have five novels out currently, with a sixth due this summer. My goal is to serve my novels like potato chips: bet you can’t read just one.



Your books have been published with Amazon.com. Does this mean you see the publishing industry headed this way?
Amazon is the leading company in selling online books. Generally speaking, the eBook offers the book buyer lower prices and greater conveniences. To shop for a book at home, order and receive it in seconds and immediately start reading, to obtain a significant portion of a book as a free samples before buying, and carrying dozens, even hundreds of books in a package roughly the size of a Readers Digest, is hard to beat. I recall, as a young man going downtown to a record store to buy music. Later, I went downtown to rent a view-at-home movie. Digitalization has changed those forms of entertainment. We are now experiencing that same kind of metamorphosis with books. Digitalization has unleashed authors to bring their craft to readers without first subjecting it to the filtering and screening of the big box publishers who traditionally decided which stories were worthy of reaching people. This phenomenon gives the author more freedom and the book consumer more power. The traditional publishers simply no longer rule and command what writers can put out and what readers can read. This is good.



Do you have any online sites where others can read more of your writings?
My website is www.davidbishopbooks.com. There one can learn more about me and my novels. I often have a short story posted on my blog page within that website. The Signed Books subpage will help those who prefer to obtain signed print books for collection or possible investment. The David’s Novels subpage includes buy buttons for each of my novels connecting visitors to the major online book retailer they prefer. Thank you Wendy and Charles for giving me the opportunity to encourage your readers to take a closer look at my novels.



Do you have any more stories in the works? What kinds of stories do you plan to write next? Always mysteries/thrillers/suspense, well, in all likelihood, always. One can never say for certain. Currently, I have about 20-25 stories started. Some are only a few pages to capture the storyline. Others are 20-50 pages in length.



Who would be your first choice to play Linda Darby from your book “The Woman?”
Wow. What a fun question. Actually, I have thought about that. Despite the difficulty of remembering how to spell her name, Barbara Stanwyck would be the choice. Among the current leading ladies of film, there are several, but I think Hillary Swank captures the image of Linda Darby better than many others whose acting I also greatly admire.  If I may expand on the question, I’d pick Mark Wahlberg to play Ryan Testler, the male lead in The Woman. And, if you’d like a male lead from Barbara Stanwyck’s era, I’d go with Robert Mitchum.



If you could meet anyone from any time who would it be and what would be your first question? This is another wonderful question. If you had asked me to pick five, I would have included Mark Twain from literature, Paul Reuter who started his famous news service by using homing pigeons to transport the news faster than any other method at that time, and from film Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. But you asked me to pick one; I pick Thomas Jefferson. My question would be, “Mr. Jefferson what do you think about how American governance has evolved and how does it mesh or clash with the visions of the founding fathers?


Our Interview with Caroline Crosby!

   The Other Covenant (Vow of the Seven)

                                   Bio

I was born in New York City, grew up in Boston, lived in Los Angeles and Denver and now live in central Virginia with my husband.
My background includes degrees in English, psychology and counseling, together with study of western and eastern history and spiritual beliefs. I have used practical genetics in cat breeding and learned enough about electronics to earn my General Class amateur radio license. My main career has been as a computer software engineer. All of these fields apply to this book.

                               Bio provided by author

It was our pleasure to get the opportunity to meet Caroline and learn more about her journey to becomming an author! Caroline has had a full and diverse in learning different aspects of education and life. So please give a warm welcome to Caroline!
1.      What makes for a good hook in your stories? Where does your inspiration come from?
There are several hooks in my story. The main one is the concept that, from early colonial days, a small group of people have secretly ruled America. This idea is certainly not original; the usual suspects for this role are the Knights Templar and the Masons, with a nod to Skull and Bones, Rhodes scholarship holders and the Trilateral Commission. Every now and then someone mentions space aliens in this context. In this book the secret rulers are descendants of a few psychics who fled from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony to avoid charges of witchcraft.
 Another hook is the idea of a heroine who is a warrior but whose only “swearing” is an occasional “damn.” I’m equally tired of reading about updated Victorian maidens who need protection and of crude butt-kicking female fighters.
 I enjoy reading both conspiracy stories and occult stories. Though I don’t remember the exact moment this story came into my head, I’m sure it was inspired by reading in these genres.

Are you an organized writer? Do you do things like take notes and make lists of characters?  Or do you free write and work it out as you go?
I would say I’m half organized and half disorganized. My online Favorites list contains many articles that have been or could be useful in my writing.  I have  notes on characters and plots and taken pictures of some of the locations where the story takes place. I decide the general story line and free write from there.

What is your normal writing day like? Do you write when you are inspired or do you have a schedule?
In general I do my writing in the early evening, but I have written at just about any hour of the day or night.

Who is your favorite author and how did they inspire you to write?
Margaret Mitchell is my favorite author. Her beautiful prose and wonderful characterization inspired me to attempt to reach her standard.

It’s easy to see that you have a passion for writing but is there any part of it you don’t like?
I definitely don’t like sending out query letters that are often not even acknowledged and, if they are, only by a form letter.

6.   Do you make time to read and if you do what are you reading right now?
Yes, I try to read at least one 300 plus page book per week. Right now I’m reading books in  the Dune  series (both Frank and Brian Herbert). It seems that just about everyone in these books has their own conspiracy.

How did you get started in writing in the sci/fi fantasy genre? Is there personal life experience in the writing?
My favorite book as a child was Alice in Wonderland, a fantasy. I started writing sci/fi and fantasy in college. Some of my life experiences show up now and then, but it is revised to be more interesting.
Your books have been published with Amazon.com, Does this mean you see the publishing industry headed this way?
The publishing industry is headed this way right now. Publishing on Amazon is free and the stigma against self-publishing is disappearing. From the reading point of view, aside from having to remember to keep the battery charged, I enjoy its light weight, search ability, built-in dictionaries and other features. Not to mention the low cost of kindle books—with a high royalty percentage for the author.
I wasted almost two years sending out queries, with no positive results. People who read part or all of The Other Covenant said they liked it. With this new avenue of publication opened, I decided to take advantage of it. I haven’t sold many copies yet, but I can wait. No one will take my book off the shelf to make room for another, so I have plenty of time.
That is not to say that I would refuse a good offer from an established publisher! I would like to see my books on the shelves of a bookstore and have a real chance of having them made into movies.

Do you have any online sites where others can read more of your writings?
Not yet, but I plan to build one.
  Do you have any more stories in the works? What kinds of stories do you plan to write next?
The Other Covenant is the first volume of a trilogy. I’m working on the second volume and have done some work on the third.  I might try my hand at science fiction sometime in the future.

11. Who would be your first choice to play Elizabeth Mitchell  in your book titled, "The Other Covenant (Vow of Seven)"?
I really can’t say, since I haven’t been keeping up with movies and television dramas, but I would love to see it made into a movie.

12. If you could meet anyone from any time who would it be and what would be your first question?
I’m afraid I can’t really answer this question because there are many people I would like to meet and many questions I would like to ask. Julius Caesar and Queen Elizabeth I are two of them. I would like to ask them what their true motives were for some of the things they did.

Our Interview with Bruce Obee!

Image of Bruce Obee            Scuttlejack (A Damon Quinn Mystery)

                                           Bio

The Pacific coastal environment has been the setting for most of Bruce Obee's work during the past four decades. A writer of books, magazine articles, and television scripts, his work is published by National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, Travel & Leisure, British Columbia Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and others. Obee has won several international magazine awards as well as Canada's prestigious Leo Award for screenwriting. He is a recipient of the Governor-General's Commemorative Medal for "significant contribution to compatriots, community and to Canada." Bruce Obee lives on Vancouver Island with his wife, Janet Barwell-Clarke. They have two grown daughters, Nicole and Lauren Obee.

                                       Bio provided by author's site

It was our pleasure to get an opportunity to interview Bruce and learn more about him and his lustrous and long career in writing! So please give a warm welcome to Bruce!


1.  What makes for a good hook in your stories? Where does your inspiration come from?
Three things: characters, setting, and plot. Damon Quinn, my investigative crime writer, is a departure from typical cops or private eyes. Someone different. The West Coast setting has always been the focus of my work. I’m completely comfortable writing about home, and readers find Pacific Canada extraordinarily attractive. The plot relies on the rural and wilderness features of the setting, and Quinn’s familiarity with the West Coast. Urban segments may come into the story, but much of the intrigue is found in the backwater ambience of coastal villages, islands, and oceans.



2.   Are you an organized writer? Do you do things like take notes and make lists of characters?  Or do you free write and work it out as you go?
I’m excruciatingly organized, I tie loose ends and tidy my desk at the end of each day. I research and interview extensively, and write from a detailed outline that keeps the story on track. I polish as I write so the first draft is reasonably clean. Then I rewrite, sleep, rewrite, sleep, and rewrite.



3.  What is your normal writing day like? Do you write when you are inspired or do you have a schedule?
I work non-stop in my home office from about 7:30 each morning until around 6:30 p.m., a routine I’ve maintained through 40 years of full-time writing. I write on assignment for established publishers—no government or corporate flacking—and always write to contractual deadlines. A thousand words is an extremely good day.



4.  Who is your favorite author and how did they inspire you to write?
The late Roald Dahl. I’ve been fortunate to have been published with him in an anthology. I envy his incomparable wit and economic style, moving his stories at a pace where every word is vital to the plot and tone. His Tales of the Unexpected are proof that no one can deliver so many surprises in so few words. 



5.  It’s easy to see that you have a passion for writing but is there any part of it you don’t like?
As I mention on my website, writing is a life sentence. Writers are plagued by a mind that travels with the body, so the work never stops. Sometimes I wish my vocation would just go away. But I love writing, and while I take days off like every other worker, the writing gears are always churning. Storytelling is an addiction.



6.  Do you make time to read and if you do what are you reading right now?
I read an hour or two every night, mainly mysteries, almost always Canadian, English, or Scottish authors, sometimes Kiwis and Australians. Mark Zuehlke, Peter Robinson, Giles Blunt, Jack Hodgins, Ian Rankin, P.D. James, Elizabeth George are some contemporary favourites. Lately I’ve been reading mysteries written by other Amazon Kindle authors, including several Americans.



7.   How did you get started in the mystery fiction genre? Is there personal life experience in the writing?
I’ve spent a lifetime writing illustrated non-fiction, longing for a time when I could create picture-free stories, and have the freedom to say things I’d never get away with in truthful journalism. Mysteries are my obvious choice. They lead off with a clearly-defined purpose, move methodically through a series of twists and surprises, then conclude with a tidy finale. My short story, The Partnership, sold on the first try to Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, which encouraged me to believe I could write salable fiction.



8.  Your books have been published with Amazon.com, Does this mean you see the publishing industry headed this way?
Yes, traditional publishers are struggling. Some of our most respected, i.e. Canada’s McClelland and Stewart, are being absorbed into larger companies. Many are going belly-up. Their promotion budgets are dwindling and authors are compelled to set up websites and market their own books. Not long ago self-publishing carried a ‘can’t-sell-it’ stigma, but now some authors are discovering higher sales, certainly higher royalties, in self-published ebooks. Readers, too, are finding talented authors whose talents were bypassed by established print publishers. Print is far from obsolete, but ebooks invariably offer a broader choice of books and authors.



9.  Do you have any online sites where others can read more of your writings?
My website, www.bruceobee.com, has frequently-updated blogs about writing, sometimes asking for fiction ideas from readers. There’s a biography, bibliography, FAQs on writing, books I’ve written, videos I’ve produced, and published magazine stories that have been requested by readers. There’s also a link to my photography website, with categorized photos and contacts for my photo agent.



10.  Do you have any more stories in the works? What kinds of stories do you plan to write next?
I’m dreaming up the next Damon Quinn Mystery, aiming to nail down the outline and begin writing within the next three weeks. I’ve offered these mysteries as a series and intend to keep up a scheduled pace for new books, hopefully every eight or nine months.



11.  Who would be your first choice to play Damon Quinn from your book "Scuttlejack"?
Colin Cunningham, a California-born actor now based in Vancouver, Canada. Colin and I met when we shared a table at Vancouver’s Leo Awards, where we both won Leos, his for acting, mine for screenwriting. He played a shady undercover cop in the long-running series Da Vinci’s Inquest, so he’s already primed for the role of Damon Quinn.



12.  If you could meet anyone from any time who would it be and what would be your first question?
Terry Fox. I’d ask where he found the strength to achieve a dream held by every political leader—to unite an entire country, to make all Canadians so profoundly proud of their own nationality.


Our Interview with Ann Videan!

Ann Videan PortraitRhythms & Muse



                                       Bio

Award-winning Business-Tribe Architect Ann N. Videan, APR, has learned one main thing from strategizing marketing with hundreds of entrepreneurial visionaries: You don’t need to spend too much time and too much money on marketing to obtain exciting results. The simple secret? Our focus on five key attributes: excellence, creativity, kindness, rewards and results.
Word-of-mouth blooms when you offer Excellent products and services that intrigue and/or serve customers. This is where it all starts.
Your marketing will work best if you involve Creativity. All it takes is a marketing idea or message that is unique or even outrageous enough to get people talking.
Your marketing thrives when you build trusting relationships based on Kindness, respect, integrity and giving.
Excellence, creativity and kindness attract loyal followers to your business tribe, as Ann’s own marketing consulting firm has experienced since its founding in 1996. Leveraging word-of-mouth and marketing strategies based on these three fundamentals has earned us 99 percent of our clients.
Accredited in public relations, Ann consults with all levels of entrepreneurial thinkers. She has worked with everyone from microbusiness owners in the neighborhoods of Phoenix, AZ, to executives in Fortune 500 companies like Apple Computer. Ann also has worked with firms as disparate as a telecom provider in San Francisco, Calif., and a die bonder manufacturer in Cham, Switzerland.
With all clients, we focus on making the work Rewarding. We strive to create marketing efforts involving fun, community service, and emotional attachment, which pays off with “wins” like these:
• We enticed 15,000 extras to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ, to film football movie scenes for Jerry Maguire.
• We served as the catalyst for Rhino Internet/Staging’s role in reintroducing white rhinos to the Phoenix Zoo. (Next time you visit, be sure to check on Ann’s retired lady friends Notch and Half-Ear.)
• Ann leads her own successful business tribes for communicators, writers, and consultants.
Sometimes other people notice what we do, too, which we find both gratifying and humbling:
• As editorial director of RealTime, a corporate in-house newsmagazine, Ann and her team earned a prestigious Gold Quill honorable mention from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).
• Peers in the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) selected Ann to receive the Phoenix chapter’s top honor: the PERCY Award.
• A national panel of home-based business experts selected Videan Unlimited as The Crown Jewel Award (top U.S. home-based business).
At Videan Unlimited, we start with excellence and end with what everyone wants: Results. Our clients report thousands of dollars in increased revenue shortly after working with us. They also often comment on gaining enhanced clarity for their marketing vision, and powerful connections with unique people and ideas. We’d love to have you experience this, too, as part of our business tribe.
For fun, Ann spends a great deal of time writing, volunteering for community and professional organizations, and creating memories with her loving and supportive husband, son and daughter. She is also a novelist, musician, photographer, and avid in-line skater.

                                      Bio provided by author's site

We had a great opportunity to get a chance to know a little bit more about Ann and learn of her journey to becoming an author. Ann's days are filled with family, community and professional volunteering, and many other activities besides writing! So get comfortable and please give a warm welcome to Ann!


1. What makes for a good hook in your stories? Where does your inspiration come from?
Paranormal influences and characters who are real, yet quirky. My inspiration comes from everywhere, but mostly from music, movies, talking with people and experiencing a lot of unique activity in my personal life. I love to explore new places, meet new people and try almost everything once.
2. Are you an organized writer? Do you do things like take notes and make lists of characters? Or do you free write and work it out as you go?
I do like to have a rough outline, but I am not a linear thinker, so I must follow my intuition as I write and take the story where it feels right. Or where my characters show me it needs to go. I do make reference lists: favorite character slang, research notes about places and times in history relating to the story, etc.

3. What is your normal writing day like? Do you write when you are inspired or do you have a schedule?
I try to write in two-hour blocks whenever those come up. My most productive writing time was when I treated my writing time as a client and worked at it every day from 1 – 3 p.m. in a local coffee shop.
4. Who is your favorite author and how did they inspire you to write?
 I don't have a favorite author because I enjoy so many different genres. Mostly I'm inspired by "real" dialogue, characters with whom I can picture myself being friends, and fresh worlds created in an author's mind.
5. It’s easy to see that you have a passion for writing but is there any part of it you don’t like?
The whole process is a joy. Sometimes, I wish the books would leap into people's Amazon shopping carts more easily, but making those relationships and intriguing people about your story is part of the fun.
6. Do you make time to read and if you do what are you reading right now?
I read every night before I go to sleep. Right now, I'm into "A Wise Man's Fear" by Patrick Rothfuss, one of the best tale spinners ever.
7. What lead you to write in this genre and style? Is there personal life experience in the writing?
My Rhythms & Muse novel was a story I'd had in my head for many years and wanted to get on paper. Now that it's done, I'm working on a trilogy in the genre which makes my heart truly sing: young-adult adventure/sci-fi/fantasy.
 
8. Your books have been published with Amazon.com, Does this mean you see the publishing industry headed this way?
Yes. In my opinion, the old way of publishing is outdated. Besides, writers should be getting more recognition and compensation for their ideas and hard work. Why not use the amazing technology tools we have available to us to get our stories out to the world?
9. Do you have any online sites where others can read more of your writings?
My Words.Music.Village. blog at http://anvidean.com, where we talk about writing music and creating villages of like-minded people. I also run a writers' tribe on Facebook and LinkedIn called ALWAYS (Alliance of Literary Writers, Authors & Yabbering Scribes).
10. Do you have any more stories in the works? What kinds of stories do you plan to write next?
I am writing the first book in a young-adult adventure/sci-fi/fantasy story about a human girl who finds out she's a faerie (one of the 7-foot tall, wingless, Celtic kind), who must return to the faerie realm to save the human race, her family and the faerie realm. The connection between human and faerie worlds is music, so I will be creating another CD of original music inspired by the book, as well.
 
11. Who would be your first choice to play Alexandra Lauren of your book"Rhythms & Muse"?
I actually have a blog post about casting Alex in a future movie. It's in my Words.Music.Village. blog at http://anvidean.com/2011/03/28/help-me-%E2%80%93-theoretically-cast-rhythms-muse-the-movie/ and I'd love to have input from anyone on it.
My choices, because she appears in the book as both a teenager and a 40-something, would be:
• Teen Alex = Emma Watson
• 40-something Alex = Drew Barrymore
 
12. If you could meet anyone from any time who would it be and what would be your first question?
Shakespeare, "Who really wrote your stories?"