Friday, 20 November 2015
Savannah's Thought Garden: STG's Month of Gratitude - Clair Plaisted Guest Bl...
Savannah's Thought Garden: STG's Month of Gratitude - Clair Plaisted Guest Bl...: Thank you for joining me today, November 20th. Today my guest blogger is a lovely author from New Zealand. You might recognize her from b...
Thursday, 22 October 2015
Savannah's Thought Garden: Author Spotlight ~ Claire Plaisted
Savannah's Thought Garden: Author Spotlight ~ Claire Plaisted: Welcome and thank you for stopping by Savannah’s Thought Garden’s Daisy Chain - Author Spotlights. I’m so happy you could join m...
Sunday, 1 February 2015
The Infamous Scribbler - Rachel Brune
Please welcome the awesome Infamous Scribbler, the one and only Rachel Brune!
Welcome to my blog, please tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a former Army journalist and current
brand-new mom living in Fayetteville, North Carolina. I’ve been writing all my
life, but only in the last few years have I started getting serious about it.
In addition to writing and taking care of my two-month-old, my husband and I
also foster Basset hounds with the Carolina Basset Hound Rescue. I blog about
my adventures, and host interviews with interesting characters, at the Infamous Scribbler.
Congratulation on being a new mom - enjoy every moment of it :)
What brought
you to the world of writing?
First and foremost a love of reading.
There’s nothing I love better than to
lose myself in a good book, and when I write, it is my goal to give that gift
to my readers.
What is your first book and what do you
think of it now?
My first book was a sword-and-sorcery
fantasy entitled “Winter Skirmish.” I’m still in love with it, but not blind to
its flaws, and so one of my “someday” plans is to go back and re-haul it. I did
write a prequel for it during NaNoWriMo 2010, and the early chapters received
positive feedback at my writer’s group. I
would love to get back to it and whip the series into shape, but the time isn’t
right just now.
My books that are available are non-fiction
essays & photography (Echoes
& Premonitions), action suspense/thriller (Soft
Target), and shifter urban fantasy (Cold
Run.) I’d like to think they fulfil my readers’ needs, except they keep
asking for the sequels, and I haven’t written them yet…!
How long does it take you to write your first draft?
Sadly, I am not a fast writer. Also, the flash-to-bang from idea to finished novel is typically years. I tend to let an idea stew and stew until something happens to let me know that I’m ready to go. I’ll also do a lot of research, even for a fiction novel. When I actually sit down to write, it can take me from as little as a month (if it’s November!) to half a year to hammer out a first draft.
Do you plot or not, if so why?
Yes, absolutely. I’ve tried pantsing it,
but I ran into trouble and lost track of where I was and had to stop and finish
plotting. I may start out with just a jumble of notes and an extra-large cup of
coffee, but somewhere along the way, I have to set up a structure and plan my
path forward.
Do you write in 1st or 3rd
person, or have you do both?
I tend to write both. In Soft Target, as
well as the novel I’m working on now, I wrote in third person in order to move
around and give myself some freedom of perspective. In Cold Run, I wrote in
first person, because a lot of the information – and wisecracks – happen in the
main character’s head. I enjoyed clueing in the audience as he became aware of
things, and treating them to the snarky comments he makes at other people’s
expense.
How do you edit your work? Do you leave your draft alone for a while or
edit as you write?
I start a few pages back every time I sit
down to write, so that I can review what I’ve written and get back in the swing
of things. When I do, I can’t help but fix things that I see. After I’ve
finished the book, I have a few trusted beta readers. Also, I’ll workshop the
first few chapters with my writing group, to see if they pick up on any
patterns of editorial wrongdoing that I can go ahead and fix. Then, after I
revise with those edits, I’ll do a personal proofreading pass where I start
from the end of the book and read backwards. It’s amazing what you can pick up
when you’re not caught up in the story. Then, I’ll start to query it to
publishers, or if I’ve decided to go the indie route, hire a professional
editor. After receiving his/her edits, I’ll begin sending out ARCs, hiring a
graphic designer, planning the launch, and all the other stuff the indies need
to do to get their work out there.
Would you like to feature a book, if so which one? Tell us about it?
I’d love to feature Soft Target! This is a book that took me on a journey that taught me a lot about independent publishing. In fact, I think the lessons learned from writing, editing, hiring a graphic artist, starting a Web site prior to the launching, then launching, formatting the print edition … every step of the journey was a learning experience. Even after publishing with a small press publisher (Cold Run), I realized that every writer needs to learn these lessons and put them into practice. No one else will believe in your work as much as you do!
What type of people/readers do you market
your books to?
Do you like to read? Excellent! Buy my
book. :D
Do you self-publish or have you worked with
an Agent/Publisher
Both! I find that both paths are rewarding,
and you can learn a lot from them. I would love to try finding an agent, and
perhaps submitting at a large, traditional house, but until then, I’ll continue
to hone my craft and hopefully people will enjoy the books I’m writing.
How do you promote your writing?
I am a member of a number of Goodreads and
Facebook groups for readers, reviewers, and writers. I’ve also found a circle
of friends who enjoy my work and will share it with their circle of friends. I
try my best to get reviews, which as every writer knows, are the best things
EVER. And if anyone has any other ideas, I’m willing to try anything once!
Where can we buy your books?
Amazon is your best bet!
I also have a number of eBooks available
for reviewers.
Who are your favourite authors?
So many! I love Ray Bradbury, Mercedes
Lackey, Jim Butcher, Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, Umberto Eco, Joseph
Conrad, Anne McCaffrey, Tanya Huff … I could go on, but these are my top faves
that I return to over and over again.
I love you selection of authors, I have many of those on my own bookshelves.
Links
Do you have any more information you’d like
to share with us?
In addition to being a mom-mom, I’m also a
rescue mom. We have a cat, Schnapps, a cattle dog, Brandy, and a Basset hound,
Captain. I’d have more, but my husband and city ordinances forbid it… J
We have one rescue cat called Sylvia who I have nicknames "Fat Cat" and the other we inherited. She is known as Tilly or "Flat Cat." Polar opposites.....lol
Sunday, 25 January 2015
Interview with Stephen Christiansen
Please welcome Stephen Christiansen
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I
am 45, married to a wonderful and beautiful wife. We just celebrated 17 years
of marriage. We have a lovely 13-year-old daughter. We live in Everett,
Washington and both work together in medical billing, for the same company. We
are very active in our community and help with Camp Fire USA.
I
was a Navy brat for 16 years before my dad retired and moved to Camano Island,
Washington, so I've traveled a lot and got to explore the world. I feel very
fortunate to be able to see great landscapes, mountains, deserts, and forests.
I’ve seen ruins of ancient civilizations and some of the greatest cities of
today. I’ve seen the best and the worst of people and now I’ve been able to put
it all into a great storyline.
What bought you to the world of writing?
I’ve always loved reading. It let me go to
new, fantastic places and meet wonderful people in the realms of imagination. I
guess my mind has always been very creative and now I’m able to release that
creativity and share it with the rest of the world.
When I think about it, I think it was a way to escape from the
traumas of my childhood. I wasn’t raised in the best of environments and
writing let me create a world that I could live in for a short amount of time.
I guess this series is still an outlet of my younger years.
What is your first book and what do you
think of it now?
My first book is the first book of the
Orbbelgguren Series called “Istobarra Commencement.”
It’s a little slower in the character development than some of the other books
of the series, but I didn’t want a several hundred year old female lead to
change her personality over night. I think the readers have been very pleased
with the book and it sets a good ground level for the rest of the series.
What type of books do you write and do they
fulfil your reader’s needs?
I write fantasy fiction, or high fiction.
It’s similar to Lord of the Rings or the Dr’zzt books by R.A. Salvatore. Yes,
many readers of high fiction have come to love the books.
Would you like to feature a book, if so
which one? Tell us about it?
I would love to feature the 10th
book of the Orbbelgguren Series called “The Troll Wars”
This book looks at war in its entirety. It shows bravery and stupidity,
sacrifice and self-promotion. It looks at famine and disease. It talks about
financial, political and religious points of views. This will test
relationships and allies. In the end, every life that this war touches will
never be the same again. It’s very action packed and very emotional. I think my
fans will like it.
How long does it take you to write your
first draft?
I write about one thousand words a day so a
typical book of about 100,000 words takes about 3 months to write the initial
first draft. However, “The Troll Wars” is 120,000 words so it took 4 months to
write. Then, when the book is done, there is another month of editing.
Do you plot or not, if so why?
I plot about half of the book. I know where
I want my characters to begin and how I want them to end. I also know some of
the middle of the plot lines. However, I leave room for the characters to
surprise me, as they often do. I find that good characters write themselves.
On the other hand, the plot of the series
as a whole is complete. Each book is part of a great plot line, each plot is a
minor portion of a greater whole.
Do you write in 1st or 3rd
person, or have you do both?
I usually write in third person, but now
that the question has been asked, I think I’m inspired to add some first person
perspective. There may be a point in book 14 to bring that into play. We shall
see.
How do you edit your work? Do you leave your draft alone for a while or
edit as you write?
I do some minor editing during my writing.
However, after my initial rough draft, I do a spell check and a first read
through. Then I put the story into the correct format and redo some of the
structuring. When that is done, I do a second spell check and my final read
through. I’m usually very happy with the results by then.
What type of people/readers do you market
your books to?
I market to a lot of geeks and gamers,
those who would be interested in Dungeons and Dragons, Lord of the Rings, and
dark elves. However, many of my readers aren't into these genres and have still
loved the series. I think readers have a way of surprising an author and a good
plot line reaches beyond its genre.
Do you self-publish or have you worked with
an Agent/Publisher?
Currently I’m a self publisher through
Lulu. It’s not easy when I have to write, edit and then try to promote my own
books. I still have a family, home, and full time job, so there is a lot of
work to be done. An agent may be helpful, however that would start to get into
profit. I’m still bouncing around the idea if I should go with an agent
eventually or not.
How do you promote your writing?
I post to my Facebook page
my Lulu page
blog on my Goodreads page
and finally tweet as
Where can we buy your books?
You can buy the books on Amazon
on B&N
and iTunes
But the lowest prices available are on Lulu
Who are your favourite authors?
My favourite author is Edgar Allen Poe. My
other noteworthy and influential authors are Stephen King, R.A. Salvatore, and
Silverberg. I think that readers will be able to see aspects of each in several
of the books.
Do you have any more information you’d like
to share with us?
There have been some shows that I used to watch that have contributed
to my inspiration. These include “The Outer Limits”, “The Twilight Zone”,
“Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, “Ray Bradbury”, and “Tales from the Dark Side.”
These have given me off-the-wall plot lines, twists, turns and different
perspectives. I think the reader will be able to see some of these influences
in the series and will be pleasantly surprised.
Thank you for your time Stephen, we look forward to hearing more about your up and coming books.
Saturday, 17 January 2015
Meet Author - C M Wilson
Introducing to you the lovely C M Wilson
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am C.M. Wilson. I like candle light
dinners, long walks on the beach… sorry… I always feel like I’m pimping myself
off for a date. I live in Michigan. I've lived here for most of my life and
base most of my books off of places from here, although Glow Stick was placed
in a fictional city in Michigan.
What brought you to the world of writing?
Honestly? Being an only child. My mother’s
answer to the problem of “I’m bored” was to give me a book and then have me
write a book report about the books I read. Sounds like torture, right? I liked
it. And from the books, I started thinking about the plots that I would do
different things with. More specifically, Sweet Valley High. The different
things I thought needed to happen to Sweet Valley High have been added into the
Northern Lights series.
What is your first book and what do you think of it now?
Northern Lights Part 1. I have a love/hate
relationship with that book. That book has gone through 15 different
reincarnations since 1996. When my publisher said “I need you to look at it one
more time” I threw a temper tantrum that rivalled of a room full of toddlers
being told that they had to take a nap.
What type of books do you write and do they fulfill your reader’s needs?
I write interracial romance (except for
Glow Stick) and I’d like to think so. Although a couple of my Northern Lights
readers say no, simply because the cliff hanger endings kill them. LOL
Would you like to feature a book, if so which one? Tell us about it?
I keep talking about Northern Lights, so
let’s go with that one. It’s going to be a ten part series. The first book is
out now and the second one comes out in two weeks.
Carrington Levesque looks like she has it
all together. She’s rich, pretty and the apple of her daddy’s eye. A blond
hair, blue eyed beauty, with one flash of her pretty smile, and you’re sure she
could have the world at the tips of her fingers. But, looks can be deceiving.
Carrington’s issues have issues. Abandoned by her mother, she lives in constant
fear that everyone else will leave her too, especially if she isn’t perfectly
perfect. That is, until she meets Eli.
Eli Warren, a 19 year old 6’2” dark skinned
African American man from Detroit, is Carrington’s opposite in every way. With
a criminal record, and a brother who is convinced that crime pays, and pays
well, it seemed inevitable that Eli would end up another statistic. He spent a
lot of time feeling like he had no control over the direction of his life. Until
he meets Carrington, and then for the first time he wants to be in the driver’s
seat of his own destiny.
It’s been called the urban Sweet Valley
High. (As a side note: I screamed… and bounced… and cried… when it was deemed
that. LOL)
How long does it take you to write your first draft?
If it’s during National Novel Writing Month
(November) then a month. But generally about 2 – 3 months.
Do you plot or not, if so why?
Yes. To the tee. I can be convinced to be a
little lenient as I’m going along but when I’m driving somewhere – I like to
know how to get there. I cannot just sit down and start writing. My brain doesn't work that way. There was a time where I didn’t stray from my outline.
Now that I know what I’m doing, my characters tend to look at my outline and
say “Isn't that cute… she’s trying to write the story…” and high jack it from
time to time. Or I’ll look at it and say “unless you’re trying to go in
circles, you don’t need that.” But for the most part by the time I start a
book, I know the beginning, middle and end.
Do you write in 1st or 3rd person, or have you done both?
I write in 3rd. I’m going to
attempt to write in 2nd person (journal entries) in one of the
Northern Lights spin offs.
How do you edit your work? Do you leave your draft alone for a while or edit as you write?
I edit for grammar as I go write. And then
when I’m done, I read it and make notes about what I need to change (and take
out things that don’t need to be there) and then go back and fix the notes.
Then I read it one more time. Then I send it to the publisher and editor who do
their magic to it and then they make their notes and send it back to me and I
change those notes. LOL
What type of people/readers do you market your books to?
Anybody who will read it. LOL. I’m lucky
because even though I write Young Adult, a lot of adults read YA. Though I’m
trying to get Glow Stick into High Schools because it’s about bullying.
Do you self-publish or have you worked with an Agent/Publisher
I self-published a few years ago, but I am
published with BraveGirl Publishing now.
How do you promote your writing?
Thru Facebook, I've done a few book
signings, I’m working on a blog tour now, I've done some interviews
Where can we buy your books?
Off of Amazon, BN.com, Kobo, Smashwords,
CreateSpace and BraveGirlPub.com
Who are your favourite authors?
I’m kind of old school in my authors, V.C.
Andrews, Nicholas Sparks, James Patterson. Though I devour anything Sara
Shepard puts out.
Links
My Amazon Author Page where you can find my books:
http://www.amazon.com/C.M.-Wilson/e/B0058I00PE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Our website: www.bravegirlpub.com
Our blog: www.bravegirlpublishing.blogspot.com
Do you have any more information you’d like to share with us?
Northern Lights part 2 drops very, very
soon. And my first adult, contemporary romance, The Wrong Side of the
Mississippi comes out in February.
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