A Word Please

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to author Elysabeth Eldering. I recently read her YA novel Finally Home, which is a fun blend of mystery and paranormal. But before we talk about the book, here’s a little about Elysabeth:

Ms. Eldering is the award winning author of the Junior Geography Detective Squad (JGDS), 50-state, mystery, trivia series. Her stories “Train of Clues”, “The Proposal” (available as an ebook), “Tulip Kiss” (available as an ebook), and “Butterfly Halves”, all placed first, second, or runner up in various contests to include two for Armchair Interviews and two for Echelon Press (Fast and … themed type contests). Her story “Bride-and-Seek” (available as an ebook) was selected for the South Carolina Writers’ Workshop (SCWW) anthology, the Petigru Review. Ms. Eldering makes her home in upper state South Carolina and loves to travel, read, cross stitch and crochet. When she’s not busy with teenaged children still at home, working her full-time job as a medical transcriptionist or participating in virtual classroom visits, she can be found at various homeschool or book events promoting her writing.

For more information about the JGDS series, please visit the JGDS blog at http://jgdssseries.blogspot.com or the JGDS website at http://jgdsseries.weebly.com.

For more information about Elysabeth’s other writings, please visit her general writing and family blog at http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com or her website at http://eeldering.weebly.com.

You can also connect with Elysabeth in the following places:

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/elysabeth42 or @elysabeth42
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=714420476, also elysabeth42

Here’s a look at her YA novel Finally Home:

It isn’t just history against progress – it’s daughter against father, or is it? Find out what secrets Kelly learns as she works to preserve an historic house in a small town that will help her bring her father Finally Home.

Now on to my favorite part, where I get to ask Elysabeth lots of questions:

What inspired you to write Finally Home?

I had a vision one day while working of an old house. I work at home and have no idea why this vision came to me, but I had to stop working for about half an hour and just write this house. I put it aside for a couple of years and when I returned to it, I tried to make it a past lives story and the house was a bit different. I went through months of creating secret messages and codes that were discovered by Kelly (who at that writing was a 20 or 30 something year-old woman whose job was to preserve the houses). I sent to my editors and both of them nixed the story, saying that I needed to write it as a children’s story or young adult novel. So a while later, I decided to participate in NaNo (that’s National Novel Writing Month) as a writer (I’d already been participating prior to 2008 when I wrote Finally Home but as a spectator and cheerleader for my friends and acquaintances) but that was the first year my JGDS series was published and I was wicked busy during November so, I started the story the middle of November and completed it the middle of December – technically I did my 30 days and 50,000 words but just not during the month of November – lol. Anyway – after I wrote it, I let it sit for a long time before thinking about doing anything with it. I finally sent to my editors and a couple of other persons to edit it, and again putting it aside. I finally decided in 2011 that it was time to take Kelly off the back burner and really do my revisions and rewritings, leading to me publishing late in the year.

Kelly has a fascination with old houses and preserving them for history. Is this an interest you share?

No. I am not a history buff at all, although I do like the Victorian style houses and the look and feel of old houses as they do have so many stories to tell us.

Because of Kelly’s father’s job, the family is forced to move around a lot. Despite this, I found Kelly’s character well-grounded. Many kids would feel lost in her situation. What keeps Kelly feeling secure in her new environments?

I haven’t ever thought of what kept her secure with all the moves. I guess part of that comes from personal experience in that my father was in the service and we moved something like 7 or 8 times from the year I was born until I started high school. I also think that the house pulling her might have had something to do with it, especially since there was no indication prior to her family moving to this town that it would be any different than previous moves.

Finally Home has a paranormal twist that I won’t give away, and also talks a bit about destiny. Do you believe we each have a destiny to fulfill?

I think so. I also believe that we have all had previous lives that are intertwined and that we all have mapped out destinies that will somehow get fulfilled.

What is it about the YA genre that attracts you as a writer?

lol – See my answer to question #1 about writing for children or young adults – I just write whatever is in order for the day. I’ve written several short stories that are not young adult as well as children’s stories – so I’m game to whatever contest is calling me on a particular day, although I’ve not written anything for a contest in a while.

You’ve undertaken a big writing project with your Junior Geography Detective Squad (JGDS), 50-state mystery trivia series. Tell us a little about this series and what inspired you to write it.

This was actually inspired from my first ever writing and contest entry. I took second place with my story “Train of Clues” and it ended up being a children’s story with a mystery destination. I took that ms and sent to an editor with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and asked her to give me some guidance on how to make it a series with each state being the mystery destination or puzzle piece. She sent me some great information and from that I just played around until the right combination of story and game came around and worked perfectly for what I needed to do. I need to get back to writing more state stories but have put them on a hiatus for a bit because I’ve got a new idea brewing for the stories. More on that as the idea develops and formulates.

What is your writing environment like? Neat or messy? Silent or noisy?

Messy and quiet – I really should organize my desk but it is my catchall for work related and other things, but I can’t stand for anyone to rummage around on my desk looking for anything because I know where all my junk is and what is in the pile and if it’s messed with it I kind of get out of synch. I have to listen to doctors in my head all day long on my regular job so I totally like writing in silence. I seem to do better if I don’t have other distractions when writing (some days – lol; I can write more when I’m just concentrating on the writing and not listening to music or anything).

I have that same issue with my desk. It’s an organized mess!

Do you have a favorite author and/or book that helped inspire you to become a writer?

Not really. I used to read whenever I could when I was younger, mostly mysteries – Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys – but never really developed a favorite author. When I was in my 20s, I did enjoy V.C. Andrews very much but when I found out she had passed away and her books were being ghost written and weren’t of the same quality, I stopped reading her. In my late 30s and early 40s, I was getting into Jonathan Kellerman but haven’t picked up any of his books in a while either. I think at present, Jim and Joyce Lavene do have a couple of series that I’m into and really like but as far as inspiring me to become a writer – no, since I really didn’t start writing until I was in my early 40s. I was challenged to enter that first contest and that was it.

When you’re not writing or reading, what might we find you doing?

Working my day job as a medical transcriptionist, playing spider solitaire, crocheting or watching TV.

Favorite TV program?

I have too many “favorites” – lol – Survivor (the earlier seasons were the best), Dancing With the Stars, Rizzoli & Isles, The Closer, Criminal Minds, Top Chef (any and all of their series), Paranormal Kids: Children with Psychic Abilities, The Voice, SMASH, The Millionaire Matchmaker, Castle. Those are pretty much what I watch now, some not so much as others because I tend to forget when they are on.

Favorite food?

Any American chicken dish, noodle type dishes but of course most anything Chocolate – lol – seriously, I don’t have a favorite food, I just like to eat – don’t like super spicy foods (or they don’t like me). I also can’t have certain foods due to allergies but crave them so much – Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

One word or sentence that describes your current mood?

My current mood is content.

Thanks, Darcia for having me on your blog. I hope you enjoyed Finally Home and that readers out there will be discovering Kelly and her adventure in finding out about the house across the street.

Having you here has been my pleasure, Elysabeth!

Here’s a look at Elysabeth’s books on Amazon:

Thanks for reading.

It’s Read an E-Book Week! This event is a celebration of ebooks, designed to promote the advantages of electronic reading. You can find thousands of deals, from cheap to free! For information and links, go to the Read an E-Book Week website: www.ebookweek.com

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In a flooded world only small peaks dot the seas, with civilization confined to waterborne cities. Society is ruled by tyrannous bosses, enforcing their will with an army of thugs and Stoneweavers, those able to use the remnants of magic. Resources are conserved by selling the poor into slavery. With such a cleansing due, what danger do an escaped slave and thief pose to this fragile society?
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Rax Darkthorn was the greatest Knowhound in Nexi, the thief-city, and one of the few to ever escape it. When a friend dies, he returns to learn what can kill a god, even one reduced to selling miracles on the Street of Lost Gods. A 7000 word fantasy short story.
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BE inspired- by other people’s tragedies turned victories with HIS help- shared in this collection! This book shares miracle encounters, Christian near death experiences (NDE), and other Heavenly revelations. Meet some angels as well as real life people as they take you through this book on their inspirational journeys!
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This project becomes a vehicle to publicize the plight of some USA kids that need free or reduced breakfasts as well as lunches and dinners. *** My students at SHS call their efforts The GNAW Project, which stands for Granola bars, Nuts, Apple sauce, and Water to be purchased and given to their peers in need.
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James has a top job, dream house, two healthy children, and a wife who always stands by him. These things, James can rely on, until one day, when everything changes, and he realises that he has spent so long looking towards the future, that he has neglected the present. Pamela has taken their two children and left him, leaving nothing but a brief note. How far will James go to save his marriage?
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A seventy-five year old secret waits in a lovely old portrait studio, at the end of a street in New York City’s Lower East Side. It is a secret that drove to madness a renowned photographer, ‘Papa’ Menashe Reisman – and left him to waste and die in his own studio – haunted by every photograph he tries to take. A young Dutch girls haunts those photos. A girl who should not have died.
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While the Earth wonders at the spectacular aurora that suddenly appears, a single physicist struggles to understand why every satellite in orbit has just moved. Only after exhausting work does he realize; he has witnessed a wandering black hole, it could undo the very structure of the Solar System itself. But when? What damage will it do before it meets its own end?
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Eighteenth century priest, Furio Novia, hates sculptor, Antonio Lisi. But, he secretly desires Lisi’s daughter, Anoria. She may be the last great Italian Renaissance master sculptor – she can feel figures in untouched marble, but has never carved. When she learns what she can do, she also learns of Novia’s desires; he will do anything to possess her – she will nearly kill him to remain free.
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They came from cities, farms, and towns all across the country. They had long hair, beards, and bad attitudes. They dropped everything in January of 1991 and reported as the president ordered. They were not happy about it one bit. In this true story, the author relates his experiences as one of 20,000 people recalled to active duty in support of Operation Desert Storm. This is exactly how it was.
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A band’s demo tape is intended to introduce listeners to their music. Likewise, this collection of short pieces allows readers into the fictional world of Trevor Wolff and his band, ShapeShifter. From the day Trevor and Mitchell meet to the pinnacle of success, these loosely linked stories will let you hang with a rock band. Vive la Trevolution!
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The Demo Tapes: Year 1 introduced the reading public to ShapeShifter and the two men behind this fictional band: Trevor Wolff and Mitchell Voss. The Demo Tapes: Year 2 brings you more of the short fiction that brings these people to vivid life. Year 2 delves more deeply into love, friendships, and the inside workings of ShapeShifter. Vive la Trevolution!
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Lynne’s dad often takes her shopping with him at a high-end men’s boutique. Lynne likes to sit at the feet of the mannequin in the window and dream of what he’d be like if he were real. One day, a stranger walks in. For Lynne, nothing will be the same ever again.
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Stranded on a primitive world, betrayed by her crew, facing death at the hands of the natives, hunted by drug smugglers, Captain Dace has one hope of survival – convince the Patrol agent trying to kill her that she’s innocent. But on Dadilan, no one is innocent.
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Author Sharon E. Cathcart presents ten short stories of various genres, each taking place in a different location. With subject matter ranging from paranormal to historical fiction, urban fantasy to literary fiction, there is something in this sampler for everyone.
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Author Sharon E. Cathcart started 2010 with two resolutions: take more exercise and learn French cookery. Instead, she found herself on a journey of personal growth as she rose to unanticipated challenges.
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During her teenage years, author Sharon E. Cathcart dreamed of working in the music business. She lived that dream for seven years, beginning at age 18. Unfortunately, she learned that sometimes dreams turn quickly to nightmares.
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Author Sharon E. Cathcart (“In The Eye of The Beholder,” “Les Pensees Dangereuses”) presents a sampler of essays and short fiction. The collection features “Heart of Stone,” a short story never previously published.
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Part autobiography and part inspiration, “Les Pensees Dangereuses” (French for “dangerous thoughts”) is a series of essays on friendship, spirituality, education, bullying, animals, clinical depression and more. Author Sharon E. Cathcart (“In The Eye of The Beholder”) shares her thoughts, including an unfinished autobiography, “Unmasking My Phantoms: My Dance With Madness,” in this new book.
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When French equestrian Claire Delacroix loses her fiance in a tragic accident, she comes to live at the Paris Opera during its 1890s heyday. Whilst working at the opera, she meets a mysterious, masked stranger: Erik. Is it possible that the two of them will heal the pain of each other’s past?
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Quiet Fury is a state of being that we’ve all experienced; calm on the surface, rage bubbling underneath. These stories explore each individual’s breaking point. Which will win, the Quiet or the Fury?
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When the abused decide to fight back, the abuser’s world might just shatter. Lauren Covington’s family maintains a grand facade that hides the private abuse they suffer at the hands of her father. Jesse Ryder, a private detective, steps into that world and, in the process, falls in love with Lauren. Together, Lauren and Jesse dodge death and expose the truth behind the facade.
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Thanks for reading.

Today I’m turning my blog over to Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick, one of the first authors I had the pleasure of getting to know as I ventured blindly into the world of indie publishing. Joel has launched an important project and I asked him to share the news with us here.

JournalStone Publishing, San Francisco, has dedicated its latest short story anthology to Rocky Wood, President of the Horror Writers Association. Net proceeds from the book sales will be donated to help cover medical expenses for Rocky, who has been diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that currently has no cure.

90 Minutes to Live is the product of JournalStone’s 2011 Short Story Competition, published in December. Thirteen tales, in a variety of genres were selected from a surprising number of submissions by Acquisitions Director, Joel Kirkpatrick. Authors were asked to use to odd themes for this year’s contest; 90 minutes to live, and a lock of hair. The anthology highlights JournalStone’s foundation themes, Horror and Sci-Fi. It also contains selected stories from Fantasy, Paranormal, and YA authors. Those authors, who were awarded this publication prize, are listed at this JournalStone link.

Joel Kirkpatrick is an author in the unique position of working in traditional publishing with JournalStone—reviewing all submissions to the company—and also being a self published author who is widely connected in the Indie community. In addition to reading the regular queries, he also helps manage and judge contests for JournalStone, and was given the reins of the entire 90 Minutes to Live project.

For this feature, Joel does what he loves to do most—interview authors. He tossed a few questions to all thirteen authors, to get some insight how they approach their craft. These fine writers are: Jasmine Cabanaw, Jen Phillips, Timothy Miller, Peter Hughes, David Perlmutter, Nu Yang, Bruce Golden, Jeffrey Wilson, Brett J. Talley, JG Faherty, Bill Patterson, J.A. La Rue and Brad Carpenter.

Thank you, Darcia for allowing us this space to talk about writing, and the 90 Minutes to Live project. Frankly, that task intimidated me until the submissions started piling into my mailbox. By the end of the first week, I knew there were some extraordinary short stories in those emails.

Jasmine, Jen, you both chilled me with your stories. Were you pleased or intimidated by the contest themes?

Jasmine Cabanaw Pleased. Being given an assignment forces me to get creative and think of concepts I otherwise wouldn’t have.

Jen Phillips I was pleased by the themes! It was such an interesting pairing, my mind started working on a story almost immediately. Having 90 minutes to live provided a structure for the suspense necessary for a short story, while the lock of hair provided a focal point. My first thought was “if I had only 90 minutes to live, what would be the most horrific aspect of that situation?” For me, it was the prospect of knowing and yet not being able to do a thing about it, which is where the idea came from to make the main character of my story a victim of locked-in syndrome. The rest of the story flowed from there.

I haven’t written any short stories, and don’t really know if I could work in that tight story form. Which do you find is more difficult to write, a novel, or a short story, Bill? Jeff?

Bill Patterson Definitely a short story. The temptation is to introduce more detail, more setting, more dialog, just more of everything. The phrase “left to the imagination” is far harder here, because the author’s imagination is flinging ideas out like an out of control pitching machine. The length constraint on a short story is like an eight foot ceiling here, and the story is that perfect ten foot Christmas tree. Something’s got to give.

Jeffrey Wilson For me the short story is more challenging. A novel gives you 100,000 words to develop your characters and make them real, to lay out your story, generate real emotions in your reader, and make them feel that the story has come alive. To do the same thing in a few thousand words is a real art form and I have great admiration for folks who do it consistently well. You have to find a real economy of words, yet still make the story and characters come alive for the reader, and that is not easy.

Brad, you write both long and short. What do you think?

Brad Carpenter They are two different beasts. The short story monster has claws and loves to slash at you when you get to wordy. The novel monster is a leviathan with sharp teeth that tries to swallow you every chance it gets.

Do any of you get to write as much as you like? (Fairly strong NO from the ladies.)

J.A. LaRue There is no such thing

JG Faherty No, that pesky job thing keeps getting in the way.

Nu Yang It’s all about time management and putting my butt in the chair. I have a full-time job, so I do my writing in the evenings and on weekends.

Peter Hughes It’s tricky, because I often find myself without the time to write, but then when I do have the time sometimes my frame of mind is entirely wrong for the task of writing. I suppose what I wish is that I could just drop whatever I’m doing when the writing bug takes me!

Horror is a genre that embraces some dark, even brutal themes sometimes. Sci-Fi and Fantasy can be shocking too, but usually avoid being graphic. YA stories have come under fire lately for resorting to overtly violent and strong subjects. So, censorship in some degree is a topic that touches us all. Readers can be very vocal about themes they do not like. I’d like to know from all of you, do you censor yourself, for anyone?…ever?

J.A La Rue Yes. I often–nope, never mind.

Bill Patterson Of course I do. I try to keep the writing PG-13, since I am trying to appeal to the largest possible audience. Love scenes are more like 1960s movies than Penthouse Forum (does that still exist?). I could write highly detailed erotica for them, but that would severely constrain my potential market. So, yes, I do censor myself. Some people would brand me a sellout to The Man for that, but when one is unknown, you have to get ‘found’ first before you can be controversial. Consider this: if Robert Heinlen wasn’t already a well-known author, could he have ever published Stranger In A Strange Land? As it is, he had to fight to keep a lot of the controversial content in.

I have stories to tell. I want to tell them, and not get hung up in disqualifying details, like how much cursing, erotica, or gore is in them.

Jeffrey Wilson Constantly! It saves the editor a lot of time.

Timothy Miller My daughter, bless her little heart, beta reads most of my work. She’s nineteen, but due to her 6’3”, 275lb father (I bench 265lbs by the way. Break the wimpy stereotype writers! Whoop! Whoop!) who tyrannically hid her from the myriad evils of the world, she is an Amish sort of nineteen . . . and fragile. So, yes. I censure myself often.

Jen Phillips I censor myself often. I’m trying to break the habit of self-censoring. I’m still fairly new to the practice of writing fiction and presenting it to others to read (I just joined my local writers’ group last year). I have a tendency to feel as though I’m being psychoanalyzed through my content. This is a little silly–I never read a novel and think “wow, that writer must be off her rocker to write something like that.” I just need to move beyond it.

Bruce Golden I never–ever–censor myself. I’ve fought against censorship for decades, both in print and broadcasting. Censorship is slavery of the mind. No matter how insignificant you may think the matter is–even just a single word–when you try to control what a person can read or hear, you’re attempting to control their mind. The only thing worse is enslaving the body, and it’s a close second. If you believe that, then censoring yourself would be hypocritical. I not only don’t censor my words, I don’t censor my ideas. I’m known for (probably more than is really true) addressing sexual issues, both in my fiction and non-fiction. I don’t hold with the prevailing societal opinion that there’s anything dirty or evil about sex, so I treat it as what it is, a natural (naturally great) part of life.

David Perlmutter Yes. I am constantly worried about the reaction my work will receive when I send it out, so I agonize a lot about the content, which involves censoring myself often. If I don’t do it myself, then my editors will.

Jasmine Cabanaw Only when writing non-fiction about myself or people close to me.

JG Faherty Only if I’m writing for a young adult audience, or for a non-horror audience. For instance, I wouldn’t curse or use violence in a story that was being used for Boy’s Life or Chicken Soup for the Soul!

Nu Yang Sometimes I do have to sit back and wonder if certain elements will benefit my story, but it depends on the genre and the audience I am writing for. As Clive Barker once said, “Don’t be ashamed of how your imagination works.

90 Minutes to live is the second anthology in JournalStone’s Warped Words series. We love being frightened, and love finding terrifying stories. Have any of you ever been completely terrified? What scared you?

Bill Patterson Completely? As in loss of sphincter control terrified? No. Startled, scared, fearful, sure. But I’ve never been in blind panic terrified. Perhaps the scariest in the sense of pure adrenaline, is when I have to climb onto the roof of my house. That transition from the roof back onto the movable, wobbly ladder is never a picnic.

A better instance was when I was doing a structural inspection in the PATH system in New Jersey/New York. They had this structure called a caisson where several tracks came together on two different levels. The only way to get from one level to another was up a ladder bolted to the borehole drilled through fifteen feet of concrete. I’m six feet tall, and the guys back in 1905, when they built the thing, were about five-four. The hole was a very tight fit, and there was a moment, suspended twenty feet off the floor, when I had a touch of claustrophobia. I was glad to get out of that hole.

J.A. LaRue Have you ever asked a girl out? One you really liked? One so pretty and clever that it made your armpits sweat just to think about her? I have. Almost.

Peter Hughes Once as a child I went kayaking and the kayak capsized. I pulled the cord to release me but it didn’t work. We’d been told to stay calm in these situations and wait to be helped by an instructor, but after several moments I realised that no instructor was on the way and I was running out of breath. I was terrified then, and started thrashing around until I finally got myself out of that kayak. No-one had even noticed that I’d capsized!

Jeffrey Wilson I have felt real terror before in my military experiences. Interestingly, I find that I usually get really scared AFTER the event is over. At the time, it was more like “Well, this sucks.” Later, when you look back on it, the real fear hits you.

David Perlmutter Horror stories genuinely scare me sometimes. This in spite of the fact that I’ve read enough of them to know some of the cliches when I see them.

JG Faherty Yes, I have. On many occasions. And I’m frightened by the usual – death of a loved one, my own mortality, losing my job, etc. Horror writers just have the ability to take those daily fears and rebuild them into terror of the unknown or the supernatural.

Nu Yang When it comes to writing horror, yes! If you don’t scare yourself with your writing, how do you expect to scare the reader?

Timothy Miller I moved out of the house when I was fourteen. During that time, I spent around six months living in an abandoned house while I worked nights at a buffet and went school during the day. I had no key for the doors so I climbed in a window to unlock the door and bring in my bike. The house was in a bad neighborhood right next to the railroad tracks, so I wrapped my bike chain around my fist before I went to sleep every night. Some guys tried ot break in the door one night. I woke up and made alot of noise, cussed loud at the door and growled like a dog, (don’t laugh, it seemed reasonable at the time!) acting crazy. Anyway, the guys outside went away. Guess they didn’t want to break in on the swearing dog-boy.

I’m still a light sleeper.

Brad Carpenter I’m scared of shopping malls. Seriously terrified.

Jen Phillips I moved every three years growing up. Being the new kid, especially in middle school, presents its own level of fear and trauma.

Jasmine Cabanaw I used to have a phobia (OCD style) of spiders that was eventually cured by hypnosis!

I used to be afraid of the number thirteen, but I think that might be cured now.

Interviewed for a feature at HorrorNews.net, Rocky made this comment about receiving the dedication, “I was honored of course. I have a lot of respect for JournalStone, which has published tremendous work in its short history. Genre fiction always needs dedicated new publishing outlets, and horror has a great tradition of them – to me JS is adding to that tradition. And by honoring me, JournalStone also draws attention to a disease not many know about – ALS (Motor Neurone Disease, or ALS here in Australia), sometimes known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. This is an awful disease, 100% fatal, that medical science has made very little progress in combating over the last 70 odd years. The more people know about it, the more likely it is they might donate to medical research on ALS, or to one of the community groups that support sufferers and their families….” (the entire interview is available at the link.)

Christopher C. Payne, President of JournalStone has said this of the dedication, “I wanted the anthology to be about a cause and Rocky Wood is somebody I hold a tremendous amount of respect for….He is just an all around great guy that helped us out and in turn I got to know him. Now I simply would like to help him out in any way we possibly can.”

Thank you, Joel, for sharing this with us today.

I hope you’ll all consider purchasing a copy of 90 Minutes to Live. Here it is on Amazon, in both print and Kindle format:

Thanks for reading.

Today marks the start of Read Me Week. This is an event highlighting the importance of reading to kids. While I don’t write children’s books and my sons are now grown men, I do have vivid memories of the joy of cuddling with my boys and a pile of books. I wanted to acknowledge this important event and, to help me with that, I asked Stacy Juba to join us today. Stacy is a mom, and also an author of three excellent children’s books. Who better to kick off Read Me Week! Now I’ll stop talking (okay, typing) and let Stacy take over:

Last year, I saw something on a television news program about a father who read to his daughter until her first day of college. How wonderful is that! Reading aloud isn’t just beneficial for babies and toddlers. It’s a practice that parents can keep up even when their child reads on his or her own. Back in seventh grade, my teacher used to read books to us such as Jane Eyre and the Newbery winning novel Dicey’s Song. I always enjoyed sitting back at my desk and listening to these captivating stories.

Although my main focus as an author is adult novels, I’ve also published a few children’s books. I valued books as a child, and in fact, still have most of my middle grade and young adult collection in my office. I loved the idea of writing books that children could enjoy.

My most recent book is The Teddy Bear Town Children’s E-book Bundle, exclusively available as an e-book from Amazon Kindle and a perfect book for reading aloud to children 3-8. It consists of three picture books, all featuring gentle illustrations of teddy bears. The Flag Keeper is about Elizabeth, a bear determined to prove to her dad that she is capable of raising the U.S. flag by herself while following all the rules of flag etiquette. Victoria Rose and the Big Bad Noise is about a bear who has to learn to overcome her fear of loud noises like the vacuum and blender, and Sticker Shoes is a fun story about a bear who tries to create beautiful shoes using stickers, but runs into a few problems along the way.

My titles for older readers include the young adult novel Face-Off. Twin brothers Brad and T.J. McKendrick, high school hockey stars, compete on and off the ice in this family sports novel. It’s written at about a seventh grade reading level, and is ideal for reading aloud to a 9-or-10 year old who might not be at that reading level yet but would still enjoy a story about sibling rivalry and hockey.

Here are a few of my other reading aloud favorites for different age levels.

For ages 3-6:
Goodnight Goodnight Sleepyhead, written by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Jane Dyer. Before a young child settles down for a peaceful sleep, she must bid her surroundings — bear nose and dinosaur toes alike — an affectionate goodnight.

Tell Me Something Happy Before I go to Sleep, written by Debi Gliori. Willa was tired, so she went to bed, but she couldn’t sleep. So Willa appeals to her older brother to help her. He suggests that Willa thinks of all the wonderful things which will be waiting for her in the morning. With her mind full of all the fun tomorrow will bring, Willa feels a lot better.

For age 6-9:
The Junie B Jones series by Barbara Park – follows the kindergarten and first grade adventures of the energetic and mischievous Junie B.

The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne – Travel back in time with Jack and his little sister Annie in their mysterious tree house. Whether it’s watching baby dinosaurs hatch, finding a secret passage in a castle, helping a ghost queen in an Egyptian pyramid, or finding pirate treasure, readers won’t want to miss a single story.

For 9-12:
Nancy Drew Clue Crew series by Carolyn Keene – Being a lifelong Nancy Drew fan, I love this series about Nancy, Bess and George in elementary school solving age-appropriate mysteries.

The World Almanac for Kids – This isn’t necessarily a cover-to-cover read, but it’s fun to pick out a couple of interesting facts every night to share with your child – or perhaps your child might want to choose the facts and share them with you. You may be surprised how popular this non-fiction book is with children!

You can learn more about Stacy and her writing on her website: www.StacyJuba.com/blog

Here’s a look at Stacy’s books on Amazon:

I hope you’ll all grab a book, grab a child (preferably your own or one you’re borrowing with permission), and make some memories.

Thanks for reading.

My guest today blends my two addictions – books and music. Her name is Caryn Rose and she has written a book called B-sides and Broken Hearts. I will freely admit that I want to be friends with Lisa, the main character in this book. She hangs out with rock stars and goes to all the best concerts. I’m suffering character-envy here!

Before we talk about the book, I’d like to introduce Caryn:

Caryn Rose is a Brooklyn-based writer and photographer who documents rock-and-roll, baseball and urban life. She covers the ups and downs of the New York Mets at metsgrrl.com, reports on Bruce Springsteen for Backstreets Magazine and brucespringsteen.net, and ruminates about music at jukeboxgraduate.com. She lives in Greenpoint with her boyfriend and her cat, Jackie Wilson. B-Sides And Broken Hearts is her first novel.

Now for a look at her book:

Lisa Simon, age 37, still loves loud punk rock and hates Dave Matthews with an all-consuming passion. April 15, 2001 should have been just another Sunday night. But a news headline landing in Lisa’s email inbox changes everything: “Joey Ramone is dead.” The death of one of her teenage heroes serves as an long-overdue wake-up call causing Lisa to examine her life and how she’s lived it, from her youth as a poet on the streets of the East Village to 10 years later, all grown up with a career and a fiance. Add to the mix Jake McDaniel, lead singer of million-selling, critically-regarded Seattle band Blue Electric, known better to Lisa as the starving renegades who lived next door to her when she first arrived in Seattle. In the midst of an unexpectedly heated argument with the fiance over the historical relevance (or not) of the Ramones – which forces Lisa to face the truth about her relationship – Jake writes and invites Lisa to LA. Throwing what seems like half her cd collection in the car, along with a wardrobe consisting of high heels, jeans and t-shirts, Lisa starts driving from Seattle to LA in the middle of the night, accompanied by music, memories, and the ghosts of the past. Arriving in LA, she finds refuge, but also collides with her past, present and future; decisions need to be made, and this time, Lisa stands her ground.

On to the fun part – a chat with Caryn:

While B-Sides and Broken Hearts is not a memoir, only an author with an intense love of music could have pulled it off. Do you remember that moment when rock jumped to the forefront of your life? Were you struck by a particular song or band?

I don’t remember much of my life when I wasn’t listening to music. My mother gave me her old radio and phonograph (god that makes me sound so OLD) before I was in first grade. I was buying records as soon as I had an allowance. My parents weren’t rock and roll fans but my mother loved music (she was more of a Sinatra and Johnny Mathis kind of gal). So no, I can’t tell you when I had that big A-HA moment because it happened so early on.

You give great detail on Lisa’s adventures during the New York punk scene and later, in Seattle, on the emerging indie scene later labeled grunge. I’m assuming you experienced these to some degree yourself, since research alone would not have allowed you to write with such clarity. Which is your favorite, from a rock fan’s perspective, and why?

I don’t want to shatter anyone’s illusions but — I didn’t start going to CBGB’s until I was almost done with high school. I didn’t see the Ramones until 1981 and I only saw the Patti Smith Group once or twice before Patti retired. I never saw Nirvana live (I was living abroad and always thought I’d have the chance) and didn’t move to Seattle until 1995. Grunge was over, done and dusted at that point.

To paraphrase Natalie Goldberg, a good writer can take a potato chip rack from a bar in Rochester and move it to one in Duluth and make it seem like it’s always been there.

As to having a favorite I always say that I am a member of the church of Strummer & Springsteen. Which kind of puts me in no-man’s-land, which is just about where I like it.

What are the 10 most played songs on your iPod/Mp3 player?

I had to reinstall iTunes recently which completely blew away all my setlist counts. I was interviewed back in December about this very question and at the time, The #1 most played song in iTunes was “Bulletproof” by the Afghan Whigs at 653 plays, and #2 is “Hold On, I’m Coming,” by Sam & Dave which is only in the 400s. Frankly I was more shocked it wasn’t “Born To Run,” “Clampdown” or “People Have The Power” but it is what it is.

You are a huge Bruce Springsteen fan. What is it about his music that draws you in?

It’s loud, it’s epic, it’s great writing, it’s an amazing band, it’s positive, it’s hopeful, it doesn’t talk down to you, it inspires you. He lives at the intersection of rock and roll and rhythm and blues and soul and that’s my zip code. I love the energy and the earnestness and the complete and total lack of irony.

I saw Springsteen back in the late seventies. He came out in a Santa suit and did his version of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. Great show!

Let’s talk about your writing process. Do you outline first? Do you make character diagrams, complete with personality traits, birthdates, job histories, etc.? Or do you grab an idea and run blind?

When I started *B-sides* I had no idea about process. I had always wanted to write novels and had tried to write novels. I did writing exercises for about a year until one night I dreamed the first chapter, woke up, and started writing. I wrote chapters out of order and then put them back together again, and had no idea how it would end until I got there. I am much, much more methodical now. I outline but not so much that I lose spontaneity. I do character sheets or at least sketches and the main characters have to have a playlist.

The one process I am absolutely dedicated to is showing up. I am a firm believer in butt-in-chair, move-hand-across-page. I write one day of every weekend. I don’t care if I only write five pages, that’s five more than I had the day before.

Silence or noise when writing? If noise, what are you listening to?

It depends on what I’m writing but I am a big big fan of silence. I have a manuscript that takes place in the 80s and the Sirius 70s and 80s channels were a godsend at recreating FM radio for me. Or, the character’s playlist. But I can’t have music on just to have music on.

B-Sides and Broken Hearts is your first novel. I read that you have others in the works. Can you give us a hint of what’s to come?

I should have my next book out by April 2013 – an editor approached my former agent a couple of years ago and pitched the idea of me writing the “‘Eat Pray Love’ of baseball and rock and roll”. I’m completely uninterested in memoir but I am interested in writing about why I love baseball so much and what it’s like to fall into it when you don’t grow up with it, so that’s the next novel. The book after that is the New York in the 80′s book I mentioned above. After that I plan on writing a sequel to B-sides. And I have other ideas after that, but that’s about as far out as I can plan.

This summer I will be publishing an ebook about my month seeing Bruce Springsteen in Europe. I’ve always wanted to write a travel book and this will let me combine that and writing about Springsteen, which is something I do a lot of anyway.

Is there one book you’ve read that has influenced you or made a big impact on your life?

The books that influenced me the most when I was younger were Harriet the Spy and To Kill A Mockingbird.

Best concert you’ve ever seen? What made it so special?

I could pick seeing the Clash at Bonds in Times Square instead of going to my senior prom, or Springsteen on the River tour (or even a few years ago when he performed with Sam Moore, a gospel choir and the Miami Horns), or U2 at Wembley Stadium on the Zooropa tour, but I’ve also seen house party shows or shows by bands most people have never heard of that blew me away. Leonard Cohen in 2010 was amazing and he’s in his 70′s!

The great thing is that I’m still seeing amazing shows every year so I never have to stop and pick that one great show.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be and why?

“Ooh Child” by the Five Stairsteps. The lyrics explain it all.

I have to admit that surprised me! For those of you who don’t know the song, here it is on YouTube:

You can learn more about Caryn, her writing, and her musical obsessions in the following places:

Book Website: www.bsidesandbrokenhearts.com
Blog: www.jukeboxgraduate.com
Website for a taste of everything: www.carynlrose.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/carynrose or @carynrose

I hope you’ll take the time to connect with Caryn.

Thanks for reading.

My novel No Justice has gotten a makeover!

I was never really happy with the cover for this novel. For some reason, I couldn’t get the right feel and wound up settling for something average, rather than something that popped out and said, “Look at me!” I swear that stupid cover mocked me every time I looked at it. Now, thanks to the fabulous Heather Paye, this book finally has a cover I love! She took my vague idea for something bold, yet simple, and… Well, see for yourself:

I hope you like the new look as much as I do!

Never heard of the book? Where have you been? Okay, so I’m not as famous as Stephen King. I can see how you could have missed this one. No Justice: A Michael Sykora Novel is the first book in my Michael Sykora series. The second book is Beyond Salvation, and I’m currently working on book number three.

Here’s the description from the back of No Justice: A Michael Sykora Novel:

How far would you go to right a wrong?

For Michael Sykora, killing started as blind rage. Then it became something he’s good at. To most of those who know him, Michael is a software designer, a smart but average guy with a workaholic nature. To a chosen few, Michael is a part-time hit man whose specialty is eliminating hard-core criminals.

Michael has managed to keep his two personas separate. Until now. When Nicki, a close friend, gets into trouble, Michael steps in to help. Having lost his fiance to a brutal crime, Michael will do whatever necessary to keep from losing another woman in his life.

If you’re in need of graphic design, whether for a book cover, bookmarks, business cards, flyers, etc., I highly recommend Heather Paye. You can find her here: http://hpayedesigns.yolasite.com

Thanks for reading.

Do you like books that make you gasp and cringe? Do you like an unexpected fright, nightmares that step off the pages? If so, you’ll love my guest today! Author Glen Krisch is an up and coming master of horror and paranormal tales. I recently read two of his books – The Nightmare Within and Where Darkness Dwells – and loved them both. Naturally, I had to harass him with questions. Before we get to that, allow me to introduce Glen:

I have written three novels: Where Darkness Dwells, The Nightmare Within, and Nothing Lasting, as well as the novellas, Loss, and Brother’s Keeper. My short fiction has appeared in publications across three continents for the last decade. Dog Horn Publishing (U.K.) will publish my story collection debut in 2012. I am also a staff editor for Morrigan Books. As a freelance editor, I have worked on books by Tim Lebbon and Lawrence Block, among others.

Now for a look at the books we’ll be discussing:

Maury has the power to pull dreams into the waking world, giving the dreams
corporeal form. These dream-people range from seemingly human figures, to monstrous beasts compelled by the most primal urges. Once exposed to the real world, the dreams evolve, adapting to their surroundings.

Maury is gathering dreams for display at Lucidity, the soon-to-open Museum of Dreams. From a boy named Kevin, he removes Mr. Freakshow, a nightmare feeding on the trauma of Kevin having recently witnessed his father’s murder.

As Maury falls in love with a dream-woman named Joy, he realizes how wrong it is to enclose the dreams. During the Lucidity’s Grand Opening, Mr. Freakshow escapes. To create a diversion, Mr. Freakshow frees the other dreams. The Nightmares, The Erotic Dreams, The Serenity Dreams–all of the dreams–invade the city.

Mr. Freakshow knows the rules that govern the dreams:
1. A dream-person achieves immortality by killing its dreamer.
2. If a dreamer dies for any other reason, the embodied dream disappears forever.

At first Maury seeks out Mr. Freakshow in order to stop him, only to realize there is only one way to accomplish this; he must find Kevin first, killing him before the nightmare has its way.

Kevin will do whatever it takes to be free of his nightmare, once and for all.
Maury will do whatever it takes to protect the love of his life.
Mr. Freakshow will do whatever it takes to realize his immortality.

Will Kevin survive his nightmare?

During a hot summer night in 1934, tragedy strikes when two local boys search for the truth behind a local legend. They stumble upon the Underground, a network of uncharted caverns just below the surface of Coal Hollow. Time holds no sway in the Underground. People no longer age and their wounds heal as if by magic. By morning, one boy is murdered, while the other never returns home.

The Underground is hidden for a reason. Certain locals want to keep their lair secret, no matter the cost.

After learning a long-held family secret, Theodore Cooper is set adrift. Once well off and set in his ways, he is no longer sure of his role in society. He leaves his comfortable life in Chicago to tramp the countryside, searching for meaning in this new context. During his travels, he’s drawn to an abandoned house in Coal Hollow and impulsively buys it.

Cooper doesn’t know that a massacre had taken place in his new house. In 1851, a group of bounty hunters tracked a family of runaway slaves to the home. They wound up killing the homeowners as conspirators, then chased the runaways into a cellar tunnel leading to the Underground. The bounty hunters cornered the slaves and killed them. To everyone’s astonishment, the slaves then rose from the dead. Over time, the bounty hunters chose to stay below ground, taking advantage of their new slave labor to build what they term “Paradise.”

Their numbers are augmented by deathbed miners who are offered immorality in exchange for their subservience and labor.

Below a town struggling to survive both the Great Depression and the closing of the local coal mine, there lives an immortal society built on the backs of slavery and pervasive immorality.

You can also get both novels combined in one book, which gives you one free!

This omnibus contains the novels WHERE DARKNESS DWELLS and THE NIGHTMARE WITHIN. A monster of a volume, this single ebook is over 195k words (or 700+ pages if in print).

WHERE DARKNESS DWELLS
Summer, 1934. Two boys, searching for a local legend, stumble upon the Underground, a network of uncharted caverns. Time holds no sway there; people no longer age and their wounds heal as if by magic. By morning, one boy is murdered, while the other never returns.
Below a town ravaged by the Great Depression, an immortal society thrives, built on the backs of slavery and pervasive immorality.

THE NIGHTMARE WITHIN
Maury can pull dreams into the waking world, giving them corporeal form. From a boy named Kevin, he removes a nightmare dubbed Mr. Freakshow. Mr. Freakshow knows the rules: a dream becomes immortal by killing its dreamer. When the nightmare escapes his confinement, he has but one goal.

Will Kevin survive his nightmare?

Ready to learn more? Here’s my chat with Glen:

In your novel The Nightmare Within, people’s nightmares literally come to life. What inspired this story?

I wanted to write something of a thriller/horror hybrid. I imagined a novel with plenty of scares and an ever-tightening plot that, once the essentials were established, would be a sprint to the finish. I also wanted to try to make it as original as possible. On the surface it’s a ridiculous concept—a man with the ability to pull dream-beings from the mind of a dreamer? But just about any horror trope, especially of the supernatural variety, is somewhat ridiculous. The dead rising from the dead to hunt the flesh of the living? Creatures that feast on blood and are rendered both immortal and mortally afraid of the sun? So I settled on the idea of dreams. But not all dreams are scary. But when they are… hold on to your seat!

You gave vivid descriptions of the nightmares, making them feel all too real. Were any of them adapted from your own nightmares?

Kevin suffers a case of sleep paralysis—the state when you’re awake, but you’re unable to move because your nervous system is still in “disable mode.” Basically you’re paralyzed for your own safety as you sleep. Occasionally signals can get mixed up and you’re fully awake even though you still can’t move. It’s happened to me a few times. Even though sleep paralysis is not technically a nightmare, it is one of the most frightening things you can experience. Of the “dream people” in the story? I’m sure a few details drifted over from my subconscious, but I didn’t purposely base any of them on my own dream experiences.

You perfectly captured Kevin, the young boy at the heart of this tale. His character was so well developed that I ached for him and wanted to rescue him from the nightmares. Tell us about your process for character development. Do you spend time outlining your characters before you write? Or do they evolve as you go along?

I tend to do a rough plot outline, nothing more than a “point A, to point B, to point C” sort of thing. My characters live inside my head. If I close my eyes, I can see what they wear, what they feel, know what they’re thinking. I glimpse the plot through their eyes, and that’s what ultimately dictates what happens.

Your novel Where Darkness Dwells is set in the 1930s and flashes back to the 1800s. I felt you did an incredible job of capturing the emotions and mentality of the eras. Did you do a lot of research? How did you get yourself into the necessary mindset for writing from the perspective of a generation you’ve never experienced?

As I started writing Where Darkness Dwells, the plot was just a heap of puzzle pieces, and I had to figure out how they had to come together. I’d been reading a lot of nonfiction at the time. These books were about the Great Depression, WWI, the fugitive slave laws, the Seminole wars, hobos… I’m sure there were other subjects that influenced me, but that gives you the idea. One day I was toying with a story idea. This 1930s hobo leaves the tracks he’d been following all day, and he soon comes across a gleaming red water pump handle. Once I wrote that brief paragraph or two, I knew I was in trouble. I’d never written anything that hadn’t been present day. But once I started, and once I understood that I was writing a complex novel involving multiple eras, I knew I had to do right by the subject matter. I guess my hard work can be seen on the page. So much material never reached the final draft, but it was all essential for the creation of the finished project.

Your method definitely worked. This stands as one of my favorite books.

What draws you to the paranormal/horror genre?

Horror offers a flexible foundation on which to build a story. You can do just about anything. I’m a “what if” writer. I’m constantly asking myself that question. “What if a guy can pull dreams from the mind of a dreamer?” “What if a subterranean world exists where people no longer age? What if that world is ruled by evil men?”

With that said, horror, for me, has to have a point. If a horror story doesn’t have some underlying message or some examination of humanity, it’s just an empty sequence of words. As both a reader and writer, I’m always looking for depth of character, a revelation or insight, a nuance that prompts contemplation long after I’ve read (or written) the story.

Is there a line you won’t cross with gory details? Do you feel horror should be about shocking with explicit detail, or more about allowing the reader’s imagination to do the work?

Where Darkness Dwells contains some of the most grim, dark material I’ve written. Even so, I censored myself when I wrote the Underground scenes. I’d originally intended to write a layer to the plot that I eventually scrapped. I thought it was too much. I wanted every bleak happening to have meaning. I didn’t want to go for the gross-out. Actually, one of the worst things that happens (the murder of a child character), happens off screen. I thought the message hit home even harder by not detailing it. I haven’t heard a single complaint about the graphic nature of the Underground, which has somewhat surprised me. I guess I struck the right balance.

I love the cover art for your books. Do you design your own?

I have absolutely no desire to do my own covers! I leave that to my go-to cover designer, Kealan Patrick Burke. Most notably an award winning author and editor, Kealan runs a full-service site for indie authors (covers, editing, formatting, etc). He can be found here: http://ebookcoverdesign.org

What scares you the most and why?

I have plenty of irrational fears. I’m actually quite neurotic, but try to keep things in check. My most realistic fear is the fear of something happening to my family.

Aside from reading and writing, what is your favorite pastime?

I claim to be a runner, but the last year has been horrible for that hobby. I also like to garden on a large scale. If I could ever afford it, I would have a 2+ acre organic garden, an orchard, honey bees, and chickens. Hmm… I just noticed how labor-intensive my hobbies are. Just thinking about it makes me tired. Maybe I should try out a new hobby: napping. Nah, sleeps over-rated!

Thanks for letting me ramble for a bit, Darcia!

Thanks for hanging out with me here, Glen. I would love to visit your organic garden! I hope you plan to share the goods.

Here’s a look at Glen’s books on Amazon:

You can connect with Glen in the following places:

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/4525598.Glen_Krisch
Facebook: www.facebook.com/glen.krisch
Blog: http://glenkrisch.wordpress.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/glenkrisch or @glenkrisch

I hope you’ll take the time to explore Glen’s writing.

Thanks for reading.

It’s Random Acts of Kindness Week! What better time to do something nice for someone? Your random acts don’t have to cost money. Smile at a stranger, open a door for an older person, bake cookies for a neighbor or friend who’s having a rough time. Create a ripple effect. One moment of your time could do more good than you’ll ever know.

In my novels No Justice and Beyond Salvation, Michael Sykora is a hit man with a heart. He only kills the bad guys, and he does all he can to help those in need.

In this scene from Beyond Salvation, Michael is looking for a lost teenage girl. They are in a park and a homeless man named Charlie has just given him helpful information:

“It’s going to storm,” Michael said. “Do you want us to take you to a shelter? Or I’d gladly set you up in a motel room for the night.”

“And you didn’t need to help us out,” Michael said. “We all do what we can for each other.”

Most of us don’t have a hundred dollars to hand out, but we’re all capable of small kindnesses. A hot cup of coffee or a cold bottle of water can mean a lot to someone living on the streets. Often, even a smile and a greeting can give hope to a person who spends most of his/her day being ignored by the rest of us.

In this scene, Michael’s best friend since childhood is getting married and they’re at the engagement party. Michael’s father John wanted to give Isaac something special. He doesn’t have a lot of money or a lot of time. He’s dying. His choice of gifts is personal and, for Isaac, profound:

Ten minutes later, Isaac and Nadine were seated in the middle of the room, surrounded by gifts. Isaac was the one to rip open the gift from Michael’s father. He stared into the box, not touching the glove. Finally Nadine pulled it from the box and her face actually did light up. She examined the signature and gave a little shriek. “I can’t believe it! This is signed by Carlton Fisk!” She nudged Isaac. “Did you see this signature?”

“Thank you, John,” Isaac said. “I’d say that you don’t know what this means to me. But you do.” His voice cracked and he looked away.

We often hold on to our possessions as if we can take them with us into whatever awaits us after death. If you have something that means a lot to you, and you know it will mean as much, if not more, to someone you love, why wait for family and friends to divide things after your death? Isn’t it better to see their faces, to share while you’re alive? I’m not suggesting you rid yourself of all your possessions. But maybe you can find a way, while you’re alive, to share a profound moment with the special people in your life.

Be sure to check out the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation’s webpage. Learn how you can get involved, and see how others are celebrating the week!

www.randomactsofkindness.org/RAK-Week

I’m giving away books! I’m taking part in the With Love Valentine’s Day Blog Hop! I know, I’m not exactly a romance author but I still enjoy playing cupid now and then. This is a huge event, with 263 authors giving away prizes! Want to know what you can win here? Of course you do. That’s why you’re here.

Grand prize: A signed, print copy of any one of my eight novels.
Five more winners will receive an ebook copy of any one title.

Yes, all prizes are winner’s choice! Click on the cover to read the description and an excerpt:

Now we need rules. Let’s call them guidelines. That’s a much nicer word. Here we go:

1. This giveaway is open to everyone 16 and older, everywhere in the world
2. To enter, leave a comment here along with a valid email address
3. Enter once per person
4. Leave your comment between 7:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, February 11 and midnight EST on Tuesday, February 14

That’s it! I’ll use random.org to choose the winners. I’ll notify everyone via email, so please keep an eye on your spam folder. Spam filters sometimes like to kick me out of inboxes.

Once you’ve left a comment here (go ahead, don’t be shy), be sure to take a look at the event page to find all the other participating authors. All the details are here: http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page

Good luck!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

My guest today is author Julie Elizabeth Powell. I recently had the pleasure of reading her novel A Murderer’s Heart, which is a crime story, a drama, and a story of psychological suspense. While about murder, Julie doesn’t include gory details and doesn’t use language that might offend some readers. This is one of those books that will appeal to a wide audience.

Of course Julie has been subjected to my never-ending questions. But, first, let’s get to know a bit about her:

My name is Julie Elizabeth Powell with a passion for words and six books published…all thanks to www.lulu.com, much hard work, sleepless nights and a very understanding and supportive husband.

My eldest daughter has flown the nest and is married to a man who doesn’t mind his mother-in-law though my son is still fluffing his feathers.

My middle child is off on a mysterious adventure, the like of which I can only guess…and tried to do so in my first book, Gone.

I love to read and am looking for ways to double time so to indulge in the mysterious and wonderful and delicious and strange…my favourite kind of story.

Writing takes up most of my days (and nights) though I enjoy creating handcrafted cards, making jewellery and dabbling in encaustic art whenever I can.

Oh yes, I used to teach or mark exam papers and have a BA (Hons) amongst other qualifications and hate all those necessary domestic chores that would, for me, be included in the Rings of Hell!

I have ten books available. In print:

www.lulu.com/julizpow
www.lulu.com/spotlight/JEP

And Kindle editions on Amazon.

Now for a look at the book we’ll be discussing:

Anne Blake, psychiatrist, is good at her job and believes that even the most sick at heart can be cured…or at least saved enough that they can lead a better life. But maybe she’s wrong? Maybe within a murderder’s heart, evil lurks and nothing can be done except to save yourself?

And now for a chat with Julie:

Anne Blake, your main character in A Murderer’s Heart, became a psychiatrist because she was intrigued by how the mind works and what triggers emotional problems. Is this an interest you share with your character?

I have always been intrigued with how the mind works, especially how the emotions are linked. If I had time, I would like to study it in more detail, but for now have to be satisfied with basic research. I have suffered with depression for many years and I know it’s connected to what happened to my daughter, although I fight it and find that grabbing onto any happiness is the best way of keeping it at bay most of the time. Writing helps.

I can’t even begin to imagine the pain of losing a child. I have immense respect for all you’ve accomplished, and the way you express yourself through writing. After I read Gone, which is the book inspired by your loss, I hope you’ll come back and discuss this further.

An underlying theme of this book is that we shouldn’t take people at face value. Not everyone is as they appear on the surface. Your characters, like people, are multi-layered. Do you spend a lot of time on character sheets, creating histories and personalities for your characters? Or do they come to life as you go along?

I would say the characters in my books, on the whole, come to life as I write. Something magical happens when I am typing, and I often find that they tell me what to do. Having said that, I can see someone in the street and it can spark an idea, or I use a mannerism I’ve spotted. Everyone is multi-layered and it’s important to relay that in stories – that’s why I constantly write how they feel and think and why they say and do. Descriptions are useful but these other ways bring the character to life much more. And I would always say that’s it is vital not to take anything at face value, either in ‘real’ life or imaginary.

There are quite a few twists in the plot. Do you outline ahead of time or did these twists kind of create themselves as you wrote?

The plot came to life as did the characters, as if the story was inside my head all the time and I just plucked it out (like all my work). Although, when I’m not writing, I’m thinking about it, especially at night when I’m supposed to be sleeping – and that’s usually when I think, ‘Ah, now what about if…? and, ‘Oh, yes, now that would be better!’ (I frequently write at night, as the urge is just too strong to ignore.) The trouble with twists though, is remembering why, when and how etc.

I do that same thing at night, when I should be sleeping!

You’ve written a lot of books, but I believe this is your only crime novel. What inspired you to take on this genre?

I don’t usually write this genre, but as my mother loves a ‘good murder’, I thought I’d have a go. She enjoyed it! I do prefer writing fantasy, but like to try all manner of genres.

Why this particular story?

I have a keen interest in the mind and how /why it works the way it does and so I wanted to explore how /why it becomes broken. And no matter what point of view, there are always questions. After I’ve finished my current work (the last of the Avalon Trilogy)…phew…I want to write more about the mind – the effects of memory /lack thereof and how it makes us what and who we are. If I can make it work, it’ll answer many questions that many people may have. I love to question everything!

What is your writing environment like? Neat or messy? Quiet or noisy?

Usually neat, although, when I’m writing notes (scribbling, more like) things can tend to become rather untidy. It’s quiet though (and my lovely husband understands and he actively encourages me to write…even nags if I’m slacking.) I wouldn’t be without my computer, and delight in the process of creation.

When you’re not reading or writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

Going to the cinema with my husband as often as possible – I absolutely love it, though I’m often disappointed in the weak storyline, the big screen is wonderful. I also create handcrafted cards and jewellery, dabble in encaustic art, drawing, painting, scrapbooking – anything creative. I also like walking on beautiful days and gardening. I’d like to read more, but with writing, posting reviews for others and all the other things I have to do, time flies. I’m looking forward to a break, however, where I’m going to read all those Dean Koontz books I’ve been saving.

A psychic has just told you about your past life. Who were you?

I’ve no idea. Ideally, I would have loved to have been Leonardo Da Vinci – what an incredible mind! Or Shakespeare – all those wonderful words! Though thinking about it, my handwriting is so bad that nobody would have been able to read my work. And just think of all the quills and parchment I would have destroyed. Well, maybe someone beautiful and rich and…well, that’s another story…

Who knows, Julie. Maybe you were Da Vinci or Shakespeare in a past life! Thanks for joining us here!

I hope you will all take the time to get to know more about Julie and her writing. You can find her in all sorts of places on the Internet:

Websites:
www.freewebs.com/julizpow
www.alchemyuk.yolasite.com

Email:
julizpow@yahoo.co.uk

Goodreads:
www.goodreads.com/author/show/1349023.Julie_Elizabeth_Powell

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1033399808

Lulu Book Review for Julie’s Quick Picks
www.llbookreview.com

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/starjewelz

Bestsellerbound:
http://quietfurybooks.com/messageboard/index.php

Here’s a look at Julie’s books on Amazon:

Thanks for reading.