What prompted you to form OEBD?

Quite serendipitously. I bumped into a soldier on Amazon’s Kindle discussion group and offered him my complete catalog of books electronically because wifi didn’t work in Iraq. He accepted. I sent them, but then developed a poll to other authors at kindleboards.com to see if any other authors wanted to do something for the troops. The response was overwhelming. I just set up the 416th author on the program.

How did you go about getting this group together?

Just used networking to Amazon, kindeleboards, but Mark Coker at Smashwords lent his support and soon were were big and international. All the authors got the word out on blog and website. News raveled fast on this one.

How many authors and how many military members do you currently have?

We have 416 author members and 7 small publishing houses. Military members are not individuals – they could be, but some are points of light, such as the USS Bonhomme Richard, where access is part of their onboard programs. We have 115 points of light, which change as troops a relocated, rotate or no longer become deployed.

What type of feedback do you receive from the military men and women?

Excellent. They send notes directly to individual authors and photos, which we post.

Are all authors welcome or are there specific requirements?

So far only Indie authors have partiipated and some online publishing houses. We have no retrictions on genre and any author can participate. We are not restricted to US authors and a number of UK, ustralian, canadian and New Zealand authors also.

How can interested authors get involved?

Two ways. Send me an email at edwpat@att.net or drop in at www.operationebookdrop.com and join there. The other way is to get the word out to the men and women in the coalition forces that are deployed.

You are quite a prolific author. Can you tell us a bit about your work?

I do have a few books out there – 15 published to date. I write cross-over works, mostly eclectic fantasy works based in China. My educational background is in Chinese History (Sinology). However, I also write gay themed novels of a non-erotic kind. I always try to go for the emotional core of any story and let my characters drive the material.

Where can readers find your books?

On Amazon.com, you can find them all on my Author Page, but also on Barnes & Noble, Apple iPad Store, kobobooks.com, and Smashwords. My website address is http://www.dancaster.com (Dancaster Creative – my imprint).

If you’re an author, please consider getting involved. It costs you nothing and means so much to the men and women out there risking their lives to protect us.

If you are in the military or know of anyone who is, please pass this information along.

Whether you are for or against war, or somewhere in between, the fact is that these men and women need our support. They need to know that the people back home care about them. This is one way we can do just that.

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.

Now through Saturday, April 10, you can download my romantic suspense novel Enemies and Playmates free on Smashwords! You can pick any format that’s convenient for you, for any e-Reader or computer. Don’t forget to use the coupon code!

Smashwords Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3957
Coupon Code: FM54Z

I have a room, my office/library, in which I am surrounded by built-in bookshelves. (Thankfully, my husband is a genius with power tools.) I own a lot of books. I won’t say I own too many because there is no such thing as too many books. My interests vary greatly, therefore my collection is eclectic. A hodgepodge of genres and topics to choose from. I keep all my nonfiction. As for my fiction, I pass most of those books on once I’ve read them. I don’t re-read fiction and I’m always happy to know that a book has found a new home with someone who wants to read it.

This method has worked well for me. My collection doesn’t get out of hand and I’m always surrounded by a variety of titles to choose from. Then my husband bought me a Sony Reader and I have since lost control of my addiction.

First, let me state that I will always prefer the physical book. I love the look of books. I love the smell of them. I love to touch them and rearrange them on my shelves. Yes, I know, I need counseling.

Despite my preference for physical books, I love my Reader. It’s convenient and stores hundreds of titles in one little spot! Also, it’s better for the environment (I’m slightly less guilty of destroying the rainforest) and most of the titles are a little cheaper (which helps when you’re a compulsive book shopper on a budget).

Here’s the real problem. I now have a digital library that I’m not quite sure how to handle. I’ve read the book. I’m done with it. I won’t read it again. Yet, it sits on my computer, in my Sony Reader’s digital library, taking up space. I’m collecting books I’ve read that I will not read again. They are mingling with those that I haven’t read and I’m creating an unorganized mess. And, yet, I cannot bring myself to delete the e-books I’ve read! That act is comparable to tossing a book in the trash. Delete a book? I get queasy just considering it!

I know I must come to terms with this. I’ve decided that I will make a collection folder for all the e-books I’ve read in my virtual library. At least this will prevent them from mingling with my unread e-books and disrupting my brainwaves when I attempt to pick the next title to read. However, this is not a long-term solution. I know that eventually I will need to use that delete button. When that day comes, I am sure I will need a strong sedative. No, on second thought, I’ll need a major book-shopping spree. Nothing lifts my mood like shopping for books!

Read An e-Book Week has begun! Click on the banner to see a list of all the participating sites, authors, and publishers!

All of my e-books are discounted and available on Smashwords. Enemies and Playmates is a free download this week! My other four novels are available at big discounts. The codes are given to you on the purchase pages.

While you’re there, check out all the other free and discounted books! Stock up on your reading material during Read An e-Book Week!

My Smashwords page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/DarciaHelle

Next week is Read An e-Book Week! Authors and publishers will be promoting e-books with special deals all week long. Take advantage of the specials (a lot of them free) and stock up on reading material!

All five of my novels, in e-book format, will be discounted for this event. However, you only get the deal through participating sites. You’ll find all of mine on Smashwords, where you can choose any format for any type reader or computer!

For more information on the e-book event, as well as a list of participating websites, go to: http://ebookweek.com

Enjoy!