Magic, immortals, and being a good monster.

Author Interview Fiasco #12

2012-02-13T06:49:00.000-08:00

Today's guest is author J.R. Wagner!!!!

Welcome Josh!!!! Awesome to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know, so I’m here to ask the questions. LOL

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?

Darth Vader. I loved his no-nonsense attitude toward taking over the universe.

2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?

Build a moon-sized space station, blow up the moon (so the people of Earth know I mean business) then wait for the phone calls.

3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

Spend time with my two daughters and wife (only one of those). I also love to ride my bike! (daughter and bike…sorta)

4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?

Ready for an eclectic mix?

Johnny Cash, Metallica, Andrea Bocelli, Ingrid Michaelson, James Horner (yes the composer)

5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?

Lost (yes I realize it is no longer on the air) The Walking Dead, House, The A-Team re-runs and Lost (yep, twice…it was that good!)

6. If you could make one statement the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

Books change lives

7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart?

Teen literacy

8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best bad guys have in common?

Being stubborn to a fault. (It’s the ones that just won’t give up that really make a difference)

9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood?

Being awake.

10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?

Why, yes there is! My first book, Exiled is releasing on June 5^th. Exiled is the story of a boy who is wrongfully accused of killing his mentor and banished to The Never –where only the worst criminals in sorcerer society are sent. James (main character) must unravel the mysteries of The Never if he’s ever to get home and help save his kind from its impending destruction. Exiled is the first book of The Never Chronicles (cool logo below). More information can always be found at my website (link below, along with enough social links to make your head want to explode).

www.TheNeverChronicles.com

Thanks so much for joining us!!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!

Author Interview Fiasco #11

2012-02-10T05:51:00.000-08:00

Our awesome author of the day is Devyn Dawson!!!

Welcome Devyn!!!! Fabulous to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know, so I’m here to ask the questions. LOL

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?

Wonder Woman - she had an invisible airplane and those awesome wrist bands!

2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?

- First I’d add the secret potion I’ve created into all water sources - it has a magical properties that turn it into a micro-chip that will embed into everyone’s brain. With my magic laptop I will be able to control all chips to make people chant my name…DEVYN! DEVYN! DEVYN! All new babies will be named Devyn and will have encrypted numbers placed in their chip. All computers/phones/monitors/laptops/tvs will flash pictures of books to read and book reports will be due once a week. If reports aren’t turned in on schedule - I will put them on a show like Survivor and compete to keep their life. Other than that….well, I haven’t thought much about it. LOL

3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

I like to creep on peoples Facebook pages….like my kids and their friends

4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?

Tracks of my Tears - performed by Adam Lambert - Irvine (are you there) by Kelly Clarkson - …. Blasphemous Rumours - Depeche Mode - Sometimes - Erasure

5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?

American Idol, Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, True Blood, So you think you can dance

6. If you could make one statement the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be? Remember what your mother taught you. Say please and thank you. Apologize when you are wrong. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. Eat desert, one day when you’re old and you’re stuck eating jell-o, you can pretend it is the cheesecake.

7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart? Confession one. I love hamburgers. I am from Oklahoma and there is a law against taking a bite of someone else’s hamburger. Haven’t you ever been out and someone was eating a delicious burger and just one little bite is all it would take? Confession two. I’m a criminal of the worst kind. I do bite other people’s burger in Oklahoma. I’m sorry - please write your legislature and beg them to change this law. I implore you as an American that it is your civic duty to protect burger biters everywhere.

8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best bad guys have in common?

They have sex appeal.

9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood? Rain, candles and silence

10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?

My books are a young adult series about a pack of werewolves. The stories are told in two POV - Abel Casey and Pru Phelan. I don’t want to give away any of the details, but know that this isn’t your mama’s werewolf story. The first book The Legacy of Kilkenny is the beginning of the series - you’ll meet many of the pack characters and might find one or two you love or love to hate. The Seduction is a novelette, and is a companion to TLOK. Malevolence was released 1/17/12 and is getting great reviews.

Check me out at - www.devyndawson.com and I will be having a giveaway on my blog for an autographed copy of Malevolence 1/27-1/31 http://devyn-dawson.blogspot.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Kilkenny-ebook/dp/B0055JCFDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327558323&sr=8-1

(available in paperback too)

http://www.amazon.com/Seduction-Legacy-Kilkenny-Novelette-ebook/dp/B00629M4ZM/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1327558359&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.com/Malevolence-Legacy-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B006VPOENC/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Paperback will be available in 2-4 weeks

Thanks so much for joining us!!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!

Author Interview Fiasco #10

2012-02-09T04:15:00.000-08:00

Today's awesome author is Lindsay Weigel!!!!

Hello Lindsay!!!! Awesome to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know, so I’m here to ask the questions. LOL

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?

That’s easy! For a little girl in the 80’s there was only Shera.

2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?

If I told you, then when it happens you will not be surprised, nor will you think of me as an evil mastermind. Or worse, the amazing, Willow Cross could thwart my plan of world domination. Seriously, I have no idea. I think it would include coffee and cake. Who doesn’t like cake?

3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

I like to dance. I don’t do much of it anymore (unless you consider boogying while cleaning).

4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?

I’ll do both. Bands: Heart, Metallica, Three Days Grace, Pink, and Journey. Songs: Take My Breath Away by Berlin, Alone by Heart, Freshman by The Vervepipe, One by Metallica, and Again by Janet Jackson. How’s that for eclectic?

5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?

Sex in the City, Weeds, Californication, Dexter, and True Blood.

6. If you could make one statement the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

That could be a loaded question. I guess it would be, “Stop being so self-important. Think of how you would feel if that were you, and let that guide you.”

7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart?

To prevent self-incrimination I will say this; As long as you are not hurting anyone do what makes you happy, and let others do the same.

8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best bad guys have in common?

I hate to sound like a teenager, but in this scenario I have no other choice: They’re hot! Every girl secretly desires bad boys, that is, until they know better.

9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood?

This may sound odd, but it’s doing mundane things that require no brain activity; i.e., painting walls, dishes, laundry, etc. If I have no one to talk to at that point, I will need to occupy my mind from the task at hand. That leads to daydreaming, then Poof! Creativity.

10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?

Yes, Reacquainted is now permanently 99 cents on Kindle and Nook. You can also buy a soft or hardcover from those same places. You can find me on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4992477.Lindsay_Weigel

Like the book on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Reacquainted/111225332304670

Or just friend me http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1294454520

Thanks so much for joining us!!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!

Author Interview Fiasco #9

2012-02-08T04:59:00.000-08:00

Today's special guest is author Alexia Purdy!!!!!

Welcome Alexia!!!! Awesome to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know, so I’m here to ask the questions. LOL

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?

She-ra, what can I say, I always have lived in a fantasy world. I think I still have the dolls of She-ra and her friends around here somewhere!

2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?

First I’d take over the internet, under my control, I can take on the world. hehehehe

3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

Read, I read A LOT!!! I love to get lost in amazing imagined worlds.

4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?

Oh boy, that one is hard!!! Ok: Linkin Park, No Doubt, Bon Jovi, Evanescence, Smashing Pumpkins. For songs, my all-time favorites are: Breathe No More by Evanescence and Eye by Smashing Pumpkins

5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?

This one is harder!!! Only because I’m not a big tv watcher. Ok, I definitely did watch and loved Sparticus, Game of Thrones, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Walking Dead.

6. If you could make one statement the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

Never forget the darkness within.

7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart?

Immigration issues and Healthcare issues. Both have affected my life in major ways.

8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best bad guys have in common?

They are ice cold, don’t care about anyone, even their own minions and would betray you faster than you can say: “what the…”

9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood?

Lots of caffeine, blasting tunes and being left alone!!!!

10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?

My debut series starts with Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale) and has Shade, who thinks she’s human, discovering a whole other parallel world of Faerie. She finds out she’s part faery, has extraordinary magic and is enemy number one for some treacherous faeries. It’s releasing on March 16^th with Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing. I also have two contributions to the Dark Light anthology with my publisher. My new series out March 31^st starts with Reign of Blood- a post-apocalyptic vampire hunter novel that follows seventeen year old April, a now viscous vampire killer in the desolate abandoned desert of Las Vegas. Her search for her mother and brother bring her into contact with all the results of the viral epidemic that wiped the human race out. Does she have what it takes to adapt to this not so shiny-new world? It is due out March 31^st on Amazon.com. My poetry collection will be available in mid-February titled: Whispers of Dreams. As You see, I’ve been super busy but March is going to be my month, watch out world!!!

Here you can stalk me:

Blog/website:

http://alexiapurdy.blogspot.com

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/#!/AlexiaPurdy @AlexiaPurdy

Goodreads Author page:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5038699.Alexia_Purdy

Facebook Profile page:

http://www.facebook.com/alexia.purdy

Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale) Fan page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Dark-Faerie-Tale-Series-by-Alexia-Purdy/

Publisher: http://crushingheartsandblackbutterfly.com

Thank you for joining us!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!

Author Interview Fiasco #8

2012-02-07T05:48:00.000-08:00

Today's amazing guest is author Amanda Browning!!!!

Welcome Amanda!!!! Awesome to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know, so I’m here to ask the questions. LOL

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?

I’m going to have to say Howard the Duck. My uncle lived with us when I was a kid and he introduced me to the comics and the movie. I loved that movie as a kid, and as an adult, it is SO much funnier.

2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?

I would taint the world’s bacon supply with mind control chemicals and build my horde of followers. I’d then separate the really awesome people. They would get normal bacon and their own legion of mind controlled followers to spread my message of world domination to every corner of the Earth. Vegetarians would be confined to an island (kind of like Alcatraz) and forced to labor there until they admit the error of their ways and embrace the pork.

3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

Setting aside all the normal responses about spending time with husband, kids, and friends, I am going to say reading. I am on a constant search for the next great book. I look for books that can pull me into the story and make me feel what the characters feel. I love when a book gets my heart racing, emotions churning, and gives me the tingles. I am a literary traveler and I’ve seen some pretty amazing places on my journeys.

4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?

Oh this question is not fair! My top five changes depending on my mood. But I will happily provide my favorites at the moment.

1. Three Days Grace

2. Adele

3. Flyleaf

4. Disturbed

5. The Civil Wars

5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?

Before I answer this one, I have to say that I haven’t had cable/satellite for over a year, so I don’t watch much TV anymore, but I loved these shows when I got to watch them.

1. True Blood

2. The Walking Dead

3. Breaking Bad

4. The Vampire Diaries

5. Criminal Minds

6. If you could make one statement the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

Thou shalt not commit douchebaggery!

7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart?

Bullying. It is a horrible thing to go through. I wish I could be there with every teenager who is having a hard time in school to tell them how awesome they are and that it will be better one day. I am trying to raise my kids to be open-minded and accepting. Different isn’t bad, and people should be praised for their differences. If we all teach our children to accept those who are different, think of how the next generation will be. <3

8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best bad guys have in common?

There are two kinds of bad guys: the bad guy who has the potential to do good, and the unrepentant evil guy. For both, confidence, a deliciously twisted mind, and good looks are usually involved. The best bad guys make evil look so good that they tempt others to stray from their path.

9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood?

I’m extremely lucky to have been blessed with a very imaginative mind. I get inspiration from everything. Movies are wonderful for setting, especially period movies. Music always gets my mind working. I also love cruising the fantasy art pages on facebook. Some of the pictures there have inspired whole stories for me with one picture.

10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?

I throw a little bit of real history with my own twist on it into my books. It may be setting, or a character, but I love to be able to research and have real facts to make my work more realistic. With immortal creatures, it seems illogical to me to ignore all that they have seen. My first novel, The Immortal Choice, will be published this spring.

www.theimmortalchoiceseries.weebly.com

http://www.facebook.com/theimmortalchoiceseries

http://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Browning/e/B006X7YYB0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1327544811&sr=8-1

http://www.goodreads.com/amandarbrowning

Thanks so much for joining us!!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!

Thank you for having me! As always, I bow down to your fabulousness, Willow! As well as being a huge fan of your novels, I am just in general awe of you as a person. <3

Author Interview Fiasco #7

2012-02-02T06:47:00.000-08:00

Today's awesome author is Gracen Miller!!!!

Welcome Gracen!!!! Awesome to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know, so I’m here to ask the questions. LOL

Gracen: Thanks for having me!

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?

Gracen: Wonder Woman! She was sexy, wore an awesome costume, had a cape, the lasso of truth, an invisible airplane, super cool wrist bands that blocked bullets and she kicked ass! Loved her! My grandmother would fashion tin-foil wristbands on my wrists and drape a towel over my shoulders—she’d use one of those wooden clothes pins to hold it in place—and I’d run around her backyard for hours pretending to be Wonder Woman. We didn’t have costumes like kids do nowadays, so we had to use our imagination. I’m glad we did because I have some fond memories of those times and I love my grandmother all the more for her efforts!

2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?

Gracen: With the King of Hell, of course! *winks* I’ve kind of got him in my pocket. *laughs* I’d sic my Hellhounds on those in power and world domination would be as easy-peasy as *snaps fingers* that. Check out my Road to Hell Series to understand how I know the King of Hell.

3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

Gracen: Spending time with my family or reading are my first go-to pastimes. Another fav is watching horror movies with my eldest son.

4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?

Gracen:

Desperado by The Eagles

Renegade by Styx

I Almost Told You That I Loved You by Papa Roach

Forever by Papa Roach

Close Your Eyes by Leta Ford and Ozzy Osbourne

5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?

Gracen:

Supernatural

Vampire Diaries

Son’s of Anarchy

The Walking Dead

NCIS

(Umm mine almost exactly. ;) Great minds think alike!!!)

6. If you could make one statement the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

Gracen: Wow! What a tough question. But I think I’d go with this dorky statement: “All of your life should be written from the soul.” I have a dark fairy tattooed on my back and the tombstone she’s sitting on says “Written from the soul”. I should explain why…This is my motto about my life and my writing. I try to live every day as if it is my last—no regrets. Unfortunately, I don’t always succeed with the no regrets part. And everything I write comes from my soul—not sure that says anything good about me. LOL Part of that is not selling out my story line just to make someone comfortable. Kind of a dark and morbid motto, but it fits me.

7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart?

Gracen: Abuse of any kind…mental and physical. They’re both devastating. Bullying, hearing someone put another person down or making fun of another individual, they all set me off. Normally, it takes a lot to make me angry, but this is the hair-trigger that infuriates me in a heartbeat.

8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best bad guys have in common?

Gracen: Sexy…and sexy isn’t necessarily looks, but include personality and character. Most bad boys are closet romantics. The bad guys are rarely aware of this. *winks* And they are often misunderstood. They’re tormented by something from their past—aren’t we all? They’re always alphas, but in private can be softies with the woman they love.

9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood?

Gracen: I’m always in the mood to write, it just depends on if my Muse—Dom—is willing to play with me. He’s a tad temperamental and an insane task-master when he’s eager to write. We have an ongoing love/hate relationship.

10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?

Gracen: They’re a helluva ride. *cheeky grin* I don’t write the typical sweet, romantic book. I like terrorizing my characters and putting them through hell. I want to keep readers on the edge of their seat, holding their breath, growing more fearful for the characters with each word. I enjoy pushing the envelope, in genre and in sex scenes. If someone tells me I can’t write it, then by golly, I’m going to show them that I will and it’ll succeed! I was told my Road to Hell Series wouldn’t appeal to a large audience because of the graphic violent scenes I included. Labeling myself as a horromance author (romance mixed with horror), the horror elements are critical to the story. But…I write straight paranormal erotica, too.

Come read the first three chapters of my book, Pandora’s Box, Book One of the Road to Hell Series: http://madisonroadtohell.blogspot.com/p/pandoras-box-coming-8-19-2011.html

Where else you can find me or information about my books:

Blog: http://madisonroadtohell.blogspot.com/

Website: http://www.gracenmiller.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gracen.miller

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Road-to-Hell-series/112564408814796?ref=tn_tnmn

Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/index.php?cPath=75_158&osCsid=ccqm1qc8aarr12sfqs8amls2d4

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pandoras-Box-Road-Hell-ebook/dp/B005HRSZRG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1327545853&sr=8-3

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pandoras-box-gracen-miller/1105010763?ean=2940011467097&itm=1&usri=gracen+miller

Thanks so much for joining us!!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!

Gracen: Willow, this was a blast! I loved the crazy hard questions. Ha! Thanks for inviting me to join you.

Author Interview Fiasco #6

2012-02-01T05:47:00.000-08:00

Today's guest is children's author and fellow Books for Children's Hospitals member, Karen Pokras Toz!!!!

Welcome Karen!!!! Awesome to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know, so I’m here to ask the questions. LOL

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?

I used to love Batman and Robin but not the cartoon version. I liked the TV show with Adam West & Ertha Kitt as Cat Woman – well she wasn’t exactly a superhero, but she was way cool. Of course I had a crush on Robin, and I loved when the WHAM BAM would flash on the screen. Plus they got to hangout in the batcave all day, talk on the bat phone, and slide down the bat pole to the bat mobile. I also liked Josie (from Josie and the Pussycats... yes... she was a superhero!)

2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?

Can I borrow Batman? That’s a tough question. Hmm... First I will have to develop some sort of odorless gas that has special powers. Then I will need a rocket, which I’m sure NASA will hand right over to me since I mention them in my book :) Perhaps they’ll throw in a couple of cute astronauts. Then – we will release the gas as we orbit the earth. As soon as the gas is inhaled, everyone will immediately stop what they are doing, listen to me, and do whatever I ask of them, which will probably at first involve my laundry. Maybe I should experiment with my kids before I go global. Hopefully this plan does not land me on some sort of CIA most wanted list...

3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

Do reading and sleep count? How about hanging out with my three kids? I have a teen, tween, and a five year old (Can we say timing fail? Hormones and tantrums all at the same time!) It gets a little crazy in my house, and sometimes I just feel like the cook and driver... but it’s all worth it when we finally find some quality time together. Board games are a favorite of ours – Life, Sorry, Monopoly, Pictionary – to name a few in our collection. I was the reigning Sorry champ, but my 5 year old took that away from me two nights ago. Oh well – at least they give me plenty of material for my books and my blog.

4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?

In no particular order:

Coldplay – The Scientist
The Beatles - Blackbird
Adele – Rolling in the Deep
Stevie Nicks –Landslide
Ben Folds – The Luckiest

5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?

The first two of my top 5 are series that are no more :(

1. Lost

2. Friends

3. Project Runway

4. Big Bang Theory

5. Real Housewives of NY (don’t judge!)

6. If you could make one statement the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

I usually sign my books “Dream Big & Rock On.” I think it’s a good motto to live by.

7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart?

When my youngest son was 2 weeks old, he developed meningitis. It was probably one of the scariest and worst experiences of my entire life. I stayed with him in the hospital. They set up a bed for me in his room next to his little bassinet. He had tubes and wires attached to his tiny little body. The second day I was there, a nurse brought in a beautiful blue baby quilt. She put it in his bassinet and it instantly brightened up the sterile environment. It was donated by an organization called “Project Linus.” Project Linus handcrafts blankets for children of all ages to have during their hospital visits. It was a small gesture, but just knowing there was someone out there – a complete stranger – who wanted to help make our stay a little more comfortable made all the difference to me. My son is now 5. He is healthy and perfect. We still have that quilt (as well as two other blankets brought to us during our two+ week visit.) I have since made several blankets of my own to donate. To date they have donated over 4 million blankets. For more information, please visit: http://www.projectlinus.org/

.... okay ... back to silliness

8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best bad guys have in common?

Let’s see - beady eyes, crazy hair, creepy voice, and the evil laugh work wonders. Some sort of mask or weird makeup works too. Oh and they need to be dumb as mud because no matter how hard they try, they just never seem to be able to succeed!

9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood?

A shower. Seriously, almost all of my ideas come to me while I’m in the shower. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it’s the one place where I have no distractions, no “Mom!” no phone ringing, no Internet. I actually found a waterproof paper and pencil set that hangs in the shower to jot ideas down. Best invention EVER. I’ve written entire blog posts and even parts of my book in the shower. My water bill is not pretty...

10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?

Nate Rocks the World is the first book in the NATE ROCKS series, about a quirky young boy who draws cartoons that come to life. Nathan Rockledge is your typical 4^th grader – he has an overprotective mom, a dad who tries to be funny, and an annoying teenage sister. He loves to hang out with his two best friends, and he does not like going to school. He may seem ordinary, but once he starts drawing, watch out. He suddenly transforms into Nate Rocks – 4^th grader extraordinaire – saving the day time and time again. Nate Rocks the World uses humor and adventure to show that even kids can accomplish great things. The book is geared toward 7-12 year olds. The second book in the Nate Rocks series, Nate Rocks the Boat is due out in just a few months.

To Learn More About the Nate Rocks Series:

Website: www.karentoz.com

Blog: http://kptoz.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/karenptoz

Twitter: www.twitter.com/karentoz

Amazon: http://amzn.to/txbX0Z

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/uviYpn

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5009570.Karen_Pokras_Toz

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQgnRIqW6G4

Thanks so much for joining us!!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!

Author Interview Fiasco #5

2012-01-30T05:56:00.000-08:00

Good morning!!! Today's awesome author is Tish Thawer author of The Rose Trilogy!!!!!

Welcome Tish!!!! Sooooo cool to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know, so I’m here to ask the questions. LOL

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?

Superman and he still is to this day. I just feel that his powers are genuine, where some of the others *ahem* Batman, weren't quite as legit. And others had to have something happen to them before developing their powers, (Spiderman). Now before anyone gets their panties in a wad - I am a lover of all superheros - but Superman will always be my fav.

2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?

From my video gaming days, I would have to say the best plan would be to secure a location that has a wide variety of resources and then systematically wipe out other low-key areas so that when there is a need of said resources - people are forced to come to you. (Obviously, my world consists of a very small bubble.) LOL

3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

First– reading. Second–watching TV and movies. Third–it starts with an "s" and involves a bed.

4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?

1. Everything by Lifehouse

2. Control by Puddle of Mud

3. Tonight, Tonight by Hot Chelle Rae

4. Crash by The Dave Matthew's Band

5. Black Betty by Ram Jam

5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?

1. The Vampire Diaries

2. Secret Circle

3. Modern Family

4. Once Upon a Time

5. Dancing with the Stars

6. If there was one statement you could make that the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

Love your family with all your heart, strive to achieve all your dreams, and remember that your always surrounded by magic...all you have to do it look for it.

7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart?

Stopping animal cruelty and the overpopulation of shelters. I've adopted the last six dogs that I've had, and have been rewarded with some of the best pets ever.

8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best bad guys have in common?

Sex appeal, confidence, that tender part that's buried deep within just waiting for someone like me to find it and make them see the error of their ways. :p

9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood?

A good night's sleep that has me waking up from a magical dream.

10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?

Sure. You can find all the information about The Rose Trilogy on my blog at: http://tishthawer.blogspot.com

The first in the trilogy, Scent of a White Rose, is now available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble in eBook and paperback formats, as well as other eBook vendors.

And, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Shelfari - just look for Tish Thawer.

Thanks so much for joining us!!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!

Author Interview Fiasco #4

2012-01-29T08:10:00.000-08:00

Today's victim is the king of terror... JH Glaze!!!!

Welcome JH!!! Seriously awesome to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know, so I’m here to ask the questions. LOL

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?

I actually had more than one. They were the Fantastic Four. I think the reason I liked them was related to their abilities, and their stories contained more humor than other superhero comics at the time.

2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?

Through the development of a crisis that people could grasp with their imagination. Panic is a powerful tool and fear is a motivator. Most people believe that aliens could be real. Why not create some type of invasion? With the help of special effects, and the help of willing participants, it is feasible to create enough panic to get the masses to fall in line.

And what if it was an invisible invader, one that targeted and possessed only people with certain beliefs? Couldn’t a significant number of people be persuaded that these individuals need to be exterminated? It has happened before!

3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

Hang out at the beach with Susan. It seems like every moment is packed with fun, even if we are just parked under an umbrella swilling Corona Light.

4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?

I have to say that I have been a music collector all my life, I used to own a used record store when I lived in Ohio and for years I was a CD dealer at record shows. I had to go to iTunes for the answer

1. Pink Floyd – Wish you were here

2. Imogen Heap - Almost all of her music. She plays all of the instruments, writes all of her songs, records in her home studio and makes incredible music. Reminds me of Making my books!

3. Depeche Mode – First heard them before they were famous like almost all of it

4. Nickelback - Savin Me – The music video for this song was one of the most awesome concepts I have ever seen.

5. Linkin Park - In the End - At a point in my life when everything seemed to be falling apart all around me, I was in a CD shop in Jacksonville Florida when I heard this song, It gave me clarity in the moment and the answer I was seeking at the time.

But I really like a lot of different stuff, like the JAY-Z song - Empire State of mind, A song from the soundtrack of “House of Flying Daggers” sung by an opera singer called “Lovers”

I truly like music that makes me feel something, not just as background noise, and one thing I really like is 80s and 90’s Goth bands like Sisters of Mercy!

5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?

1. True Blood

2. Damages – some twisted stories and I love how they tell them

3. 24 – I loved how Jack Bauer would kill the bad guy and then use the defibrillator to bring them back to like so he could torture them some more.

4. Taken – one of the best alien miniseries ever

5. Lost

6. If there was one statement you could make that the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

Always question those who would lead you into destruction for their own benefit.

7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart?

Preventing teen crime. Most criminals established their careers in their teen years. Teach them a different path for a better future.

8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best bad guys have in common?

Diabolical plots and hot women.

9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood?

A few minutes in front of a computer. When I close my eyes to go to sleep and see shadows flashing through my eyelids. A conversation with Susan. Driving on the freeway on long roadtrips. Drinking margaritas on a hot summer day. Just about any damn thing!

10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?

I like to write stories that contain a lot of action, a bit of humor, a different than anything I’ve ever read, and are as entertaining as hell. I also use the f**k word a lot, because it fits the situations my characters find themselves in. If you were about to be eaten by an alien would you say “Darn”?

Thanks so much for joining us!!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!

You can connect with JH:

Facebook Author Page

Spirit Box Fan Page

Northwest Fan Page

Send No Angel Fan Page

The Authors Publishing Collective

Author Interview Fiasco #3

2012-01-28T05:31:00.000-08:00

Today's guest is author extraordinaire Valerie Bowen!!!

Hello Valerie!!!! Awesome to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know, so I’m here to ask the questions. LOL

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?

My favorite hero was Aquaman. I loved to swim and always dreamed of talking to fish…I know it seems a little ridiculous seeing if you talk underwater you just end up with a lung full of water. I tried it wasn’t fun.

2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?

If I was going to take over the world I would hypnotize people through television programs. Most people watch television and I would be able to get hundreds of thousands of people during one half hour program.

3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

One of my favorite things to do is design covers for my novels. I have so many cover ideas I think it may take years to write the books for them.

4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?

There are so many bands/songs that I absolutely love. I would have to say they depend entirely on the mood I’m in.

5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?

I rarely watch television, but when I do it is usually Gordon Ramsey’s kitchen nightmares. Some of the kitchens he transforms would be a great setting for a thriller.

6. If there was one statement you could make that the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

Be who you are and not who others want you to be. Self respect is worth far more than acceptance into any clique.

7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart?

The nearest and dearest social issue I have is abuse of any kind. Child abuse of course comes first followed by spousal and animal abuse a tie for second.

8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best bad guys have in common?

I think the most common characteristic of all bad guys is the element of terror. To be a great bad guy he/she has to be able to terrify their victims in the most heinous ways possible. My madman takes terror to a whole different level.

9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood?

I have always been able to tell a story, but the most likely way I set myself in a creative mood is go to the local coffee shop and people watch. You would be surprised how many absolutely fantastic characters you can find in a coffee shop.

10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?

The for the Sake of Amelia series is a story of a woman who is trying to overcome the physical and emotional scars that have been inflicted on her by an abusive ex husband. This was a difficult series to write due to the fact I had to bring out many of my long forgotten feelings. This series shows the reader no matter how hard you try to help a person out of a difficult situation, in the end the strength has to come from within. I found many readers have literally begged me to publish the novels closer together because they had to find out what happens to their friends.

The Mind of a Madman series is what I am currently working on. This story is about a man (the madman) with a long undetected mental illness. His illness has transformed him into a heartless murderer with no shame or guilt. In reality the ‘madman’ does suffer from deep regret with every heinous murder he commits.

You can read the first chapter of all my novels on my website http://www.valeriebowen.com

Thanks so much for joining us!!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!

You can connect with Valerie on facebook!!!

Author Interview Fiasco #2

2012-01-27T17:22:00.000-08:00

Today's author is the amazing A. Jacob Sweeny.

Welcome A.J.Sweeny !!!! Awesome to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know, so I’m here to ask the questions. LOL

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?

Julius Caesar. I think it had to do a lot with my mother, who read to me historical books and even some of his own writings-and then translated them to child language so I could actually understand what she was reading to me. I remember feeling tremendous respect to the way he thought and all his inventions/innovations. I also respected the way he marched along with his foot soldiers as if he were no different them.

2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?

Very very sneakily.... ;) I might use some of Caesar's recommendations.

3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

I love to listen to music and I love the outdoors...oh and I love to cook.

4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?

That’s a hard one because I have a huge and eclectic collections of music.
I would still put The Beatles, and the Smashing Pumpkins high up there!

5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?

I hardly watch TV but when I did these were my favorites:
Deadwood, (new)Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, Sons Of Anarchy, and before it got repetitive, I really enjoyed Law and Order. Waiting for new shows to come on Netflix.

6. If there was one statement you could make that the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

We are still sleepwalking our way through life. Listen, look, learn, and be patient before making your own judgements.

7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart?

Women’s and Children’s welfare, and animal abuse.

8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best bad guys have in common?

They never know they are the bad guys ;)

9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood?

Music and a clean house :)

10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?

Yes. They are complicates and are written on many different levels. If you’re looking for a quick in and out -please avoid reading my books! oh and they are pretty darn good...I put a lot of effort and research into them.

Thanks so much for joining us!!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!

Thank you for having me here. Keep THE PULSE strong.

You can connect with A.J here

Author Interview Fiasco #1

2012-01-26T05:33:00.000-08:00

Good morning!!! I decided to try this author interview fiasco mostly because it sounded fun. But more importantly, you can learn a lot about a person just by the way they answer some of these questions. (The fact they agreed to do it says volumes too. LOL) All the authors on my list are seriously great people as well as writers. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!!!

Our first victim, Ahem, I mean author....is the Dark Overlord of writing---Nathan Squiers!!!!!!

Hey Nathan!!! So cool to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know and I'm here to ask those questions.....

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?

I still consider myself a child, but that will come into play later in this response (lol). When I was younger (let's say between five-and-ten years of age) I was a big fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (specifically Raphael--the turtle with the twin sais and the red bandana in the cartoons [little known fact: in the original comics ALL the turtles wore red and their only distinguishing features were their facial expressions--Leo: serious/stern; Donny: goofy-yet-contemplative; Raph: rage; Mikey: goofy-and-playful--and the weapons they carried]). I was also a HUGE Batman fan and a follower of Spider-Man and the X-Men (especially Wolverine [*snickt*]).

Now that I'm an "adult" and my tastes have changed, I find that my favorite superheroes are the darker characters (often ones that either start out as villains or are seen more as antiheroes in their stories). I am a DIE-HARD Deadpool fan (probably one of Marvel's best characters--completely out of his mind [often carrying on conversations with himself in the form of differently-colored thought-boxes], and insanely hilarious]). My love of Deadpool and the metaphor of his character (always staying positive and funny despite all the slings and arrows that life throws at you) has led me to get a tattoo of him on my left leg (the only tattoo I have that isn't directly associated to my art).

2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?

While supreme dictatorship is an appealing concept, I have to imagine that going about it in a hostile manner would be detrimental not only to the longevity of my reign but to those that I rule over. Truth be told, I would do it the right way: by being put there by people who feel that it's where I belong. To convince the masses that I should be in charge, however, I would have to begin by entertaining them on a massive, potentially global level and capturing their interest with something adored on a near-universal level (something like bacon). With the support and admiration of the crowd growing, I would ascend in the public eye, continuing to entertain, enlighten, and befriend as many as possible. . .

But how to begin such an endeavor. . . ?

3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?

Uhh. . .

I guess if I'm not directly working on one of my writing projects (outlining/planning, writing, or editing) then I'm probably invested in a novel, comic/manga, movie/anime, or other such form of entertainment. I also enjoy roleplaying with my fiancé (creating characters that we "play" as and then enacting a storyline with them. . . but that really just sounds like a playful version of a literary collaboration, doesn't it?). However, even when I'm doing one of these activities, I have a tendency to approach it with a "how can this element/style be utilized to better my own work". I don't believe a writer can ever technically "take a break" because the process of creating stories begins with observation and education, so as long as their brain is functioning it'd be impossible to stop the creative process. If I ever really wanted to STOP writing, I'd have to be comatose or dead (neither of which sound appealing).

4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?

You're REALLY going to make me choose FIVE?!

*sigh*

Uhhhh. . .

Okay! So whenever I write I tend to put on a Japanese playlist (foreign lyrics don't distract me while I'm slinging words onto the page) so the first three will have to come from that playlist:
~Dir en Grey (Japanese Visual Kei/heavy metal group; imagine System of a Down-meets-KoRn with a touch of Tool).

~Girugamesh (Japanese Visual Kei/heavy metal group; hardcore growling with some symphonic elements.

~Aural Vampire (Japanese Visual Kei/techno-pop-punk group; techno-driven music with a female vocalist (often wears prosthetic vampire fangs for effect) and performs dark/playful songs with gothic themes in a poppy voice).

Finally, since it can't be all foreign all the time, I'd have to include in this incredibly limited list Marilyn Manson (I, the "dark prince of the written word", would be lost in many ways without his Antichrist Superstar muse) as well as William Control (side project of William Francis--frontman of the punk/rock band Aiden).

PS - you're very, very evil for making me choose by the way (lol)

5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?

(in no particular order):

~Family Guy

~American Dad

~American Horror Story

~Lost Girl

~Face Off

6. If there was one statement you could make that the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

"There is no worse crime against yourself and others than a narrow mind that's driven by hate and clouded by ignorance."

7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart?

As of lately, I'd have to answer that with bullying. Each and every week, without fail, there's some new story on the news about some poor youth that is suffering or even brought to kill themselves as a means of escape. Bullying has always--ALWAYS!--been an issue, but, with the ability to torture one-another via the internet, it's been taken to a whole new plane of existence. Where a kid might've been able to stay strong while at school because they knew they'd be free of the hell their peers put them through as soon as the bell rang at the end of the day, today's youth have the added dread of going home and experiencing further torment and/or ridicule on their computer.

I truly feel that, despite humans' ongoing belief of supremacy in the animal kingdom, we're mentally de-evolving to a state-of-mind that, if change is not sought, will destroy us all. People need to stop putting as much effort as they do into finding ways to torture their fellow man and, instead, focus on how to better both themselves and the species as a whole.

8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best villains have in common?

The concept of villainy and heroism is really a matter of perspective, unfortunately. While the love-to-hate antagonists of comic books and Saturday-morning cartoons are fun, it's hard to ignore the fact that, if the story were presented from the other direction, it would not be too difficult to paint the heroes as the villains and vice-versa. James Bond's exploits are always exciting and we give our little celebratory fist pumps when he emerges victorious, but was his enemy--more-often-than-not a patriot to their own country trying to somehow restore their homeland or create some new utopia--really in the wrong? Very rarely does an individual go about a course of events because they WANT to be the villain--don't get me wrong, there ARE those out there that revel in the pain in suffering of others, no question there--but most are doing what they do for some noble purpose or another. In popular fiction the vampire is easily panted as the villain because they kill humans to stay alive, but we, in turn, kill animals and destroy forests for our own sustenance and shelters, so at what point can one truly draw the line between survival and villainy?

These conflicts are, in my opinion, more compelling as a story-telling device, because it's no longer about everybody being on board with "well that monster had it coming", but, rather, guiding the audience from the protagonist's view as to WHY they're justified in being labeled as a hero.

However, to put some sort of answer on this question, I'd say the best villains are the ones who DON'T have a purpose to their actions other than raw, excessive amusement at the expense of many.

9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood?

I really can't say, with all certainty, where creativity may strike. Anybody who's been inspired can testify that it didn't work as a "I'm going to throw on some Mozart and be motivated to. . .". For me, I simply know better than to shut out the potential for a creative burst; if I go to the fridge for a drink and the milk carton sparks my next big novel, I'm not about to question it (lol).

I will say, however, that visuals--movies, comics, etc. . .--are a MAJOR source of inspiration, so anytime I go to the theater or crack open a graphic novel or manga, I'm probably going to feel more driven to write than if I stub my toe on the end table.

10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?

99.9% of the time, when I approach a writing project, there's a greater message than just "the vampire died". I believe strongly in trying to motivate, inspire, educate, or possibly even heal a reader with my work. In a lot of ways my writing has kept me alive through some hard times, and if I can pass on even one iota of hope for a better tomorrow in the mind of a reader who has been dealt a bad hand then I can feel fulfilled in my lot in this life.

If all you need in a book is some gnarly creatures and a fun story, then I certainly won't disappoint, but my work is as much a way to reach out as it is a means of entertaining.

Thanks so much for joining us!!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!

You can connect with Nathan on Facebook or on his website.

Realism in Modern Society? Seriously?

2012-01-25T07:08:00.000-08:00

Realism in Modern Society?

I’m going to warn you up front, this is probably going to turn into a rant. (I’m just in that sort of mood. LoL) This is my two cents, I’m not looking for a fight or argument with anyone. I’m just voicing my opinion. ;)

I’m a big fan of reality TV. I absolutely love Ghost Hunters, The Gator Boys, Finding Bigfoot, American Pickers, American Restoration, and Pawn Stars. (There’s a few more, but that gives you an idea.) Now I don’t watch these shows all the time. (Except for Finding Bigfoot and Gator Boys at the moment.) But I do enjoy them frequently.

Television programming has transformed into a virtual cornucopia of ‘real’ life shows. Some of it is fantastic. Some of it...well let’s just say I really hope many of the popular reality shows are contrived and people don’t actually behave that way. Which brings me to my original topic. Realism in Modern Society.

I write fiction. I LOVE writing fiction. However, I do believe that Hollywood and I agree on one thing: Within the fiction, you need a little realism. It helps to ground the piece and lends credibility. Here’s what we disagree on: An audience would rather see a ‘normal’ person go through a tumultuous event and come out on top (for the most part) than to see said person at his worst doing deplorable things. ‘They’ seem to believe (at least TV programmers) we would rather watch cat fights, screaming fits from ridiculously spoiled young people, and random acts of violence.

I realize I don’t speak for everyone on the planet. (Thank goodness!) I know my teenagers enjoy many of the shows that turn me off. But therein lies the problem. The key word in that sentence is MY teenagers. Now I’m not going to get into that whole “if you don’t like it, control what your children watch” thing. I do agree with that. However, I also know that many many families have two working parents, parents taking night classes, and so on. I am also not advocating censorship. Not in the slightest.

Here’s my issue: If the main audience for these shows is comprised of teens and young adults, as a Mother and Grandmother, I feel the entertainment industry has an obligation to put its money where its mouth is. If you are billing something as a ‘reality’ show, then for Pete’s sake, make sure it’s real. There is no doubt in my mind that much of the so-called drama that occurs within these shows is contrived at best. (How do I know?) Because I actually live in the real world. (I do, I promise! Lol) Many of the behaviors they so love to flaunt would have them in jail, rehab, expelled from school, etc....

Or how about this? Last night I watched a show about young children and their mothers. I was horrified!!!! Absolutely horrified!!!!! (I doubt even all of those exclamation points actually express how upset I was.) Let me tell you something, and I’m being brutally honest here, I am a pacifist. I believe violence should always be your very last resort. Our brains took us to the top of the food chain. Not our muscles. However, if an instance occurred with my own children, as portrayed on that particular show, I would knock that woman out and happily be carted off to jail for battery. (And I think I might actually get away with it. Some things are justified in certain circumstances.)

Where did Hollywood get it wrong? On any given day, television shows sport girls having cat fights over makeup and boyfriends. We can watch millionaire’s children rampage over perceived slights and exotic birthday presents they wanted, but didn’t receive. We can view numerous situations where people are at their absolute worst. I watch what I want, and leave the rest to those who enjoy that sort of thing. However, if you are a parent...would you seriously allow someone to berate your child to the point of tears on the grounds that it will make them a better athlete, cheerleader, whatever? I’m not talking about teaching and constructive criticism. You can’t grow and learn if you don’t know what you’re doing wrong. And learning to take criticism is vital to becoming successful in every field. I am talking about blatant, outright verbal (and sometimes even physical) abuse.

Now I’m not wealthy. Not even close. So I can’t claim to know the inner workings of the minds of the rich and famous. I’ll tell you what I do know. Moms. Boy howdy do I know moms. And ANY mother worth her salt, wouldn’t allow anyone to mistreat her children. I don’t personally know one mother who would agree with that behavior. (And I hope I NEVER meet one!)

So reality? Is it? Whose reality? If it’s supposed to be real, then make it so. If it’s supposed to be drama based on reality, then advertise it as such. I’m not entirely certain the television industry has slightest clue what’s real and what’s fiction. I’m not talking about moral obligation here, I’m talking about outright lying...and trying to convince society that this is the way the world behaves.

And that’s my two cents. Take it or leave it. LOL

There be sharks in them waters, Dearie!!!!

2012-01-11T08:48:00.000-08:00

So you’ve finished your first novel and after several rounds of happy dances, you are ready to send your beloved out into the world for the masses to devour. Then you run across this blog post by the ever so eloquent Emlyn Chand. You read it and realize you need a little more work on your manuscript before you start looking for an agent. But the time comes when your baby is as free of errors as you can possibly make it, and ready for its triumphant entrance. Then what?

The then what can kill you.(Figuratively) It is imperative that you research every last agent and publisher you consider submitting your work to!!!! Many times you will hear ‘people’ say personalize your query letters. They aren’t kidding. The fact is, by the time you actually send out that letter, you should know what kind of coffee they drink and what their favorite food is. (Oh yes, I’m totally advocating stalking your perspective agent. However, not in the weird, creepy, standing outside their house with a sign way, or sending mail to their home.) Read their blog posts. Find out what they enjoy reading, what they hate, and most importantly, what they are looking for. And... research them.

Scamming new writers who are just getting their feet wet is a multimillion dollar business. You should have heard this a million times by now if you are doing your job and putting in the research: Money flows to the writer, not away from them. Remember that. If you are going the traditional publisher/agent route, you shouldn’t be spending money for their services. Their income will come from a percentage of your book deal. (Should you acquire one.)

Now this becomes even stickier when you decide to skip traditional publishing and move on to self publishing. You will find numerous companies who claim they can get you the quickest results in sales and quality product for the low cost of (a ridiculous amount of money.) Some might actually be able to do what they claim. Some.

You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve been offered and what they wanted in return. One ‘group’ (who I won’t name) claimed they could get my first novel (Birthright) not just ON Amazon’s top 100, but make it #1. That’s right, they were going to make me a BEST SELLER!!!!! And all they wanted in return was the distribution rights to my next 4 books. Global distribution rights. And because they were going to spend so much money on marketing, the royalty split would be 70/30. (I got the 30.) Well that doesn’t sound all that bad, does it? I mean they’re doing all the work. I’m just writing, paying an editor, and sending them books. (Because they had full say so on cover art and pricing too.) And then the catch comes in. With these people there is ALWAYS a catch. Every dime spent for marketing would be taken out of my 30 percent. (I know, I said the same thing. Seriously????) Doesn’t sound like I’ll be making much does it? (And I forgot to mention it was a 10 year contract. Fan-freaking-tastic, right?)

I had another offer from a group who has the audacity to bill themselves as a publisher. They were going to give me 30 percent too. In return for printing my books and taking 70 percent of the money I may or may not make, they offered: Book printing, cover design (for a small fee), editing (for a larger fee), and limited marketing. (Which equates to them putting the book on their website and sending out a press release to the thousands of authors they’ve taken in.) Oh, and let’s not forget!!!! If I want copies of my books I have to purchase them, but I would get a 15 percent discount on the retail price.

I realize this probably sounds like a rant. It’s not. It is a warning!!!! Pay attention to the fine print. Whether you are traditionally or self publishing, there are sharks out there who will have you for a snack and NEVER feel a bit of regret for doing so.

When you are looking for editors, interview them. Ask for a test edit. (Just a page or two.) You are paying them for their services. You NEED to know if they can deliver what you are paying them for.

The same goes for a cover designer. Check out their work before you contract them. Make sure they can give you what you want in a reasonable amount of time.

I can honestly say I haven’t had any trouble with one of the ‘rogue’ agents. I did my research and didn’t bother to submit to anyone who had a less than perfect reputation. (Writer Beware, and Predators and Editors is the best place to start.) But some of these so-called publishing companies, and dare I say marketing/PR companies...will run you through the ringer. I’ve heard some horrendous stories from writers I know personally who’ve been sucked in. I know how bad you want your book out there. (Trust me, I totally get it.) But in the long run, to have your baby kidnapped and held hostage by unscrupulous people is far worse than waiting, researching, and taking your time.

Good luck and be good to each other!!!! ;)

Year End Recap

2012-01-03T09:19:00.000-08:00

Year End Recap

All in all I consider 2011 to be a successful year. So many major things happened! Not without hitches and setbacks here and there, but they happened nonetheless. In March of 2011, I published my first book: The Dark Gifts: Birthright. I was simultaneously deliriously happy and petrified.

Naive and deluded (because I can be very irrational at times), I believed that if it was any good at all, it would sell. So I quickly got to work on Oceans of Red volume one and Inheritance. Just before I’d completed Inheritance, I realized that A. Either Birthright wasn’t any good, OR, B. I didn’t quite ‘get’ the whole marketing thing. (Consequently, I still don’t ‘get’ the whole marketing thing.) LOL

Continuing to plug away, I kept busy writing Oceans 2. In the fall of 2011 I had the extreme fortune of finding book club pages on facebook! Who would have thought they’d have pages like that? Not me! I found Paranormal Reads, Paranormal Book Club, Paranormal Addicts, and Beneath the Cover. Not only did I make some awesome friends through these pages, but many of them actually wanted to read my books! Floored, humbled, ecstatic--were just a few of the wide range of emotions that flooded through me.

When I started my fan page (which I didn’t want to do and was strong armed into doing), I had 38 fans. All personal friends and family. Chelsea from PA and Sabrina from PR put out a call for volunteer reviewers. WOW!!!! The number of volunteers shocked me. I was dumbfounded that so many people were interested in reading something I wrote.

Within a month or so Inheritance was released. We hosted a huge release party that went on for 2 days. Many other authors I’d met over the past year joined in with numerous facebook pages and we had a blast!

As of December 31st, 2011, I’ve had 6 releases this year. Birthright and Inheritance (full length novels), Oceans of Red 1&2 (mini novella series), Haunted (a compilation of short true ghost stories), and the short story A Christmas Miracle. Birthright even managed to place #4 in Paranormal Reads 2011 Best Indie Author/Books poll!!!! (Blew my mind and I’m still giddy about that one!!! LOL)

I no longer run the page alone. And that’s awesome because I don’t think I could handle it all by myself! I’ve added Amanda Wimer, Amanda Sheffer, Brittany Carrigan, and Katie Seco as administrators. However, these girls are more than just admins on the page. They are my friends, my think-tank, my go-to girls when I need ideas for marketing, or just need to bounce my own ideas off of someone. I consider myself very lucky to have found and enlisted them!!!

And then of course, last but not least, are the people on the fan page. I really don’t like the idea of calling them fans. (Well, calling you fans.) That word seems so distant and alien to how I feel about them. Many of you I’ve grown to know fairly well and I enjoy each chance we get to interact with each other. Not long ago someone made a comment to me pertaining to the number of ‘fans’ on the page. (At the time there were roughly 600 likes on the page.) I don’t remember it word for word, but it was something to the effect of: “What number of fans on your page will make you feel successful?” My answer was, “The number I have. I would rather have a smaller group of people that are there because they like me enough to care about my work, than to have thousands who could care less if I take another breath or write another word.” And I mean that!!!! You guys amaze me and humble me every day with your generosity, kindness, and support!!!!!

In November, thanks to an idea Amanda Wimer gave me, I contacted Arkansas Children’s Hospital to see if they had a Kindle or ebook program for the children staying there. When they informed me they didn’t have one in place, the gears started spinning, and I put out a call for YA, Children’s, and Middle Grade authors who might be willing to donate their ebooks to the hospital. Within a matter of weeks we had 90 participants and the ebook program had been set into motion. These authors donated generously!!!! Some of them with every book they had published!!!! Now we’ve decided to do it again. Many more times actually. The end goal is to get an ebook program in every Children’s Hospital that doesn’t already have one. Having a child and grandchild that have spent a large amount of time in ACH, the program is very near and dear to my heart. Of all the things I hope to accomplish in the coming year, this particular item is very high on my to-do list.

So as I said earlier, I feel this past year has been a terribly successful year. I’m not famous, I most certainly am not rolling in the dough, but I don’t need to be. I’m doing what I love, have made many new friends, and I’m moving forward. Thank you for giving a year I will remember for the rest of my life!!!!

Blog Award!!!

2011-12-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

Blog awarded the Liebster Blog Award!

This morning, I received a Liebster Award from J.R. Wagner. Thank you!!!!

J.R.'s Blog is here!

So, as per the rules for this award (copied from J.R.):

In accepting the Liebster Blog Award, the recipient agrees to:

Thank the person who gave them this award and link back to that persons blog

Copy and paste the award to their blog

Reveal the 5 blogs they have chosen to award, commenting on their blog to break the news

Hope those people in turn pay it forward by accepting and awarding "the Liebster Blog Award" to bloggers they would like to honour

This award is for anyone with fewer than 200 followers :)

My chosen blogs are:

Angie Edwards Books 4 Tomorrow

Brittany Carrigan The Cover and Everything Between

Sofia Day Sofia Day's Pen

Katie Seco Paraholic's Preview

Mera Mera's YA Book List

I'm sure before long, these blogs will wield a mighty force!!!! Congrats to all of you!!!! :D

Fan of the month contest

2011-11-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

Would you like to be a character in a novel? If you find this idea enticing, read on. I know this is a long post, but you might find it interesting.

To be written in as a character in one of my books you must first become the fan of the month. Here’s how this will work.

To be included as a potential fan of the month you must:

1. Participate actively in the games, especially the quizzes about Willow Cross books. (As time permits of course.)

2. Help spread the word about the page. (Passing along book links when posted and other specials or promotions we have going on.)

3. Have read at least one of the books. (You’ll need that info for some of the quizzes.) There will be special Fan of the Month (FOM) quizzes throughout the month. You will have 24 hours to answer the 5 questions in each quiz and email your answers to willowsfanofthemonth@gmail.com FOM quizzes are separate from our regular quiz segments.

The FOM will be chosen based on their activity on the page from the previous month. If there are several that qualify, the admins will vote for the top three and Willow will decide between those 3. You will be notified the last day of each month who the winner will be for the following month.

Now, what do you get out of it? Well, let me tell you!!!

1. The fan of the month will be written into the current (or next) story I’m working on. (Depending where I am in the story.) This character will most likely be a supporting character or play a cameo role. You get to choose if you want ‘your’ character to have your name, appearance, etc. (If you choose to have your personality incorporated into your character, you will need to fill out a questionnaire.)

2. The fan of the month will receive an honorable mention in the dedication of the book he/she has been written into.

3. Your picture will go into the Honorable Fan Album on the fanpage.

4. You will receive one free copy of the ebook you were written into.

5. When the book you are written into goes into print, you will receive one free autographed copy.

*Disclaimer: I cannot guarantee that you will not end up being a vampire, werewolf, witch, ghost, ect. As you know, my stories have a way of doing their own thing. Hopefully you will not mind being a supernatural creature if that’s the way things turn out.

https://www.facebook.com/willowcrossbooks

My two cents on the Vampire war

2011-11-11T06:28:00.000-08:00

It seems, as readers, we’ve found ourselves smack dab in the middle of a Vampire war. Now it’s quite possible you’ve not noticed it yet, or maybe you just aren’t bothering with it. (And I don’t blame you.)

Lately, I’ve noticed lots of posts about Breaking Dawn. It usually begins with an, “I can’t wait!!! I’m so excited!!!” And shortly after several agreeing comments, there will be massive bashing of Meyers by those who don’t like sparkly vampires. Generally, I keep my mouth shut. After all, I don’t know Stephanie personally, and she seems highly capable of holding her own. However...in the last 24 hours I’ve read a few comments that honked me off a bit. So, being me, and ever so nosy, I’ve decided to put my two cents in. LOL

I’m pretty sure I don’t need to remind anyone that these are fantasy books with fictional characters. (We’re big girls and boys, we get that.) Most true-blue vampire lovers that really hold to vampire lore and tradition still love Blade. Even though, there has NEVER been a documented case in history (and by documented, I mean someone told a story about it) of a human/vampire hybrid. So I ask you, why is there room for Blade and not for Edward?

I’m not asking you like Edward, or even to give him a chance. Personally, I don’t care whether you do or not. And I may be going out on a limb here, but I’m pretty sure Stephanie (and her millions) doesn’t care either. Here’s what I’m asking...how about everyone allows everyone to enjoy whichever books/movies they like and quit trying bash readers for their taste in literature?

I don’t like Faulkner. I know he’s a classic, but reading his work is daunting and time consuming. (IMO) I had to do a paper on Barn Burner. It was by far the hardest paper I’ve ever written. I had zero interest in the subject matter. I do however, enjoy reading Shakespeare. I love the way he words things. Does this mean I think Faulkner sucks? Well of course not!!!! I simply don’t care to read him. Not a big deal. I bet Faulkner (were he alive) wouldn’t care either.

The point of this entire post (and yes there is a point) is simply this: If you don’t have something nice to say, say nothing at all. Feel free to voice your opinion on whether or not you like something, but don’t take it upon yourself to run a diatribe on an unsuspecting reader about how stupid they are for liking a certain book. It’s simply none of your business what they like or dislike. And in case no one’s told you, it’s terribly rude....

That’s my two cents. Take or leave it. LOL

The Protector

2011-10-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Next in the series of 100% Totally True, Ghost Stories is The Protector. Happy Halloween!!! :)

The Protector

The house on Rivermet wasn’t my first experience with something otherworldly. It wasn’t my last either. At the time, I was very young and not in tune with myself or my surroundings. I hadn’t learn to recognize those little tinglings and ‘feelings’ you get when something, or someone, not of our plane is around. The very first experience I had was quite different than the Rivermet episode.

I’d just turned 18 and graduated from high school. It was glorious! My coworker has a crazy ex and was in dire need of a roommate. I jumped at the opportunity. For the sake of this story, we’ll call my roommate Sandy, and her boyfriend Mike.

Sandy was as petrified of the place as I was enthralled. The antiquated building had been a 3 story home. Over time the owners had renovated the structure into several apartments. Ours was an efficiency on the top floor. One bedroom, bathroom, and a kitchen/living area. It was cute, cozy, and frequently held the sweet scent of pipe tobacco. I loved it!

The first week there, I’d made up my mind she was crazy. Every so often she’d get goose bumps and say, “Do you feel that?” Her eyes would grow wide as a terrified expression came over her face.

I wasn’t sure what ‘that’ was. I felt warm, peaceful, and protected. The scent of pipe tobacco grew stronger during those times. Something about the presence, and there was definitely a presence, made me feel safe and warm. He (we were sure it was a he) reminded me of my Grandpa. You see, I didn’t think she was crazy for believing the place to be haunted. I thought she was nuts, because he seemed like such a nice old man. Not that we had conversations or anything, just the ‘feeling’ I got.

Strange things did happen there. Mostly little things like the doors opening and closing for no apparent reason. Half of which we could debunk by believing it was a change in air pressure when people entered or left the building.

My second week there, I realized Sandy wasn’t as nuts as I’d thought. Although I still felt the warm fuzzies, it had become obvious that our visitor either didn’t like her, or had an enormous amount of fun scaring her. It seemed like all the bumps and bangs would happen just behind her or over her head. She’d jump, squeal, and move as close to me as she could get.

I could stay home for hours alone, and thoroughly enjoy it. She couldn’t stand to be there five minutes unless someone was with her.

Now I realize this is all relatively uneventful, even boring. But what happened the night before she moved out is the entire point of telling this story. So I will fast forward to that night about a month after I moved in.

Sandy’s ex harassed her terribly. Any fear I had of living there came solely from him. He’d show up in the middle of the night, beating on the door, screaming at her to open. I don’t even know how many times we called the police. A lot, for sure. It was awfully hard to get a restraining order back then. I’d taken to keeping a baseball bat by the front door. He was a big guy and I wanted to protect my friend.

That night I’d been soaking in the tub, and decided to try to communicate with our visitor. At the time, I had a name for him. It wasn’t his real name of course, but it seemed to suit my mental picture of him. So many years have passed that I’ve forgotten it now.

I’d been in the tub at least a half hour, when I had the strangest feeling I needed to get out and get dressed. I didn’t to start with, but the feeling grew stronger and the water got cold, so I did exactly that. No sooner than I’d put clothes on, Sandy burst through the door, slammed it, and locked both locks.

“Call the police! Quick!” she said.

“What’s going on?”

Her pale skin was whiter than I’d ever seen it. She was absolutely petrified.

“It’s Mike. He’s drunk. I’m really scared this time. He said he was going to kill me!”

About that time, the entry door down stairs slammed. From the bottom of the stairs, Mike screamed, “You ain’t getting away this time!” Thump, thump, thump echoed up the stairwell as he made his way to our door.

I grabbed the phone and dialed. Nothing. It was completely dead. I tried again. Still nothing. “Sandy, go to the bedroom and lock the door,” I said as I picked up the baseball bat.

“These doors are paper thin; the locks won’t keep him out.”

Holding the bat as if ready to hit a homer, I replied calmly, “Someone in this building will call the police. There’s no way they’ll just let him break in here. Go to the bedroom.”

The door rattled on its hinges with the force of the first impact, but the locks held.

I bent my knees in anticipation of his entry. As big as he was, I knew I only had one chance to get in a good hit. If I didn’t get him good the first time, I was toast.

Another boom announced his second hit. It seemed stronger than the one before. Once again the door rattled violently. The locks held.

The third hit sounded as if he’d thrown his massive body against the paneled door. Close to 300 pounds of man should have sent that door swinging wide open, but the locks held. The scent of pipe smoke had grown so strong it nearly choked us.

Four strikes, then five, then God only knows how many more. Each time, the noise was louder than before, but each time the door remained closed and the locks held.

Soon the sound of running footsteps and yelling wafted through the door. Another slam, followed by swearing, and then a knock on the door. “This is the police. We have him in custody. Open the door.”

I dropped the bat and unlocked the door. I could have hugged that cop! He came in and asked us a bunch of questions. We answered, and right before he left he said, “You girls don’t know how lucky you are. He was nearly through the door.”

We moved into the narrow hallway to see what he was talking about. The door was made up of two thin sheets of particle board that looked like paneling. There were giant holes all over the outside panel. You could easily see where he’d pushed his shoulder through and the places he’d kicked. The inside panel, remained pristine. Not one dent, crack, or mark of any kind. It wasn’t possible. Even though the door opened outwards, he should have busted right through.

Sandy moved out the next day. Between Mike and the ghost, she’d had enough. I stayed for another week, but couldn’t find a roommate and unfortunately had to move back home. There are many who will say this was all just coincidence. Just the over active imaginations of two teenagers who’d never been out on their own before. Possibly they’re right. However, if you have the opportunity, I suggest you hit one of those flimsy panel doors sometime. See how easily they break. Then consider the force a 300 pound man would exert when throwing his entire weight against it. Coincidence? Or maybe, just maybe, we had a protector no one could see.

To this day, I still love the smell of pipe smoke. And when I smell it, it brings a smile to my face and a reminder that we are not alone.

Spotlight on 2011 Debut Author Jessie Harrell

2011-10-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

Author Bio:

Jessie Harrell fell in love with the Cupid & Psyche myth while majoring in Classical Studies at the University of Florida. (Yes, that degree is about as useless as it sounds.) After attending law school, getting married, having kids and realizing that the real world is a lot more work than she thought it'd be (both good and bad), she turned back to this myth and made it her own.

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.

Note from me:

This is a wonderful book and when I say you need to read it, I'm not kidding!!! If you are remotely into mythology, you will LOVE it!!! You can pick up a paperback or e-book copy here!!! Special thanks to Christina Lee for organizing this event. Please stop by her blog and take a peek at all the debut authors/blogs participating!!!

The House on Rivermet (part 3)

2011-10-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

The House on Rivermet (part 3)

It was dark and stormy that night. (Okay no it wasn’t, but it should have been!) I jest, but truly it was a horrifying experience. Even now, it freaks me out to think about it. Worse, the fear that most folks will believe I’ve completely flipped my lid after telling of those awful events, nearly throws me into a panic attack. Exactly one week after we saw the shadow, things escalated again.

My 3 year-old was asleep on a palate on the floor and the baby was snug in her crib. My husband’s rhythmic snoring irritated me at first, but finally lulled me to sleep. I don’t know what woke me up. One minute I was sound asleep, and the next sitting straight up in bed. I listened intently for a noise or some sign of what was wrong. Something had to be wrong. I could feel the wrongness of the situation deep within me. My heart raced so fast and hard that it made it difficult to hear much of anything.

From my bed, I watched the rise and fall of the baby’s chest, making sure she was still breathing. Then my eyes moved to her sister. As with the baby, her breath came in normal intervals. Still afraid, and feeling like a complete idiot, I took a few deep breaths, closed my eyes, and laid back down. Seconds turned to minutes as I waited for my thudding heart to still.

Instead of diminishing, the feeling of wrongness amplified. Fear grew and blossomed into full blown terror as I listened to the quiet house. Nothing. Not one sound that wasn’t completely ordinary and easily explained. The refrigerator fan kicked on, making me jump. A creak from a windowsill here and there. Even muffled sound of the electric icemaker dumping its next batch, but nothing strange or unusual. And yet, I was so tightly wound, I would have leapt from the bed in an instant.

Sleep eluded me completely. The dark feeling would not go away. I don’t know how long I laid there before I noticed that I was clenching my eyes shut. Almost instantaneously, I realized I didn’t want to open them. Not at all, for any reason. It was like I was six again, waiting for the monster under my bed to reach out and grab me. Without a second thought, I pulled the blanket up over my head and opened my eyes.

You can imagine how ridiculous I felt. I was a 23 year-old woman for Pete’s sake! And a mother. What kind of Mom hides under a blanket while her children are out in the room with whatever it was that scared her in the first place?

Determined to be a good mother and protector, I pushed the blanket away and surveyed the dark room. The heavy blinds over the window let in just enough light to leave dark shadows in the corners of the room. The rocking chair piled high with clean clothes I had yet to fold and put away, sat unmoving. Not one solitary thing was added or out of place.

Sighing, I placed my hands behind my head, and contemplated my insanity. I must be nuts, right? I mean who acts like that? Sheesh!

I watched the ceiling fan go round and round, hoping that at some point it would hypnotize me and put me to sleep. Above the fan, the ceiling itself was so black I could only see the outside edges. I rubbed my eyes as the darkness seemed to grow larger than the fan. It stretched and elongated until it was oval shaped. My breathing became labored. And as badly as I wanted to close my eyes, they would not even allow me to blink.

I was frozen. Paralyzed. Not by fear, although the fear was definitely there and very real. I tried to move. I tried to reach out and grab my husband. With every ounce of strength I had, I tried to put my hand on his shoulder and shake him. My body refused to obey the mind’s commands. The darkness retreated slowly, and once again the shadow above the fan was the size and shape it should have been. Tears streamed down my face, and not wanting to wake the children, I choked back sobs.

My husband finally woke and rolled over to face me. “What’s wrong,” he asked.

I couldn’t speak. All I could do was curl up in his arms and cry, and that’s what I did.

The next morning, I told him what had happened and that we had to move. He, of course, told me I was crazy. “It must have been a dream. Maybe a night terror or something. I saw a show about how in different levels of REM sleep you can think you’re awake, and paralyzed, but really you’re sleeping. It has to be something like that!”

But it wasn’t something like that. I knew it wasn’t anything like that! I’d made my mind up, and regardless of whether he was willing or not, I was moving. There was no way I would keep my children in that house for any longer than necessary.

He went on to work that morning as if nothing ever happened. I went apartment hunting. There were 3 complexes in town running move in deals. No deposit, first month’s rent free. I hit all of them, signed a lease with one, and came home to start packing. It didn’t take me long. I still had boxed stuff in closets from the previous move.

As soon as I had a truck load, I filled up my old orange ford and took it to the new place. Unloaded and went back for more. The last load I could do alone had about 12 boxes. The couch, coffee table, and love seat were covered with them. Each box was full, but the tape gun we’d used when we’d moved last was missing. Killing the proverbial 2 birds, I finally called my husband. I hadn’t told him about the new apartment, or moving, no matter what he’d said--I knew he’d go wherever we were.

(Now I know you’re going to think I’m crazy, but I SWEAR this is true)

He answered on the third or fourth ring. “Yeah, babe. What’s up?”

“We’re moving. I’ve already rented an apartment and have almost everything moved in. All you’ll have to move is the furniture. Do you think you can get Rod, or Dave to help?”

“Have you lost your mind? We can’t afford to move again!” he exclaimed.

“It didn’t cost anything, and it’s a very nice complex. It’ll be closer to your job too.”

He let out an exasperated breath and didn’t say another word.

“Look hun. I can’t live here. Something’s very wrong with this place. It’s not safe for the kids! If it can do what it did to me last night, what can it do to them?”

Surprisingly, he answered with a chuckle. “Well it’s not like I can do anything about it now, right?”

Relief settled over me. I’d been somewhat afraid we’d fight, but it was one I’d been willing to have--if needed. “Hey, where’s that tape gun? I only have a few boxes left and I don’t want to just fold the tops in.”

“Should be in the pantry on the shelf. That’s where I put it.”

“Okay, great! I love you, and I’ll be at the new place when you get off work. Meet me there.”

“Love you too.”

I hung up the phone and walked into the living room. The tape gun was sitting dead center on the coffee table. All of the boxes were stacked by the door. No one had come in, and there’s no way my 3 year-old could have done it. That was all the pushing I needed. I grabbed up my kids and purse, put them in the truck, and went to the new house. I NEVER stepped foot in that house again.

That night, my husband moved the rest of our things with a friend. He said when he got there; every box in the room was stacked in two columns, one on top of the other, all the way to the ceiling.

After everything I’d been through, I totally believed him.

The House on Rivermet part 2

2011-10-04T06:12:00.000-07:00

The House on Rivermet (part 2)

For the next several days, different items continued to disappear. Now I want to make sure I’m very clear about these so-called disappearances. We could be sitting at the table eating, put down a fork or spoon, reach to pick it back up--and it would be gone. I realize this does happen from time to time. Especially when there’s a 3 year-old around. However, when it is occurring during every meal, and you can’t find the utensil on the floor or stuck in the high chair, it’s a bit unnerving. In addition to the silverware, shoes, clothing, and other things would go missing too.

Our visitor (and by that time I was certain we had an unseen visitor) seemed particularly fond of my makeup. But it only messed with it, while I was putting it on. If I put down an eye shadow, and went to check on the children, it would be gone when I returned.

Except for the man in the window, most of the activities seemed playful and childlike. At times I nearly convinced myself that it must be the ghost of a youngster playing pranks. Other times, it was difficult to live in that delusion. The overwhelming feeling of dread and fear that emanated from the bedroom could be completely debilitating.

The feelings weren’t subtle and came on quickly. I could walk by the bedroom door 10 times and feel nothing. The eleventh time? It would hit me full force, stopping me in my tracks. Almost like I’d ran into a tractor beam or force field. In an instant, I’d be freezing and paralyzed with fear. My racing heart would thud against my chest so hard it was actually physically painful. It only lasted a few seconds, but that was long enough to scare the crap out of me.

On Friday, we’d lived there two weeks. By then, our ghost had added something new to his bag of tricks. From time to time, no matter which room I was in, I would see this white mist in my peripheral vision. As soon as I’d realize it was there, I’d turn to look and it would be gone. I got smart after awhile. I stopped looking head on and would watch it from the corner of my eye. The mist itself was nearly transparent. Almost like a sphere shaped cloud of smoke, it hovered about a foot from the floor and reached nearly to the ceiling. As long as I didn’t look at it directly, it would stay for several minutes at a time. Floating in and out of my blind spot as if it were trying to get my attention.

Friday night we decided to get out and have some fun. My nerves were jangled and my husband was sick of hearing me gripe about the haunted house. It’s not that he didn’t believe me, he saw the mist too. He was there when things disappeared. He just didn’t believe there was anything to be afraid of. And if it weren’t for that occasional heart pounding fear, I’d have agreed with him.

We took the kids to his parents for the night and went out on the town.

The next morning, he was working on the bathroom floor. I walked up to the door to ask him a few questions. He started to answer me and abruptly stopped talking. His eyes locked on something over my shoulder and his jaw dropped.

“What is wrong with you?” I asked.

He didn’t say a word, but all the color drained from his face.

I spun around to see what he was looking at. A tall shadow, shaped like a man, paced along the kitchen wall. I gasped and the shadow stopped and turned to face me. It looked as if it were staring right at me. Within seconds it took off and went down the wall disappearing into the pantry.

Both of us were silent for a moment. “Did you see that?” he finally asked.

“I told you.”

“I know. But did you SEE that?”

“Yes, I saw it. This house is haunted!”

He shook his head and pulled himself to a standing position. “Now honey,” he said. “Don’t get all freaked out. It’s just a ghost. They can’t hurt you.”

But he was very wrong. Very very wrong.

The House on Rivermet

2011-09-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! In honor of that, I'm going to do something I've NEVER done before. I've had the fortune (or misfortune) of living in several haunted houses. This month, I will be writing short stories that are an actual accounting of events that happened in these homes. These stories are 100 percent true. Only the names have been changed to protect the identity of those involved. As I am not bothering my editor with these, you can expect to find errors. I've done my best, but--comma queen I am not. LOL

Remember, sometimes the things that go bump in the night...isn't the house settling, or noisy neighbors. Sometimes, there's really something there.

The House on Rivermet

In September of 1992, just seven days after my second bio-child was born, we had to move from our apartment into a small duplex on Rivermet. Things were pretty tough back then. I’d been working at a local bar as a bartender/waitress and my boss felt it was too dangerous for me to continue working once I’d really started showing. With only my husband’s income, we couldn’t afford the expensive apartment. We went house hunting and found this quaint little duplex. It was definitely a fixer upper, but the price was right.

I’ll never forget the first time I walked into the place. It was dingy and small, but with two bedrooms and a decent sized living room, it was good enough. Except for the smell. The air was thick with must. I knew I had some major cleaning ahead of me, and just seven days after having a baby, I wasn’t sure I was up to the challenge. We signed the lease, took the kids to his parents, and went back to clean. By the end of the day, we were ready to move in.

Now I have to admit the place was really cute once the layers of dust and crud had been removed. It had all kinds of potential. Or so I thought. I was uneasy being there, but who actually likes being in an empty, dirty house? I sloughed it off and the next morning we moved in.

Looking back (because we all know the hind sight adage), the strange happenings began that very first day. My oldest daughter refused to sleep in her room. She was only 3, so that’s to be expected in a new place. However, she also refused to play in her room. And that was pretty weird. I didn’t like the room either. I can’t tell you why, I just didn’t. It made me terribly uncomfortable to be in there. So much so, I wouldn’t put the baby in there either. I tried a few times, but I found myself continuously checking on her to make sure she was still breathing. Probably normal behavior for a new mom, but then again, I wasn’t the freaking out kind of person.

The disappearances started immediately. The baby’s pacifier, bottles, everyone’s shoes, and even silverware came up missing all the time. I mean every day, ten times or more a day, something would go missing. I could lay the baby down, stick her pacifier in her mouth and go to the kitchen. I’d go to the sink, or fridge, or whatever, and the pacifier I’d just given her would be sitting right in front of me. The first few times it happened, I laughed about it. Maybe post partum or something? Obviously, my mind wasn’t working right.

Five days after we moved in, the scary stuff began. I was babysitting, Chrissy, a friend’s 3 year old. My husband was gone and just me and the three little ones were at home. The baby was sleeping and I was holding the toddlers on my lap. We were singing the alphabet song and all of a sudden, Chrissy’s face went white. She looked terrified. I turned my head in the direction she was looking, and there was a man peering in the small window in the front room door. He had shaggy, dirty-blond hair, and dark circles under his eyes. His face was really pale. I mean hadn’t seen the sunlight in 100 years pale. And he stared at me without even blinking. Then he was gone. Poof. Nothing.

The girls had already started crying, but before I could put them down and get my gun (which was what I had every intention of doing), his face appeared in my living room window. I was stunned and couldn’t move. He disappeared again, and my body went into overdrive. I shoved the girls behind the couch, grabbed the phone and dialed 911, and headed into my bedroom to grab our gun. By the time dispatch answered I was locked, loaded, and back in the living room with the children.

Standing in the middle of the room gave me a clear view of the kitchen and the back door. That’s what I was waiting for. I figured he’d try to kick in the back door, if he was coming in. As expected, his face appeared in the kitchen window. He looked right at me. Now a normal person, even a peeping Tom, doesn’t just stand there and stare at you when you have a loaded 45 pointed at their head. But this guy did. No expression on his face whatsoever. No fear, no recognition that I was about to shoot him, nothing. And then he was gone.

I still had the phone to my ear and the dispatch officer told me the police had arrived out front and that I was to secure the weapon. My reply? “No way! You tell them to get someone around back and when they knock on my door, I’ll put it away. Hell, I’ll hand it to them, but there is NO way I’m putting this down until one of them is in the house.”

When they knocked, I released the chambered round, dropped the clip, and opened the door. Butt first, I handed the officer the gun. He came in and I was finally able to sooth the terrified 3 year olds.

Several minutes went by, and the other 3 policemen called the one talking to me outside. They were out there a long time. Finally, he returned and looked like he was trying not to laugh. He asked me again exactly what I’d seen. Frustrated, I repeated the story.

When I’d finished, he laughed. “Mamm, have you taken a good look at the outside of this building?”

“No, we haven’t lived here that long.”

“Well, I’ll tell ya what. I’m not sure what you thought you saw, but the ground on the west side over here slopes down. The man you think you saw would have been 9 feet tall to look in those windows. There’s no footprints out there anywhere.”

My jaw dropped. I wasn’t crazy. And it wasn’t just me! The girls saw him too!

“When will your husband get home?”

“He’s on his way now,” I answered.

“Okay, that’s good. Now you need to put the gun away, and I’ll wait outside until he gets here.”

It was blatantly obvious he thought I was a whack job. But what could I do? He was right about the slope. I hadn’t thought of it when I’d seen the man, but it was there.

After that, it got weirder.

First contest EVER!!!

2011-08-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends!

I'm running my first contest EVER and I'm really excited about it. Entry is easy. Go to my Willow Cross fan page and like it. Leave a comment on the page stating you have entered the contest. Repost the link on your facebook pages and get your friends to like the fan page. Your friends will need to leave a comment (on the fan page) under your comment thread. If they choose to enter themselves, they must leave their own comment in their own thread. Sound easy enough? (I hope!)

Prizes will be: The top 20 with the most comments will receive a coupon for a free download of both Birthright and Oceans of Red. The top 3 of those twenty will also receive a coupon for a free download of Inheritance when it releases next month!!!

The facebook groups Paranormal Reads and I Love Vampire Novels are also helping with this contest. I'd appreciate it if you'd like their pages too. I Love Vampire Novels is also doing a contest of their own with 10 prizes for winners.

That's a lot of free books! :)

Let the games begin!!!!!

Can you be yourself and network?

2011-08-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

Good morning! I hope the day finds you well and happy.

I’ve been having a bit of a personal dilemma. Almost a multiple personality disorder or something along those lines. I’ve been reading many articles and posts about maintaining a professional persona on the net (and of course in real life).

It makes perfect sense. I certainly don’t want potential buyers to think I’m a raving lunatic. Except, sometimes I am a raving lunatic. Then what? If I am all professional and keep everything neat and tidy, isn’t that just me putting on a mask to keep other people happy? And there’s the rub. I’m trying to figure out if I believe in that set-up or not.

What I know:

My writing comes from deep inside me. My dreams, ideas, beliefs, and personality seep into every aspect of it.

I really truly don’t want to offend people. It’s just bad form to be offensive for no reason. (And I have a massive fear of burning crosses in the front yard.)

I definitely don’t want my readers to think I’m a blithering idiot.

What I don’t know:

If I am lucky enough to have readers fall in love with my books, am I being phony by pretending to be someone I’m not? Am I letting them down?

(From Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary) Professional: characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2): exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace

Although I can be all business at times, how much fun is that? I mean seriously…I am an exuberant person!!! I LOVE exclamation points!!! I love lol’s and omg’s. Sharing my excitement over small and large events is so much fun. Is that unprofessional?

When I turned forty, I acquired this massive desire to be myself. Finally. I’ve spent most of my adult life working in service industries. Keeping a smile on my face and being ever-so congenial all of the time. You have to, or you won’t make any money. I understand it’s much the same for writers. (Another service industry) I wouldn’t dream of getting on here and lodging complaints about politics, religion, or anything confrontational. But I do want to be able to say on fb author page: OMG!!!! It’s sooooooooooo awesome!!!! I’m really excited!!!!! Lol Honestly, sometimes I feel like doing that on my blog too!!! Is that unprofessional?

How do you guys feel about it? Unless I’m mistaken, everyone following this blog is a writer of one sort or another. Do you feel free to be yourself when you’re networking and blogging? Are you constantly second guessing what you say?

Tell me about it. Sign in as anonymous if you don’t want to go on record. Lol I’d seriously like to know what you think.

Makeover!

2011-08-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs a little makeover now and then. Don't they? Well my consultants (ie writer friends) got together and decided Birthright could use a little sprucing up. Something a little less dark and horrorish, but still having a bit of a creep factor. After thumping our heads together repeatedly, we came up with the new cover. : )

http://www.amazon.com/Birthright-The-Dark-Gifts-ebook/dp/B0052F7IHQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1307846417&sr=8-2

Don't forget, It's almost time for the release of The Dark Gifts: Inheritance. Although this is not the final cover, I thought you might enjoy a peek at one of the mock-ups.

New Release!!!

2011-07-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Why yes, I do wait until the very last moment to get things done. Hence the blog post earlier today. ; )

Oceans of Red Volume One released on amazon today!!! You can find it here.

Coming soon!!

2011-07-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

I said I'd be back soon and for once I actually made pretty good time! Sort of. Today is all about Oceans of Red Volume One. Yep, another series. I haven't dissed my vampire/werewolf friends completely. They still lumber around in my head and make it to the page frequently. However, the new release has nothing to do with them. Here's the gist of it:

December 21, 2012 the world as we know it did end. Not with earth quakes and volcanic eruptions. No comets smashed into us. A zombie apocalypse didn’t devastate humanity, but it might as well have. The seal to hell was broken and millions of demons (or so they call themselves) came through. Now in the year 2015, they rule the earth. The streets are crowded with people flaunting glowing red eyes.

Remy Martin, a 19 yr old demon hunter, is the best chance humanity has to regain control of their bodies and world.

Why you say? Well, it will be a 99 cent download. Read it and find out! ; )

Update

2011-06-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

So we've established that I seriously suck at blogging on a regular basis, right? I just can't seem to make time in my day for it. Enough of the excuses and on with the updates. : )

The Dark Gifts: Birthright is now available at Amazon and Barns and Noble. (and a bunch of other places.) The first novella in my demon hunter series, Oceans of Red, will be released soon. And (insert drum roll here) the second book in The Dark Gifts series, Inheritance, will be released the end of July. SQEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Right now I'm working on the last bits of loose ends with covers and edits as well as writing the third volume of The Dark Gifts series.

I have to admit that I struggle with writing, the kids, and the ever present sun who constantly screams at me to come hang out. It's evil. It whispers in my ear, "You can come play. What's an hour? You need me!"

But an hour turns into an afternoon and the next thing you know, it's time to make dinner.

I will be back soon to give you a rundown of Oceans of Red and Inheritance. Probably not really soon, because....well you know. Keep up the great work and have a wonderful Summer!!!

Oh, and if you happen to speak to the Sun, let him know that I could use a few rainy days to get some extra work done. Not oodles and gobs, just a few. Here and there. Sporadic works well in this scenario.

Thanks ; )

It's here!!!

2011-03-04T04:56:00.000-08:00

It's finally here! I can't believe it! I have so much to say (for once) and very little time today. I will be doing a post (very soon) about how this all came about, and where I am going from here. While you're waiting, please feel free to watch the book trailer, and check out the smashwords site!

ttys!

Real life Ghost Hunters!!!

2011-01-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

Today we have quite a treat!!! An interview with real life Monster hunters!!!

Our interview is with Joe Cottone founder of G.R.A.B (Ghost Research Association of Buffalo) and ghost hunter extraordinaire, Kim Olivencia.

Joe, what made you decide to start GRAB?

Ironically enough, a friend of mine and myself sat around watching TAPS every wed night faithfully, and decided to see what we could get from a cemetery.

We only had a digital camera so we took lots of pictures and in the pics, found 2 of the best spirit orbs that live sci-fi TV has ever seen. It is one of the pics on the home page of our site

After that I fell in love with the whole thing. It helped prove things I saw and felt when I was young.

Joe, can you tell me a little about what happened when you were younger?

I opened the closet door and the smell of flowers seeped out. The smell clung to my mom’s shirt. She was standing right next to me. The only thing that was in the closet at that time was my grandma’s funeral mass cards.

Another time, two of my friends and I were sitting on my porch. My friend saw a lady in the window inside my house wearing a red dress. My friend jumped up and asked who was in the house, and I said just my grandpa. Funny thing is that my grandma was buried in a red dress.

Kim, how long have you been interested in the paranormal?

As long as I can remember. I was six years old and started having dreams that would come true. I had a dream that my brother fell off a bridge across the street from my house. I saw him in the water and everything. I also saw him walk back up my driveway to my house. Three days later I fell of that same bridge from my dream.

Also, we had a religious figure in the corner of my house on a shelf, and like a warning, every time something bad was going to happen it would fall.

My father called every day at 1 o’clock. For some reason he didn’t call the day he died. But the religious figure fell at the exact time he always called. When he came in the door from work, he died of a massive heart attack. I’ve talked to people who live in that house now. They have seen him and have described him to me.

How often do you go on a hunt and how do you find them?

Well, we try to get at least 1 per month, sometimes as many as 4....and we research the area, or someone calls us and says they need help. Most of it comes from word of mouth

Do you get rid of the ghosts or just investigate the haunting?

It depends on what the resident or owner wants.

Do you find that most people decide to leave well enough alone when they find out that their house really is haunted?

I wouldn’t say most. Some embrace it, some freak out, and some want to get rid of it. It is pretty even split.

What is the one thing about ghost hunting that will keep you coming back for more?

The variety. There is always something new and exciting.

Each case is different, and I am a sucker to help someone in need

A lot of the people that finally ask for help are at the end of their rope

Well thank you Kim, and Joe, for your ubber awesome insight into the world of ghost hunting. Are there any thoughts you’d like to leave with our readers?

Just that people need to know that there is something that exists beyond life. Please do not wait until it is too late to ask for help if you think your house may be haunted. It is a very sensitive thing and should be addressed by professionals. Do not try to contact them by yourself. You could get into a world of trouble you know nothing about.

Please click the G.R.A.B. link and check out their site!!!

Happy New Year!!!

2010-12-31T17:31:00.000-08:00

Well it’s about to be a brand new year. Big things (for me) in the beginning of the new year. I’m so anxious I can’t stand it! Believe me, when I can let that cat out of the bag--you’ll hear all about it!

Right now, however, I want to spend a little time reminiscing about this past year. So here goes.

I’ve met so many wonderful people in the past year. Several of them I’m pleased to call friends. Loved ones have died, but as the great circle of life spins, others have been born. My children and grandchildren are healthy and relatively happy. (It’s hard being a grown up.) However, they understand me more now than they did before. I’m so very proud to be their mother and grandmother.

One of my sisters has moved to where I live, so I’m no longer without some extended family around. And we have some new additions coming to the family!

My husband is probably the best any woman could hope for. He puts up with a lot of craziness and still continues to love me. lol We don’t have everything ‘we’ want, but we have what we need. And that alone is a reason to be thankful.

There’s been some rough patches this year, but sitting here and looking back I can honestly say it’s all turned out pretty well. My favorite saying is “Everything happens for a reason.” And today, on December 31st, 2010, I can say that I still hold to that.

An old Native American proverb from the Maricopa tribe states: “Everyone who is successful must have dreamed of something.” So dream your dreams in the New Year. Anything can happen. And no matter what happens, rest assured that it will work out however its supposed to!

Things you'd like to say....

2010-07-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

My last post was about the words you use when dealing with people you care about.  But what about people you don't care about, or that irritate you?  Just for fun, I've made a list of things I'd like to say, but never do.  I'm fairly certain they aren't politically correct--but I'm in a strange mood so for today I don't care. ; ) 

When dealing with stress:

Rum won't cure it, but it makes it a hell-of-a lot harder to notice.

For x's:

Consider yourself lucky that judges are less forgiving than God.

For condescending advisers:  

Lemonade?  How about I throw them at you?  At least one of us will feel better.

For skinny girls that constantly talk about how 'fat' they are:

Have you had an allergic reaction to something?  Your entire body looks swollen.

Clueless cashiers:

They're called numbers.  You can count them backwards and forwards.  

Egotistic guys in bars:

Aren't you cute!  Did you mother pick out that outfit for you?

People who enjoy talking about things they know nothing about:

Do you realize you sound smarter when you're not talking?

For various occasions:

Do you realize how embarrassing it would be to wake up in the ER and have to explain that a woman knocked you out?

If you know so much, why am I paying for summer school?

Should I say these things? Probably not. It doesn't hurt to think them loudly, and it does make me feel better when I'm aggravated. LOL

Life is supposed to be what????

2010-07-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full swing and I'm doing my best to enjoy it. Hope you are too!

I have so many people in and out of my house that I've been accused of having a revolving door. Now it doesn't revolve, however, it slams frequently. This seems to be a difficult summer for most of the people (young and not so young) I know. Lately, I've found myself trying to answer the same question: Why is life so hard?

Now the trite answer to that is: It's supposed to be hard. If there were no bad times, we wouldn't appreciate the good times. After being put in a position to say it over and over, I've had to sit back and really think about this explanation I keep repeating. What does that mean anyhow? And why in the heck do I keep repeating words that have never helped me much to begin with?

It's simplistic to narrow down today's problems with words from yesterday. A young girl who finds out she's pregnant the day before her boyfriend dumps her, won't take consolation in, "It's supposed to be." Neither will a middle-aged woman whose father has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Which brings us to the next stage of conversation: Shit happens.

Some things are just beyond our control. We can't make people love us. They do or don't of their own free will. My psych professor was fond of saying, "If you are in a room with 100 people, 25 will like you, 25 won't, and the other 50 won't care one way or the other. If you change your personality to fit in with the 25 that dislike you, the 25 that did--won't. And there will still be 50 that don't care."

We most certainly can't stop cancer from invading our own bodies, let alone someone else.

The point I'm trying to make here isn't about how or why bad things happen. It's about words. Our words and the advice we give to those around us. Find new words. Use new explanations. Better yet, don't be afraid to say, "I don't know." I don't know why this is happening to you, but I know a day will come when you'll feel better can sound cliche as well. However, you can back that up with your own personal experiences. We've all lost people we love in one way or another. Everyone (that I've encountered) has financial issues from time to time. Shit really does happen. Sometimes it's our own bad decisions that take us down. Other times, it's just plain bad luck.

Is life supposed to be hard? Maybe. We each have our own lessons to learn and obstacles to overcome. Can we make it easier for each other? Abso-freakin-lutely! We can't take on other peoples pain, but we can ease it. Actions help. A hug, a twenty slipped into the pocket of a friend who doesn't have money for groceries, and sometimes just a phone call to let them know you care and are thinking of them. Words are a valuable tool. You can bring someone to their knees with your words. Or you can pick them up, dust them off and send them forward with a smile and a lighter heart.

If we take as much care and consideration with the words we say as we do the words we write, this world might just be a little easier to deal with.

Monsters we love

2010-06-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted a Jacob or Edward in your life? What is it that fascinates us? Is it the bad guy persona? Is it the thrill of the chase? Wanting what we know we can't have?

I think it's more than that. I think most women have a need for a Jacob, Edward, Lucian, Sirius, or even a Blade in their lives. Why?

Because they love with intensity. How often do you get that? They will kill or die for you. (Or that.) Even better, they are nearly perfect. Who wouldn't love a nearly perfect man? Sure they have their faults. Some drink blood, others have anger management issues--but who do you know that doesn't have some type of issue? We love to love the 'good' monsters because it's enticing. It's above and beyond the usual. We're used to picking up socks and underwear. Doing laundry--been there done that a thousand times. However, when was that last time you got to be someones lifeline? See that's it right there! In books and movies we can indulge in the concept of being saviors. Only the love of a truly good woman will save these so-called monsters. And aren't we all dying to prove our worth?

Which monsters do you love? What is it about them that trips your trigger?

Who am I writing for?

2010-04-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

I’ve spent the last several months wishing and hoping time would somehow miraculously arrive in large quantities. What with the kids, and the house (and life in general) my daily writing schedule has been completely flushed. However, it seems that things have sorted themselves out and (knock on wood) I’m on the cusp of retrieving said schedule. There’s only one little problem with that. The words won’t come. I’m not getting any story ideas for my current WIP. Zip, zilch, nada. It’s driving me crazy!

Yesterday I spent the day trying to come up with something. I did my usual—throwing myself into my main character’s mood. Trying to figure out where we’d go from here and what we’d do. Still nothing. Several of my writer friends outline their stories from beginning to end. They tell me that’s how they keep on track. I really don’t like the idea of being constricted to a storyline. I enjoy the way my novels unfold in their own way. Each time it is unique. Each day I enjoy new surprises as plots twist and unexpected things happen. I LOVE that about writing.

Yesterday was a doubt-filled day for me. That old saying about everyone having a book or two in them, kept coming to mind. What if I only had three books in me? What if the story isn’t progressing because there really is no story there? What if I’m washed up already????!!!!

Today however, is a little different. I think I’ve discovered the trouble. It’s not the story, it’s me. The new book has nothing to do with vampires, werewolves, witches, or ghosts. Why? Because I keep hearing the term ‘market saturation.’ It’s an ugly term. Seems there’s just too many of those kinds of stories out there right now. My problem is—that’s what I love to write. Those are the stories that turn me on and motivate me. I don’t mean to sound like a genre-ist, but that’s what I like reading too. If you check out my movie or book collections, you’ll see that they mostly consist of things that go bump in the night.

So today I have a huge decision to make. I have to decide who exactly I’m writing for, and what my motivations are. Do I write for me and enjoy every minute of it, or do I write with the intention of actually selling something? My vampire/werewolf series has at least two (if not three) more books before it is complete. I’m itching to get at it. I love those characters. They feel like family. What am I going to do? I have no clue, but I am making the decision today and I’ll let you know.

Happy Easter!!!!

2010-04-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

So I'm thinking about Easter Sunday. I'm Thinking about God and all his infinate wisdom. Here are my thoughts (for what they are worth.) God is. He always has been, and always will be. Nothing we've been taught is original thinking. It's all training. Your heart, soul, or consciousness tells you what's right and what's wrong. You feel it. When you do something that goes against 'the right', you feel it. So don't look to man for answers. Look to God. He's the only one that knows the truth. Your favorite Sunday morning evangilist isn't going to be able to tell you what's right for you. His generalizations will cover some, but not all. Trust your heart. He is here. He is with you. In all things know that the glory of the lord will shine through. (No it's not an exact bible verse, however, He is always faithful. Trust and believe upon that.) Life is tough people, but that's why we're here. To learn. To grow. Everything else is just icing. Eat your cake and be glad. There are always others out there that have it worse than you!!!! Happy Easter, and God bless!!!!!!!

Update on pub contract

2010-03-10T08:43:00.000-08:00

Has anyone noticed that I sort of suck at updating my blog? As usual, life took over and time for writing, reading, and even breathing is almost nonexistent. I am inundated with grandchildren and household chores. Not that I’m complaining. Here’s a quick rundown on how things are going.

I turned down the publishing contract. I know it sounds insane, but there are some issues I just won’t budge on. Taking a deal, just for the sake of being able to say I’ve published a book just seemed like a cop out to me. In the end I’d be making next to nothing and there was no advance whatsoever. I can self publish an eBook and make 40% in royalties. No free author copies. (I’d have to buy those.) If I’m going to buy my own books, I might as well self publish at least then I’d still own the rights to my work. (See how this is working out? Lol) So in the interest of not screwing myself over, I turned them down. For now, I have no plans to self publish, but I am seriously thinking it over.

In the mean time, I am still querying the first and second books, and working on two others. Now I say working in the loosest sense of the word. I’ve started two more would be more appropriate I suppose. Both are at a standstill right now due to the inconvenient interruptions of my ‘real’ life. However, I’m itching to get back at it and get moving. Both books have taken over my dreams. It’s crazy how that happens. Today and tomorrow are mapped out for writing. If the chaos gods aren’t against me, maybe the words I’m dreaming will make it to paper. Maybe….. I hope you all are well! Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Negotiating your own publishing contract

2009-12-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

Negotiating your own publishing contract doesn’t sound intelligent, does it? Don’t worry, it doesn’t sound all that brilliant to me either, but I’m doing it anyhow. For the most part, I gave up on finding an agent for the first book. Believe me I tried. I have approximately 32 different queries saved to this computer. Crazy huh? As I am entirely too impatient, I decided to take matters into my own hands and try to sell this novel on my own.

Here’s what I discovered after I gave up:

1. Queries that do not interest agents can interest publishers.

2. It is easier to get a small publisher to read your full manuscript than to get an agent to read a partial. (Especially if you write about vampires and werewolves.) The majority of publishers I queried requested fulls. Some even before requesting partials. Every publisher I queried requested at least a partial. (That’s great if writing queries is not your cup of tea!)

Although I’ve received rejections from some of those publishers, I’ve also received invaluable insight. With the exception of one, every rejection letter received has offered advice on plot development, character development, even genre issues.

One editor told me she enjoyed my story, and that it was well written, BUT it was not a paranormal romance, instead she‘d classify it as more mainstream horror or straight urban fantasy. According to online definitions, my book is a paranormal romance. Now I didn’t agree with that definition because there really isn’t all that much romance in it. That little tidbit she gave me has helped tremendously! (It’s always best to send your work to someone who actually publishes your genre. Lol)

I am not in any way shape or form advising you to be your own agent or attorney! Believe me; I’d be happier if I’d acquired an agent. However, should you find yourself in the same predicament there are some extremely helpful articles on the internet you can utilize. This link is from Publishing Central. Although it isn’t intended to take the place of an actual attorney, there are a plethora of listed things you should know before signing a contract. This link from absolute write has also been exceedingly helpful. There are many more you can look up simply by searching publishing contract negotiation.

If you find yourself in a situation where you must do your own negotiation, do your homework. Research every aspect of the offered contract. Do not under any circumstances arrive at this knife fight with a spoon! And it is a knife fight; make no mistake about that.

Publishers, like writers, want to make money. You have the right to ask for things they don’t offer, and they have the right to tell you NO!

Read through the offered contract carefully. Small clauses that do not make sense to the average person and seem of little consequence can cause you big trouble later.

Keep a realistic perspective on what you will receive. Remember, although we all think we’ve written the next big thing, it hasn’t been proven. Don’t expect a publisher to bend over backwards for a debut author. Most don’t.

By the way, if you haven’t visited P&E, or writer beware, you should. Whether you are trying to find an agent or a publisher, it is important to know you are dealing with a reputable business.

Good luck and happy writing! I’ll let you know how this plays out!

A book for Christmas?

2009-11-30T06:06:00.000-08:00

Well the turkey and fixings’ have been put away, brought out, reheated, put away again, and now have been thrown away. And it’s that time again. Christmas! Shopping, more shopping, and oh dare I say--shopping!

I’ve been reading quite a bit lately on helping your fellow writers out. Giving books as presents seems to be a nice way to do that. But if your son wants a new Ipod does it make good fiscal sense to buy him a set of books? I’d rather him read than listen to music, but will he? Or will they just sit on the bookshelf gathering dust while he complains about his buddy getting the exact Ipod he wanted?

Although I have some doubts, I’m on a mission to expand the minds of those I’d like to influence. I’m going to try to find the perfect book for each of my children. (Even the ones that don’t like to read.) No expensive sets, just one solitary book that I think will peak their interest. A good steam punk romance will do for the oldest. The youngest loves animals so something along those lines for him, and the others? Well I’ll have to do some digging and figure out which genre they’d most likely read.

If my experiment goes well, I’ll have the pleasure of knowing that this one particular present will be around for a while. After all, how many times will you read a favorite book? I have several in my library that I’ve had since I was thirteen. I still enjoy them. I wouldn’t even consider getting rid of my Wind in the Door, or any of my LOTR’s. And my Shanara series? Touch it and die!!!! (I don’t even loan that set out.)

If you decide to have your own reading experiment, here are some things you should know. First off, don’t buy used books. Writers don’t make any money off of used books. (Remember we have two goals here.) Secondly, if the book is part of a set, buy the first in the series. Third and most important, don’t assume. Look through each book. Just because your daughter loves the Twilight Saga, does not mean that other paranormal romances will be appropriate for her. I’ve read many that are filled with vivid sex scenes and although I enjoyed them, I wouldn’t want my thirteen-year-old reading them.

Well that’s it! Good luck! Should you decide to embark on this quest, let me know how it panned out.

Deciding between wants and needs.

2009-11-16T07:12:00.000-08:00

I’ve been absent for a while. Sorry about that. (again.) Life took over and so many things were going on it was hard to choose between what I wanted to do and what had to be done. It’s funny how often that happens.

Today it’s raining. A dark dreary day that screams, “Grab a good book and read all day!” Except I really can’t do that today. There’s this blog that needed to be written weeks ago, I have a new book I seriously need to work on. And of course, there are agents to research and queries to send out. Not to mention I haven’t written the synopsis for the second book yet.

I have one free day this week. Today. My new story has filled my dreams for the last week or so. My fingers are twitching to hit the keyboard and allow the words to escape. So I’m asking myself what the smartest course of action would be. With book one on submission, and book two close to being submission ready, should I really take the time to work on book three? Or would it be prudent to complete the synopsis for two and send out more queries?

While I’m trying to figure this out, time is passing. They day is growing shorter. My gut says to do what the heart wants. Write. There is time for the other. I don’t have to get published this year. I don’t have to find an agent today. And I sure don’t have to figure out a way to break into the writing world this morning. I don’t have to write either, but I want to.

So for today, want supersedes need. Today, I’m going to allow myself the pleasure of putting words on paper. How do you prioritize? If want is the inner child, and need is the grown up version of your psyche, how often to you allow the inner child to play?

Rebuttal to Esquire article (of sorts)

2009-10-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

I took a break from work to look over cutie, and agent extraordinaire Nathan Bransford’s blog. In his post, he referenced Esquire’s post about vampires and gay men. Of course, I had to click over and read it. Gotta say, I'm not agreeing with this man’s opinion.

Why do so many want to turn genre fiction into a platform for religious or economic crisis? Can't we just like scary stories for the sake of a good scare? I'm curious what those of you who are interested think. (I’ll wait while you read………)

Okay ready?

I really get frustrated when people turn everything into a platform with religious connotations. Now, I’m not saying that he’s doing that per say. What I am saying is that many people do. Stating that woman like vampire stories because most secretly desire to have sex with gay men, is ridiculously equivalent to saying Men play sports because they’re in the closet and like the physical contact with other men. I’d bet money that several large, professional football players would kick your ass if you mentioned that to their faces. Anyone game to try it? (Not this girl!)

So many things are continuously taken out of context. The article implies that fascination with vampires is a result of another round of sexual revolution. Maybe so. But then again, aren’t we in a perpetual state of sexual revolution? In the last several decades, we’ve gone from do anything and anyone, to abstinence, and back again. Do I like gay men? I have several good friends that are. Do I want to sleep with them? Well I have enough lost causes going on, adding one more seems a bit masochistic.

In addition, the article discusses the rise and fall of vampire fiction coinciding with the rise of Aids and other socioeconomic events. My take? The world is a messy, scary place. To see that, all you have to do is turn on the news. Any station, any channel. It’s terrifying. I’d much rather go to sleep worrying about, "What if a vampire showed up?" Instead of, "What if I wake up and all the banks are shut down?" (I'm not nearly as worried about the vampire.)

I think most people want to escape from reality. Sci-fi/fantasy provides it. Not everything has to equate to sex or god. Sometimes a tomato is a nice, plump--wait for it--tomato. End of story.

What do you think? I’m curious to read your comments and hear your ideas. Are people looking in the wrong places for answers to unnecessary questions?

Writing Purgatory

2009-10-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

Your first novel is finished and with several publishers waiting to be read. One is showing great interest! Your second novel is finished, and is in the revision/editing process. A third and fourth novel are in the early stages, but you’re optimistic they’ll both be good. So how does it feel?

I’m in publishing purgatory. Now I’ve been here for a while, but some days (like today) are worse than others. Many days, you wonder what in the heck you’re doing and why. Why did I decide at 39 yrs old, I wanted to become a writer? I honestly don’t know. Someone put me on a path, and the story happened. Why did I think it needed published? Well…wouldn’t it be a waste of time, not to mention completely self-indulgent, to make no attempt to profit from all the time and work invested? Don’t I owe my family that?

There are mornings I wake up, plagued with doubts and questions. I religiously scan blogs from other writers and agents, always in the hope that I’ll find another soul with similar misgivings. Many say, “We write because we must.” I agree with that. Writing became an addiction for me within three days of starting the first novel. How healthy can that be? If there is one thing you do (addictively) that interferes with real life, can it really be good for you?

A cardinal rule of writing is: Do not trust the opinions of friends and family when it comes to your writing. I comprehend the concept of this, but how likely are you to send writing samples to people you don’t know? How likely is it that they’d want to read them? Where do you find said people? “Writing critique groups,” says those in the know. Really? Wow! We don’t have any real life writing groups here. I live in small town Arkansas for Pete’s sake.

In the few writing forums I go to online, there is constant repetition of one phrase to new writers asking for critiques: “You just want someone to tell you how great you are.” I have a two-word response for that---WELL DUH!!! Who doesn’t want to be told how great they are? Some will venture to say the writing shows promise, but they never say exactly what is wrong with it. Oh, you’ll hear things like punctuation and grammar, that’s easy. I only know of one person that I consider the grammar police. (And she knows who she is.)

Much doubt, work, and even denial is involved in writing a book that might not make it to bookshelves. In the mean time, you have moments of mild freak outs, you constantly second guess your motives and abilities, and most importantly--you keep doing what you’re doing and strive to master the craft. Why? Who knows!

I could be in the next room holding my new grandson. I did that a lot last week and can tell you it was wonderful. Closets could be organized, floors could be scrubbed, toilets always need cleaning, but I’m here. Right here in front of the computer. Drinking coffee, preparing my mind for surreal locations, and planning once again, to write a story that very few may ever read. I can’t say why anyone, including myself, keeps trying. Validation? An extreme belief you have something to contribute? Money? I write because it makes me happy. It thrills me. Allowing my thoughts to spill out in type, gives me a sense of wholeness. After all of this, the doubts have settled. Paranoia has receded. I’m not wasting my time. I write because I must.

Where are you right now? Are you in your own brand of purgatory? Are you still plugging away at a dream? Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up! ‘They’ might not come when you build it, but YOU built it. At the very least, you can take pride in that. When you quit, you fail.

Monster love

2009-09-30T05:56:00.000-07:00

So I noticed today’s date. (I know I’m not terribly observant.) And immediately upon seeing said date, a song began playing in my head. Six more days to Halloween, Halloween, Halloween…. Remember that? Excitement ensued.

I’m all about Halloween. I love the parties, dressing up, handing out candy to tricker-treaters. It’s my second favorite holiday. (Christmas comes in first.) Halloween is the only holiday that you don’t have to be ’good’ to receive gifts. You can dress how you want, you can prank people, you can be a monster, and it’s perfectly fine.

It is no secret that I love monsters. Especially those misunderstood, trying to be more, monsters. Let’s face it; we all have a bit of monster in us. Don’t believe me? Here is a short quiz that will tell you which kind of monster hides beneath your strikingly human exterior.

Have you ever talked someone into doing something they didn‘t want to do? (vampire, witch)

Put your own needs ahead of others? (all of them)

So needy that you sucked the life force from someone you love? (vampire, siren, medusa, ect.)

Appeared to be something you’re not? (vampire, werewolf, shape-shifter, witch, ghost)

Here’s a big one: Been in love, know that your actions are hurting the one you love, and continued with said actions?

Those of you that can answer NO to the preceding questions are really wonderful beings. Those that can’t--well you’re human, and have a bit of monster in you. Don’t feel bad we all do. That’s why we love a good monster flick or book. The love affair with monsters is really our own need to see someone else act in a fashion we would never consider. They make our ‘good’ seem really good, and our ‘bad’ seems much more humane.

The best monsters, the ones everyone loves, are noble monsters. Those that will kill an entire village to save the one he/she loves. Is it right? Well of course not, but as humans we can watch from afar and feel a sense of justice in the evil. Who hasn’t cheered when a werewolf transmogrified and killed someone, thinking, “Man, that chick had it coming.” Or thought, “I hope that dude gets it first!”

We love it when the big, scary monsters take out the bad guys. Some monsters deserve a stake through the heart, but others--well they are heroes. We want to know them, we want to love them, sometimes, we even want to be them. Deep down inside we can identify with many of them. So celebrate your inner monster, keep it under control, but celebrate it, because it’s just a few more days to Halloween, Halloween, Halloween……..

Vampires, dead or undead?

2009-09-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Today’s topic (and maybe the topic for the week) is vampires. Now I know I tend to go on and on about them, but that’s only because they are my favorite non-human entities. I’m still reading on agent/publishing blogs that vampires are dead…again. My problem with what I’m reading is that I don’t believe a word of it.

This might be wishful thinking on my part. After all, I don’t think anyone loves a good vampire story more than I do. According to many (who are supposed to be in the ‘know’), today’s media market is ubber saturated, and readers/viewers are sick to death of it. This reader has to disagree. For the first time in a longggggg time, I have a reason to pay my dish bill. Why? Because there is finally programming I enjoy.

My question for all the in-the-knowers is this: If the market is over saturated, why are people still tuning in? Why are Grandmas walking around the local Wal-Mart with I heart Vampire shirts? Several vampire series that have been out of print for years are reprinting, and once again becoming popular. Why is that powers that be?

Several sources have claimed this is the first time vampires have hit it big in the U.S. Again, I disagree. Vampires have been at the top of the proverbial monster list since Bram Stoker’s time. Every so often, a new writer will come along and even more readers/viewers will join the fangbanger ranks. All this shows me is that those that love them, do so unconditionally. I’d rather watch a B movie about vampires (regardless of how crappy the effects are) than watch a romantic chick flick. ICK! I can’t be the only one that feels that way.

What do you think? Are they dead? Are you sick of them? Should publishers and Hollywood leave them in their coffins?

Day 348

2009-09-22T04:49:00.000-07:00

Day 348

Okay where were we? Oh yeah, the hard part…

I can look back on this now and laugh, but at the time I did not find it even slightly amusing. Like many who know nothing about the publishing world, I assumed that editing was combing a manuscript for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors. (Like that’s not hard enough to do. Especially when you aren’t the grammar police. Just for clarification…I‘m not.) The day after I finished The Bright Side of Darkness, I began my quest to edit and rid my story of mistakes.

Now I took this task quite seriously. I did a quick search online about editing and one of the noble advice givers claimed that you needed 6 people to help you edit. After those 6 had returned said manuscript, and mistakes repaired, you needed 6 more. (Yep. That’s what I thought too! Where in the heck am I going to find 12 people to read this?) Regardless of my trepidation, I set out to find 6 people I knew would be honest with me, no matter what. Lucky for me, I had 6 willing and able people to help me on my journey.

I promptly sent them copies and they picked the manuscript apart. (You can’t imagine how many spelling and punctuation errors there were. And I have and USE spell check!) For two weeks straight, I read, fixed, re-read, fixed, and so on. At the end of that two week period, I knew my book so well that my ‘editors’ could send me the page number and sentence and I knew exactly where to find it.

(Side note: At this point, I seriously started disliking my book. We began to have a strained relationship. You see, I wanted it to be good and behave. And it…well it wanted to be stubborn.)

I have actually dreamed of sitting at the computer combing line upon line of my story. Sometimes, I even woke up exhausted from working in my sleep all night. But that’s not even the hard part. We still aren’t even close to the really really hard part.

In the process of all this editing, I decided it was time for me to research this publishing thing and figure out how I was going to get this book from my home to Barns & Noble. Let me tell you, if I had done that before writing the novel--it would never have been written. I’m not even catholic and I crossed my chest after finding out what I needed to do to become a published author.

If you watch much TV or movies, you’d think that selling a book is fairly simple as long as it’s a good book. WRONG! The ‘simple’ part is sitting in a chair for hours working up a good case of carpal tunnel and restless leg syndrome. Everything after that is insanity!

It was at this time that I discovered a thing called ‘show don’t tell,’ and that revising and editing are no where close to the same monster.

Editing: Searching for mistakes in sentence structure, spelling, grammar, and extra words.

Revising: Ripping your manuscript to the bones and making it salable.

And guess what? There’s more. (I know, that’s what I said too! More? Are you freaking kidding me?) If you really want to get a good book deal, you need to have an agent. If you want to get an agent, you need to know how to write a killer query.

Query: A one-page letter written to an agent in which you personalize a greeting to each agent. Tell them the genre, word count, and title of your book. And then the biggie…In one small paragraph, give them an interesting, compelling synopsis of your story. Oh yeah, and you have to have a ton of double spaced lines between items so it can easily be read.

“Just awesome. No really, it‘s great. Someone just shoot me,” I mumbled as I beat my head against wall.

I almost quit right there. In fact, I made several tearful phone calls to Vanessa justifying why I just couldn’t do this.

“I don’t think I can do this, it’s too hard.”

“Of course you can, hun. Don’t be ridiculous. This is a great story. You’ll get it figured out,” she said.

A few of those turned into this: “Get a grip, girl. You can do this.”

I’d have been lost without my friends. They nudged me at the right times in the right places to keep going. She‘s never steered me wrong, so I listened.

By the middle of February, I was sending out queries. My first rejection didn’t shock me at all. I’m a new writer; I didn’t expect everyone to want my story. When the tenth rejection came--well--that one kind of hurt my feelings. I mean really! This is a great story. Vampires, and ghosts, and witches and a druid sorcerer? Sword fights, demon battles, magic…Who the heck wouldn’t love that?

I’m digressing because in the middle of all this mess, I was revising my book. Holy crap! Talk about work. You know all those freaky English rules you had to learn in high school? Remember senior comp or American Lit? Or better, the School House Rock songs? Conjunction junction and Lolly get your adverb? Does not even remotely prepare you for writing/editing/revising a novel.

Believe it or not, after all this yammering, I’ve finally gotten to the hard part. But unfortunately, that will have to wait till next time again. Because as usual, I’ve been long winded and I don’t want to get blamed for bottoms going numb and headaches.

Day 347 in my writing career.

2009-09-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

Day 347 in my writing career.

I began this whole writing thing nearly a year ago. I showed a friend a short story I’d written and she said, “This is really good! So why don’t you make it a book?”

I laughed. “A book? I don’t have time to write a book!”

She smiled and shook her head. “Hun, you sit at the computer and clean your house. What do you mean you don’t have time?”

For three days, I pondered her statement. I really did have time to write a book, but holy cow…a book? That’s a ton of work and I’m not creative or overly intelligent. I’m just me. Writers are really smart people! Aren’t they?

On the fourth day, I sat down with my two-page short story and decided to give it a whirl. It was just one day after all, what could it hurt to try? I re-read what I’d written and suddenly words poured out of me. I’m talking tons of words. Those two pages became an entire chapter that day. When the kids got home from school, I put it up and did my normal after school thing with them.

All that night I had an intense feeling of satisfaction. My laundry didn’t get washed that day, and the living room needed vacuumed, but I felt like I’d really accomplished something.

The next morning I woke up at 5:30 like usual. (I know it’s an ungodly time, but my body is just used to it.) I made my coffee, checked my emails, read my horoscope, and opened my story. The kids almost missed the buss because I lost track of time and forgot to wake them up. After I got them off to school, I went at it again and wrote all day.

That was all it took, two exquisite days of bliss. I was completely hooked. I didn’t know if it was any good at all, but I couldn’t stop. It was my drug of choice. I worked like that everyday. Some days I’d write until nearly midnight. I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want too! (Can you say obsession?) In January, I finished. I sat here typing out those last few paragraphs and cried like a baby. It was over. I had given birth to a thing that had taken on a life of its own.

And that was when the really hard part began…