One Man’s Journey (Part 2)

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MuseItUp, One Man's Journey of the Spirit, Stan Hampton author

As promised we’re continuing Stan Hampton’s journey today. It’s been fascinating so far, and I admire him for it. At this stage of my life I don’t know if I’d ever have the courage. So I’m going to live vicariously through Stan’s adventures. Join me!

 

The morning of 27 February I traveled by train to Marseilles where I changed trains for Aubagne. After that I had to take a bus to the village of Vers-Pont-du-Gard, a mere 4 kilometers from the famous Roman aqueduct, the Pont-du-Gard. Actually, I attempted to call a taxi, but that did not work. It took the help of a good friend in Montpellier who called for a taxi that took me to the “a Gauche du Pont,” a friendly bed and breakfast that was a momentary home. And a very nice home it was—my room was 200 years old and had a stone ceiling.

After a Continental Breakfast the morning of 28 February, Fabian, one of the owners of the “a Gauche du Pont” showed me the way along 4 kilometers of winding trails through the forest to the Pont-du-Gard. Though I walk over a mile every day at the Université and so am in better shape than in January, carrying a backpack filled with camera equipment was a bit tiring. But soon, I caught my first glimpse of the famous 2,000 year old Roman aqueduct that I had read about for so many years.

The Pont-du-Gard from the banks of the Gardon River. I did it! I was actually looking at, and had touched, the 2,000 year old architectural monument built by a people long gone.

Fabian and Veronique, the owners of “a Gauche du Pont”, and I had dinner in the nearby Medieval village of Castillon-du-Gard, then we went for a brief walk because I wanted to get some photos at night. It was a very brief walk because it was cold and windy.

After a Continental Breakfast the morning of 1 March I caught the bus from Vers-Pont-du-Gard to Avignon. Faced with a 4-hour layover for the train to Arles, I opted for a bus—within an hour of my arrival I was on my way and arrived in Arles just about an hour later. Within an hour I set out to register for a tour into the famous Camargue the next day, plus spent the afternoon visiting the Roman amphitheatre and arena.

And yes, I did it. I was standing where, perhaps 2,000 years ago, actors, musicians, and singers performed for a packed audience who spoke Latin and ruled an Empire that encircled the Mediterranean Sea.

Wow. These pictures are fantastic. Readers, can you imagine actually standing there and snapping the photo? Not seeing it on a movie or television screen. Not reading about it. Actually being there. We have more of Stan’s journey to come. Come back next Tuesday for more.

One Man’s Journey of the Spirit

Tags

MuseItUp, One Man's Journey of the Spirit, Stan Hampton author

Friend and fellow writer Stan Hampton has agreed to share photos of his travels with us. This post is just the first of several. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more.

Stan is a wonderful photographer as well as writer, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy his journey as much as I did. Welcome, Stan. I’ll turn it over to you.

Imagine for a moment that you have spent years, if not decades, dreaming and wishing to travel and explore. Not as a typical tourist wanting to visit the big foreign cities and famous sites—though there is nothing wrong with either goal. But traveling and exploring for a specific purpose. And imagine that after decades, the dreams and wishes actually come true.

I am retired and am a full-time university student working on my Bachelors degree with the ultimate goal of attaining a doctorate. My long-held dreams and wishes began to happen after I applied to the Universities Study Abroad Consortium (USAC), Reno, Nevada. USAC was founded in the late 1980s and is one of several academic organizations that assist American students in studying overseas. I wanted to study in Ireland, but after talking with a senior director, I decided to apply for France instead.

In January 2017 I set out from Las Vegas, Nevada to Pau, France, where I would spend the Spring Semester studying French at the Université de Pau et des Pays de L’Adour. (Ah, Pau is pronounced “Po.”)

Imagine, a person my age (senior citizen, I think) being a full-time university student studying in a foreign country. And this is where, in a very real sense, my journey of the spirit begins. And the journey is not yet complete—there are a couple more sponsored outings before the semester ends in late April, after which I am signed up for an optional tour of the Normandy region. Then, on my own I go to northern England before boarding the Queen Mary 2 in Southampton to cross the Atlantic back to the States. At least, that’s the plan.

3 January, the journey begins when I fly out of Las Vegas, bound for Paris via Philadelphia, where I will catch a flight to Pau, a small town in the shadow of the Pyrenees Mountains in southwestern France.

During the first week there were a pair of walking tours of Pau for the American students. This is my view of the Chateau de Pau, birthplace of King Henry IV. Did I mention I am a photographer? I always try to look for a different and interesting angle when photographing. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes…

The Winter Break began on 25 February. That morning I traveled by train from Pau and changed trains at the rail station in Toulouse, and again at Marseilles, bound for Aubagne, France.

 

The Foreign Legion Museum in Aubagne, 26 February. All of my life I have been fascinated by the French Foreign Legion, particularly their role in the French-Indochina War (1946-1954) and the French Algerian War (1954-1962). Indochina, especially the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (November 1953-May 1954), always reminded me of a Greek tragedy—no matter how much courage the ordinary Legionnaire and French Union soldiers displayed, a tragic end awaited all. And so, units like the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion, 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion, battalions of the 13th Foreign Demi-Brigade, and battalions of the 2nd and 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiments, with other French metropolitan, colonial and African units, fought until destroyed; the survivors were marched away into captivity.

Stan has sent me so many wonderful photos that I’ve decided to post them once a week for the next few weeks instead of all at once. Come back to see more of One Man’s Journey of the Spirit in a week!

 

A Paranormal Romance with Suspense

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MuseItUp Publishing, Paranormal Romance, Robbi Perna, Robes of Destiny

It’s a wonderful day here in east Texas and I’m going to sit in the porch swing and enjoy it. Come on up and join me. Let me pour you a big glass of iced tea. In case you haven’t met, this is Robbi Perna, a good friend of mine and she’s stopped by for another blog visit.

Two-time Royal Palm Literary Award winner and multi-published author Robbi Perna started penning romantic fiction as a respite from her career as a military analyst specializing in strategic communications. Both her historical romance, “My Heart Still Surrenders” and her adventure novel of the time-traveling twins, “The Roman Phalera,” won the Royal Palm Literary Award. Robbi returns to the blog today to talk about her most recent release, “Robes of Destiny,” a novel of paranormal romantic suspense. If you were lucky enough to visit last time, you may remember she told us a little about it.

* * * *

It’s good to see  you again, Robbi.

Hi Susan! Thank you so much for inviting me back for a return visit. I know it’s a cliché, but I can believe its three years since I last visited. A lot has happened in that time. I left Florida in January 2016 and returned to Virginia. Florida is a warm, friendly place, but I realized my heart and my inspiration were both in Virginia. However, “Robes” takes place in Florida—at least initially! As with most of my works, Italy always plays at least a minor role, and this novel is no exception. It also gave me an opportunity to bring in some characters from my Domenico Family Case Files series and have them play minor roles in the action.

As an author yourself, you know how many times people ask you where you find the inspirations for the stories you write. As I mentioned briefly in my last visit, the inspiration for “Robes” grew out of a suggestion my business partner made to me. Since he is a very buttoned down individual, pragmatic and not a fan of fantasy or science fiction, the suggestion took me by surprise. However, it was an excellent idea, one inspired by a cruise I took several years ago aboard Cunard Lines that offered the option of shipping luggage to the ship. I took advantage of the service and shipped a steamer trunk full of evening clothes. Apparently the idea tickled my friend’s fancy and he came up with the idea for the story line.

The basic premise of the story is the heroine’s flamboyant aunt, a 21st century version of Mame Dennis,  disappears while on a cruise. Her trunk of clothes arrives at the heroine’s house and when she touches them, she sees visions of her aunt’s experiences while wearing the item. The hero who had an unpleasant experience with the aunt several years earlier during his career as a Delta Force operative thinks the whole thing is a publicity stunt. He agrees to help the heroine after she has her first experience with the clothes.

The book was one of those rare occurrences in which it almost wrote itself. It’s a fun, escapist-from-reality read that I think my fans, both of long standing and new ones, will enjoy. Here is the blurb and a short excerpt to give you all a flavor for the story.

* * * *

As the curator of a private collection of Renaissance art, Rina Antonelli lives a circumspect, structured existence complete with a spoiled dog. The quiet life she creates is her vision of normality. Secure in the belief her efforts are successful, she is unprepared for the events that shatter her careful existence and destroy this vision of normality. Her aunt, Cat Antonelli, eighties wild child and darling of the international paparazzi, disappears from her world cruise. The authorities believe it’s a publicity stunt. Rina disagrees and consults her aunt’s long time lover, Vince Fontana. The retired Police Commissioner introduces her to his godson, Dante Terrasini. As a Delta Force operative, Danny has experience locating high value targets, but in this case, he agrees with the authorities.

The handsome, smart talking operative is the illegitimate son of a single mother who grew up in the projects. He knows Rina is out of his league.

Will they unravel the mystery and find Cat? And, can they overcome the obstacles and find their way to love?

* * * *

Love the premise, Robbi. Don’t keep us waiting. Let’s hear the excerpt.

Twenty-four hours later, Danny glanced over at Rina. She gazed out the window, her attention focused on the views of the runaway as the jet waited its turn for takeoff.

“I hope the furry thing will survive her stay in jail. Maybe we should have brought her with us.”

She turned to look at him. “She gets more attention there than she does at home. She’s fine. And for the record, I don’t take my dog with me when I stay in other people’s homes.”

“You could bring her to mine when you come to visit.”

“I doubt the occasion will arise.”

Her dry rejoinder delighted him. Her cool manner since they’d stopped by the kennel worried him. Now he had her attention focused on him instead of the non-existent landscape, he decided to poke at her a little more. “So, tell me. What else do you do with your left hand besides pitch apples at the back of someone’s head?” Good thing it didn’t connect. Her accuracy with the hard green missile would have hurt.

She looked at him with a bland expression. “It slipped when I picked it up to cut it for Sienna. She gets an apple about the same time every day.”

“That explains it. I wondered why you took apples and yogurt to the kennel. Do they cut it up the same way?”

“I’ve never asked.”

“Interesting way to slice and dice it.”

She refused to back down. “It works.”

“So, I’ll repeat my question.”

“You never give up, do you?” Exasperation replaced the blandness she’d exhibited a minute earlier. “The same things I do with my right hand. And, how did you know I used my left hand.”

“The angle of the…ah, slip. I’ve only seen you use your right hand. Why?” He lifted a brow requesting an explanation.

“Ter sunt conati imponere Ossam?”

“Say what? It’s been a long time since my days in Sister Elizabeth’s Latin class.”

“Sorry. It’s a quote from Virgil’s Georgics and is an allusion to the attempt of the giants to scale heaven by piling Mount Ossa upon Mount Pelion.”

Dawning comprehension changed his expression from mocking to serious. “And you think people will add the fact you’re ambidextrous to your…ah…other gifts and ridicule you for it?”

Her bleak tone tore at his heart. “You’ve no idea.”

He cleared his throat and took a leap of faith. “You know what Marco Domenico said when I called him after the first”—he paused searching for the right word with the same care he’d use stepping into a minefield—“incident you experienced with the trunk.”

“I’m not sure I want to know.”

“Yes, you do…for two reasons. The first is because you’ll have to deal with him until we find out what’s going down and find Cat, and the second”—he shifted a little closer to her—“because I also believe the same thing.”

“That I’m a freak?”

“No. His exact words were, ‘think of what use we could have made of an asset like Caterina if she’d been over in the box with us,’ and he’s right.” His eyes took on a cold, flinty look. “The art of apperception is something we as a nation lack, but knowing what the enemy thought or planned, and understanding both within the context of its own world view, would have saved a lot of our guys’ lives.” He reached over and lifted her chin so he could look her squarely in the eye. “You’re not a freak, Caterina, gifted certainly, but not a freak.”

Disbelief clouded her expression, but knowing what he did now, his hand slipped down to grasp hers and he pressed it against his chest. He took her left hand, placed a light fleeting kiss on her palm, but kept his thoughts and emotions to himself.

* * * *

A wounded hero and a princess with a secret…how intriguing. You’ve got my attention! I love the tension between the two of them. Now, tell everyone a little about yourself. How long have you been writing?

I’ve been a writer for most of my professional life. My first work of fiction was an 8th grade English assignment from Sister Patriciana. The story in a play format starred my three younger brothers, me, and the family dog in a spy thriller set in Rome—a city to which most 13-year-old girls of my generation had never traveled. A popular TV series of the era, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E., inspired the storyline, probably because I recall being madly in love with Illya Kuryakin. Some fifty years later, I still have a vivid memory of the “A” the assignment earned along with Sister’s notation, “the dog was the best part of the story.”

I loved that TV series and I had a crush on him as well.  It must have been the accent. Tell me. Are you a plotter, a pantser or some combination of both?

I’m most definitely a plotter. My books all start with an idea I develop into a very basic outline that hits the major high points of the story. From the basic outline, I then make a video trailer, a process that serves several purposes. The first is it gives me a visual picture of my characters for physical descriptions, inspires me to keep writing at the story, and provides a sneak peek for my fans and followers because I post it on You Tube and my website far in advance of the book’s release. It never hurts to start advertising early and creating a buzz of anticipation.

I never thought about making a trailer before you’ve finished a book, but I can see why it would give you the impetus to continue writing. Another question. What is the best compliment you ever received as a writer?

In this particular instance, having the Florida Writers Association honor me and my two stories with the 2014 and 2015 Royal Palm Literary Award ranks echelons above anything I can name. However, there are two other compliments I treasure. When I decided to switch to fiction from my day job of technical writing, I enrolled in an adult education class at Northern Virginia Community College. The professor, Kevin G. Summers who is a published author in his own right, taught four, two hour sessions on the fine art of fiction writing. After our second assignment, he told me I certainly knew how to tell a story from start to finish without getting bogged down in the middle. I treasure the comment and try to live up to it with everything I write.

The second compliment comes from a review on Amazon from someone I don’t know who commented, “When you find a writer who can tell a wonderful story that captures your heart and can tell it superbly, well you simply have a great find. Robbi Perna’s stories fit the bill to a T!” I try to keep the both the spirit and the words of the compliment in the forefront as I spin my stories.

Who is your favorite character from this book and why?

My favorite character is Sienna, the heroine’s chocolate Havenese. As an animal lover, I almost always have one in my stories. In “The Roman Phalera,” it was the Arabian horses, Larry, Mo, and Curley, that belonged to the Cavaleri Twins and their older brother. In “Where the Lion Dwells,” I based the animal characters on my own Arabian horse, Tuscan, and my beloved parti-poodle, Santino who is no longer with me. When it came to Sienna, I asked my good friend, Julie Manna, if I could “borrow” Sienna, a true, real life diva. She agreed and Sienna appeared in the story—bringing her own tiara, which in the book I attribute to the hero’s gift after a visit to the vet for shots. I’ve posted a picture of her on my Stories That Sweep You Away Facebook page wearing her tiara.

Okay, the next questions are just for fun. What is something we’ll never catch you doing?

There are two things will never catch me writing: vampires and explicit sex scenes. While I like my stories to have romance with a twist, vampires isn’t one with which I’m comfortable or have any interest in writing. I don’t write explicit sex scenes for two reasons. The first is I believe what one reader finds sensual may not be the same for another. I prefer the art of suggestion and leave the details up to the individual reader. The second reason is I like the person I see in the mirror every day. I believe my books succeed because they are good stories, not because I’ve used graphic sexual content to capture an audience’s interest.

If you met a genie, what 3 things would you wish for?

A long life well-lived, a peaceful death, and no computers in the afterlife.

It’s been great fun chatting with you, Robbi, and I’m sure everyone has enjoyed it as much as I have. Stop by any time, especially when you have a snippet of another one of your stories. Guys, visit the links below to learn more about this lovely lady.

Website     http://www.RobbiPerna.net

Email         Robbis_Stories@RobbiPerna.net

Buy links: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Robes-Destiny-Robbi-Perna-ebook/dp/B01MSPKH93/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487641581&sr=8-1&keywords=Robes+of+Destiny

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/robes-of-destiny-robbi-perna/1125195735?ean=2940153520827

KOBO:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/robes-of-destiny

 

How Many words does it take to tell a story?

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100 word stories, Daffodil and the Thin Place, Dawn Knox, Muse, The Great War

Welcome, Dawn! It’s good to see you again. The last time you came to visit, we heard all about your first book.

This time we’ll learn about Dawn’s second book ‘The Great War 100 Stories of 100 Words Honouring Those who Lived and Died 100 Years Ago’ was published in 2016. Her first book was a YA story published by Muse it Up Publishing, in 2014, entitled ‘Daffodil and the Thin Place’. Her third book will be published soon and is a romance set in the Plotlands in Essex, UK, in 1930. She enjoys a writing challenge and has had stories published in various anthologies, including horror and speculative fiction, as well as romances in several women’s magazines. Dawn has written a script for a play to commemorate World War One, which has been performed in her home town in Essex, as well as in Germany and France. Married with one son, she lives in Essex.

Short story from ‘The Great War – 100 Stories of 100 Words Honouring Those who Lived and Died 100 Years Ago’

(Note from Dawn: This is one complete story – exactly one hundred words long, not including the title)

Final Words

With blank, unseeing eyes, he stares towards heaven.

God rest his soul.

I prise the blood-spattered envelope from fingers that are rigidly clenched over his heart, and I silently vow to carry his final words home, if I live to see my next leave.

A creased photograph of a young girl slips out of the letter.

It’s her heart I’ll break when I deliver the soldier’s farewell.

Should I tell her he died alone in a muddy hollow on French soil, with blood seeping from his severed leg into the earth?

No, I’ll simply say her sweetheart died a hero.

This touches my heart, Dawn. Just one hundred words make up this story. Seven short sentences. Yet they are powerful. Strong enough to make us see what the speaker sees…and feel what he feels.

Okay, guys. Let’s find out more about Dawn. Tell us how long you’ve been writing?

I’ve been writing seriously for about ten years, so I’m a relative newcomer. I’ve always made up stories in my head but it wasn’t until I was trying to encourage my teenage son to do his creative writing homework that I started writing any of those stories down. I gave my son the first sentence and suggested he write the next few sentences. Sadly, he wasn’t inspired – but I was! I finished that story and although I didn’t manage to get it published, I was hooked! I had several short stories published but it wasn’t until several years later that my first book ‘Daffodil and the Thin Place’ was published by Muse it Up Publishing. Since then, I’ve published ‘The Great War –  100 Stories of 100 Words Honouring Those who Lived and Died 100 Years Ago’ and have just heard that a romantic story has been accepted by My Weekly magazine and will be published as a pocket novel.

Everyone has their writing styles. I’m a pantser who does a little plotting. Are you a plotter, a pantser or some combination of both?

I’m definitely a plotter. I like to have at least the beginning and end of a story worked out before I start writing, and I like to know roughly how I’m going to get from one to the other! Often, I make changes as I go, so stories are rarely the same as my initial idea and I would be quite happy if a different ending seemed to work better than the one in my original plan, but that hasn’t happened so far. Without a framework, I think I might waffle and write aimlessly although I know that being a pantser suits some writers.

I love hearing stories about how authors get their ideas. Where do you go for inspiration?

I get inspiration from every day life, from reading, listening to the radio, memories, overhearing conversations or observing people when I’m out. When I first took up photography, I found that my powers of observation developed and I began to notice things I probably wouldn’t have seen before. The same thing has happened since I’ve started writing every day, and I now carry a note book with me so that I can jot things down as I see or hear them, to be used later in stories.

A notebook is a good idea. I carry one in my purse to jot things down I want to remember. Now, Dawn, tell us a little something about your current WIP.

My current work in progress is a play set at the end of the First World War, when the servicemen came home. I’ve already written a play about three First World War servicemen – one from England, one from Germany and one from France – which was part of our town’s Forget Never project to commemorate the start of the First World War. It’s called ‘The Sons of Three Countries Remembered’ and has been performed in my home town and our twin towns in Germany and France. This year, on 11 November, it will be performed again in our home town. Next year, the play I’m currently working on will be performed. I’m quite nervous about it and I’ve started early, so I can take my time and hopefully do a good job.

What is the best compliment you ever received as a writer?

I think the best and most surprising compliment I have received as a writer was to hear of the reaction of some German friends when they read the script of ‘The Sons of Three Countries Remembered’. In writing a play about the First World War which was going to have an audience comprising British, French and Germans, I wanted to avoid triumphalism or blame. Apparently, the first Germans to read it were touched and several of them cried. I was surprised when they requested that it be performed in Germany and amazed when the theatre was packed. And the standing ovation at the end was completely overwhelming.

That’s wonderful, Dawn. I am impressed. I remember looking at pictures of my grandfather in  uniform (he was a doughboy in WWI) and listening to my dad tell us the stories about what happened to him overseas. This is a wonderful way to pass them on to future generations. 

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I go to the gym about three mornings a week although if I had more time, I’d go more often. Other than that, my hobbies include photography and drawing although I’m more likely to be taking photographs than drawing because I’m so slow at drawing! I like to do portraits and have done Tom Cruise, Marilyn Monroe, Sean Connery, Paul Newman and Elvis, amongst others.

It’s been a pleasure to have you visit again, Dawn. I’m especially fascinated by your stories about the soldiers. We should never forget their patriotism and their bravery or their simple acts of kindness that got them through each day, and we need to make sure we  pass their stories on to future generations.

website and blog is http://www.dawnknox.com

email – dawn.knox@gmail.com

The Great War –  100 Stories of 100 Words Honouring Those who Lived and Died 100 Years Ago https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-War-Hundred-Stories-Honouring/dp/1532961596/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1P6GBNJW3KRVN8Z8Q96H

Meet Alice from Brownstone Faces

Tags

Alice, Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken Hicks, Brownstone Faces, MuseItUp

brought to you by Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken Hicks. They’ve visited my blog before and this time, we’re going to get to meet Alice.

Anne Rothman-Hicks and Kenneth Hicks have been collaborating on books for forty-six years.  Their first joint effort was a student project while Anne was at Bryn Mawr College and Ken attended Haverford. Since then, they have written over twenty books together. They live and work in New York City, where many of their books are set. They are members of International Thriller Writers and of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Ken and Anne’s mainstream novel, Kate and the Kid, was named one of the best Indie books for 2016 by Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus described it as an “engrossing romantic adventure” which “combines mystery and psychological drama in an intricate study of family relationships, economic class, and child abuse.”  Kate and the Kid also won a silver medal from Readers’ Favorite for books involving social issues.

Their Jane Larson series of mystery/thrillers involves a high-powered New York City attorney with a penchant for getting involved in situations that she would be better off leaving alone. These novels have been praised by reviewers for their gritty portrayals of city life, lively characters, fast action, surprise endings and highly polished prose. Jane is cynical and rebellious, but she finds herself drawn to the simple life her deceased mother lived as an attorney who served women unable to afford legal services. The first two books in the series are Weave A Murderous Web and Praise Her, Praise Diana, both published by Melange Books, LLC. A third novel, Mind Me, Milady, will be published in early 2017 by Melange.

Ken and Anne have also created a New York City based series for ‘tween readers, published by MuseItUp Publishing. These books feature the brother and sister combo of Jennifer and James and their friends Sleepy and Kaytlyn.  A talking pigeon lures them into their first adventure in Things Are Not What They Seem. The sequel, Remembering Thomas, will be published in 2017. It sends these young characters back to Revolutionary War battles that occurred in New York City during the fall of 1776.

Finally, Anne and Kenneth have written a series for middle readers in which the first book is Stone Faces, followed by Brownstone Faces and, soon, Splotch, published by MuseItUp. The main character in these three middle reader novels is Alice, and—you guessed it—she is a girl who lives in New York City.

You can read more about Anne and Ken’s books on their website

randh71productions.com and their blog at randh71productions.com/blog. They are now working on their next book, a family saga entitled Minister.

And now, sit back and enjoy Alice’s delightful interview!

Today we are going to interview Alice, who is the author and also the main character of a series of books she has written. She’s just eleven years old and has written two books already!

Us:  Well, the first thing we want to say is ‘welcome to the blog, Alice.’ We have never interviewed someone quite as young as you before.

Alice:  Don’t be nervous. I’ve never been interviewed by someone as old as you, either.

Us:  Thanks. I think … So, here’s the first question: when did you first think you wanted to become a writer?

Alice:  Actually, I hadn’t ever thought about it because I’m really into sports. All kinds of sports. I take after my daddy in that way. But then my parents decided to get divorced and I had the worst summer ever, and I just had to write about it to let other kids know that I got through it and they can too!

Us: That was very nice of you.

Alice: Thanks. But that doesn’t sound like a question. Am I supposed to respond or …

Us: No, no need to respond. It wasn’t a question. Sorry …

Alice: It’s okay. I know this is your first time interviewing a kid. Just relax.

Us:  Okay, Moving on … What was your first book called and what was it about?

Alice: The first book was called Stone Faces. I wanted to call it “The Worst Summer Ever”, but the grownups said Stone Faces was better. The stone faces belonged to my parents who were getting divorced and looked like their faces would crack when they tried to smile. Of course, I had a stone face too since I did not like them getting divorced. Not only that, the story takes place in Provincetown on Cape Cod, and the stones at the beach there became my friends.

Us:  Wait. Back up. You made friends with beach stones?

Alice: I guess you didn’t read my book, did you?

Excerpt from Brownstone Faces

On Friday, I’m allowed to walk home by myself. But Hannah had become like my shadow, so I walked home with her. She thanked me for what I did in the playground and said she was sorry that I had gotten punished for hitting Johnny. There was that word again.

“Hey, we’re the Sorry Club, remember?” I said. “And Mr. Sentry Man will be very pleased when I tell him what you did.”“Cut it out, Hannah,” I said.

Hannah looked surprised.

“But he will be. He already likes you. Didn’t you see him wink? He only winks at people he likes.”

“That was just a funny sort of shadow as I walked by,” I said. “Stone carvings aren’t alive and they don’t wink.”

Hannah just shrugged, her eyes fixed downward. This time a crack in the sidewalk had her attention.

“Would you like to meet a few more of my friends?” she asked finally.

I didn’t say “yes” because that would mean that I believed her and I was still pretty sure she was kidding. But I didn’t say “no” either and a few blocks further along she stopped in front of an old four-story apartment building. The carved head of a growling lion was set in the lintel over the front door.

“This is Lawrence,” Hannah said by way of introduction.

I decided to play along.

“Oh, I get it. Larry the Lion. Hello, Larry. I’m Alice.”

At that point Hannah flinched. 

Ken and Anne’s blog: http://www.randh71productions.com/blog

Ken and Anne’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Kenneth-Hicks-and-Anne-Rothman-Hicks-622272714477979

Buy links for Brownstone Faces:

Muse: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/brownstone-faces-detail

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brownstone-Faces-Alice-Friends-Book-ebook/dp/B01MT6HM7V

Ken and Anne, it was so good to have you visit again. Thanks so much for stopping by, guys. And Alice, I can’t wait to see what adventure you have next!

Meet my friend, Ola

Tags

It's Aout Time Series, Ola Adamska, Reviewer, Susan A. Royal

One of the unexpected perks to being a writer is getting to know people from all over the world through my books. It’s been so much fun. Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Ola Adamska, a student from Poland. She found my books on Goodreads, read them, liked them, and has given me some wonderful reviews that she featured on her blog.

This gives my demographics a whole new perspective. So naturally I was thrilled and in turn I asked her to be interviewed for my blog.

Thanks for accepting, Ola. It’s great to have you here today. First tell us a little bit about yourself…a mini biography if you will.

I was born in Warsaw, capital of Poland. Now, I’m 22 year old girl, who love books. I’m 3^rd year student at Military University of Technology. I study land surveying. As long as I can remember I love reading books, watching good movies/TV series and meeting with friends.

In February I hope to become an engineer and then go to Master studies. And of course recently I became a reviewer, I like almost all kind of books. There are only 3 genres I will never read or make a review.

Name one of your all-time favorite movies, the one you instantly recognize when it flashes across the screen, the one you stop and watch no matter how many times you’ve seen it, the one where you find yourself mouthing the dialogue along with the characters.

O my, I think it will be some of Disney movie, recently I watched Mulan and Frozen. Unlimited love for their movies, One old and one new. And for sure I rather say dialogues from books.

Name a book/author you can read again and again and always learn something new.

For sure, it will be Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop. I read it when I was, well, about 15 or 16 year old. And then I got to read it about 2 years ago and I understood characters a little bit better.Sometimes I quote even dialogues from this series!

What song or artist always makes you want to cry?

Song I always listen to when I feel like that is Hurt by Cristina Aguilera. I wish I will never feel like a girl in this song.

Name an author or authors who never fail to inspire you.

For sure it will be Sherrilyn Kenyon, with her 2 series: Dark Hunters and The League.

And also Anne Bishop. For inspiration I read these two authors.

Describe one of your favorite characters and tell us who you patterned them after and why.

It’s so hard to choose, but if I have to, it will be Daemon Sadi from Black Jewels. I do not know why I like him, It is just like that, maybe for his attitude and also way of thinking.

What is something we’ll never catch you doing?

Hmm… not enjoying playing with children. But, with no joke, meeting my friends with a gloomy mood.

What is something you’ve always wanted to do but don’t have the nerve?

I think it would be parachute jumping, I love air, but I don’t have well need of adrenaline to do so.

What is the one thing you never seem to have enough time for?

It will be reading. I have a list that contains, well about 200 books to read, but there is no enough time to do so. I usually read a book per 3/4 days. I still didn’t manage to reduce this amount. In fact I add more books to it.

Thanks again for letting us get to know you Ola. Readers, please take a minute to visit Ola’s blog or email her if you have a book you’d like her to consider reading and giving an honest review.

Blog: http://www.iliasviel.wordpress.com http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/16049918-ola-adamska

Email: olciaadamska@gmail.com

A Visit With Lauren

Tags

After, Barbara Ehrentreu, MuseItUp Publishing, young adult

We’re in for a treat today. I’m welcoming Barbara Ehrentreu back for a return visit. She’s brought along the main character from her newest books and has graciously consented to interview her for us. But first let’s learn a little bit about Barbara.

Barbara at Fairfield Bookstore signing headshot

Barbara Ehrentreu grew up in Brooklyn and moved to Queens. She has lived and taught in Long Island, Buffalo, NY and Westchester, NY as well as a year in Los Angeles, CA. She has a Masters Degree in Reading and Writing K-12. Currently she is retired from teaching, tutoring, and living in Stamford, CT with her family. If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor won second prize in Preditors & Editors as Best Young Adult Book for 2011. It was inspired by Paula Danziger for her children’s writing workshop at Manhattanville College. Her second book, After, considers what can happen to a teen when her father becomes ill with a heart attack. It is based on her own experiences when her husband had a heart attack and the aftermath of what she and her family experienced. She is preparing the sequel to If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, Who Is Jennifer Taylor? Barbara also writes poetry and several of her poems are published in the anthologies, World Poetry Open Mic, Prompted: An International Collection of Poetry, Beyond the Dark Room, Storm Cycle and Backlit Barbell. She has a blog, Barbara’s Meanderings, and she hosts a radio show on Blog Talk Radio, Red River Radio Tales from the Pages, once a month. She is a member of Pen Letters and SCBWI.

Interview with Lauren Walstein from After by Barbara Ehrentreu

Today we have the pleasure of getting to know a little more about Lauren Walstein, who is the main character of After by Barbara Ehrentreu. Since this is one of Lauren’s first interviews she has asked that her author interview her.

My name is Lauren and I am from Mill Valley. I love to play softball and I’m a pitcher on my school’s team. In the book I’m fifteen, a sophomore and I’m hoping to get a scholarship to go to college. My parents told me I can’t go if I don’t. My father is a lawyer and my mother works for an advertising agency. I’m pretty tall. My hair is short and kind of a dark brown. I don’t think about it much. My pet peeve is letting oil trucks on the highway. Blue is my favorite color. I don’t drive so I usually go with my sister, Diane, my parents or Joey. I am most comfortable wearing jeans and a tee shirt or tank top. I like to listen to all kinds of music, but the song I love because it means Joey is calling is: “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”. I know it’s corny but it fits him. My favorite drink is diet soda and my favorite thing to eat is mini chocolate-chip pancakes. My best friends are Joey and Jenny. I would have to say my nemesis is Amber Goldstein. Ooooh!!!

Barbara: Lauren has gone through a very turbulent year. I’ll let her tell you about all that happened.

Lauren: Um, hi. I’m not sure who is here, but Barbara told me a lot of people would read about me, so I’m a little nervous. I come from a pretty small town in upstate New York, Mill Valley. I’m still in high school. When everything happened I was a sophomore. Now I’m a senior and getting ready to graduate this year.

Barbara: Why don’t you tell everyone what happened to you the first month of your sophomore year?

Lauren: Well, um, yeah I’ll try to remember. Do you want me to start at the beginning?

Barbara: Yes. Tell us everything that happened. You know with your father and Joey.

Lauren: Okay, but I might start crying, because I always do when I have to tell this story. Is that okay?

Barbara: We can’t see you. So just start talking. You can stop if it gets to be too much!!

Lauren: So it all started with me watching the Mets play on TV. They had a good chance to win the pennant that year and so I was really hoping it would happen, but they were losing this game. I’m a pitcher on the softball team, so I take baseball seriously. Just as I was getting so tired and the score was so ridiculous I decided to go to sleep. I put one foot on the first step and the phone rang. I picked it up, because it was right near me and it was my dad. Only he didn’t sound right and wanted to speak to mom. So I gave the phone to her and started upstairs until I heard mom saying: “You have indigestion and back pains?” So I ran back downstairs and Diane came right behind me. We both got close to Mom who was hysterical. She kept saying how Dad needed to go to a hospital and then she called our doctors and they agreed. So she called Dad back and he said he would. I won’t go into everything she said, but I really think my life changed with that phone call. So I started thinking of life as before the phone call and after the phone call. Before it was all me thinking about lunch and my baseball mitt, winning the next game and Joey and after the call I felt like my world had shattered and everything changed. I mean everything!!

Barbara: Are you okay to keep talking Lauren?

Lauren: Yeah, I guess. I’ll skip over this part, because I don’t like to think about it too much, but Dad went to the hospital and they said he had a heart attack after we had been there for hours. Then in the morning they moved him to a new room and then another hospital. He had to have

bypass surgery and they didn’t do it at that hospital. All I remember is being in the hospital and then getting into a car and going to another hospital and then that hospital was so stupid they didn’t even have good chairs in the waiting room and it was awful. Dad had to wait too long and …. You know I don’t think I can talk about this. You know….

Barbara: Yes. It’s okay. Tell us about Joey.

Lauren: Oh, Joey. He’s like my best friend since kindergarten and before this year we did everything together. But during the summer he met Amber and they started going out. So I saw him practically never. But he was really nice when he heard my dad was in the hospital and when I was with him I started to feel more than friends if you know what I mean. Like I liked him as a guy and a friend too. It got really complicated because Joey wanted to be with me too, but he had to deal with Amber.

Barbara: That does sound complicated. How did you handle it?

Lauren: Well, when I was BFF’s with only Joey I didn’t have any girl friends. So when I really needed a friend an old friend who helped me though I hadn’t talked to her since elementary school, her name is Jenny, she got me through school. As we got closer I realized how I had missed a real girl friend and it was all good.

Barbara: What happened with Amber?

Lauren: Do we have to talk about her? I can’t talk about her and really if Joey were here he would tell me not to think about her. She’s a non-person to me.

Barbara: Well, thank you very much Lauren for telling us about your experience and anyone who would like to learn more will have to go and read After to find out the whole story.

_________________________________________________

“After” is a story about the struggles Lauren Walstein, a fifteen-year-old girl, has to go through when her father suddenly has a heart attack and undergoes bypass surgery. In one phone call her life changes completely. Lauren is a character with whom most teens will relate. Her best friend since kindergarten, Joey, is going out with her enemy and they have grown apart. Before the phone call all she thought about was getting a scholarship for softball, and the Mets. Suddenly she must deal with both her father’s illness and being in school. The demands on her from both ends complicate the story. In the middle of all this, she finds she is developing feelings for her best friend that are more than friendly. Is he feeling the same or is he just comforting her? In addition there is Joey’s mean girl friend Amber, who doesn’t appreciate Lauren being in the picture. Will Lauren’s father recover? How will Lauren cope with her new feelings for Joey?

Excerpt: Chapter One

The phone rang as the ball left the pitcher’s glove and I glanced toward the sound. Mom’s tears made me forget all about the game. My life changed while the TV blurred and turned into a nightmare kaleidoscope. That moment has been indelibly pressed into my thoughts.

My sister, Diane, was upstairs hunched over her computer as usual. She’s not a baseball fan at all. But I lived and breathed for the Mets that fall. They had such a great chance of getting the pennant and maybe even winning the World Series. I obsessed about the Mets, and of course, Joey.

Joey, my best friend from kindergarten, was always there for me. It’s hard to imagine a recess without him by my side. He’s bigger than I am and always looked a little older than he was. Mom liked Joey because he reassured her he would obey her rules. Maybe it was his easy smile or his clear, gray eyes.

Lately, though, Joey and I haven’t been so close. It happened during the summer when he was a counselor at this camp and he hooked up with this girl, Amber, who goes to our school. So now he spends a lot of his time with her and we barely see each other. We used to watch the Mets together all the time, too. So I missed him being there with me, and his comments about the players. But all that was before the phone call. Pre-phone call my deepest thoughts centered on the Mets and finding the sweet spot for the ball in my new baseball glove. Pre-phone call, my world was worrying about homework getting done and wondering what lunch would be like on Monday. Oh, and of course, thinking about how to beat the next team we were up against in softball. I’m a starting pitcher this year and I want to show my coach she can believe in me. I’m only a sophomore, but I hopesomeday to play college softball. I need to get a scholarship in order to go. My parents have already told me they can’t swing it without one.

After the phone call my life was a ball of twisted emotions and all I could think about was Dad, and how Mom, Diane, and I would get through this night.

After:

MuseItUp Publishing:     http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/young-adult/after-detail Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/After-Barbara-Ehrentreu-ebook/dp/B00NDYDC3C/ref=la_B00J0URGVM_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418409175&sr=1-2 For Nook on Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/after-barbara-ehrentreu/1120349821?ean=2940046242980

If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor: (print and ebook) MuseItUp Publishing: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museityoung/if-i-could-be-like-jennifer-taylor-detail Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/If-Could-Like-Jennifer-Taylor-ebook/dp/B005NWRLL6/ref=la_B00J0URGVM_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418409175&sr=1-1

For Nook on Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/If-I-Could-Be-Like-Jennifer-Taylor%2FBarbara-Ehrentreu/1105870667?csrfToken=7tl0EbMuS9kryS71CGU8jWQqfAkqgZfa&sort=3#reviews

Blog: Barbara’s Meanderings: http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraEhrentreu

Twitter: https://twitter.com/barbehr

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4797564.Barbara_Ehrentreu Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top

Thank you all so much for coming. I haven’t read After, but if it’s anything like her last book, If I could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, I can say you will not be disappointed. While you’re out an about, please run by Barbara’s blog at http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com for a peek at my newest book Xander’s Tangled Web.

 

The Dynamic Duo

Tags

Ken and Ann Hicks, middle grade story, MuseItUp Publishing, mysteries, thrillers, young adult

Anne Rothman-Hicks and Kenneth Hicks first started writing books together while Anne was a student at Bryn Mawr College and Ken was a student at Haverford College — a long time ago, when, as their children like to say, dinosaurs roamed the earth.  Ken grew up in Abingdon, Pennsylvania and Anne in both New York City where she was born and in Scarsdale, New York.

 

 

In 1973, they began to live in New York City while Ken was attending law school at Columbia University and Anne was working in publishing.  They wrote their first novel together in 1976, hoping that it would be a success and Ken would not have to even start working as a lawyer.  Alas, that book is still in on the upper shelf of their closet, but they kept at the writing business.

In 1984, they published Theft of the Shroud, a novel, through Banbury books, distributed by Putnam.  That same year they also published a series of 10 books based on the most popular boy’s and girl’s names, and a book about the stars for children.  At this time, Ken stopped practicing law for two years as they devoted themselves fulltime to writing and their children.  However, children need to eat and be clothed and go to school, and these things all cost money, so Ken went back to practicing law.  Still, they continued to write, and rewrite, and rewrite some more.

 

 

Most recently, Ken and Anne are the authors of Weave A Murderous Web, (mystery) Melange Books LLC, 2016; Praise Her, Praise Diana, (Adult thriller) Melange Books LLC,  2014, Kate and the Kid, (Adult mainstream) Wings ePress 2013, and Things Are Not What They Seem (Tween fantasy) MuseItUp Publishing 2014. Anne and Ken have also published two small-format photography books, which are available on the Apple iBookstore – Hearts (no flowers) Signs of Love in the Gritty City and Picture Stones.

Excerpt from WEAVE A MURDEROUS WEB

“Carmen’s working on a series about children and the courts,” Francine said. “Kids falling into poverty are a very big problem.”

“I’m aware of the problem, Francine. I’ll skip over the question of what has made Carmen give a good hoot in hell about children all of a sudden. What does any of this have to do with that coke-head Mark?”

“Oh, nothing much. Nothing at all really.”

She was hedging, worried that the prospect of helping Carmen might have made me shut the whole thing down before it ever began.

“Go on, Francine.”

“It’s just… she knew Mark fairly well and doesn’t think his death was accidental. She says Mark did drugs too much to do something that stupid.”

“So she thinks he did it on purpose? Is that it? He committed suicide over the predicament of his client and child?”

“Not exactly,” Francine said.

In hindsight I can see clearly how nonchalant she wanted to seem, playing with the gold locket and dropping it inside her sweater, glancing in the direction of the window as if a pretty bird had alighted there.

“Carmen thinks Mark was murdered.”

And now let’s find out a little more about the two of you. How long have you been writing?

We first wrote together when we were both in college (Anne at Bryn Mawr and Ken at Haverford). We arranged what was called a project course with a Haverford professor to write a book for children. A Moon and a Tune has never made it off the top shelf of our closet, but we enjoyed the process and have continued ever since. We write middle reader fiction and non-fiction, young adult fiction, and thrillers, mysteries and mainstream novels for adults.

Wow, you really are the dynamic duo! Describe what you consider your ideal writing conditions.

Ken writes at the computer in the bedroom. Anne works in a chair in the living room. We both enjoy quiet while we write, but we realize that when things are going badly the quiet can get very loud, and when things are going well, noise does not matter.

Are you a plotter, a pantser or some combination of both?

We are a combination of plotter and pantser. We always have a basic outline of how the book will begin and end before we start to write. But we try to remain open to change, especially when a character becomes more important than first expected.

Name one of your all-time favorite movies, the one you instantly recognize when it flashes across the screen, the one you stop and watch no matter how many times you’ve seen it, the one where you find yourself mouthing the dialogue along with the characters.

For Ken, the movie would be “Casablanca”. For Anne it would be “The Wizard of Oz.” She can sing along with it as well.

Love both of those movies. Where do you go for inspiration?

Book ideas come from out of the air, so to speak. We like to take long walks, which are conducive to ideas appearing. On walks, we can also talk about a book and its plot or its problems, or we can just march along and say nothing. We always feel better after a long walk.

Name an author or authors who never fail to inspire you.

Ken: William Butler Yeats and Robert Frost.

Anne: Kurt Vonnegut.

Ken: Agrees with Anne about Kurt Vonnegut.

Tell us a little bit about your current WIP.

On March 8, 2016, Melange Books LLC will be publishing our mystery entitled, Weave A Murderous Web. The book’s main character is Jane Larson, an attorney who lives and works in New York City.  The same character inhabits our thriller, Praise Her, Praise Diana and our mystery/thriller Mind Me, Milady. We are planning a fourth book involving her also.

In the middle reader/young adult area, we are working on a sequel to Things Are Not What They Seem, involving all of the same characters on a new adventure, although this will include some time travel back to the Revolutionary War period in New York City.

What is the best compliment you ever received as a writer?

This comment by a reviewer of Praise Her, Praise Diana, “Definitely a book that will make you sit up and take notice and will have you thinking about it long after you have finished it. This book is food for your brain and I love books that make me think about my own views and question what I would do if faced with a similar circumstance.

If you met a genie, what 3 things would you wish for?

We would both wish for continuing happiness for our three children.

What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

We enjoy traveling, visiting museums, cooking dinner for our children, going to the theater, walking and photography.

What is the one thing you never seem to have enough time for? 

Reading.  So many good books, so little time.

You are so right. More time for reading and writing!! I want to thank both of you for taking time out of your busy schedules to stop by for a visit. Come back anytime. Readers, take a look at the information below so you can check out Ken and Anne’s books. And while you’re at it, hop on over to their blog and read all about my newest book, Xander’s Tangled Web. http://www.randh71productions.co,/blog/

Website: http://www.randh71productions.com

Blog: http://www.randh71productions.co,/blog/

E-mail: khicks48@aol.com

Buy links:

Praise Her, Praise Diana: http://www.amazon.com/Praise-Her-Diana-Anne-Rothman-Hicks-ebook/dp/B00NVDGCIM

Things Are Not What They Seem: http://www.amazon.com/Things-Are-What-They-Seem-ebook/dp/B00JLPGNX8

Kate and the Kid: http://www.amazon.com/Kate-Kid-Anne-Rothman-Hicks-ebook/dp/B00D9W3V20/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Facebook Author Page is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kenneth-Hicks-and-Anne-Rothman-Hicks/622272714477979

Everything About You

Tags

Everything About You, MuseItUp Publishing, romance

Lisa Lickel lives in the rolling hills of western Wisconsin. Surrounded by books and dragons, she writes inspiring fiction. Her novels include the Buried Treasure mystery series (The Last Bequest, The Map Quilt and The Newspaper Code) and the award-winning romance, Meander Scar; A Summer in Oakville, co-authored with best-selling author Shellie Neumeier, Healing Grace, The Last Detail and a series of historical early reader books, First Children of Farmington among others. She also writes short stories, feature articles, and radio theater. She is a member of Wisconsin Writers Association and the Chicago Writer’s Association. Lisa loves to encourage new authors through mentoring, speaking, and leading workshops. Lisa also is an avid book reviewer and blogger, and a freelance editor. She is married to a high school biology teacher, and they have two sons and daughters in law, grandchildren and a grand-kitty. Find more at LisaLickel.com.

She needs a movie set miracle, he needs cash…can a farmer morph into a movie star in five days?

If Shelly has her way, Danny will become America’s next heartthrob and she’ll get her own promotions company. He’s already gorgeous, a little naive, and needs to work on that accent. To Danny, Shelly is on the pompous side, but holds the key to his real dreams…if he can figure out all the rules, say the right things for the daily vlog session, keep his heart strings in place, dodge Shelly’s vicious former boyfriend and the movie star diva. Shelly’s about to lose a lot more than her heart if she can’t get a handle on her wounded pride and learn who to trust.

By the time Fred corralled Shelly for her final vlog entry, it was dark on the outdoor set, mosquitoes overcame the aerial spray, and Shelly had not eaten since mid-morning. Winston was safely ensconced in Roma’s quarters, a canvas tent she insisted on so vocal distortion was kept to a minimum.

“You got Winston on film today, right?” Shelly twisted her neck to loosen up and swung her shoulders.

“Oh, yeah, I did that, sweetheart.”

“How’d he do? Sound okay?”

“He’ll need some work with Roma, but he handled himself well.”

Fred wore a strange grin.

“What? He have good angles? He looks all right?”

“That he does. Okay, I’m going to run film, so pretend I’m not here and talk like the camera is your best friend. Spill your guts, doll, and mean it.”

Shelly swallowed a few times and put the long, long, long day to the back of her mind. The light kept her from seeing Fred. She blinked at the red light and…

“Tommy set me up for this. I am a good publicist and he knows it. Tommy Lord became what he is because of me. Wait. I take that back. He’s a rat fink, but I didn’t make him that way.

You hear me?” Shelly laughed from the back of her throat. “For dropping me, I’m going ride tracks all down your back on the way to taking Jovian Productions to number one. You don’t deserve to be second in the industry, either. Everything about you and your joke of a distribution company is second-rate.”

Cripes, now she was repeating herself. Shelly stared at her hands, trying to think of stuff to say that sounded good. People loved at that juicy dirt talk. Even if she was over Tommy. She had her pride, after all, and none of the gossip in the tabloids was true. Talk about her day. Yeah.

“Since the moment Mr. Pettibone kicked Seth Taylor off the set and Winston Daniels stepped into the spotlight, I knew I could do something with him. Such great bones and good physique to work with. I guarantee you that within five days, I make every woman in the world drool over him and every man admire him. With his naturally thick hair, romantic build, and dreamy eyes, we’ll create a publicity campaign that puts his picture on billboards in every city, ads in all major publications, and do an online drive in everyone’s face and ear. The world will fall in love with him, the new lead in Everything About You, a movie that will make Love Story look like a postcard.”

How long have you been writing?

I took a class in 2001 and began selling my work in 2003, so I’ve been writing professionally since then. Starting with articles for magazine and newspapers, then stories, and got my first agent and two novel contracts in 2007 for 2009 releases. A few years ago I branched into freelance editing, and along the way was the editor for a couple of different magazines

Are you a plotter, a pantser or some combination of both?

 I am a flexible plotter. Certain genres call for more substantial plots than others, such as mysteries. I like to do some “pre-writing” to get some of the background business of scene and character development out of the way, to work out the kinks in my imagined settings and timeline, and be able to step into the book before I start writing. I’ve learned it’s much better if I find the right starting point for the story and not try to make the reader keep up while I’m still on the journey of discovery.

Where do you go for inspiration?

Today’s news and headlines are just fodder for story—though most of it is so unbelievable you have to be careful. In researching historical settings I’ve found some really juicy information on microfilm too. Biographies, oral history, obituaries. One of my last manuscripts was based around an obituary I found and saved for four years, knowing I needed him for the sequel to Meander Scar.

Give us an interesting or fun fact about your book/series (one we couldn’t possibly know). 

It’s not a tight secret, but not many know that I was the line editor for the Love Is series, except for my own book, of course. It’s been a privilege, and also helps that one eye has been on the finals of the books. I didn’t get my way with my own final manuscript, though. Having written radio scripts and learned how to create movie scripts, I wanted to make Everything About You, which takes place on a movie set, look a little like a movie script. The editors nixed the all capitalized and abbreviated scene breaks.

What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

I adore my grandchildren and my husband and I enjoy spending time with them and traveling. He’s nuts about scenery and wildlife and native culture, and I love museums and walking, though I have a dreadful sense of direction.

What is the one thing you never seem to have enough time for?

Personal reading time. The strangest thing, I know. I read all day long, for work and for other people, and for book clubs, yet I also have piles of books that I picked over the years, as yet unread, because I love the series or the author. I bought myself three books in the Dragonriders of Pern series for Christmas, and they’re staring at me now, begging me to drop everything and read.

You know, this seems to be a common theme among authors…not enough time for reading or writing!! Thank you so much for stopping by, Lisa. Come back any time. Readers, stop by Lisa’s blog today where she’s interviewing me and find out all about my newest book, Xander’s Tangled Web. 

Check it out at:  http://livingourfaithoutloud.blogspot.com

Web: www.lisalickel.com

Blog: http://livingourfaithoutloud.blogspot.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/lisalickel

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/author/lisalickel

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@lisajlickel

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author/lisalickel

buy link: http://amzn.to/1PSSuk6

Cake, Coffee and Conversation at my Place

Tags

adventure, fantasy, MuseItUp Publishing, science-fiction

 

Please drop in. Today I’m visiting with Kai Strand, a fellow author with MuseItUp. She writes young adult and middle grade books.  I don’t know about you, but I love to discover the story behind the story, especially when it comes to writers like me. We are a diverse lot. There’s no telling what you’ll find us doing when we’re not writing. We have day jobs, families, hobbies and various and sundry activities that keep us busy.

When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website, www.kaistrand.com.

Tragedy has left Cara Cassidy broken and the only thing keeping her from giving in completely is her guilt. Until Nik Rock.

Nik stirs up feelings in degrees she has never experienced, and causes her to do things that most assuredly give him the wrong impression – like kiss him before their first date. Somehow, he breaks down the walls around her emotions until she has no choice but to forgive herself and feel again.

But a mysterious, troubled past follows Nik, and Cara may prove to be his weakest link.

When a royal princess shows up looking for Nik, and an international gang arrives looking for missing jewels, Cara lands in mortal danger. Will she be able to save herself? What will happen to her newly repaired psyche if she loses Nik?

Romance, mystery, and high stakes – just another day in high school.

Excerpt 

The veil dropped over Nik’s expression so fast, it told her exactly what she didn’t want to know. Nik had indeed seen her mom. Cara turned away from him again intending to trudge back into the classroom.

“By the crown, will you stop already?” Nik begged.

The exasperation in his tone and the odd choice of words piqued her curiosity. Cocking her head, she asked, “By the crown?”

The frustration melted away and Nik pursed his lips, which almost distracted Cara enough to forget the thread of conversation, but she tore her eyes away and asked, “Is that what they say in Seattle?”

Nik’s eyes lit with appreciation. “Aren’t you clever?”

“Am I?”

He nodded. His appreciative appraisal and half smile wreaked havoc with her supposed cleverness.

“Nik?” she breathed.

“Yes?” He tilted toward her giving her the impression he hung on her every word. His eyes were glued to her lips, which she realized were parted and ever so slightly panting.

She gulped. “Can we perhaps do this after school?”

When he raised his gaze to meet hers she almost liquefied under the heat of it. “Can I trust you?”

“Trust me to do what?” Cara asked. She was losing the ability to think.

“Show up.” He slid closer and she held her breath hoping he would take her in his arms.

“Show up where?” she asked.

A full-blown grin curved across his face and she thrilled with the knowledge she’d put it there. Then she realized she couldn’t remember how.

“Actually, I was going to ask you that,” Nik said. His eyes roved her face.

“Wait. What?” Cara’s voice was so breathy she wasn’t sure if she spoke or gasped.

“Where should we meet? After school.”

She itched to rise up on tiptoe and kiss that stellar grin off his mouth.

A low chuckle rumbled through him. “Why don’t you tell me in gym class?”

She nodded slowly. Was he a drug? Or maybe the male version of a siren. Did they have those?

He tipped further forward and she caught her breath. Then he sighed.

“See you next period.”

Her mouth fell open as he walked away. He hadn’t even touched her and she was burning with need.

At the end of the hall, he glanced over his shoulder and grinned when he saw her still gaping after him. When he walked out of view she let out the breath she’d been holding. It stuttered and shook, but was relieved to escape her burning lungs. How long had she been holding her breath?

By the crown, Nik Rock was dangerous!

Okay guys, help yourselves to another cup of coffee and more cake, while we get to know Kai better. How long have you been writing? Like most writers, I’ve been writing in some format (angsty poetry, overly dramatized shorts, etc) most of my life, but I decided to pursue publication when my third child started Kindergarten (he graduates high school this year!) I have four kids and when he started school and I was left with only our youngest daughter, it felt like I had ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD to write. Rather liberating actually. It was six years before I received my first book contract. Not so liberating after all. But very rewarding.

That’s a familiar story. I finally got serious about it when my youngest graduated from high school. I decided if I was ever going to do it, I’d better stop procrastinating and get with it. Like you, it took me a while to get there.

Are you a plotter, a pantser or some combination of both? I consider myself a pantser. When I start a new book, I also start a notes document, a place for me to make note of things like names, ages, physical characteristics, family trees, plot points I want to make sure to cover or circle back to, etc. However, the creation of the story itself mostly happens by the seat of my pants. Every single time I’m writing a story there is some point between the middle and the end when I wonder how the heck I’m gonna make it all come together. I’ve been doing this long enough now that I can assure myself (over and over again) that it will come together – that it always does. However, because I refuse to outline, I always hit a point in the book where I doubt my ability to find the path through to the end. It makes the discovery fun for me, actually. I feel very clever each time I succeed. Creating an outline seems to use up my creative juices for that story and then I feel like I’m editing through the whole thing. Even the first draft. I’m not a fan of editing.

The same thing happens to me! About 2/3 through the book I’m suddenly wondering what on earth I’m going to do to get my characters out of this mess. Nice to know I have company.

Give us an interesting or fun fact about your book/series (one we couldn’t possibly know).The concept of Finding Thor evolved from me wanting to write a YA mash up of the movie National Treasure and Wuthering Heights. I wanted the suspense and mystery of National Treasure and the tragedy and love story of Wuthering Heights. I wanted a kind and respectful male lead that made me sigh and fan my cheeks, and a female lead that grows and discovers her strength. Putting that all together was both fun and challenging.

Describe one of your favorite characters and tell us who you patterned them after and why.

Beyond the main characters, Cara and Nik, I think my favorite character in this story is Cara’s best friend, Kelly. She’s loyal and strong and funny. I know that if I met Kelly IRL, I’d want to be her friend. She isn’t really patterned after anyone in particular, but I guess her outgoing personality and her impressive height is reminiscent of my sister. Being shy and short myself, I’ve always admired both qualities in my sister, so it isn’t too surprising they should show up in a character. 

I LOVE supporting characters. Especially when they evolve into characters with stories of their own.

What is the best compliment you ever received as a writer? It was in the most unexpected place. I was attending a funeral, giving my condolences to the family. I hugged the girl who had just lost her grandfather and said that I wished I could do something to help her through her grief. Her answer was so unexpected. 

“Keep writing. It helps. It helps a lot.”

Wow.

I completely agree. What a wonderful thing to know your words have had that effect on someone.

What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? I’m pretty obsessed with walking. I love to walk. I love the motion of it. Soaking up the greater outdoors (regardless of weather conditions) is therapeutic for me. I wish walking didn’t take up so much time. At least I can multitask and listen to an audiobook at the same time. The two birds thing!

And who knows what ideas might pop into your head while you’re walking!

This has been fun. Come back again anytime Kai. Good luck with Finding Thor.

Thanks for stopping by everyone. Check out the links below to learn more about Kai and her books. If you get a chance today, check her blog. I’m doing a character interview on one of my characters in Xander’s Tangled Web, due out April 26th.

Website www.kaistrand.com

Blog http://kaistrand.blogspot.com/

Email kaistrand@yahoo.com

Buy links Amazon| Barnes & Noble| Whiskey Creek Press| All Romance| BookStrand| Goodreads