Here is my interview with Clarissa Simmens

 

Name

Clarissa Simmens

Age

65

Where are you from

Philadelphia, PA. Moved to Tampa Bay, FL in 1991

A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc

Late bloomer. Returned to college in my late 20s and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in English at age 37. I am part Romani (Gypsy) but my parents wanted to completely assimilate so we just pretended to not be different. My mother’s mother is the one who kept the culture alive and taught me how to be a drabarni, or healer. She was wonderful as a physical healer but I like healing the mind or spirit by being a good listener and using my meager talents when asked. I am married and have two sons and a granddaughter living in Philadelphia.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

I’m an Independent Author/Publisher and now writing my first poetry book for publication in late January.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

The library was my favorite refuge and I loved mysteries. I used to write them on little tablets.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Wrote my first mystery at age 10 and when I became a teenager in the 60s I was convinced I would be a best-selling author by age 21 (eye roll needed here).

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

My love of reading.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Of the three books I self-published, the first is a quasi-memoir, the second is a teen or aging hippie novel and my most recent is non-fiction. My next will be a poetry book.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I’m struggling with the title for my poetry book. I don’t want it to sound pretentious or too light. My other three books all have the word “Gypsy” in them but I have made the decision to generalize this title.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I only have one novel and although the importance of love and peace was derived from my hippie years, a drabarni takes an oath to do no harm. I think it is important to at least try to tolerate others. We have all suffered in varying degrees, so why not try to be understanding and supportive as we move along our life’s path?

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

All of my books are autobiographical. I believe that fiction is not my forte because I can’t seem to make imagination more important than reality. Reality is not always pretty, or fun, to read.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Yes. I always write what I know.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Mainly what I read as a young teen in the 60’s: Hermann Hesse’s Steppenwolf, Lord of the Rings, Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl, T.S. Eliot’s poem The Wasteland, all of Virginia Woolf’s books, then in the 80s I read a lot of the feminist writers who just confirmed what I had known on my own anyway. Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With A Thousand Faces has always been a map along my path and I strongly recommend it.

 

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Virginia Woolf is my favorite writer. There is no way that I could ever touch her brilliance, her use of language, but we writers must reach toward the sun at all times in order to grow.

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I hardly sleep so tend to read 3 books at once: Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem is a laugh-aloud book and I stand in awe of his use of words. I am also reading a dictionary of symbols and a book on fermentation.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Donna Tartt, Marisha Pessl and Yangsze Choo. I’ve reviewed their books in Goodreads and Amazon. I am also grateful for the invention of the Kindle and the ability to self-publish for free. I have discovered so many wonderful authors who never would have had the chance to interest a traditional publishing house, yet they are excellent writers and I have reviewed many of them also.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

My poetry book. I wrote poetry in the 60’s, most of it pretty bad with lots of whining, and then in the 90’s. Some of those poems will be added to my book.

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

I have a very small circle of friends who have been supportive. I “met” two of them on the internet and I feel as if I’ve known them forever. My virtual life is very rich! I have a friend who buys my books and gives them away as presents and I feel so special. One of my sons, also a struggling writer, has reviewed my books on a website where he is now the editor-in-chief.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I retired a few years ago after working for 50 years and was so bored and lost. Fortunately, I once again embraced my early interest in writing and think of it as my career although I am realistic enough to understand that I will not earn any money from it.

 

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I have one theme running through my first 3 books, the Drom Ek Romani (Way of One Gypsy) that is similar to the tarot but it is my personal life path. I’ve repeated it in all three books. I think I would have not written the first two books and concentrated on making Drab Lil, A Gypsy’s Medicine Book, a comprehensive book on everything I’ve learned. I notice that someone reviewed it and gave me 2 stars because she thought it would be all about herbs and it is mainly about tarot. I think I wasn’t specific enough in my description because to me, reading cards for others is not giving them dire predictions but it is giving the questioner a prop in which to confide or unburden to me, the drabarni, and I therefore heal them by listening and then offering suggestions (my version of a medicine) based on the meanings of the cards. I will let the books stand, though, because like the author Carlos Zafon, my books are now in “The Cemetery of Forgotten Books” and may someday help at least one person and that would make me feel successful.

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Growing up with books around the house. Receiving books for gifts. Weekly visits to the library. The great escape, for me, has always been through the written word.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

I am writing a sonnet for each one of the 22 Drom Ek Romani cards. Here’s #3 Drabarni:

3 – Drabarni

Selfless healer, the Drabarni helps cure

For only through health and strength can she mend

But she must take care of herself before

The illnesses of others can transcend

Tripartite Drabarni’s holistic aid:

Use wild herbs for a physical rapport

Listening assists the mental blockade

But emotions require so much more

Intuitive healing with cards, tea leaves,

The lines of the palm and mystical dreams

Guides one to earth’s harmony as it weaves

The secret enigma of all life’s themes

Other than an act of the universe

Most problems can be put into reverse

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I decided to only do a few free verse poems; the rest will be sonnets and some of the other forms of poetry. They are quite confining and require a lot of discipline. A sonnet, for instance, has the rhyme scheme of ABAB/CDCD/EFEF/GG and Shakespearean sonnets require that the meter be in iambic pentameter, 10 syllables. So I walk around the house flicking my fingers as I try to count each sentence and sometimes I feel my jaw clenching. But I love it….

 

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Virginia Woolf. Her stream-of-consciousness fiction is above anything I’ve ever read, but I like her essays too. Since I had to hold down a job most of my life I took heart from her “A Room of One’s Own.” Woolf says that she may not ever have been a writer if it wasn’t for an aunt who died and left her an annual inheritance of 500 pounds (dollars) so she could afford a flat to live in, giving her much-needed privacy to write all day. She credits her writing to having “Five hundred pounds and a room of one’s own” and recognizes that most people, but especially women who must support and care for their children, rarely got to hone their writing skills.

 

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

No, I do not bother with publicity.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

My son designed the cover of my second book, The Gypsy’s Book and one of my internet friends designed the Drab Lil, A Gypsy’s Medicine Book cover. I am so touched by the generosity of my closest friends and family.

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Same as above (challenging)

 

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I learned that I will never be a best-selling author and it is ok!

 

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Writers are in a sweet spot today. We can publish electronically for free and we can publish print versions for the price of a meal in a good restaurant. There is no reason to not write; no reason to give up! My only suggestion is to find a friend or two with a good eye and ask them to proofread. We all make occasional typos and not many of us are perfect with the rules of grammar, but I have read books that would be wonderful but are impossible to read with errors on every single page. Absolutely have someone proofread your work

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I appreciate anyone who takes an interest in my books. I think it is wonderful that we all have the right to review books but I have seen occasional despicable reviews. One person reviewed a book of mine but really reviewed me: my clothing, my this, my that, but never supplied any feedback on the type of writer I am. If you review, please try to stay focused on the mechanics of the writing because reviewers are essential to authors. We want to make you happy and one way of doing that is by telling us how to be a better writer!

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

At age 3 I memorized a children’s book and everyone thought I knew how to read (LOL). It was called “A Bird Can Fly And So Can I.” I mention that in my poem “Milestones” because the rhyming of the book set me onto the path of reading.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?

I like growing herbs and making healing salves. I cannot imagine life without at least 2 dogs. I’m the world’s worst artist but I love drawing and do it anyway. Now that I’m retired I play a lot of computer games. I rock out to music, especially when driving (I’m always 17 inside my head when I hear music). Read, read, read…

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

I grew up when TV was new and my mother felt we shouldn’t watch much so I don’t really like TV that much. In fact, my husband was so addicted to TV that this is the first time we bought one in 10 years. I still don’t like it that much but for some strange reason I am addicted to Downton Abbey!

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

I’m vegetarian so the crock pot is always bubbling up beans and I like to make lots of veggie goulashes. Red and black are my favorite colors to wear but I love all the chakra colors, especially blues and purples. Classic Rock is my absolute favorite: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, etc., but also Romani music (love those mournful violins), African drums, Indian sitar, jazz, folk, almost all types.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

I have mostly worked in academic offices. I started in Financial Aid at age 50 and adored being a Financial Aid and Academic Advisor. Must come from being a card reader/advisor! The student contact was my favorite part of work—I enjoyed helping them–and I miss that the most since retiring.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?

I do have an author page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RomaniGypsyBooks and although I tend not to have a lot of friends on FB, I would never refuse anyone if they friended me.

Wow! I sure can talk! Thanks for the opportunity!

Here is my interview with Juli Valenti

Name

Juli Valenti

Age

27

Where are you from

I was born in California, grew up in Arkansas, live in Florida J One side of the country to the other!

A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc

I’m a wife and mother of 2 boys. I work for an orthopaedic office as well as have my own editing company.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

A Little Broken was nominated for book of the year, romance book of the year, women’s fiction book of the year as well as best cover of 2013!

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing when I was a kid, mainly song lyrics, to escape a not so great father. It was an outlet, and when I wrote everything was all better

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’m not sure…I’ll let you know when I do J

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Real life events? I want women to know, that I know, from experience that they’re not alone.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Not really…mine, I guess.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I went back and forth for quite awhile. I think it had like… 6 titles throughout the life of the manuscript while I was writing it.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Regardless of what happens in your life – trauma, heartache, pain, or sorrow – you’re not ruined. You’re a survivor, and life will get better

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

It’s based on a true story, my true story. I’d say it’s about 75% non-fiction, 25% true story

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

See above J

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

I’d say just books in general. I’ve loved reading since I was 6 (literally!)

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I get a lot of advice from several bloggers, and authors, looking to them for questions I don’t have answers to… I don’t have just one person

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I’m audio-booking right now. A couple. 1 from Kim Harrison and 1 from Karen Marie Moning

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

a lot of them, actually… too many to name

Fiona: What are your current projects?

I’m working on a short story for an Anthology, a story build piece with several authors, and another WIP that is top secret!

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Lindy Zart. She’s the one who pushed me, gave me some confidence that the words I was putting on paper didn’t suck!

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I do. One day I hope it to be my main career

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

No. It turned out exactly how I wanted, maybe even better

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

It was either write or scream…I would’ve gotten in big trouble screaming…

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

“Yeah, I’m hungry… for food…yeah,” she rambled, blushing even more. “I want to eat. Is that okay? Jeez, you’re holding me captive on your couch – you could at least feed me.”
The rest is top secret…you’ll just have to wait til its released J

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Writing is a challenge every day. I get stuck for awhile, chew on it, and come back to it. Sometimes I’ll talk the problems out with someone else, someone I trust.

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Asking me to choose a favorite author is like asking me to choose which of my kids is my favorite! I don’t have one…I love all of them, all for different reasons!

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

Not yet…but I will be at RT Convention in May as well as Indie Book Fest in August

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Sarah at Sprinkles on Top Studios

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write. Even if it doesn’t make sense, put it down on paper. You’ll never get anywhere if you don’t!

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I love you all and I’m uber grateful for you! Even if only 1 person ever read my book, I’d be happy!

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

My first adult book? The Ring by Danielle Steele.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

I edit, of course, and I sing. Singing is a huge part of me.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

I love lots! Scandal, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, Ghost Whisperer, Glee, The Tudors, Game of Thrones, Friends, Pawn Stars, Hard Core Pawn, Law and Order SVU, Sex and the City…I could go on and on and on

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

Food? I like loooooooots of food! Silver is my favorite color. Music? Everything from Country, to Soul, to Rap, to Opera…name it, more than likely I’ll like it.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

Edit definitely…I adore being an editor…but if i couldn’t do either? I’d perform on broadway 😉

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?

Only my facebook page…I’m not all that web savvy…so if anyone wants to make it, feel free!
http://www.facebook.com/authorjulivalenti

Here is my interview with Laura Hawks

 

Name: Laura Hawks

Age: Old enough to know better and young enough to still do it.

Where are you from: Chicago, Illinios

A little about your self `ie your education Family life ect:

An only Child, I work as a Tour Director to put food on the table, but I also love it. Its a chance to travel the country, soak up the culture, and meet wonderful people. I went back to college after a few years working as a TD, and now have a Masters in US History, Native American History and Ancient Civilizations. My original goal was to write History books relating the Native American Perspective for the history we have today, but I enjoy fiction too much and one day the light bulb went off. Although an only child, I have some of the dearest friends and family in the world. My mom is a super woman, and though she has been struggling the last couple of years with her health, I know I will be lost once she is totally gone from my life. My friends are very supportive of me and I don’t think I tell them how much I appreciate them as it is, but I do try. Three Cats own me and I love them dearly. One even travels with me when I can bring him. They are all male and so I call them my boys.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

 My Sequel to Demon’s Kiss was recently released entitled Demon’s Dream. I am really happy with the way the story progressed.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

 I began writing as part of a Star Trek Writing Group, which, since it was pre-computers, we did once a month by mail. It was a bit hard considering how much easier computers have made things, but it was a ball and there were some really imaginative people I got to write with.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

 When I started doing some of those stories for the Star Trek Writing Group.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

A wonder if I could actually put a put together and complete it. It sounds very easy to say, hey I am going to write a book, but it really isn’t. To have plot twists, and progression and to tell the story in an interesting way as well as a good ending takes some actual work.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

 I am very much a Joseph Campbell style writer. The circular belief the hero goes to “hell” in order to come out on top; that the hero needs to undergo pain and torment in order to accept the rewards at the end.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

A starting point for me in the story was a dream/alternate realm sequence. Seemed appropriate considering it was a Sequel to Demon’s Kiss.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

There are certain things readers pick up a book for. Sometimes, its just for entertainment. That is really what I planned for this book. If there is a message in my novel, it was not purposefully intended.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

This book is setting up a pantheon I will be using in future novels. I did utilize the names and distinctions of true Native American Mythos. There are some other Native American References, albeit, very minor, in there as well. In future books, I will have Native American History and events interwoven in the fiction.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Not for this book. Not really.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

You are probably going to laugh at some of my answers… Ed McBain… he is very descriptive. Sherrilyn Kenyon…She has interwoven a multitude of pantheons to create prolific stories. Edgar Allen Poe… I like the suspense he is able to maintain throughout his stories. And O’Henry…. again, the way he twists a plot so it is never what you expected.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

 Probably Sherrilyn Kenyon as she writes the closest to how I envision myself as a writer.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Gangrene and Glory: Medical Care during the American Civil War by Frank R. Freemon. It also serves as some research for a novel I am currently working out.. a Confederate Ghost Story/Romance.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Casey Sean Harmon. He is with the same publishing house as I am, but his book on Becoming Pvt Harmon was very enlightening and enjoyable.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

 I am working on a number of things. First, as previously mentioned, I am working on a Confederate Ghost Story in collaboration with a friend from Virginia. Which, in itself, has been a challenging task since we are states apart. I am also working on an anthology, a time travel novel, and when I finish that, the final piece of the Demon Saga will be next. I have another book… first in a new series called the Spirit Walker Series entitled Shifting Hope is almost ready for submission to the publisher.

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

 My circle of friends. I cannot pick just one of them for they ALL have been very supportive of me and inquisitive on my projects and how sales are going and everything.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

 I sure would like to.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

No.

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

 It was my love for Star Trek that encouraged  my writing.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

           Jes violently pushed himself out of the chair and leaned over his desk, getting into

 Mel’s face. “How dare you presume to tell me what I will or won’t be held accountable

 for, little brother! I suggest you leave now before I really lose my temper.”

Mel actually snorted back a chuckle. “You don’t fucking scare me, so don’t even attempt it.”

“I’m not worried about scaring you. I don’t need to. I know something which works better. You think I don’t know you care for the guardian; maybe even love her? Well, I hope you said goodbye to her, because with every demon after her tail, she will not last much longer. I only have to wait until she is dead before I swoop in and get the stone. Then there is nothing or no one who will be able to stop me. The universe will be mine to command and rule. I’ll be stronger than even Nana-bozo.” He purposefully butchered Nana’s name.

Mel took a step back in shock. “You are really warped if you think that will be allowed to happen. You will literally start a war!”

Jes laughed. “Then bring it on!”

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

 I find going back and doing edits to be tedious and have to force myself to actually do it after the first couple of rounds.

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Peter David and his sense of humor.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

Not as much as I would like to.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Kristy Charbonneau who is currently with Ambrosia Arts Publishing.

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Finding the time to sit and write consistently.

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

It’s amazing how much I don’t know about Native American Culture and their pantheons.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Just keep forcing yourself to write even when you don’t want to. Even if it is not part of your novel, just write.

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

 Thank you for your support in my novels.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

TONS!!  I enjoy Sci-fi and Fantasy Conventions and have even been on a few convention committees. I am even chairing a Convention held in Chicago in February 2014. I love to cook, dance, swim, hike and horseback ride. I also adore various kinds of music and help DJ for a group in Indianapolis at some of the conventions there.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

 Almost anything Sci-fi, fantasy or paranormal as well as various cooking shows. Sadly, I don’t have as much time as I would like sometimes to watch them.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music:

 Foods… Well I am from Chicago, so Pizza of course, Salad, and pastas. Colors: Royal Blue, Fuschia and Royal Purple and I love when they are combined together. Music: I have very eclectic tastes. I enjoy everything from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Spring being my favorite) To Journey to Halestorm to Paul Brandt to Reba McIntire to Within Temptation and a lot of stuff in between. Right now, Fallout Boy and Halestorm are my first go to choices overall.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

I have done everything else I wanted to.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it? Yes… my website is http://laurahawks.webs.com/  I can also be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-Hawks/249262585192270

Here is my interview with Janet Morris ( AKA Tempus Thales )

Name Janet Morris

Age; 67

Where are you from

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

This year, Perseid Press stepped up its publication schedule.  In addition to our Heroes in Hell series annual volume,this year’s entitled Dreamers in Hell, we were delighted to republish I, the Sun, our biographical novel of the greatest king of the Hittites.  We just released Author’s Cuts of The Beyond Trilogy, including Beyond Sanctuary, Beyond the Veil, and Beyond Wizardwall, on Perseid Press in trade paper and for Kindle.   And we’re about to release “Outpassage” a hard rockin’ sf adventure novel.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve been writing and reading stories all my life, since I was old enough to read.  I tell stories to make sense of the human condition.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I sold the first draft of the first novel I ever wrote to a major publisher.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

My first book was High Couch of Silistra, and I wrote it for fun during the mid seventies, for my husband and our friends to read, after I read a political tract disguised as a novel.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I have done several books in first person, and many in third person; I mix tenses and viewpoints, often.  My writing style is meant to be immediate and realistic, no matter how far-fetched the construct.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

The titles for various of our books happen differently:  I, the Sun is actually what my Hittite king called himself.  The Sacred Band refers to the Sacred Band of Thebes.  Outpassage simply appeared in my mind whole-cloth with title in place.  Sometimes my titles come from a line of text in the story, sometimes not.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

A loaded question, since we always have a message we want the reader to grasp.  Most of these messages are about honor, loyalty, personal heroism, the relation of self to society – all are about love, all-consuming, passionate, unconquerable love of life and nature and one another.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

Since my life and Chris Morris my cowriters life has been varied, our books have many realistic aspects:  we raised horses and bred world champions; we have cavalry horses in many books; we worked in think tanks doing long term strategic planning, and we write often about cultural clashes, governments and people trying to serve them or be served by them; about war and history and technology.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Everything in each of our books is completely autobiographical.  We have been all of those people, done every one of those things.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

  The Iliad.  Henry V.  Paradise Lost.  Suppiluliumas and the Amarna Pharaohs.  Princess of Mars.  Animal Farm.  Brideshead Revisited.  The Lensman series.  The I Ching.  On War.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Homer.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Early Riders.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Yes, many, and we are publishing them in our Heroes in Hell series.  Also we’re about to publish Walter Rhein’s READER OF ACHERON.  With more new writers to come…and a new series to debut next year or a bit sooner, focus on writers of heroic fiction..

Fiona: What are your current projects?

Current projects include:  As I alluded to above, we’re publishing for the first time the work of Walter Rhein, due early in 2014:  Reader of Acheron.  Also in January of 2014 we’re republishing the sf adventure novel, OUTSPASSAGE, by Janet Morris and Chris Morris, with a Vincent Di Fate cover.  For Sacred Band of Stepsons fans, we are very excited about the Author’s Cut Beyond Trilogy, all three volumes of which we just released on Perseid in trade and Kindle with spectacular new covers, each one revised and expanded.  Rhesos of Thrace, Janet Morris and Chris Morris’ new mythic novel, is in the drafting stage.  Wolf 459, the first in a science fantasy series by pdmac, is being now in copy-edit.  We’re working on a new series called HEROICA, to debut late next year, with a stellar group of talented writers contributing. Poets in Hell, newest in the Heroes in Hell series, is being edited now for summer 2014 releas2.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Writing has been my career for many years, both fiction and nonfiction.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Beucase of the new publishing modalities, if I want to make a change to a book I can can make it, hether that book is a paper book or an e book.  In the old days, it would take 18 months to get a change made.  With the Perseid republication program, every book that comes out is, finally, the way we want it to be, including type size, margins, cover, and text itself.

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

My writing isn’t really an interest, but a way of facing the world.  I international security poobahs and military generals; I do it for myself and for those who want to offer my work to a broader public.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

From:  OUTPASSAGE, copyright 1988, 2014, Janet Morris and Chris Morris:

There wasn’t any alien life anywhere, not above the vegetable level –– a century in space had proved that beyond a reasonable doubt.

Everything that seemed artifactual had, eventually, turned out to be natural, not intelligence-made.  There wasn’t any reason for these IST honchos to be afraid of the boondocks on X-31A but the way they treated the contract laborers they’d trucked in here.

If Cox said different, he’d be in psych evaluation for the rest of his life –– if he got off this shitball to have one.

It hadn’t been anything, not anything, that he’d seen out of the corner of his eye.  It sure as hell hadn’t been a white, human-looking, delicate hand pulling Reynolds toward a wall of solid rock –– coming out of a wall of solid rock.

It hadn’t.  His lungs were burning despite the augmented oxygen-rich mix his recon pack was feeding him as he sprinted; he was sweating like a pig –– sweating worse than his cooling system could handle.  And, overhead, he heard a subtle change in volume that wouldn’t be subtle for long:  the pursuit aircraft, laying down rivers of flame as it did a one-eighty, had sighted him.  It was coming back.

With the bogey on his tail and nobody to answer to, Cox hit his jet-assist.  It was a one-time-only, emergency move, but there was no way he could outrun that aircraft, not on foot.

The wrench at his shoulders was immediate, the grab in his crotch comforting.  And then he was airborne himself, skimming across the ground toward the extraction point where Locke’s bird was already a dark speck lowering out of the filthy clouds.

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Merely finding quit intervals that are uninterrupted.

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Still Homer, for his ability to transport me into another time and other minds, and bring his whole culture with him.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

I don’t find it necessary to travel for my fiction books, though some nonfiction ahs required travel at times.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

The cover designs are a group effort:  I choose the art.  I tell the cover designer what part of the art I want to focus on and provide the front and back copy.  Sarah Hulcy has just done a wonderful cover design for us for READER OF ACHERON.  Vincent DiFATE did the entire cover, including cover design, for OUTPASSAGE.  Sonja Aghabekian, long time collaborator, does the Sacred Band series and did a spectacular job for us on I, the Sun, perhaps the most difficult cover we’ve done so ar.

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Different books have different stresses:  the last novel I wrote was The Sacred Band, and it was a grueling effort, physically, because the book was coming so fast I had trouble keeping up.  The new novel I’m doing is coming slowly because of all the other issues, such as getting enough blocks of peace and quiet.  I’m solving that by writing late at night.

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

From each book I learn something different:  from Tempus and the Sacred Band of Stepsons I learn about loyalty, community, passion, ever time – they have taught me that a series can become better as it grows.  From I, the Sun I learned about transposing my self into another’s mind and disappearing, to let that ancient voice come through.  In OUTPASSAGE, my favorite of the “hard” sf books I’ve done, I learned a new way to look at mortality.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write hard.  Write every day.  Write for the long term.

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thank you, Stepsons and Sacred Badners, those who’ve been with us so long and those who’ve just recently found us.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

By myself?  King of the Wind.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?

I have other activities:  music, horses, international security issues,  but each is serious business for us.  As for hobbies:  I have no free time.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

  Doc Martin.  Antiques Roadshow.  Agents of SHIELD.  Sleepy Hollow.  Films about ancient myths and heroism, such as the Marvel films. Shakespeare in Love.  Blackadder.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

Lobster.  Blue.  Jazz, fusion, alternative, second line, standards; baroque:  Composers:  Bach, Corelli.. Musicians: Vladamir Feltsman, Yoyo Ma, Parkening,

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

Never you mind.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website?

If so what is it?

We will someday have a Peseid Press website.  We have an FB page:  Janet Morris and Chris Morris; we have a blog sacredbander.com.

 
Here are some book links.  All books are available on Amazon in trade 
and as Kindle books:

http://www.amazon.com/I-Sun-Janet-Morris-ebook/dp/B00CLH393U/ref=sr_1_1?
s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1387763836&sr=1-1&keywords=I%2C+the+Sun

http://www.amazon.com/Dreamers-Hell-Heroes-Nancy-Asire-ebook/dp/
B00DEB1IJE/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

http://www.amazon.com/Lawyers-Hell-Heroes-Janet-Morris-ebook/
dp/B0057Q0OIK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1387764182&sr=1
-1&keywords=lawyers+in+hell

http://www.amazon.com/Rogues-Hell-Heroes-Janet-Morris-ebook/dp/
B008JZCFMO/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Sanctuary-Janet-Morris-ebook/dp/
B00GU0FPDG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1387763916&sr=
1-1&keywords=Beyond+Sanctuary

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Veil-Janet-Morris-ebook/dp/B00GU0FIG0
/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_2

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Wizardwall-Janet-Morris-ebook/dp
/B00GU0FH6G/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_1

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sacred-Band-Janet-Morris-ebook/dp/
B00AMLKJAI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_3

http://www.amazon.com/Tempus-Sacred-Band-Stepsons-Tales-ebook
/dp/B00BI175EY/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2

http://www.amazon.com/Fish-Fighters-Song-Girl-Sacred-Stepsons-
ebook/dp/B007VQIJFY/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2

http://www.amazon.com/MAGE-BLOOD-Janet-Morris-ebook/dp/B006ZK8PLU
/ref=pd_sim_kstore_5

Here is my interview with Gareth Mockford

 

Name Gareth Mockford

Age 40

Where are you from

I currently live in Nottingham, England.  I was born in Cornwall but I’ve moved around a lot.  My father was a shepherd when I was young, so I grew up in the countryside and it was the main reason we moved around so much.  It’s funny that I’ve now lived in Nottingham, a city, for ten years.  I never imagined I’d live in one.

A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc

As I said before, I grew up in the country on farms and it definitely had a profound effect on me.  At the time – up to the age of 13 – I hated it, but now I look back and see how lucky I was.  As a youngster I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do.  In the end I trained to be a primary school teacher, as I knew I had an affinity with children.  Now I think I also became a teacher because I was a “frustrated creative”, but now I’ve started writing, primarily for children, and I get the best of both worlds.  I studied for a degree in Wales, where I read history.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Gareth: My biggest news isn’t really about my work as G Mockford.  I also write for children and in the New Year the fifth Kinmaran Chronicle will be coming out and all the previous books are going to be released with new covers by an outstanding illustrator called Chris Askham.  I feel very lucky to have discovered him.  I hope we’re going to make a great team for a long time to come.

I have a plot for a new Stokes and Rees novel (from Where Wolves Fear to Prey), I just need to write it.  I’ll give you a little taster later. (smiles)

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Gareth: If it’s not too much of a cliché, I started when I was young.  I entered a competition in my local village fete.  I think I got a highly commended.  When I started university (1992) I set up a science-fiction, fantasy and role-playing club.  As a part of that we produced a magazine, nothing grand.  It was just printed out in the computer suite and sold to our members.  As part of that magazine I wrote fanfic stories for Star Trek: TNG and Quantum Leap as well as stories set in the space station that we had created as a club.

In my final year I wrote a thriller called “Death Lies”, which is a title I still love and hope to use one day, but I never did anything with it.

It was when I began teaching that I started writing again, but this time for children – an audience I knew very well.  I spent five years writing a book, sent it to one publisher (The Chicken House) and gave up when they didn’t even appear to read my submission (laughs).  My Kinmaran Chronicles are an offshoot of that book.  If I’m honest I started writing because I was finding my work life hard and it was a good way to escape and relax.

As for Where Wolves Fear to Prey, that came about from meeting Mark Billingham and Peter Robinson (two giants of British Crime Fiction) at my local branch of Waterstones.  They gave a thrilling and interesting talk, but most importantly there was a chance to ask questions.  I asked more than my fair share (laughs) and went home that night and started writing an idea that I had flitting about in the back of my mind.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Gareth: Truthfully? Probably about October 2013.  I had three Kinmaran Chronicles and Wolves out by then and I knew it was what I wanted to do.  When I get a publisher and I’m making at least 30k a year, then I’ll be a “real” writer. I’m getting to the point where I need to make some decisions about the amount of time I spend teaching and writing.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Gareth: It was such a long time ago, I’m not sure I can remember.  I think a friend at university who had read my fanfic suggested I did it.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Gareth: Can’t say I’ve really given it any thought (laughs).  I know I prefer to write in third person. I write quite minimally in terms of description and I hope my stories, while full of action and danger, are very character driven.  I’m all about pace, hence the minimalism, but when I need to be I can be quite poetic. (laughs).  I like a bit of symbolism and symmetry too.  Ultimately I see my job as one of entertainment.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Gareth: The title comes from a Lord Byron quote and the initial idea came from my girlfriend.  I had Wolf-Man already in place and we looked for quotes about Wolves and then stumbled upon the Byron.  I fell in love with it straight away and renamed the school Byron Comp. We live near Newstead Abbey where he lived and Hucknall where he is buried.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Gareth: Not particularly, but in my children’s books the answer is a definite and emphatic yes.  I think we can all learn from Alex and Paul’s mistakes as well as their heroism though, don’t you?

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

Gareth: It’s set in Manor Park, which is a fictional borough in Nottingham that I created, but everywhere else in it is real. I went to the hospital and looked around the places that I describe and the places where crimes occur are all real.  The climax of the story is based on a real place I’ve been to many times.  As for the story itself, I think it’s a very real situation, even if Wolf-Man is a bit OTT, and that’s what makes it such a moving story, especially if you are a parent.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

I’ve never been kidnapped. (laughs)  Aside from being a teacher and going to the places I describe, it has no real basis on my life.  Alex, however, is definitely me (laughs).

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Gareth: My favourite book is The Count of Monte Cristo.  It’s such a moving story and Dantes is such a paradox.  I love the ideas of the revenge and redemption, and one day I’d like to write a modern retelling.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Gareth: Now that’s a big question.  Michael Connelly is undoubtedly the master of the crime novel.  To me he has the balance of character and plot absolutely right.  You always care about the characters and the plots are always tight and surprising.  If I could have lessons with him it would be amazing.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Gareth: The Gypsy Way by “indie writer” Frankie Fulwood and then I’ll be moving on to The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly, of course.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Gareth: I wish I had time to read, what with being a teacher and a self-published writer.  I need to read more and I’m hoping to catch up in the Christmas break.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

Gareth: Currently I am writing the fifth Kinmaran Chronicle.  Isomee and Brackenbelly are returning to Hog-Bottom farm.  I’ve got loose ends to tie up and it’s a springboard to a whole new adventure. (smiles)

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Gareth: I have an old university friend who is my unpaid editor (laughs).  She pushes me to be a little more creative at times and restructures my sentences.  The office manager in my school proof reads it too.  I’m very lucky to have good friends who help me.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I hope so. (smiles)

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I’m not sure I should say. (laughs)  Wolves was an experiment in many ways.  I sent it to some agents and gave up.  It gathered “dust” on my hard drive and then my girlfriend convinced me to “kindle” it after I had released my Kinmaran Chronicles.  I edited it a lot, but you can always do more, can’t you?  Being honest, I think I got a bit carried away with Wolf-Man so you’ll either think he’s a great villain or two dimensional.

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I’ve always loved stories – always.  I grew up in the late seventies and then the eighties.  There was great TV and films in those days and many of them were about heroes.  I’ve been obsessed with heroes ever since. (laughs)  I would often come home from the cinema and want to create a story.  Oddly I’ve only really read seriously for about ten years.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Gareth: Here’s a section from the next Rees and Stokes story.  A prequel really, set before Where Wolves Fear to Prey and centering entirely on the two police detectives and a new DC called Bryony Chambers.  Stokes has just met Rees for the first time and is about to meet Chambers, who he had stepped out in front of just minutes before as she was riding her motorbike. At the moment it’s on the back burner.  Maybe your readers can convince me to get back to it. (smiles)

“Ay up, Alun,” DC Chambers said as she breezed into the office and used he booted heel to kick the door shut behind her.

“Morning, Bryony.  This is….”

“The new Aramis?” she said as she squeezed past Stokes and crashed the helmet onto the top of the filing cabinets making the jars dance and the spoons jangle in their mug.  “Hi, I’m DC Chambers.  Call me Bryony if you like,” she said as she removed her leather glove and thrust out her hand.  Stokes reached out and took it.

If Rees had struck him as “a character”, then Chambers was a whole new level.  Despite the local slang, and the rough demeanour, Stokes could tell by the cadence of her voice that she was anything but a local girl brought up in the depths of Blidworth, or Bliduff as the locals called it.  She was the kind of girl who would pronounce the local Minster town, South-well and not Suth-ul.  Her blonde hair was cut choppy and fashionably short and her blue eyes were alert despite the bags under them.  She was as attractive as the view from behind on the motorcycle suggested, but there was a slight horsiness about her mouth and nose.  Oh yes, Stokes thought, you’ve never wanted for anything and he immediately felt bad for judging the woman within seconds of meeting her.

“You making coffee?” she asked as she disappeared behind the metal barricade (of filing cabinets) and removed her leather jacket, hanging it on a nail sticking out of the wall, before removing her boots.

“Yes,” Stokes managed to say before he quickly span round and looked at Rees.  The young DC worked out what the extra row of cabinets was for just a moment too late. Chambers was bending over, her back to him and casually removing her trousers without any kind of warning or sense of embarrassment.

“Don’t mind me,” Chambers said as the trousers joined the jacket on the nail and she opened one of the cabinet draws.  She reached inside and withdrew a folded pair of jeans and a pair and flat soled shoes.  “Seriously, make the coffee, I’m parched.”

Stokes wasn’t sure where to look, though he could hear the sounds of denim being slipped on and then a zip being done up.

Clearly seeing his embarrassment, Rees said: “You can turn round now.  She’s finished.  I’ll have one sugar and milk.  Bryony has three.”

“Hey, I’ve cut back!” Chambers said, a real tone of outrage in her voice, before Stoke felt her appear beside him.  “Two’ll be fine,” she added as she tapped the rim of the mug with “MCN” printed on the side.   Now that she was finally stood still, Stokes could see that she was tall.  Just under six foot, Stokes guessed.  He immediately glanced at Rees.  She’d tower over him if she wore anything other than flats.

“Cut back?  Just because you’ve started buying Half Spoon.” Rees said, matching her outrage in tone and volume.  “Two isn’t a cutback.  Two would make four, at least it did when I was at school.”

“But it’s still less calories,” she replied, a hint of victory in her voice.

“Personally I don’t know how you can both take sugar.  It makes all coffees taste the same,” Stokes said.  The room went very quiet and he looked at his two new colleagues, superiors really, who were both staring at him.   There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment while finally the  kettle boiled.  The clack of the switch turning off seemed to break the spell and Stokes took the chance to pour in the water before looking for milk.  There was none on the top and he couldn’t locate a fridge either. Bryony opened a cabinet door and took out a carton of UHT milk.

“You’ll be adding sugar too when you taste that shite,” Rees said.

Stokes cut open the carton with the scissors in the mug and poured it.   Keen to change the subject he asked: “What’s with all the musketeers references?”

“Mouseketeers,” Bryony corrected as she picked up her MCN mug and cupped it in her hands, relishing the warmth spread through her chilled fingers.  It would soon be time for the winter gloves, or maybe to get the car permanently out of the garage and give up the occasional ride to work.

Rees got out from behind his desk and joined his two DCs.  He picked up his mug and sipped at the hot liquid.   Stokes noticed he glanced at Bryony, giving her permission to carry on.

“Well, there’s three of us of course.  Alun is Porthos, I’m Athos, though it doesn’t entirely match.”

Stokes couldn’t help but agree as he took a sip of his coffee. If anything, the roles should have been the other way around based on personality and there was no way he was like Aramis.  He held the coffee in his mouth for a moment.  Rees was right, the drink was rank.  He quickly swallowed. “But why Mouseketeers?” Stokes asked as he added a heaped spoon of sugar to his mug and noticing a slight smile hidden behind his superior’s beard.

“Why, because we get all the Mickey Mouse jobs of course,” Chambers stated matter-of-factly.

“The ones no one else wants, which reminds me.  Drink up, we have a cemetery to go to.”

“Alun?” Bryony asked.

“Suspicious death,” Stokes said filling her in.

“Probably a suicide,” Rees said.

Chambers looked across at the newest member of the team.  “See, all the jobs no one else wants.  Welcome aboard,” she said as she held up her mug.  Rees instantly added his as if it was a regular routine, a ritual.  Stokes tentatively added his, so that all three clinked together.

“All for one,” Chambers said a big smile across her face.

“And one for all,” Rees responded and despite himself, Stokes found he too muttered along with the tired old motto.

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

When I write Brackenbelly, it’s hard to write an action sequence that children can imagine and understand.  I also have to be careful how I begin my sentences.  I think it’s one of the reasons why I find writing in the first person a challenge.

Fiona: Who is your favourite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Gareth: Michael Connelly I’ve already mentioned.  I also enjoy Simon Kernick.  I love the way he has a cast of characters that drift in out of his series and take on varying levels of importance.  He also tends to focus on action and drama but has a good balance.  As I love crime and I have a degree in History, I also enjoy C J Sansom.  “Revelation” I particularly enjoyed as people still fear the end of the world now.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

Gareth: No, as I live in Nottingham and Kinmara is my own creation.  However I went to Cyprus this year and saw some amazing things that will eventually make their way into the Kinmaran Chronicles.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Gareth: For Wolves I did it all myself, even the photography.  It’s the Theatre Royal and a tram stop in Nottingham.  Luckily I’m quite IT literate and I hope creative visually, so I feel I can do it myself.

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Gareth:  Editing!  Sometimes I write in a stream of consciousness because I want to get it down and then I have to re-work it and re-work it.  I also see my books as a movie in my head, which is a blessing and a curse, especially when it comes to action sequences.  Also I find beginning the story difficult too.

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Gareth: I’ve learned to be slower and more thoughtful. I try not to go into stream of consciousness. (laughs).  Wolves is important because it helped me to be a better writer when I started my Chronicles.  I can feel that I’m getting better all the time.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Gareth: I passionately believe you should write what YOU want.   I could write in the genres that are popular at the moment and make money, but I don’t want to.    I’d rather take the path less taken and have people copying my Kinmaran Chronicles in the near future. (smiles)

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Gareth: Thank you so much for reading my books.  If you enjoyed them, please tell others either in a review or in person.  I’d love to hear from people and hear their views.  You can contact me through social media or via my Kinmaran Chronicles website.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

I remember reading “The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark” by Jill Tomlinson.  I also remember reading books from a scheme that were about four different coloured pirates.  They had dragons in, I remember that.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

Reading of course, cinema and playing computer games.  All are ways of telling stories.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

Gareth: I don’t really watch much TV, but I love New Tricks.  It’s great crime storytelling and has characters at its heart.  The Mentalist is absolutely awesome at the moment.  I’m assuming it’s the final season and the tension is mounting week–by-week.

I love Chinese/Hong Kong films.  I love the fighting, the heroism but mostly the tragedy. (laughs).  Anything with a hero is good for me, but it seems to be a dying breed these days.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

Gareth: I love Chinese food, cheese, but not chilli.  My favourite colour is purple.  I love a wide range of music.  I usually write listening to movie music (Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner) but mostly I like miserable music that sounds happy, like The Manic Street Preachers and The Cardigans.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

Gareth: A film director.  A similar role in many ways.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?

Gareth: For G Mockford I only have my Facebook and Twitter accounts.

https://www.facebook.com/MockfordThrillers

https://twitter.com/GMockfordThrill

For my work as Gareth Baker, children’s author, I have my website

http://garethhlbaker.wix.com/brackenbelly

and my blog

http://umaunlimited.blogspot.co.uk/

as well as my Facebook and Twitter accounts

https://www.facebook.com/Brackenbelly

https://twitter.com/G_Baker_Kinmara

Thanks for interviewing me.  I hope you enjoy my stories and I hope you’ll have me back another day. (smiles)

Here is my interview with Ashley Torbeck

 

Name: Ashley Torbeck

Age: 30

Where are you from:

Louisville, KY, US, Northern Hemisphere, Planet Earth

A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc

Ashley: At the moment, I’m a not-so-desperate housewife who spends her time writing, promoting my books as well as other writers, and caring for two felines and a canine. I studied for 2 semesters at the University of Louisville while pursuing a degree in Psychology. A little known fact about me – I aspired to be a therapist to the criminally insane while having my own psychiatric wing at a major hospital.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Ashley: Well, I had a contract with a publisher to re-release my Daughters of Night books along with the final book in the trilogy’s debut, but unfortunately the deal fell through so I’ve started marketing my own books again and am working on re-releasing the first by the end of January, with a completion date of the third book anticipated by the end of February. There are no less than 4 books on the back burner waiting for the DON series to be completed, and I expect most – if not all – will be released in the coming year. So you can see 2014 is going to be a huge year for us!

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Ashley: I began writing stories in high school and I felt the urge to express myself through the written word. But I didn’t pursue it seriously until late 2010 when I got a wild hair to write the story that wouldn’t leave my brain. It was like hearing voices, and I thought I was going crazy. Actually, I probably was, and someone probably should call the men with the little white coats that make you hug yourself…

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Ashley: I didn’t consider myself a real writer until I held my book in my hands. I was in a state of total shock and awe for days, living on cloud nine, blissfully aware that I had just made my dream come true.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Ashley: An annoying mental image that was very much like an earwig burrowing into my brain. In the shower one day (because apparently water is inspirational) the random image of a candy apple red Ferrari popped into my head along with the words, “He pulled up to the curb in a Ferrari. A candy apple red Ferrari.” It annoyed me until I sat down at my computer and typed the words. Then I typed some more. Before I knew it, a novel started exploding from those few little words.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Ashley: Well, I don’t know if I’d actually call it a style, but I can’t do an actual outline. Those things only serve to annoy the crap out of me when I don’t adhere to it. I do, however, outline my characters and come up with a basic synopsis for the ideas jiggling around in my brain. Then I sit down and just let the voices in my head tell me the story as I type it up. (Yes, I do realize the level of insanity I’ve reached.) When I’m writing, I love to listen to music and have a Spotify playlist to accompany my writing. My genre of choice is Young Adult Paranormal, for the most part, so I write for my audience, taking care not to use elaborate words that wouldn’t be fitting to a teen while not belittling the reader with too simplistic words. Basically, I write for the audience in which I consider myself a member.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Ashley: For the Daughters of Night series, I struggled with it as I wrote the first book, Sanctuary. I wanted something to brand the series without being blatantly obvious. I toyed with several titles for the brand before settling on what the group is actually called. The story is told from Carmen’s point of view for the most part, and although there are Sons of Night as well, the feminine aspect is the primary focus of the story throughout all three books. It’s Carmen’s story, she’s a Daughter of Night, and once I realized this, I realized there was never really any other option. Sanctuary is titled because book 1 is the journey to form Sanctuary and place Carmen in that group. Book 2 is called Possession because – well, Carmen is being possessed by a demon. The third book is called Tribulation, and is not yet released, but is called such because of the seemingly impossible trials and tribulations that Carmen and her newfound family must overcome. Tribulation is the final chapter in Carmen’s story, ending the series. For now.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Ashley: Haha, I fear the message that people would interpret from vampires and witches! Actually, if any message were to be implied, it would be the importance of a strong family and network of friends who are like a family to you. Well, that, and you should always embrace who you are. Carmen embraced and accepted her new life, and it led to her becoming a powerful force to be reckoned with in the world of Night. There’s no limit to what you can do if you just accept yourself and make it work for you.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

Ashley: The cities in the books are mostly real, such as Denver. But the story itself is pure fiction and outlines the lives of vampires. To my knowledge, vampires are not real, though I could be wrong…

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Ashley: The characters – yes. Carmen as a bumbling teenage human is pretty much me – the ground frequently reaches up and grabs me, and I have some struggle when it comes to talking to certain people. Gaviyn is my mind’s interpretation of my husband, Andy. Aliena is based on someone who I called my best friend for years, Aly, and she’s Carmen’s best friend. The experiences, though, are fiction.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Ashley: After my cousin Cindy convinced me to read Twilight against my will, I ended up finishing all the books in a weekend. I still blame her for my obsession with vampires. Once I’d finished Twilight, I wanted more vampires to read about, so I started reading everything I could find. I read the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristen Cast (and didn’t even realize I almost stole their name until I was working on the second book, but it was totally accidental!), the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Meade, and then I found that witches, fairies, and other paranormal entities were just as entertaining. My all-time favorite author will always be Stephen King. His book IT still creeps me out, and the movie makes me cringe. The very first book that really stood out to me, however, was called Invitation to the Game, by Monica Hughes. I literally read the cover off that book when I was around 12-ish. I hope to one day get my hands on another copy so I can do it again.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Ashley: Stephen King, hands down. His books captivated me at a very young age, and his incredible way of describing every minute detail is inspiring. I crave the ability to describe things and events in such a way, and would consider gnawing off my own leg for a chance to pick apart his twisted brain.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Ashley: Trick question! I don’t have a lot of time to read right now, but when I have time to pick up a book again, I have a couple of ARC copies from my fellow authors that I’d love to get read before resuming my book reviewing schedule.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Ashley: Oh absolutely! One of the best parts of being an indie author is meeting other incredible authors and even befriending them. Michala Tyann is a new author in the process of publishing a couple of books now, one of which was co-authored by Will Muir, another exciting new author. S. Cu’Anam Policar, Lee Ryder, and Sarah Fae Graham are three authors I’m close to, and their work is excellent. Nikki Godwin and her sister Emily Godwin are authors I’ve worked with that are definitely movers and shakers. Gosh, there’s just too many to name here!

Fiona: What are your current projects?

Ashley: I’m currently revising and revamping DON: Sanctuary, I’m still writing DON: Tribulation, and I have several exciting WIP’s that I’m working on simultaneously:

 

Collide – A world of Darkness and a world of Light, each ruled by angels battling for the souls of humans. Breaking all the rules, Sebastian – a Light One – and Anastasia – a Dark One – find an unlikely love. But their love causes the two worlds to collide as a war breaks out between the angels. Sebastian is faced with the choice between braving Dark World to save Anastasia, or fighting with his brothers-in-arms in the name of God. If Sebastian fails, Heaven itself could fall, and his fate would be worse than death.

 

Devil’s Playground – The road trip to Hell begins with five girlfriends and a Vegas getaway, but ends in an underground tourist attraction and mental institution. The girls will do whatever it takes to survive, but when catastrophe strikes, survival may not be an option anymore.

 

Apartment 4C – After laying her husband to rest, Winter starts a new chapter in her life in a one-bedroom apartment downtown. To her surprise, her new neighbor, Max, is just the distraction she needs. Things start looking up and a new romance is blossoming nicely, but Max has a secret that no one has ever lived to tell…

Dreamwalker – Some people dream in color, others in black and white, but Evelyn’s dreams are deadly. She’s always had dreams of death and despair, but an unexpected visit to a psychic reveals Evelyn’s real talent – she is a dreamwalker. Her ability to channel dreams from others and move about the dream world sounds good in theory, but when she starts receiving warnings and people around her start dying, her talent becomes a curse.

The Fall – When the rapture happens, three friends are left behind to face the end of times. As things start to go to Hell – literally – the rumor of a way to Heaven comes in the form of a fallen angel. If you take a leap of faith and take The Fall, putting your trust in God, you can go to Heaven. But if you don’t have faith, you fall straight down to Hell. It’s a decision that sounds easy, but would you be willing to leap off the end of the Earth on the word of a fallen angel you just met?

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Ashley: My dear friend Michala. She’s been my sounding board, my shoulder to cry on, she’s picked me up with I felt I couldn’t write anymore, and she’s just been a true friend throughout the neverending process.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Ashley: Yes and no. Right now, at this point in my life, no. I tried that route and the only thing I succeeded in doing was spending more money than my husband could make, hehe. Once I have a few more books out and a slightly larger fan base, I feel I can make writing my full-time career.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Ashley: Well, the two published DON books are getting a makeover, beginning with Sanctuary, so yes. The ones I’m working on now? It’s too early to say.

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Ashley: I read way too much when I was a little girl, and I wanted to be like them. Seriously, I started writing everything I could every chance I got, even if it made no sense. I fell in love with the written word. But what really encouraged me was the teacher’s assistant in my high school senior English class. I wrote a short story that was too long to be considered such, and she encouraged me to keep writing. Her words (although I’m sure I’m a bit off on the exact words this many years later) stuck with me, never really leaving. I blame her for my interest in writing.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Ashley: SURE! I’ll give you an exclusive excerpt that can’t be found elsewhere on the web! It’s from one of my WIPs, Devil’s Playground, and is right around 1100 words.

            “Lucy, I think it’s time we stop for a break, before one of us snaps. There should be a town coming up, or at least an exit so we can stretch our legs and maybe not snap each other’s necks.”

            “Hey, wait,” Zoey chirped. “There is something coming up, Savannah! It’s not really an active town anymore, I don’t think, but it’s called Nothing. Literally, the name of the city is Nothing. We should stop for a photo shoot!”

            “A town called Nothing?” Octavia started, clearly not impressed. “Great, this should be exciting and not at all the lamest part of the trip.”

            I turned back to Octavia.

            “You know, you’re not really helping. We’ll stop, walk around a bit, and I’ll hop in the back so you three don’t annoy Lucy so much that she kills us with her maniacal driving.”

            “Excuse me?” Lucy said, swerving as we all gasped and grabbed for something to hold on to.

            She righted the car and sped on.

            “Okay, if we’re going to stop in Nothing, we’re going to need to turn onto, um, I think…”

            “Hey, how about we just turn up where that sign says ‘Nothing.’ I bet that would lead us there, what do you think, Zoey?”

            “I think you’re being a bitch, Lucy.”

            Carla, Octavia, and I giggled at that. Lucy stuck out her tongue in the mirror, causing the rest of us to bust out laughing.

            Lucy turned onto some unnamed road and we drove a short way to what appeared to be a single structure that could barely be considered a building amidst the rubble and ruin. There was a tall sign declaring this place to be Nothing, AZ, and there was a wire fence surrounding the entire “town.” The only building still semi-standing stated that the population was once four people, written in fading black paint directly on the side of the crumbling building. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust and sand. It seems the town used to have a couple of other buildings at one point, but they were nothing but piles of rocks and hunks of concrete. You really had to use your imagination to visualize any life in this so-called town.

            “Okay,” I said as I stepped out of Lucy’s Jeep. “So, it’s not much to look at, but at least now we can say we’ve seen Nothing.”

            “Lame,” Carla said.

            “I don’t know, guys, this could be fun. Besides, look what I stole from my mom’s medicine cabinet!”

            Zoey pulled a large ziplock bag out of her backpack in the trunk. Inside were three prescription pill bottles and two smaller clear sandwich bags, one filled with mushrooms, the other filled with marijuanna.

            “Girl, now I remember why we keep you around!” exclaimed Octavia, her eyes growing wide, nearly popping out of her head.

            “I was going to save it for Vegas, but since there’s really not much else here, maybe some medicinal intervention can liven things up,” she said with a grin.

            The other girls got started rolling and munching, while I reached for the narcotics. The bickering in the car gave me one hell of a headache, so I figured a couple wouldn’t hurt.

            We all sat around updating our Facebook statuses about Nothing, AZ, then grabbed a few sodas and waters from the cooler that Zoey’s frugal parents had insisted we bring with us. At times, her hippie family could really come in handy.

            Fifteen minutes later, my headache was easing, and the other girls were soaring high as a kite. We had a crazy photo shoot, involving some risque poses and really exploiting the fact that we were in a place named Nothing, and then we piled back into the car. This time, I volunteered to ride in the middle, putting Octavia to my left, and Zoey to my right, with Lucy still driving and Carla in the passenger seat up front.

            “Lucy, hurry up,” Octavia whined. “Get the air going in this dang inferno machine!”

            “I’m going, I’m going!” she replied back.

            Lucy stuck the key in the ignition and turned it.

            Nothing.

            She tried again. And again. The engine wouldn’t turn over.

            “Lucy, what the hell is wrong with this piece of crap truck?” Carla asked.

            “Hey, don’t knock the truck!” Lucy squawked. “It was working fine the whole way here.”

            “Lucy, what’s wrong with the truck?” I asked, trying to be calm.

            “I don’t freaking know. It won’t turn over.”

            “Pop the hood, I’ll check it out. Zoey, let me out,” I said.

            We all climbed back out of the truck and walked to the front, where Lucy had released the hood latch and was raising it up. I peeked my head under the hood, looking for clues. It took a minute, but I found a huge problem.

            “Well, either your Jeep was running on magic, or we’re not alone here.”

            “Huh?” Octavia asked, furrowing her brow.

            I pointed at the gaping hole.

            “See that big open space? Yeah, there’s supposed to be a battery there.”

            The other four girls leaned in, like we were examining a rare species of freaky animal.

            “Okay, so where’s the battery?” Octavia asked.

            “That’s just it. It had to be in there when we pulled in, the car can’t run without it. But now, it’s nowhere in sight. It’s like it just disappeared.”

            “How can a battery disappear?” Carla asked, throroughly confused.

            I shrugged my shoulders, wishing I had an explanation.

            “We can just imagine the truck has magical powers, and if we combine all our energies, we can will the car to Las Vegas!”

            Lucy, Octavia, Carla, and I all turned around to see Zoey, arms spread wide, face grinning up at the orange and cloudless sky, spinning around in circles.

            “Oh, lord, someone get this child a sedative, she’s gone off the deep end. Again,” Octavia said, rolling her eyes and throwing her hand on her hip.

            I ran over to Zoey, grabbed her arm and tried to pull her to a stop.

            “Can’t you feel it, Savannah?” she asked. “Can’t you feel the magic? It’s all around us!”

            “Of course it is, but honey, let’s go sit down and meditate. You can enjoy the magic of nature without me having to worry about you getting hurt.”

            Zoey stopped, mouth hanging open, eyes wide and staring at me, her hands gripping mine. I looked back, worried that maybe something inside her burnout brain had finally snapped.

            “Savannah. You are the most amazing person. Your aura is so pretty!”

            I dropped my head. Taking care of a stoned Zoey was always a challenge, and somehow, always my responsibility.

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Ashley: Keeping the action high enough to be captivating without rushing the story or dragging too long at one point. It takes several passes before I’m happy with the flow of a story.

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Ashley: That’s still going to be Stephen King. He’s a master of horror, which is where I’d like to end up one day, his descriptive skills are out of this world, and like me, his dreams influence a lot of his writing.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

Ashley: I’ve never been on a book tour or even done a signing yet. I’m hoping to do some traveling in 2014 with my books, though.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Ashley: The covers of DON: Sanctuary and Confessions from an Unstable Mind were done using the cover creator on CreateSpace. DON: Possession was designed by a good friend and artist, Stepherbell. I’ve known her since high school, and her talent is crazy good! I gave her the description of Carmen and what I wanted her wearing, and she made it come to life. I owe her big time for that!

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Ashley: The hardest part about WRITING was finding the stopping point. The hardest part about publishing it was hitting the submit button. I swear, I think I hovered my finger over that button for an hour straight, and when I did hit it, it was a muscle twitch that made my arm move.

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Ashley: I learned a lot. I learned that I should never be allowed to be alone in a room with a bag of marshmallows while writing, because I will eat the entire bag in one sitting then feel sick for three days. I’ve learned patience from waiting for replies from publishers and agents. I’ve learned that I have a voice and it needs to be heard. I’ve learned who my real friends are. I’ve learned to believe in myself. I’ve learned that even when I don’t believe in myself, someone else does. Becoming a published author has been such a learning experience, and I learn new things every day.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Ashley: I could write a book on it, lol! The first thing I’d advise is don’t give up. But that’s obvious. Second, network with others in the indie community and with bloggers. Bloggers will help get your name out there, and other indie authors have connection you will want to make. Believe me, you want to meet people who know people. And third, you’ll never know what you CAN do until you eliminate everything you CAN’T. That might sound redundant and maybe even a little stupid, but hear me out. You’ll be faced with challenges as a writer. Lots of them. And some of them will have you screaming “I CAN’T DO IT!” You’ll prove yourself wrong. You’ll start eliminating those things that you “can’t” do, and when you do, you’ll realize all the things that you CAN do. And then you’ll see all the things that you’ve already accomplished.

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Ashley: THANK YOU!!! Seriously, without readers, a writer is just another lunatic with voices in their heads. I personally have the greatest readers in the world. I bet everyone says that, but really, I do. I have yet to run into a reader  who’s reached out to me that I don’t call a friend. That’s why the only fans I have are the ones hanging from my ceiling or plugged into the wall. Instead, I have friends, readers, and followers.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Ashley: I do!! Well, kinda. It was a Care Bears book, and my grandmother read it to me every night. Eventually I learned the words and started reading it at age 4.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?

Ashley: When I have time, I like to read, crochet, and watch movies. I’m a sucker for horror flicks!

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

Ashley: Horror movies – especially the B-rated ones that don’t involve zombie strippers – or comedy movies, and I watch Revolution, American Horror Story, Sleepy Hollow, How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement, Family Guy, South Park, American Dad, and Futurama.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

Ashley: Foods – chicken, pasta, chocolate, cheesecake. Colors – Pink n black, dark blue, dark green. Music – just about anything from the 90’s, country, rock, and Avril Lavigne.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

Ashley: Well, I still dapple in customer service, but if I were able to choose an industry/profession, I’d go back and get that college degree in psychology and at least do SOMETHING in the psychological field.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?

I have both, actually. My blog (which I use more often) is http://www.drunkenspacepenguin.blogspot.com. Yes, you read that right. Drunken Space Penguin. And to answer your question, why not? Hehe! My website is http://www.ashleytorbeck.webs.com. Admittedly, I haven’t updated that one in a while. I should get on that…

Here is my interview with Jaclyn Marulanda

 

Name :Jaclyn Marulanda

Age : 29

Where are you from : Florida

A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

I am working on book number 2 of The Harbor Love Series its called In Your Eyes and a few other surprises for next year.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing at a young age. I enjoyed English class and writing and started from there.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I did not consider myself a writer until I actually published my first book My Love At Last this year.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I love writing and wanted to share my work with other people.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I don’t think I do have a specific writing style.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I usually have the title of my books after about two chapters in and it just suddenly clicks in my mind.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Right now my books don’t have a certain message.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

None of this book is based on my real life or anyone I know.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Jasinda Wilder, Jill Shalvis and Bella Andre

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Right now I am reading Jill Shalvis Always On My Mind.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

There is one new Author in particular Sidda Lee Rain. She is a wonderful writer but also a great friend.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Yes and No. I love to write but my career goal is to be a Forensic Psychologist.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

There isn’t anything I would change about any of my book. I love the way they have turned out so far.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Book 2 of the Harbor Love Series is about one of the three Carter sisters “Paige”. She is going to be the more outspoken,  goes for the man before he makes a move type of character. This book is going to be one of my more steamier in the “sex” scenes.

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

For me the ending is my struggle. I hate for it to end but I want to make sure that the characters aren’t left hanging or the readers are left feeling something was lacking.

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

For me right now its Jasinda Wilder. She can really write some emotional things that will have you laughing one minute and crying like a baby the next. Her books come to life as you turn each page and you feel connected to each character.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

No

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Monkey Business Graphic Design

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write because you love to and feel it in your heart and write for yourself, continue to write and finish it to the very end.

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thank you so much for all of your support it means the world to me.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Where The Wild Things Are

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

Favorite TV shows right now are The Walking Dead, Swamp People and Betrayal. My favorite film is My Cousin Vinny and Footloose.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

Favorite food would have to be Sushi. Favorite color Pink and my favorite music would be country music.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

Besides writing I enjoy Forensic Psychology and am working on getting my degree to persue a career as a Forensic Psychologist.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?

I do have a website its www.jaclynmarulanda.com

You can also find me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jaclynmarulanda

Here is my interview with Wendy Jay

 

Name: 

          Wendy Jay

Age: 

          Shhh…It’s a secret!

Where are you from?

          A small town in Northern New Hampshire.

A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc

          I’m a high school grad with some college.  I have two sisters and one brother.  I’m divorced.  I still live in my hometown, but that could change at any time. 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

          I just published the first volume in my new series Files of a Sex Therapist (Subject: Garrett Connors).

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

          I have loved writing since I was a child.  I lost my job two years ago to company downsizing. 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

          I was in the beginning of 2013 in entered the literary world as a published author.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

          A couple of good friends who encouraged me to write a story that rolled around in my head for a long time.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

          Not really…I write notes as ideas come to me, then transform the notes into a story.  There are times I write off the cuff.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

          I wanted to do something different…something that would challenge my writing.  Files Series is that challenge.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

          Yes…there is so much in the world of BDSM that people do not understand.  It’s not all about the kinky sex.  So much of the lifestyle is about communication, respect and complete trust.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

          I won’t say I don’t take poetic license in some areas.  It is after all, fiction.  But, I have done research with people who live the BDSM lifestyle.  They assure me that in many areas, I am spot on.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

          My books are fiction…my complete imagination.  Like I said above, I did research with actual couple who have chosen this lifestyle.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

          Influenced my life?  To be honest, I read for entertainment.  I don’t seek influence from books, only people.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

          That’s a hard question!  I have many friends who are authors.  Their hard work and dedication are my mentors.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

          I just finished The Marked File by EJ Rycer.  Great new author and good read.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

          Sure!  EJ Rycer, Rissa Blakeley, Nikki Worrell…Three ladies who have a bright future in my opinion.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

          I am working on volume 2 in the Files Series.

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

          God, first and foremost and some wonderful friends too numerous to name individually.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

          It is a career, a friend, a lover.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

          No, it would stand as it is.

 

 

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

          I have loved reading since I was a small child.  I think writing is an extension of that love.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

          My Files Series is going to be several volumes about Dr. Olivia Russo, a certified sex therapist…Her past and how it affected her present life and relationships.  How her past determined why she chose sex therapy as a career and why she chose the BDSM lifestyle.

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

          I think like any other career, there are days it comes easier than others.  I have had bouts of writer’s block that damn near drove me crazy! (LOL)

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

          James Patterson and Dean Koontz have always been favorites.  I love how their writing draws me in to the point I stay up all night to finish a book.  There are several other paranormal writers I look forward to reading also.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

          None actually!  I do all my writing from home.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

          Gert Erasmus is my cover designer for all my books.  I may be prejudice, but he is the best!  He’s very talented and a pleasure to work with! 

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

          The synopsis for the back cover! ARGGG! 

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

          That is pays off to be open-minded.  Don’t judge what you don’t understand.  A closed mind learns nothing.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

          Just do it!  Write notes and expand on them.  Find an awesome editor (shameless plug for my editor Trish Kuper)!  Find someone you trust to give you honest criticism, not someone who is a “yes” friend (My beta reader Michelle).

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

          There are not enough words to say how much I appreciate each and every one of you!  It is such an honor when you buy my books and such a privilege to write for you.   You are the reason writers write.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

          Not even close! LOL…that’s a long time ago!  Maybe it was Pat the Bunny or Dr. Seuss!

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

          I love reading (of course)!  I also love crafty things.  Even though it isn’t a hobby, I love to meditate.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

          I am completely stuck in the past when it comes to television.  I will watch reruns of Will & Grace, Everybody Loves Raymond and Law & Order round the clock!

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

          Favorite Food…Pizza    Favorite Color…Red     Favorite Music…80s Hair Bands.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

          I worked in finance for many years.  Writing is what I have always wanted to do.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?

          I can be found on Facebook   www.facebook.com/WendyJayAuthor , LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=69946134  and Goodreads   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7103509.Wendy_Jay

***I want to take time to thank Fiona for this interview and giving me the opportunity to let people know a bit more about me.  I also want to thank the many people who work hard and help me be the author I have always wanted to be…My sister Jenny, Editor Trish Kuper, Cover Designer Gert Erasmus and my beta reader Michelle Iannarelli.  Also to the photographers and models who grace my covers.  To all my friends and Facebook cheerleaders (you know who you are), thank you from the bottom of my heart.  To Mr. D and Mrs. S…my love and sincere thanks for opening your lives and hearts to me.

Here is my interview with Y. Correa

Name: Y. Correa

Age: 38

Where are you from: Florida, USA (currently)

A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc:

I’m a single mother of 4. However, out of the 4, only 2 remain home. My two sons, Phil and Gino. Gino is the youngest and has Moderate Functioning Savant Autism. I’m very close to my parents, and spoil them rotten. I love my family.

I actually have two degrees prior to choosing to peruse my writing career. I have a degree in Administrative Assisting and another in Early Childhood Education.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

My Interracial, historical, fiction will be released with Master Koda Select Publishing sometime in February, 2014. I am also working diligently with the group and magazine that I founded called the All Authors Support Group and All Authors Magazine. It has branched out incredibly and is growing at a rapid speed. We’ve recently expanded to incorporate a Graphic Design department.

Our motto is, “Advocating all authors, reaching all readers” this is our goal and we’ll start at nothing to accomplish it.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Exactly 3 years ago. I’m a late bloomer. But in my three years I’ve accomplished SO many things that I had never believed possible.

I’ve always been an avid reader, and one day I simply said to myself, “If they can do it, why can’t I?” and that was it. I took off like wildfire.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I completed my first manuscript. But, I didn’t consider myself an “author” until that manuscript had been turned into a tangible book. I screamed, I cried, I laughed, my mind was blown in the best way possible. I, Jazz, a nobody from nowhere, was now “Y. Correa” an actual author. I was elated.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

My family did and my love for all this supernatural and paranormal. For those people who’ve ever read my first novel “In Love with Death” they are taking a peak into my family and my imagination. They have always been and will always be my inspiration.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I don’t really know if I have a “writing style” per say. I do think that I have an alter ego, and that alter ego is Y. Correa, she’s a crafty writer fully of analogies, who tries her best to place the reader right in the center of the action. She wants the reader to smell every scent, taste every bite, see every nook and cranny.

On an everyday day basis I’m just Jazz, but when I’m writing I’m “Y. Correa”, Author.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

All of my titles are inspired directly by the plot of the stories.

“In Love with Death” couldn’t be any clearer. The Angle of Death falls in love.

“La Encantadora” is Portuguese for “The Enchantress.” A demon species that lives in the center of the Rainforest.

“All Authors Magazine”, this title is clear. I wanted to create a central place where all authors could showcase their work.

And so on…

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes. Love has no color.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

In “In Love with Death” a great portion of the book was real. As the matter of fact, the heroines life, is actually mine. I gave her my memories.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

For “MarcoAntonio and Amaryllis” I based the experiences on what little I knew about the history of interracial relationships. I knew, upon lots of research, that interracial relationships were highly frowned upon unless it was a arranges marriage for royalty, in which case it was utlized to unite kingdoms. Other than that any interracial relationship was taboo. On that premise, I wrote “MarcoAntonio and Amaryllis”.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

There are just too many to list. Do you have all day? Lol.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I would have to say that every book I’ve ever read has mentored me in some way. So every author I’ve ever read to one degree or another mentored me and influenced me in some way.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

She Will Become, by Andrea Houtch

Chronicles of Irindia 2, by D. John Watson

Night Dreams 2, by A. Lopes Jr

and, The Lost King by Deborah Fox… Yes. All of them at the same time. Lol

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Beem Weeks and Queen of Spades are definitely two authors you’re gonna want to look into.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

Hmmm. I lost count. Lol. Let me list them.

The All Authors Magazine (which is a continuing project)

“Genesis Ellipses…”© which is a Sci-Fi fantasy. It’s the bible meets time travel.

A hand full of short stories, one I’ve named “A.L.O.M”

“Finding Death” which is the 3^rd part of the Fate Books Collection.

And a few more.

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

I think that God has given me the strength to carry on, no matter how hard things have gotten for me. He’s given me all the support I’ve needed.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

It already is my career. I made the choice 3 years ago and I’m never going to look back.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Not at all. I love all my books just as they are. I highly believe that authors write the books they want to read, and that’s exactly what I’ve done with my books. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Yes. When I was a child. However I never executed it. It took many years for me to make that choice and when I did, it changed my life entirely.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

MarcoAntonio and Amaryllis is my most current project to be released. This story is very much like a star-crossed love affair, in the likes of Romeo and Juliet and Tristen and Isolde, but it’s so much more than that. You’re going to have a dashing a debonair side kick, a loud mouthed, miniature sized, hero the likes of which you wouldn’t expect. You’re going to have a goddess fixed on world domination, a coven of witches that bow to her every whim. A father you’re going to love to hate and a love the likes of which you’ve never seen. Many whom have beta read MarcoAntonio and Amaryllis have said that the impact that it’s left once you’re finished reading it linger with you for days.

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Well, I have dyslexia, so it’s a constant challenge. Sometimes with spelling, sometimes with punctuation. But it’s a challenged that I’m always up for.

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I love Nora Roberts. I can’t really put my finger on what it is about her writing that always capture me, but her writing is like candy to me.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

Nope. I wish I could though.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I did most of them. However for MarcoAntonio and Amaryllis my publisher will be making the cover.

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Editing. Ugh, the editing.

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Yes. Tenacity and persistence.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Never give up, never surrender. Make it your mission to share your art, once you’ve gotten that through your head the rest is easy. Just reach for your goal and don’t give up until you’ve gotten there.

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Yes. Thank you!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I wouldn’t be me, if it weren’t for you.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Suess.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?

Yes. Cooking. I love to cook, and I do it very well. I also love to read and I’m a big movie buff. I also have an affinity for all things geeky.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

Criminal Minds, Cold Case, CSI (all three), Ancient Aliens, Almost anything on the History channel and Maury.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music.

Fried chicken and chocolate. Pink and blue. Tropical and soft and alternative rock, although I enjoy all kinds of music those are my top favorites.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

I was a teacher for a long time. I may have never left that field. I love kids.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?

Yes. Indeed I do.

Http://spiasg.weebly.com

http://ycorrefb.blogspot.com

Here is my interview with April Wood

Name:  April or Deveena Wood

Age: 38

Where are you from: The frozen North AKA Maine

A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc: US Army disabled veteran with three step kids, a loving husband, three dogs and one cat.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

I have 8 books coming out next year. 5 are being published under April by Parker Publishing and 3 are from Horny Devil Publishing in my pen name Deveena.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

 I started writing when I was 12. It was just poetry at first, but a few years ago my life took a tragic turn. I decided then I was going to complete a book and see what happened.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I signed my 5^th contract.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

 I wanted a fantasy fiction book out there with very strong female characters. I hadn’t read one yet, so I went for it.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Not really. I change it up with every book.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Either I start with the title or it comes to me while I am writing.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

It’s pretty much the same in all of them. I want women to know they aren’t the victim unless they choose it. Life may throw some horrible crap at you, but if you take it and get up you will come out the victor.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

Most of mine are paranormal romance. So there is some bit of reality, but not a lot.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

In every book there is a little of me and my husband. He is usually the inspiration for my male characters.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

The Mists of Avalon and Watership Down really moved me and told me I could be a writer.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

 I can’t pick one. Erica Stevens is a good friend and mentor. J.M. Jeffries also.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

 I am working my way through JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood Series.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

 I love Mel Feveraux. Her book Walker’s Run is wonderful. I also like Elizabeth C St. John. Her first book Hellbound is being retooled by a publisher right now..but it’s a great story.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

I have too many to mention. Right now I am really working on a lot of erotica.

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

 God.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

 Certainly

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

No

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

 A very awesome Creative Writing teacher in high school.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

This is from Blood Cast:

I leaned my throat up and pushed it harder against the steel.  There was no way I would go down without a fight, even now. The odds were against me, but my pride wouldn’t let me give in. The warm blood started to trickle down my collar and soak my white t-shirt. It didn’t matter. I knew this would be over soon.

“Take my life, if you dare!” I snarled at him.

“I don’t want to do this, Seraphine.”

“But you are going to just the same.” The confusion in my attacker’s eyes was just the moment I needed. Quicker than I have ever moved before, I grabbed the blade with my bare hands. It cut me deep, but didn’t slow my attack. I stood, spun, and drove the tip of the blade into his heart. He can’t scream or even react. He simply falls to the ground dead.

 

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Slowing down and making sure I get all the detail in.

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

J.M. Jeffries. It’s two women writing as one and you can’t tell.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

 I don’t but I have traveled a lot and draw on that when I write.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

The publisher                                                                   

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Waiting to see it published.

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

 I can do whatever I set my mind too.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

If writing is what you love then do it. Don’t listen to nay sayers. Just put your nose down and keep on writing.

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

 I hope you love my books as much as I do.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

It was a Golden Book but I don’t remember the title.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?

Too many to list. I like to keep busy.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

Right now I am sucked into Sleepy Hollow and I love the Hunger Games movies.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

My favorite food used to be fried chicken, but now I’m gluten intolerant. So now I love Mexican foods. My favorite color is purple and I love all music as long as I can sing it.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

 I’m a licensed cosmetologist so I would be doing hair.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?

http://www.deveenawood.webs.com

deveenawoodauthor.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/authoraprilwood

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorDeveenaWood