Here is my interview with Cassandra Jones

Name: Cassandra Jones
Age: 36

Where are you from: Clarksburg, West Virginia

A little about yourself: I put my education on hold to help take care of my grandparents. I am currently taking my GED classes and planning to go to college. I currently live with my sister. And I am a member of the local book discussion group. When I’m not writing, I enjoy reading and drawing.

 

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

I just recently submitted tow poems to an anthology to raise awareness against bullying.

 

 
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing when I was 13. I had always enjoyed reading and I wanted to create my own stories.

 

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I have considered myself a writer since my first short story at the age of thirteen. I had never written poetry until 2003.

 

 

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

My best friend passed away suddenly in 2012 and she wanted me to get something published. So I did it for her.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I think every writer has their own unique writing style.

 

 
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I made a list of different titles and then picked the one I liked the best.It’s still a working title that may be changed.

 

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

You can never give up on those you love.

 

 
Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

The female protagonist is named after and based on my best friend.

 

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

Not that I’m aware of.

 

 
Fiona: What books have most influenced your life?

That’s a hard one. There are so many great books out there. I would have to say the one that influences me the most would be A Child Called “IT” by Dave Pelzer.

 

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

Stephen King. I just love his work.

 

 
Fiona: What book are you reading now?

The Monster Within by Kelly Hashway

 

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

Kelly Hashway, Angi Morgan, Lynn Rush, Tawny Weber, and Elizabeth Heiter

 

 
Fiona: What are your current projects?

I am currently editing my first novel, writing a second novel, working on a couple short stories,and putting together a book of poetry.

 

 
Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside your family?

My best friend Tammy.

 

 

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I hope I can make a career out of it.

 

 
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?

I tried to try journalism as an elective in high school and got hooked on writing.

 

 
Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
The loud crash made her jerk awake. What could it have been? Getting out of bed, she took a deep breath. Could someone be in the house?
Going across the hall Tammy Perdue opened her daughter’s bedroom door. Four-year-old Amanda was sound asleep. How could she sleep through that noise?
Another crash from the kitchen. Someone was inside. Tammy picked her daughter up. They had to get out of here. They had to get help.
They were trapped. Whoever was in the kitchen would see them if they tried to leave. She needed to get to her phone. Which meant going back to her room.
She slowly opened the door, looking down the hall. It was clear. Holding Amanda against her, she hurried back across the hall.
A third crash, this one from the living room. Were they looking for something? Or someone? She had to do something.
Frowning, Tammy looked around. They needed a place to hide. Grabbing her cell phone, she went over to the closet. Laying her daughter against the wall, she closed the door.
Dialing the sheriff’s office, she swallowed hard. Why weren’t they answering? After the fifth ring, she hung up. She had to keep trying.
Listening, she leaned against the wall. They were getting closer. Dialing the phone again, she bit her lip.
“Come on, answer” Still nothing. They couldn’t stay in this closet forever. She had to get her little girl someplace safe. Opening the door, she took a deep breath. The room was empty. She needed to lock the door.
Then they could go out the window. It was their only option.
Tammy walked slowly to the door. They could be outside the door, waiting. Or were they in Amanda’s room? Reaching for the lock, she froze. Someone was turning the knob.
She took a step back as the door opened. Running to the closet, she shut the door. She had to keep her baby safe. Holding onto the door knob with one hand, she tried to grab her phone.
“Mommy.”
“It’s okay, sweetie.” Tammy smiled at her daughter.” Get mommy’s phone.”
She watched her grab the phone. The little girl handed it to her.
“Thank you, baby.” She dialed the sheriff again. “Stay back there, okay?” “Okay mommy.” She sat against the wall.
“Hello.”
Finally, taking a deep breath, she told them what was going on. Help was on the way. Closing the phone, she sighed. It would be okay now.
Tammy looked at her daughter as the door was jerked open. Someone grabbed her hair.
“No, let go.” She tried to get away. They pulled her from the closet, throwing her on the bed. What were they planning to do? She heard her baby crying. She had to get away from this maniac.
He grabbed her hair again. She twisted her body trying to escape. She had to fight. He punched her in the stomach, causing her to stop. She looked at him in time to see his hand come down across her face.
She heard the sirens getting closer. He looked at her before taking off out the window. She went to the closet, grabbing her daughter.
“It’s okay, baby.” Tammy kissed her forehead. “He’s gone.”

 

 

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

Finding the time to actually do the writing.

 

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

Karen Young. She is an amazing storyteller. Her novels catch you from the first line.

 

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

Not yet, but we’ll see what happens after the book is published.

 

 
Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I haven’t had one designed yet.

 

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

Making my female protagonist someone who resembled my best friend.

 

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

I learned that it’s okay to let others read the unfinished product. It took me years to let anyone actually read anything I’d written.I also learned to take constructive criticism.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Never give up on your dreams. If you want something you have to go for it and not give up.And of course WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!!!!

 

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

I hope the readers can get as much joy from reading the book as I got from writing it. Happy reading to anyone who reads anything I write!

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Oh wow! Honestly, that’s been so long ago. I’ve been reading since first grade.But I think Charlotte’s Web was the one that got me hooked.

 

 
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?
Is reading a hobby? I’m an avid reader. I also draw and make pillows and bags by hand. Oh, and I love baking!!

 

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

I am a huge fan of anime, especially Dragon Ball Z. My favorite tv shows are Supernatural, Bones, Criminal Minds, NCIS, and Ghost Hunters. I love the Underworld and Resident Evil films.

 

 
Fiona: Favorite foods/color/music?

My favorite foods are pizza, fried potatoes,and turkey burgers. I love blue and black. I listen to various genres of music. my favorite artist is Martina McBride, and my favorite band is Linkin Park.

 

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

I would like to be a professional singer, however, my shyness shot that one down.

 

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

Yes, i have a blog called Cassandra’s Writing World http://www.cassandra-mywritingworld.blogspot.com
And a Facebook writing page with the same name. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=651484511599166
Thanks for wanting to interview me!
❤
Cassandra

 

Here is my interview with Sue-Ellen Welfonder

 

 

Name: Sue-Ellen Welfonder
Age: Early 50s. I’m a child of the 1960’s. Every decade is an adventure and I see myself blessed to have experienced each one so far.
Where are you from: Florida, but I’ve also lived in Texas. Most of my adult life was spent in Germany, so I feel most at home there. I’m currently in Florida (because of business), but will be returning to Germany. (Munich)
A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc: After college, I continued to study languages and achieved my dream, becoming an airline stewardess. I worked for the airlines for 23 years, flying international as (German) foreign language speaker on 747s. Through my airline career, I met and married my German husband, which is why I lived in Munich for so many years. I’ve been writing romantic fiction (Scottish medievals) since the release of my first book, Devil in a Kilt, in 2001. I also write Scottish time travel and ghost romances under my pen name, Allie Mackay.

 

 
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Sue-Ellen: I’m delighted to have joined six writer friends to form a Scottish historical author group, Guardians of Cridhe. Our first collaboration releases in Nov. 2014 and is Highland Winds, Scrolls of Cridhe Vol. I, a collection of original Scottish historical novellas. I’m also working on more Scandalous Scots novels, a 4.5 Scottish medieval romance series that launched in Dec. 2013 with the e-novella, Once Upon A Highland Christmas, and continued with To Love A Highlander, April 2014. And I’m re-releasing older Allie Mackay titles, as well as writing new books under that name.

 

 

 

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Sue-Ellen: I never wanted to be a writer and just fell into it in the late 90s when an author friend, the late Becky Lee Weyrich, encouraged me. My dream was always to be an airline stewardess and travel the world, which I did for many years. During that time, I’d send Becky letters about my adventures in far-flung corners of the globe. She said that reading them made her feel as if she was there with me.’ That’s why she urged me to write. She became my mentor, and my first book sold, probably surprising me more than anyone.

 

 

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Sue-Ellen: At a Romance Writers of America conference in Washington shortly after selling, when I shared a taxi with super-star authors, Susan Wiggs and Joan Wolf. We were going to a posh restaurant for dinner with our editor and I felt like Cinderella on her way to the ball. I’d always admired Wiggs and Wolf, and the taxi ride across glittering, night-time DC felt surreal. I sat between those two great ladies in the backseat, totally awestruck. It was an incredible evening.

 

 

 

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Sue-Ellen: I was walking around Eilean Donan on a chilly, mist-hung afternoon, and the story that became Devil in a Kilt popped into my mind. I wrote the story when I returned home, and it sold within two weeks of landing on my editor’s desk.

 

 

 

Devil in a Kilt did well, earning a 4 ½ Star Review, a Top Pick Award, and a K.I.S.S Hero Award, from Romantic Times Magazine. The book also won RT’s Best First Historical Romance Award that year. Devil in a Kilt went on to be translated into many languages and is still in print, remaining a reader favorite to this day.

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Sue-Ellen: My style is influenced by my appreciation of a strong sense of place. I hope my love of Scotland also comes through. I’d say the same of my Allie Mackay voice, adding that those titles have more humor, being lighthearted reads.

 

 

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Sue-Ellen: I didn’t. Almost all of my titles have been determined by my publisher’s marketing department. I’m required to give them a list of possible titles, but they generally use their own, rarely using a suggestion from my list.

Example, my working title for Devil in a Kilt was ‘Enchanted,’ because of how the story ‘flashed across my mind’ at Eilean Donan. The afternoon felt ‘enchanted,’ hence the title.

New York publishing looks at genres and decides what they believe best sells the books. In my genre that means titles with words like kilt, Highlander/Highlands, Laird, Chieftain, Devil, etc. Also ‘hot’ covers with half-naked kilted heroes, even though they are not historically accurate. What matters to NY is that the image resonates with the largest segment of readers who love the genre. Bare-chested kilties with big swords and ‘sexy’ titles sell the books.

Indie publishing gives writers the power to choose their own titles. I love that.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: My only wish when writing is to transport readers into the story world. Readers who enjoy my work love Scotland. My goal is to make them feel as if they are there. If I can do that, I’m happy.

 

 

 

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

Sue-Ellen: The settings certainly are. I’ve been visiting Scotland all my life, and I always use Scottish locations that I know and love. I like to return there in my heart and mind as I write. I also try to treat the time period, characters, mores and beliefs, etc, with respect and as much accuracy as possible. Medieval history is a lifelong passion, so I have a good working knowledge of the period. I loved the period (especially regarding Scotland) before writing and will still be studying and loving it long after I stop writing.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: Yes. Story comes from the writer’s life experiences and her psyche. Some will disagree, but that is true of my work. My characters have my likes and dislikes, my opinions and attitudes, my world views. Anyone who knows me, will see me behind the ink on the page.
My Allie Mackay books, especially, are largely based on my travels in Scotland. My great love of animals is also reflected in every book I write, and my fascination with the paranormal. Example, I spent years traveling around the UK, ghost-hunting with two like-minded friends. Those adventures, too, find their way into my Allie Mackay books.

 

 

 

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Sue-Ellen: The gothics of Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, Daphne du Maurier, also Anya Seton. These classics gave me my great love of atmosphere.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: Becky Lee Weyrich. I loved her books and sent her a fan letter. We became friends and she then encouraged me to write. She mentored me, and many other young writers. She was a wonderful lady and an incredible writer. Her titles are now being re-released in digital and I’m enjoying them anew.

 

 

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Sue-Ellen: I’m a huge fan of Anne Stuart and am currently re-reading all her books. Bliss! Just now I’m reading Nightfall, one of my Anne Stuart favorites. It’s amazing, as they all are.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: Wow, so many have hit the scene since the ebook revolution. They bring great energy and fresh, new voices, which is wonderful for readers. Lots of these new writers are friends, so I hesitate to note names and forget someone. So I am pulling diplomacy and will name five of authors in my new author group, Guardians of Cridhe. These ladies are super-talented, and, compared to dinosaur-writer me, they’re new: Lily Baldwin, Ceci Giltenan, Kate Robbins, Tarah Scott, and Suzan Tisdale.

 

 

 

I didn’t mention our sixth member, Kathryn Lynn Davis, because she’s been writing longer than I have, so she isn’t new. Her books are New York Times bestsellers and are classics in our genre.

 

 

 

Fiona: What are your current projects?

Sue-Ellen: NY-wise, more Scandalous Scots titles. Indie-wise, my novella for Highland Winds, Scrolls of Cridhe Vol. I. Also a new Allie Mackay trilogy, plus I’m re-vamping and re-releasing older Allie Mackay titles.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: Romance Writers of America. The organization is a wonderful starting point for writers interested in romantic fiction. It’s also a great place to make friends. Such relationships are tremendously important. No one gets a writer more than her writing pals.

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Sue-Ellen: Yes. Writing is my full-time occupation and my only income.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: No. I love the story as it stands.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: I never wanted to be a writer. I just slid into it, urged by a friend, my own favorite author, Becky Lee Weyrich.

Like all writers, I was first a voracious reader. My mother read to me from birth, I could read and write before kindergarten, and have always loved reading. So a passion for books was always there.

I did won a writing competition in second grade. And I kept meticulous travel journals throughout my airline career. So I was always writing something. I just had no interest in being an author (of books), until Becky prodded me.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: I’m too superstitious to talk about stories before they release. I can tell you that Roag is the hero of my next Scandalous Scots title, To Desire A Highlander. (Roag is a secondary character in To Love A Highlander). My Highland Winds novella is set in the world of my Mackenzie series, which should please long-time readers.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: Every day is a challenge: sitting down to face a blinking cursor and a screen to fill with words. Bringing the characters to life and making their world real is something I never take for granted, and it still feels like magic to me, even after all these years.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: Becky Lee Weyich, my dear friend and mentor. She crafted wonderful atmosphere, wrote stories about time travel, reincarnation, and ghosts, and her characters are so endearing, with much of her marvelous wit. I’d dare anyone to read her books and not smile and chuckle through them, believing that her story people are as real as you. She was an amazing writer.

Also Anya Seton. I loved all her books, but two stand out: Katherine, and Green Darkness. Katherine is my top favorite medieval romance, mainly because Seton paints such a vivid story world and also truly brought the star-crossed lovers to life. I loved Green Darkness for the atmosphere, and also because the book handles reincarnation and ghosts, topics that fascinate me, and reflect my own beliefs.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: For inspiration and research, yes. I’ve been visiting Scotland all my life and that helps me write books there. I need to know the land to write it. I only use settings that have inspired me, moving me to the soul. So travel is essential.

Stateside, I enjoy conferences and get-togethers with author friends. In April, two of my Guardian pals (Ceci Giltenan and Kate Robbins) and I met for dinner at a beachside pub on a tropical island. We had a great night and used Facebook to include our readers in the fun, with games, giveaways, and live pictures, as our night unfolded.

I also love meeting readers. Once, a Scottish reader drove from Edinburgh to near Inverness to spend a day with me. That was wonderful. More recently, I joined a Florida reader at an Irish pub to see a solo performance by Celtic Thunder’s George Donaldson. That was in December, so close to his untimely passing. We were so blessed to have such a wonderful evening with him.

 

 

 

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Sue-Ellen: My NY-published titles are designed by my publisher’s art department and I have no say in those covers. I do send in an info sheet with hero/heroine descriptions. But there my influence ends.

Kimberly Killion of Hot Damn Designs did the cover for my first re-released Allie Mackay time travel romance, Highlander in Her Dreams. I am not sure who will be doing the covers for Highland Winds, Scrolls of Cridhe, Vol. I.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: Always, the business, never the creative writing, which I love. The business can be brutal and it is easy to lose heart. When that happens, it can be difficult to focus. Sometimes I need to block out the world and just write, and that isn’t always easy. So that’s the hardest part of each book, really.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: Two things. Mainly that it is really true: the closer I get to a deadline, the more my world goes nuts. In quick time, my life becomes a three-ring circus, a Greek tragedy, and a never-ending parade of demands and interruptions. All rolled into one big disaster.

The second thing I learned during the writing of To Love A Highlander was that clever street performers were visiting European cities, appearing to sit on floating magic carpets. I read about them in a German newspaper and was intrigued, so I used a medieval version of their trick in the story.

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Sue-Ellen: Write what you love. Only then will the words come to life. Hot trends (currently kinky billionaire stories and New Adult ‘broken’ hero/heroine tales) are great if they excite you. If not, leave them alone. Let the writers who are into twisted rich men and broken teenies, write those stories. Yours will sound hollow if your heart isn’t in the writing. Passion is the lifeblood of any story. If you feel it, so will the reader.

Above all, keep at it. Focus on the characters and the story and ignore all the doubt. Write often, preferably daily, and just keep putting one word after the other until you reach the end.

I always tell this to young writers: We’ll never know how many beautiful books we’ll never read because someone somewhere gave up too soon.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: Just a tremendous thank you. Writing and reading is a shared magic. The author puts the words on the page and the reader absorbs them, the joint process bringing the story to life. One won’t work without the other. So I’d like my readers to know how much I love and appreciate them. They make the journey with me and I am so glad they’re there.

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Sue-Ellen: Sadly, no. It could have been The Velveteen Rabbit, the heart-wrenching classic by Margery Williams. That was my favorite childhood story, but my mother read it to me. The first book I ever read myself was probably a Dr. Zeuss story.

 

 

 

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?

Sue-Ellen: Before writing, I enjoyed watercolors. I carried my supplies with me on my travels and enjoyed capturing landscapes. I also love to cook and bake and to garden. Regrettably, writing leaves so little time for any of that. I cycle and walk the beach daily, but those activities are aimed at staying fit and because I love being out in nature. Not really hobbies.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: The Vikings. I am so hooked on that series!!! Go into withdrawal when the season ends. Hail Ragnar! Go Rollo!

 

 

 

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

Sue-Ellen: I’m a potato zealot and could live on tatties in any variation. Stovies is my idea of heaven. I also love haggis. Favorite sweet is butter pecan ice cream.

Blue is my favorite color. I see Scotland as a tapestry of so many shades of blue.

Classical music is my favorite. Especially Mendelssohn’s ‘The Hebrides’ aka ‘Fingal’s Cave.’ Also love Celtic/Scottish music, and New Age music. Favorite pipe tune is Flower of Scotland, followed by Highland Cathedral. Dougie MacLean’s Caledonia always makes me cry.

 

 

 

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

Sue-Ellen: I was blessed to enjoy my dream career for 23 years: airline stewardess. Other than that, I’d love to work actively in animal rescue. I did so years ago, before deadlines, and really miss the work. These days I’m even more extreme about animal rights and would love to be involved saving seals and whales, freeing laboratory animals, puppy mill dogs, helping stray and feral cats, etc. I’d love to be a really fierce and aggressive crusader for needy and mistreated creatures. As is, I do what I can through making people aware and with donations.

In 2009, was honored to donate a story to Lori Foster’s charity anthology, Tales of Love, which benefited a no-kill animal shelter. And I’m donating a portion of the royalties from To Love A Highlander to my favourite stray and feral cat rescue organization, Alley Cat Allies. (there is a feral kitten in the story ~ he is found and adopted by the heroine.)

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?
SEW’s Social Media:

Website: http://sue-ellenwelfonder.com/welcome/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SueEllenWelfonderAuthor
Sue-Ellen Welfonder: Book News Only Blog:
http://sueellenwelfonderauthor1.wordpress.com/
+
Allie Mackay site: http://alliemackay.wordpress.com/

Mailing List: Sign-Up Here

Sue-Ellen: Thank you so much for having me here today. You asked really good questions. Just wish I could have answered them in person rather than from here, the ‘wrong’ side of the Big Pond !

 

 

 

 

Official bio:

Sue-Ellen Welfonder is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes Scottish medieval romances for Grand Central Publishing. As time allows, she also writes as Allie Mackay, penning contemporary paranormals, mostly set in the Scottish Highlands.

Her twenty-year airline career allowed her to see the world, but it was always to Scotland that she returned. She spent fifteen years living in Europe, using that time to explore as many castle ruins, medieval abbeys, and stone circles, as possible. Anything ancient, crumbling, or lichened caught her eye. She still visits Scotland when she can as such trips give her inspiration for new books.

Proud of her own Hebridean ancestry, she belongs to two clan societies and never misses a chance to attend Highland Games. In addition to Scotland, her greatest passions are medieval history, the paranormal, nature, and animals. She enjoys long walks and bicycling, loves haggis, and writes at a 450-year-old desk that once stood in a Bavarian castle.
***
Unofficial Bio:

I’m proudly old-fashioned, listen to classical and New Age music as I write, I live, breath, and dream medieval Scotland, and enjoy living quietly. Shabby chic suits me better than glitz and glam. Hate shopping except bookstores and thrift shops. I believe in Highland magic and love whimsy. I’m also convinced some people are born out of time and place, and am sure I’m one of them.

If I wasn’t writing, I’d be out in the field fighting for animal rights, rescuing stray cats and dogs, saving whales and seals, hugging trees, and going ghost-hunting, always searching for a time portal to sweep me out of this world and back to medieval Scotland.
~*~*~

TO LOVE A HIGHLANDER

Book 1 of a 5-book series, Scandalous Scots, published by Grand Central Publishing.
(Series launched in Dec. 2013 with an e-novella, ONCE UPON A HIGHLAND CHRISTMAS)
4 1/2 Stars TOP PICK from RT!
A TEMPTING PROPOSITION

As one of the bastards born to the Stirling court, Sorley the Hawk has never known his mother or father. It’s a burning quest he has devoted himself to uncovering at any cost. But as a roguish warrior who serves at the pleasure of the King, his prowess-both on the battlefield and in his bedchamber-is legendary. So when a flame-haired Highland lass sneaks into his quarters with a tantalizing proposition, he can’t resist taking her up on her offer . . .

AN UNQUENCHABLE DESIRE

Lady Mirabelle MacLaren will do anything to keep from marrying her odious suitor, even sully her own good name. And who better to despoil her than his sworn enemy, the one they call “Hawk?” As they set about the enjoyable task of ruining her reputation, Hawk and Mirabelle soon learn that rebellion never tasted so sweet.

~*~*~

Excerpt from To Love A Highlander

Set-Up: Sorley and Mirabelle have met up in the castle chapel to discuss the finer points of the proposition she’s made him…
Mirabelle swallowed, unable to help herself. “You are a charmer.”
A slow smile curved Sorley’s lips. A darkly seductive smile, as unsettling as how he’d let his gaze slide oh-so-suggestively up and down her body. Yet his boldness made her pulse leap. It also warmed her in indecent places. She touched a hand to her breast, feeling both hot and dizzy despite the chill dampness of the chapel.
He stepped closer, giving her the distinct impression he’d pounce if she so much as blinked. “I am fond of women, aye.”
“So I have heard.” She kept her head raised, resisted the urge to wipe her palms against her cloak.
“Are you nervous?”
“I am relieved.” She spoke true, just not admitting she was indeed jittery. Her emotions were running higher than ever before.
She was also sharply aware of every ruggedly alluring inch of him. Including the oh-so-virile bulge she could see through the edges of his cloak. The glow of a wall sconce slanted right there, proving that he wasn’t just a tall, strapping man, powerfully-built and good-looking.
He was also just as well-lusted as the court ladies claimed.
Sorley the Hawk wanted her.
And he was already prepared to do exactly what she’d asked of him.

~*~*~
Mini-Excerpt (hot):

Set-Up ~ Sorley speaking to Mirabelle, shortly before their first love scene…

“If I cross this threshold, there’ll be no going back. No restraint.’ He gave her a final chance. ‘I will ravish you in there, as I have e’er dreamt of doing. Thoroughly, completely, and until we are both so replete, so sated, that we cannae move. Then we shall begin again.”

~*~*~

Of Note:

TO LOVE A HIGHLANDER has a kitten character named Little Heart. The book is dedicated to the real Little Heart, a stray kitten who was brutalized and died of his injuries several days later. He was named Little Heart for the heart stitched into his body bandaging. His story upset me so much that I decided to write him into this book, giving him the happy ending he should have received in real life.

A portion of the royalties will be donated to my favorite cat rescue organization, Alley Cat Allies.

~*~*~

Career Awards, etc..

DEVIL IN A KILT debuted with a 4 ½ Star Top Pick RT Review and also earned RT’s “Best First Historical Romance” Award.

Many of my other titles have received RT Top Picks and RT Award Nominations. I’ve also made the USA Today Bestseller List, and the Waldens Bestseller List (when it still existed).

All of my books (except DEVIL IN A KILT) have sold to major Book Clubs (Doubleday, Rhapsody, etc..)

All of my books have been translated into many languages.

Quite a few titles are also available as audio books.

~*~*~

My Writing:

I am now a ‘hybrid author,’ still contracted by NY (GCP), but very excited to be indie publishing my oop titles and writing new Allie Mackay series to put out on my own. So far, I have re-vamped and re-released my Allie Mackay Scottish time travel, HIGHLANDER IN HER DREAMS, and also have two e-novellas and boxed set indie-pubbed: FALLING IN TIME (Scottish time travel novella) and THE SEVENTH SISTER, a magical tale set in Ireland. I see the future in digital/indie publishing and am thrilled by the opportunities it offers to authors.

~*~*~

Guardians of the Cridhe
Scottish Romance Author Group

I am thrilled to be part of Guardians of the Cridhe, a 7-member author group. We all write Scottish romance and have great things planned for Scotland-loving readers. As our first project, we’re collaborating on Highland Winds, Scrolls of the Cridhe, Vol. I, a Scottish romance bundle. The stories are all new, fresh, and original work (Scottish historicals) and will release in Nov. This bundle is just the beginning. Other projects are in the pipeline.

Members are (in alphabetical order): Lily Baldwin, Kathryn Lynn Davis, Ceci Giltenan, Kate Robbins, Tarah Scott, Suzan Tisdale, and Sue-Ellen Welfonder.
SEW’s Social Media:

Website: http://sue-ellenwelfonder.com/welcome/

Allie Mackay site: http://alliemackay.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SueEllenWelfonderAuthor

Mailing List: Sign-Up Here

Book News Only Blog: http://sueellenwelfonderauthor1.wordpress.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SE_Welfonder

Amazon Author Page (Welfonder): amazon.com/author/sueellenwelfonder
Amazon Author Page (Allie Mackay): amazon.com/author/alliemackay

Blog: Tartan Ink: All Things Celtic, Highland Magic, Kilties, & Other Neat Things
http://tartaninkblog.wordpress.com/

 

**Please note, my main website http://www.welfonder.com is currently stagnant and will be redesigned later this year. For now, up-to-date info and book news can be found at my book-news only site: http://tartaninkafterhours.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

SEW’s Social Media:

Website: http://sue-ellenwelfonder.com/welcome/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SueEllenWelfonderAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SE_Welfonder
Sue-Ellen Welfonder: Book News Only Blog:
http://sueellenwelfonderauthor1.wordpress.com/
Allie Mackay site: http://alliemackay.wordpress.com/

Mailing List: Sign-Up Here
Amazon Author Page (Welfonder): amazon.com/author/sueellenwelfonder
Amazon Author Page (Allie Mackay): amazon.com/author/alliemackay

Blog: Tartan Ink: All Things Celtic, Highland Magic, Kilties, & Other Neat Things
http://sueellenwelfonderauthor.wordpress.com/
**Please note, my main website http://www.welfonder.com is currently stagnant and will be redesigned later this year. For now, up-to-date info and book news can be found at my book-news only site: http://sueellenwelfonderauthor1.wordpress.com/

Or my ‘emergency website’: http://sue-ellenwelfonder.com/welcome/

 
Last bits:

I am married (for nearly all my adult life) and live with my German husband in southwest Florida. Our home is shared by a wee (sadly aging) Jack Russell terrier male named Em. All things revolve around him.

Little known ‘quirk’ – German is the language spoken in home, not English. That’s because my German is better than my husband’s English. I’ve been speaking German as my main language so long now that I have a slight German accent and even think and dream in German.

 

Here is my interview with Pete Kahle

 
Name – Pete Kahle
Age – 44
Where are you from? – I grew up in a small town an hour or so north of New York City called Washingtonville. Even though it was reasonably close to the Big Apple, it seemed quite rural with horse farms and county fairs, Little League Baseball and Boy Scouts.
A little about yourself, i.e. your education, Family life, etc… After flirting with a degree in Creative Writing, I received my BA in Theater from SUNY Binghamton in 1992 and proceeded to do nothing in that field.
I was aimless.
The next nine years were spent drifting from job to job: bartender, bouncer, pizza delivery before moving to Massachusetts in 1995. At this point I became somewhat respectable when I was hired as a phone drone by a heartless insurance company where I spent a couple of years as a nameless cog in the corporate machine explaining to people why their claims had been denied. Fulfilling job, huh?
From 1999 to 2001, through a close friend, I managed to finagle my way into a position at Tripod.com, a great start-up company in the infancy of the internet. The two years I spent there was the most exciting period of my life. I thought I had found my career and my purpose in life… until the company was gobbled up by a larger company, which in turn was scavenged by an international corporation that laid off more than half of the employees, including me. I found myself unemployed at the age of 31 with no prospects at all in my career of choice.
So I became a teacher…
12 years later, I teach incarcerated youths for the Department of Youth Services in Massachusetts. It’s not my ideal job, because education has become more and more corporate in the past decade, but I’m comfortable and I enjoy working with my students. I’m married with two children and I’m content… especially now that I am writing.

 

 
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
My second novel, tentatively titled Blood Mother, should be out around the end of the year. I am also editing a benefit anthology called Widowmakers to raise money for fellow author James Newman, who was injured in a freak accident back in April. We have stories from Brian Keene, Jeff Strand, Brian Hodge, Elizabeth Massie, Gary A. Braunbeck and dozens of others. The book is going to be HUGE… easily 700 pages, available in ebook or trade paperback sometime in August.

 

 

 

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
Ultimately, I write because I read and ideas germinate. I’ve always had detailed plots and floating around in the caverns of my mind, but I didn’t do much about it until recently. I wrote a bit in high school, but never completed a short story until college when I took Creative Writing I as my introductory English course. Unfortunately, I was a bit too focused on the social aspect of college life and didn’t think much about the future. I started a few stories over the years, but never felt confident enough to submit them anywhere. I was deathly afraid of failure.

 

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I was always the guy who said he was going to write a novel (and I was certain I would when the time came along), but 99% of it was just talk, and it got to the point where everyone knew it was just talk, except for me. The ultimate irony is that I completely stopped talking about writing once I began my novel. It felt as if mentioning what I was doing would jinx the entire process, similar to the baseball superstition about talking to a pitcher during a no-hitter. You just don’t do it because doing so will incur the wrath of the gods of baseball who will then make certain that the next batter will hit a bloop single over the firstbaseman’s head and the no-hitter is in the shitter. That’s pretty much how I run my life.
As a result, I kept my trap shut for the first year, and I didn’t really consider myself a writer until I finished The Specimen last March. Although I had received compliments from my beta readers, I never truly felt accomplished until I began receiving positive reviews for The Specimen written by people I didn’t know.

 

 

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
A good friend decided to participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in 2012 and I figured that I would attempt it as a personal challenge. 50,000 words in a month is an insane pace, though, so I quickly realized that I wouldn’t come close to finishing it in the allotted time with my two-fingered-hunt-and-peck method of typing. I gave myself a daily goal of 500 words and stuck to it religiously. It’s not a lofty goal, but I do have a full-time job, along with a busy family life, so it works for me

 

 

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
Not really, although I’m sure others would disagree. I like to use vivid cinematic imagery because that’s how I imagine the action in my mind. I also use a variety of techniques to tell my story: flashbacks, inner monologues, audio transcripts, newspaper articles, journal entries, etc… Anything to add some variety.

 

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
Even before I began to write seriously, I would amuse myself with a creative exercise that I call The Bentley Little Game.
Bentley Little, as any fan of horror fiction should know, is renowned for his bare bones titles: The House, The Town, The Store… You get the idea. His titles are utterly simple, but they say a lot in those two words. Along with the synopsis on the back, you know that he is going to tell you a tale about an event that begins normally as a small problem, but gradually evolves day by day into something horrific.
The Bentley Little Game is an exercise where I come up with the most innocuous title possible and then write a back cover synopsis for a story that would fit the title. Sometimes I would use a title like The Experiment or The Well, while other times I might get a bit more ridiculous with titles like The Toilet or The Hamster. The Specimen is actually one of the ones on my list that I had yet to use in an exercise. I once read in an article that simple titles sell better, so I went with it.

 

 

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
No overall theme. Just that morality is subjective. Nothing is ever in black and white, no matter how much you want it to be. Good people can be villains and bad people can be heroes.

 

 

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
Excluding the parts about alien parasites, it’s quite realistic. Each flashback in the Interludes is set during an actual event, some of which feature historic figures who have been borrowed for the plot. Ivar the Boneless is an example.

 

 

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Nothing specific. There are parts of me in every character I create, even the parasitic alien Riders.

 

 

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?
The Stand by Stephen King, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn and any book written by Dr. Seuss.

 

 

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Wow, besides the obvious one (SK), I’d have to go with Robert R. McCammon. His ability to write in multiple genres is something I hope to be able to do some day. His apocalyptic epic Swan Song rivals King’s The Stand as my favorite book of all time, and his Matthew Corbett series deserves a broader audience.

 

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?
Suffer the Children by Craig DiLouie. It’s kept me up well past midnight the past two nights. Just a horrific idea about the Apocalypse that I wish I had come up with. DiLouie will be around for a while.

 

 

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Jon Bassoff, Bracken MacLeod and Rena Mason are all names that we will frequently see in the future. Sarah Pinborough, while not new, seems to have taken her game to a new level recently. Her Thomas Bond novels, Mayhem and Murder are amazing. Here’s hoping she continues that series for a long time coming.

 

 

Fiona: What are your current projects?
My 2nd novel, Blood Mother, and a short story titled “Meeting Momma” for the Widowmakers benefit anthology mentioned above. After that, I’m planning on at least one sequel to The Specimen and a number of short stories. I also have a baseball time travel novel in me that may be written sometime in the next decade.

 

 

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
One of my best friends, Barak Blackburn, designed and published a super hero RPG for Spectrum Games titled Capes, Cowls & Villains Foul right around the time I began writing in earnest. Although it was in a different genre, he had the experience to empathize with me through the highs and lows of the creative process.

 

 

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Most definitely, but I’ll probably keep teaching for 15-20 more years before I hang it up to write full time.

 

 

 

Fiona: Who designed the covers?
Kealan Patrick Burke, a great author in his own right, designs book covers in his side business Elder Lemon Design http://www.elderlemondesign.com/. If I get my wish, he’ll design all my future covers as well.

 

 

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Ending it. I constantly wondered whether I had overlooked an extremely important plot point and left it out. I had the stereotypical nightmare where I was back in high school because I had forgotten to turn in an important final project and my diploma was suspended. My sleep was filled with endless searches in my high school hallways, trying to locate my class and hoping that nobody would notice that I wasn’t wearing any pants (a common dream theme for me).

 

 
Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned perseverance. My life is filled with instances where I procrastinated until it was too late in order to spare myself feelings of inadequacy

 
Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Set a pace in words per day. Stick to it. Set a routine. Stick to it. Invest in a great cover. Network with other authors.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I simply want to thank them for taking a chance on an unknown writer with his first novel. You have helped open the floodgates and I hope you’ll stick around to see the stories that pour out over the next few years.

 

 
Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
No, but I do remember the first book I read twice: Kel of the Ancient River by Hans Horler. It was written in the 1950’s and translated from German, but it was the first book I recall that transported to a different time and place, thoroughly detailing the adventures of a young nomad boy n prehistoric Europe. My grandparents gave it to me when I was 7 or 8 and I probably read it 10-15 times over the next couple of years. I loved it so much that I tracked down a copy a couple of years ago and bought it to read to my children.

 

 
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?
I am a huge fan of baseball history and fantasy football. I follow the New York Jets, but I live only 5 miles from enemy territory aka Gillette Stadium. As for baseball, I’m a fan of the Red Sox and the Mets, united by their mutual hatred of the Yankees.

 

 
For about 10 years I also used to play D&D at least once per week. Unfortunately, raising a family made it difficult to do something that requires such a time commitment, but I have always remained a geek at heart. I also collect anything related to Conan the Barbarian.

 

 
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
TV: Breaking Bad, Longmire, Modern Family, American Dad, Workaholics, The Following, Hannibal, CSI, Criminal Minds and Orphan Black

Movies: Se7en, Reservoir Dogs, District 9, Alien, Memento, Oldboy, Apocalypto, The Thing, The Fly, Dog Soldiers, Fargo, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Devil’s Backbone, Let the Right One In, I Saw the Devil… I’m sure there are dozens more I could list

 

 
Fiona: Favorite Foods /Colors/ Music?
Foods: Anything spicy, Sushi, and strong coffee
Colors: Black and Green
Music: Volbeat, Tool, Shinedown, Alter Bridge, Johnny Cash, 5 Finger Death Punch, and Nothing More

 

 
Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
I would have enjoyed continuing to work in the internet industry and I hopefully would have followed some of my former co-workers who moved to the west coast and ended up working for Google and Facebook.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?
http://www.horriblepete.com/

Here are links to my book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads

http://www.amazon.com/The-Specimen-A-Novel-Horror-ebook/dp/B00JKDBLYC

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-specimen-pete-kahle/1119199427

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19368331-the-specimen

 

 

Here is my interview with Susan Eileen Walker and Cooper McKenzie

 

 
Name Susan Eileen Walker and Cooper McKenzie
Age 52
Where are you from New Bern, North Carolina, USA
A little about yourself , i.e. your education Family life etc
I spent a year in college, another year in business school, four years in the U.S. Air Force. I have been divorced for the last 10 years and currently live with a 70 pound mixed breed furbaby named Honey. My son is 29.

 
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
My latest book, The Magic of Dragonfly, is a woman’s fiction which was released by Sweet Cravings Publishing on June 6th. It is also available from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.  http://store.sweetcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=223&zenid=5e6f1d451e37d30343ff7ecf15a5857f

 

 

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
I knew at 13 I was supposed to be a writer when I grew up. I began writing then and wrote in genres across the spectrum in the years since.

 

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I think it was when I began selling children’s stories in 1999-2001. I sold them 45 stories in 18 months before they stopped using freelance writers. In 2002 I my first YA novel was accepted for publication 3 weeks after my 40th birthday.

 

 

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
My first published novel came after I fell in love with this big old historical house in the town where I was living. I knew there had to be a story hidden behind the bushes that hid all but the roof from the street.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
No, I write what I like to read, and what my muse dictates, LOL.

 

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
The Magic of Dragonfly comes from the special talents Bay Alexander had inherited from her great grandmother, who nicknamed her “Dragonfly”.

 

 

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
You are never too old to have dreams and work to make them come true.

 

 

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
Larksboro is a real town in the area though I did change the name to protect myself. The rest is pure fiction except for my own experiences with dragonflies which Bay has.

 

 

 
Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I have had several very kind authors who have shared their wisdom with me over the years, including Stormy Glenn, Tymber Dalton, Leah Brooke, Allie K. Adams, to name a few.

 

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?
I’ve fallen behind in my reading, but next on my TBR pile is Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen.

 

 

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

Mardi Maxwell, Bellann Summers, Clair DeLune are three new authors whose work I have thoroughly enjoyed.

 

 
Fiona: What are your current projects?

There are quite a few lined up waiting for my attention. A sequel to The Magic of Dragonfly, a reverse mystery entitled Least Likely Suspect, a new romance called The Kilt of Her Dreams (which I’m hoping will wait until I get back from my trip to Scotland to be written), and a number of erotic romances for my “other” personality, Cooper McKenzie.

 
Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
My friends Chrisanne and Wanda were my biggest supporters, even bigger than my family. They knew I could make a go of this even when others were telling me to quit.

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Yes, writing has been my day job, a full-time career for the past 2 years and I hope for many, many more to come.

 

 

 

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
I think I would have forced Bay to choose a man.

 

 
Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I’m not sure where it came from, but I always knew I was going to be a writer, which incorporates both daydreaming and putting words on paper, both of which I excel at, thankfully.

 

 

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
I’m afraid not, because I broke my stick/thumb/jump drive recently and I’m waiting to see how much the super-nerds can retrieve.

 

 

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
My biggest challenge is when I am between books and having to choose my next project. Unless the muse steps up and stomps his feet, I end up jumping from one project to another until something grabs me by the throat and will not let me go until I finish that story.

 

 

 

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I love love love Sarah Addison Allen. She tells such amazing stories with beautiful imagery and magic in them. And life is all about the magic, isn’t it?

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I haven’t been doing much traveling, but probably should be doing more to get out and meet readers and other writers.

 

 

 

Fiona: Who designed the covers?
The cover for The Magic of Dragonfly was designed by Dawne Dominique, who is the cover artist for Sweet Cravings Publishing.

 

 

 

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Keeping the characters straight and not changing any of the characters personalities in the middle of the book.

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
It’s really advice for anyone. Don’t let ANYONE tell you that you cannot do anything you want to. If you want it bad enough and work for it hard enough, you can change the world.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Umm, please buy and enjoy The Magic of Dragonfly and, if you enjoy it, encourage all your friends everywhere to buy it and read it. Also, please leave a review wherever you buy it. And thank you for reading my work!!!

 

 
Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
I don’t remember the exact book, other than it was one by Dr. Seuss. I was 5 years old and that was the book that changed my life. I knew as I read it, that I wanted to make this kind of magic.

 

 
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?
I knit and crochet and have since was about 5 years old. Living in the South where it is currently in the 90s during the day, I don’t make many sweaters. Instead, I make baby hats for a local hospital and hats of all sizes, which I donate to various charities.

 

 
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
I love Castle and have the first 5 seasons on DVD so I can watch them over and over.

 

 
Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music
Food – anything with salt, cheese or chocolate!
Color – deep reds, purples and peach
Music – Country or “modern classical” i.e. Aaron Copeland

 

 
Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
I have no clue. This was all I ever wanted to do for my entire life.

 
Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?
http://www.susaneileenwalker.com
http://www.coopermckenzie.webs.com

 

 

Here is my interview with Carol Anne Hunter

Name Carol Anne Hunter
Age 61
Where are you from
Edinburgh.
Fiona: A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc
Carol Anne: I’m divorced, currently single and a carer to my mum, who is 86. My step-daughter, her partner and their children live in the next village and we’re all friends. I’m one of 38 grand-children on my mum’s side (seriously!) and we have a close family bond so several of my cousins are also good friends. I left school at 15 with no qualifications but studied in my 30s to pass several Highers. After early retirement at 54 I attended courses in creative writing and psychology at Edinburgh and Glasgow universities.

 

 
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
Carol Anne: My MS came back from my editor this week and now that I’ve completed the amendments I’m having great fun renaming a few of the characters.

 

 

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
Carol Anne: At school. English was always my best subject and I discovered I had a knack for writing comedy poems which were specific to the person I wrote them for. In the 80s I wrote an unofficial satirical newsletter based on the huge typing pool I worked in and I regularly contributed to my various office magazines. I was bored after I retired and looking for something to fill my time and decided to take my writing a step further.

 

 

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Carol Anne: When my story, Bee and Let Bee, was accepted for publication by Octavius, an annual anthology of written works by Scottish University students.

 

 

 

 

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
Carol Anne: I wrote a clutch of short stories based on silly events in my life and for comic effect, blew them out of all proportion. Then I realized I could weave them into one big story and it all came together from there.

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
Carol Anne: I write tongue-in-cheek comedy but I also write short crime stories and psychological thrillers.

 

 

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
Carol Anne: It presented itself half way through writing the story. Someone asked me what the book was about and I summarized it by saying, ‘I suppose it’s a kind of Project Me’ for a middle-aged woman who is forced to start again but oh how she doesn’t want to. As soon as I said it I knew I’d found my title.

 

 

 

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Carol Anne: Yes! Never lose your sense of self and become a bit player in your own life.

 

 

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
Carol Anne: I’d say 100% but that’s just my view. It depends on your outlook.

 

 

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Carol Anne: Many, yes. As everyone knows, true life is often funnier than fiction and lots of the events in the book are based on my, or someone else’s, encounters.

 

 

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?
Carol Anne: I love finding out what makes people tick, including me, so psychology books like The Psychopath Next Door by Martha Stout fascinate me. I read 1984 (in 1984!) for my English Higher and although it’s an amazing piece of literature, I knew I never wanted to write anything so difficult to read. I think you gain something from every book, sometimes without even realizing it.

 

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Carol Anne: Without a doubt, William McIlvanney. His gift for metaphor and evoking emotion in his reader is breathtaking. His character observations are as sharp as those of Robert Burns or Shakespeare.

 

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?
Carol Anne: I have two on the go – Call it Pretending by Frances di Plino and Flatcap – Grumpy Old Blogger by David W Robinson. Two extremes, I know, but I switch between them according to my mood.

 

 

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Carol Anne: Lots! I do love a bit of grit so Jenni Fagan’s The Panopticon hit a nerve. I’m with Crooked Cat and they’re a fairly new publishing house so many of their writers are first-timers. Their Emma Mooney’s A Beautiful Game stands out for me.

 

 

Fiona: What are your current projects?
Carol Anne: Book 2, working title The Pia Protocol, is well underway and I still write short stories and poems on the side. Plus, of course, there’s always the blog.

 

 

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Carol Anne: My fellow writers from the Edinburgh University short courses I attended. We formed a group called The Pen Hens and meet on a regular basis. We share stories, give feedback and pass on info re competitions or book launches. I’m also a member of the Gorebridge Writing Group and they’ve been so encouraging.

 

 

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Carol Anne: Finally I do. I always thought of myself as someone who scuffed around on the sidelines and even when my first story was published I thought the experience would be a one-off. Now that Book 2 is in the works, I intend to go on and write all the other stories I have outlines for.

 

 
Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Carol Anne: God, no. I’ve edited it so much already. It was top-heavy at just under 100,000 words so I took out a few threads and scenarios to make it more readable, tightened up the verbiage and it’s dropped to around 67,000, which is much more comfortable for the reader.

 

 

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Carol Anne: At school. I found it so easy to compose poems and essays and my English teacher regularly embarrassed me by making me read my work out to the class. I was desperately shy and reading books became an alternative world where I could be whatever or wherever I wanted to be.

 

 

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

Carol Anne: Of course. This passage is from the prologue of Project Me.

There was no ‘stop the world’ apocalyptic moment where I realised the love had died. It was more a gradual process, like a long, languid emergence from a delicious dream (preferably starring George Clooney as your besotted other half). You don’t want to let the dream go so you fight to stay asleep. Eventually you give in, open your eyes, and deal with reality as the very splendid George morphs into He Who Shares Your Bed. In my case the lust had mellowed into contentment and security. I loved him but wasn’t in love with him. I could see his faults but turned a blind eye. I figured the good stuff outweighed the bad. This, I thought, is real love.
Until his affair with Busty Babs.

 

 

 

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Carol Anne: Finding that thread so I can tug it and unravel the story. Once that happens I have to get to a computer and start typing there and then or I lose it. This occurred one night just after my head hit the pillow and after switching the light on umpteen times to make notes of my thoughts in a pad, I gave in, got up and switched on the laptop. I was there until 5am and what I wrote became the prologue for Project Me.

 

 

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Carol Anne: Without a doubt, William McIlvanney. He’s considered to be the godfather of Scottish Crime Noir and it’s said that the original idea for the TV series Taggart was stolen from his 1970s novel Laidlaw.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
Carol Anne: Not at the moment, but it could happen.

 

 

Fiona: Who designed the covers?
Carol Anne: Laurence Patterson at Crooked Cat Publishing. He’s very gifted.

 

 

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Carol Anne: Editing is always a nightmare but motivating myself to reach the end of the basic story was the bigger challenge. After that I had to decide which threads to leave in and which to take out. Then there’s the worry that you’ve left a thread hanging which should have been tied up.

 

 

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Carol Anne: I learned a lot about myself. I realized I needed to listen to my intuition and stop dismissing the voice in my head. I began to take my own advice when it came to being kind to myself. I also learned a lot about writing so the hope is that the next book won’t take so long to complete or need so much editing.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Carol Anne: Never doubt your ability and never throw anything away. Every word you write can be edited into something good and maybe even usable in another part of your book, or in a subsequent book. Seek as much feedback and advice as you can get then do your own thing anyway. Your work is unique to you – not everyone will like it so accept that fact and keep going.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Carol Anne: Only that I hope they can identify with some of what Maggie, my main character, is going through and realize that they’re not the only ones. As if late-life marital break-ups aren’t enough to cope with, middle-age is a time of great upheaval in general so I wanted to put a funny spin on things and give my readers a different perspective.

 
Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
Carol Anne: I don’t, there were so many.

 

 

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?
Carol Anne: I used to but writing has taken over my life now.

 

 

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
Carol Anne: I love The Good Wife. It’s so cleverly written and the actors give amazing character portrayals. Reality shows are likely to send me running down the street screaming, as is Jeremy Kyle (no offence, Jezza). I do love Emmerdale and Corrie though. If you stop watching and pay attention to the dialogue, it’s very smart and sassy.

 

 
Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music
Carol Anne: Food – salad, pasta, chocolate (but not in that order). Colours – muted earth shades and, strangely, orange. Music – How much space can I use here?

 
Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
Carol Anne: Not what I did, which was joining the Civil Service. I would have opted for something much more creative.

 
Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?
Carol Anne: My blog can be found on my website, which is http://www.carolannehunter.co.uk.

 

Here is my interview with Sandy Sullivan

 

 
Name Sandy Sullivan
Age 51
Where are you from – I’m from Washington State, but currently live in Tennessee south of Nashville
A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc I’m married to my best friend and we live on our small farm in middle Tennessee. I have 3 biological children and 3 step children. We have 4 horses, 3 dogs, and 2 cats who fill up our lives to overflowing these days. I’m also a registered nurse by education and I’ve been a surrogate mother to twin boys in 2001.

 

 
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

I have a brand new release that just dropped on 6/28 called Forever Kind of Cowboy.

 

 
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I wrote a play back in 7th grade for the neighbor to perform for our parents. I was a big hit! After that, I was between jobs in 2008 and sat down to write a dream I’d had. It became my first completed book called Cowboy Love.

 

 
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve always been a writer, but I didn’t consider myself an author until 2009 when my first book came out.

 

 
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

A dream about a cowboy

 

 
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I don’t think so, but I am a panster when it comes to writing. My characters give me the details, I just write them down.

 

 
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

They kind of pop into my head depending on what is going on in the story. Sometimes I have a title right away, but most of the time it comes later after I’ve written some of the story.

 

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

I guess the message is how cowboys are. They treat their lady with respect, kindness, courtesy and love. All men should treat their lady like that.

 

 
Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

Other than how gorgeous the cowboy is, they are all pretty realistic. I try to deal with normal, everyday issues people encounter.

 

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

All my heroines have a piece of me in them. I can’t help it.

 

 
Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Probably Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. That is one my favorite books and I wish I could write like that.

 

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

Jude Deveraux

 

 
Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I just finished Edge of the Enforcer by Cherise Sinclair. She’s one of my favorite authors too.

 

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

Oh lots. Desiree Holt, Cherise Sinclair, Lily Graison and so many more. I can’t even think to remember them all.

 

 

 
Fiona: What are your current projects?

I’m writing Joshua Young’s story out of the Cowboy Dreamin’ series. He’s #6 in the lineup.

 

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

I have a really good friend named Tammy Meyer. We were always going to write a romance novel together. Well here I am!

 

 
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Definitely. Like the old saying goes, Writers are either writing or thinking about writing. There is no way around it.

 

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

I would have had his medical condition be more apparent in the beginning.

 

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

I’ve always been a reader of romance novels and like everyone else, I read something and thought, “I could do this.”

 

 

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

Small excerpt of Joshua’s story.
Joshua Young brought the bottle of beer to his lips, swallowing several sips to wash away the grime from a day in the saddle on his family ranch. Damn, I’m beat. A couple of his friends played pool in the corner as he watched with disinterest. He didn’t care much for getting rambunctious tonight. The feeling of restless had him in its grip without letting up. Maybe a raunchy night of sex would take care of his problem.

 

 

 

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

Keeping myself on task. I run a publishing company too so it’s hard to find time to just write.

 

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

Probably Cherise Sinclair. She writes so beautifully and with so much feeling, you end up right there in the story even if you don’t think you are.

 

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

I do a lot during conference season. I usually go to about six a year.

 

 
Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Dawne Dominique

 

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

Keeping the characters talking to me. They get rather stubborn sometimes.

 

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

I learned to let myself go when I’m writing and don’t try to force the story into what I think it should be. Characters go their own way and they’ll fight me if I try to steer them how I want the story to go and that’s not the way it happened.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Keep writing and read other books in your genre. It will help you see what sells and how to write a good book.

 

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

I love them all! It’s fantastic to hear from readers about how they like a particular character or story line. I even like getting negative feedback. It helps me write a better book the next time.

 

 
Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

No.

 
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?

I ride horses, read, play with our animals, watch television.

 

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

I’m not a huge television fan, but when I get into a show, I love it. FaceOff is one of my favorites and Game of Thrones.

 

 
Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

I listen to country music and old rock. Favorite foods – pizza, lasagna, salad, steak, lobster and fruit.

 

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

I’m also a registered nurse which is my other favorite thing to do.

 

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

My website is http://www.romancestorytime.com and blog is http://www.sandysullivanauthor.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Thank you for having me!

 

Here is my interview with Dana D’Angelo

 

 
Nam Dana D’Angelo
Age Old enough to have grey hairs on my head but young enough to have kids ages 5 and 8 🙂
Where are you from
I’m from a small city east of Toronto, Ontario Canada.
A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and History from the University of Toronto. I wish I can say that my studies contributed greatly to my writing, but sadly no. All of my writing is self-taught through extensive reading of fiction and non-fiction works. A long time ago, my family doctor had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. “A writer,” I told him, and then explained my great plan of doing secondary education and learning about the works of master writers. He just looked at me and said, “You don’t have to go to school for that.” I was convinced that he was wrong, but in retrospect I think he was right. The first creative writing class I took was in high school and that was really all I needed. The writing classes I enrolled in University were just a re-hash of what I had already learned in high school and in books.
In terms of my family life, I have eight brothers and no sisters. When growing up, there were few books in my household. This was understandable since English was not our first language. Fortunately for me, many teachers encouraged me to read, and I had plenty of access to fictional worlds via the school and public libraries.
Nowadays, I have the problem of having too many books in my household. Both my kids are constantly reading, and my eldest child churns out more stories and comic books than I can keep up with.

 

 
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
My latest news is the release of “Fallen Knight”, book 3 of the Knights of Honor Trilogy, which was launched a week ago. The first book follows a straight-up hero while the second book is about an up-and-coming one. And the final book is about, yep you guessed it, a fallen hero. I explore themes of love, redemption, loss and a slew of other difficult emotions. But of course, since this is a romance story, there is the requisite happy ending.

 

 

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
In grade three, my teacher gave the class notebooks. She called it a journal and we were supposed to write our thoughts in there. I took to the idea and wrote in the journal on a daily basis. I guess the natural progression was to write stories.

 

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

The first time I considered myself as a “real” writer was when I wrote and completed my first book, “One True Knight.” I think there was some mental shift that occurred when I pushed past my fears and finished the novel.

 

 

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I’ve always been fascinated by medieval romances. There was something about this time period that appeals to me and fires up my imagination. So when I sat down to write my first book, I knew that I wanted to do a medieval romance.

 
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Like every writer, I strive to have a unique storytelling voice. The way I phrase things, and the words I choose all make up my writing style.

 

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I scour my manuscript to find words that would encompass the essence of a story. Usually a phrase jumps out at me and I use that for my book title.

 

 

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

I don’t really have any messages in my stories, although my intent is to provide readers with a good escape.

 

 

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

I try to stay authentic to the time period, using details that I researched. At the same time though, my medieval world is an imaginary one.

 

 

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

No, all the experiences or events in my stories are made up.

 

 

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?
I’m actually drawing a blank here. I’ve read so many books over the years that there is a possibility that they each have influenced me in a conscious and/or unconscious level.

 

 

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
If I had a choice, I would choose Stephen King as my mentor. No, he’s not a romance writer and he actually writes horror, but I find that his style of writing is very elegant, suspenseful, and he’s a darn good storyteller.

 

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins.

 

 

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
This is a hard question. With the explosion of indie publishing, many new authors have published books. I’ve come across too many interesting authors to list here.

 

 

Fiona: What are your current projects?
Right now I’m taking a small break from writing. After that I have plans to work on a couple of new series in different romance sub-genres.

 

 

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
My friends. Their generosity and support is beyond amazing, and I’m truly grateful to have them in my life.

 

 

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Most definitely. Before this I didn’t have a career path and jumped from one job to another. I worked in the legal, health and financial industries, but none of those jobs come close to the feelings of elation I get when my books are read and enjoyed by my readers.

 

 

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No, I wouldn’t change anything in my latest book.

 

 

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
My interest in writing was spurred by my interest in reading. Some stories were so good that I didn’t want them to end, so I continued the stories in my head. Eventually I wanted to create my own stories and have control over my imaginary world and the people who populated it.

 

 

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
I’m taking a few days off to recuperate from my last book. So at the moment, I’m not working on anything.

 

 

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The most challenging part for me is to come up with a plot outline that works. Writing the story is relatively easy compared to plugging all the plot problems and making sure that that story makes sense.

 

 

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I actually don’t have one favorite author, but I do have many. I find that each author has different strengths and I admire and learn from them all.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
No, I just travel inside my imagination.

 

 

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

A family friend designed my covers. He doesn’t design covers for a living but I begged and pleaded until he finally agreed to do them for me.

 

 

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

The writing of the story isn’t too bad, but as I said, coming up with a viable outline as well as editing the story are the hardest part for me.

 

 

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

I learn something from each story I write, but for my latest book, I learned about pacing.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Just keep writing. I think I read a lot of theories and techniques on how to write well, but I found that the only way to improve as a writer is to actually write! It doesn’t sound very revolutionary I know, but it’s the truth.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you for your support of my writing. I’m a growing writer, and I appreciate and am grateful that you have given me and my stories a chance.

 

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
The first chapter book that made the biggest impact on me was a book called “Freddy Goes to Florida” by Walter R. Brooks. Basically, it’s a story about a pig and his farm friends who face many adventures as they journey to Florida for vacation.

 
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?
I really like cooking. I love food but eating out can get expensive, so over the years I’ve learned a few recipes and tricks to make good meals.

 
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
I like watching romantic comedies and shows since they’re relaxing and enjoyable to me. But I also enjoy kids’ movies. The last one I saw was The Lego Movie. It was a bonus that they had a romance storyline in there!

 

 

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music
Favorite foods…hmmm. I love food from all cultures and it’s hard to pinpoint only a few items. One day I might prefer Japanese but another day I might like Persian. My ultimate go-to food though is Indian, since I’m guaranteed to have a taste explosion.
As I grow older, I find that I prefer classical music, but occasionally I listen to pop music. The artist that I’m really impressed with lately is Bruno Mars.

 

 

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
I think I would have liked a career in graphic arts.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?
My website is http://www.dana-dangelo.com and my blog is http://bygoneerastonow.blogspot.ca

Amz: http://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Knight-Knights-Honor-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00L6EZZ3G/

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/450769

 

This was a really fun interview. Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Fiona!

Here is my interview with Sharon Black

Name Sharon Black.
Where are you from Dublin, Ireland.
A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc After school, I took a degree in History and Politics, and then did a postgraduate in journalism. I worked on and off as a journalist over the years. I’m married with three children.

 
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
My first novel, Going Against Type, will be published by Tirgearr Publishing this September, 2014.

 

 

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
As a journalist, I suppose I’d been writing for a long time. I also did a bit of creative writing, before I had children, and had some short stories published in women’s magazines.

 

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
My earliest memories are of reading and writing. I remember filling copybooks with stories in school, and asking Santa Claus for a typewriter when I was nine years old…

 

 

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
I won a short story competition, and the prize included a writing weekend at the Killaloe Hedge School, run by author David Rice. I had started books before, but that inspired me to complete my first book!

 

 

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
I tend not to write long, descriptive passages, although I enjoy when other writers do this well. I tune in to how people speak and what they say, so much of my writing is dialogue. So I suppose it’s quite fast.

 

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
My two main characters are opposites of what they’re expected to be. My heroine is a beautiful, funny, feisty sports journalist. And she falls in love with a tall, handsome and very sophisticated fashion writer. Both write anonymous columns for rival papers and are drawn into a war of words with each other. And both refuse to conform to type….

 

 

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
It’s a fun read, but if there is a message it’s in the strap line under the title: Sometimes finding the right person is not as easy as finding the right word.

 

 

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
I worked in newspapers myself, although I never worked in sports. So I understood things like press conferences and interviews and deadlines.

 

 

 

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?
That’s a hard one to answer. I’m in a book club, and we read literary fiction. I also read commercial women’s fiction, some historical fiction and short stories. However, I also love a bit of science fiction – in particular anything to do with time travel!

 

 

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
The Irish author Kathleen MacMahon gave me solid advice and steered me in the right direction at a crucial time.

 

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?
I have just finished Burial Rites by Hannah Kent and am dipping into stories in Edna O’Brien’s collection, The Love Object.

 

 

 

Fiona: What are your current projects?
I am working on my second book.

 

 

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members
My fantastic agent, Peter O’Connell, TrueLit Agency.

 

 

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Yes.

 

 

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No, I don’t think so.

 

 

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I was reading from a very young age and I was a very quiet child (I made up for it later). Writing was a way of expressing myself, I think.

 

 

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
It’s in the same genre – commercial women’s fiction. That’s all I can say…

 

 

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I can only speak for the book I’ve written. I think visually, so I have to see the scenes. So sometimes that was hard.

 

 

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I don’t have a favourite author. In commercial women’s fiction, I love writers who can make me laugh while making it appear effortless. And I also admire writers who are not afraid to strip back their writing to the bare bones. That’s a brave thing to do.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
Um, no!

 

 

Fiona: Who designed the covers?
The excellent design team at Tirgearr will be designing the cover.

 

 

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The sports stuff, actually. Even though there’s fairly little about sport in it, my heroine is a witty sports columnist and I had to do a fair bit of research.

 

 

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned a bit about football! On a more personal note, I learned quite a bit about myself – and the importance of just going for it.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
I don’t feel I’m in a position to offer other writers any advice – they could probably advise me! But to somebody who has never written, I’d say if you enjoy it, don’t let anyone stop you.

 

 

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

 

 
Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
It sounds twee, but I think it was The Tail of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.

 

 
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?
I’m quite low key, really. I walk, and I see friends. I quite enjoy cooking and entertaining at home. Maybe I should take up skydiving or something…

 

 
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
I don’t follow any particular TV shows, although I love historical documentaries and stand up comics. Opposite ends of the spectrum, but there you go… And when I want to shut out the world for a while, a romantic comedy does it every time. One of my favourite movies in recent years was The Time Traveller’s Wife. I read the book first.

 

 
Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music
I am quite unfussy but I adore Italian food. Just not too much of it, especially the pasta! Green is my favourite colour although I tend to wear a lot of black and grey. It’s simple and I don’t have to think about it too much. My favourite music is probably Latin American.

 

 
Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
I studied ballet when I was younger and fancied myself as a dancer until I was about 15. Then I realized I was never going to be good enough.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?
https://plus.google.com/106321307141733921708#106321307141733921708/posts (sharonblackauthorblog.blogspot.com)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sharon-Black-Author-Page/1433997893531882?ref=profile
(Sharon Black Author Page on Facebook)

 

 

Here is my interview with Lisa Worrall

 

Name: Lisa Worrall

Age: a lady never tells

Where are you from: I was born in Dagenham, grew up in Hornchurch and now live in Leigh on Sea just outside Southend 🙂

A little about yourself `ie your education Family life etc:
I live in a quiet cul de sac with my two children and our dog… well she’s more like my dog considering the amount of time she spends attached to my hip. I work from home which isn’t as easy as it sounds lol.

 

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?:
I usually have three WIPS on the go. My latest release is a short that was previously in the Uniform Appeal anthology published by Dreamspinner. And I’m also currently working on Laurel Heights 2.

 

 

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?:
I’ve always written stories since I was a child. But I got involved with fanfiction about five years ago. That led to someone suggesting I submit to the submission call Dreamspinner had going at that time – A Midsummer’s Nightmare – and the rest as they say is history. I now write full time.

 

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’m not sure I do, even now.

 

 

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
When Dreamspinner accepted my first short. I decided to take another chance and submitted to a Father’s Day submission call Silver had going at the time. I just thought a nanny who helps someone to love again would make a good tale, and as I have kids, I find them easy to write. In fact a lot of what my kids say or do actually ends up in my books.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
I don’t think so… but then others might disagree. I think if I do it’s quite an easy to read style with lots of humour. Even my darker stories have humour in them somewhere.

 

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
Of my latest WIP? To be honest I thought for ages about a title for Laurel Heights 2… but finally came to the conclusion that everyone was already calling it Laurel Heights 2 anyway, so I went with that one lol.

 

 

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Laurel Heights 2 is a murder mystery so I don’t think so.

 

 

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
I do lots of research so hopefully it will be realistic and the story is quite dark too.

 

 

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
No.

 

 

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?
I don’t know if there are particular books that I can pinpoint as an influence on me. I basically read anything and everything I could get my hands on. Lots of books have stayed with me, but I’m not sure I had a pivotal moment with one in particular.

 

 

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Sue Brown has been right with me since the beginning of this journey.

 

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?
Slasherazzi by Daniel Kaine.

 

 

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Daniel Kaine and Liam Livings.

 

 

Fiona: What are your current projects?
Laurel Heights 2, the expansion of Mr Popsalos, Left at the Crossroads 3 and Ed and Fred are Dead – a story that evolved from a hilarious conversation on the car ride back from the UK Meet. I mean… why can’t zombies find love, too?

 

 

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

 

 

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Yep – most definitely – it’s what I love to do and, luckily for me, right now I get to make a living doing what I love to do and am keeping my fingers crossed that it continues.

 

 

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Nope- not a thing. I am a bit of a pantser – fly by the seat of your pants writer – but if something needs to go in, the characters tend to tap me on the shoulder incessantly until I take the hint 🙂

 

 

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
At school. When Mr Croucher, my primary school headteacher, gave me a gold star for my comprehension. I was hooked.

 

 

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

 
He turned on the shower and stripped off while he waited for the water to heat up. Each item of clothing was stuffed into a waiting garbage, none ever touching the floor. A well thought out ritual that hadn’t failed him yet. He would burn them later.
The blood had already dried on his skin and he stroked a finger across his chest, the sensation hardening his cock immediately. He stepped into the shower and slid the frosted glass door shut, then stood beneath the cascading water. Quickly soaping up his hands, he palmed his erection and closed his eyes. This one had been a close call. He’d barely closed the door to the room before the maid had approached with her cleaning trolley. Luckily, he’d slipped behind a dumpster until she had unlocked the door and gone inside. His car had only been a few feet away so, by the time she’d screamed, he was already pulling out of the parking lot.
When He’d finally arrived at the club, the place had started to empty. He usually liked to take his time when making his selection, but the pickings had been slim; until He’d spotted the man hovering at the end of the bar, nervously scanning the dance floor. It had almost been too easy. This one had practically been begging to be slaughtered like the pig he was. A walking cliché so far in the closet he could see Narnia and stank of mothballs. He was middle-aged with obligatory wedding ring, starched shirt and crease in his pants, the whole nine yards. Desperate to be normal, but unable to contain his unnatural urges. It was kind of poetic actually. It had been such a man who had taken Him in that alley, against the wall, against His will. Except it hadn’t ended that way, had it?
He’d liked it. Liked the rough sensation of thick fingers on Him, inside Him. All that grunting and thrusting, white hot pain followed by blissful ecstasy. A man like this one had turned Him into everything He’d been raised to believe was wrong, a mortal sin, against God’s plan. But no matter how He’d tried, He couldn’t help but give in to the need that burned through Him—over and over again.
His fingers skated across the scars on his chest as he stroked his cock, the sensation sending shards of desire straight to his engorged flesh. There were many more like them on his back and buttocks. A constant reminder of his own perversions. As his father had attempted to rid him of this hideous disease, it was his duty to give others relief from their sins. And it was a relief. He could see it in their eyes in the final moments when the last breath left their bodies. Their silent prayer of thanks as he set them free. Last night’s had been no different.
He looked down the length of his torso at his cock, weeping freely as it slid between his curled fingers. The blood on his chest ran down his skin, dripped onto his cock and swirled towards the drain. The sight excited him further, the sense memory of the blood hitting his naked chest when he sliced into the man, sending a shiver down his spine and tightening his balls. His lips parted on a sigh as he remembered the glorious warmth of the spatter as the knife punctured flesh and scraped on bone, the man’s eyes bulging from their sockets, unable to do more than grunt around the duct tape silencing him.
He increased the pace of His strokes, His breath catching in His throat—so close, so close. He squeezed His eyes shut tightly, losing Himself as the satisfying final act replayed in His mind. The moment when He’d drawn the tip of his knife slowly around the base of the man’s cock. The fear, the terror that pressed the tendons in his neck to the surface, and etched themselves into every line on the man’s face as he realized this was it. This was the end.
A jab of the blade, the severing of an artery, the bowing of the man’s back as he held the dismembered organ in his fingers. Then the silent prayer when He plunged the knife into his chest, stilling the racing heart within forever.
It was all over. His balls tightened painfully and hot white strands of seed pumped from His throbbing cock, leaving Him breathless and leaning against the tile. He stared down at the floor and, watching the water turn pink as it washed away blood and semen—He smiled.

 

 
Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
All of it lol

 

 

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Stephen King. His ability to scare the pants of me and make me cry in the same book has always amazed me.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
Not right now – but I’m hoping to attend a few overseas conventions maybe next year.

 

 

Fiona: Who designed the covers?
Meredith Russell designs the majority of my covers – I love her style.

 

 

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

 

 

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned that it’s impossible to make everyone happy and give everyone the ending they are looking for. So I decided it’s easier to write the ending I want and hope for the best.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Don’t give up. Don’t listen to naysayers and keep going. Pursue your talent, don’t let anyone say you can’t do it.

 

 

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you for your faith and support. And I hope I can continue to give you stories you want to read 🙂

 

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
The Amazing Mr Bumblemoose.

 

 

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?
I love knitting, it’s very therapeutic and reading. I also love nothing more than picking up a coloring book and some felt pens, it’s incredibly relaxing and I still get pens and a book for Christmas every year.

 

 

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
Supernatural, Rizzoli and Isles, Mike and Molly, The Big Bang

 

 

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music
Steak and kidney pie, purple and Duran Duran.

 

 

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
When I was younger I always wanted to be a teacher. But it never happened.

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?
my blog is http://www.lworrall.blogspot.com and my website is lisaworrall.com

 

 

 

 

 

Here is my interview with Kimberly Knight

 

 
Name Kimberly Knight
Age I thought you aren’t supposed to ask women their age? 😉
Where are you from
California

 

 
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
My box set: Perfect Fit for my B&S Series hit #11 overall on Amazon and is currently ranked #1 Best Seller in Romance Anthologies!

 

 

 

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing in 2012 and honestly, I just started to see if I could write a book. I never planned to actually publish it or now be a bestselling author! I was reading a lot of books at the time and a story just came to me.

 

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I would have to say, when I hired an editor. While writing Where I Need to Be, I sent it to a few friends and they loved it and it got me thinking that maybe I should actually publish it and see what happens, and well…look what happened!

 

 

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
First person. I’m not sure if I could ever write a different way.

 

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
My B&S Series is based off of Country music songs except the novellas, which are kinda explanatory. For Tattooed Dots… I can’t really say because that would give the book away, but let’s just say, I have my own Tattooed Dots.

 

 

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Not really…I mean, Tattooed Dots is dedicated to people who are faced with challenges in their lives. I fully believe people can survive anything, but death of course.

 

 

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
I try to write everything realistic. I don’t write about billionaires or anything that we have no hope of ever meeting in real life. I write about successful people that have worked hard for their money.

 

 

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Yes, my own. Some of it is in my B&S Series and a lot of it is in Tattooed Dots 😉

 

 

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?
Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You since they got me writing 

 

 

 

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I can’t choose. All writers should be mentors because it takes a lot of guts to put your words out there for the world to criticize.

 

 

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?
Lover Eternal by JR Ward

 

 

 

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I don’t get a lot of reading done now days, so I haven’t read new authors

 

 

 

 

Fiona: What are your current projects?
I’m working on the last novella for my B&S Series. It’s due out in August.

 

 

 

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Online book friends. I was in a book club group and they were excited I was writing a book.

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Yes 

 

 

 

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Not in my latest, but in my first book, I would change some scenes to make longer or something.

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Just from reading a lot of books 

 

 

 

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
It’s from my male’s POV from my B&S Series. You would need to read the whole series to understand this book because I don’t go into detail from the female’s POV book: Anything Like Me.

 

 

 

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
IT’S HARD!!! I can think for hours about a certain scene. People don’t realize the amount of time it takes to write a book. There are days, I spend twelve hours writing and only write a chapter because I think and think and think.

 

 

 

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Sylvia Day. I just love the way she writes and her stories.

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
Yes. On average, I travel once a month to a signing.

 

 

 

Fiona: Who designed the covers?
I do 

 

 

 

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Making the story flow. I hate writing filler, but writers can’t just write what’s important because the story wouldn’t flow.

 

 

 

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned how hard it is. How stressful it is, but I’ve also learned how loved I am. The amount of fans that message me on a day to day basis is awesome. Almost two years later and I still can’t believe I have fans!

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Just write and find a good editor. If you’re story is good, it will be a success. It might not be at first, but eventually, it will be.

 

 

 

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I love you all!

 

 
Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
No, I don’t, lol.

 

 
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?
I used to play in a coed softball team, but we moved and I haven’t found a new team. Now my hobbies when I can are reading and watching TV, lol.

 

 
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
I have a long list! But I like reality shows like Survivor, Amazing Race, Real Housewives. I like Law & Order, True Blood, Sons of Anarchy…I’m drawing a blank. I have a lot of shows I like to watch when I can!

 

 
Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music
Chinese, Mexican, chicken strips, lol.
Pink and Teal
Country, Pop, some alternative, some rock…

 

 
Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
Before I started writing, I was a paralegal. I would probably still be doing that.

 

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

http://www.authorkimberlyknight.com

You can also follow me on other social media sites:

http://www.facebook.com/authorkimberlyknight
twitter.com/Author_KKnight
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/515767.Kimberly_Knight
http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Knight/e/B00APPPCKI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1