Here is my interview with S. Coop

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

Hello.

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

My name is S. Coop and I’m 43 years old.

 

Fiona: Where are you from?

I currently live in Virginia but I’m actually from the west coast. Was born in Arizona and lived in Nevada before I moved here to Virginia.

 

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

I have 4 amazing kids. Their ages range from six to nineteen, three boys, one girl. I’m separated at the moment pending a divorce. I’ve got an associates degree in Graphic Design and I am currently taking classes for Web Development.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

The latest news is that I’ve finished the second book to my BloodCon series. It’s called Akane.  Akane debuted in the first novel of the series. She is a 16-year-old vampire (sixty-two in human years). The book will be available on Amazon in both Kindle and Paperback on Friday, October 13^th. It can be preordered now in both platforms.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve written most of my life, mostly poetry, but I started writing my first novel in 2010. It first started out as just for fun but it casually grew into something else. I’ve always written poetry. I guess you can say that I get it from my mama.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I first considered myself a writer just recently to be honest. Completing Akane made me feel like finally I can call myself a writer. The first story I released was a short story called Last Chance at Love. It is a short story about soulmates who meet in three different lifetimes. It is part of my Soul mate series. I’m working on the second book to that as we speak. After that, I released BloodCon, which was a big thing, but I still didn’t considere myself to be a writer per say. I then released my Poetry book, Sex, Love, and Other Tragedies, but still I didn’t consider myself a writer. I released Akane and only then did I feel like I reached “Writer” status.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I was inspired by my family and friends who felt that my writing was good enough to share with everyone.

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I came up with the title for my first book because the main character is actually a conman. He’s a conman who tries to “con” the wrong woman (vampire). I was a ways through the story before I decided on that title. A good friend of mine told me to just write, and the title will come to you. Best advice, ever.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I would say I am a multi-genre writer. I feel like those that stick themselves in one genre are basically trapped in it. I respect those that only write in one genre, don’t get me wrong, but I personally like to write what comes to my head. I know some authors that use different pen names to write in different genres of what they usually write. Granted, most are more successful in the genre that has the biggest fan base, which is the genre they are known for.

Right now I’m writing Vampire novels. The challenging thing is that Vampires aren’t’ as “hot” as they were when I first started writing the book. Still I write them because my particular vampire stories haven’t been told yet; my world, my rules. As far as style, I try to put as much comedy in as possible, mostly within dialogue between characters. My characters are usually charming and sometimes downright hilarious. I want the reader to enjoy a good story, and giggle a little at the same time.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

I would say in BloodCon, the female character has some of my own characteristics. This is true of all my female characters. I write them strong, smart, beautiful, and witty. I was told that my female characters and me shares some commonality.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

I travel to my computer and do research. Oh how I wish I had the money to actually travel to the places that I write about. My newest book, Akane, is set in Japan. That would have been one hell of a trip! I’ve always wanted to visit Japan.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

My BloodCon and Akane covers were designed by Zaji Ankh of Creative Ankh Designs.  She is a truly talented designer.

My poetry cover I made from one of my sons drawings, and the cover for Last Chance at Love was collaboration between me and my friend, Michael Thaxton.

 

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

Most of my works have love undertone to them. So “love” would be the message.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?  Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

There’s so many new authors that I enjoy their work. A.M. Rycroft, Tamikio Reardon, Jazar Faith Khar, Erika L. Farmer, Mac Krazie, Michael Thaxton, Phil Chase is working on his first novel. There’s so many. I’m sorry if I missed anyone.

My favorite author is JJ Murray. Not only is he my favorite author, but he’s my editor too. He’s written over forty books and has been published and also has self-published. He’s basically goal for me.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

My friend, Michael Thaxton.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Yes I do but I know I have a long way to go if I plan to actually love off of my books. I’m working on it but yeah, that’s the end game. Making a career out of doing something you love is, in my opinion, a blessing.

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

No. My latest book isn’t as long as my first book, but I felt that everything that needed to be said was said.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

I learned that a little research and an outline go a looong way.

 

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

I’m not really sure but I would love to be at casting.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Don’t ever give up. If writing is your passion, keep moving forward. I know there are some that get into the writing business for money. That’s really not the right thinking in my opinion. Being a writer is hard, and many writers can’t support themselves with a writing career. I just want to share my stories and if I blow up, great. If not, I have other skills.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

I love my readers. I love the feedback they give me and I am grateful that they gave me a chance.

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Right now I’m beta reading a few books at the moment.

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

No, I don’t.

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

I laugh a lot. Those that know me know that I love to laugh and joke. I can have a dark sense of humor at times but that comes in handy when I’m writing. There are a lot of things that make me cry, I can’t really be particular on this though.

 

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

I’ve already met that person. So, my answer is no.

 

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

My hobbies are doing anything creative. I collect dolls, mostly Monster High dolls, play tennis sometimes and try to work out as much as I can, which hasn’t been that much lately.

 

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

The Walking Dead is my favorite show, hands down. I also like the series “Black Mirror” on Netflix. I like watching romantic comedies as well.

 

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?

Favorite foods are Italian, Chinese, Sushi, and breakfast foods. My favorite color is black. My favorite music is Alternative, Metal, and some R&B.

 

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Eww, I don’t like that thought. I guess whatever I would be doing would have to be something of a creative nature.

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

Here lies S.Coop. She’s not in here because she’s late yet again.

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

Yes.

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/s.coopauthor/

Twitter—@ https://twitter.com/shereecooper19

Facebook—@ https://www.facebook.com/ree.hailey/about?lst=1567150841%3A100005714438300%3A1506002102

Amazon— https://www.amazon.com/S-Coop/e/B06XHC3X83

 Thank you, Fiona!

 Book Links

BloodCon

https://www.amazon.com/BloodCon-S-Coop-ebook/dp/B06X9VY98R/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HF6QEW95NQA3V5VZ281S

 

Akane

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075NTH9V9/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1505916960&sr=1-1&keywords=Akane

 

Sex, Love, and Other Tragedies (Poetry)

https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Love-Other-Tragedies-Coop-ebook/dp/B074J9PFTP/ref=la_B06XHC3X83_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505916741&sr=1-2

 

Last Chance at Love

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Chance-At-Love-ebook/dp/B01KY78DCU/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

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Here is my interview with Richard Writhen

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie. Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

 

Hello, I go by the nom de plume or should I say that I “style myself” Richard Writhen. I’ll be forty-one in a couple of months.

 

Fiona: Where are you from?

 I am from Newport, Rhode Island. It’s a quaint city on Aquidneck Island in south Rhode Island, with a burgeoning tourist industry and great food.

 

Fiona: A little about yourself (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

 I did a bunch of drama club in high school, then went to college briefly for music and video.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

 My fourth novella is at 64% in rough draft. It’s the second book in the third of three planned trilogies.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

 I had always toyed with the idea, but procrastinator that I am, I put it off indefinitely. I found a job as a copyeditor in New York and once I was writing every day, it became habit and I decided to do fiction. I almost segued into it, doing spots for an electronic gaming blog then paid market submissions (all rejections so far) and then publishing three novellas on Amazon independently.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

 Probably after I had e-published my first two non-fiction articles, one on Lovecraft and one on George Martin.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

 I’m not sure where it came from, lawl. I knew that I wanted to do a very focused, yet novel take on the relationship between magick and deities.

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

 It’s called A Kicked Cur, but the odd thing is that no curs get kicked in it … matter of fact, that happens in the second novella rather. Originally, the first one segued right into the beginning of the second, but I decided to tell that story separately. The title stands up on its own as kind of a reference to what the male protagonist is going through rather than having a literal meaning. In the original serial version of the book, which was published on that same electronic gaming site, children were called “curs” instead of “kids”. My stuff takes place not on Earth, but on a parallel world called Cedron. As dark as it is, it’s technically still fantasy.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

 I write completely out of sequence. It was inspired by a certain file sharing program which shall here remain nameless lawl.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

 All of it, plot, character and narrative are based on both my real-life experiences or are riffs on pop culture that I’ve soaked up over the course of my life … books, movies, video games.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

 I’ve done my share of exploring, both in RI and NYC. Everywhere I go influences the way I describe textures, plants, animals, etc. I don’t do much long-distance traveling. Maybe someday, I’ve always wanted to see the Pacific.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

 I created them myself for now. Two are classic baroque paintings and the third is from a crazy stamped French invoice that I found online. I was like … “yeah, this works …”

 

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

 Well, the grimdark aesthetic is almost a direct satire of reality, it’s amorality, its senselessness. The underlying message is about holding on to hope in the void, when there’s almost nothing of you left, or so it seems. I put my characters through hell, lawl.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?  Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

 Paul Tremblay, John Langan, Kea Wilson, Michael R. Fletcher, andLucretia Stanhope are my current faves as far as new writers are concerned.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

 Wish there was one, lawl. No, just kidding a few folks have helped out, mainly MightyThorJRS blog, DarkMondays blog and some of my fellow indie authors such as Jesse Teller and M.L. Spencer.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

 I see writing as something you are, not something you do. Like a terminal disease or a sexual orientation, lawl. I’ll never stop, now that the floodgates have been opened, but it slows to a damned tiny trickle sometimes.

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

 I straight abandoned this one. The first two, being written in serial, were far more polished and written at leisure. I wrote the seven chapters of The Hiss of the Blade and then agonized over them for months until looking at them made me almost nauseous and then I simply upped it to KDP.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

 Yeah. Be real careful while saving. I wasn’t paying enough attention one night and I saved over 2K and had to go back and rewrite the whole chapter from scratch.

 

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

 That’s a hard one, because I don’t have conventional protagonists; all the characters are equally important to me, though some are focused upon. I will have to give it some thought, lawl. Believe me, there’s time …

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

 Cannibalize, cannibalize, cannibalize. Oh, and don’t drop the soap.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

 Don’t kill the messenger. I don’t advocate the behavior of my characters in any way. I just tell the story!

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

 Blessedly Bound by Lucretia Stanhope. Really awesome paranormal romance with a very dark tinge.

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

 It was probably One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. But I also had East of the Sun and West of the Moon.

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

 The odd book or movie has in the past. Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks, Watership Down, and even the ending of The Uninvited. The thought of being one day both insane and alone strikes a chord in me …

 

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

 Now * that * is an easy one. H.P. Lovecraft, of course.

 

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

 I enjoy video gaming and playing guitar most, prolly.

 

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

 I really liked the original run of 24. Also Game of Thrones. Filmwise, I like Fincher, Scorcese, Dark Castle, anything suspense and / or horror. Also SF, Ridley Scott and Alex Proyas, the like.

 

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?

 I love Italian, Mexican, Indian, Korean food. Colors, I like black, blue, red, white most. I listen to post-hardcore, metalcore and deathcore music mainly.

 

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

 All kinds of stuff, lawl. It’s very time- and effort-consuming.

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

 NO, REALLY. DON’T TRY. Or maybe I AM NEWPORT, lawl.

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

 https://www.facebook.com/richardwrithen/

 https://richardwrithen.wordpress.com/

 https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Writhen/e/B06XT6DMF3/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

 

Here is my interview with Melissa-Sue John and her 2 daughters

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your names. What are your ages?

Melissa: Hello Fiona. It is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for interviewing us. My name is Melissa-Sue John and these are my daughters, Alyssa Simone John, age 15, and Olivia Lauren John, age 9. Our company is called Lauren Simone Publishing House, named after Olivia Lauren and Alyssa Simone.

 

Fiona: Where are you from?

Melissa: We live inthe United States, Connecticut, to be specific. I was born in Jamaica (an island in the Caribbean),Alyssa was born in New York, and Olivia was born in Connecticut.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Melissa: Well, this year we wrote 5 children’s books and published 2 others written by A.K. Dowe and her twins, Brazil and Princeton. We have 3 new child authors joining our team, Madison Bishop, Elijah Bishop, and Imani Grant.Our company was recently featured by Background Noise Books for our book “Olivia Connects”, which features special needs characters. As for events, we will be at a meet and greet event located at Jack and Allie’s Children Book Store on September 23^rdfrom 11am to 1pm and Diamond Fashion Week in New Haven, CT as a vendor on September 30^thfrom 4pm to 6pm.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Melissa: I started writing in graduate school, about ten years ago, but I only became published this year.  I have always kept a journal. I used to only write when I was sad. Now I write when I am happy.

Alyssa: I had a dream earlier this year that I was a journalist. Ever since I shared that with my mother, she’sbeen pushing me to write.

Olivia Lauren: I began writing stories when I was 7 years old. We all have stories to tell.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Melissa: I am a psychology professor. Writing research articles is part of my training and expectations for tenure. However, I did not consider myself a children’s literature author until February of this year when we published our very first book.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Melissa: I was inspired when my older daughter was born. Literacy is important to me, so we  oftenwent to the library to get books. I was frustrated that there was little to no diversity in children’s books. All the books with Black characters in primary roles were either about slavery/racism, historical icons(such as first Black basketball player, first Black baseball player, first Black astronaut, Black scientists, Civic Rights leaders, Slave Rebels), or self-esteem (love your hair, love your skin, handling bullying). Ten years later, as an investigator on a research project aimed to use literature to teach problem solving, I was disappointed books were still racially homogenous. In fact, there were more books about animals than “people of colour”or people with disabilities. I decided I wanted to be a part of the solution. However, I did not have the confidence to write until I actually saw my sister, Rose-Anne Uwaguesuccessfully self-publish her book. I still wasn’t ready until I met another mother, who is now a business consultant, who wrote books and suggested that we self-publish. Perhaps it was divine intervention but A.K. Dowe and I came up with the idea to brand a company that provides a platform for other young authors and illustrators to share their talents. And that’s how Lauren Simone Publishing House was born.

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Melissa: My daughter, Olivia is loves attention and is a drama queen. Because of this my husband and I got her into modelling and acting. When we went on set we met so many different professionals. We met the photography and film crew, wardrobe crew, hair and makeup crew, sound engineers, casting directors, etc. This inspired us to share what we were learning with other children who were not exposed to this wealth of knowledge. Most children are exposed to the traditional careers such as doctors, teachers, police, firefighters, and mail carriers. We entitled our first book “Occupations A to Z.”The book series title was named after my younger daughter, “Olivia Lauren.”After that, we wrote “Guide to becoming an actor,” “Olivia travels,” “Olivia Connects” and most recently “Things We Wear.” My older daughter, Alyssa, is very talented but prefers the behind the scene action. She helps with writing and editing. She wrote “Olivia Connects” with me. Everything we do is a team effort.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Melissa: All our books are illustrated by young illustrators. I have worked with Simonne-Anais Clarke, Zachary-Michael Clarke, Niquey, and Lionel Emabat. They range from age 13 to 25. I tend to share my ideas for what my daughters and I envision and they come up with their own creation. Then I format the words and the image. Each author under Lauren Simone Publishing House has a different strategy when working with the illustrators. Some give a lot of direction because they have a specific vision, while others give a little to allow illustrators more creativity and ownership over the designs.

 

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

Melissa: All of Olivia Lauren series books are “nonfiction” in that it provides factual information but “fiction” because they include fictional characters. I am an educator so education is the mission. In “Things We Wear”, the message is we wear different things for tradition, expression, and protection. In “Olivia Connects”, the message is there are different ways that people communicate and the devices we use to communicate have evolved over time. In “Olivia Travels,” the message is there are many different modes of transportation and spelling and grammar is very important. For example, “Watch the planes take off from the plains.” This is an introduction to homonyms. Words may sound the same but have different meanings and spelling. “Occupations A to Z,” the message is there are many different occupations. Some are traditional and some are modern. Anyone regardless of gender, ethnicity or ability can be aspire to any occupation.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Melissa: I hope to have a very fruitful career as a writer. I would love to blog for a big newspaper such as the New York Times or the Huffington Post one day. In particular, I would like to write book reviews. I plan to take fiction writing classes, so that I can increase my creativity and literary skills. I have drafted several novels over the years and would love to complete one.

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

Melissa: I am in love with our latest book, “Things We Wear.” I would not change a thing!My illustrators, Simonne-Anais and Zachary Michael Clarke did an amazing job. They are only 16 and 13 years old. Their talent simply blows me away.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Melissa: Oh yes! It is a multicultural approach to clothing. I had to research the clothes worn by Jews, Muslim, Arabs, Scottish, Irish, Nigerians, Chinese, and Japanese. I was very concerned about accuracy in spelling and cultural representation. I would hate for my book to come across as stereotypical. It is meant to be culturally inclusive. I also had to research what makes a good swim suit. I learned it is about absorbency. You do not want to wear a swim suit made of cotton because it will soak up water and become heavy. You want nylon that is stretchy and dries quickly. It makes sense but it is not something one considers unless they are a fashion designer.

 

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Melissa: If any of our books ever became available for television or film, the Olivia Lauren series would be played by Olivia Lauren or it would be animated and we would hire diverse characters to do the voiceover. The Dowe Twins series would be played by Brazil and Princeton.

 

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Melissa: In my opinion, I think the biggest problem writers face is wanting it to be perfect. If you wait for perfection it will never be completed. The more you write, the better you become. Your last book will be better than your first. Do not get hung up on perfection and just finish it. I think John C. Maxwell jokingly said he can’t believe he put his name on his first book.

Alyssa: I started my book based on a dream I had. My advice is write about the things you dream about.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Melissa: First, I want parents to recognize that their children are very talented. If they can draw or write stories, let them. Find a way for them to share their talent. The children are the future and we have to empower them to believe in themselves. Second, I want all my readers to know that representation matters. I am doing everything I can to make each person feel represented.

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Melissa: On my nightstand, I have “Interruption of Everything” by Terry McMillian. I finished Getting to Happy, which was the sequel to Waiting to Exhale.

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Melissa: I can’t remember the first book I read. But I remember having lots of books. I had the entire collection of Golden Books and Charlie Brown Encyclopaedia. To be honest as a child I don’t remember if I enjoyed reading. Maybe because I could never relate to any of the characters. In high school I didn’t care for the school reading list, but I read all the Sweet Valley High books and Sweet Dreams books. I do recall enjoying the Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which I read in the 8^th grade and reread this summer with Olivia Lauren who is now in 5^th grade.

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Melissa: I am very emotional.  Seeing others cry is enough to make me cry. Seeing others suffer makes me cry. Thinking about deportation of children of undocumented immigrants or famine, wars and disaster by flood, hurricane, or earthquake breaks my heart. Hearing others laugh make me laugh. Kevin Heart, Issa Rae, Marlon Wayans, Martin Lawrence, and Jaime Fox make me laugh.

 

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

Melissa: I would have loved to meet Booker T Washington. I read his book and I think we share the same values. I want to meet Michelle and Barack Obama. They are a very inspirational couple and were able to have a scandal free presidency. I want the child authors in my publishing company to be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Degeneres, and Steve Harvey. They each have an audience that would bring more exposure to Lauren Simone Publishing House.

Olivia: I have two role models: Michelle Obama and Skye Jackson. Michelle and Skye have accomplished a lot and are positive role models for young girls. Michelle encourages girls to be healthy, active, and classy. Skye inspires me as an actor as she is funny, sweet, pretty and awesome. She wears her natural hair and shows girls to be themselves.

 

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Melissa: Writing is my hobby. My day job is teaching and doing research. I also like to hike, bike and do yoga.

 

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

Melissa: Most of the movies or TV Shows I watch are dramas (such as Nashville and This is Us) and comedies (such as Blackish and Marlon). My entire family are Marvel fans.

Olivia: I like SpongeBob SquarePants and My Little Pony

Alyssa: I like The Flash and The 100.

 

Fiona: What are your favourite foods, colours, and music?

Melissa: My favorite food is Stew peas. My favorite colour is pink. I am such a girly girl. I like gospel and contemporary Christian music. My radio dial is stuck on K-Love.

Alyssa: My favorite food is pizza. Colour is purple. Favorite band is Twenty-one Pilots.

Olivia: My favorite food is ice-cream, my favorite colour is pink, and favorite music is pop.

 

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Melissa: My goal is to have other’s write books for the Olivia Lauren series. I want to hire talented children to become writers and illustrators. I want to go to schools, museums, art galleries, and give workshops to develop children’s abilities and build their portfolio to be accepted in any college of their choice. My goal is to increase literacy and STEAM appreciation.

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

Melissa: I have a blog on Lauren Simone Publishing House’s website. I review indie author books and books I find at the library. Olivia and I do this together to increase her vocabulary and writing skills. You can visit at www.laurensimonepubs.com .

 

Fiona:  What is it like writing with mum?

Olivia: It is very nice writing with mom. I love seeing the books come to life.

Alyssa: We work together nicely and find it easy to share ideas.

 

Fiona:  Does mum listen to your ideas?

Olivia: Yes, my mom is very open when it comes to writing books.

Alyssa: Yes.

 

Fiona: What are your favorite subjects at school?

Olivia: I love Writing and Science. Those are my favorite subjects.

Alyssa: English.

 

Fiona: What do you want to do when you grow up?

Olivia: I want to be an actor and author.

Alyssa: I would like to become a TV/Movie script writer and director

 

Fiona: If you had one wish what would it be?

Olivia: To give books to children in need.

Alyssa: To achieve my life goals and help others achieve their goals.

 LINKS

 Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_13?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lauren+simone+publishing+house&sprefix=lauren+simone%2Caps%2C154&crid=3QR7OKYY2W2WR

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/LaurenSimonePubs/

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16408900.Melissa_Sue_John/blog

Instagram

@laurensimonepubs

https://www.instagram.com/laurensimonepubs/

Website

http://www.laurensimonepubs.com/

 

Here is my interview with Mary T Bradford

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

My name is Mary T Bradford and I’m the wonderful age of 55. The T in my name is for Theresa.

 

Fiona: Where are you from?

I am Irish and live in Ireland. A wonderful country where the weather and tea are the main topic every day as in, “Would you like a cup of tea?” And “Will it ever stop raining?”

 

Fiona: A little about yourself (ie: your education, family life, etc.).

I’m a middle child, I’ve three sisters and one brother. I met my husband of 34 years at work. We both worked in Customs & Excise division of the Department of the Revenue Commissioners. I neither enjoyed nor disliked school, it was something I had to get through as far as I was concerned so I got on with it. As a child I had a load of mishaps, which meant a lot of doctors’ visits. But the main thing I am very proud of after my four children, is surviving open heart surgery when I was 48. Then I topped that with my debut novel, My Husband’s Sin.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

At present, I am awaiting my edits for my sequel, from my editor Christine with Tirgearr Publishing. I have yet to settle on a title. This book follows on from My Husband’s Sin, and I’m quite excited about it as I think my readers will be shocked with the twist in it. I have also two thirds written on another book but I really don’t know what genre it fits in, I’m forever challenging myself with different genres.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing many moons ago. I guess it came from writing long and winding letters home after I moved away. My letters would fill ten A4 pages easily and then when I had my children, I would scribble down what they got up to and from there it progressed. I enjoy creating stories from maybe a word given to me or a photo that peaks my interest.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Oh Gosh, I suppose when I had my short stories published regularly and was paid for them.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Writing my first book came from a question I asked myself while at a funeral. I was standing at the graveside and wondered how many secrets were buried and never known about. It got me thinking and hey presto, I had my debut novel.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I am not a flowery language writer. I consider my writing to be basic but good storytelling material. I seem to lean towards relationships a lot in my writing. Like I said earlier, I like a challenge and have written in four different genres already. I will probably have to decide to stick with one shortly as I’m sure to confuse readers who have read my westerns and then tackle One Night in Barcelona and get a shock when they realise it is adult romance!!

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

I have not yet had to travel for my books, although the places I have written about I have been to. I would love to be told go to a certain place and write about it.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

My wonderful publishers at Tirgearr provide great over designers for our books.

 

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

I have not thought about a message before now. Interesting question, I shall have to get back to you, Fiona on this, J

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

My good friends who are also writers.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Yes, for me, it is my job now. My family are reared and I can give it more time. I would love to be able to earn enough to live off my writing. So please everyone, buy my books and leave a review too. Reviews are important for authors. So I shall thank you all here in advance for rushing out to my book and make me reach number one, LOL

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

Good question, as it is with my editor, I’m sure she will have something to suggest that will enhance the story but for me, myself, I can’t think of anything. I’m very happy with the way the sequel took shape. I even surprised myself with how the characters behaved.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Oh yes, for me as a writer, I am always learning. Even if it’s only a piece of flash fiction of 300 words to the 90000 plus of a novel, there is always something that makes you sit up and take notice. In the sequel, I found I believed in myself more as a writer, I trusted I could do it and I did.

 

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

I would love Jennifer Anniston to play, Lacey Taylor. I really enjoy her as an actress and it would be a dream come true.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Stick with it! Being a writer means having lots of patience, as it can take forever for publishers etc. to get back to you. Also, we are our own worst critics and although it is okay to seek advice, don’t be hard on yourself. In fact if you have friends who write or know a writers group ask for honest positive feedback. Even negative feedback can be given with a positive spin.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

I want to thank my readers and hopefully after this interview I shall have new readers, so thank you in advance. It really is an honour to have someone give their time and money in buying and reading my work.

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

At present, I’m reading a collection of short stories by Irish author Nuala O’Connor, titled, Joyride to Jupiter.

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

I loved all the Ladybird books when I started school and then moved on to everything by Enid Blyton.

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

I love a good get-together with my brother and sisters where we share stories from our childhood, we always end up in tears of laughter. What makes me cry is seeing any of my children hurting and not being able to take their pain away for them, even though I know they must deal with their feelings themselves to learn about life.  There are two books/films that always make me sob crying, The Green Mile and Last Snows of Spring.

 

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

There are many from the past that it is difficult to say, but a woman I would love to meet and spend time with would be my father’s mother, Kate Mackessy. I never met my paternal grandmother but have heard warm stories about her. In the present, I’d like to chat with Oprah Winfrey.

 

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I love crafts, in particular, crochet and cross-stitch. Plus of course reading.

 

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

I watch very little television.

 

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?

Love pizza, shepherd’s pie, stews. I love the colours, red, orange, purples, strong colours. Music, I enjoy country rock.

 

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

I would crochet for a living and read everything while eating my favourite foods and enjoying a glass of white wine.

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

She Did Her Best

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

I have a blog and also Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads etc. accounts. I am in the process of setting up my email list as I plan to send out a two monthly newsletter to those who would like to hear from me.

 http://marytbradford-author.blogspot.ie/

FaceBook:    Mary T Bradford Author

Twitter :       @marytbrad

Amazon author page :https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00BSRPSOC

Here is my interview with JM Chalker

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie. 

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we?

Tell us your name.

Jodie chalker authors name JM Chalker

What is your age? 37

 

Fiona: Where are you from?

Australia

 

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

i grew up in Sydney I am engaged to my partner and I have a three year old son named Sam. Who has OCD and Autism whom I spent majority of my time with since I am a stay at home mum.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

I am currently updating my novel Bound it getting a bonus 75 pages and new cover. I am working on other projects two novellas called turquoise and Latorie as well as the sequel to bound.

 

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing when I was old enough to learn how. I kept putting writing off because I have a learners disability that effects my grammar. But I decided with help of friends and family to pursue my dream.

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

2015 when I became a published author for Blue tulip publishing house..

 

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Watching American shows and growing up reading the baby sisters club, sweet valley high, Christopher pike and R,L Stine novels.

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I originally had a different title called cursed. But there was too many with that title and decided to call it Bound. But I can’t remember what made me consider that one. But it is related to a moment in the book itself.

 

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I find it hard to write passion. And describing things. I am still a very new author.

 

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Well my book is ya para but I’ve been told that my character Olivia (Liv) is very much like me.

 

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

No but I went to California in America I based my books over there. In hope if my books ever a movie I’d have to go back to watch it being filmed.

 

 

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Current cover; Jennifer Munswami new update cover coming author and designer Shannon Lee Perrine

 

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

Always keep reading and one clicking on novels. I hope you have an adventure reading Bound.

 

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?  Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

This is going to be a long list. Jennifer l armentrout, Mary Ting, Jus Accardo,Brenda Pandos Sarah j pepper, Rachel Van Dyken, Rachel Morgan, Desni Dantone,Wendy Higgins, LA Maldonado, LL Hunter,Shelly Crane, Cameo Renea Cassie Mae, Nicole Yoon, S,L Perrine,LaceyWeatherford. Due to having a learners disability I have very particular taste. I will confess that I do judge a book buy its cover and author. But I mostly stick to ya para. I stay away from blurbs do the book has to grab me by its introduction in order to get my attention. I also prefer to reach books written as the first person.

 

 

 

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author

All my friends and family members supported; Author Sarah.J.pepper helped answered my endless questions on how to get started. And Author Rachel Van Dyken helped me be introducing me to a publishing house.

 

 

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Hopefully but I think it depends on if your book is noticed by readers.

 

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

I recently just updated my book so there are changes coming.

 

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

The book community is very supportive of each other.

 

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Some one new and fresh who nobody heard of yet.

 

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Don’t force creativity the character will Come to you when they are ready

 

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Keep reading everyone wonderful adventures be patient with authors making novel. It  takes time and patiences to create a whole new world to the point of perfection.

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I am reading two arc novels as I also review and promote books and I am listening to one audio. The arcs I am reading are; shadow Faerie creepy halos book 8 Rachel Morgan. And Chasing Shadows Kindra Sowder. The audio I am listening to is actually funny romance called The consequences of Revenge Rachel Van Dyken.

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Hmm that could possibly have been the first baby sitters club book: Kristy’s big idea.

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Laughter something humorous; I love Jim Carry films  has to be something pretty awful or upsetting to make me cry.

 

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

I want to travel to America attend a book convention to meet several of my Indy friends.

 

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Reading writing reviewing promoting I love watching films. I also love playing video games.

 

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

A lot of my shows are sadly reaching there end; but I love Teen Wolf, Vampire Diaries,The Big Bang Theory,Switched At Birth, Beauty and the Beast,once upon a time and Supergirl.

 

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Fav food burgers, pizza and teriyaki chicken with rice and Tacos

 

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Lol have more free time to read everyone else’s books lol

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

“She reads a lot” I have no idea??!  Lol

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

No but I do have a page I use on Facebook to put my news on and promote friends novels

https://m..facebook.com/groups/1593599494225771 book page I don’t use my blog anymore

Book link https://www.amazon.com/J.-M.-Chalker/e/B00VSH9IHK/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

 

Here is my interview with Peri Dwyer Worrell

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Hi, Fiona, I’m Peri Dwyer Worrell, and I’m delighted to be interviewed for your blog! I am old enough to remember 8-track tapes and Pet Rocks.

 

Fiona: Where are you from?

I grew up in New York City, in a neighborhood which was mostly Puerto Rican then, but is now included in “the Upper West Side” of Manhattan.

 

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

My parents were performing artists: my dad was an actor/director/stage manager (and later a magazine editor), and my mother was a ballerina. They both came from working-class backgrounds, my mom in Alabama and my dad in Michigan, and neither of their families liked them marrying someone from the other side of the Mason-Dixon line!

I went to the Bronx High School of Science, which nowadays you’d call a “magnet school,” full of high-academic-achievement dorks. I went to college at Northwestern University in Chicago, then chiropractic school near Atlanta, Georgia. I got married and moved to Tallahassee, Florida, where I practiced chiropractic for 28 years and raised two children.

Then I became disabled (due to three different types of arthritis) and launched a new career as a writer and editor. I found, as someone with both a biomedical background and editing skills, that there was a big freelance demand for my skills, and I had to put the freelance scientific editing on the back burner in order to focus on publishing my own fiction instead.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

I recently published my first novel, Machine Sickness, and I am working on the sequel, tentatively entitled Watch It Burn.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I feel like I’ve always written, like I was born with a number-two pencil clutched in my pudgy baby hand!

I taught myself to read at the age of three, to my parents’ surprise, and began writing shortly thereafter. I wrote stories and poetry starting at about the age of five or six; I remember being furiously indignant when my second-grade teacher effusively praised a long poem I wrote, and then invited the rest of the class to collaborate on adding an additional stanza! My first poem was published a few years later, when I was 11.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Even though I was first published as a child, it was my teacher’s decision and not mine. I didn’t really have autonomy at that point, and it felt like it was just something that happened to me, rather than something I achieved.

I considered myself a frustrated writer throughout my career as a chiropractor; I wrote reports for personal injury attorneys to use in settling my patients’ cases and they were always highly impressed; I wrote all my patient newsletters myself; I even wrote a column for the local Tallahassee newspaper for a while.

But I had to lose most of the use of my hands before I could allow the fiction writer within to begin to blossom. It requires a lot of patience to be learning the basics of a craft in one’s 50s!

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I have always loved science fiction. The idea was something my husband and I came up with during a long car trip. He has a science degree also, and we have these meandering conversations in the car that cover incredible amounts of ground. We were talking about the oil seeps in the Gulf of Mexico and how there are bacteria which live on and digest the oil, and the concept of what would happen if they started to eat other petroleum products came up, and the idea was born!

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I guess it’s a pretty obvious title once you read the book! I don’t want to put a spoiler in this interview. But the book series is called “Eupocalypse” as a twist on the word “Apocalypse,” but using the Greek “Eu” as in “Euphoria.” The gloom-and-doom of modern post-apocalyptic fiction is so pessimistic when you look at the incredible things happening in the world, like the huge drop in global poverty and violence. My generation sang, “It’s the end of the world/ as we know it/and I feel fine!” and I think that optimism is needed as the pace of change accelerates almost faster than the human mind can grasp it.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I enjoy straight-ahead narrative writing with some lyrical elements. I used to be told I wrote like Hemingway, and when I read character sketches and incomplete stories from my teens and twenties that’s undeniably true.But I’ve gotten more descriptive with age. I’d like to write like Tana French or Anne Rice, but I’m not there yet!

Sci-fi used to be very much a man’s genre, and when women and POC entered the field, it drove some hard-core fans (including me) crazy. The criticisms of the SF of the 80s and 90s were that it became dreamlike and emotional, with little action and little hard science. I think a lot of those criticisms were valid, and I try to write SF with a hard, scientific basis and at the same time retain an unromanticized, but definitely female, point of view.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

The first book hewed very closely to my own experience. Most of the scenes and characters were based on,or were composites of, actual people, places, and events that happened to me or to people close to me. For the new book, there will be plotlines happening in parts of the world I’ve never visited, like the Horn of Africa and Beijing.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

I have never been to Africa or China, and at this point in my life, given the state of my health, I may never do so. But I don’t think I could have written the first book, and I’m sure I wouldn’t have attempted the second book, if I hadn’t lived in South America for a year after I sold my practice. I finished and published the first book while living where I am now, near Guadalajara, Mexico. Spending time in a different culture, with a different language and rhythm of life, gives you insight about what qualities and motivations are shared among all humans, and what varies.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

My first cover for Machine Sicknesswas a quickie slap-together job using clip art on a photo stock background. My artist bailed on me at the last minute and I didn’t want to delay my launch any further. By the time this interview comes out, it should have a spiffy new cover designed by Lucy Asiciltak, an Indonesian artist I found on Fiverr.

 

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

The inspiration came from a desire to portray the nuances of modern life in the American south, which is so often stereotyped or even demonized in popular culture, and a desire to incorporate some political ideas about radical decentralization and individual autonomy and responsibility, without waxing pedantic about it. I wrote a post-apocalyptic thriller because I think stories, especially exciting ones, touch us in a way that rhetoric can’t; I didn’t want to write a blah-blah-blah political polemic.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

Tana French is a writer who writes police procedurals, a genre of murder mystery sometimes associated with the old pulp magazines, and one which is regarded as lowbrow by a lot of people. But when I started reading her Faithful Place series, I was absolutely blown away by the way she uses spare poetic language to portray the most un-poetic and brutal situations imaginable. I read the first book before she broke through to the bestseller lists, and I was delighted to see her talent so widely recognized.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

Most recently, my friends Lisa Starkman and JocelineBurnel. Going back further, Philip Lopate, the teacher who saw that my first poems got published, and every single teacher and professor from junior high through college who made a point of reading my essays out loud to the entire class as an example of how to write!

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Like my first career as a healer, I see it as a sacred mission. I was born to write.

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

Well, that’s the beauty of self-publishing: If there’s anything I want to change, I can just edit the text and re-upload it! I actually did that for some formatting issues in the Kindle version, and I fixed a few typos at the same time. But I feel like the book is a reflection of my first steps as a novelist, so I’m reluctant to transform it. Excelsior!And all that.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

I learned a tremendous amount about the craft of storytelling. I am learning about marketing now that it’s published. And I’m learning even more as I write the second one. The first took me two years to finish and the structure was rather looser than I prefer. Instead of writing by the seat of my pants on the second one, I’m outlining more and paying more attention to plot development. I was very ambitious in writing multiple characters, settings, and plotlines, but that’s the kind of writing I like to read, so that’s what I wrote.

 

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Emily Deschanel, or maybe Alicia Silverstone.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

I don’t feel like I am qualified to give anyone else advice about something so personal.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

For a self-published new author, Amazon Reviews are the breath of life!

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

“War Against the Weak,” by Edwin Black. It’s about the eugenics movement of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The early part in particular intrigued me, as it tied together the eugenics movement with things like the Communist Manifesto, the Carnegie and Rockefeller foundations, Margaret Sanger’s birth control movement, and Oliver Wendell Holmes’s opinion in Buck vs. Bell, and the theme of Manifest Destiny and the idea that the US could and should reshape itself into a perfected form of humanity. The research on which the book is based is serious scholarship, very exhaustive, and it pretty much blows out of the water any whitewashed version of these ideas and their importance you might have heard or read.

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

No, but it was probably a Dr. Seuss book…

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

I guess I laugh the most easily at things that are a combination of clever and slapstick. Like the 5-second .gif of a guy who opens both doors of a double set of doors, not realizing there’s a bar between them, and walks into the bar, captioned, “A guy walks into a bar.” It takes a cliché and does something unexpected with it. A good pun will crack me up too, as anyone who reads Machine Sickness will discover.

Crying? I cry from seeing or hearing about acts of kindness, I cry when I realize I’ve let down someone important (like myself!), I am crying today about the hundreds of people who lost their lives in the big earthquake in Mexico City yesterday…

 

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

There are so many amazing human beings who have lived and do live on this planet! I couldn’t possibly pick just one. But I think meeting any of them would be a let-down because it would be too brief. Ask me which one I’d like to be seated next to on a cross-country train ride instead…

 

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I am a certified private pilot and I owned a small plane, a Cessna 172, until my disability. At that point, I could no longer afford the upkeep. I am hoping, as more people discover my writing, I can one day afford to fly again, because it’s one of the best feelings in the world!

I also bake, shoot, sew, and crochet. I used to garden; if I ever have a permanent home again, I will probably start a very small garden. A lot of physical activities I used to enjoy, like heavier gardening and martial arts, are closed to me now due to my arthritis.

 

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

I’m a huge Game of Thrones fan. I loved Dexter and Breaking Bad; I watched the second Guardians of the Galaxy twice the first week it came out.

 

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?

Foods: chocolate, avocadoes, raspberries. If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, I’d pick avocadoes.

Colors: Vivid blues and purples: turquoise, teal, cobalt, indigo, violet.

Music: Afro-Celt Sound System, Kila, Kasey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Imelda May, Candye Cane, Dead Can Dance, Beats Antique, Evanescence…a huge eclectic selection from multiple genres. I have over 10,000 songs on my hard drive.

 

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

 

Die.

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

Don’t want a headstone. Cremate me and throw my ashes in the ocean!

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

www.eupocalypse.com. E-mail subscribers will be the first to know about new releases and receive special freebies and inside knowledge!

My Amazon author page is here:

https://www.amazon.com/Peri-Dwyer-Worrell/e/B073VD6GX4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1505875266&sr=8-1

Fiona, thank you very much for the opportunity to do this interview! I really enjoyed it

Here is my interview with Jennie Gilbert Ross

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name.

 Jennie Gilbert Ross (children’s book pen name “Jennie Wren”)

 

What is your age?

83

 

Fiona: Where are you from?

Austin Texas (currently in Reno Nevada)

 

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

I graduated from Austin High School and attended the University of Texas at Austin.  I currently live in Reno, NV with my husband of 61 years.  We have a dog and 2 horses.  We have 3 grown sons.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

 I have just published my 5^th Slicker McQuicker and getting ready to release the first Slicker McQuicker character of my upcoming Slicker toyline.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

My older brother and my parents were both into poetry.  They were a big influence on me.  When I was in the first grade my older brother introduced me to the works of Robert W Service and Rudyard Kipling.  My father and I would walk down the street quoting “Thanatopsis”.  I still to this day quote the poems that my parents and I shared while I was very young.  At about 4 years I was already reciting poetry by Robert Lewis Stevenson.  When I was in first grade I always carried a poetry book in my back pocket. It was by Robert W. Service and was called “The Spell of the Yukon”.  When I was in the fifth grade, the teacher read “The Cremation of Sam McGee” and I was so enthralled by it that I went to the library, learned it and still to this day recite it word for word.

 

I still have the same poetry book that I kept in my back pocket from my childhood.

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

In High School I won a prize for writing for the veterans.  I guess that was the point that I began to feel like a writer.

 

 

Well, I can’t remember what my first book was but I did not publish it.  However, I was inspired to write my children’s books about Slicker McQuicker due to:

While raising 3 sons and my youngest having learning disablilities, I realized that there were so many important values that were not being taught.  I created the character Slicker McQuicker to be someone that kids could relate to and look up to.  Slicker is a real funny boy.  His ears spring out, his eyes change from brown to blue, he has red curly hair, freckles and looks different than the other kids.  He teaches kids about acceptance, self love, friendship, safety and bullying while taking the audience on fun adventures.

Because of my youngest son’s learning disability, he was seeing a child psychologist by the name of Tom Oakland who was world famous for helping children.  He read my Slicker books and felt that they had values that children could benefit from.

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I came up with it because it rhymed.  I thought it would draw kids’ attention.  I felt that Slicker McQuicker had a fun sound to it, was fun to say and easy to remember.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

 For my children’s books  Iuse rhyming because it’s easy for children to read and remember.

Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

Not for my children’s books but for my mystery novels I sometimes get a writers block and right now I’m writing a sequel to my first mystery and find that it’s more challenging due to keeping characters in line and maintaining the flow.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Some of my mysteries have incidents that happened in my own life and personal experiences from people I’ve met or known.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

 I do not have to travel but I have come up with characters and locations due to travelling.

Fiona: Who designed the covers

?Shirley Turgeon

 

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

My message in my Slicker McQuicker books is to teach kids self respect, respect for others, safety, importance of friendship, anti-bullying, using your imagination and to know that it’s ok to be different and you don’t always have to others around to have fun.

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

No.

Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

I don’t have a favorite but currently I am listening to Anne Perry’s audiobooks and find her work intriguing.I also really enjoy Jeffrey Archer.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

Dr Tom Oakland

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.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Yes, it’s really hard to get through, haha.

 

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

 If it was THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BLANKET I would like someone like Clint Eastwood.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

It takes hard work, determination and regardless of what publishers or agents say, you know your work.  Never give up.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

 Be on the lookout for many more SlickerMcQuickers and our toyline that is being produced.

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

The Wrong Side of the Blanket by me😊

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

No.  haha.

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Politics.

 

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet?

Benjamin Franklin would be great to meet because he respected the average American, he had a great sense of humor, could speak several different languages and believed in freedom.

 

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Horseback riding, swimming, traveling and politics.

 

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

None.  I don’t watch tv because I feel that it could affect my own ideas for my work.  When I was writing songs, it was suggested that I don’t listen to others on the radio because it would have an effect on what I would produce.

 

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

My favorite food is steak, favorite color is blue and favorite music is country.

 

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Spend time with my horses and friends.

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

I’m going to be cremated.

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

 

https://www.jenniegilbertross.website/

https://www.facebook.com/JennieGilbertRoss/

 Children’s book pen name “Jennie Wren”

 

 

 

 

Here is my interview with Brandi MacCurdy

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Brandi MacCurdy and I’m thirty-four.

 

Fiona: Where are you from?

Homosassa, Florida

 

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

I’ve lived and worked in the same small town my entire life! Something about a small town makes me comfortable. My husband and I have one daughter and we enjoy our close-knit family. At the moment, my husband is my editor, so I believe we make a really great team.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

In 2016, I self-published four books, Destined, Endless, Undeniable and Entirely. I’ve got three other manuscripts, Escape, Becoming and Shattered, in editing and I am currently outlining my eighth story, Breakwater.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing as a child. I can remember taking a notebook and pencil to my father’s after work softball games and making up stories about the people I’d see or about the ballfield. I was always creating imaginary worlds I could control. As I grew, so did my writing. It’s been a passion for me and something I find solace in.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I don’t think I considered myself a writer until I self published the first time. Then it seemed real.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

The first book I ever wrote, Endless, was a journey for me. I wanted to explore some of the utter most tragic parts of life one could go through and show how you can still shine through the darkness. I wanted to have something out there that people could relate to and feel comforted by.

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

One word titles have always been fun for me. I feel like it’s my thing, so I’ll run through words until something just strikes a chord with what the story is about.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I’m not sure if I have a particular style, but I do love the entire process: outlining, creating, putting pen to paper – all of it. Punctuation is my biggest challenge.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

There are tons of experiences based on my life and those around me that I’ve pulled from and placed into my stories. I also pull from things I dream about. Dreams are some of my biggest inspirations.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

I’m a homebody, all the way. I don’t travel, however some of my stories do take place in regions I’ve never visited. Lots and lots of research go into those.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

All of my covers are photographs taken by dear friends.

 

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

That love, no matter what form, conquers all. Perhaps also to lean on those closest to you – family and true friends are rare.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?  Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

In my early twenties I was introduced to Sandra Brown and I’ve loved her ever since. I also adore Gregory Maguire and Katherine Howe. I’ve read so many wonderful authors. Anyone telling a good story that I can fall into, I’m in love.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

My family and friends are huge supporters, but so are my co-workers. They are amazing!

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

That is the ultimate dream!

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

You’re always going to find things to change I think, but I also believe they are all gems in their own right.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

The last book I completed was a therapeutic exercise for me. I wrote it as a way to work through a very difficult time in my life, so I learned a lot about myself while creating that story.

 

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

That is a loaded question! Some of my stories I have strict visions of what I think the characters look like and others I don’t at all. I normally don’t share my visions because I want the reader to picture the character as they perceive them, but I’ll do it this once. I’ll go with Endless – My Becca would be Rachel McAdams and my Nick would be Nathan Fillion.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Do what you love and never give up. Whether you want to write for yourself, your family or for the world, just get out there and do it.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

I hope the readers fall in love with my characters. I want the characters to feel like your old friends when you’ve finished the book.

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I have stacks of books to read. But honestly, I’m so ready to dive into the Harry Potter series – I’ve never cracked one book!

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

The first book I can remember reading was a battered copy of Kristy’s Great Idea from the Baby Sitters Club series. My nana had found it at a yard sale and brought it to me. I was hooked! I spent most of my allowance money as a teen buying that series. I have the entire series now and can’t wait for my daughter to read it.

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Watching my daughter use her imagination makes me laugh. She creates wondrous stories and lands in the confines of her bedroom and she loves it. I admire that. Sincerity and nervousness makes me cry. If I’m afraid, I’m crying.

 

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

I’ve never really had a good answer to this question. My favorite book is Jane Erye and I’ve always kind of wished I could meet her. That would be something!

 

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I love crafting, creating, organizing and exploring local outdoor spaces.

 

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

Our household watches Dancing With The Stars, Once Upon A Time and anything on the ID on Discovery channel. I’m more particular with movies. They have to make me feel something or have a good looking leading man, at least.

 

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Tacos! Goodness, I love tacos. My favorite color is and always will be green. I tend to listen to pop music and some country with little splashes of alternative and rock. I like to sing when I’m alone, so anything I can sing to, I enjoy.

 

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

I’d probably explode. Or push my daughter to write and neither of those are good choices. So I’ll have to keep writing. It’s my escape, my release.

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

She fell in love with the moments.

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

Yes, my website is www.brandimaccurdy.com !

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01DZ1OXTE

Here is my interview with Kimberley Hatch

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Hey all! I’m Kimberley Hatch, but only my mother calls me Kimberley, everyone else calls me Kim… or mom depending on if you’re 10 or not. Oh goodness, I had to do the math to remember how old I am. In my head I’m still 28, although my driver’s license says I’m 31.

 

Fiona: Where are you from?

Originally, I’m from England, but I grew up in America. Now, I live in Arizona and have become an absolute baby when the weather resembles anything remotely cold.

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

For a vain person I’m finding it hard to talk about myself. I live with my husband and daughter. We have a sassy golden retriever, fat Chihuahua and two geriatric cats that might actually outlive me.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

My latest book news would have to be that I’ll be at the FanSASStic book signing in October 2018. I’m pretty excited about that. And of course this interview is making me feel way more important than I am.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Life is a funny thing. My first job was what I wanted to be when I grew up. What is a person supposed to do once they’ve lived a dream they worked their whole life for? For me, writing turned out to be that second dream that I didn’t even know I had.

You might figure this out when you see my tv habits, but I’m an obsessive person. What better way to obsess over fictional people than to write my own.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I still don’t. I often look at ‘real’ writers and think, “how do I get to be like that?” I feel the same about being a grown up. Maybe that’s how life works, we never really feel like we’ve made it, because then we’d stop trying.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I was talking to an author I met on Twitter about how amazing I found it that writer’s can create an entire world out of nothing and she said that I could do it too. She told me to just pick one idea and go from there. So I did. And to think that first idea came from a little gray cat staring at me from the edge of my bed.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Title’s are hard. They’re like naming your children. You want something unique but not weird and one of the last things you want is to have 12 other books with the same title. I’ve had to learn as I go with that. Mostly, a word or phrase pops into my head and I just can’t let it go. My next book (that no one knows about yet) actually got its title from a hashtag my husband used once when we were on vacation.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I find that each book requires something different. One book might need me to outline every chapter, scene and conversation before I begin. Another book might work best when I go in blind. So far the only thing my books have in common as far as their creation goes is a Pinterest board. I pick characters and homes and vehicles and towns all before I start writing. It works best if I can make them real to me.

The hardest thing about writing is that sometimes, the characters don’t do what I want them to. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Aren’t these fictional characters that you made up?” Yes, they are, but once I’ve created them, they have a mind of their own. In my fourth book Chasing Forever the main character Camille said something so cruel to her love interest that I had to close my computer. I couldn’t speak to her for a month. A month without writing all because when I thought about what Camille had said I was furious with her.

Along those same lines, things happen in Broken that I wish I could take back, but I never would. Life isn’t always a fairy tale and sometimes things can’t be fixed, even if I’m the one in control of the delete button.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

I have 6 books out currently. Each one has little pieces of me scattered here and there. A New Forever (My second book) has a gas explosion at one point and that happened to the home next door to me about 5 years ago.

Broken is my 5^th book and one that will always have a special place in my heart. If I never write anything of value again, I’d be okay with that. Broken is the book I measure all my current and future writing to. That book is based on the relationship between a brother and a sister. The sister: learning to balance love, work, school and her brother. The brother: fighting a heroin addiction. The relationship between the two is loosely based on my brother and I. Although we’re lucky to have a close family, unlike the two in the book. The brother’s addiction is based on someone I know who took the time to let me see into the world of drugs and addiction. I learned things I never thought about and view addicts completely differently than I did before writing Broken.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

While I don’t have to travel to get ideas or get the words on the page. I do come up with some of my favorite ideas when I travel.

My newest book What Are The Odds was born in Las Vegas. My husband was there for work, so I tagged along so I could lock myself in a quiet hotel room all day to write. Walking through a casino I kept seeing cocktail waitresses handing out drinks to gamblers and couldn’t help but invent their life’s stories in my head. What grew from there turned into the question, ‘what happens when one day the bright lights that drew you to Vegas start to hurt your eyes. You start to see the creepy dark side as opposed to the sparkling lights that brought you hope and opportunity. As with every book, that idea spiraled wildly out of control and somehow ended up with a miniature donkey somewhere in Nebraska.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I design all of my covers. When I’m writing, normally by the middle of the book I have an idea of how I want the cover to look. I mock up a rough design and send it to my husband with a bright smile and fluttering eyelashes to get my way. Next thing I know, I have a finished cover. I start with an idea and he comes in and makes it all work together.

I will say that I learn something new about book covers with each one and I’ve changed so much since releasing my first books that I’m itching to give them new covers… and maybe rewrite a word or two.

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

I spend such a long time working on each book and each one comes from a different time in my life that there’s always a different message in each book.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?  Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

I don’t know about new authors, since I consider myself a new author, but remember I don’t consider myself a grown up either. Currently, I’m obsessed with B.B. Easton. Her writing can simultaneously make you pee with laughter, cry through a broken heart and then put you all back together again. I’m pretty sure she’s a wizard.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

You know in Meet the Parents where the dad refuses to let people into his ‘circle of trust’ my family is kind of like that. We’re a tight knit group and we don’t often let in outsiders, but once you’re in… you’re in. So the friends I have, I consider family.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I do, not one that makes a living, but a career and something to work on for the long haul for sure.

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

I have to say I’m pretty happy with the writing in my newest book and the 2 before that. I have lived these stories over and over until I’m sick of them. So, to say I’m happy with them is pretty major. I cringe at the thought of opening my first three, because unlike a reader who is exploring that world for the first time, I’ve sent up camp there and know every detail. All I see are the mistakes in them, but it’s been a long time since I’ve revisited those first three books, so maybe I’ve created a mountain out of a mole hill in my head.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

I think I officially learned that I’ll never know how to work a comma, and also that donkeys can climb stairs.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Oh this is an easy one, remember the pinterest boards? Now, I’m not sure if I should tell you who I’d cast, I wouldn’t want to ruin the reading experience for you. Like for me, Robert Pattinson was never Edward Cullen and now I can’t reread the books because he’s all I see. Okay, I’ll tell you. I see Willa Holland as Sutton Payne. (She plays Thea Queen on Arrow) Tyler Hoechlin is Austin Mercer. (Derek from Teen Wolf)
Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Write, write and write some more. You can make a story without words. There’s nothing to improve on if you don’t have words on the page. And also, try not to put much stock in reviews. Good, bad, any reviews at all.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Just the fact that I have readers is mind blowing. When someone tells me they loved one of my books or that they can’t wait for the next book, I find it hard not to fan girl over them. I appreciate every single person that has read or will ever read anything I’ve written. I think it’s a beautiful thing that they’ve deemed my words worthy of their time.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

At this very moment, I have Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick in my purse. It’s light, funny and something I can read a page of here and there. What I’m dying to read once I have a minute to catch my breath is Speed by B. B. Easton, I haven’t read it yet and I know once I open it that I won’t be able to put it down.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

I remember reading the BFG as a kid and the first real chapter book I read. What turned me into the reader I am today was A Message In A Bottle by Nicholas Sparks. My mom read it and left it on the table as a teenager and during summer break I picked it up and couldn’t stop until I’d read all of his books. They spoke to my emotional teenage soul.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Everything. All the time. I laugh when it’s highly inappropriate… like at the hospital or courtroom. I also cry when it’s completely inappropriate. I cry all the time at commercials and puppies I pet in public. It’s unreal the amount of crying I do. At one point my husband had to hide the tv remotes so that I’d stop watching Homeward Bound. My crying was starting to scare the dog.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

This is strange, but I find old people fascinating. They don’t have to have done anything incredible, but they’ll have a story. I love to listen to people and hear about their experiences, especially when living through so many different times.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I love to read and write are pretty standard answers. Here’s how I really spend my time.

I get on Pinterest, scroll for a good twenty minutes before I find something that I absolutely can’t live without having in my house for another day. I go to the Home Depot down the street, buy all the supplies and then spend the next two days creating what I’ve seen while neglecting the rest of the house. So far I have a pretty sweet collage wall in the living room. Distressed pallet wall in my bedroom (my navy blue bedroom). Painted gray tile floors (which was a massive job but worth every second). My kitchen cabinets have changed colors multiple times and I have a pretty awesome corrugated metal back splash that cost $11.

In between pinterest projects I find animal projects. Yeah, you read that right, animal projects. Stray animals have a way of finding me. I live in a corner house in my neighborhood and don’t go more than two weeks without finding an animal. My husband, daughter and dogs are so used to coming home to find stray animals in the house that they don’t even notice. I catch the animal, nurse it back to health, and either track down their owner or find them a new home. I’ve had everything in this house from a brand new-eyes still closed- kitten to a St. Bernard. Some animals have collars and have a happy reunion in no time. Others are sick, have to be separated from my pets and stay with us for weeks before they’re ready for a new home. I’m basically the crazy dog lady of my neighborhood.

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

When I’m not reading or writing, I’m watching. I just finished binge watching Game of Thrones. So now every question in my house is answered with ‘you know nothin’’ I love loveLOVE Grey’s Anatomy-I enjoy torturing myself like that and am certain I could have removed my dad’s gallbladder, but he wouldn’t even let me try. Friday Night Lights is another must, it gets quoted around this house all the time and sometimes I can’t help but speak with a Texas accent, much to my daughter’s annoyance.

 

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

I am 31 and my parents still get on me about eating correctly. I’m terrible for snacking and I’d almost always rather just have a soda than something to eat. When I’m writing, it gets worse, the pile of caffeine, candy, gum and carbs can reach insane proportions. My husband stands firm that ice cream is not a real dinner, but I often win that battle.

Can I say that my favorite color was navy blue before it became popular? How about gray? Maybe I should just go with black, like my heart ;). Definitely some shade of blue.

I say I have epic taste in music. My husband would say otherwise. It depends on my mood, but Taylor Swift is always a good fall back.

 

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

I tried to pawn this question off on my husband, but he gave me some riddled answer and now I’m not sure if I’m supposed to look in the nearest pond to study my reflection orguess and what else I’d like to do with my life.

Is there a job where I can decorate people’s homes, but only with the stuff I like and tell them no if what they want is terrible? If so, I want to be that. Or a librarian, but I’d only recommend books I like, so maybe I wouldn’t be so good at that. Perhaps my best Plan B will be playing ‘car crash victim number 3’ on Grey’s Anatomy. I feel like that’s a solid fall back because I can fake cry really well and Grey’s will be on the air forever… right?

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

Here lies Kimberley Hatch. This could have been avoided if someone would have only given her a Snickers.

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

I have a website, but I’m not going to lie, the updates come in bursts. www.kimberleyhatch.com It’s probably best to follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. All three are @itskimhatch

https://www.amazon.com/Kimberley-Hatch/e/B01LXTP4CF/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Forever Changed: http://amzn.to/2jJ0sWA

A New Forever: http://amzn.to/2gRHQCO

Finding Forever: http://amzn.to/2xQ3lLB

Chasing Forever: http://amzn.to/2xvKDaO

Broken: http://amzn.to/2jlk0v6

What Are The Odds: http://amzn.to/2unnSBq

 

 

Here is my interview with Viki Meadows

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

My name’s Viki Meadows and I have reached level 52 in the game of life.

Fiona: Where are you from?

I’m a bit of a mix. I was born in Zimbabwe but I have a Greek passport and I live in the UK.

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

I come from a large family (I have seven siblings) which means that I never have to be alone. I live in a house in rural Yorkshire, near some nice walks and places of natural beauty. My husband and I keep hens and have a cat to keep us entertained now that the kids have flown the nest.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

I’m self publishing a romantic, historical short story called Kiss Me Goodbye to raise money for charity. One hundred percent of the profits will go to help charities in memory of my oldest son. I’ve also co-authored a romcom novella with Beth Good, called Christmas at the Lucky Parrot Garden Centre which should be out in October. That was a new experience for me and I found it very enjoyable and I’ve learnt a lot from it.

 

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing as soon as I started reading when I was about four years old. (I was an early reader). I would make up my own stories involving characters I liked or rewrite bits of novels when they didn’t go the way I wanted them to or didn’t end in a satisfactory way for me, and this led to me creating my own stories from scratch as well.

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve always written but never thought of myself as a writer. I’ve only recently started putting writer or author on official forms because I feel I should own it but I always wonder if someone will shout, ‘Fraud’ at me. I hope I feel worthy of calling myself a writer one day but I can’t imagine when I will feel comfortable doing it.

 

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I’m fascinated by certain themes, betrayal, infidelity, redemption and because they intrigue me I’m tempted to write them. Most of my early books have never been published. I’m not even sure I could find them saved in a bottom drawer anywhere. I usually start with a situation and then imagine what sort of characters would get mixed up in it and how the situation would impact on their characters and relationship. From there I start questioning ‘what if’ and try and build a story.

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I’m not very good at titles so I spent a few days writing down all the ones I could think of. I decided on Kiss Me Goodbye because my hero, Villiers asks Minnie (the heroine) to give him one last kiss before she leaves him and of course that kiss turns things upside down.

 

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I always find it difficult to judge my own work so I’m not sure about my writing style. It would be lovely if I had an individual voice/style but I don’t know if I do. I find everything about writing strangely enjoyable but in a painful way, particularly rewrites. They are the most painful part of writing for me and I really envy authors who enjoy that part the most.

 

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

So far none of my books are based on real people or on experiences from my own life. I use research or try and think how I would react in a given situation but that is sometimes more of a hindrance because my character might not react in the same way I would. I certainly use my understanding of the world around me as much as possible to ground my story in a time and place.

 

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

I’ve never travelled physically up until now, in order to write. I’ve only travelled into my imagination, to fictional places or to a different time in the past. I do a lot of research but I am hoping that one day I will be so successful that I will be able to travel for ‘research’ purposes and get the costs tax deducted. 😊 That’s my dream.

 

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I have designed the cover for Kiss Me Goodbye. I am covering all the costs so that none of the profits for the charities get eaten up.

 

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

No, I’m not a great one for messages. I want my readers to enjoy a good, engaging read and hope that’s what I have achieved. If they see a different point of view as a result of reading one of my stories or get an emotional ride then that’s a bonus for me.

 

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?  Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

I love Joanna Bourne’s historical novels. Her writing style is so unique and engaging that I find them magical. I also like Jennifer Crusie’s contemporary romance novels. She is so funny.

 

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

The RNA (Romantic Novelists Association) They have a wonderful support network and critiquing scheme for unpublished writers that is unique and super helpful.

 

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

It’s my dream but I don’t know if it is ever likely to become a  reality. There’s so much competition out there and so many better authors that getting your books out there can be very challenging. I will keep aspiring to it though.

 

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

At the moment no, it’s the best I can make it, however in a year or two I will be a completely different person and will have grown as an author so no doubt I will look at tit and cringe and see loads of things I’d change.

 

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

During the research I did for this book I I learnt how people celebrated Christmas in the regency era. On a practical, editing level, I learntthe difference between an ‘en dash’ and an ‘em dash’. With regards to other stories I’ve had to research diverse things such as garden gnomes and pet snakes, and what sort of accident would make a cat lose its claws. It’s great fun!

 

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Keanu Reeves and Scarlet Johansson. I love both those actors.

 

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Bum. Seat. Write. It’s all about discipline and getting words written. I’m only sorry it’s taken me so long to work it out for myself.

 

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

I hope they enjoy my books and I really appreciate the fact that they have gone to the trouble of purchasing them.

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I’ve just been re-reading the crime novels by Georgette Heyer.

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

It was the Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton.

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Well written, poignant books make me cry and good comedy movies make me laugh. Dodgeball still has the power to make me laugh out loud even though I have seen it loads of times.

 

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

I’d love to meet one of my direct female ancestors. I’d love to know what made her tick, what life was like for her and what sort of person she was. I’d love to be able to let her know what her descendants were doing and compare our worlds. I think we’d find that although a lot has changed in other ways not much has changed at all.

 

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I do a lot of crochet, knitting and cross stitch work. I’m not very creative but there are loads of patterns out there and I love the fact that the things I make have a practical application.

 

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

I enjoy shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, The Great British Bake Off, MasterChef and other things like that. I also love watching re-runs of cosy crime series like Midsomer Murders and Lewis.

 

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Chinese food, first and Greek food next. Colour: Purple, Music: my favourite song is Ivory Road by King Charles.

 

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

I’d run writing retreats on a Greek island somewhere.

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

I think I’d rather not have a headstone. I would like to be planted under an apple or olive tree and covered with wild flowers, or something like that. 😊

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

My blog: https://vikimeadows.wordpress.com/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/viki.meadows

Twitter: @VMeadowsAuthor

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B075RV4FV7?ref_=pe_1805931_64002121