Here is my interview with Grace Brennan

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?

Grace: My name is Grace Brennan, and I’m 36.

Fiona: Where are you from?

Grace: I currently live in Texas, but I’m from Indiana. And I miss it! Texas is too hot for me lol.

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

Grace: I went to Indiana University, where I majored in secondary education and minored in English. I have an adorable little boy—he’s six, and the absolute best—and three dogs. I’m a full-time author and editor, and between that, my son, and my animals, I keep pretty busy. And I have addictions to coffee, tattoos, and Gilmore Girls!

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Grace: I just recently began a shared world, based on my shifter world. My release, Colton: Rogue Beginnings, kicked it off in May. There are eleven other amazing, talented authors writing in this world, and each month, a new book will be releasing. And I just started my second mermaid book, Kiss the Girl, set in the shared Mountain Mermaids world!

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Grace: I’ve been a reader for as long as I can remember, and the passion to write followed soon after. I wrote my first short story when I was in fourth grade, and my first full length book when I was 14—and the rest is history.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Grace: When I held my first published paperback in my hands, probably, and even then, it was hard to believe. That was over two years ago and it sometimes still feels surreal. I’m living my dream, and it’s crazy and unbelievable to me!

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Grace: My first published book? It was just a story in my head that wouldn’t shut up. I’ve been writing for most of my life, but I kind of slacked off a bit after I had my son. Then that story came to me, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Once I decided that I was going to sit down and write it, I made up my mind that this time, I was going to do it right and publish it. It was one of the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done in my life, but incredibly rewarding!

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Grace: I had a vision of how it ended, and it was at night under a blanket of stars—so the title Starry Night Sky seemed appropriate. It’s one of my favorite titles. I love all of them for that series, actually—Starry Night Sky, One Sunny Day, and Misty Autumn Morning.

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

Grace: I guess my style is that once I sit down to write a new book, I feel like Ihave to keep at it until it’s finished—so I end up having very long working days, sometimes ten to twelve hours. That can be a challenge in itself, because I end up exhausted once I’ve finished, but it’s an amazing feeling.

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

Grace: Each book has a piece of me in it—whether it’s a situation I’ve experienced, or a feeling I’ve felt. My books are paranormal, and so much of them are pure fantasy, but I want my characters to be as realistic as they can possibly be. I want them to be real—even though they just happen to shift into an animal whenever they feel like it lol.

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

Grace: The only time I travel is when I do signings, and I do quite a few each year. But sometimes those travels do spark story ideas. I drove through Kansas last weekend for a signing, and it sparked a story idea that won’t die down. I’m trying to make time to write it as we speak! And it’ll be contemporary, something I’ve only done under the pen name Khloe Thomas, so it’s kind of nerve wracking lol.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Grace: Tracie Douglas of Dark Water Covers. She’s a cover genius!

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

Grace: Each book has a different message, but I never try to push them on the readers, or feel like I’ve failed if they don’t see it. If they find it and it speaks to them or they can apply it to their own situations, that’s an amazing feeling.

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?

Grace: I’ve recently started reading Carian Cole’s books, and I love them! I don’t have much time to read these days, but I’m trying to make room for her books. I’ve devoured the few I’ve found time for so far! I’m not really sure I can answer the second part of that—I have so many favorite authors, if I tried to list them all and explain why I love them, we’d be here for days lol.

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

Grace: My author bestie, Samantha McCoy. We’ve been friends in the book world for years now, and we both started publishing at the same time. She never once made me feel like I couldn’t do this or like I wasn’t good enough. She’s been my sounding board, my proof-reader, my support system, and I couldn’t imagine doing this without her.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Grace: Absolutely, and it’s one I’ll continue as long as my readers still want books!

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

Grace: The only thing I’d maybe change is the length, but it wasn’t feasible—since it’s a shared world, I couldn’t make it my typical 70k word count. Still, I absolutely love the way it turned out, so maybe I wouldn’t change that after all lol.

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

Grace: That I don’t handle the pressure of a hard deadline well! Lol. Generally, if I have a deadline, it’s one I set down, and it hurts no one except myself if I don’t meet it. This time, I had eleven authors following me in my shared world, and if I didn’t hit my deadline, I’d screw everyone else up.The pressure I felt was unreal lol.

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

Grace: Oh, boy. I’m not sure. I have twenty-one published books out, and it would be a different set for each book!

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Grace: Never give up. There will be more times than you can count that you want to—but don’t. Keep at it. Amazing things can happen when you keep chipping away at achieving your dream. Research. Learn everything you can about the process, soak up the editing notes, and keep growing.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Grace: I love you all, and you’re the reason I do this. Thank you so much for letting me continue to follow my dreams.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Grace: I literally just finished doing edits on another author’s book—Maxwell by Livell James, the second book my shared world, Rogue Enforcers. As a pleasure read, I’m reading Torn by Carian Cole. So. Good!

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Grace: I’ve been reading since I was two, just like my son, so not really lol. I do remember the first book I wanted to read over and over. It was called Oompah and I found it in the fifth grade. It was at my school’s library and I must have checked it out and reread it at least a hundred times.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?            

Grace: My son and my dogs are always doing something that cracks me up. As far as crying—well, I’m pretty sensitive. Sometimes a commercial can make me tear up lol.

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

Grace: Like the favorite author question, that list would take far too long to complete—and quite a few authors would make the list!

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Grace: Reading is my main hobby, but like I said above, I rarely have time to do it anymore. And I love to watch reaction videos on YouTube. It’s one of my favorite ways to decompress after I finish a book or finish editing someone else’s book.

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

Grace: Gilmore Girls is my all-time favorite show! I’ve been a fan since it first came on the air forever ago, and I’ve probably watched the full seven seasons at least a hundred times, if not more. I watch an episode every night before bed, because it relaxes me. You can find mention of a character watching it in quite a few of my books, too, or sometimes a random quote from the show. And I’m basically a slave to Hallmark’s Christmas movies. Good luck getting a hold of me when they’re airing!

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Grace: I love Italian food, and lasagne is my favorite. My favoritecolor is green—which is why my logo and nearly all my swag is green—with purple a close second. My playlist is pretty eclectic—everything from The Monkees, Eminem, Nickelback, a cappella, Metallica, to a heavy dose of country sprinkled in.

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

Grace: I can’t really imagine that lol, but I’d probably go back to being a florist. That was the best job I ever had, until I published.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

Grace: With my son, soaking in every single second.

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

Grace: “Here lies the underdog who never lost hope.” When I mentioned that quote—from Joyner Lucas on Eminem’s song, Lucky You, which is actually “When I die, I’m going out as the underdog who never lost hope”—and said I wanted to get it as a tattoo, someone told me that they don’t see me as an underdog at all. But I don’t think I’ll ever feel like that’s not who I am, no matter how successful I may get in my life.

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

Grace: No website, but I do have a newsletter that’s great for updates and exclusive giveaways. This is it—and I never spam. It’s all just info on my books. http://eepurl.com/dvH545

And this is my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/gracebrennanauthor

Amazon Authors page USA

https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Brennan/e/B071G6GTX2?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1561885228&sr=1-1

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grace-Brennan/e/B071G6GTX2?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1561885245&sr=1-1

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Here is my interview with Vijai Kumar Sharma

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

Fiona: Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. Where are you from?

Vijaiksharma: Thanks a lot for giving this opportunity of hosting me on this web site.  My name is Vijai Kumar Sharma. I am from Jaipur, the Capital city of Rajasthan State, in India. I am delighted and honoured to be a part of the acclaimed “Author Interviews”.

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

Vijaiksharma: For many years, I have been active as a freelance writer, author, book-reviewer, abstract writer, trainer, examiner, assessor, visiting faculty and translator. I have written about 185 scripts published in foreign and Indian publications & 24 radio talks broad cast on All India Radio and received one of the “Writers of the month” for Jan 2007 on www.shvoong.com. The following six books have been written jointly & published in India during 2001-03: (a) Voluntary Organizations & social welfare (b) Man power planning and development© Mathematical Statistics & Econometric models (d) Advanced Mathematical Statistics (e) Statistical concepts for economic development & planning (f) Advanced techniques for economic development & planning. Another jointly written book is under editing. I am a Mechanical engineer from B.H.U., and management professional, Former Addl. General Manager, Former Associate Professor, Received President of India award 1968, Fellowship award 1992, H K Firodia award 1996, Colvin Medal 1957, IIIE Special Award-2017, Life Time Achievement award-2017 from ITSR, Jaipur, besides other appreciation letters. I have been abroad 6 times to USA, Europe, Bulgaria & Egypt and visited 17 countries. Trained in West Germany in 1975 & in Egypt in 1976, Substantial contribution also in academics field & professional organizations.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Vijaiksharma: It was my inner urge, which prompted me to start writing right from my young age, to express my thoughts. I was very keen to see my name in the print, along with my contribution. My first article was for the School magazine, which was followed in college too. Subsequently, my writings continued for various magazines, both technical and general, both in English and Hindi languages and also in various fields. This urge has continued in addition to my full time Engineering –Managerial job.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Vijaiksharma: I still consider myself to be a student in the field of writing. I am a firm believer in the Japanese technique called “Kaizen” [(quote) a Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices, personal efficiency etc. (unquote)] and I try to learn continuously, from various experiences and sources, as far as possible.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book? How did you come up with the title? How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Vijaiksharma: It was a joint decision. I was a part of the group. Since my six books published so far, were jointly written and published, their titles were finalized as a result of discussions amongst the joint authors. These books are generally based on our experiences in the technical fields. These are not novels, hence this question “How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?” is not applicable. I go on writing and writing, edit the same and give finishing touches to get a final script. In the case of my individual scripts I make a final decision, but in case of jointly written books etc., the decision is taken jointly, for finalizing the script. Our seventh jointly written book is under editing and its title and script are also proposed to be decided jointly.

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

Vijaiksharma: Yes, travelling is very helpful for the purpose of writing, as one meets many people, observes the situations, gets creative ideas for new writings or modifying the earlier writings. I also resorted to travelling for the works related to writing, as well as for my job.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Vijaiksharma: Book covers for all the six books were designed by the cover design specialists and in my opinion, they did an excellent job. But, of course, things can always be improved.

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

Vijaiksharma: Initially in my life, I was encouraged by my father to write and as I was also keen to write, I continued my writing journey. One of my Professors, who taught me during my college education, was very encouraging of my writing activities. We even prepared a technical book jointly, but it could not be published. But our several jointly written articles have been published. Two other well-known Engineers motivated me to write technical scripts in Hindi language, which I did. Several of these scripts have been published in journals. I also got encouragement from a German organization for my writing activities and some articles were published by them. I even tried for writing poetry, but I was not much successful. Several other persons also helped me in writing. Above all, I received full cooperation and support from my family, all along.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Vijaiksharma: Yes, I do see writing as a career, though not for me at present. Writing gives lot of pleasure, satisfaction, name and fame, though financially it may not be so rewarding, except in the case of some very popular and exceptional writers. Fortunately for me it was not the primary career, but an add-on, to my earning job.

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

Vijaiksharma: Change is the law of nature. With passage of time, several changes and improvements take place in the subjects and the author(s) also get new ideas themselves. They also get feedback from the readers and reviewers. All this input will definitely make the author(s), wise enough to make appropriate changes. Even otherwise, when a new edition of the book is published, generally the author(s) do take up updating, along with improvements in the book.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Vijaiksharma: Like many other persons I have also faced many adverse situations in my life, in its different aspects. With the grace of God, I have tried to get over them, thinking that all the days will not be same, that better days will definitely emerge and that we must not get disheartened at all. So a writer should write and write, without bothering for the rejection letters of publishers and the editors, adverse comments of readers and reviewers, except that he or she should use this input to improve the scripts. There is no doubt that continuous efforts to write, as well as to effect improvements will yield excellent results, sooner or later.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Vijaiksharma: I desire to tell the readers that every writer works very hard for a book, an article or any other script, makes all possible efforts to make it as excellent as possible and therefore his efforts should be given a fair opportunity for tasting success and things should be seen in a positive manner, instead of finding only the bad or negative points. Nothing is perfect in the world, we are all living in this world and a writer is also a part of this world. His works are also within the limitations and imperfections of the world.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Vijaiksharma: Where the situations/instances are light or comic, these make me laugh, but tragic situations make me cry.

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

Vijaiksharma: I try to keep in contact with many friends, colleagues, relatives and other individuals, in person or through telephone or social media. I believe in maintaining relationships over a long time and try not to give breaks, in spite of adverse situations in the life. There are many persons in my life who have given me help, cooperation, guidance, opportunities and positions at different stages of my life.  I would like to continue to meet them all. But, I am unable to imagine a situation, where I should decide to meet one person, past or present.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Vijaiksharma: Writing is and has been one of my important hobbies and interests. Other hobbies include, playing Badminton, collecting postage stamps and also coins, playing mouth organ.

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

Vijaiksharma: There are several shows in the Indian channels, which I enjoy watching on the TV, in particular Cricket matches. I am also happy to watch Hindi movies along with my family.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?

Vijaiksharma: My favourite food is pure vegetarian Indian food, favourite colour is pink, favourite music is Bollywood films music.

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

Vijaiksharma: I believe in the saying “When God closes one door, he opens up another door”. Hence it is possible that due to some reasons, someday I am unable to contribute in the field of writing, then I do expect God to open up another avenue, to give expression to my thoughts, creativity and activities.

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

Vijaiksharma: The following are the web sites for knowing about the blogs, book-reviews, interview blogs etc. :

(a) www.vijaiksharmaspeaks.blogspot.in (b) www.vijaiksharmawrites.wordpress.com © www.vijaiksharmareviews.blogspot.com (d) www.vijaiksharma.webs.com (e) www.sthavir.blogspot.in     Earlier I have posted about 1200 book-reviews, abstracts, etc. on www.shvoong.com/writers/vijaiksharma/ but this web site has been closed some years back. However, at present, I do not have a consolidated website giving updates, events and offers. But I am also active on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

https://www.amazon.in/Man-Power-Planning-Development-Abha/dp/8185771316/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Man+power+planning+and+development+by+abha+vijai+prakash&qid=1561734193&s=books&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.in/Advanced-Techniques-Economic-Development-Planning/dp/8176111910/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Advanced+techniques+for+economic+development+%26+planning.+by+abha+vijai+prakash&qid=1561734213&s=books&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.in/Voluntary-Organisations-Social-Welfare-Prakash/dp/8183766110/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?keywords=abha+vijai+prakash&qid=1561734230&s=books&sr=1-2-fkmr1

Here is my interview with YW Lumaris

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 and thanks for having me! I’m Yukimi, and publish under YW Lumaris. I’m 29.

Fiona: Where are you from?

I’m from Indiana, started in a small town then moved to the big city.

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

I had a 4 year hiatus between ages 22 and 26 from art and writing; after which I got back into and it’s helped my depression and re-center my life and goals. I have a son, dog, and two cats.

 Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Besides my personal life upside-down and inside-out, I’m still trudging along in book 2 for Chronicles of Fen. I’m hoping to have it ready for Beta Readers within the next couple of weeks!

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Honestly? I was inspired by the Lord of the Rings movies (which made me love the setting and idea of elves and magic), the Harry Potter books (the themes of struggle and growing up) and a Forgotten Realms book called Temple Hill by Drew Karpyshyn (for the mixing of the above 2).

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Haha, when I was 11 and churning out a book in a week (it’s like 40k.) I clocked 30k words in a day when I was 15. I dreamed of making writing my career. Sadly I didn’t understand indie publishing, and abandoned the idea (reluctantly) in my early adulthood. I’m so glad to pick it back up (highest I’ve clocked recently was 15k words in a day. But I have a kid and responsibilities now that I didn’t have as a young’un.)

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

 Ignoring my very first book (oh boy, it was fun haha,) my first published book is Chronicles of Fen: Cernuin – book 1 of 4 in a series of novellas. I was inspired by a character, a male harpy concept, and started thinking what would cause a male harpy to exist, and what would the repercussion be? And more yet, after developing my own version of the harpy myth, how would he, the character, endure it? And it led to a simple sentence, which defined the outline of the first book’s premise: “He robbed their immortality and now hunts the gods.”

 Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

It was a placeholder, the idea being “it’s a story about Fen, who hunted gods.”
But as I continued outlining, with the second main character having an unspoken interest for books and scholarly things, I felt Chronicles of Fen was most fitting, with each book installment being named for a god they face within.

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

I do have a particular style – I like being brief and simple. The idea of “less is more” resonates a lot with me. However, I haven’t quite mastered the art of building a scene/setting with a few words without some help. Beta readers have been super helpful in pointing out where needs fleshing out. I hope to get better with each book.

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

To be honest, none of it is based on real life, except with some societal problems that tend to happen from time to time. It’s not overly political of a book, but there are ideas of separation of the magic users and non, and it’s something the society has slowly been moving away from in the advent of their post-apocalypse era.

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

Nope, I’m usually in my house, hiding in a corner where my 5 year old won’t find me for a good 5-15 minutes, haha.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

 I designed the composition and did the typography, but hired an artist, Anndr Kusuriuni, to do the art of the cover.

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

Digging your heels when you’re wrong can have lasting consequences. Pride is powerful, but it’s okay to set it aside admit to making mistakes, to try to be a better person.

This is more a theme for the overall series, and I feel like it’ll be easier to see by book three.

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?

Oh, man, I have so many now. Mercedes Lackey really re-ignited my passion in 2017 with the Last Herald-Mage trilogy, and then Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova. Anne Rice’s the Vampire Lestat, and Weis& Hickman’s The Death Gate Cycle. Several indie authors have been inspirations to me. Daniel Arenson, May Sage, Maximiam Held, Beth Hodgson, and Liz Steinworth come to mind immediately.

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

Delyth Thomas. Her solid support since the beginning, and her commitment to keeping to her own goals despite her personal struggles has inspired and kept me going.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I do. I’m job hunting at the moment for something stable, but writing by no means has gone to backburner status. I’ll be up late, up early, and writing anywhere I can to get these books out. But a solid income means more, for book covers and editing and the like.

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

I mean, yes—and no. I’m always learning and I know I could probably do things better five years from now. But dwelling doesn’t help you move forward. Book one has been released, in all its current glory – I did it, it happened, and book 2 will be out soon. And as I grow, I’ll get better and better. Maybe I’ll do a revise down the road if I find it much better for it. But as it is, you never move forward if you dwell on things in the search for perfection.

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

 A lot, haha. How to manage time, how to outline better, and took a lot of feedback from my beta readers.

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

I haven’t really thought about it. It might do better as an animated film, to be honest.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Keep going, never give up, and always listen when people give advice. You don’t have to take the advice, but being open to other ideas helps you grow. Maybe the change won’t work, but appreciate the effort, and maybe file it away for something to keep in mind for another project.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

 Thank you for your support!! You have no idea how much it means.

 Fiona: What book are you reading now?

 Beth Hodgson’s Spectrum of Light.

 Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

 Big book? Harry Potter. Little book? It was about a girl who couldn’t sleep, and a horse from the moon came to visit her, whisking her to other lands, until sunrise. I don’t remember the title, but the pictures are vivid. I loved it.

 Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

 Humor, tragedies.

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

 My dog, Lucky, who passed away while I was at work when I was 21. I was there with her since she was born when I was 7. I know she wasn’t human, but she died alone outside in the middle of summer. I’d want to change that; the idea she was alone still haunts me.

 Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

 Art, working out, going hiking.

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

 The Dragon Prince!! And working on Voltron currently (Netflix version.)

 Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

 My music is all over the place, from indie producers to mainstream; from rock to pop. It depends on mood, style, lyics etc. I lean to earthy colors, but love yellow and iridescent things.

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

Probably keep drawing.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

 With my son.

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

That I did my best to live the best life for me, and be the best mother I can for my son.

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

Yes! Website is yukimiwintel.com – it’s behind on being updated, but I have a newsletter sign up there. Also, I have a facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ywlumaris

Buying link USA

https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Fen-Cernuin-YW-Lumaris-ebook/dp/B07R5BKQJ8/

UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chronicles-Fen-Cernuin-YW-Lumaris-ebook/dp/B07R5BKQJ8/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Chronicles+of+Fen%3A+Cernuin&qid=1561886928&s=books&sr=1-1

Thank you 🙂

Here is my interview with L. Gauthier

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, thank you for having me. My Name is Lynne Gauthier. I write under the pen name L. Gauthier. I just turned 53 on , June 25^th.

Fiona: Where are you from?

Well I am a lifelong New Englander. I grew up in Massachusetts and at the age of 23 I moved to New Hampshire with my parents and family. I lived there for 28 years and moved to Vermont a year and a half ago.

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

I graduated from a vocational high school after studying accounting and worked in that field then 10 years later after graduating as a medical assistant I’ve worked in the medical field. Currently I’m a stay at home, home-schooling mom, editor and co-author. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 20 yrs. and I am a mom of 3 with 2 grandchildren and 2 furbabies. My family is my whole world. They are so proud of my becoming an author and are so supportive.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Well, my awesome co-writer P.Mattern and I just happen to have a new release that came out last week. Our book ‘Miss Me’ published with Dark Books Press can be found on Amazon as we speak.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

It’s kind of a strange way to start but, my husband and I were in Vermont looking at houses to relocate to because he started a new job in Vermont and the commute from Southern New Hampshire was ridiculous. So as we were looking at houses, we had some strange things happen to us that day, to me it felt like scenes from all the horror books and movies that we have read and seen. I sent a PM to my friend P.Mattern and I was describing all the crazy things that we had been through that weekend and she said “You have a book there Lynne, can I write it with you?” She loved the way I wrote the descriptions and said I definitely had the makings of a writer. So we wrote that first book together and we just finished our fourth book and have many more coming in the future.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

To tell you the truth, I’m still coming to grips with that. Haha. I forget that I am one. I’m still the reader and fangirl when it comes to author types of things.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

The crazy happenings of our adventures in Vermont inspired our first book titled

A House In Vermont.  The actual events of our trip to Vermont to look at houses to move into for our relocation.

The short story originally appearing in the Amazon Bestselling Anthology Demons, Devils and Denizens II is now a full-length novel currently in progress.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

It was only fitting because that is exactly what it was about. A house in Vermont.

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

I love the horror/paranormal genre. I’ve been a huge horror fan as far back as I can remember. My family used to sit around the TV or go to the Drive-in and watch horror movies together. My husband is also a horror fan and so are our kids.

I don’t know if I have a specific writing style yet since I am still a newbie.

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

Well the storyline starts out with real life experiences and some of the events that that they go through actually happened to my family as we travelled from house to house to see if we were interested in buying any of them.

It’s strange when I re-read the story how I can relive what happened that day

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

Only the first story involved any travel. The other books didn’t require any.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

We have had covers done by Rebecca Garcia at Dark Wish Designs and from Monica Diane at Moon Media Ink. Both are extremely talented designers.

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

No, there aren’t any messages. We just want to keep the reader engaged and possibly give them a little scare.

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?

My favorite is P Mattern. I really enjoy her books. That’s how we met in the first place. I fell in love with her Full Moon Series and became a serious fan and supporter.

A newer author I love is Amy Cecil. She is in totally different genres and I just love her books too.

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

Patricia Mattern has been the biggest supporter and mentor to me. I never would have even attempted to write without her support, patience and love. Also, the

P.Mattern Immortals Street team, we not only support P. Mattern but each other. We have a very talented group of authors, editors, graphic and media design artists and PA’s.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

As of right now, no I don’t. But who knows what the future might bring?

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

I don’t think there would be anything to change, the story is amazing. We had fun brainstorming and bringing our ideas to life.

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

Truthfully, I am learning with each book we write. Since I am still new at this writing thing, I am learning to put the actual ideas to words to make it a complete story. I find this harder to do than it looks when you are a reader.

I do enjoy the fact that scenes or happenings in the story just sort of come to you or even write themselves as you are going along. It’s quite fascinating.

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

For Miss Me I think Nina Dobrev would be great as the main character Astrid.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

My mentor, Patricia told me to keep a notebook near your bed and have one handy at all times to write down any ideas you have. That way you don’t forget them later.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Thank you is what I want to tell them. Thank you for reading our books and leaving much needed reviews for them. Most of all thank you for your support.

 Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I am re-reading Vampire Princess and Vampire Queen because we are working on the next book in the saga…Vampire Empress.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

The first grown up book I recall is Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews. I became a huge fan of hers and went on to Stephen King. I also remember the Outsiders by S.E. Hinton because we had to read it in school. I loved that story too.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

I am a huge sucker for Christmas shows and books. I always cry, whether they arehappy or sad tears.

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

Temple Grandin. I find her fascinating. She found the ways to explain what many people with autism are unable to tell us. We are raising our autistic grandson and face the many challenges life has for him. I would love to talk with her to better understand and learn from her how we can make his life better.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Well I am an avid reader. I love everything about books.  I also crochet and am a self-taught knitter. I love to go camping with my family. My newest hobby is gardening and I am going to try canning.

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

I love the Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, Chicago Med, Chicago PD and Chicago Fire. The 100, NOS4A2 and I also likie true crime shows.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

My favourite color throughout my life has always been Purple. I love Chinese food and I love flavored coffee and iced coffee. As far as music, I love all kinds of music. My parents always had all kinds playing, the 50’s, Jerry Vale, Englebert Humperdinck, Frankie Valley, John Denver etc. I grew up in the 80’s and love that music as well as everything between then and now. I do drive my family crazy with my love of Christmas music though. I start as soon as possible in November and don’t stop listening to it until after the new year.

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

I would continue to read and support my favorite authors.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

Spend every minute of it with my family making sure they know just how much I love them.

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

Beloved wife and mother, her family was her pride and joy.

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

https://www.facebook.com/pg/AuthorLGauthier/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T9H9GNV

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Miss-Me-P-Mattern-ebook/dp/B07T9H9GNV/ref=sr_1_f[IMG]http://i63.tinypic.com/34qpoc6.jpg[/IMG]kmr0_1?keywords=Miss+Me%3F+by+P.+Mattern+%28Author%29%2C+L.+Gauthier+%28Author%29&qid=1561801742&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmr0

 

https://www.amazon.com/author/lgauthierhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T9H9GNV

https://www.amazon.co.uk/L-Gauthier/e/B076Z52D9K?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1561801652&sr=1-2

Here is my interview with Timothy Bateson

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 there, I’m Timothy Bateson, and I just hit Level 45. Yes, you read that right… My wife and I often prefer to consider our ages in experience levels instead of years. We’re both gamers, and writers, and it keeps us from feeling old, especially when things get rough.

Fiona: Where are you from?

I’m originally from London, England, but after 4 years of living in south Wales, and a couple of years in the Midlands, I moved to Alaska in 2005 to marry my lovely wife, Sandi. It’s a very different life up here in small-town Alaska compared to what I was used to.

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

I grew up with a father who was a teacher, and a mother who worked in the local library, so is it any wonder that I grew up loving the process of learning?

All the way through school, I was great at maths, English and computers, but almost didn’t make it into college because Calculus came along and reared its ugly head. I also started working at the local libraries to make a little extra money and get easier access to course books.

After coming out of college with a degree in computers, I worked through several jobs in the field and slowly discovered that I hated the long hours and lack of appreciation from managers. So, when I moved to Alaska I started to work in retail and haven’t looked back.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

I recently started recording audio samples from fellow authors, as part of a major online book event. It was a lot of fun to do the recordings. Considering the feedback, I received, I’m going to start offering this as part of my line-up of author services in the very near future.

For now, readers who want to check out the samples can get a twice weekly taste of these readings at http://timothybatesonauthor.com/category/story-time/

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Funnily enough, I have my wife to thank for starting on my writing journey – not that I’m complaining. Just after we got married,Sandi started to share her story drafts with me, and there were several characters in “A Rose By Any Other Name” that got me thinking about her wolf-shifters, and how to make them stand out from werewolves.

Next thing I know she’s encouraging me to start writing my first novel, which remains unfinished, because the characters kept insisting on me writing up their backstories instead.

Since then I’ve written four more short stories in what has become the “Shadows Over Seattle: Prequels” series. Each of these stories introduces characters who will be appearing in the novel series.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

That’s difficult to pin down, but I think it was after Sandi started to encourage me to try and submit my short stories to anthologies, and two of them were picked up for the 2014 Halloween season.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I’m actually still working on my first novel “Of Wolves & Men”, which is largely inspired by one of the characters in Sandi’s drafts for “A Rose By Any Other Name”. The barman, Art, grabbed my attention almost immediately. With a background that includes Native American heritage, being a wolf-shifter, and the Alpha of the Seattle shifter pack, it was hard not to want to know more about him, and the other wolf-shifters.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

The “Shadows Over Seattle” series title came from one of Sandi’s friends.

Originally “Of Wolves & Men” was going to be “C.O.S.T.S. of Living”, with the acronym standing for COvert Supernatural Task Specialists, and was intended to serve as a series title, appearing in book titles as much as possible.

While the word ‘costs’ spoke to some of the themes of the stories we had ideas for, it really didn’t work well for squeezing into book titles. It worked even less well for the series title, because not every story featured the taskforce members.

Then out of nowhere this friend suggested S.O.S, and “Shadows Over Seattle” was born. Now we had the flexibility to tell stories that only featured taskforce members as secondary, or peripheral characters, and as a bonus, by adding “Prequels” to the end, we had a title for the short story series too.

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

Urban Fantasy is a very popular genre for writers, because it mixes the fantastic, supernatural, and contemporary, and we all want a little magic in our lives. It often allows writers to bypass many aspects of world-building, because they don’t need to create as much of the setting, or history.

But it’s that same list that makes it popular with readers too. They’re already familiar with the real world and can learn about the differences in the world’s reality that makes it different from our own.

And that’s really the challenge, mixing the familiar with the fantastic, and being as original as possible. Because Urban Fantasy is such a popular genre, a lot of ideas have already been done.

Vampires that can walk around during the day – done

Wolf-shifters with shamanic roots – done

Wizards who advertise their services in the local papers – done

People who help ghosts pass into the next life – done

And that’s not even a complete list, but it is a familiar problem for writers trying to be original in the genre.

The solution my wife and I came up with was to try and find unique twists to the mythologies from which we draw. As a result, we have vampires that can feed on sources other than blood, shapeshifters are a natural species and not the result of a curse, and a genealogical chart that documents the histories of the species.

However, even the most novel world building doesn’t make the characters real. And that’s the same challenge all writers face, regardless of genre.

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

There are some aspects of the shifter world that resonate with me, because I often feel like I’m living in two separate worlds. Having been raised in England, I was used to certain things, like free health care, the prices on store shelves including sales taxes, and historical buildings that were more than 50 years old.

When I moved to Alaska, I had to adjust to so many changes that it felt like living in another world. Even after fourteen years, I sometimes have to remind myself that there is a difference in word usages here in the US. Some of the produce items have different names, word spellings are different, and voting works on a very different system. It can be quite disquieting sometimes, but at other times it’s a great reminder of how those differences make each culture unique.

I draw on the feelings that these changes create when I write for some of the shifters that appear in my stories, as well as characters who are discovering the supernatural world for the first time. After all, those people either live in two different worlds, both human and animal, or are realising that the world around them is not what they thought it was.

For some, it’s as much of an eye-opener as it was for me.

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

Since Sandi was familiar with Seattle, I had a little understanding of the city, and some of the surrounding areas. However, it took a three-day trip to the city before I understood just how hilly it is in places.

Google maps is a useful tool, but it really doesn’t do some of those hills justice. However, it was a great way to freak Sandi out while I pointed out landmarks from the stories as we drive around Capitol Hill.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

The “Shadows Over Seattle: Prequels” covers are designed by Ceejay Designs, while the cover for my sci-fi story “Evaline Transcendent” was designed by me. It’s very easy to tell the difference between the professional work and mine.

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

I never consciously set out to write a message into my stories. But if there is one, it’s that no matter who you are, or what your past is, nothing is more important to your future than the decisions you make right now.

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’ve been reading the work of a couple of authors lately.

I just finished the latest in C.L. Schneider’s “Nite Fire” series, and her main character is a dragon shifter from another world. I love seeing just how far she’ll go to deal with her problems and guessing at the consequences her actions will have on keeping her origins and abilities secret.

Then there’s Nikki Hyson’s “Paper Souls” series, which features a writer who doesn’t know how powerful the written word can be, until enters a world where fictional characters can be pulled from their books and made to serve the mysterious Guild. I’ve loved the twists and turns that reveal the identities of the various characters and trying to guess their origins before the main character.

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

I have to give a big shout out to everyone involved in National Novel Writer’s Month (NaNoWriMo), from staff to fellow writers. The level of encouragement is amazing, especially from the various guest authors who’ve dropped in to provide pep-talks and advice, many of whom are big-name published authors.

When I started my very first outlines for my novel, I used to do NaNoWriMo religiously. Every November I’d set out with the goal to write 50,000 words, or more, and just write. That’s given me a lot of experience in being able to turn off my internal editor and get words on the page, as well as the discipline to get my butt in the chair, and work on something.

But it’s their post-event ‘what now?’ emails and posts that really help guide you into finishing those stories, and what to do with them. Through their various partnerships, they offer limited-time discounts to writers, which can help them afford author services that might otherwise be too expensive to let them publish.

I certainly wouldn’t have been brave enough to start writing my novel, and persist this long in getting it completed, or have met so many fellow writers, if it wasn’t for NaNoWriMo.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I’d love to be able to turn it into a career, but for the moment it’s very much a secondary income. I’ve never been good at sales or marketing, but with the help of various writers groups, and books I’m slowly learning to turn my hobby into something resembling a business.

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

Originally the “Shadows Over Seattle: Prequel” stories were written for release in anthologies, and not individually. That meant there were word limits on how long I could make the stories, but when I got the rights back for “Under A Hunter’s Moon” I rushed to release it under my own name.

Readers told me they loved the story, so I decided to release the next two stories, and had matching covers made for all three books. But now people are telling me the stories are too short.

So, would I change anything? Definitely.

I’m already looking into the possibility of launching a collected edition of “Under A Hunter’s Moon”, “The Lupine’s Call” and “Wolves In The Desert”, with two bonus stories.

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

Be ready for your characters to derail your plans. No matter how much you try to plot your story, sometimes your characters will have other ideas, and it’s up to you to either force them into submission or follow where they lead and hope it makes things more interesting.

In “Of Wolves & Men” there is a scene where my main character gets into a disagreement with his boss, for several reasons. His actions, while ending the argument, really threw a spanner in the works as far as the rest of the story was plotted out.

No matter how many times I tried to re-write that scene, the outcome always turned out the same. I eventually looked at his motivations and realized there was no other way that scene could have ended.

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

Tom Holland. His experience of playing Spiderman means he’s already familiar with characters who live a double life, and the complications that introduces into the role. He’s also one of the few actors who’s around the right age, can deliver some of the humor. But he’d have to grow his hair out, dye it blond, or wear a wig.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

No matter what you write, edit happens.

It’s an unfortunate truth, but an essential one to remember. It’s become such a huge part of my writing toolset that I can’t stress it enough. Once you realize that editing is inevitable, it’s very freeing, especially in early drafts.

Writing and editing are two very different processes and should never happen at the same time. When you’re writing, that should be all you’re doing – getting words down on the page and getting that story closer to completion. Remember, what you’re writing in your first draft is helping you to explore the world, the characters, and the story. It doesn’t have to be great and it doesn’t always have to make sense.

Once the story is completed, that’s when you go back over it and start the process of editing. That’s when you pull out all the parts that don’t belong, figure out what has to be changed, start really crafting the story and picking the words that will have the most impact.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Writers love reviews, and I’m no different from any of the others.

Firstly, we love to hear what people think of our work, because the feedback lets us know what works (and doesn’t) for our intended audience. But more importantly, a lot of other readers look through online reviews when looking through book recommendations. That means those reviews can help readers decide if they want to try our stories, or if something else might be a better fit for their preferences.

 Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Right now, I’m reading “The Forsaken Corridor: Paper Souls Book 2” by Nikki Hyson. It’s the second book in a series about a writer who finds herself dragged into a world where characters can be pulled from their books and into the service of the mysterious Guild.

 Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

It definitely wasn’t the first book that I read, but ‘A Wizard of Earthsea’ is the first that really sticks in my mind. It changed my outlook on the effect of words on the people, and world around us.

It introduced me to the concept that words have power, especially when they are aimed at changing the world, or the people they are aimed at.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

My taste in humor is weird at times. Shows like Red Dwarf always make me laugh, while I must be in the right mood for a comedy movie. I think it comes down to situational comedy and commentaries on life that make me laugh the most.In part it’s because I either relate to the situation, or realize that the events described are funny, even if I wouldn’t be laughing if they happened to me.

But then there are comedians like Robin Williams, Eddie Izzard and Michael McIntyre that make me laugh just because of how off the wall their deliveries are, regardless of the topic. But then again, much of their material comes back to situational or slice-of-life, but the delivery of the material certainly helps.

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

That’s a very difficult question. There are so many to choose from.

I’d love to meet all the authors I’ve worked with on various online events, because they’re such amazing people. Then there’s the authors who were so fundamental in shaping my tastes in speculative fiction… Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, H.P. Lovecraft, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe, Ursula K. LeGuin, J.R.R. Tolkein, the list goes on..

But if I had to narrow my list down to one author, from any time in their lives, I’d go back to meet J.R.R. Tolkein prior to the release of the Hobbit, and persuade him that he doesn’t need to put so much backstory into his work. Don’t get me wrong, I love that all that detail is there, and that it shows the extent of his world-building, but it slows the stories down too much… I think a lot of readers would thank me, if I succeeded in my goal.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I’m an avid amateur falconer. Over the years I’ve been very lucky to have been able to visit falconry centres and take part in displays. And that’s given me a lot of experience handling and flying a wide range of raptors, including falcons, hawks, owls, buzzards and even a couple of eagles.

I’ve learned to respect the fact that while these birds are tamed and trained, they are still very much wild animals. But at the same time, there is nothing like the feeling of being nose-to-beak with an eagle, and the weight of such a marvellous creature on your arm.

Unfortunately, I’ve never had the time, training or money I’d need to train and own a bird. But I have been able to introduce Sandi to the experience and see the look of pleasure on her face as she’s holding a barn owl. Well worth it.

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

Oh wow… That’s such a difficult one to answer, because there are so many great films and shows out there. Sandi and I love binge watching shows and movie series, so we’ve got an extensive collection.

Doctor Who  is probably the oldest running show that we share, but our collection also includes Hogan’s Heroes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fringe, Dark Angel, Wonder Woman, Knight Rider, Psyche, Sherlock, 10^th Kingdom – so a pretty wide-ranging collection.

Our movie collection is just as crazy, including movies like the Marvel and DC films, Inception, The Phantom, a lot of Jackie Chan, Labyrinth, Men in Black, Now You See Me, James Bond, Star Wars, Star Trek and First Knight.

 Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?

In terms of foods, I’m a big fan of pizzas, bacon, craft beers, Yorkshire puddings, mashed potatoes and roast beef.

Musically my playlist includes soft rock, heavy rock, blues, soul and classical. I’ll often build custom playlists for my characters, outside my preferred music genres, so that I can get into their heads while writing them.

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

If I couldn’t write, I’d probably do a lot more reading and go into book reviewing on a more regular basis. Having seen how much work writers put in, from the inside, has made me appreciate their work far more.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

I would want those last hours to be spent with my wife. We’ve seen each other through some of the hardest times in our lives, and the times that we’ve lost people without the chance to say goodbye. As selfish as it sounds, I want my last hours to be spent letting her know how much I appreciate and love her.

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

My wife and I have an agreement to cremate each other, so that we can be together wherever we go. So, I don’t see any headstones in my future. But, maybe a plaque reading ‘His life was full of stories, and wisdom’?

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

Both my website and blog can be found at http://timothybatesonauthor.com. Readers will find information about me, and my work, but also learn about events I’m taking part in. On the blog I run interviews with fellow writers, book spotlights, reviews, and themed guest slots (such as my yearly Halloween event).

My books so far:

The Shadows Over Seattle: Prequels (urban fantasy short story series)

* Under A Hunter’s Moon – https://books2read.com/u/bzLLa2

* The Lupine’s Call – https://books2read.com/u/4XRRg9

* Wolves In The Desert – https://books2read.com/u/3nnnOR

Science fiction short stories

* Evaline Transcendent – https://books2read.com/u/bwqqYY

My Amazon page is:USA  https://www.amazon.com/Timothy-Bateson/e/B00N7OXNJG

UK  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Timothy-Bateson/e/B00N7OXNJG?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_5&qid=1561713345&sr=1-5

Here is my interview with Matt Gilbert

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

Hello! And thank you for having me!

 

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

I’m Matt Gilbert, and I’m 52. I like fun. And explosions. And righteous boots being applied to evil asses.

Fiona: Where are you from?

Lots of places. Originally, I was from Georgia. (I was born and raised in Woodbury, for all you Walking Dead Fans). I did a tour in the Navy, and had several stations. I did a long gig in Silicon Valley for about 14 years. Most recently I live in Florida, hopefully from now on.

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

I am without letters. I possess only skills, acquired on my own through love and determination, with no imprimatur of any official learning institution. In my day job, I work as a game programmer. I have 5 kids that make life challenging. I am very fond of zombie fiction, especially zombie apocalypse style end of the world scenarios.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

I just released book 1 of the “Sins of the Fathers” trilogy, “Dead God’s Due.”The remaining two (“Mad God’s Muse” and “War God’s Will”) will be out in July and August. They are available in print, e-book, and audio.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Oh, way back when I was a teenager, dabbling with shorts. I just never really focused on it enough to produce much until I was older.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’m not sure I do now, really. I think we all have a little of the old ‘imposter syndrome’ going on. Certainly I always imagined myself as a writer, but I think to actually be a writer, you have to have written rather than plan on writing someday. It might suck, but it needs to be finished. So once I finished my first novel, I considered myself ‘a writer’.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Believe it or not, a very long and fun D&D campaign I ran. These novels are the history and backstory that I was working out on the fly while trying to keep my players engaged. (It’s basically the history of the land in which they were playing.) It doesn’t (and shouldn’t) read like a gaming session. Gaming doesn’t translate directly to the written word, but my players would certainly recognize it.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

The Dead God, Elgar, will have his due, which is a world of ash.

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

No specific style that I know of. My life is pretty busy, so I write when I can scrounge time, basically when I have a moment not consumed by my day job or family matters. Those are surprisingly few. That’s my major challenge.

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

The general disposition and coarseness of the military types is drawn directly form real life interactions. I acquired a fine lexicon of curse words in the Navy, and I use them liberally, but appropriately.

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

Nope. All travel is headspace only.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Dusan Markovic, and I think he did an amazing job.

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

Just that cultural conflict is easy, and cooperation is hard. Everybody, even the bad guy, imagines he is the good guy.

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?

For new writers, I have several I have enjoyed lately. Robb Hayes, who won SPFBO 3 with “Where Loyalties Lie”, is prolific and entertaining. Charles Phipps’s Weredeer books are hilarious. M.L.Spencer’sDarkmage books were really great. I just finished reading A.M. Justice’s “A Wizard’s Forge” and really liked it.

As for my favorite, I probably have to reach way back to Glenn Cook. I think I probably formed most of my views about what makes things grimdark and epic reading his Black Company books.

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

Paul Steed (yes, that Steed, the guy formerly from Id Software) was instrumental in convincing me to actually write these books. I was shocked and saddened to hear of his passing back in 2012. I had just IM’d with him like a month before, and never saw it coming.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

A partial one, perhaps. Software dev is also a big part of my life, and the opportunities to create things are at least as great as in writing fiction, so I doubt I would ever completely abandon it in favour of writing. But the two can coexist, depending on how little sleep I require.

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

I can’t imagine what. I had a long time to get it right, and plenty of opportunity to change it. (See below)

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

I learned how to write a novel, I suppose. I don’t mean that as flippant, just simple truth: that was my biggest lesson. It took me something like ten years to write the first book. I had a lot to learn. The second and third were much quicker, because I had worked out a process, and now I can actually produce things in a realistic timeframe.

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

There are lots of ‘lead’ characters, but I always envisioned Ahmed as looking a bit like Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Keep doing it. Finish something, and then write something else. That’s what makes you a writer, not the success or the quality. It’s the actual writing.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Pluto damned well IS a planet.

 Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I just picked up Ulff Lehmann’s “Shattered Dreams”, and Dyrk Ashton’s “Paternus.”

 Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

(blinks, thinks a moment) No, I don’t, and you would think something that significant would stand out, wouldn’t you? I honestly don’t have a clue. The first one I remember is “The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet.” It feels like there may have been others, but that might be the first. “A Wrinkle in Time” wasn’t long after.

 Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Life and people’s experiences, specifically their relationships, and the successes and failures and doubletakes thereof.

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

Jesus would perhaps be too easy an answer, yes? I’ll pick Cincinnatus as a backup. Jesus is a pretty obvious why. Cincinnatus, well, the guy kind of epitomized stoic duty coupled with awareness of the corrupting nature of power. So one pick actually is God, and the other had the sense to understand he wasn’t God, even though he could have fallen into the trap of thinking he was.Memento mori.

 Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Probably more than I should. I do a lot of video gaming, though less so lately because of time pressure. I play WoW still, Minecraft, and the occasional FPS. I was a huge SWTOR fan until they gave up on the individual class stories and kind of ripped the heart out of group conversations. The Imperial Agent storyline is one of the most compelling video game storylines I ever encountered.

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

I used to be fond of “Game of Thrones” until season 6+. I very much lost my taste for it after that. Kind of the same for “Walking Dead”, the show really went downhill the last few seasons, and I stopped watching it. “The Expanse” is wonderful, and so is “Altered Carbon”. I also really loved the Netflix Marvel Shows, with the exception of the last season of Iron Fist, which was terrible. I’m a big Star Wars geek. I actually got married at a convention in full Sith dress by The Emperor and Darth Vader.

 Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Definitely a metal fan. Colors are red and black. Empire > Republic, Horde > Alliance!

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

Keep programming and be very annoyed, I suspect. 😀

 Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

With my family. Not really any question there.

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

“He made us happier than we would have been otherwise.”

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

 I am most active on Facebook, so it’s a good place to start:

https://www.facebook.com/mattgilbertwriter

I also post announcements and reviews of books I liked on Twitter and my website.

Twitter:

@AmrathOfNihlos

Website

http://www.nihlos.com/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T3H7FZM/?ie=UTF8&qid=1561647647&ref_=sr_1_4&refinements=p_27%3AMatthew%20P.%20Gilbert&s=digital-text&sr=1-4&text=Matthew%20P.%20Gilbert

 

Here is my interview with Wynne Roman

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?

Wynne: Hello, everyone! I’m Wynne Roman, and I’m old, as I always tell everyone. I’m 62 going on 35. (Sometimes 15.) I’m extremely lucky to have inherited some very good genes from my mom. I’m told I look about 40, and I act like a teenager (hence the 15).

Fiona: Where are you from?

Wynne: Born and raised in the Midwest (Iowa). I moved to Alaska with my then-boyfriend (later husband) when I was 17. I lived there for over 30 years, and am now in Texas, just south of Houston.

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

Wynne: My years in Alaska were eventful. My husband and I owned an air charter service that operated out of Anchorage. Working in aviation and with pilots taught me everything I ever needed to know about men! 😊 I count my life experiences as being more important to writing a good story than any other form of education.

I’m divorced and live alone with one very spoiled dachshund named JJ (after JJ Watt). I have a much younger man in my life who I call Mr. Amazing on social media.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Wynne: I just signed a contract with Glenfinnan Publishing for three historical romances. They are set in Texas just after the Civil War. The first, A Husband Returned, will be out in mid-October. I’m very excited to be writing these books and working with Kathryn Lynn Davis and Suzan Tisdale. I admire both of these women tremendously, and it’s an honor to be part of Glenfinnan.

On the total opposite end of the scale, the fourth book of my Wycked Obsession rock star series was released in April. It’s called Wycked Trio and was my first attempt at a ménage story! Yikes! I ended up loving the characters and the book. I’m also working on book 5, which is called Wycked Love. It will be out later this year.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Wynne: I always wrote. As a teenager, I used to rewrite life events so I could always be victorious. My stories were mostly romantic. As an adult, I played at writing but thought published authors were special people, which I wasn’t. I couldn’t let go of the stories that kept showing up in my head, though. I started writing them down so they would leave me alone!

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Wynne: When I won a writing contest that was judged by the senior editor at Harlequin Historicals.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Wynne: My first published book was inspired by another book. I’d read an historical about a hero who was falsely imprisoned, and I started to wonder what would happen if a woman lost her reputation, arguably a woman’s greatest asset in the 19^th century. That became Shades of Gray, which I wrote as Wendy Douglas.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Wynne: I first called it Soiled Dove, but as the story took shape, it became so much more. The hero was a Southern man with Union sympathies, the heroine a local pariah, and their lives were surrounded by secrets and misunderstandings. Shades of Grayjust fit.

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

Wynne: Iwrite in two very different genres. A Husband Returnedis a more traditional historical, the style third person, past tense to suit the story and time period.My rock star books are written in first person, present tense. I’ll admit that switching between the styles does provide a challenge at times.

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

Wynne: A Husband Returned is entirely fictional although historically accurate. A number of the charactersare named after ancestors of mine.Wycked Loveis also fictional, but I share the band’s appreciation for the history of rock’n’roll.

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

Wynne: I’ve traveled for historical research, visiting Civil War battlefields, museums, etc. If you can call attending concerts research (😊), I’ve done my share of that, too.I also do quite a bit of research at home (online, books,documentaries). I never really stop researching.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Wynne: The cover for A Husband Returned will be done by Dar Albert, part of the Glenfinnan Publishing Team. I’m excited, because I’ve never worked with her. I collaborated on the Wycked Obsession covers with my cover artist, Tatiana Vila of Vila Designs.

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

Wynne: I don’t consciously include a message, but my underlying belief is that love is always worth it. It’s often messy, sometimes ugly and painful, but it’s worth the fight. Even if it doesn’t work out the way you expected, I believe giving it your best is both admirable and noble.

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?

Wynne: As a writer, I admire other authors for a lot of reasons. I love Sybil Bartel for her alpha heroes. I love Tillie Cole for her truly messed up heroes and stories. I love Sierra Simone and Marni Mann for the chances they take. As a new writer, I loved everything Elizabeth Lowell wrote. Her heroes were alpha and her heroines strong without being bitchy. I loved that she made her characters face hard stuff, they were honest, and there is power in leaving questions unanswered.

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

Wynne: Romance Writers of America. The organization support writers at every stage of their career, from mega, multi-published to absolute newbie. Through them, I made connections, friendships, and learned both craft and business.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Wynne: I write full-time now. I wasn’t able to do it when I was younger, because I had too many real-life responsibilities. I’m lucky to have finally achieved my dream career.

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

Wynne: My latest published book is Wycked Trio, a MMF book. I can’t say I would change anything about it, except to be able to spend a little more time with those characters. I loved them so much, but at 90,000 words, The End came when it was supposed to.

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

Wynne: I learn something with every book, and I hope that always continues.With Wycked Love,I learned that I can write a book faster than I ever imagined. Oh, and I learned that I could write a MM love scene!

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

Wynne: I’m not sure about actors, but I did have models in mind as inspiration for the male leads. Baz was inspired by Bram van Adrichem, and True was inspired by Miles McMillan.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Wynne: First, KEEP WRITING. You have to perfect your craft, which takes practice. Second, FINISH THE BOOK.You can’t submit to a publisher or agent or publish independently without a completed manuscript.Don’t spend too much time revising those first few chapters without progressing with the rest of the book. Yes, you will need to revise and edit, but that will come at its proper time. You don’t want to leech the vibrancy and writer’s voice out of your work, which happenswith too much editing.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Wynne: I want to thank everyone for loving my imperfect characters and for trusting me to tell me their stories in the best way I can.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Wynne: I am reading an ARC, The Baby Bargain by Crystal Kaswell. Crystal has been a huge inspiration to me (my rock stars wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for her Sinful Serenade series), and I’m delighted to be a part of her ARC team.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Wynne: The first romance novel I read was The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. But I still have my favorite Little Golden Book (That Donkey).

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Wynne: I laugh at the dumbest stuff, the sillier the better. I like sarcasm. I cry at everything. Books, movies, Hallmark cards, dog food commercials?I’m a mess.

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

Wynne: I gave this so much thought and kept coming back to one man. Jesus. He had such love in his heart, and he knew so much that I think has been lost in translation. I have so many questions!

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Wynne: I used to have hobbies like gardening and knitting, but I haven’t done much of that lately. I’m usually busy writing, and when I have free time, I read.

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

Wynne: The Big Bang Theory is my current favorite. I love reruns from old sit-coms like M*A*S*H and Everybody Loves Raymond. I will watch Independence Day every time it comes on. I have other strange favoritesthat make me laugh like Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Hotel Transylvania. I am a total Trekkie and love the Star Trek reboot.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Wynne: Mexican food is my absolute favorite. Nachos, tacos, cheese enchiladas. I love the combination of peacock blue and teal green. My music sense is very eclectic. I make Spotify playlists for all my books, which include classic rock, country, pop, current, Big Band, movie soundtracks. (Right now: Gimme Three Steps by Lynyrd Skynyrd ended, and Just Give Me a Reason by Pink started.)

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

Wynne: Read! My TBR is ridiculous. I might like to travel around the country in a motorhome, but Mr. Amazing would have to drive so I could read.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

Wynne: Share loving words with my family and friends, sit in the sun, eat tacos and drink margaritas, snuggle with my dachshund JJ — and maybe spend a little sexy time with Mr. Amazing.

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

Wynne: It would be a paraphrased quote from Maya Angelou: I did what I knew how to do, and when I knew better, I did better.

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

Wynne: Here are some links. I’m in the process of updating my website, which I hope will go live in July. I’m on Facebook daily.

www.wynneroman.com

https://www.facebook.com/wynne.roman.author

https://www.facebook.com/groups/wynneroman/

 Amazon Authors Page USA  https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B0762WBJXS?_encoding=UTF8&node=283155&offset=0&pageSize=12&searchAlias=stripbooks&sort=author-pages-popularity-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B0762WBJXS?_encoding=UTF8&node=266239&offset=0&pageSize=12&searchAlias=stripbooks&sort=author-pages-popularity-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader

 

Here is my interview with B C Morgan

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 pen name is B C Morgan but most people know me as Bee

Fiona: Where are you from?

I live in a fairly small town over in Cambridgeshire, England

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

I’m starting university, doing English literature and creative writing. I’m a qualified mechanic and although my family is small, we are close. I have an amazing partner, who has supported me every step of the way and three year old twins, one girl and one boy.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

My debut book will be released on the 10th of July, Eternal book one in my Ebony Child series.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing when I was about 12 and mainly because I had so many ideas that I wanted to get them out somehow. It always helped me to escape from reality when I felt the need.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve always seen myself as a writer, but an author was when my book came back from my editor.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

My kids. I hadn’t written in so long, but as I watched them grow and learn impossible things I thought why couldn’t I write a story about a girl who only faced misery, but always found a way to get through it somehow.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Originally it was supposed to be Eternal Love, but as I wrote it I realised that it wasn’t supposed to be a love story, but Eternal fit it so well, I decided to keep just that one word

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

I prefer first person POV, with multiple POVs too. Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish the characters completely, but it just makes it all that more fun to write.

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

The book is far from realistic and that’s the way I like it to be. Nearly every character is inspired by someone and Imya has me mixed in there too.  She won’t let anyone change her, no matter how much they try and that comes from things that I have experienced in the past.

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

All my travelling is done in my mind, but I do need music.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I did with help from a fellow author Jess

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

Family isn’t just blood, but the people who love and support you and you do the same for them.

Also no matter how much someone tries to tear you down, you should never stop trying to build yourself up and prove your own worth. But the only person you really need to prove that to, is yourself.

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?

Bo Reid, her debut nove blew my mind. I love J.D Robb and Rachel Caine amongst so many other fantastic authors that are out there.

I love the way they draw you in until you feel you are in that moment right alongside the MC. I also love how they make you relate to the characters, no matter what is happening in that moment.

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

Chanderella Daily, I wouldn’t have gotten this far without her. She’s not just an editor, she’s family.
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Yes, but I also see it as something that is vital to my very being, I have to write. Even if they never get read, I know I did something to be proud of, and that means a lot to me.

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

No, but it does make me think back to the story I had tried to write, before Eternal came to life. Although I wouldn’t change Etetnal, I do wish I had stuck with the one before I moved on.

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

It doesn’t hurt to break out of your comfort zone, it helps you to learn more and more and to grow as a writer.

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

That is a really tough question, maybe Emma Watson if she died her hair black. I’d want a strong female character and the actress would need to live up to that.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Never stop writing, but don’t force yourself to write because you’ll end up resenting it. The one thing you really need to remember though, is to write for yourself, create a book that you love and he rest will come.

Also, even if you never publish your work and you are the only one to see it, remember that you accomplished something huge and you are a writer.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Thank you for giving my book a chance and I hope you enjoy it. Just because I wrote it for myself doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. I hope you can lose yourself in my world and keep an open mind around the way I twisted the mythology sourroundig the Greek Gods.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I’ve just finished a book written by an up and coming author and I am waiting for the next book by bo to come out. But right now I am reading demon magic and a martini.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Thorn birds and then the complete works of Sherlock Holmes.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

My kids can always make me laugh, they brighten up my days. As for crying, books, films and kinda soppy, I even cry at toy story 3.

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

Arthur Conan Doyle or Elvis, they are both talented and would be amazing to meet either one.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I wrote my books, poems and song lyrics. I also do diamond art, crochet, adult colouring and singing with my kids.  I also loving baking, cakes, fudge and cookies.

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

Brooklyn nine-nine, Game of Thrones, Grimm. The avenger films, princess bride and  all of the toy stories.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Anything coffee flavoured chocolate and ice cream. Steak, bacon, spag Bol the list goes on. My favourite colour is green, no matter the shade and I love all different types of music but I’ve been listening to too foghters, black spring cherry and cage the elephant lately.

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

Be a mechanic or professional baker.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

 With my family, nothing else would matter.

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

She loved greatly, but only few. She loved, she loved and drove everyone mad, but her craziness will always be remembered.

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

Not at the moment but I do have a Facebook page.

https://m.facebook.com/bc.morgan.311?ref=bookmark

An author page

https://m.facebook.com/BcMorganAuthor/?ref=bookmark

And a group

https://m.facebook.com/groups/407470613427349/?ref=group_brows

Per-Order UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eternal-Ebony-Child-Book-ebook/dp/B07S6GL511/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=B+C+Morgan&qid=1561576543&s=books&sr=1-1

USA  https://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Ebony-Child-Book-ebook/dp/B07S6GL511/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Eternal%3A+Ebony+Child&qid=1561576604&s=books&sr=1-1

 

Here is my interview with Louise Crouch

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?

Louise Crouch, 38… wow seeing that written down is confronting!

Fiona: Where are you from?

Brisbane, Australia.

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

I’m married to a wonderful husband and have two awesome children, we have two silly dogs and one cat that ‘tolerates’ us. Education has been hit and miss, I don’t have any Bachelors, but a few Diplomas. I like watching sports (motorsports, UFC, football) and I believe I’m a ‘knitting extraordinaire’. I enjoy running and cooking, but not particularly skilled in either. I love to write lists and start but not finish new craft hobbies – bobbin lace anyone?I write Space Opera and Historical Western Romance and I will be branching out to Young Adult, Urban Science Fiction and possibly a contemporary romance in the future.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

My new release space opera Under the Light, book one of the Sandes Chronicles is releasing 23^rd of July 2019!

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

When I was 11 and I worked out I could write my own happily ever afters.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I went to my first writing course (I was 19) and I ‘accepted’ that this hobby wasn’t going away!

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I love Space Opera as a genre and I also write Historical Western Romance, the wild frontier aspect is appealing. My first story I ever wrote (unpublished) was fantasy genre and I wanted to create my own version of magic. My first published book was a romance, thanks to my mum who is an avid romance reader. I started reading a few and got hooked on the emotions that romance novels can deliver.

The inspiration for my Space Opera, “Under the Light” (which turned into a Trilogy) was to amplify the positive qualities of a Human rather than the negative I also wanted to challenge the ideas of good versus evil, oppression and rebellion from different perspectives.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

While world building I had to create a belief system for the setting and the characters, the first part of a prayer from the belief system begins,“In all under the light …” and the next bit “In the shadow” is the title for the sequel and finally the conclusion of the series will be “Until the Dawn…”

I like contradictions and good doesn’t necessarily come free of evil, sometimes light can reveal the true colours of things, whether they are people, systems or governments.

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

I write in Third Person, so reducing head hopping is always a challenge. I want to give all my characters a voice.

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

Somewhat based in real-life, not myself but it does make it easier to write having an understanding of the motivations, tragedies and perceptions of the characters. Although it’s Space Opera, so I’m not zipping through Jump Gateways.

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

Nope, I research a lot and then will get lost in the research as always!

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Me! It was a challenge at the start however now I enjoy it.

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

I didn’t set out to write something with a message, if readers take away anything I hope it’s about acceptance and considering perspectives. Our world would be a very boring place if we were all the same.

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 enjoy a variety of authors, I’m all about reading different genres so I’m always on the hunt for new authors. If I find one I like I’ll end up reading the whole series. Of my favourites I have a few, Wilbur Smith, Robert Jordon, Anne Rice, JK Rowling, these authors make me want to re-read them, with engaging characters and a touch (some more than others) of romance.

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

My friends, instructors from writing courses and of course the online author community is very supportive and inspiring.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

It’s more than a hobby but I don’t think I’ll ever give up my day-job, it’s my second career!

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

I don’t think so, I hope the sequels bring any changes needed or fill in the ‘what if’ moments from the first one.

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

Scenes and transitions and plotting made it easier to see the whole journey from A to Z and all the stops along the way. Just write and edit later is another big learning moment, not all the words will go down in the write order context or with enough ‘punch’ and I’ve heard it said ‘you can’t edit a blank page’

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

There are three main characters in Under the Light.

Liza Soberanoas Aedan Cassio and Harry Shum Jr as her alter ego Kegan Capare

I can’t decide between Michael B Jordan or Martin Sensmeieras Deuc Alion

Colton Haynes as Hunter Dios

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Write what you want and your readers will find you.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Hi, it’s nice to finally meet you! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I have a few on my to read list –Hugh Howey Shift – sequel to Wool. I like buying indie from other genres so I’m reading a paranormal romance at the moment by Carly Fall, and then I will find another new genre to immerse myself in and buy an Indie Author.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Yes! Ursula K. Le GuinEarthsea trilogy.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Crying – A poignant moment, this may be in a book, real life or a movie.

Laughing – I like contradictions and opposites, so I have a dark sense of humour, however witty quick humour is a real joy to watch or read.

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

Nancy Wake, the ‘White mouse’ born in New Zealand but raised in Australia. Journalist and spy, with the French Revolution in World War II, she saved lives of allied soldiers escorting them through occupied France and into Spain.

She was recruited in the Special Operatives Executive and was “remembered by Vera Atkins as “a real Australian bombshell. Tremendous vitality, flashing eyes. Everything she did, she did well”. Her training reports record that she was “a very good and fast shot” and had a good eye for fieldcraft. On several occasions, she “put the men to shame by her cheerful spirit and strength of character”.She once got her parachute stuck in a tree, a nearby Frenchman said he wished all trees could bear such ‘beautiful fruit’ which she then replied, “Don’t give me that French shit.”

(source – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/08/nancy-wake-obituary)

Why? She sounds awesome and who wouldn’t want to meet her!

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I think I’m good at knitting but the reviews are mixed. I love watching sports and I run and cook with enthusiasm but not much skill.

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

All of them! Except horror, because I’m too scared!

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Mexican cuisine

All shades of blue

Any music I can sing or dance to including rap, R n B or a pop ballad.

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

Knit and all my blankets would be stories themselves.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

I’d want to be relaxing with my family (and a beer) on a nice beach watching the last sunset/sunrise.

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

If I died in an unplanned accident (e.g. a piano drops on me) I’d like it read ‘She died doing what she loved’ and on the contrary (hopefully) when I do die quietly in my eighties or nineties, I’d like it to read ‘She was tragically taken too soon in such horrific circumstances which could have been totally avoided had she simply followed the instructions’.

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

I have my WordPress blog where I periodically release free short stories from the Sandes Chronicles. I also have an author Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, Amazon, Bookbub, Goodreads and Smashwords.

https://loucrouch.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LouiseCCrouch/

https://twitter.com/LouiseCCrouch

https://www.amazon.com/Louise-Crouch/e/B07RHYTS57

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LouiseCrouch

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/3586254070

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16817298.Louise_Crouch

https://www.instagram.com/lou.crouch18/?hl=en

Book Links

Under the Light

Book 1 ~ Sandes Chronicles

Amazon US

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RRKLLQM

Amazon AUS

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07RRKLLQM

Amazon UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RRKLLQM

 Hammer & Lock; A Texas Romance

Book 1 ~ Belles and Boots series

Amazon US

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VBHL8B

Amazon AUS

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B071VBHL8B

Amazon UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071VBHL8B

Ruby’s Texas Ranger

Book 2 ~ Belles and Boots series

Amazon US

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QYHM5C1

Amazon AUS

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07QYHM5C1

Amazon UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QYHM5C1

 

 

Here is my interview with Amelia Oliver

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 am Amelia Oliver, and I am 32 years old.

Fiona: Where are you from?
Amelia: I am from the Yorkshire coast, in the UK.

Fiona: A little about yourself (ie, your education, family life, etc.).
Amelia: I have a husband and a 4 year old son, called Oliver. I studied art and design at college, I did badly at school. My favourite subject was english, but I was not very good at it. We have two dogs, Princess and Baby, and a cat named Everest. It took me almost nine years to conceive our son, hes very precious to us.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.
Amelia: My latest news is that my first novel, Never Ever will be released on the 8th of july!

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
Amelia: I began writing at a young age, always writing little stories to entertain my parents and friends. Only at the beginning of 2019 did I take it a little more seriously. Why?, thats simple… a friend of mine called Jules Hunter, encouraged me. Pestered me, and prodded me, so I started writing Never Ever and from then, I was hooked.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Amelia: When I received the very first printed copy of my book. It only arrived a few days ago, I still cant stop looking at it.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
Amelia: To be honest, nothing really. I am one of those writers that just write what comes into their heads and don’t stop the flow until it’s finished. I live by the sea so it made sense for me to write about the beautiful ocean.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
Amelia: While writing the book, I found the story was taking a certain direction. The female character was never just Everly, she became so much more than she thought she was. And so… Never Ever was born.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?
Amelia: I think my style is just to write and not stop until it is finished. I love to add humour and of course, I love the sexy times. I found group sex scenes a challenge, trying to picutre who was were was the easy part, but describing it?, that was hard.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Amelia: Most of the book is absolute fiction, there are some of my own life experiences thrown in there. It is easier to use parts of your own life, to help with authenticity.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?
Amelia: All I need to do is go to the beach, which is only a ten minute drive away. Which is very handy. I wrote the whole thing on google docs on my phone. So I had the advantage of being able to write wherever the mood struck me.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?
Amelia: My amazing cover artist was Sirenic creations group aka Leanne Brown.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Amelia: Believe in yourself. Everly struggles with her self image, shes soft around the edges and believes she is good looking enough, turns out… she was so wrong.

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?
Amelia: I love Rozie Marshall’s work, Melody Calder and Jule Hunter are amongst my favorite Authors right now.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.
Amelia: Jules Hunter, which technically is two entities, because they are a wife and husband team. They both supported me throughout this process, and I can’t thank them enough.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Amelia: Absolutely. I have caught the writing bug. Expect more from me!

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Amelia: There were a few things that slipped through, but in all honesty my alphas, betas and my editor were absolutely amazing. But I would change the things I missed.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
Amelia: Oh so much!, it has been a steep learning curve. I’ve learnt that the author community are very supportive and lovely.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
Oh wow, hum, Ashley Graham.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?
Amelia: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Honestly the online community of authors are so lovely!.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
Amelia: Thank you so much. I’m just a normal woman who wanted to share this wonderful girl with you. She lives in my head, and will be back… soon. I love you all xoxo

Fiona: What book are you reading now?
Amelia: Day zero, Kresley cole.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
Amelia: oh goodness, no. But I’d recommend that you read The Envy Chronicles, by Colleen Gleason.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?
Amelia: My son, both. He makes me laugh until my belly hurts. And he makes me cry with how sweet and lovely he is.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?
Amelia: Hmm hard one. Colleen Gleason!. I love her books, her style makes me drool for more.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?
Amelia: Spending time with my son, that may not seem like a hobby to most, but to me there is nothing more fun than being with my little boy.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
Ameila: I love horror movies, sci-fi also. I really enjoy Izombie and Z nation.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?
Amelia: Fave food has got to be cheesy garlic bread, yum. My fave colour is emerald green, and my fave music is any and all…. excpet country oh and dance music.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?
Amelia: Clean my house, do laundry actually leave my house, you know… that sort of thing.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live, how would you spend that time?
Amelia: With my family, on a boat at sea.

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?
Amelia: She lived, she loved, she was crazy.

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?
I do! https://lisawinstanley86.wixsite.com/ameliaoliverauthor-1

Authors Amazon page UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amelia-Oliver/e/B07T57Y129?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1561505065&sr=1-2

USA https://www.amazon.com/Amelia-Oliver/e/B07T57Y129/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1