Today we are interviewing Caridad Martin, author of the gothic romance "Masque: Choices" (A Gaston Leroux Phantom of the Opera Romance Series).
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born in Cuba and grew up in the Bronx in New York City. I began to write poetry when I was seven. While I was high school, I had two interests, sports and writing. I wrote several apocalyptic based short stories. I graduated from The City College of NY with a degree in creative writing, I but did not pursue writing as a career. Instead, I travelled extensively throughout the US, Europe and Latin America. I got married and lived in Colchester, England for a few years. We moved back to the US and I had a child and wrote several fiction pieces which again, I stored away. I became an educator and taught bilingual students as well as special education students. As a staff developer I have published several articles on the use of technology in education. Aside from writing, I coach teachers to improve their teaching skills.
In 2005, I saw the 2004 movie version of the Phantom of the Opera. I loved the movie so much that next day bought a copy and purchased tickets for the Broadway show ― I was hooked! The story fascinated me and I wanted more. I purchased most of the books available at the time and eventually discovered fan-fiction online. After a few months of reading, I submitted a short, short story. It was well received and I wrote a longer one. I began to write regularly and realized that there were readers that really liked my writing style. Around 2008, I went through a period of emotional turmoil due to my mother’s declining health. I filled notebook after notebook as I sat in the waiting room of a number of hospitals. After I left New York City and went to live across the river in Jersey City, I continued writing. The calm of this smaller city settled my mind enough to take my writing to the next level and publish.
Author Caridad Martin.
Describe the plot of your new book in a few sentences.
Erik is dying. Not once in his life has anyone ever loved him, not even his mother. Every day his heart fails him more and he is desperate not to die alone. He hides his face and past sins behind a mask. Erik is dying and has fallen desperately, obsessively in love.
After doing his part to make their wedding a reality, the Persian is left alone with Christine for a few moments, remembering Erik’s past deeds he feels he must warn her: “If he comes to believe that you have betrayed him, he will hurt you, Christine…If you ever need my help, wear red, as much red as you can find.”
Erik finally has the companion he has always dreamed of, he cannot hope for more…but he does. His heart, though failing, dreams of romance and love. Though he yearns for her love and lusts after her body, Erik knows they’re forbidden fruit for someone like him.
Christine is determined to honor her marriage vows, though she’ll love Raoul forever. But, the more time she spends with her husband, the more she’s drawn to him, falling under the spell of his music and the tender wounded soul he desperately tries to hide behind his mask.
Erik finds his mask cannot protect his heart from the anguish of unrequited love, his obsession for her, spirals out of control. His passion for Christine has brought him to the brink of insanity and threatens to destroy them both.
Who do you think would most appreciate this book? 18+ Men and women who like the story of the Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast and readers of gothic romance.
What inspired you to write a gothic romance with the “Phantom of the Opera” characters? Our society today is so obsessed with the concept of beauty, that the idea that a protagonist that is totally hideous could be loved, was a challenge I wanted to tackle. In the original story written by Gaston Leroux in 1910, the character of Erik is born physically hideous. He becomes mentally unstable when the world rejects him, he is also known to have been an assassin for the Shah while in Persia. I wanted to make this character human. In my version of the story, the character of “Erik” has two redeeming characteristics he is a musical genius and he loves selflessly.
How did you capture the style of the Gothic romance with your writing style? Erik lives in a house that is in a dark, gloomy mysterious place with secret tunnels and pathways. Christine is naïve, eager to please and an orphan, making her seemingly powerless. Erik’s personality at first is cold and reserved which is typical of a gothic romance protagonist. Erik is commanding and holds sway over the entire opera house. However, there are other unnatural forces Erik must gain control over or lose every thing.
In the story, the Persian acquiesces to Erik’s request to help him marrying Christine. Why does he do this?
Many of the Phantom of the Opera rewrites, including the Broadway show, leave out the Persian. I have named him Hafiz and made him a central character. Thanks to his willingness to help the plot events can move along. When Erik comes to him for help with the marriage, he doesn’t want to help him. The Persian knows that Erik suffers from a heart condition. He and Erik both believe that Erik will die soon. Erik convinces the Persian that he will leave all his worldly possessions to his new wife. The Persian knows Erik has been rejected by society all his life and as an act of kindness he agrees to help since the marriage will last only a short time.
Christine, despite being forced into marrying Erik, seems to empathize with him. Without giving too much away, can you tell us a bit about the emotions she experiences?
She is grateful to him because through his tutoring of her voice she has become an amazing singer. Christine has always been loved and is herself a very loving person. After she sees Erik’s face she pities him deeply. As she gets to know him, she sees not just the teacher and the monster, but the man he has always hidden.
What makes your gothic romance story stand out from other books in the genre? The story has gone through several editors and is professionally formatted. My story, set in 1880, is a continuation of Leroux’s novel, had Erik made a different choice and not let Christine go. I notice that lately the trend is to have Erik meet a woman other than Christine, but I prefer the original Erik/Christine combination. Christine is often criticized for being immature and selfish. At age twenty, I can’t say I was paragon of maturity.
Who was your favorite character to write?
I enjoyed writing “Erik” because he is such a complex character and his life story is so compelling. As the story develops his character develops, but not in a linear fashion.
Tell us about your creative process, from initial idea to published manuscript.
My writing process is eclectic. I start with a general idea for story I want to tell. For Masque, I did months of historical research on France, the Paris Ópera and the French aristocracy during the period around 1880. It helped that I’ve been there several times. Getting the fact accurately is essential to me. Once I have the time period solidly in my head I can begin to develop the storyline.
I envision a scene at a climatic point in the story. The character talks to each other during this scene. This will determine what is going to happen in the scene. For draft one I never outline the story since the characters dictate where the story should go by their interactions. I just write and let them talk to each other. I write several scenes just using dialogue without regard for their connectivity.
During the second draft I begin to connect the scenes and to include detailed descriptions of the characters and their surroundings. As the grouped scenes fall into natural blocks of time or events, I separate them into chapters.
The third draft consists of taking out irrelevant scenes, changing dialogue, checking for POV discrepancies bringing in a character or removing one and using flashbacks to fill in vital information. At this point I will leave the story alone for a while and take care of the rest of my life. Then begin my editing process. After I make corrections I send it out to a copy editor make those corrections and eventually the novel is sent to a proofreader.
Masque went through seven full edits before I send it out to a developmental editor. At this stage the book had grown to about eight hundred pages. The editor suggested I break it down into more manageable sections. After arguing with editor I finally saw his wisdom and decided to make Masque a series. The print version of Masque: Choices Book one, is just over three hundred pages, which was practicable for me.
How do you feel about the increasing popularity of ebooks?
I love the idea of being able to “carry” a plethora of books with me where ever I go. I make up my mind what I want to read on the way. E-books have revolutionized the industry. I know that many people complain that the quality of books has gone down. There have always been awful books, books that should have never been printed―weed them out yourself. Physical books have their place as well and that is why I will make my series available in paperback before the end of 2015.
Without giving too much away, what can you tell us about the next book in the series?
Masque: Forge, Book two is published and currently available on Amazon. The storyline continues and explores the possibility that Erik and Christine’s marriage may have crossed too many bridges to be saved. There are changes that both Erik and Christine must make if they are to forge a new relationship. Will they be able to make those changes in time to save their marriage? Book three, Masque: LeBeque, is still in the works for fall 2015.
Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
All my characters are flawed in some way and some of them grow and change, but not always for the best. I hope that readers will fall in love with Erik and Christine’s love story.
An excerpt from "Masque: Choices":
Erik paced the small living room in Hafiz's home. “Stop it. You will wear out my carpets. And don't think I will not charge you,” the Persian said. Erik stopped in front of Hafiz. “Daroga, she kissed me!” he exploded. The Persian looked perplexed. “Oh, God, yes! She…she kissed my forehead. Here,” He pointed to the spot she had kissed. The Persian looked horrified that something like that could happen. “Kissed me of her own free will. Her lips touched me. Here, here.” He pointed at the spot again. Now do you see that she cares for me? Do you see that she is willing to marry me?” The Persian quirked a scraggly eyebrow. He had made a blunder! Erik knew it was not lost on the Persian that he had not said, “She wants to marry me.” “Her kindness is boundless...but you know, I hope you know that you cannot force...yourself on her.” “I was not meant to be with the living. She would die if I inflict myself on her.” Life had just made a turn in his direction and he had to be less excited, more careful—everything was at stake. “A living wife. A companion for a short while, before I die.” The Persian sighed. “You are asking that girl to give up...” He paced in front of the Persian. “A few months at most. We both know I am at the end...how long can my heart hold out. Constant pain grips my heart, threatening to shred it to bits. Even I deserve a little joy before my wretched life comes to a close. The desolation alone is killing me.” “Who will want her then?” “You have no idea what I brought out of Constantinople. She will be rich when I am dead. Plenty will want a rich widow.” “If I accede, Allah will call me on this,” Hafiz said, more to himself than in answer to Erik. “I call on you, my benefactor, and my judge, to grant me mercy! Every day I grow weaker. A month or two of happiness, that is all, then she can bury me and be free.” “Two months, you say?” Hafiz closed his eyes to Erik’s nod. With a deep sigh, he asked, “What do you need of me?”
Today we are interviewing Alesia Matson, co-author (with Michael Matson) of the urban fantasy novel "Raven's Tears."
"Raven's Tears" is on sale during August 2015! Get your copy here.
Tell us a bit about yourself. Michael and I are currently living in far northern California. He retired for the third time in 2013, and I for the second time, and rather than growing old and bored and bad-tempered and maybe stabbing each other before we hit our 60s, we thought we might try writing, instead. So far, it’s worked out fairly well.
Describe the plot of “Raven’s Tears” in a few sentences. Two people who’ve been lying for most of their lives fall for each other. Somewhere amid the deceptions and betrayals, they have to find what’s true about themselves, and each other, before her past catches up with them both. Set amid all the fantasy trappings of the world of Menelon, the book’s protagonists must ask - and answer - the question: What wouldn’t you do for love?
Who do you think would most appreciate this book? Anyone who likes strong, smart characters falling for each other in a metropolitan setting. If you like crime dramas and police procedural elements in your stories, you’ll find something to like in Raven’s Tears, and especially anyone who’s ever wanted to read those stories in a fantasy setting - magic, swords, elves, dragons - is going to find a lot to love.
What inspired you to write a book with elements of both fantasy and romance? Michael and I are role playing gamers from way back, and we’ve always most enjoyed books that had all the elements of the kinds of games we liked to play. We’ve also always written - most of our courtship was conducted via the written word, actually - so fantasy role playing and romance blurred into fantasy romance when we put together the plot for this series. It’s much more difficult to market, but the feedback has been so positive that we know we must be on to something.
Who was your favorite character to write? Angelique Blakesly, the eponymous “Iris” of the story. She’s a woman who had a crappy hand dealt to her early in life - horrid, really - and has had to make some pretty crappy choices in order to deal with it. On top of it all, she’s dealing with the onset of some symptoms of a mental illness while concealing her secret identity as a high-stakes burglar AND falling in love with a man who’s just as twisted up as she is, in his own way. It’s been a high-bar challenge for a first book/series, but I’m enjoying it a whole lot.
What was it like to write on a husband-and-wife team? =heh= About what you’d expect, really. Adding to the fun is the fact that Michael and I are polar opposites in almost every way except in being deeply committed to our art. So, we disagree a lot, and we fight about the story and what’s best for it, but always because we’re both so passionate about it. Then we resolve our differences, kiss, and make up - and yes, the whole world looks brighter in the aftermath of one of those fights. In the end, I do believe that the catalytic nature of our relationship makes it into our books. We’d like to think that this energy drives our stories - and so far, our readers seem to concur.
Are there any authors who have influenced your writing style? Many. My husband’s more a prosaic Tom Clancy guy, while I’m reading Salman Rushdie, Patrick Rothfuss, and Neil Gaiman. Robert Heinlein was a seminal influence in my writing style, and Molly Ivins, though she considered herself a journalist, taught me so much about how write with humor - and that iconic southern grace which I’ve yet to master.
How do you feel about the increasing popularity of ebooks? We’re all for them. Ebook readers provide access to stories for people who otherwise wouldn’t get it - like the homeless, or the disabled - as well as giving readers access to large - I’m talking VAST, here - libraries of books of all genres and perspectives. In my opinion, anything that increases the overall readership of books is going to be good for the book industry. Whether or not it’s good for the art of storytelling remains to be seen.
Is there any aspect of writing you don't like? I don’t like editing for grammar and punctuation. I adore brainstorming the plot, creating the characters, setting up the backdrop. I’m all right with the rewriting phase of editing, where I’m revising drafts, adding material, taking it out - that’s a bit of fun really, like sculpting the story from raw clay - but the nit-picky stuff I only love when I pay a proofreader to do it.
Tell us a bit about the “Raven’s Tears” promotion in August. We’re giving readers one last chance to buy into “The Raven & The Iris” trilogy - and the world of Menelon as a setting - at a deeply discounted price. For the month of August, the price of the ebook only drops to $1.99. Then, in November, the second book in the series will be published, and we’ll run a 3 day give-away for it on Amazon and on MetaphorPublications.com as part of the launch party.
The next book in the series, “Dead Man’s Trigger,” comes out in November. Without giving too much away, what can you tell readers about it? When the narrative resumes, a bit of time has passed, while nothing much on the outside has appeared to change. However, there’s so much going on just beneath the surface, and we take the reader deep into the seamier side of Fernwall - and the two protagonists - as the consequences of their choices mount. In “Raven’s Tears,” the reader met Angelique Blakesly; in the sequel, Raven and the reader get an extended introduction to Iris. I can’t tell you much more than that without “going spoiler,” but I can promise you that with the continuation of the story, we push these two to the breaking point in order to make them face the truth about each other, and about themselves.
Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book? This ebook has a secret mission: It also serves as an introduction to the fantasy world of Menelon. You’ll find clues to that mission throughout the whole ebook - they’re active links that, if tapped or clicked, take you to an entry in our wiki that will give you more information on the subject! So, you can learn more about the Clocktower than we could spare words to include in the books, and about Guardian Paladins, Fernwall, and much more. Some of the secondary characters in the books have entries too, and we’re constantly adding new material to that database for our readers’ enjoyment. What’s more, we’re opening up the world as a setting to other writers, and possibly to role playing gamers as a setting for fantasy games. The wiki can also be accessed through Metaphor Publications’ website -- https://MetaphorPublications.com -- but you’ll need to create an account to access it from there. If you’ve got aspirations to write fantasy but haven’t had the time and energy to build your own setting, you might give ours a look. There are other ebooks that are set in Menelon available on our website, including a free short story, and lots of ways to get in touch with us here if you like what you see!
An excerpt from "Raven's Tears":
“Bishop-Florian security is tight for this exhibit,” Louis had told her, stretching out the floor plans for the venerable old building over his desk. “They’ll have attack dogs, of course, and extra guards besides. That’s nothing new,” he’d smiled; a mirthless expression, but Angel had already become engrossed in the drawings in front of her.
She had always been a quick study. It had been one of the qualities that had originally endeared her to him. The woman who greater Fernwall knew as Lady Angelique Blakesly, in fact, possessed a suite of talents that had once made her a desirable apprentice in the slippery, chaotic world of post-war Püran-Khir: keen intelligence, fast reflexes, good instincts, decent strength, and cold-blooded fearlessness when faced with a challenge. Happily, these were also traits that made her an even more valuable “associate,” lacking a better term for it, in the confines of peaceful, civilized Fernwall. Louis had watched her avidly, almost greedily, as she pored over the drawings, delighted with what he saw. Angel’s mind was taking in the information before her at a phenomenal rate, memorizing and collating data with an ease that surprised anyone who might have mistaken such loveliness for shallowness.
This job was much more challenging than any she had previously attempted. Still, he had few doubts she’d succeed. Any woman who could successfully deceive the entire noble class of Fernwall and keep that web of lies intact for years could certainly figure out how to infiltrate a museum and take whatever she wished. In this case it was a mere bauble, a necklace crafted by dwarven smiths so far back in history, humans had no clear record of it. The necklace, ‘Mâgun-Zak,’ had been a gift to the royal family of Vin-Nôrë from their dwarven neighbors, and was quite literally priceless. The metal wasn’t silver, but niobïtan. The centerpiece was molded and etched to resemble a raven’s head and wings, bejeweled and shining iridescently. Each stone, tear-drop cuts scintillating like the source of light itself, were “flawless” by human standards. When one looked closely, one saw that each delicate link in the interlocking chains had been etched with countless dwarven rune-letters, reputedly a prayer to Eldar their ancient God, to bless the wearer with health, protection, good fortune and long life.
Louis didn’t believe any of it. But then, Louis had lost his faith in a lot of things long before the Great War was over, and had resigned himself to the reality that most people stubbornly insisted on clinging to theirs. What he believed in today was power—and money, because money was the fuel every engine of power required. To that end, he’d once recruited a very young girl in a very bad place, raising her up into what had become a very interesting
and lucrative partnership.
“Angelique Blakesly” was a fiction, of course. A cover, suitable for hiding her true purpose in the city: gathering information, from the inside, for the high-stakes thefts he selected, and directed. A quite lovely fiction, he mused, watching her complete her first study of the floor plans. Louis understood young Vincent Sultaire’s fancy for her. He didn’t quite understand what she saw in Sultaire; but then again, a woman’s mind was always a mystery. He’d resigned himself to that, too.
“You’ve studied The Spider’s methods,” he’d then said, puzzled at her
extended silence. “Do you know how you’ll do it, yet?”
Today we are interviewing Dame DJ about "Downsize to Freedom."
"Downsize to Freedom" is currently free! To get a copy on Amazon US, click here. If you're in the UK, get a copy from Amazon UK here.
Tell us a bit about yourself. I married young, divorced young, had two children young, starved young, remarried a couple more times and went off and lived in a few different countries. I want to see a lot of the world, go places, live amongst societies, learn about cultures and I can only do that in relatively smaller homes because of costs and practicalities, so I keeping it small I can keep moving.
Describe the purpose of your book in a few sentences. This book points out how, where, what to use and find for a modern life style with a fresh personal philosophy. Removing debt is like cutting out a cancer, and the problem is it can take out a major organ.Its more than moving, shopping, and decorating. Who do you think would most appreciate "Downsize to Freedom"? Everyone who owns a home with a mortgage, its too big to cope with, is now single for whatever reason, needs to live in a city, etc.
What inspired you to write a book about how to unburden and simplify everyday life by downsizing one’s house? I see one's personal 'freedom and liberation' in being liquid, unaccountable and with low maintenance costs. My major concern is a banking crisis, triggered by an event, then creating a domino effect.
My lifestyle now is "I can lock up and leave," at short notice with relative, and with a comparative small loss. What do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about downsizing homes? That it is quick, easy, simple, and folks will help you. It's not true
Did you have a single moment in which you realised you wanted to downsize? Or did you realise gradually that you needed to downsize? When we lived in a big house I noticed we only ever used 4 rooms. The kids /guests rarely came but eventually we needed to move. We all want to up-size ( I still do some days) but few realises what it takes to stay there. Its like credit card spending-easy to do but try to pay it off or pay the interest charges …very hard. Was downsizing as difficult as you imagined? Or was it easier or harder? Much harder. I made every mistake I could have the first time but I started to learn the hard way which is why I wrote the book. it's a both a warning and full of small but helpful tips
What do you think are the most important things people need to consider when they are thinking of downsizing? Organising them selves on every detail, discipline, attitude and moral. With the right attitude every task can be lighter, quicker, fun and better performed. We sometimes can't practice the task we have ahead of us so we need others to point us in the right direction. I learn something every time I move and I love moving especially to new countries and have no problem with small homes.
How do you think reading your book will impact people? I hope they enjoy the humour, learn a few tips and see a few things differently and gain mental freedom from that for living their own lives. To me variation of experience inline is important as I can't be in one place too long. Lets face it we are all running about trying our best against the odds, trying to find the best way to do anything we need to do. From August 1 to August 5, 2015, you’re holding a promotion for your book. Tell us a bit about this. I think the more people that get the information the better as thats what human beings do best-pass on information to each other. If it could be free for longer I would make it free for 3 months-why not What do you have in mind for your next writing project? I just found all my notes and water colour paintings about a french road trip. It's not the usual tourist book but perhaps sees events, places humour, food, the countryside, history, sadness and joy objectively.
Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book? Book are like conversations, films, theatre, recipes etc, a fleeting experience in our life on earth and hopefully a positive one. If you enjoy it pass it on. Why not, we are here to share in life.
Today we are interviewing Nicholas Tanek about his coming-of-age memoir "Chipped Black Nail Polish."
Tell us a bit about yourself. My name is Nicholas Tanek and I am an author in my late 30’s. I used to be a punk rock New Jersey skater kid who got involved with the New York City rave scene during the 1990’s. I struggled with hardcore drug addiction. I am addicted to music. I am also somewhat involved in the BDSM fetish community. I wrote two books. The first book is titled The Coolest Way To Kill Yourself and the second book is a prequel titled Chipped Black Nail Polish.
Describe the plot of your new book in a few sentences. My new book is titled Chipped Black Nail Polish. It is a prequel to The Coolest Way to Kill Yourself. It is a true coming of age story that is a tribute to the very first love of my life, a punk rock girl named Kim. She was very wild and very troubled. We got involved in the New Jersey punk rock scene in 1989. It is a story about embracing your eccentricity and individuality. Who do you think would most appreciate this book? People who are eccentric and are far from the norm. People who embrace their individuality would appreciate this book. Also, people who really love music will, too.
More than two decades after the events in your book, what inspired you to finally publish a work about your transformative experience with love in the late 1980s? Good question. First, writing The Coolest Way to Kill Yourself was very cathartic for me and also very therapeutic. The response was also very positive and it changed my life. That gave me confidence to write Chipped Black Nail Polish. So, my editor, my street team, and my fans were very supportive. Another aspect was some of the people in the indie rock scene as well as the FOTs (Friends of Tom) from The Best Show with Tom Scharpling (http://thebestshow.net). There is a whole bunch of indie rock people out there who just love music. Mix all of those together and I got very nostalgic. I felt I had to tell this story, too.
Did you learn anything new when writing the book and revisiting the past? Yes. I learned how to be a better person. Writing about the past and reliving the mistakes taught me to examine my life. I examined what I did wrong and what other people did wrong. Learning from this, helped me moved forward. With all the drugs and crime that have been in my life, I still think I am a decent person. I can live life, spread love, make friends, and make people laugh. Another main thing about writing about the past is being completely honest. My books are brutally honest about myself. I think people can relate to that. I am also unapologetic about my honesty. I write about sex, drugs, and crime in my life. So, for me, that is very freeing.
Music plays a big role in the story. Is music as important to you now as it was back then? Music has been important to me for as long as I can remember. It is essential to everything I do. Do you have a scene in the story that was your favorite to write? In Chipped Black Nail Polish, I loved writing about going to the punk rock shows. There is a scene where we see The Dead Milkmen and I like to think it captures the energy of the punk rock scene. Also, there is the party scene where all hell breaks loose.
Are there any authors who have influenced your writing style? Hunter S. Thompson and Truman Capote. I do like when writers put themselves in the story.
Tell us about your creative process, from initial idea to published manuscript. Since the stories are true, I know the whole story. So, I have it in my head from beginning to end. Then, I just write, write, and write. Then, we edit, edit, and edit more. I cannot stress how important it is to edit with someone. When my editor and I edit, we make it fun. Although the task takes a tremendous amount of effort, we do not make it feel like work. Then, I have to deal with the publishing company. That can be annoying sometimes because publishing companies are all about business. I have to approve everything from the covers to the style. Then, it comes out. How do you feel about the increasing popularity of ebooks? I love them and hate them. Chipped Black Nail Polish uses physical media like records and books as a metaphor. Physical media is dying and that means the charm of holding a piece of art in your hand is dying. That’s sad. When I get a record, I like holding it in my hand, looking at the cover, and reading the liner notes. I would always rather hold a physical book in my hand. I sell more eBooks than physical books, but I personally do not think eBooks are as cool as physical books. What is cool about eBooks is that my work can reach many people all over the world. If it were not for the eBook, I would not have my little following.
What are your goals as a writer for the next ten years? Write more books. I want to help other artists be creative. I would love to write for television or film, too. Is there any aspect of writing you don't like? I love the writing process. The publishing aspect can be annoying. There is some tension in the indie author community between authors, but I don’t get involved with that. I just do my thing and keep positive.
What do you have in mind for your next project? My next project is the sequel to The Coolest Way to Kill Yourself. After the love of my life died, I threw myself into the NJ/NY BDSM fetish community. It’s not a love story, but it is a tribute to the wild and kinky people who helped me cope with my grief. There is a huge amount of sexuality in this new project. Many authors write about the BDSM fetish community being dark and dangerous. Sure, it can be, but many of the people there are fun and just very sexual. It’s kind of like a big underground party spread out over cities. I’m trying to capture that. At the same time, the book will be a very funny book about dealing with loss and grief.
Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book? I think my books are unique and original. I am proud of that. My books are all true. I just change some names and label them fiction. Yeah… fiction…sure.
Book blurb for "Chipped Black Nail Polish":
In New Jersey during the summer of 1989, an awkward thirteen-year-old who was obsessed with weird music fell head-over-heels in love with the coolest post-punk rock girl he had ever met.
Nicholas was insecure. He was a daydreamer, wishing for romance when he was told, over and over, that he could not have it. He was a toy, pulled and pushed, wanted and used, dragged along yet held at a distance. Nicholas fell in with the out crowd, and loved every minute of it. He fell in love and got left behind, but not before she changed him forever.
This is an irrational, emotional love story for the teenager inside all of us.
The music is loud, and you're about to be pushed into the pit.
Book blurb for "The Coolest Way to Kill Yourself":
The Coolest Way to Kill Yourself pulls you into the early 90’s New York City rave scene, in all its chaotic, psychedelic glory. The narrator grabs you by your wrist and drags you behind two teenage lovers from New Jersey as they tumble through a whirlwind of reckless hedonism that eventually spirals into a dark, devastating world of drug addiction and heartbreak.
As a teenager, Lynn cried, “No one is ever going to write something for me.”
Nearly two decades later, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Nicholas did just that. The gesture came too late for our unlikely heroine, but his heart was in the right place. A broken heart… but a true love.
Reunited after years apart, Lynn and Nicholas embraced their love and sexuality, and embraced each other, despite troubled pasts, despite illness, despite all of their imperfections and mistakes. They shared the kind of honest and shameless connection that few have had the honor of knowing, and most would never understand.
“We’re not hurting anyone. We’re just living life without caring what anyone thinks about us, without caring about the consequences.”
“It’s the coolest way to kill ourselves,” Lynn said.
Today we are interviewing Tom Myers about his literary/suspense novel "Deja Vu Boy." Tell us a bit about yourself. Traveling the world in the US Air Force during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the war in Vietnam meant landing in many exciting locales--some great, some not, and some almost too exotic to survive.
I used the GI Bill to graduate from university with a degree in English and History.
Following graduation, and as always looking for excitement, I moved to Tehran, Iran to work as an analyst focused on the Middle East. When the Shah of Iran's flag started to droop, I returned to the United States to find employment with a major international air carrier. That led to much more travel and enough excitement to satisfy me.
Describe the plot of your new book in a few sentences. The plot starts when a boy "awakens" to find that he doesn't know where he is, who he is, where he came from, or any other important information about his life. This story is told when the boy has become a man—not just any man—but one who thinks he's 150 years old. He knows that he has killed a large number of very bad people throughout his long life, starting shortly after he awakens. He doesn't understand why he feels obligated to rid the world of bad people, only that he does. He knows, too, that he has done the same thing in past lives. Now, even though he is old and tired, he has to try to do it one final time before an innocent person is murdered by the bad people standing before him. Who do you think would most appreciate this book? Readers who enjoy suspenseful stories with thrills, action, and romance, with a bit of off-kilter historical adventure.
What inspired you to write a book about a self-proclaimed 150-year-old man with a case of deja vu that involves murder and saving lives? From reading about several people who lived extraordinarily long lives and the many things they encountered. My great grandfather was one of those people who lived for over one hundred years and he had many tales to tell.
Tell us a bit about the protagonists, Henry and Spangle. Although Henry can't recall much of anything about who he truly is, he shrugs off the mysteries in his life and tries to live a life that helps himself and other people—especially those who are about to become victims.
Spangle is a rich young woman raised by a sinister grandmother. She wants to become a writer and Henry has agreed to let her interview him about his long life, and the many people he has killed. She is morbidly fascinated by his extremely strange life—and more than a little leery of him, but also feels a certain kinship that she can't explain.
Henry, although he cannot remember much about his alleged 150 years of life, says he managed to kill a large number of very bad people. Without giving too much away, what does Henry remember about these killings?
Henry doesn't remember anything before he "awakened" but he has a vivid memory of each and every killing—the who, the why, and the when. He retains every detail, even though some of the killings took place over a hundred years earlier.
Who was your favorite character to write? Henry, without a doubt. He's kind, resourceful, loving, very humorous, not a mean-spirited person even when provoked, but he's not someone a sane person wants for an enemy.
Are there any authors who have influenced your writing style? Too many authors, from Ray Bradbury to Barbara Kingsolver to Annie Dillard to Barry Eisler, all have made significant impressions on me in the way they structure their writings and select their words.
Tell us about your creative process, from initial idea to published manuscript. I write in a journal most every day—just doodling, mostly. But that's when my best ideas appear and I jot them down and later come back to expand on or discard them. I spend a great deal of time on character development, more than any other aspect of writing. The actual stories (plots) grow all on their own. Then I rewrite and edit, over and over until the story is as polished as I can make it. How do you feel about the increasing popularity of ebooks? I'm such a big fan of ebooks that I have decided to only publish for ebooks and stop writing for print. To me, it seems wasteful to print hardcopies of books when electronic copies are so economical and handy to produce.
What are your goals as a writer for the next ten years? My primary goal is to keep writing. Stopping doesn't compute for me.
Is there any aspect of writing you don't like? No. I get a great deal of satisfaction out of the entire process, even rewriting. When I first started I had an agent, and I soon became very tired of all the opinions and other input from publishers who were only concerned with their own interests—never mine. Self publishing made my life much better. What do you have in mind for your next project? It's already in progress. It concerns the sad state of our planet, the hyenas that inhabit our political system, and a certain teenage girl from another planet who wants to rescue us before Earth implodes.
Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book? Yes, I think readers will be surprised to learn that even a person who has killed a large number of (bad) people has so much pure humanity in them.
Today we are interviewing Larry Mickelson about his book "The Mystique of Love Unveiled How to Take Control of Your Love Life."
Tell us a bit about yourself. Mostly semi- retired now. I still give recommendations about financial decisions. I have owned a number businesses, been involved in politics and taught high school psychology for several years.
Describe the purpose of your book in a few sentences. There is a phenomenal amount of confusion about just exactly what love is, especially in romantic relationships. There is so much confusion, men and women alike end up marrying people they don’t even like. That is possible because they think they are in love. It’s a puzzling phenomenon, but the book tackles the issues head-on and reaches conclusions that are quite different. There is even a seven step formula describing how people fall in love.
Who do you think would most appreciate this book? The book was written to appeal to everybody who’s ever been in love, wants to be in love and/or has suffered personal, financial and emotional consequences as a result of having been in love.
What inspired you to write a book about the nature of human emotion? Not only are my views about love unusual but my entire perspective on what makes up human emotions is quite unusual also.
Author Larry Mickelson.
Your book is described as iconoclastic. Why is this the case? It’s iconoclastic because it doesn’t follow the popular prescriptions about love. It’s a totally new organized perspective.
What do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about human emotion? They think we wouldn’t be human without motion. I deal with that idea quite extensively in the screenplay based on the same concepts as the book. It’s a fun way to look at emotions from a different perspective.
What was the process of writing this book like? It’s the most frustrating thing I’ve ever experienced, not so much the writing or the creation of the concepts but the part involving getting people to read it, a nonfiction book.
What was the most interesting thing you uncovered while doing research for the book? I created an all new genre of feelings I call emotings. There are four main reasons why all of us use the phrase; I love you. Emotings expose a fifth time. I like to believe no one else has ever pinpointed and exposed the subtle nature and consequential influence emotings have on our lives. How do you think reading your book will impact people? Assuming they seriously read it and contemplate the concepts, they will never again see love in the old-fashioned ways again which will give them power over previously misunderstood emotions and feelings. It should be helpful in all relationships.
What do you have in mind for your next writing project? I’m pecking away at a book about discipline for children. I have even chose somewhat of the title, namely: 30 seconds to absolute control, Why spanking is never necessary.
Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book? Yes! It is not only serious but it is also entertaining. It has some of the best jokes you can possibly imagine thrown in between chapters. That keeps it light. More Information Buy "The Mystique of Love Unveiled' on Amazon
Today we are interviewing Piper Lawson about her new adult/contemporary romance novel, "Schooled" (Book 1 of the Travesty series).
Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m
a new writer and long-time romance novel devourer! I particularly love
new adult and college-type romances, because they’re such coming-of-age
stories. Though my background is in economics, writing is my REAL
passion. This particular story, Schooled, has been burning in the back
of my mind for a couple of years and I finally needed to get it out!
Who do you think would most appreciate this book? Readers who like smart, sassy characters. A lot of romance novels - even contemporary ones - feature damsels in distress. I love strong heroines who aren’t afraid to say what they want.
Tell us a bit about the protagonists, Alexis Caine and Dylan Cameron. Lex is stubborn - sometimes too stubborn - and thinks she has everything right. Dylan’s trickier because we don’t know all his secrets. We think he’s one thing, then find out it’s not that simple. They’re both surprised by what springs up between them, and at a loss for what to do about it. This book’s about how they deal with that. Who was your favorite character to write? Dylan. So many readers have said Dylan is their fave book boyfriend. He’s mine too :) I think the reason they like him is that he’s almost an anti-hero - he’s not the typical alpha male, or sports star, or guy from the wrong side of the tracks. Dylan has so many sides. It keeps you - and me! - guessing where his head’s at.
Are there any authors who have influenced your writing style? So many. Ilsa Madden-Mills, Abbi Glines, Samantha Young, Jay Crownover. Colleen Hoover is masterful - she could wring emotion from a rock. My favourite is probably the writing duo of Christina Lauren. Their Beautiful Bastard series was a big part of why I decided to write. What do you have in mind for your next project? The second book of Travesty, Stripped (Ava’s story!) is due out in September. I’m partway through a third book that’s unrelated - but I’m excited to share it with the world this fall… An excerpt from "Schooled":
The
light brush of his lips was fleeting. I’d intended only to assess, but
my eyes fluttered closed at the first touch. His mouth was just the
right mix of hard and soft. A tingling lasted for seconds after his lips
left mine, then faded into nothing at all.
I felt strangely exposed until Dylan’s mouth came back. This time it was firmer, lingering. His lips brushed. And they clung.
My
eyebrows rose in surprise as little sparks ignited in my brain,
pinpricks rising along my arms. Dylan’s mouth moved over mine, still
slowly, but more deliberately by the second.
The kiss was deceivingly
casual, like Dylan himself—smooth on the surface with an edge lurking
just underneath. It struck me suddenly that he was right: I didn’t know
him at all, and it might be more than a little bit dangerous to assume I
did.
His lips slanted over mine, coaxing, his mouth asking for
things that couldn’t be put into words. It felt like he wanted my
permission to explore, to savor. I wanted to let him do that and more,
and the realization shook me. I sucked in a breath, having to
consciously will my hands to stay at my sides.
After a moment, or five, he pulled back and I did too.
Well
damn. It was going to take me a moment to regroup—from his kiss and
from my reaction to it. I blinked, trying to focus my gaze on the denim
that stretched over his knee until my eyes uncrossed enough to meet his
gaze. Our knees were still touching.
Whoever had told him he didn’t
have any moves was sadly mistaken. Part of me wanted desperately to see
his eyes, but I didn’t trust myself to look up quite yet, though I could
feel his eyes on me. “Well.” Was that my voice? I cleared my throat.
“That was—”
My words were cut off as I felt fingertips on the back of my neck, searing my skin as he pulled my mouth back to his.
Today we are interviewing John Ploskina, author of the young adult sci-fi novel "The Far Unlit Unknown."
Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m a world traveling adventurer, author, arachnid enthusiast, engineer, and one of the few people to both sing in death metal bands and teach kindergarten.
Describe the plot of your new book in a few sentences. Nathan, a maladjusted class clown and Cello, the school’s top student, investigate the disappearance of their history teacher. Instead they find a tear in the fabric of Space-Time that opens to the universe next-door.
Lost in the multiverse, alone with no weapons and few supplies, they are drawn into the machinations of a mad scientist who won’t hesitate to destroy entire universes in his plan to build a “perfect world.”
Who do you think would most appreciate this book? Anyone who ever sat in class, stared out the window and lost themselves in dreams of adventure and romance.
What inspired you to write a novel about two students who must venture through the Multiverse to rescue their teacher? When I was in school I was chronically bored, and books were like little glimpses into other worlds that were more vibrant and interesting than the real one. I often wished I could crawl into them and get lost. The premise of Perfecting Reality is just around the corner from there.
Author John Ploskina.
In your book, the characters get lost in the Multiverse. For people not really familiar with the term, can you explain what Multiverse means? A multiverse is a set of universes that exist simultaneously. Some scientists believe that our universe is one small piece of a multiverse, and different types of multiverses are described by different schools of thought within theoretical physics.
Perfecting Reality is inspired by the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, or MWI. It’s far too much material to explain here, but if you Google for “MWI Quantum Mechanics” there are lots of interesting articles out there. Or, if you’re so inclined, Cello briefly covers the key concepts in The Far Unlit Unknown.
That said, I don’t think you need to be into the hard science aspect of MWI to enjoy the story. MWI is a canvas. You can skip those parts and just enjoy the ride. Have you always been interested in physics and the universe? Or did your interest develop as you wrote this book? I’ve been interested in physics, especially theoretical physics, since I was a kid. However, I want to be clear that the multiverse presented in Perfecting Reality is not a representation of a scientifically accurate multiverse. I use the multiverse is a metaphor for the infinite variety and potential of human life.
Who was your favorite character to write? Cello is my attempt to put an Agatha Christie-esque detective into a unique context. Cozy mysteries are my comfort genre. I read a lot of Rex Stout when I’m in a bad mood, and the Eccentric Genius Detective is my favorite archetype. It was fun to take that kind of character, drop her into a sci-fi novel, and see how she copes with it. I deeply enjoy writing scenes where her personality clashes with Nathan.
Are there any authors who have influenced your writing style? In no particular order: J.K. Rowling, Ayn Rand, Stephen King, Agatha Christie, H.P. Lovecraft and Rex Stout. They write stories that keep me reading into the night, frantically turning pages even as my eyes ache and the piercing shriek of the alarm clock looms. They also use language in unique ways.
Tell us about your creative process, from initial idea to published manuscript. At all times, my brain involuntarily vomits up premises for novels and characters. In the heat of the moment, everything seems like it might be good. I carefully sort the complete nonsense from the ideas that may have promise.
I have a lot of false starts. I’ll write a few chapters and then forget about the idea, or suddenly realize that it’s stupid. The stories that get finished are the ones that stick with me and don’t fall apart when the real work gets under way.
How do you feel about the increasing popularity of ebooks? I’m just happy to see people reading.
Personally, I resisted ebooks for a long time. I love the feel and smell of a real book in my hands. Physical books have a presence and a personality all their own. I’m only truly comfortable in a room full of books. Every once in a while, I’ll pick up a used novel from somewhere and find hand written notes in the margins. It’s like sharing the book with a total stranger.
I finally grew to love ebooks last year. It was the Kindle app on my phone that brought me around. The book is always there, ready to go. I now read books at red lights and in line at the grocery store. How cool is that? I read a lot of non-fiction that way, because it’s easy to highlight and return to specific passages. For fiction, I still prefer paper.
What are your goals as a writer for the next ten years? To put so much entertaining and thought provoking content out there that I’m unanimously elected supreme ruler of Earth.
Is there any aspect of writing you don't like? All the not writing. Nothing’s worse than the time you have to spend not writing. Sleeping, eating, hygiene, maintaining the facade of a productive member of society… All time that could be better spent writing. What do you have in mind for your next project? I’m hoping to publish my next book before the end of the year. It’s a horror novel for adults. After that, I’ll be returning to the Perfecting Reality universe… but maybe not in the way you’d expect…
Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book? I can’t promise you that it will bring meaning and purpose to your existence, but I won’t rule out the possibility. An excerpt from "The Far Unlit Unknown":
Nathan checked his watch again. The Librarian would be back in about four minutes. Plenty of time. The library was empty and quiet.
He made his way to the back room, the Librarian’s personal office.
Everything was neatly arranged on and around a small desk, and Nathan
could hardly stand it. He wanted to knock it all over and spoil it, but
he resisted the urge. On the far edge of the desk a DVD player
was wired to a carefully organized mass of cables that ran into a panel
set in the floor. Nathan pressed the eject button. Inside the disk
tray was a DVD-R with today’s date written in black. It was the same
brand, model and color as the one he’d prepared and smuggled in. He
pulled a permanent marker out of the pencil holder on the Librarian's
desk, set the two DVD-Rs side by side and carefully forged the date on
his blank one. The Librarian's “4” was tricky, but he regularly
practiced imitating all the teacher's handwriting. When he was finished
it looked perfect. Even if they checked, no one would know it was a fake until it was too late.
He placed his DVD-R in the tray, closed it, put the original between
the pages of his math book and walked casually out of the office as if
he had every right to be there. That was when he noticed that the library wasn't empty after all.
A small girl was sitting at a table by herself in the corner, staring
at him through enormous glasses over a book as thick as any dictionary.
She was pretty in a plain sort of way, with ashy grey skin and an
elfish face. Wild hair, black as the void of space, was dangling down
around her shoulders. Her intense eyes, magnified by the lenses in her
glasses, drilled into him. It felt like she was staring directly into
his brain. Nathan had seen her in the hall but had never spoken
to her. Word going around was that she was some kind of genius with top
marks in every subject, but that she was a total oddball. “What did you see?” he asked her.
“Nothing,” said the girl. She shrugged, and the corners of her mouth
curled up, ever so slightly, into something that only hinted at a
smile. Her eyes drifted back to the pages of the book. “Nothing at
all.” “You are a smart girl,” Nathan said, and walked out of the library.
Today we are interviewing Vic Mills, author of the historical fiction novel "Island of the Phoenix." Tell us a bit about yourself. Prior to taking up writing, music was always my passion, clear back from when I was in high school. I still compose music and play in a band in my spare time, but from 1996 writing has taken a front seat. That is when I began working on my first novel, an autobiographical story of my experience in the Army. My work for the last 35 years has been in the car business – consulting, and assisting clients to find and obtain vehicles that meet their needs.
Describe the plot of your new book in a few sentences. A pilot crash lands on an island behind enemy lines in the Pacific theater during World War II, and falls in with five other marooned Americans. Together they struggle not only to survive, but to help the allied forces turn the tide of the war.
Who do you think would most appreciate this book? The story is appropriate for audiences from young adult and up. It has received great reviews from men and women, and from both veterans and non-veterans.
What inspired you to write a novel about a pilot marooned on an island behind enemy lines in the Pacific theater during World War II? I wanted to tell a story that was based on little known history, and also to highlight the heroism of everyday GIs who have served in wartime.
Tell us a bit about the main character, Captain Michael Hollands. By his early 20s, college graduate Michael Hollands of the United States Army Air Corps, is already a combat-hardened pilot, but that has not taken away his respect for humanity or his high ethical standards. He is a natural leader who thinks beyond the norm.
Did your time in the Army influence how you wrote this story? As a former Army MP who served in Vietnam, I wrote from personal experience of the inhumanity of war and the great compassion of the human spirit. Because much of the materiel we were supplied was actually from the 1930s and 40s, I could write from first-hand knowledge about many of the weapons used during the time in which this story was set.
Are there any authors who have influenced your writing style? As a teen I really enjoyed reading "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Forbes. The history of it appealed to me, and I have always enjoyed story-telling.
Tell us about your creative process, from initial idea to published manuscript. Before I start writing, I generally have the whole story pretty much in thought, but I am often surprised by what my characters do as the story progresses! Occasionally I will mentally rewind a section of the manuscript as if it is a movie, and rewrite it to see how it plays out.
How do you feel about the increasing popularity of e-books? I have never read one myself. I prefer to have an actual book in my hands. On the other hand I know it makes more titles accessible to people.
What are your goals as a writer for the next ten years? I plan to continue writing. I love doing it!
Is there any aspect of writing you don't like? Editing! What do you have in mind for your next project? I already have a sequel to "Island of the Phoenix" in the works, along with a short story about WWII aircraft. Currently I am working on a western set in the late 1800’s.
Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book? I hope they inspire people to write! I never imagined that I would become an author.
As part of the "Making It" blog tour, we're interviewing Amanda Gibbs about her debut contemporary romance short story.
Tell us a bit about yourself. Hmm…well, my name is Amanda Gibbs, and I’m an 18-year-old author from Toronto, Canada. My passions are writing, photography, and travelling. I’m also a MMA fighter, which is something I would love to include in my next book (definitely need more kick ass girls in the media). As for school, I’ll be going into neuroscience, which is a little left field from creative writing, but I like to keep myself on my toes. Other than that, you can figure out most things about me from my book :)
Describe the plot of your new short story in a few sentences. Making It is a poetic short story that documents a couple’s relationship, from first meeting through marriage. It’s told through dialogue, letters and poems, allowing the reader to experience Him and Her in multiple literary forms. Making It is a love story that lasts.
Who do you think would most appreciate this story? I think anyone that’s tired of cheesy Harlequin romances with overly contrived dialogue would find Making It a breath of fresh air. I kept Making It as genuine and real as possible, and I hope readers appreciate that.
What inspired you to write a short story about the trajectory of a couple’s life? The trajectory element came from watching a few too many romantic comedies. They always got together in the end, had a big romantic make-out sesh…but then what happens? I wanted to explore after the rom-com ends. I wanted to explore when things get interesting.
Your story is unique in that it takes place during a 30-year span. Why did you decide to use this length of time? My mother has always told me that it takes at least a year to get to know someone enough to really love them. A year to see them through their best, their worst, and everywhere in between. I figure if one year is good enough to say “I love you”, thirty years is good enough to say all the reasons why.
In “Making It,” you use prose, poetry, dialogue, lists, and vignettes to tell the story. Have you always been interested in telling stories with different approaches, or is this something that you’ve become more interested in recently? When I began writing, it was always in the first person within the confines of my journal. I was good at this, and comfortable with it. I also believe that you should never get too comfortable in your successes enough that you cease to grow. So with Making It, I wanted to get out of that comfort zone and challenge myself with new literary forms. That challenge ended up being the best thing I’ve ever done for my writing, and helped my growth and enjoyment tremendously. I also find that different forms give different perspective, and help different people see situations in a new light, and I love that. I love helping readers discover things about my work that they may not have known was there with constant prose.
Author Amanda Gibbs.
Are there any authors who have influenced your writing style? Michael Faudet has definitely inspired my writing. He’s so raw, and strips his work down to exactly what it should be… I love that. Dirty Pretty Things was my favourite book this year, and I’m so happy he finally published it. The Lover’s Dictionary was another book that inspired my writing, which everyone who enjoyed Making It should read. Even if you didn’t enjoy it, read it, I promise it’s much better (haha). How long have you been writing? My first memory writing was probably second grade. Whenever we got assignments, I would write so long I always finished my stories with “To Be Continued”. Even then, I never wanted the world in my head to end. Now, it doesn’t have to.
Who was your favorite character to write? He was probably my favourite to write over Her, because He often surprised me. I knew everything about Her, she practically is me, but Him…he played out like a movie in my head that I had never seen before. There isn’t as much about Him as Her in Making It, but what’s there is crucial. Who knows, there might be an edition from his point of view coming sometime soon…
What do you like about the short story format? As a writer, the short story format forced me to get rid of everything that wasn’t necessary, and I think that’s an extremely important process for any writer at any length of work. Whether it was whole chapters or single words, omitting needless information is a key writing tool that improved Making It tenfold. As a reader, the short story format makes Making It more accessible and less daunting to read because of the length. It also gives you just the “juicy” parts, dare I say so myself. Every time the reader turns the page, they get something new and crucial to the entire story. I love that.
How do you think you've evolved as a writer since when you first started? I’m much less self -indulgent. I think all creative people are to a degree, it’s the nature of our beings, but it’s about polishing that into a piece that is accessible to a further audience than just you. When I started, the first draft looked almost identical to the last. Now, they’re like distant cousins. Still have the same eyes or smile, but they speak differently. I think for me, the key is to write the first draft just for me, with the “door closed”, but make the next draft is for a wider and wider audience until it’s ready for the whole world.
Outside of literature, from where do you draw you inspiration? For me, it’s important that I go about living my life as often as I’m at a coffee shop writing. Inspiration can come from anywhere, and it’s important to fill that creative well with things to draw from constantly. Sitting on a patio watching the world go by is a favourite of mine, and never ceases to give me new ideas.
How do you feel about the increasing popularity of ebooks? That’s tough. On one hand, as a reader, I love the affordability and convenience of my kindle. But, as a writer, I miss the feeling of a hardcopy book in my hand. Maybe that’s a little old school, but I hope they make a fierce comeback.
What are your goals as a writer for the next ten years? I only have one main goal as a writer, and that’s to write the truth. Whether in fiction or not, I always strive to tell stories in a real way, with real emotions, and real, flawed people. For me, that’s been the key to my writing happiness.
Is there any aspect of writing you don't like? The business part. The marketing. I love talking to readers and meeting other book loving people, but the financial business aspect drives me crazy. I would much rather spend all my time writing and talking to people, but I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too. What do you have in mind for your next project? I have a million ideas in my head all the time, but I would love to in the future write a LGBTQ love story. I identify as such, and think it is so important that non traditional male/female love stories get the representation they deserve.
