What's up? - Week 1

It’s that time of year where I have so much going on but nothing to really say.  So instead of a regular blog this week, I’m letting you know what’s up in the life of a writer, aka me.

1.  NANO – As you should know, I am set to begin.  Just waiting, and waiting for the November 1^st start date.  If anyone else is doing nano and wants to add me to their buddy list, you can find me under:  Ctnyrene. 

2.  It’s Halloween Week. Yes, most people celebrate the DAY or the Beggar’s night, but I celebrate the week.  I love this week.  Horror movies galore on tv.  Gearing up for beggar’s night.  Getting pumpkins ready and costumes complete.  This is the best week, EVER!  No really, it is.

3.  Pregnant women.  Is it just me, or are they everywhere lately?  I don’t mean the one cute, about ready to pop woman you see at the mall.  I mean they are everywhere right now.  I was at a birthday party over the weekend and there were 4 of them.  4!  At the same party! I happened to be forced to the mall last weekend and everywhere I turned was one.  It’s not that I mind, I happen to enjoy the big bellies and the memories they induce, but really.  Everywhere.  I did a quick google search, and apparently, as the last winter was long and cold, we are expecting a record number of babies this fall.  Hahaha.  Apparently it’s not me.  They really are everywhere.  Good luck, mama’s.  Wishing you all well in the coming months.

4.  Leaves.  They look so pretty falling to the ground.  They sway and twirl and lift and drop, as they make their lazy way on the wind.  Then they land with all their bazillion friends and wait for me or my husband to come along and pick them up by the wheel barrel full.  I hate them.  I know it’s not nice to hate, but seriously, I hate them.  When and if we move, I will be making sure the next house does not have 8 mature (read huge) trees in just our front yard, and especially not Silver Maples.  I wont even mention the back yard. 

What’s up people?  Anything exciting going on with you?  Expect more of these types of blogs in the coming weeks.  NANO…remember?  

Author Spotlight - Maggie Mundy

Today I am happy to introduce to my readers, fellow Author, Maggie Mundy:

Quick Bio:

Maggie Mundy lives in Adelaide, Australia and is a member of Romance Writers of Australia, and the local chapter SARA (South Australian Romance Authors). She recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and English at Flinders University. She had a short story published in the RWA Topaz Anthology Little Gems in 2010 called Sea and Vines. She has two books out with Rogue Phoenix Press. An erotic novella called Blood Scent and a paranormal romance called World Change. She also has two books out with Soul Mate Publishing called Hidden Mortality and Unknown Protector.

She has also performed for many years in corporate entertainment for which she wrote her own sketches, which probably explains why her head is so full of characters. She loves writing romance but thinks falling in love can be scary, especially in her stories where creatures of the night really exist.

~*~

Maggie was nice enough to stop over and answer a few questions and give us a chance to get to know her a little better.

Interview:

1. What kind of music do you like? I like all sorts. When I grew up I would say I was a Deep Purple girl. Still love Smoke on Water. It is a classic. I also loved the Doors. Jim Morrison’s voice was so sexy. I also saw Queen in concert when I was young. Freddy Mercury was brilliant. These days I go with what takes my fancy from Adele to Vance Joy or Linkin Park. I try not to be locked in and say I only like one thing.

2. Describe your dream home… Next to the ocean. I would love a house near the beach where I could walk my dogs. It would be nice to have a writing room that looked out over the ocean. A nice veranda to sip a glass of wine while you listen to the waves crashing on the shore would be good too.

3. Favorite literary hero & heroine? Elizabeth Bennett. I am a Jane Austen tragic and glad to admit it. I love the fact that Elizabeth was not afraid to speak her mind in a time when women with no money had little status. Pride and Prejudice is such a beautiful love story and who could resist Darcy.

4. What are you reading now? I am reading the BlackDagger Brotherhood Series by JR Ward. Lots of super sexy alpha vampires and strong woman.

5. What comes first, plot or characters? A character for me. I get an idea about a person and then wonder how they would deal with a situation. In World Change I wondered how a person would cope be transported to a world that should not exist. Then I had to decide the setting and liked the idea of something similar to Renaissance Italy

6. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? I am a plotter so my block comes in the planning stage rather than later. I tend to write out chapter guidelines so I have usually worked out the block already. When I can’t sort something out I go off and walk or garden and let my mind sort it out.

7. Do you ever want to be someone else? Who? No. I am happy to be me. That isn’t to say that life has always been easy but I still like me.

8. What’s naext? I am working on a few projects. The second book in my Earthbound series is almost complete. I have also started on the second Midworlder book as well. I am trying my hand at women’s fiction with a work in progress called Healing Boots. (Yes I am addicted to boots)I am also co-writing a romantic comedy with a fellow author of mine. I keep busy.

Maggie is a very busy writer. The following are a few of her current books, just in case you are looking for a good read. I have read some of Maggie's work and genuinely enjoyed them. Otherwise, I would not host her on my blog. Just saying.

Blood Oath is a sequel to Blood Scent.  Book 2 in The Seeker Chronicles. 

We discover more about the Rogue, Seeker world in Australia. This is the story of Cassie and Matt based in Tasmania. Matt kills a rogue vampire who wanted Cassie. This sets up a course of events where the rogue’s twin has sworn in a blood oath to avenge his brother’s death. Throw in a bunch of vampire hunters as well and you have trouble. Things become even more complicated when Cassie’s sister is kidnapped as bait. The only option may be that Cassie will have to give up her own life to save them all?

Unknown Protector:

Two things have helped Nicole cope since the murder of her husband. One is running her detective agency, and the other is her guardian angel Mira. When Mira is killed by a demon, Nicole accepts the help of a Ridge, a long haired, cigar smoking diamond in the rough with wings. Things go from bad to worse when a replacement guardian cannot be found. She has to trust Ridge, which is tricky when she realizes there are no demons or angels, just parasitic aliens that humans have built the myths of these celestial beings around. Ridge isn’t an angel or a devil, but an alien half breed known as a Midworlder. He is also way too sexy for his own good, or is it her own good.

World Change

Clare gets transported from present day Florence to an alternate world, one that looks like fourteenth century Italy. The only way back is through a portal half a world away, plus the local High priestess wants her dead, and the only one she can trust is a vampire called Trevi. He is the only one who exits in this world, and she knows more about what he is than he does. He is hard to resist, especially when he saves her life. Trevi can take her home but he is keeping one big secret. She will have to be like him to survive the journey through the portal back to her world making a myth a reality.

~*~

Feel free to comment. I'm sure Maggie will be stopping over and will answer any questions you may have. Have a great week everyone! 

Oh October, how I love and hate thee...

October for me is both a good month and a bad month.  Good in that my favorite time of year, is Halloween.  The horror movies that play all month long, actually make me want to watch TV.  The fun times at the pumpkin patch, picking the very best pumpkin, and then the carving of it.  It’s all a game and yes time consuming, but it is so much fun.  Then there are the costumes.  No, I’m too old to dress up, but I love seeing the children.  And the best part ever, all the CANDY!  Sugar-aholic that I am. 

Then you have the bad, which is the death like sleep the world goes into.  The leaves turning brown, and falling to the ground giving me more work to do, as if I didn’t have enough.  The flowers losing their color and dying right before my eyes is just depressing.  And the worst of the worst, the cold, dreary days that go on and on and on for months.  Oh how I hate the cold and winter.  I know it’s not winter yet, but once fall hits, and that means, October I know it’s right around the corner and it really bums me out. 

Those are the best and the worst of the month of October, but what’s in between?  For me that would be the pre-prep for November, which for writers like me is also known as NANO Month!  I’ve talked about Nano in the past so I will skip the advertisement and just say that you have 30 days to write at least 50,000 words or a novel in a month’s time.  I have been working on an outline (gasp!  Yes, I know…) for a sequel to A Howl in the Night.  I have pulled out my storyboards from the original book and I have pulled out my character studies.  So, do you know what that mean?  Book two is in the works!  Finally.  I plan to have that puppy drafted out in November and finished before the end of January.  Will that happen?  I don’t really know, but I will at least have it drafted by the end of Nano.  Right?

I am struggling with a title for book two.  I am thinking I may hold a contest for ideas.  I wanted the title to be “A Howl in the Night – Dawn Breaks” but I have a feeing that is too close to the Twilight novels.  Since that is what is stuck in my brain, I am having trouble thinking up other titles.  Regardless, the outline is done.  The novel is simply waiting to be written.  I’m excited.  Come on November!  I’m ready for you.

Author Spotlight - Allyn Stotz

Today I would like to welcome, Children's Author, Allyn Stotz to my blog for the week.  

BIO:  

Allyn came from a family of writers. Her father wrote and owned the town newspaper in Edgerton, Ohio and her mother wrote a weekly column. One of her sisters is a freelance editor/writer in the commercial industry. Watching Allyn’s journey to publication convinced her sister and her 85 year old mother to team up and write a novel of their own. They were published in 2012.

Kailee Finds Magic IN Words is Allyn’s second children’s picture book and is the sequel to her first book titled The Pea In Peanut Butter. Both were published by FutureWord Publishing.  Allyn has also been published in various children’s magazines. Look for her  next book, Hippo Bottomless scheduled to be published by FutureWord in 2015.

She is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Allyn has also recently been added to Futureword Publishings permanent staff where she helps out with administrative duties.

Allyn lives in Baton Rouge, La with her husband, two crazy dogs and one fat cat. 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: 

I had Allyn answer a few questions so that you could get to know her a little bit. She is quite the character, so sit back, and enjoy.     

1.         Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Well I hate to bore your readers right off the bat but if you insist! I was raised with my two older sisters and younger brother in the small town of Edgerton, Ohio. One day when I was 15 and desperate for a boyfriend, my sister’s boyfriend paid a boy named Brad one dollar (best dollar he ever spent!) to walk me home from school. I later married that boy (going on 34 yrs now) and we now live in Baton Rouge, LA. I didn’t begin my writing career until about five years ago. Sometimes it takes me awhile to wake up! But I finally did and have discovered that my passion is in writing children’s picture books.

2.         What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on my first attempt at self-publishing a picture book titled The Color of Love. I’ve chosen a local illustrator in my writing group so we are having lots of fun going over the illustrations. She is doing a great job and I can’t wait to see this book in print. Courtney knows how long I’ve been working on this one!

I’m also in the process of getting another picture book, Hippo Bottomless published through Futureword Publishing. I’ve seen the first draft of illustrations and hopefully it will be out the end of this year or early 2015.

And I’m always working on a new picture book so that never stops!

3.         How did you decide what genre and age group you wanted to write for?

I researched and researched about the different genre’s and age groups until I finally decided it was the little ones I wanted to write for. I’m in love with good picture books and little kids so it seemed like a magical fit.

4.         If you could meet any author in the world, who would it be? Why?

Oh I don’t know, there are so many great authors out there! I guess I’d really like to have a sit down chat with JK Rowling. The first question I would ask her is, “What’s it like to get a big royalty check?”

5.         What advice would you give someone just starting out?

Do your research. Find out what type of book it is that you want to write and for what age group. Without knowing that, you’ll probably just go round and round and chances are you’ll have a tough time finishing a story. Once you discover that, find out all the rules and guidelines for writing in that genre and do it right. Polish up your story to the best of your ability, get others to critique it, and spend the money to get it edited properly. Then begin submitting! You can’t fulfill your dream of being published if you don’t submit first!

6.         What would you say is the most difficult challenge you’ve encountered with your writing?

Definitely marketing the book once it’s published. I am having serious problems with this as I have always stunk at selling anything. I cringe at the thought of being pushy or asking anyone for money. But I’m getting better and someday I’m hoping it will pay off. I just want to get my books in mother’s or father’s hands and in their children’s imaginations!

7.         If your life had a theme song, what would it be?

Oh my gosh, you’re going to laugh but I think it would be Carrie Underwoods song Before He Cheats. I want my husband to hear those words over and over in his brain and know that I will key his beloved 1939 Ford if he ever tries that on me! Plus, it’s just a fun song to sing.

CURRENT RELEASE:

THE GIST:

Kailee doesn’t like to read. But, when her mother forces her to practice reading, she discovers that words can take you on all kinds of magical adventures!”

As an added, FYI, this is book two of Kailee's world.  If you haven't checked out book 1, THE PEA IN PEANUT BUTTER, you should.  It's fantastic.  You can find that:  Here

LINKS:

For those interested, here are some links for you to find her latest release:

BLOG

AMAZON

Amazon Author Page

Blog By-Week Thanks to a Germ

Sorry blog readers, no real blog this week.  I have been sick as heck since the 12^th.  I’m starting to finally feel better, but my brain is a big ball of cotton and I am unable to function properly at the moment.  Stay tuned for next week, as I will have Allyn Stotz Children’s Writer on my blog to entertain you. 

Until then, enjoy this cute picture of a bunneh…

Angelia Almos - Interview

 Author Showcase and Interview - Angelia Almos

I am happy to announce that I have on my blog this week, fellow writer, and friend, Angelia Almos.  She is a very proliferic writer, and one that I enjoy on a reading level.  She writers fantasy, she writes paranormal, and she writers thrillers.  I can say that I have read a lot of her books and enjoyed them all for very difference reasons. 

Today I am showcasing, her book, Encounter at Shalana. 

What is the book about?

Space pirate Captain Kristy Ryan grew up the only daughter of a notorious privateer in the Border Planet Region. She learned her trade the hard way - there were no free rides on her father’s ship. Now, she has her own ship, the Unicorn, and successfully works in the shadows, the fringes of legitimate trade. Her life is just how she wants it even on those days when her pilot and lover, Andrew Bennet, drives her crazy. But an unexpected visit from the Military Space Alliance changes everything. Her father disappeared while working a dangerous mission for the MSA. Now, she’s being blackmailed into finishing his mission.

Author Interview:

I was lucky enough to get the scoup on Ms. Almos and asked her a few questions that I am always interested in from writers. 

     1.  What are you currently working on?

I’ve got a cyberpunk novella tentatively titled Cybe-Human that I’m trying to finish up. Hopefully be all done with it by the end of the month.

2.  If you could meet any author in the world, who would it be? Why?

Actually, I think I met the authors I would want to meet at a romance writer’s conference a few years ago. J I tend to get sooo tongue tied when around anyone I admire so I actually tend to avoid talking to people I admire. But who I would love to meet even through the “have nothing clever to say” is Carrie Fischer. She is such a clever writer and I admire her ability to make scripts and dialogue funnier. 

3.  When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was a teenager. But it took a while for me to gain the skills needed to be able to actually finish a story past the initial “this is so fun” phase of a book.

4.  Which one of your books was the most difficult to write?

Whichever book I’m currently working on is always the most difficult. I’ve been working on some sequels off and on and I’m finding them to be particularly challenging. I’d have to say the sequel to Horse Charmer has been the hardest because I have no idea where the story concludes. I’ve scrapped several first couple of chapter drafts.

5.  What would you say is the most difficult challenge you’ve encountered with your writing?

Actually sitting down and writing the stories. Even when I have a clear vision of the overall story it can be hard for me to do the actual typing on keyboard to get it down.

6.  In your book, Encounter at Shalana, who was your favorite character and why?

Kristy. She has so much baggage, but is a good person underneath it all, and it was always interesting to watch her scramble away from anything having to do with feelings. Andrew was more fun to write because he’s a smart aleck and so incredibly loyal.

7.  How do you come up with the names?  Of both people and planets?

I knew I wanted to do “normal” names for the characters to ground the story. But I had more fun naming the places as I wanted to go a little more out there. Tropis was easy as I visualized the spot they went to as tropical so I called it Tropic in early drafts and then just changed the C to an S. The ship names were also fun as I wanted the ship names to tie into the characters.

A quick BIO of Angelia:

Angelia Almos’ developed a fascination for sci-fi at a young age. Growing up with a steady diet of Star Trek, Star Wars, and anything else with a space ship, it’s no wonder so much of her imagination focuses on starships and far off places.

Angelia writes space opera, young adult fantasy, and horsey nonfiction. She lives in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with her husband, two daughters, two cats, two dogs, and two pony.

Connect with Angelia:

Website: www.angeliaalmos.com

Twitter: twitter.com/angeliaalmos

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AngeliaAlmosAuthor

Where can you find Encounter at Shalana?

Encounter at Shalana is currently on sale for $2.99

Amazon - Encounter at Shalana

Shadow Fire - Official Release

It’s September 8^th, so what does that mean?  It is the official RELEASE DAY of Shadow Fire.   

Where can you find it?

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Rogue Phoenix Press

AND it is also winner reveal day of the free e-book of said Shadow Fire!

How do I figure out my winner?  Just to keep it fair, I have every comment with a corresponding number in the order it was given.  Then I go to Number Generator and it picks the winner for me.  That way there is no question.  

Okay, onward.  The winner of a free e-book of Shadow Fire is:    Denise    

You should be receiving an email from Amazon with you book today.  If you do not, please let me know asap.  Congrats!  Hope you enjoy the read, and remember, the best way to support authors you love, is to leave a review. 

Don’t worry all you sad losers out there; I will be having another give away soon.