Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Interview with Christopher Draven


Now available in both print and eBook formats is the supernatural thriller Hunted: A Jonathan Harker Novel by Christopher Draven.


Slinging Spells with Broken Ribs Isn't Easy

Jonathan Harker, mage and life-long demon hunter, wakes to find himself tied to a chair and severely wounded. His captor, a demon in service to a summoner who wants Harker alive.

Armed with impossibly powerful magic and a gang of demon toughs, the summoner has snared Harker in a deadly trap. Nothing is ever easy, and being new in town has left Harker with few allies. However, with help from a Fortune-Teller named Clover and a self-described "Kitchen Witch" named Momma Dee, Harker fights back.

To prevail, Harker must walk unprepared into a pit of demons and black magic - and come out alive on the other side.

The author has taken a few minutes out of his busy schedule to talk about his new novel.



When did you become interested in storytelling?

From a young age, I loved reading and hearing stories. My mom would read to me each night, even when I was in elementary school – only she didn’t read me children’s books. My mom read out loud books by Terry Brooks, Anne McCaffrey, and others.

I grew up on tales of Allanon setting fields of grass alight with Druid’s Fire and Lessa’s quest to bring back the missing Wyers.

In the fourth grade, there was a local contest for children writers. My teacher led our class in the exercise of writing a short story. She submitted several of the stories for consideration, and I won the contest.

And then I was hooked.

The rest of my life, even my career choices, were guided by a desire to write and tell stories.

What was your first book/story published?

I have written several Non-Fiction books, under a pen name or as a ghost writer. Hunted: A Jonathan Harker Novel was my debut novel.

What inspired you to write Hunted?

Jonathan Harker was my inspiration. He is a vital part of the literary world, and yet he is often forgotten by pop culture. As I considered what would happen next for the character, the story grew up around him.

What character in Hunted is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Monday, July 3, 2017

Interview with L.P. Maxa, author of Mouth Watering



Now available from Boroughs Publishing Group is the romantic e-novel Mouth Watering, book one in the St. Leasing series, by L.P. Maxa.


Corey Cooper, the new guidance counselor at all boys prep school, St. Leasing, discovers nothing is what it seems, especially the mouthwatering coach, Dominic Hardy.


EVERYTHING SHE NEEDED...

Looking to change her life, Corey Cooper moves across the country to a remote town in Colorado to become the new guidance counselor at St. Leasing, a prestigious all boys prep school. But soon she learns her attraction to the gorgeous head coach, Dominic Hardy, is more than the usual chemistry, and that her students are more than the typical randy teenage boys.


WAS WRITTEN IN HIS SOUL

Dominic Hardy loves his life at St. Leasing. As head coach, he's fulfilled by his career, and in the small Colorado town outside the school's gates he has all the entertainment a man could desire. No complications, no attachments, life was good. Then Corey Cooper comes to St. Leasing and Dominic's instincts kick in - she is his, and that's for life. Throw in a troubled teen, a tyrannical parent, and a mysterious disappearance, and all of a sudden everything at St. Leasing has become a matter of life or death for his kind.

The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her new novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

I can remember lying awake when I was little and making up stories in my head. I was always daydreaming, but my daydreams were like mini-movies. I’d have conversations with my characters and create tiny dramatic conflicts. I still do this, all the time. I think story telling has been a part of who I am from day one.

What was your first book/story published?

Mouth Watering in the St. Leasing series was my first book. I wrote Mouth Watering after the characters forced me to tell their story. I’d always wanted to write, so one day I sat down at the computer and started to type. Three weeks later? It was done and I was addicted. I can’t imagine giving it up now. It’s part of who I am. Writing makes me, me.

What inspired you to write Mouth Watering?

The characters and ideas for the St. Leasing series came from a daydream. I was at work, with a lot of time to think during a long case. I started to let my mind wander. The school was born, then the men the books focus on. It was like a snowball effect. For days, I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters and St. Leasing. It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders when I finally sat down and started to type out their stories.

What character in Mouth Watering is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I’d say that Keller is most like me. I am perpetually laid back, almost to a fault. Not much rattles me and I tend to be good at calming other people’s nervousness. I also feel like I can read people well, how they are feeling.

What is your favorite part in Mouth Watering?

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Interview & Giveaway with David H. Minton, author of Where On Earth? An Alaska Adventure



Now available from Fiery Seas Publishing is the romantic novel Where On Earth? An Alaska Adventure by David H. Minton.


The author has taken a few minutes out of his busy schedule for a Q&A about his novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

My mother was a librarian and she always brought home interesting books from the library. So as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been interested in stories, both fiction and non-fiction. My father liked Robert W. Service and Rudyard Kipling, and through those writers, I became interested in poetry—especially descriptive poetry.

What was your first book/story published?

My first book was a non-fiction book about the history of the Boeing 737. It was published by McGraw Hill in the Aero series. I’ve always been interested in planes and writing about an airliner seemed natural to me.

What inspired you to write Where on Earth? An Adventure in Alaska ?

For some years I’ve had an idea of a novel with a male and a female protagonist on opposite sides of the environmental/climate debate. I plan for more of these books with the same characters, including the French-speaking dog, in other locations in the world. Over the last several years I’ve worked on outlines of these various stories. I don’t know why Alaska floated to the top first.

What character in Where on Earth? An Adventure in Alaska is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Dan Richardson, the male protagonist and I share have a lot of common experiences, war veterans, helicopters, survey work, and environmental impact statements. I think he is most like me in that he is very solution oriented, much more interested in solving problems than being stymied or frustrated by them. I think it is pretty common among writers in that you write best about which you know best, like yourself.

What is your favorite part in Where on Earth? An Adventure in Alaska ?

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Interview & Giveaway with Kira Shayde, author of Ancient Heat




Now available to purchase on Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Google Books, and Barnes & Noble is the paranormal romance Ancient Heat, book one in The Followers series, by Kira Shayde.


The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.



When did you become interested in storytelling?

As a child, I had a severe case of over imagination and would not shut up. I wrote my first romance in fifth grade (I vaguely remember it also featured a cat). In high school, I wrote angsty poetry and had a sketchbook where I drew just parts of people. Then I found sci-fi and began to express the weirdness in my head on paper. But after a half-completed sci-fi/paranormal novel drew confusion from a class of general fiction writers (is your heroine an animal or an alien?) and consternation from a sci-fi group (why is there sex in this?), I lost my gumption and stopped writing for a long time.

What was your first book/story published?

My first story published was in 2012. On Par with a Fairy by Lyla Bardan is a young adult fantasy novella about a fairy who sacrifices immortality to become human and date a teen boy.

What inspired you to write Ancient Heat?

My dreams. All my books are inspired by my weird, lucid dreams.

What character in Ancient Heat is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

None of the characters are like me. The heroine has a number of traits from my daughter though, my son pops up in a couple of the secondary characters, and whenever I needed the hero to be a moody poop, I relied on my husband. LOL.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

URBAN WOLF Anthology: A Brief Interview With the Authors





Wolf in the City by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom 


 Linda, how do your characters meet in Wolf in the City?  

They meet on a dark back street in Los Angeles where even cops and gangs fear to tread, and are surprised as heck by seeing another "being" there.

Your characters actually come from different paranormal species. Explain! 

The wolf in this city (Jared ) is a sexy werewolf. The female he meets (Kit) is a feisty young vampire. As a most unlikely pairing, they might have to join forces and exchange some body fluids in order to see if bridging the "species" gap is in any way a viable option. Really though . . . who can better understand the problems an "Other" faces than someone who is also "Other"?

Is this a love at first sight love story or more of a slow burn? 

Weres and vamps have long been enemies . . . so the relationship that unfolds burns slowly, but fiercely.

Which do you prefer writing—antiheroes or straight up heroes? 

My characters, whether wolf or immortal, all have an innate sense of justice and are on a mission to help to right some of the supernatural world's wrongs. So though the main character Weres, vampires, and immortals in my books might be anti-heroes according to human society they try to blend in with, they are ultimately dangerous good guys.

Friday, June 2, 2017

Q&A with Renee Dyer, author of Sevyn



Coming soon from Forever Read Publishing is the romantic thriller Sevyn by Renee Dyer.


The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel. 




When did you become interested in storytelling?

Oh boy, when wasn’t I interested in storytelling? At the age of four, I told my mom I would no longer watch Sesame Street because it was an insult to my intelligence, grabbed my doodle pad, and started drawing something I wanted to watch. I’ve heard this story from my family many times. I don’t know what I drew, and I’m sure I heard Sesame Street was an insult to my intelligence from one of my four older siblings, but my mom swears this was the beginning of writing for me. It may have been through pictures, but she says I always lived in my own little world.

What was your first book/story published?

Waking Up. It’s the first of a two book story for Tucker and Adriana and the beginning of the Healing Hearts Series.

What inspired you to write Sevyn?

Sevyn was inspired by 7 Years by Lukas Graham. The first time I heard the song I didn’t hear all the words. It just sounded like a song about a boy growing up, but it stuck in my head, and suddenly an idea sparked. In the twenty minutes I waited for my son to get out of work, I had this dark, twisted story played out in my mind.

What character in Sevyn is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I don’t know that any of the characters in Sevyn are like me. I definitely didn’t see myself in them as I was writing it, but if I had to pick something I would say it’s that many of the characters are fierce in the love they feel for their family. I am a total homebody who has never broken the law, so I am in no way like the characters in this story. I don’t like killing bugs. I’m not sure how I even came up with this one, but I’m glad I did. Kevyn’s story needed to be told.

What is your favorite part in Sevyn?

Friday, May 26, 2017

Q&A with T. Nathan Mosley, author of Lady Knight



Now available to purchase is the urban fantasy Lady Knight, book one of The Knight Case series, by T. Nathan Mosley.



The author has taken a few minutes out of his busy schedule for a Q&A about his new novel. 



When did you become interested in storytelling?

I first had an interest in writing when I read Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. The characters and world he created fascinated me, and ever since I’ve been writing and creating my own worlds and characters.

What was your first book/story published?

Lady Knight is the first novel I’ve published. It was released this year in January.

What inspired you to write Lady Knight?

Cameron, one of the main characters of Lady Knight, came first. I had the idea for her, and after that, everything kind of fell into place. That tends to happen with me, I’ll have an idea for a character and they inspire the story they want to tell.

What character in Lady Knight is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I believe I’m most like Ryan, Cameron’s ex-husband. We’re both intelligent people who have an interest in academics. He’s a professor, which I would love to be able to do at some point.

I’m least like Vee, the primary villain of Lady Knight. Her cruelty and carefree attitude couldn’t be farther from what I am.

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Q&A with Jamie Le Fay, author of Ahe’ey


Now available to purchase is the romantic fantasy Ahe’ey by Jamie Le Fay.




The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

From as young as I can remember, I have soothed myself to sleep by imagining epic stories of heroes, heroines, sorceresses, dragons, angels, and demons. I based my stories on the books and movies I was watching and the narratives that moved and inspired me.

I was as excited and delighted with Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre as I was with Battlestar Galactica (the original TV series). The Mists of Avalon, an Arthurian legend retelling from the point of view of the female characters, had as much effect on me as Cosmos by Carl Sagan.

Later in my life, I discovered that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools to drive change in the world. It creates empathy and compassion, it inspires action, and it helps us make sense of life. As someone that is very interested in making the world a better place, I became interested in storytelling as a powerful ‘weapon’ for good.

What was your first book/story published?

Ahe’ey is the first book I published. The first edition of Ahe’ey was originally titled Ange’el.

What inspired you to write Ahe’ey?

I’ve been writing this story all my life, mostly inside my head, but also on paper. Gabriel, one of the main characters of Ahe’ey, has lived in my mind since the beginning of time; I was probably five or six when he became my best friend.

What character in Ahe’ey is the most like you, and in what ways?

I remember the day I discovered feminism. I was reading a book called The Curse of the Good Girl by Rachel Simmons. I had the same adrenaline rush I got when I first discovered brain plasticity, or the first time I read Carl Sagan’s Cosmos.

It was like that moment when you learn something so important that you want to share it with the entire universe; that time when you just can’t help yourself, you go around spreading your new-found wisdom using the largest possible megaphone, because you want others to benefit from it. You completely ignore that some people may not be ready to discover the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Worse, some know about the gold and only want to hide it.

Still, you persevere; you open the book and quote from the passages underlined in fluorescent yellow. The books and the studies are your shield against limiting beliefs, they protect you from the ghost that lurks in some dark corners of your mind—the impostor syndrome. You can’t stop researching, and reading, and watching YouTube videos about the topic. Soon you forget about the girl that wanted to fit in amongst the boys, just another software engineer. The more you learn, the more resolute you become—the media, the marketing, the biases, the privilege, it’s so unfair, all of it.

You talk to others about it at work, you organize groups, and you speak at conferences. You lead, you mentor, you connect, and you learn from others more experienced than you, others kind enough to take you under their wings. And then suddenly you understand your own privilege, and it’s devastating—the white corporate feminism, self-centered, navel gazing, and exclusive. And eventually you look around, really look, and you see it—the systems of privilege; the structures of power. For the first time you see the girl in Congo, the mother in South Sudan, and the boy from Syria.

You see it, you are open and you are raw, and you must do something about it. You lean in for them in a way you’d never be able to lean in for yourself. You must, there is no alternative, they live under the same sky, the only border you recognize, at least until someone finds life in other planets, and then, even that last border will be dismissed.

This is me, and some part of me is Morgan, but like all of my other main characters, she has become her own distinct entity, she has taught me more than I ever imagined.  Her journey is impacting my life as much as my journey defined hers. We are both passionate, idealistic, slightly preachy, and very flawed. She’s much braver and open than I’ll ever be.  We’ll keep learning from each other, we’ll keep growing and hopefully we’ll keep spreading what we learn with the rest of the world, whether they like it or not. Now, where did I leave my megaphone? It was just here a moment ago . . .

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Q&A with Alanea Alder, author of My Defender



Now available from Sacred Forest Publishing is the supernatural romance My Defender, book eight in the Bewitched and Bewildered series, by Alanea Alder.



The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

I used to play by telling stories so pretty much as soon as I could talk.

What was your first book/story published?

Fate Knows Best the first book in the Kindred of Arkadi.

What inspired you to write My Defender?

I identified with the heroine of this book and wanted to see if I could do her justice.

What character in My Defender is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Ironically my personality is nothing like the heroine of this book even though I identify with her on another level. 

What is your favorite part in My Defenders?

Friday, May 19, 2017

Q&A with Adom Sample, author of Courting Moon: Vampyres Desire



Now available to purchase is the paranormal romance Courting Moon: Vampyres Desire, book one in the Bloods Passion Saga, by Adom Sample.



The author has taken a few minutes out of his busy schedule for a Q&A about his new novel. 



When did you become interested in storytelling?

I’ve been writing since I was a child actually. As I child I loved reading stories. It was an escape from my hectic childhood. With that, I started writing plays, poetry, shorty stories and the like. I didn’t start writing seriously until I finished graduate school. I put off completing my Doctorates to write. I felt like doing something I was passionate about as opposed to continuing my studies. Writing makes me feel good.

What was your first book/story published?
My first book is a horror novel derived from a collection of stories that I wrote when I was a teenager. Since that book I’ve transitioned to romance/paranormal as I feel this genre suits me better.

What inspired you to write Courting Moon: Vampyres Desire?

One night at 3:30am I was sleeping in my bed dreaming about a story of a human woman and a male vampire who were not allow to be together. I woke up immediately and created a note to myself via email of the idea. The next morning I developed the plot to the story from what I could remember from my dream and it just took off from there. The more I wrote, the more ideas for other stories in the series came to me. Therefore, I guess you can say Courting Moon came to me in a dream.

What character in Courting Moon: Vampyres Desire is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I don’t believe any of the characters are like me. I wrote them in the realm of people who I have interacted with. I guess Sebastian would be an outward projection of what I would like to be. He’s passionate in what he wants and is willing to give up everything to have it just the same as his love interest Kyra. I believe they both mirror what people in general would like to become.

What is your favorite part in Courting Moon: Vampyres Desire?

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Q&A with Skyla Murphy, author of Hell Will Rise





Now available is the romantic thriller Hell Will Rise, book in the Bloodthirsty Mafia series, by Skyla Murphy.



The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

I’m sure my parents would tell you that I’ve always been a storyteller, but I had never seriously considered writing as a profession up until two years ago. When I was in high school, we were made to undergo career assessments. Numerous questions were asked to decipher which career path would be best for us on an individual basis. In a fate I couldn’t understand, my results came back for creative writing. Ignoring the assessment, I studied social work, power engineering, and medical transcription instead. I’ve always written along the way, completing multiple novels that I didn’t ever take the leap to publish.

What was your first book/story published?

When I had just hit junior high, I wrote a story about a penguin that played baseball. (It was cool back then, I swear - ha!) It won first place and was published for a local festival, but that was just something I did for fun. I’ve written a handful of novels over the past few years, but Hell Will Rise will be the first one I officially publish.

What inspired you to write Hell Will Rise?

One night around a campfire, me and a few buddies were discussing which superpower would be the coolest to have. A little bit of an odd conversation for a group of twenty-five year olds to be hung up on, but we were.

The most common answer was the cliché of invisibility. Someone said X-ray vision. Another said the art of flying. I chose teleportation. I would take myself wherever I wanted to go with a snap of my fingers. Could you imagine the uncomfortable conversations a girl could avoid with that superpower?! But I would want myself to be so skilled that I could bring anything I was touching with me. I would show my friends the world!

While considering it, someone suggested seeing numbers in people’s eyes (their bank pins, driver’s license numbers, stock holdings etc.) so they could steal identities for fun. The friend who gave that answer had eaten one too many Bailey’s centered marshmallows that night, but it got me thinking. It was then that I told everyone I was going to write my next book about exactly that.

What character in Hell Will Rise is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Q&A with S.R. Mitchell, author of Shifted by Fate



Now available to purchase is the supernatural romance Shifted by Fate by S.R. Mitchell.


KindleNook iBooksKobo

The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel. 


When did you become interested in storytelling?

I have always been interested in writing stories from a young age. I really developed a love for it in high school and am now fulfilling my dream.

What was your first book/story published?

My first published work was a historical romance, Dark Rider.

Blurb: When Brianna married, she always thought it would be for love, soul shattering love. Now this warrior is demanding her hand. Against her own wishes she finds herself before the altar beside Laird McGregor.

Has fate played a cruel hand or is he the love she has always wanted?

Only time will give her the answer.

He is known as the Dark Rider and feared by many. Already he has lost three betrothed and will not lose another.

Torin likes the feisty lass and Brianna will be his… heart and soul.

What inspired you to write Shifted by Fate?

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Q&A with D.E. Haggerty, author of Fat Girl Begone!



Now available to purchase is the romantic comedy novel Fat Girl Begone! by D.E. Haggerty.



The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel. 


When did you become interested in storytelling?

Frankly, I can’t remember a time I wasn’t interest in storytelling. I started yapping and telling tale tales from the moment I could talk. Apparently, I never shut up. Except at school because – duh! – total nerd here.

What was your first book/story published?

Unforeseen Consequences was the first book I published. I wrote it years before I actually published it. The hubby deserves credit because he pushed me to try this newfangled self-publishing thing.

What inspired you to write Fat Girl Begone!?

In all honesty, I wanted to write another romantic comedy because the first one I wrote, Molly’s Misadventures, sold fairly well and received some good reviews. But I also wanted to tell a story close to my heart. As a diehard yo-yo dieter, writing a book about a supposed fat girl was totally up my alley.

What character in Fat Girl Begone! is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Most like me is easy – Everly. Everly is a workaholic who weighs too much and sporadically diets. Sounds uncomfortably familiar. As far as female characters go, Everly’s best friend, Blaze, is not like me at all. She’s a kindergarten teacher and I am terrified of children (only slight exaggeration there). She’s also a total fitness fanatic. Although I may be a fanatic when it comes to my tennis game, that’s where it stops.

What is your favorite part in Fat Girl Begone!?

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Q&A with Chris Keane, author of The Girl from the Woods



Now available from Pennant Collective is the paranormal romance The Girl from the Woods by Chris Keane.


The author has taken a few minutes out of his busy schedule for a Q&A about his new novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

In 1995, I read a book called High Fidelity by Nick Hornby and was blown away. The first person narrative was so real, like being inside the main character’s head. It reminded me of The Catcher in the Rye, but the subject matter was so much more relatable to me (the trials and tribulations of dating and relationships). It was also very funny. This made me want to write about my own experiences but first I had to learn about how to go about formatting a story.

What was your first book/story published?

The e-book short read, Loot (2015). Loot was inspired from my childhood experiences. Growing up during the seventies and eighties in a NJ town transitioning from a farming community to suburban commuter zone, I got the best of both worlds. There were a lot of fun places to hang out and things to do but there was also open and wooded areas to explore with my friends without parental supervision. The story was written in the spirit of Stand by Me and The Goonies.

What inspired you to write The Girl from the Woods?

The Girl from the Woods was inspired by my love for romance and the paranormal. I’ve always been a hopeless romantic so that aspect of the story flows quite naturally. I grew up in the eighties, which were a scary time to be a kid. Every summer the theaters were invaded with horror films like Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. The films used familiar settings, which lead to a lot of sleepless nights for me. But I also fell in love with horror and the paranormal.

What character in The Girl from the Woods is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Q&A with Cheryl R. Lane, author of Wellington Beaus



Now available is the historical romance Wellington Beaus, book five in the Wellington Cross series, by Cheryl R. Lane.


The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

Probably when I was a little girl. I used to listen to my favorite aunt tell endless stories about things that happened to her. She’s the one who should write books; she’d be a best-seller. I started writing for fun after high school one summer when I took my manual typewriter outside to our picnic table under the trees and wrote a Civil War love story.

What was your first book/story published?

The first book I published was Wellington Cross, the first book in my historical romance series. I self-published this book after many rejections from literary agents and after revamping the book probably four times till I finally got it the way I wanted it. One of those literary agents did give me some good advice about the beginning of the book, developing a character more, and I took that advice and she was right; it made the story better.

What inspired you to write Wellington Beaus?

Wellington Beaus is book five in my Wellington Cross series. Originally, I wrote three books in the series plus a little Christmas novella, and that was all I wanted to do at the time. I then wrote two paranormal romance books, and then decided I wanted to come back to the Wellington series and add a few more books. I had new stories that came to my mind. Wellington Beaus picks up right where book four ends. This book focuses on the two Wellington brothers, Bertie and Godfrey. Godfrey, the older one, is married and expecting his firstborn child, but when tragedy strikes, his whole life is turned upside-down. Meanwhile, Bertie proposes to Amanda Adams, but when an old flame comes to live and work at the boarding house, trouble follows her and being the deputy, Bertie gets involved.

What character in Wellington Beau is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I am a lot like the character Amanda in that she is the jealous type. She doesn’t like to see her fiancé talk to his old girlfriend, and when she discovers a secret between the two of them, she gets mad enough to give Bertie the engagement ring back. I would be the same way. She gets pretty sassy too, and my good friend, also an author, gave me the new nickname of sassy, ha ha.




Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Q&A with Karin Rita Gastreich, author of Daughter of Aithne



Now available from Orb Weaver Press is the romantic-fantasy Daughter of Aithne, book three in The Sliver Web series, by Karin Rita Gastreich.


The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

Ever since I can remember, I have loved story telling. I wrote my first story when I was in grade school, based on a dream I had. Although I didn’t get serious about publishing until recently, I have written stories all my life.

What was your first book/story published?

Eolyn, Book One of The Silver Web, was released in its first edition by Hadley Rille Books in the spring of 2011. At the time, it was a stand-alone novel. Later, after crafting the sequels, I re-released the trilogy under the title The Silver Web.

What inspired you to write Daughter of Aithne?

As with all the books of The Silver Web trilogy, Daughter of Aithne was inspired by the amazing women I’ve known and also the women I’ve read about in history; in particular medieval women, and how they managed to wield and manipulate power in a society so steeped in patriarchal values. In writing Daughter of Aithne, I asked myself, “What would happen if barriers to power were removed and women could rule kingdoms and even wage war just like men?”

What character in Daughter of Aithne is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Once you’ve been through this many novels with the same characters, they become independent entities, and it’s hard to see yourself in any of them. Though we are not really all that much alike, my favorite character to work with in this book was Taesara, the woman who leads the war against Eolyn.

Taesara makes her first appearance in Sword of Shadows, and many of my readers did not like her. This kind of surprised me, because I’ve always sympathized with Taesara. Yes, she can be unpleasant, but only when she has good reasont. As a result of my readers initial reaction to Taesara, I wanted to come back to her in Daughter of Aithne and let her be seen in a more sympathetic light. I think I succeeded in doing that.

Monday, May 8, 2017

Q&A with Daccari Buchelli, author of Phoenix



Now available from Buchelli Books is the young adult fantasy is Phoenix, book one in The Peradon Fantasy Series, by Daccari Buchelli.


The author has taken a few minutes out of his busy schedule for a Q&A about his new novel.



When did you become interested in storytelling?

I have always been an avid reader and found it to be a useful escape from everyday problems. As I got older, my imagination began to play up during my school lessons, constantly leading me into new worlds and never giving me a moment of peace. When I was eight, I decided to try and write down the things that came to me. One idea sparked another and soon I had three short stories before me. Sadly, I do not own a copy of my first attempts at storytelling as the computer spontaneously combusted.

Quite ironic that I discovered 3 ½ floppy disks a week later. A week too late.

What was your first book/story published?

Although I self published novellas when I was younger, these were only for me and were always kept private.

The first story that I published since growing into adulthood was the first edition of my Fantasy novel, Phoenix, which was originally entitled Sweet Surrender and published with an Indie Publishing Press. Unfortunately, the company I had joined turned out to be bad news and so I chose to leave, with any royalties I had earned with-held from me.

What inspired you to write Phoenix?

When I first began drafting Phoenix, I had recently suffered a devastating break up. The person I had been seeing had appeared sweet at first, with a kind heart. Then, after time began to pass, they seemed to transform into someone else.

First, it was like another personality was bleeding through the mask they had created, then it began to take over. This is how I came up with the infamous yet charming Emperor Ryore. He is a tortured soul who wants to feel love, but is only able to feel obsession. Violetta's story is in part the journey I went through to learn that not everything is as it seems and that each of us is stronger than we might initially believe.

Which character in Phoenix is the least like you, and in what ways?

Prince Arlas of the Air Realm is probably the least like me out of this cast of characters. He is crude, cunning and has the appearance of a folklore vampire.

Along with being immortal, Arlas has incredible power at his disposal and uses it for his own sadistic purposes. He doesn't care who he hurts, as long as he gets what he desires.



Thursday, May 4, 2017

Q&A with Amanda Jones, author of Dark Angel



Now available from New Concepts Publishing is the paranormal romance fantasy Dark Angel, book one of The Fallen Chronicles, by Amanda Jones.



The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her new novel. 



When did you become interested in storytelling?

I’ve always enjoyed writing – I was the weird kid in school that enjoyed essay assignments! Dark Angel is my first full length novel, but I’ve tried my hand at screenplays and short stories (which will remain hidden in the dark recesses of my hard drive!).

What was your first book/story published?

Dark Angel is my first published book – it had a long and winding path, but has finally arrived!

What inspired you to write Dark Angel?

I’ve always enjoyed the idea of good vs. evil and what makes the bad guy bad – so naturally the biggest, baddest fallen angel of all seemed like a good jumping off point. 😀

What character in Dark Angel is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

That’s a really great question…and a tough one to answer! I don’t think I can pinpoint one specific character because there are pieces of me in all of them…I’m bookish like Sergei, and stubborn like Luc. I’ve also searched for who I am like Katya and been the joker like Bataryal. It’s fun when people who know you well read one of your books and come across a line that’s “so you.”😀

What is your favorite part in Dark Angel?