The Unholy: Self-Interview

Today, I'd like to welcome over Paul DeBlassie III, author of The Unholy, over for a self interview!

Can you give us a little background behind The Unholy?

The story comes out of over thirty years of treating patients in psychotherapy who are survivors of the dark side of religion…have been used and abused and cast to the side. I've seen that when this happens people, those around the victim, to include family and friends, often turn a blind eye and deny what has happened. Rather than writing a self help book I decided to approach this realm of human suffering in fiction. To tell a story moves the reader into a deep and unconscious dimension that bypasses conscious defences, leaving us open to truths that otherwise would be blocked. So, dramatizing the dark side of religion, pulling what can be the most vile and evil, and pivoting it against an innocent and sincerely searching soul leaves the reader on edge, hopeful, but unsure as to what will happen and who in the end will survive…a truth conveyed symbolically and dramatically. To have written out a list of what to do or not to do in the midst of religious abuse might have helped some individuals, but would have left many people stone cold because there is no emotion is such guidance. In The Unholy, the story is pure emotion, fear and rage and hope and challenge, that inspires and frightens and causes us to stay up late at night in order to finish the story. Dream and chronic nightmares plagues people who've gone through the horror of being abused within a religious system. It could be emotional, spiritual, physical, or sexual torment---or all of the above---a true encounter with the unholy---that people undergo during childhood or adolescence or adulthood. They become anxious, depressed, or suffer a terrible emotional breakdown. I've treated them, helped them, and they helped to inspire the story of The Unholy!

You are such a busy person.  How do you balance everything and write, too?

It’s a matter of listening to the energy coming from self, family, and friends so that nothing tips more one way than the other and the creative juices stay flowing rather than being depleted by excessive writing and are therefore constantly in a state of being replenished. I had a music teacher who once told me to practice or play up to the point that I feel bored, that the energy for it has been spent, and then to stop for the day. That’s what I do with writing. I stay with it, hit the page running each day, and go for as long and with as much intensity as I have for the scene that I'm writing. Then, I stop. And, if I don’t stop I’ll have nightmare that night that I'm being seduced and used by the muse and that such a thing could lead to utter ruination. There are horror stories about this. Writers in the stories feel the tug to write, the muse senses that someone is taking the bait and then the writer is hooked and reeled in. So, if I let myself be hooked and reeled in then I lose my balance. There is something to being hooked and reeled of course, but the true and balanced thing of it happens when it comes from a hook and a reeling that is my own and not one that causes me to be possessed by something other than my own common sense. After all, what matters is the living of life, and living a good one to the best of one’s ability, writing only a part of that.

Where do you get ideas from?


Ideas come from the deep repository of the collective unconscious mind that inspires images and symbols during the fantasies of waking life and during dreams and nightmares.  Mainly, it’s the nightmare stuff that bodes best for writing psychological thrillers and dark fantasy such as is in The Unholy. When I wake up in a cold sweat with the characters of the novels threatening me (I remember when Archbishop William Anarch, sinister prelate in The Unholy tormented me for nights on end, demanding that I not write the story) that’s when I know that real inspiration is flowing and that to listen to it and follow the images and symbols that emerge from my deep, unconscious mind during sleep and during the reverie of writing the story will end up in the development of spine tingling realities that jettison both me as the writer and the reader into phantasmagoric realms that have a way of shaking up conscious mindsets and get our heads blown out in a very, very unsettling but ultimately useful way. My writing, in other words, comes from an inner place of torment that needs to be let out so it can be set right. When mind stuff is set right inside me I can feel it by sensing a quality of being at peace, that I’ve written to the best of my ability and been true to the deep, archetypal energies swirling through my mind during the narrative. It really is a trip to listen to ideas, let them become images, and suddenly have them take over a page. It’s like the pages catch fire and everyone has come to life and things become disorderly, fraught with conflict, and danger looms.

From Goodreads:
A young curandera, a medicine woman, intent on uncovering the secrets of her past is forced into a life-and-death battle against an evil Archbishop. Set in the mystic land of Aztlan, "The Unholy" is a novel of destiny as healer and slayer. Native lore of dreams and visions, shape changing, and natural magic work to spin a neo-gothic web in which sadness and mystery lure the unsuspecting into a twilight realm of discovery and decision.

Bio:
PAUL DeBLASSIE III, PhD, is a psychologist and writer living in his native New Mexico. A member of the Depth Psychology Alliance, the Transpersonal Psychology Association, and the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, he has for over thirty years treated survivors of the dark side of religion.

Stops on the Tour:

Website

Blog

Goodreads
Amazon

Stops on the Tour:

Monday, June 2

Book Featured at Examiner

Tuesday, June 3

Interview at The Writer’s Life

Wednesday, June 4

First Chapter Reveal at Pump Up Your Book

Thursday, June 5

Book Featured at The Book Rack

Monday, June 9

Interview at Deal Sharing Aunt

Tuesday, June 10

Guest Blogging at The Story Behind the Book

Wednesday, June 11

Guest blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner

Thursday, June 12

Book Featured at Beyond the Books

Monday, June 16

Guest Blogging at Literal Exposure

Tuesday, June 17

First Chapter Reveal at Between the Covers

Monday, June 23

Guest Blogging at Shelley’s Bookcase

Tuesday, June 24

First Chapter Reveal at I’m Shelf-ish

Wednesday, June 25

Book Featured at The Dark Phantom

Friday, June 27

Book Featured at The Literary Nook

Monday, July 7

Interview at PUYB Virtual Book Club

Tuesday, July 8

Guest Blogging at The Writer’s Life

Wednesday, July 9

Interview at Between the Covers

Thursday, July 10

Interview at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews

Monday, July 14

Interview at Words I Write Crazy

Tuesday, July 15
Review at Words I Write Crazy

Interview at Blogcritics

Wednesday, July 16

First Chapter Reveal at Read My First Chapter

Thursday, July 17

Interview at Review From Here

Tuesday, July 22

Guest Blogging at The Book Faery Reviews

Wednesday, July 23

Interview at Literarily Speaking

Thursday, July 24

Interview at As the Pages Turn

Friday, July 25

Interview at Nancy Woods Blog

Monday, July 28

Interview at Virginia Beach Publishing Examiner

Tuesday, July 29

Guest Blogging at Rebecca’s Writing Services

Wednesday, July 30

Book Review at Review From Here

Friday, July 31

Interview at As the Page Turns

Monday, August 4

Book Review at Emeraldfire’s Bookmark

Tuesday, August 5

Guest Blogging at Bibliotica

Wednesday, August 6

Guest Blogging at Literal Exposure

Friday, August 8

Book Review & Character Guest Post at Castle Macabra

Sunday, August 10

Book Review & Guest Blogging at Ashley’s World

Monday, August 11

Interview at The Dark Phantom

Tuesday, August 12

Guest Blogging at Bea’s Book Nook

Wednesday, August 13

Book Featured at Plug Your Book

Monday, August 18

Interview at Beyond the Books

Tuesday, August 19

Interview at The Book Rack

Wednesday, August 20

Book Review & Interview at My Life, Loves and Passion

Monday, August 25

Guest Blogging at I’m Shelf-ish

Tuesday, August 26

Book Featured at SheWrites

Wednesday, August 27

Interview at Allvoices

Friday, August 29

Book Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Section 132: Interview, Review and Giveaway

Today I'd like to welcome over Helga Zeiner, author of Section 132, over for an interview!

What audiences, do you think, read your books?

I am very lucky that I have a large target group for my novels. They all belong to a genre mix of suspense and romance, with a bit of adventure and lots of spiritual and historic information added to it. By the way, I believe most novels are a mix and it is very difficult for most authors to pinpoint the exact genre.

Mine, belonging to suspense and romance, attract an adult audience who want to be entertained and at the same time learn things they are not familiar with in their daily lives.

 Your favourite part of your writing journey?

When I start my first draft and slowly introduce the different characters to the story line it often happens that they break out of the scheme I had planned for them and develop a life of their own. They  show traits that surprise me, start dialogue which slightly alters the plot, are not behaving the way I originally imagined and grow from being my brain-child into 'novel' adults very quickly.

I love that. While I share my time with those characters, they become close friends as we journey together to the story's end and, just like any mother, I'm usually very sad when I have to let them go.

Your least favourite part of your writing story?

There is none. I love absolutely everything about writing – the research, the plot development, the actual creative writing, even the editing, which many authors find boring. I am very lucky to be able to do every day what I love so deeply.

If you could design a perfect room for writing, what would it look like?

I wrote my first novel practically inside a wardrobe. At that time I was living in a home where there was no spare place for my computer. I had to move some coats to make room for a permanent small computer desk. It didn't matter. Even today, my writing study is a small cubicle next to my 'normal' office. (For my novels I use a computer without internet connection as I have always been terrified that a virus might attack what I am writing).

In other words – the perfect room is my imagination – and that doesn't need much space on this level of consciousness.

What sparks a novel for you?

Good question. I'm not totally sure. It is a combination of factors. It usually starts when something extraordinary catches my attention and doesn't let go any more. For example, Section 132 began when I read about the polygamous sect Bountiful. The article in the Vancouver Sun told about an FLDS Bishop living on this remote compound close to the US border of BC who has more than 50 wives and over a hundred children. It struck me as so odd that something like this is possible in our western civilization that I began to did a little further. Soon enough I was so intrigued by what I discovered, that I immersed myself into the most extensive research I had ever undertaken. Above and beyond the facts I unearthed, I asked myself: Why do women put up with such a degrading situation? So, there I was. The spark had become a burning flame and I simply HAD to write this novel.

I do hope you give it your attention – and like it!

From Goodreads:

Lillian is only 13 when her parents marry her to a middle-aged Bishop of a fundamentalist sect who practices polygamy. She is forced to live with her new husband’s many wives and children on his compound tucked away in the Canadian wilderness.

The hardships of poverty and isolation have crushed the will of just about everybody in his flock. They suffer in silent submissiveness, trying to please their despotic leader. He justifies the humiliating treatment of his dependents by citing ‘Section 132 of the Doctrine & Covenants’ of his fundamentalist religion.

Until, one day, Lillian had enough. But it is dangerous to try and escape the Bishop’s iron rule. He practices blood-atonement, which is quietly sanctioned by the ‘Gatekeepers’, an American secret society within the Fundamentalist Mormon Church.

Lillian must find out-side help if she ever wants to leave the Bishop’s compound – but how can she do this if she is locked up without any means of communication?

Lillian doesn’t know how life outside a compound functions. She only knows that she can not live like this much longer. Many questions plaque her troubled mind.

   

Why do her sister-wives put up with this hardship, knowing only a bleak future lies ahead of them? Where do the child-brides come from, the Bishop keeps adding to his family? Where do some of his daughters disappear to, once they come of age? Lillian’s defiance grows with every injustice she witnesses – until she can’t hide her rebellion any longer.

Her desperate struggle to escape draws the reader into a very dark, very dangerous place. But not all is hopeless. When land developer Richard Bergman buys the neighboring property, Lillian’s luck seems to be changing … 

My Review:

This was a fantastic book! Characters that just leap from the page into your imagination, to a plot that frankly, if it wasn't fiction, that if it was true, that the bits that were drawn from fact, it makes it hard to understand, that we live in a society that can't stop that kind of...mind control. Because it was just horrible for them, from the conditions, social, physical, spiritual, and emotional, where just horrible, and the mind views, that if they were just taught the truth, then they wouldn't have to endure that...it makes me very sad. The pouring of emotions, it just makes this book be very, very, very good! 

Plotwise, it starts off with a bang, a death, and that just starts of half of the novel's plot, the insides of cult, the other half being the outsides, from Richard, and the brief glimpses of the "Brotherhood" narrated sections. That Lillian, and many others in the compound, went through that, well, that was hard to read, because it was not a good place to be. And then the Richard parts, where he slowly learns about what's going on, with the slight maybe romance, well, that was fun to read, too!

One thing that I really loved about this novel, was that these characters were real, that I could've met them on the street, that they weren't perfect, they had flaws, and they made mistakes, of trust, of judgement, and how that effected the other characters, well, that was a lot of fun to read!

This was a fantastic, far-reaching enveloping novel that can't help but suck you into reading it, so I hope you guys check out the giveaway below, because this was a really fantastic book!

Author: Helga Zeiner

Read: August 15th, 2012

Source: Partners in Crime Tours Review Copy

Reason Why: Sounded like an amazing book, and they were in Canada!

Publisher: Pow Wow Books

Published: July 1st 2011

5/5 Hearts

3.5/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Giveaway:

I'm hosting a giveaway of this book, Section 132. It'll be a ebook copy, and so it'll be International. I'll pick a winner via random.org on August 23rd, so you have a week to enter.

To Enter: In the comments, tell me something that you think you'd like about this book and your email.
For Bonus Entries, 1 each, (and if you've already done them for a previous giveaway, say that)

-follow this blog by GFC
-follow this blog by email
-follow Helga on twitter
-follow me on twitter
-add this book on Goodreads

Bio:
Helga Zeiner is a Canadian and German citizen.

At the age of 18, Helga completed her arts degree at the Art School of Bavaria, and then left Germany.
She lived and worked for two years in Australia, and twelve years in Hong Kong.

Since 2004 she has lived with her husband Manfred in the wilderness of British Columbia, about 5 hours north of Vancouver. There they own over 500 acres which they have developed into a gated cabin community, the Rainbow Country Estate.

For as long as she can remember, Helga has been writing novels, usually in her spare time. Today most of her time is devoted to writing, but she also manages the land development company, is politically active, enjoys outdoor sports and loves smoking cigars.

Contact and Buy AKA Links:

Website

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Facebook

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Barnes and Noble

Stops on the Tour: 

July 8th: Review, Post & Giveaway~Cheryl @ CMash Loves To Read

July 9th: Review & Giveaway~Emily @ The Many Thoughts of a Reader

July 10th: Review, Interview & Giveaway~Nicole @ Purple Penguin Reviews

July 16th: Review & Giveaway~Vera @ Luxury Reading

July 19th: Review, Post & Giveaway~Lori @ Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

July 24th: Review & Giveaway~Shannon @ Shannon's Book Bag

July 26th: Review & Giveaway~Joel @ Author Joel M. Andre

July 31st: Showcase~Gina @ Hott Books

August 1st: Review, Post & Giveaway~DDS @ book r3vi3ws

August 7th: Review, Interview & Giveaway~Nicole @ Bless Their Hearts Mom

August 8th: Review & Giveaway~Cheryl @ The Book Connection

August 9th: Interview~Cheryl @ The Book Connection

August 15th: Review & Giveaway~ Kriss @ Cabin Goddess

August 16th: Review, Interview & Giveaway~Louisa @ Words I Write Crazy

August 21st: Review, Interview & Giveaway~Kari @ From The TBR Pile

August 23rd: Review & Giveaway~Lauren @ Northern Plunder

August 28th: Showcase~Lance @ Omnimystery News

August 29th: Showcase~Molly @ Reviews By Molly

September 3rd: Review & Giveaway~ Kristin @ Kritters Ramblings

September 8th: Review, Post & Giveaway~Inga @ Me and Reading

September 10th: Review, Post & Giveaway~Kathleen @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews

September 14th: Review~Marjorie @ GoodReads

September 11th: Review & Giveaway~Kathleen @ Celticlady's Reviews

September 16th: Review & Giveaway~William @ Two weeks from everywhere

September 19th: Review, Post & Giveaway~Melissa @ Keeping Up With The Rheinlander's

August 23rd: Review & Giveaway~Lauren @ Northern Plunder

September 25th: Review, Post & Giveaway~Farrah @ The Book Faery Reviews

September 26th: Showcase~Kate @ Read 2 Review

September 30th: Review & Giveaway~Cheryl @ Sweeping The USA

The Fallen Queen: Interview and Giveaway

So today, I'd like to welcome over Jane Kindred, author of The Fallen Queen and The Midnight Court, over for an interview!

What audiences, do you think, read your book(s)?

I really couldn’t say who’s actually reading them, but I think they would appeal most to readers of epic fantasy who are also fans of romance (who tend to be women, for the most part). There are elements of LGBT romance as well, along with a BDSM relationship, so it’s definitely for more adventurous readers.

What is something you’d tell yourself when you were first started on your writing journey, not to worry about?

I had to tell myself not to worry about whether I was writing “great” fiction, just “good” fiction. Worrying about being judged as “less than” Some Random Awesome Writer held me back for a long time.

What would be something that you’d tell yourself to worry about when you first started on your writing journey?

I worry about everything, so I didn’t really have to tell myself to do it about anything. ;)

Your favourite part of your writing journey?

Falling in love with the characters. Starting a book for me really is like a new relationship, and who doesn’t love that feeling? I’m a serial book monogamist.

Your least favourite part of your writing journey?

Marketing. Hands-down. I’d rather be writing than talking about it. Not that I’m not happy to be here. ;)

A typical writing day for you?

I work a full-time day job, but I work from home, so I generally start out in the morning before breakfast reading over what I wrote the night before and doing minor edits, then I hit the day job, and around dinner time, I switch over to writing. My goal is at least 1,000 words a day, and it generally takes me several hours to get that.

One book you read that you wished you’d written?

That one’s easy: Lynn Flewelling’s The Bone Doll’s Twin. Brilliant world-building, plot, and characterization, plus a fascinating system of very dark magic.

Seat-of-your-pantser, or a plotter?

I do a little of both. I have difficulty writing from an outline, but I do like to plot out what’s going to happen at least a chapter ahead so I don’t write myself into a corner (which I’ve done many times).

What do you think is your strongest area in your books? (characters, plot, dialogue, ext)

I tend to think my dialogue is strongest, because it’s often what I have pages of initially, without much action in between. I see my stories in my head like a long conversation.

What do you think is your weakest?

I’d have to say plotting. There are all those corners to get out of because I’ve avoided it until I can’t get away from it, and I always want to resolve things a little too easily. As a reader, I get really anxious over the multiple obstacles heaped upon obstacles, so I hate doing it to my own characters, but I know it makes for a better story.

What helps you get through a novel when it’s dragging while writing?

Having a daily word count goal helps, and reminding myself that it can be 1,000 sucky words, as long as there are words, and I can go back and fix them later, helps me get past the times when they just aren’t flowing.

Tradition or self published, which one is best for you and why?

Right now, for me, traditional publishing is the best option. I think it takes a certain dynamic, outgoing personality to succeed in self-publishing, and I don’t have it.

Do you participate in wrimos?

No. I’m not a fast writer, and when I do try to write quickly, such as motivational “writing sprints” with friends on Twitter, I usually have to scrap everything I’ve written and start over.

Best part about writing?

Getting to decide how the story turns out—although the characters tend to have their own opinions. But one of the reasons I started writing was that I hated being sad after reading a book, no matter how good it was, and I wanted things to turn out for the characters in at least some kind of an HEA.

If you could design a perfect room for writing, what would it look like?

A big desk with a huge, comfy chair, bookshelves full of books, and room for my cats to curl up next to me instead of trying to push the laptop off my lap. And it would have a lot of windows with gorgeous views, but no close neighbors I could hear through them. And I wouldn’t mind a nice, crackling fireplace in winter.

A rough estimate of how many books do you think you’ll publish/have published?

Since I’m not a fast writer, I can generally only produce one full-length manuscript a year. Multiply that by whatever I’ve got left. I’d like it to be a long time.

What influenced you to be a writer?

Two of my great aunts were published authors, and they used to send my mother autographed copies of their latest books for Christmas. I loved those, and I thought it was really amazing to actually know a real writer. I wanted to be one when I grew up, so I am.

How many books and ebooks do you think you have?

I don’t have a lot of room to keep books in my apartment, so I only have a few dozen. The rest I give away to make room for new ones. I’ve only recently started reading ebooks, so that collection isn’t very big yet, either, but I’m sure I already have more ebooks than paper. I have to say, though, that I miss just “having” them. Ebooks seem a little less personal.

Writers who influenced your work aka some favourite authors?

Lynn Flewelling, whom I mentioned above, is one of my favorite writers, and Jacqueline Carey is another. Writers who’ve influenced my work but don’t necessarily write anything like what I’m writing include Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, Piers Anthony, and Philip K. Dick.

What sparks a novel for you?

Lots of things can spark one—music, a movie, another book, the weather—but they always start with a distinct personality who insists on being brought to life.

Giveaway:
I'm hosting a giveaway of either this book, or a preorder of The Midnight Court that you'd get on the release date. It'll be a ebook copy, and so it'll be International. I'll pick a winner via random.org on August 7th, so you have 2 weeks to enter.

To Enter:
In the comments, tell me something that you think you'd like about this book and your email. For Bonus Entries, 1 each, (and if you've already done them for a previous giveaway, say that)

-follow this blog by GFC, feed burner, or Networked Blogs,
-follow this blog by email
-follow Jane on twitter
-follow me on twitter
-add this book on Goodreads
-add The Midnight Court on Goodreads

Bio:
Jane began writing romantic fantasy novellas at the age of 12 in the wayback of a Plymouth Fury—which, as far as she recalls, never killed anyone…who didn’t have it coming. Born in Billings, Montana, she was soon whisked away to Tucson, Arizona where she spent most of her childhood ruining her eyes reading romance novels in the sun and watching Star Trek marathons in the dark. Although she was repeatedly urged to learn a marketable skill in case she couldn’t find a man to marry her, she received a B.A. in Creative Writing anyway from the University of Arizona.

She now lives in San Francisco with her son Samson, two feline overlords who are convinced she is constantly plotting their death, and a cockatiel named Imhotep who punishes her for sins in a past life (and whom she frequently imagines tastily smoked, dried, and splayed on a stick like omul fished from Lake Baikal).

Her pen name was inspired by the twin sister of Philip K. Dick who died shortly after their birth, and by whom he felt haunted until the end of his life.

She fights for my life and I for hers, eternally. I am damned always to be separated from her/and with her, in oscillation. -Philip K. Dick

Having had numerous odd little moments of synchronicity in her writing and her life with things Dickian, it seemed appropriate.

From Goodreads:
Heaven can go to hell.

Until her cousin slaughtered the supernal family, Anazakia’s father ruled the Heavens, governing noble Host and Fallen peasants alike. Now Anazakia is the last grand duchess of the House of Arkhangel’sk, and all she wants is to stay alive.

Hunted by Seraph assassins, Anazakia flees Heaven with two Fallen thieves—fire demon Vasily and air demon Belphagor, each with their own nefarious agenda—who hide her in the world of Man. The line between vice and virtue soon blurs, and when Belphagor is imprisoned, the unexpected passion of Vasily warms her through the Russian winter.

Heaven seems a distant dream, but when Anazakia learns the truth behind the celestial coup, she will have to return to fight for the throne—even if it means saving the man who murdered everyone she loved.

Contact and Buy AKA Links:

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Amazon The Midnight Court

MindScreens: Interview and Giveaway

Today I'd like to welcome over Silvia Van Bruggen, author of Mindsceens, over for an interview!

From Goodreads:
Jessamine Harper has it all: University course she loves, job as a Top-level Healer and dream man in the form of desirable Professor Lucas Corwin; but when Corwin breaks down and is taken away by the Mindcops, the world that Jessamine knows begins to unravel.

Does the boy she hates, Ben, hold the key to her past as well as her future?

Can she escape the clutches of the Mindcops herself?

Only time will tell, and does Jess have much of that left?

Giveaway:
I'm hosting a giveaway of this book, MindScreens. It'll be a ebook copy, and so it'll be International. I'll pick a winner via random.org on July 10th so you have a week for you guys to enter.

To Enter:
In the comments, tell me something that you think you'd like about this book and your email.

For Bonus Entries, 1 each, (and if you've already done them for a previous giveaway, say that)

-follow this blog by GFC
-follow this blog by email
-follow Sylvia on twitter
-follow me on twitter
-add this book on Goodreads

Bio:
Writer, poet, artist, eternal child. Founder of Playful Soulwork: play your way to a joyful life! Author of MindScreens, two poetry books and one non-fiction book, more coming soon!

Contact and Buy AKA Links:

Website/Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon

Stops on the Tour:

June 28 - Introduction at VBT Cafe' Blog

July 3 - Interview & Ebook Giveaway at Words I Write Crazy

July 3 - Book Feature & Excerpt at Taking Time For Mommy

July 6 - Guest Blogging & Ebook Giveaway at Immortyl Revolution

July 10 - Interviewed at Reviews & Interviews

July 13 - Guest Blogging at AZ Publishing Services

July 17 - Review, Guest Blogging & Ebook Giveaway at Whoopeeyoo

July 19 - Interviewed at Mass Musings

July 23 - Guest Blogging & Ebook Giveaway at On Emily's Bookshelf

July 25 - Review & Guest Blogging at Waiting On Sunday To Drown

July 27 - Review & Ebook Giveaway at Books, Books, and More Books

July 30 - Review & Interview at A Book Lover's Library

Love Pour Over Me: Interview

Today, I'd like to welcome over Denise Turney, author of Love Pour Over Me, for an interview!

What audiences, do you think, read your book(s)? 

Women between the ages of 28 and 55, women who enjoy reading about complicated characters.

What is something you’d tell yourself when you were first started on your writing journey, not to worry about? 

Early on I edited-edited-edited as I wrote.  Phew!  That critical process made finishing a paragraph take forever. Therefore, in order finish a short story or novel I told myself not to worry about editing under after I’d gotten the complete story on paper.

What would be something that you’d tell yourself to worry about when you first started on your writing journey?

I told myself was to focus on creating a believable yet engrossing plot as well as engaging characters, people readers would instinctively care about. Looking back, I wish I’d focused more on the marketing piece of writing early on. However, I’ve always received insights and guidance on new strategies I could try to expand my readership and those insights and strategies have proved fruitful.

Your favourite part of your writing journey?

Creating characters and putting them in situations that may, at times, seem impossible to escape from or overcome, then watching the characters not only continue to develop but also escape from or overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. I have to tell you, that I also absolutely love meeting and connecting with readers!! I haven’t been on the road the way I was several years ago, when I attended a literary or cultural event (selling and signing my books) every other weekend at an out-of-town event.

Your least favourite part of your writing journey? 

Feeling like regardless of the number of times I edit a story (even after sending it to my editor) there’s more I can do to improve upon the story. For this reason, I very seldom re-read my books after they are published.  The few times I’ve read my shorter pieces like Portia and Long Walk Up, I’ve always found something I wish I had changed even if I was generally pleased with the story. Could be the critic’s eye in me!

A typical writing day for you? 

Currently, I’m doing my fair share of non-fiction writing, creating content for small businesses and major corporations (e.g. white papers, researched articles). Therefore, my day usually begins with me tackling non-fiction work. When I’m writing fiction I jump right into the story. I can get into the heart of a novel I’m creating at once, within seconds.  I’ll generally write for two to three hours then take a break.

One book you read that you wished you’d written?

Wow!  Great question!  A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.  It remains my favorite fiction book.  I also love near everything Joyce Carol Oates and Jamaica Kincaid have written. My favorite short story of all time remains James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” – talk about a masterpiece!

Seat-of-your-pantser, or a plotter? 

A little of both.  My books often have a touch of mystery to them with Spiral being my strongest mystery work to date. I like to keep readers hanging on, guessing what’s going to happen to characters next.

What do you think is your strongest area in your books? (characters, plot, dialogue, ext?)

Characterization and dialogue. Fortunately, my editor agrees as do many readers I’ve heard from. Readers have to care about the people they’re reading about to fully appreciate a story.

What do you think is your weakest?

Pacing – sometimes I think I pack events into a story while at other times I slow a story down so readers can familiarize themselves with a character’s motives. What I once did but no longer do is provide a lot back story with a novel unless I feel it’s warranted. I am very much a “show” don’t tell writer.

What helps you get through a novel when it’s dragging while writing? 

I stop writing once the writing feels forced. Reason being is that when I feel like I’m forcing myself to keep writing I find all of that writing ends up hitting the cutting room floor so-to-speak. In other words, it’s writing that doesn’t stay in the finished story, so I do myself the favor and step away from the novel.

Tradition or self published, which one is best for you and why? 

I’ve done both. I prefer self-publishing for this simple reason – writers generally do the bulk of the marketing and promoting. Considering the work I put into a novel, I prefer to keep a larger share of the returns for my efforts.

Do you participate in wrimos? 

I haven’t to date. I am, however, a member of a local professional writer’s group that meets at a Barnes & Noble at a shopping mall.

Best part about writing?

The absolute joy I feel when I’m writing a novel!!  No other experience has created such instant and continuous joy for me the way writing novels does. I appreciate the experience tremendously!!

If you could design a perfect room for writing, what would it look like? 

Interesting question!  The room would have lots of plants, and maybe a few flowers, in it. My desk (as it does now) would be in front of a window that bid sunlight to come streaming through all day. A comfortable high back leather chair would be pushed close to a cherry wood desk. In the desk drawers would be enough felt tip pens for me to write with for several years. Metal file cabinets would stand like sentinels on the other side of the room.  A warm carpet would pamper my feet. Truth be told, my current office mirrors my perfect office a lot except for the several plants!  I have one cactus on my office desk right now.

A rough estimate of how many books do you think you’ll publish/have published?

I’ve published six novels to date (Portia, Spiral, Long Walk Up, Love Has Many Faces, Rosetta’s Great Hope and my latest novel – Love Pour Over Me).  I’m currently working on my seventh novel. Excerpts from most of my books are available at my website – http://www.chistell.com

What influenced you to be a writer? 

A love of reading!  As a young girl, I was a voracious reader!  I also had an experience when I was 10 years old that revealed to me, very clearly, that I am a writer.

How many books and ebooks do you think you have? 

Oh-my-goodness!  I have given books away.  I’m guessing I have owned or read well over a 1,000 books. In fact, I may have read several thousand books easily. Most of the books I’ve read are print books.

Writers who influenced your work aka some favourite authors?

Joyce Carol Oates is my all-time favorite writer. Other writers whose works I appreciate include Jamaica Kincaid, James Baldwin, J. California Cooper (Wow! A lot of J’s!  LOL!), Gwendolyn Brooks, Leslie Esdaile Banks, Gloria Naylor, Nicole Titus, Maxine Thompson and a host of other writers.  I love these writers’ style and voice.  Their writing flows so well.

What sparks a novel for you?

Believe it or not, I just sit down and start writing.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to interview with you and connect with your many readers and supporters!  You ask excellent questions, my friend!

*Thanks, I try :) *

Bio:

Love Pour Over Me, Portia, Love Has Many Faces, Spiral and Long Walk Up's author, Denise Turney, has over 36 years of writing experience. She is a full-time writer whose works have appeared in:Essence, Ebony, The Network Journal, Madame Noire, Bahiyah Woman, Today's Black Woman, Parade, Sisters In Style, Your Church Magazine, Modern Dad Magazine, KaNupepa, The Trenton Times, Family Times, The Preacher's Magazine, Black Living, Princeton, New Jersey's Business and Entertainment Weekly - US 1, The Pittsburgh Quarterly, Pif, Q, The Trenton State College Literary Review, North Carolina University's Literary Journal, Obsidian II and various other magazines and newspapers across the nation. She has appeared on radio and television stations around the United States. Denise has spoken at major festivals, conferences, colleges and universities, including Black Herstory, Spelman College, Emory University, Take Our Daughters to Work Day, Philadelphia Bible College and the Philadelphia Community College. She is a newspaper and magazine columnist and the editor of the literary periodical The Book Lover's Haven which you can subscribe to by clicking Subscribe BLH.

Contact and Buy AKA Links:

Website

Website Buy

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

From Goodreads:

Love Pour Over Me, a story about restored love amid heart wrenching contrasts, recounts Raymond Clarke’s tumultuous, yet triumphant life experiences. The cradle of Raymond’s life is steeped in unpredictability. His father struggles with alcoholism. His mother abandoned him when he was two years old. Raymond’s track and field successes make him one of America’s top middle-distance runners. His athletic exploits also earn him a scholarship to a prestigious university, where Raymond meets a motley sort of friends, some famous, some from other countries, each with an intriguing story of his own. But, just when Raymond thought he was free from his alcoholic father, he finds himself pulled into an unresolved murder. His efforts to go unscathed by the pull and tug of intimacy also threaten to keep him from the one woman he's ever truly loved, the woman he was born to love.

Stops on the Tour:

June 20 - Introduction at VBT Cafe' Blog
June 22 - Interviewed at Words I Write Crazy
June 25 - Interviewed at Mass Musings
June 27 - Guest Blogging with Cindy Vine
June 29 - Reviewed & Interviewed at Nita Bee's Buzzin' WebBlog
July 2 - Guest Blogging at The Book Hoard
July 5 - Interviewed at Mocha Girls Read
July 10 - Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
July 12 - Interviewed at MK McClintock's Blog
July 14 - Reviewed & Interviewed at A Book Lover's Library
July 17 - Guest Blogging at Law Reigns

The Vindico: Interview

Today, I'd like to welcome over Wesley King, author of The Vindico, over for an interview!

What audiences, do you think, read your book(s)?

Technically my audience is supposed to be 9–15 year olds, but the same might be said about Harry Potter, and that never stopped me from waving twigs around and shouting Wingardium Leviosa at the age of 20 (okay, maybe I still do it). In general, I say kids in reality or kids at heart can enjoy my books.

What is something you’d tell yourself when you were first started on your writing journey, not to worry about?

Everything I’ve already written. When I wrote my first book, I didn’t read a single sentence until I was done so I could avoid rewriting the same sections over and over. Of course, half of it didn’t make sense when I finished, but I completed it nonetheless.

What would be something that you’d tell yourself to worry about when you first started on your writing journey?

Nothing in particular. I think I enjoy writing too much to even worry about entirely logical and probably recommended things like an ending.

Your favourite part of your writing journey?

Definitely the day my agent called and informed me that Penguin wanted to buy the books. I just sat down on the kitchen floor while she told me and then danced like a buffoon after she hung up.

Your least favourite part of your writing journey?

The many, many rejection letters, I suppose. It can be a bit humbling, especially after you’ve written a novel (which seems like the important part of the adventure). But I just kept submitting and eventually found it a home.

A typical writing day for you?

Very regimented. My computer desk is in my bedroom, and I like a quiet environment. I also usually write the same hours every day, whether I feel like it or not. I figure if you want to write for a living, you’d better treat it like a job. Of course, I work with supervillains, so it’s rarely dull.

One book you read that you wished you’d written?

Any number of them. But I think Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone would be my pick. Not because of the incredible success (though that would be lovely), but because it afforded Rowling the opportunity to grow up with her wonderful cast of characters and share that growth with the world. I think that’s a very cool concept and one I would love to have the opportunity to do.

Seat-of-your-pantser, or a plotter?

Definite seat-of-my-pantser, probably to the great dismay of my editor.

What do you think is your strongest area in your books? (characters, plot, dialogue, ext?

I’ve always placed a strong emphasis on characters and realistic dialogue, and I’ve been told that comes across in my books. I love writing dialogue—we actually cut many, many pages of it during the first edit. It’s ironic, because I’m hardly a chatty person. But I am listening, and perhaps this is where I get out all my thoughts.

What do you think is your weakest?

Plotting, I suppose. The mortal flaw of the seat-of-the-pantser.

What helps you get through a novel when it’s dragging while writing?

Because I have such a regimented schedule when I write, there’s never really any dragging. You just keep writing. I wrote my last novel in 11 days.

Tradition or self published, which one is best for you and why?

Traditional is the route I’ve ultimately found myself on, and I couldn’t be happier. That said, I had once planned on self-publishing after the first few rejection letters came in, and I even incorporated my own publishing company with a friend: Flock Publishing. As it turns out, you need money to run a publishing company. Who knew

Do you participate in wrimos?

I never have, no. I love to write whenever I possibly can, so I guess I’ve never needed any motivation.

Best part about writing?

For me, it’s like reading a book where the characters keep magically doing and saying everything I want them to.

If you could design a perfect room for writing, what would it look like?

For some reason the first thing I thought of was a classic study with tall, dusty bookshelves, a fireplace, and a large mahogany desk, perhaps in an old castle in the Bavarian countryside. But then I have to have a name like Baron von King and smoke a pipe. Maybe I like my bedroom. Though my cat tends to sit on my shoulders, and she’s no longer a kitten.

A rough estimate of how many books do you think you’ll publish/have published?

Provided people will read them, I have a lot of ideas. I’ve already written five, and I have outlines for another four. Like I said, I wrote my last book in 11 days. I just hope people connect with The Vindico so I have a chance to publish them all.

What influenced you to be a writer?

I think it was the fact that all my other career aspirations were for imaginary positions. Writer was the next closest.

How many books and ebooks do you think you have?

Hopefully many! Let’s take a wild, very hopeful guess and say 25.

Writers who influenced your work aka some favourite authors?

They range from Tolstoy to Rowling to Card. I think A Tale of Two Cities has one of the most poignant endings I’ve ever read, and I also greatly enjoyed The Hunger Games and the Inheritance Cycle. As for a favourite author, it would have to be James Clavell. I love historical fiction, particularly Japanese, and Shogun is one of my all-time favourites.

What sparks a novel for you?

That’s a great question. I also have no clue. Every novel idea I’ve ever had has just appeared (sometimes highly disorganized and in no discernible order), and then I sit down and write it like I’m reading a book I just found.

Well, thank you, Wesley King, I enjoyed that :) And I really enjoyed The Vindico, so look out for my review tomorrow, it's a quite interesting book! So to give you a bit more, here's The Vindico!

From Goodreads:
X-Men meets The Breakfast Club in this darkly humorous adventure


The Vindico are a group of supervillains who have been fighting the League of Heroes for as long as anyone can remember. Realizing they're not as young as they used to be, they devise a plan to kidnap a group of teenagers to take over for them when they retire--after all, how hard can it be to teach a bunch of angsty teens to be evil?


Held captive in a remote mansion, five teens train with their mentors and receive superpowers beyond their wildest dreams. Struggling to uncover the motives of the Vindico, the teens have to trust each other to plot their escape. But they quickly learn that the differences between good and evil are not as black and white as they seem, and they are left wondering whose side they should be fighting on after all . . .


With fast-paced action, punchy dialogue, and sarcastic humor, this high-stakes adventure from a talented new YA voice pulls you in from the first page.

The Vindico comes out on June 14th, so go put it on your To Be Bought Piles! Happy reading!

Author Interview-The One Percenters

Today I'd like to welcome over John for an Author interview!

The One Percenters
Edward Caine survives his beloved wife, Jill, the seventh victim of a cunning serial killer.  During the grieving process, he notes that modern medicine and distorted economics have skewed survival odds within society.  Survival of the fittest has become defunct, with the weak and weak-minded allowed to pass on their genes, provided they are suitably funded.  Edward is predestined to become a one-percenter, an agent of nature given the job of eliminating the weaker persons from society.  He learns that his task requires the discipline to discern between the people he wishes would die and those who should.  Eventually, after physical torment and psychological struggle, Edward makes a final stand on an isolated beach before being taken away by authorities and awaiting his own court-ordered death.

The One Percenters is reflective in nature, and challenges the social and religious differences among all of us.

Why/how did you start writing?
    
I won $5 in a writing contest in first grade.  I wrote about a magical zebra.  It was a very inspiring moment in my life!

Are you a plotter, or a pantser-do you do outlines, or do you write what comes to
mind?

I am totally a stream-of-consciousness writer.  I believe that if you overthink it, it ruins the spontaneity and passion of the book-- much like overthinking a kiss, a vacation, etc.

If you’re a pantser, how do you wrap up all the loose ends?

A lot of editing.  This is the least enjoyable part of writing, in my opinion.

What inspired your first book?

I studied anthropology in college.  I'm always considering what makes us tick, especially our base qualities, and what defines sanity and intelligence.  I like to look at humans as primal creatures, and one day the story just popped.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Sometimes classical music. Oddly enough, it's the only time I listen to classical music.  But never anything with lyrics. 

What’s your writing space like?

I need my writing environment to be eerie.  Nighttime by candlelight.  I can't write in a cafe.

What are you currently working on?

I write mainly short stories.  Novels hurt my brain.  However, I am toying with one now-- an apocalyptic story.

If you could write any book that you’ve ever read, what would it be? Why?

The Giving Tree.  It's so ridiculously beautiful and teaches you most of what you need to know about life.

What authors may you have learned from, from sites and reading their books?

Curiously, Bill Watterson might be my biggest influence.  When writing Calvin & Hobbes, he injected profundity into a "simple" medium.  His strip combines emotion and logic, as reflected in the names of the characters (named after the historic figures).


Do you prefer books to movies in the film adaptation from books?
 
I don't know how anyone could prefer the movies.  They rob you of your imaginative process.

Authors you look forward to new books from the most?

King and Archer.

Do you have a writing schedule?

No, there is enough pressure in real life.

A short line from your book that you love?

At last she was back in the hands of God, which are soft and warn and tender.  God has hands like blue jeans fresh from the dryer.

You can buy The One Percenters in paperback at Amazon, or as an e-book at Damnation Books and John can be emailed. I'll be reviewing The One Percenters soon, so look out for that review!

Author Interview-Flux by Niccy

Tonight, I'd like to welcome over Niccy for an Author Interview!

Flux

In a world where a relationship is defined solely by sex, two young men, Timmy and Aero, are redefining that standard with a single word: love. But when P.E.S.T., the international crime syndicate that they call home is ripped apart and hastily reconstructed, their leaders let slip a deadly secret.

Why/how did you start writing?


Ever since I was young, I excelled in my English/Literature classes. That influenced me to write often, but I didn’t seriously begin a novel until the 2009-2010 school year, when I was in eighth grade. That year, my advanced English class was extremely laid-back. We would act out and read pieces of literature, write short stories, and make artwork related to the pieces we had to study. It was amazing. In our spare time, I would pull out some paper and write a little. It started as just a little story to fill time, but I handed it to my friend, and when she read it, she encouraged me to finish it. So every day I would write a little more, my friend reading along as I went. That novel, originally called “Circe & Troy” after the two main characters, is currently on standstill.

What’s the most common mistake do you think that beginning authors make?

I’ve already had the luck to meet many writers in the year I’ve been part of the writing & WriMo-ing community, and many of these writers have been just beginning to write or just beginning to do so seriously. I find that everyone has a different writing style, and very commonly, beginners will try to conform to the techniques of more experienced writers. I think the key to writing is to find your own style—your own technique. Don’t worry too much about how other people say you should do it, you’ll find your stride soon enough.

What worries would you tell your past self to get over in the beginning?

Stop worrying about making it perfect the first time. It won’t be. Perfection is for the second draft (or third, or fourth, or hundredth…). This was hard for me to understand as a perfectionist, but once I made myself accept it, writing came a lot more naturally.

What would you tell your past self to worry about?

I would tell myself to worry about worrying too much. I was prone to being very picky about things that I shouldn’t have been, and I think that took up a lot of my time.

Are you a plotter, or a pantser-do you do outlines, or do you write what comes to mind?

I don’t use outlines, but I commonly have a good deal of my story planned out in my head, and occasionally a page or two of notes on plot and layout. My current project, Flux, has been planned out fairly well, to the extent that I have chapter titles and a basic idea of what’s going to happen before I start to write.

If you’re a pantser, how do you wrap up all the loose ends?

The loose ends in my novels seem to wrap themselves up. Maybe I just have a knack for it; maybe that’s how it works.

What inspired your first book?

“Circe & Troy”, as it was called at the time, was inspired by three things:

1) My recent return to my home state, Louisiana, inspired the swamp setting. I’d forgotten how beautiful it is here, and writing about it was a good way to express that love.

2) I had reached the age where I began to ask my family members about their life experiences, and many of them had been in the military.

3) Multiple close friends of my father and I went into the military around this time, also inspiring the subject material.

Do you listen to music while writing?

I always seem to have music playing, no matter the situation, with writing being no exception. (I’m listening to music right now.) I’ve tried to make playlists for specific novels, characters, etc., to get myself in the right mood, but they normally take to long to create and don’t get used often enough.

What’s your writing space like?

I have a particular chair that I smiled and winked the previous owners of our house into giving to me. It’s an old-school Hollywood style in gold. I adore it. It sits under one window in my room, facing the other three windows so I have a view of the street. There’s a rose-patterned afghan that my recently deceased great-grandmother gave to me and a bejeweled lamp on a side table, commonly alongside my favorite teacup.

Do you have any quirks when it comes to writing?

To keep my monthly WriMo files organized, each one of my novels has it’s own particular font. They change occasionally, but they reflect the feel of the piece. I also have a favorite that I use for short (as in short, short) stories and other things. This month?—Bookman Old Style.

How did you come up with Flux and who is she?

The main character of my novel Flux had been a female assassin and the head of an intergalactic crime syndicate, Flux. Her name was a little bit of luck. I had been working at NIST that summer, and as I was trying to think of a name for her, I glimpsed a page. My eyes immediately focused on a single word—flux. I can’t recall for the life of me what that page was about, only that word, but it fit so well with her personality that it stuck. It became the title when I realized the double meaning in that it is both her name, and the fact that the characters always seem to be in a state of flux—a constant state of change, that is.

What are you currently working on?

Currently, I’m working on Flux. It just passed its one-year anniversary, as it was started in July 2011, and I would like to have it finished before it reaches two years.

What wrimo sites are you on?

I mainly participate in Crazy Club Writing Year, a forum for writers and WriMo-ers who “redefine insanity, one word at a time”. I co-administer the forums with the wonderful host of this blog, Louisa Paarsmarkt.

What future plans do you have for your book?

Hopefully, one day, Flux will be published, but I feel like it’s a highly volatile novel and I hope to wait until I have a larger follower base before I unleash it upon the world.

If you could write any book that you’ve ever read, what would it be? Why?

None of them. It’s hard to explain, but I wouldn’t want to write anything I’ve ever read, not the best thing, not the most influential.

What authors may you have learned from, from sites and reading their books?

I have to credit a good deal of my writing to the author Erik Scott de Bie. In the year that I began to write, we were assigned a report on what we wanted to be when we grew up, involving an interview with someone in the field. I had recently read one of Mr. de Bie’s novels and chose to contact him with some questions. He was more than willing to answer them and even answered follow-up questions later on. Without his help, I feel I may not have been able to make it to the point I have made it to.

Which of your character do you relate to the most?


I find that all of my characters are pieces of my personality. To give a quick example, Timmy represents two distinct facets of me: one being the very confident, sexy, occasionally cocky side, the other being the caring, maternal side. Aero, his lover, is alternately a very needy character, who is desperate to be loved, but also a very clean and polished professional.

Do you prefer books to movies in the film adaptation from books?

I have no policy about always preferring film adaptations to books or otherwise. I normally try to read the book first, but every case is different.

Do you get writer’s block? If so, what do you do to pass the time, or get rid of it?

Everyone gets writer’s block. It’s the truth of the industry. We all hit a wall at some point or another. For me, the best answer is to watch a movie or read a piece. This will get me back on track easily.

One book you wish you hadn’t written, if any?

I don’t regret any of my books—maybe a character or a particular draft, but never the whole novel.

Authors you look forward to new books from the most?

Obviously, Erik Scott de Bie. He recently had a new novel come out that I can’t wait to get my hands on. More commonly I will keep track of people in the film industry—actors, directors, producers, etc.

Do you have a writing schedule?

I used to try for 50, 000 words per month, but I stopped that once I realized the horrors it was doing for the quality of my writing. Now I set long-term goals instead.

On the top of your head, how many plots and characters do you think you have or have created?

There’s too many count.

A short quote from your book that you love?

I can’t really say truthfully, because I just lost my computer and I’m still trying to save my files, so I only have a single hand-written page to go off of. From that section, though, I enjoyed this one:

“As per usual, Timmy had passed out on [Aero’s] bed rather than taking the effort to cross the hall to his own room. Aero had never been more glad of this habitual invasion of personal space.” –Flux

Your favourite quote?

I don’t have a favourite, per say, but here’s one I like off the top of my head:

"Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think every thing you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned- Tyler."

Niccy can be reached by email, Crazy Club Private Messages, and her blog, Call Me Niccy.

I’m Niccy. Essentially, I plan on taking the world by storm. I want to hike the Appalachian Trail, sail the seven seas, be elected to political office, place in Le Tour de France, win a Grammy, become a best-selling author and a critically acclaimed director, and that’s just the warm-up. Currently, I attend Baton Rouge Magnet High School and co-administer the Crazy Club Writing Forums. I speak English and am learning French, Spanish, Latin, and, just for fun, the fictional language Gallifreyan. I have multiple projects at the moment, but I’m mainly focused on finishing my novel Flux before its second birthday.