Michael Allen

Michael Allen is my guest today.

Hi, Michael! I’d be fascinated to know more about you.

Hello, Susan. Thanks.

Tell us about your books and give us a short synopsis of each one.

My first book was by contract with John Gordon Burke Publishing. I wrote it in 2001 and it was about new urbanism, the way they design cities around the pedestrian.  The most famous case of this would be Seaside, Florida where The Truman Show was filmed starring Jim Carrey. That book has yet to make it to print, but it was my first attempt at getting into this rodeo.

As a ghostwriter, I have been hired to write about twenty books ranging from a Sci Fi about altering space and time to a Christian Novel about two sisters who learn to fight demons in the spiritual world.  Further works have included writing a book for an NFL football player who was hurt in the 2006 season as well as the story of a lady who was discriminated against at her job, one of America’s largest corporations.  I always seem to find the most interesting projects and it’s been a great way for me to cut my teeth.

Despite all the work that I do for others, I have managed to publish two books of my own. One is called A Danger to Society, which is a true crime comedy about a man who becomes the victim of a case of mistaken identity. The other is a children’s book called When You Miss Me, a heartwarming message for children who are missing a parent for one reason or another.

What are your writing goals?

I have plenty of aspirations including getting one of my screenplays on the big screen.  My first screenplay was written in 2005, I believe, when I was trying to get an internship at Walt Disney Studios.  I have since written a screenplay that spoofs a top crime investigation television series.  But a few years ago, I was contacted by a producer who wanted me to write a screenplay about an assassin who falls in love with his mark’s daughter.  Then another producer approached me about his screenplay idea that tells the story of a neglected boy who finds a friend in the most awkward of situations.

Patiently waiting, I would love to see any of those works on the big screen.  I want to continue to write novels though.  There is nothing like getting behind the wheel of a story and taking it down roads that explore human depth and understanding, how humorous of a story I can pitch my characters and how interesting I can make their lives.  I have a daughter series of books that I would eventually like to complete.  Each story stands alone and deals with the bond between a father and a daughter, they just do it in such radically different ways.

However, the next novel I put out will be about a man who gets stabbed and gets arrested for it.  It’s a true story, but the setting is going to be in a town that doesn’t exist and the characters in the story are not going to actually exist.  I don’t want to venture anywhere near a defamation of character lawsuit.  So, I’ll keep it in the fiction category although every detail of the story is as true as it gets.

What is your most rewarding experience during the writing process?

I have taken the beginning of a story or an idea for a story and just started with absolutely no clue which way it was going to go.  When the light bulb comes on, that’s when I am most rewarded.  It’s as if I get to be the reader who enjoys the discovery having no idea what the story was about.  At that point, I just can’t wait to finish it and get it in someone’s hand for them to enjoy.

Tell us about your latest release, Michael.

When You Miss Me is a children’s book I just put out for children who are missing a parent.  When parents go through separation or divorce, the child gets passed back and forth between them.  That means there are moments when they miss a parent so much, it can be a very unbearable time.

Not only children of separation and divorce, but children in military families miss their parents as well. When a loved one is off serving their country far away from home, it can be a tough time for a child.  The message is universal and all children can appreciate it.

I wrote the book originally for my daughter when she was younger. I drew the illustrations myself and wrote her a little message.  When I saw her reaction to the book, I knew I had come up with a great idea.  Recently, it dawned on me that it might be beneficial to release the book so other children in similar circumstances could learn the message as well.

Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

When You Miss Me is out in print and on Kindle at http://michaelallenonline.com/whenyoumissme. 

Were any of your books more challenging to write than the others?

My first book was challenging because it seemed like such an undertaking.  I added sentence after sentence, then paragraph after paragraph until I looked back and realized I wasn’t making any sense.

I wanted to be a writer so bad that I just started writing, without a story. I forced the words and it never amounted to anything.  Then one day, a great story finally hit me like a ton of bricks. It was the easiest thing to do to put it into words and I’ve been doing that ever since. 

The difference is that now I have plenty of stories going through my mind.  I know what makes a good story and I know how to tell one now. Some gate opened up somewhere and, knock on wood, it keeps flowing with newer and greater ideas than ones I’ve had previously. But now I know what my stories are about and I love writing them with that same sense of discovery the way readers do as they turn page after page.

We all know how important promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?

My online promotion efforts change with each book just like my offline promotion efforts change.  For A Danger to Society, I built a website and started promoting it on my Tribe.net profile.  That was before the era of Myspace, now Facebook and Twitter rule the information highway.

So, I’ve adapted over the years.  For When You Miss Me, I’m contacting organizations about fundraising ideas.  If my book fits with their message, I’ll contact them and tell them about the opportunity to raise funds by displaying my book on their site.  I also write articles and publish them where readers love to find new content.  I keep the range of topics within the scope of the book so that within a few articles, you know whether or not you want to read it.

Offline, I set up book signings for A Danger to Society and I did some special radio spots.  But with When You Miss Me, I’m going to be doing a whole lot more than that.  I will be doing book signings and library readings. I have a few special visits that I’m going to make along the way to certain types of stores where my book might fit the theme of the store even though it’s not particularly a bookstore.  I will even be giving out bookmarks in bookstores so that readers have a chance to notice my book.

One thing is for sure and I have said this before, book promotion isn’t about doing one simple thing.  It’s about doing at least a few things a day to catch the reader’s attention.  Each little bit counts.  It’s like starting your beach off with a few grains of sand.  Add to it every day and soon, your readers will be playing volleyball there.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?     

I have an Author’s Page on Amazon.  Plus, I have my own book page too that talks about my books and links directly to their specific pages where anyone can learn more about them. As I schedule events, I’ll be sure to keep both of those pages updated.

Thank you Susan!  I appreciated stopping by and being given the chance to talk about my work.  I hope we can do it again sometime when I have something new for your readers to enjoy!

Absolutely. Keep in touch, Michael, and continued success!

Reading Hell Swamp excerpt

When Barnhill's invited me to come to Winston-Salem for a book signing, I didn't know I'd be videoed reading an excerpt from Hell Swamp. I flubbed a sentence, but here it is in all its glory. Nice display of my other books behind me, I must say. Thanks for the invitation and the video, Barnhill's!

Jennie Bentley's DIY series

I met Jennie Bentley at Killer Nashville a few years back and have been a fan ever since. Her DIY Mystery series is as delightful has she is. The series includes Fatal fixer-upper,  spackled and Spooked, plaster and Poison, and mortar and Murder, the titles done in an interesting manner.

Welcome, Jennie! Please tell us more about yourself.

Thanks, Susan. There’s not a lot to tell. I’m just not that interesting. Most of us writers aren’t. We live through our characters and spend our days playing with our imaginary friends and having conversations with the voices in our heads. Apart from that, I live in Nashville with a husband and two boys, a dog, a parakeet, a couple of frogs and a couple of goldfish. I’m allergic to cats, so I only have those vicariously. Writing used to be a hobby that’s now my profession, and I haven’t found another hobby to replace it yet. I do like to travel a lot, and I also spend a lot of time reading. I used to knit more than I do now, but maybe I’ll pick it up again.

When you decided to write, did you make a conscientious effort to write cozies or did it come naturally?

LOL! I never planned to write cozies. It’s not a genre where I’m particularly comfortable, to be honest, although I’ve been told I do it fairly well. I started out writing romance, and then ended up in a sort of romantic mystery hybrid that’s been compared to Janet Evanovich and Mary Kay Andrew’s Savannah Blues. The chance to write a cozy series came out of left field, I wasn’t going after it, but I didn’t think I ought to turn it down. I’m more comfortable with series than I am with standalone books – once I get to know charactesr, I like to keep playing with them! – but at the same time, the cozy subject matter is somewhat limiting, and I feel acutely the lack of sex and violence. Or more accurately, I feel limited by the fact that I can’t show my characters in bed together, when we all know they’re having sex, and there are certain subjects that aren’t considered ‘cozy’ enough, and those tend to be the subjects that excite me. I was able to push the envelope a little with Mortar and Murder, where I tackled human trafficking, but that’s as far as I’ve been allowed to go, and I had to tone it down considerably. It’s great that there are cozy mysteries out there for people who prefer their murders nice and clean, but for me personally, I like my mysteries a little grittier.  

Interesting, Jennie. I write gritty stuff in my Logan Hunter series and have been told by a few readers to tone it down a little. Ha! I love Evanovich and Andrews as well.

I'm intrigued by the way your cover fonts are designed. Why are the title fonts designed the way they are?

I have no earthly idea. I have fantastic designers, for the inside of the book as well as the outside, and I have a really great cover artist who creates the picture that goes on the front of the book, but all of that has nothing to do with me. The art department at the publishing house does it. They show it to me and say “This is the cover for the new book, what do you think?” and if I have any concerns, they do their best to address them, but that’s the limit of my involvement with the exterior of the book. I have no idea why the publisher decided to brand the books the way they did – although I’m thrilled about it! The books are gorgeous, and I’m very happy the publisher did them that way – I think I have some of the nicest covers around! – but I don’t have any say at all in what they look like.

I love them too!

Each of your books includes design tips in the back. Do you have a background in home-renovation?

I do, as a matter of fact. My husband and I bought our first house in 2000. Now we’re in our ninth, or maybe tenth. All of them have been renovation objects, some more needy of fix-up than others. We’ve owned everything from an 1899 transitional Victorian to the current one, which is a mid-century brick ranch, like the haunted house Derek and Avery renovated in Spackled and Spooked.

I really like Avery Baker, a young lady who seems to find many a mystery to solve even though her background is textiles. How did you develop her?

When my editor and I first started talking about the series, she had a few ideas in mind for what she wanted it to be like. One of them was the very popular trope of fish out of water: a character dropped into a location/situation she’s ill prepared for. A big-city girl at heart, Avery inherits her Aunt Inga’s house in a tiny town on the outer edge of the back-beyond: the coast of Maine. I used to live in New York City, and a few chapters of the book take place there, so I gave Avery that background, since I could write about it with some degree of authority. I knew I needed to build in conflict between Avery and her love interest, so I made Derek a traditionalist, a restorer rather than a renovator at heart; someone who prefers to keep the integrity of the old architecture whenever possible, rather than updating it. Avery, meanwhile, came to Waterfield with her heart set on stuffing as many modern amenities into Aunt Inga’s old house as she could. She needed a profession and a background where she could innovate, where she wasn’t bogged down with history or preservation. Textiles sounded interesting, and besides, it allowed her to show some personality in her mode of dress. She’s developing and changing as the series is going along: the Avery from Fatal Fixer-Upper is quite a different character from the Avery of Mortar and Murder or Flipped Out, the book that’s coming in October. Her personality is still the same – she’s impetuous, quick to jump to conclusions, inquisitive, a little neurotic, and not as careful as she should be – but her actions and reactions have changed a little as a result of her new life and the people in it.   

Tell us more about Derek Ellis, the hunky “Mr. Fix-it”. Hubba, hubba!

LOL! Glad you like him!

Derek is Avery’s boyfriend. In the first book she sort of suspects him of wanting to drive her out of Aunt Inga’s house, but not really seriously. After Fatal Fixer-Upper is over, the two of them go into business together, renovating houses, and they also become romantically involved.

Derek is 34 when the series starts, 35 now, a year later. He’s a native Waterfielder, who grew up in a small, green Folk Victorian cottage on Chandler Street. His father is Dr. Benjamin Ellis. The Ellises have been doctors for generations, and Derek went to medical school, too. While there, he met Melissa James, and married her. The two of them ended up back in Waterfield after Derek finished his residency. He was supposed to go to work with his father, but after a year or so, he decided he’d rather work on houses than people and left the practice, with his father’s blessing. Melissa wasn’t as understanding; she divorced him and took up with Avery’s cousin Ray instead. When Derek and Avery meet, it’s five years later, and Derek is finally getting to the point where he’s ready for a serious relationship again.

He’s just about six feet tall – quite a lot taller than Avery, who’s just 5’2”. He has blue eyes and hair that’s light brown in the winter and dark blond in the summer, when the sun bleaches it. He looks good in jeans and a T-shirt, and better without either. Avery is crazy about him, and I have to admit to having a bit of a soft spot myself. 

I’m sure folks would be interested in more information about each book. Please give us a brief synopsis of each one.

Book 1, Fatal Fixer-Upper, starts with Avery inheriting her Aunt Inga’s house in Waterfield and deciding to spend the summer in Maine renovating it. She hires Derek Ellis, a local handyman, to help her, and things develop. There’s a little bit of romance, a few dead bodies, and a history mystery that dates back to Marie Antoinette and the French revolution, while going into some of Aunt Inga’s past. At the end of Fatal Fixer-Upper, Avery decides to stay in Maine and go into business with Derek, renovating houses.

In book 2, Spackled and Spooked, Derek and Avery are renovating their first real project together – since Avery moved into Aunt Inga’s house and they couldn’t sell it. The house they’re working on is a mid-century ranch which is rumored to be haunted after a man killed his wife and inlaws there some seventeen or eighteen years ago. There are creepy footsteps in the hallway when no one’s around, and then Derek uncovers a skeleton buried in the crawlspace. When one of the neighbors end up dead, Avery realizes the murderer is very much alive and still keeping an eye on the house.

At the beginning of book 3, Plaster and Poison, Avery and Derek still haven’t sold the mid-century ranch, and they don’t have any money to take on a new project. Instead, they agree to renovate an old carriage house on their friend Kate McGillicutty’s property and turn it into a love nest for two in time for Kate’s wedding to Waterfield chief of police Wayne Rasmussen. But when a dead body turns up in the carriage house, and turns out to be someone from Kate’s past, someone Kate’s daughter Shannon has been spending a lot of time with, it’s questionable whether the wedding will take place at all. Add in Avery’s mom and stepfather, in town to check out Derek, plus a set of initials carved into the wall of the old carriage house that Avery is trying to trace, and it’s a complicated few weeks.

Book 4, Mortar and Murder, find Derek and Avery renovating a 1783 center-chimney Colonial on Rowanberry Island, off the coast of Maine. The island – and the house – has a past going back to the Revolutionary War, and it isn’t long before Avery suspects that smuggling is still going on on Rowanberry Island. Except this time, it isn’t tea and sugar being brought in; it’s young women. Women with a connection to Irina Rozhdestvensky, Avery and Derek’s realtor, a Ukrainian immigrant.  Between Irina and Gert Heyerdahl, a reclusive thriller writer who spends his summers on Rowanberry Island, and an island population that doesn’t take kindly to outsiders, Avery has her hands full figuring out what’s going on.

Book 5, Flipped Out, will be released in October. Avery and Derek are filming an episode of a TV program that’s also called Flipped Out, the premise of which is to renovate – flip – a house in a week. The house belongs to Tony ‘the Tiger’ Micelli, anchor for Portland’s Channel Eight News, and when the television crew arrives, it turns out several of them know Tony from before. When Tony ends up dead, and his new fiancée Melissa James, Derek’s ex-wife, is arrested for the murder, it’s up to Avery to delve into Tony’s past and figure out who the real murderer is. 

Congratulations on a unique and adorable series, Jennie. Please let me know when you have another book release.

Thanks so much, Susan! DIY-5 comes in October, DIY-6 sometime in 2012. Meanwhile, I’m self-publishing a series of Nashville-based real estate themed mysteries as e-books for Kindle and Nook under the pseudonym Jenna Bennett. A Cutthroat Business was released in May, Hot Property in June, and Contract Pending in July. Book 4, Close to Home, will be coming in September. Readers can find out more about those on my blog, www.jennabennett.com The website with more information about the DIY series is www.jenniebentley.com 

Hope to see you at Killer Nashville again this year!

I hope to be there!

Pauline Baird Jones: Steampunk

My special guest today is Pauline Baird Jones, sometimes known as Perilous Pauline:-) Welcome to the blog, Pauline.

We’d be fascinated to know more about you.

Hello, Susan. I started my adventures in writing in the last century, penning my first, full length novel during the first Gulf War. When I started looking for a publisher, New York was the only game in town, but something exciting was already starting to happen. By 1998, I was sick of trying to crack New York publishing and submitted PIG IN A PARK (now titled THE SPY WHO KISSED ME) to a small, digital-only publisher, one of only three dipping their toes into digital publishing. It was accepted and released in 1998. Following the release, I spent most of my promotion time trying to explain digital publishing, but the book did well with readers (yay and thanks, readers!).

It was the first digital-only release to be nominated for a ROMANTIC TIMES Reviewer’s Choice award. And my next novel, THE LAST ENEMY, was the first digital-only release to win a ROMANTIC TIMES Reviewer’s Choice award.

Congratulations on the success!

Thank you. Since then my novels have won two Epic Book Awards, two RT awards, a Dream Realm Award, a Bronze IPPY, and a Dorothy Parker Award—all without New York’s permission or attention. (grin)

Obviously, I’ve never liked being told there is one way to do anything, or that I can’t do something because “that’s just the way it is.” I took a lot of flack in my early publishing days from other authors and a few readers, but am happy to have been proved RIGHT that digital publishing is the best thing to happen to authors since, well, EVER. (grin)

Pauline, how many books have you written and in what genre(s)?

In May I released my 11^th novel (STEAMROLLED) and my eighth short story (STEAM TIME available in the DREAMSPELL STEAMPUNK anthology). They are both parts of my connected series that I call Project Enterprise.

I write, or have written in science fiction romance, SFR/.steampunk romance, romantic suspense, action adventure, humorous romantic suspense and a lone gothic. I have three non-fiction writing handbooks, too.

11? Wow! You're not only perilous but also prolific.

What prompted you to switch genres from romantic suspense to science fiction romance and then steampunk?

I started writing romantic suspense, because that’s what I read, but I also loved the action adventure novels of Alastair Maclean. I almost didn’t notice that my RS books were trending more and more into A/A and then I did notice and thought, whoa, that’s interesting.

After some pondering, I decided I liked this trend and wanted to pursue it. My first A/A book was called OUT OF TIME. The transition from this WWII time travel to outer space, well, no question it’s a bit odd and at the time, I didn’t think I was writing SFR. I thought I was just writing another A/A novel.

When reviewers and readers started calling it SFR, it kind of freaked me out. I didn’t think I did science (based on my grades in high school, though now that I consider it, I got those grades because I was making up my science back then….) Looking back at my life, I might not have read a lot of SF or SFR until recently, but my viewing tastes trended that way. I started with THE JETSONS, and worked my way through LOST IN SPACE, STAR TREK….I even liked the lame SF shows like LAND OF THE GIANTS. While I’m not a total geek girl, I do have some geek creds. J

The steampunk move is much more straightforward. I read a fun steampunk novel and thought, wow, that would be fun to write. If I hadn’t written a semi-historical novel (OUT OF TIME) I might have balked at the research, but I had and my plan at the time was to write a short story. It turned into a novella (TANGLED IN TIME) that built a fun bridge to STEAMROLLED, which is also an SFR/steampunk mashup. You can’t imagine my thrill when a review said my “soft SF was plausible.” Take that, high school science teachers!

LOL! Tell us about your latest release.

About STEAMROLLED: With all of time at risk, it’s a bad time to fall in love…unless it’s the only time…

Robert Clementyne is going on a transmogrification machine hunt. He fears finding the machine will be as difficult as pronouncing the name. How can the steam-powered device perform as advertised, and how useful can any information be, coming from a steampunk themed bowling alley/museum?

It’s pretty crazy, but he’s been there, done that, and thinks he can handle it.

And then he meets the proprietor/curator…Emily Babcock.

Emily grew up in crazy, still lives in it—hey, it’s her freaking zip code. So no worries when Robert and his team walk into her bowling alley. The first visitors ever to her museum.

But neither of them is prepared for what happens when they open the door to the past…and the future. With a side trip through Roswell…and a face-to-face meeting with an evil genius/wannabe—who is on his way to becoming evil overlord-of-everything…

And a mini blurb about my short story, STEAM TIME: The man formerly known as Tobias Smith hadn’t planned to ride along with Dr. Everly and his Medicine Show. Grifters gave him a pain their elixirs couldn’t heal. But he was headed to Marfa, too. And Everly’s “son” turned out to be a really fine looking damsel—one in distress when the ghost lights of Marfa bump them into an alternate reality complete with an automaton gang and airships.

Intriguing, indeed.

Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

I’m happy to report that all my books are available in print and in a variety of digital formats. The fastest why to find them is on my home page: www.paulinebjones.com

Now Pauline, tell us how you develop characters.

Some years ago, I took a directing class (I’d written a stage play and was interested in learning how to be a better playwright by studying how a director and actors brought a play to life). For my final, I had to direct a one-act play. I picked a funny piece and convinced two of my friends to play the leads. I got a good grade on the assignment, but one piece of criticism really hit me where I lived. My professor pointed out that my two friends had played their parts exactly alike. The only way to tell them apart was their hair color! I took this criticism to heart and always try to create characters that have contrast and originality—particularly important in novels since the reader can’t always “see” the hair color. I don’t make them different just to BE different or weird, but strive for distinct. I was particularly pleased by a reader review on Amazon this week. The reader wrote:

“Even more than the lovely and coherent mix of weird stuff, I loved the well-written interior narratives. Each character has a distinctive voice - enough so that changes of viewpoint don't have to be telegraphed with big rows of asterisks - and several of them are very witty as well.” (Paul Meyer)

Color me uber-pleased. To do this, I still use a lot of playwriting techniques in my character creation. I wrote an article about this topic that I posted on my website here: http://www.paulinebjones.com/getting-the-wood-out.html

We all know how important promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?

Oh, promotion! It is both pleasure (connecting with readers) and pain (feeling like that’s all you do!). I do most of my promoting online, though I do attend science fiction conventions that are within driving distance to promote my work and get support and encouragement from other writers. I also use the usual social networking sites, but I try to do soft promotion.

Instead of the constant “buy my book now,” I try to provide information and talk about elements in my books. I find this a more comfortable approach, because it reflects my own preferences as an avid reader. Buying a book is such a personal thing. How one connects with the way an author uses words, the genres they write, is personal. I have chemistry with some books and not others. I can personally like an author and not care for their books. So I don’t go into any situation believing that all the people will like what I write all the time.

I love that readers can now sample my books through kindle and other digital formats. I also try to post excerpts, so that readers can get a sense of my writing style and offer four, free stories through Omnilit/All Romance eBooks (links on my site).

Another thing I do, for fun and for my readers, is my “Behind the Book” interview with myself. I do it  right after I finish a book. This helps me capture details, trials and funny stories that I might forget for later interviews. It gives readers a peek into my creative process. I even have an interview of myself about what it is like to interview myself. Or something like that. These interviews can be found on my website by clicking on “For Readers.”

I also try to do regular giveaways, though I’m not sure how effective contests are. While I wouldn’t know what to do with “harvested” emails, people are still wary about that these days. I can’t even blame them when the spam piles up in my spam folder every morning.

I try different things, but in the end, I think the best promotion is to write the best you book you can. And then write another. And another. And another. Well, you get the picture. J

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

Right now I’m working on the next PROJECT ENTERPRISE book, which should release in Nov, 2011. After that, well, I’m mulling a new steampunk book and I also get requests for a sequel to OUT OF TIME. I would ask readers to vote, but I tend to commit random acts of writing, going where the Muse leads me, so not sure a vote would work with my Muse.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

You can find out more about me than you’d ever want to know at:

www.perilouspauline.com

Thank you so much for having me here today, Susan. You have an awesome blog!

Why thank you ma'am. It has been a pleasure to have you. Continued success with your prolific endeavors, Pauline. Come back any time!

Sylvia Dickey Smith

My very special guest today is Sylvia Dickey Smith, author of the Sidra Smart series. Sylvia, thank for coming over. Please tell us more about you.

 Hi, Susan. Thanks for hosting me on your blog. I would like to say I’ve followed your work and celebrate your success.

Thank you so much! I have read your books and own your cookbook, so I applaud your success as well.

Often, people ask me why my writing focuses on strong women. When I look back to understand that question myself, I think one of the most significant events leading to that was when—at 34—I moved to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad & Tobago where my curiosity about the world took on a whole new dimension. Awed by the differences in customs and cultures, particularly as they related to West Indian women, I set out on a journey of study and self-discovery.

 Back in the U.S. at 40, this same curiosity propelled me to start college and didn’t stop until I achieved a B.A. in sociology with a concentration in women’s studies and a master’s in counseling. This experience opened my eyes to missed potential—my own, and women in general. Over the years, much of my study, research, and pleasure reading has focused on the history of women and the effect patriarchy has had on such.

 So, I suppose writing strong women was a natural progression.

Indeed. What an interesting background you have.

Syvlia, how many books have you written?

 I have four novels published, plus a cookbook.

• The Sidra Smart Mystery series: (available on Kindle/Nook &other e-books)The titles are: Dance On His Grave; Deadly Sins Deadly Secrets; Dead Wreckoning.
• A War Of Her Own: My latest release is a historical fiction set during WWII homefront. It recently won 1^st Place in the Press Women of Texas Annual Awards & 2^nd Place in the National Federation of Press Women contest--2010.
• Sassy Southern Classy Cajun: a cookbook

My writing features women who recreate themselves into the people they want to be, strong women who take charge of their lives and get things done. (If you've met Sidra Smart or Bea Meade, you know what I mean.) The stories dwell on the wondrous twists and turns of human behavior rooted in my background as a counselor before I became a novelist. The tales are fun, sassy, and (according to my fans) darn good reads. I hope you like these kinds of books, too! I look forward to adding you and your readers as fans.

How do you develop characters?

Having a split personality comes in handy! The best way to describe how I develop my characters is to say that I “become” each character. I crawl inside their skin, feel what they feel, think what they think, look how they look, smell what they smell, believe what they believe, talk how they talk. The difficult part of that is remembering who I am when I step outside their bodies/minds/spirits!

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?

 I wish! My writing life would be so much easier if I did—but a lot less fun! I write organically. I start with a character, usually—but sometimes an idea—and head out. I discover my story much the way the story unfolds for the reader. The problem with that is it ends up requiring rewrites, plot corrections, new clues developed, and sometimes, even a new murderer for mysteries. When the person you think is the bad guy isn’t, then you have to go back and figure out who is and add new clues. However, my brain freezes when I sit down and try to outline.

 How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?

 I’d have to say that my environment and my upbringing IS the color of my writing! My life experiences have crossed a broad spectrum of life, exposing me to any number of people, faiths, races, abilities/disabilities, psychological health/ill health, climates, accents, behaviors—you name it.  Each gifts me with much to pick and choose from—or, perhaps I should say—gift my characters much to work with which to pick and choose from as they reveal themselves to me, and I, to my readers. It is indeed a fun journey!

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

I am so glad you asked! I’d love to. My current project is a novel called The Swamp Whisperer. It is the tale of:

 An old woman with more curiosity than good sense.

• A Paleo-Indian tribe rebuilding a lost civilization under questionable circumstances.
• A greedy college professor threatening the swamp’s eco-system.
• And an angry feminine spirit who has kept the swamp in balance for thousands of years—until now.

 This humorous yet serious tale of balance and imbalance is told through the eyes of a nosy old swamp woman who stumbles upon a plot to use ancestors of a cannibalistic Indian tribe to locate a long-abandoned silver mine, by whatever means necessary. Confused by the intermittent presence of a long-deceased, disembodied figure named Parahaia, and an old man named Shadrach who pleads she save the swamp from greedy treasure seekers, the swamp whisperer soon gets in over her head. 

 Where can folks learn more about your books and events, Sylvia?

 Websites:      www.sylviadickeysmith.com     Email: sylvia@sylviadickeysmith.com

                      www.warofherown.com

Blog:             www.writingstrongwomen.com

Sylvia, it's been a pleasure. Come back any time.

Thanks much, Susan. I look forward to hearing from your readers.

Thom Reese

My guest today is author Thom Reese. Welcome, Thom.

How many books have you written and in what genre(s)?

This is a busy year for me. My first novel, a supernatural thriller titled THE DEMON BAQASH, was released in January 2011, followed in February by my short story collection, 13 BODIES: SEVEN TALES OF MURDER AND MADNESS. I’ve also been contracted to write two books based on my audio drama series, MARC HUNTINGTON ADVENTURES. These books are action/adventure novels following the exploits of recovery specialists Marc and Dana Huntington as they traverse the globe to recover stolen treasures and missing persons. The first novel, DEAD MAN’S FIRE, should be out late this summer, the second, CHASING KELVIN, in early 2012. As well, my novel, THE EMPTY, about a race that has no genetic matrix of their own and must infuse DNA from humans and animals alike, is set for a 4^th quarter 2011 release. I’m in the midst of writing CHASING KELVIN right now and am throwing in plenty of twists and turns as well as dabbling on the fringe of horror/sci-fi concepts while keeping the overall feel true to the thriller genre. I think it’s going to be a fun ride.

Wow! You certainly are busy.
Thanks for taking time out to visit.

Tell us about The Demon Baqash.

There are two releases which came out almost simultaneously. THE DEMON BAQASH follows Trent Troxel as he tries to put his life together after personal and professional failure. He’s approached by Baqash, who claims to be a demon of hell. The demon leaves countless ancient artifacts with Trent, among them strange writings on an unknown substance. Trent soon learns that these are the demon’s own journals detailing his fall and subsequent life as one of the damned. Trent and his family are soon drawn into the demon’s scheme to undermine Satan with the goal of redemption. But there are other even more sinister powers at work, devious powers, and soon Trent must fight not only for his family’s survival but for their souls as well.

13BODIES is a collection of short stories based on my audio drama series, 21^st Century Audio Theatre, which began as a weekly radio program. Several of the audio dramas have since been published by Speaking Volumes. I was then asked by my publisher to write this short story collection based on the dramas. The book is a true mixed bag, there’s sci-fi, horror, suspense, psychological thrillers, even comedy. My favorite of the stories is FAMILY LEGACY, a tale about a family in which the greatest honor that can be given is for a family member to kill another family member with great creativity and style. There’s another story about a vegetarian vampire, some murders, a Twilight Zone style sci-fi. Every story takes the reader to a different place.

Were any of your books more challenging to write than the others? 

I think the Marc Huntington books have brought with them a particular challenge. In addition to the fact that I tend to write more horror than anything else, I had originally developed the characters for an audio drama series. Just as with the short stories of 13 BODIES, Speaking Volumes approached me about doing a book series based on these characters. I was excited – and still am – but found that I needed to approach these characters from an entirely different mindset. The audio dramas are fun, action-packed adventures, the characters entertaining and prone to banter. This worked perfectly in the audio dramas, but in a novel these characters needed much more depth, a more three dimensional quality. The reader needs to care for the characters and so Marc and Dana needed to be transformed into people with multi-faceted relationships, flaws, strengths, motivations. They needed to be rounded out in a way that never could have occurred in a 30 minute audio drama. As well, the story lines needed to go through the same process. I’ve brought in subplots that never would have worked in the other format. I’ve added characters, back stories. These books have been challenging and fun.

How do you develop characters, Thom?

To me a story is always about the character. If I don’t, at some level, care about the protagonist than I really don’t care about the story. There can be wonderful plot twists, surprises, reversals, the works, but if it’s all plot with cookie-cutter players I’m not onboard. For my characters, I try to give strengths and weaknesses, goals and beliefs that are at odds with one another. Real people aren’t consistent. Someone who is for the most part a good person might make some horrible choices. A person might make one decision on Monday, but on Tuesday, when faced with the same situation, take another route. I give my characters detailed back stories. Even if the information never makes it into a book, I need to know where this person has come from, what he/she believes, what the person’s goals and ambitions are, what personal demons he/she faces. I never create a character based on a real person, but I do sometimes borrow traits from people I’ve encountered and throw them into a character’s mix. I’ll use speech patterns, mannerisms, style of dress, but never more than one from the same individual, and even these, I usually add a twist to make something fresh. Once I’ve created a character, I place him/her into a situation and try to write the responses based on how I believe this particular individual would react. This will often help to determine the direction of the plot. “What would this person do when confronted with this problem? What if this was revealed to him/her? What would be the reaction?”

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?

As far as plot is concerned, I usually start writing with a vague idea as to where the story is going. I’ll write the first five or six chapters with no outline or thought as to how the story will end. Soon there comes a point where I need to start making real decisions. But, by then, I’ve had a chance to become better acquainted with my characters and with the general flow of the story. At this point I start writing down plot points. They aren’t necessarily in order yet, some of them may not even make it into the story, but I’ll write down every idea I have on 3X5 cards. Eventually, I take the cards and start putting them in order. “Well, this needs to happen before this. Oh! And if this happens, I need to add a scene earlier on that sets it up.” Often one or more of the original chapters is deleted in favor of another that fits the overall movement of the plot and characters. Again, I let my characters lead the way. I try to stay true to how a particular character would react under certain stimuli. And if the person acts contrary to character, there needs to be a reason. These cards become my outline. But, that said, I’m always willing to take an unscheduled turn if I think of something later in the process. In THE DEMON BAQASH, I added a significant event in my final draft, and that event is the one that most people tell me is their favorite scene in the book.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

Here are some links where you can find me, my books, and my audio dramas:

THE DEMON BAQASH, available in print as well as eBook formats: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+demon+baqash&x=13&y=19 )

13 BODIES: SEVEN TALES OF MURDER AND MADNESS, available in print as well as eBook formats: http://www.amazon.com/13-Bodies-Seven-Murder-Madness/dp/1612320031/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309538260&sr=1-2    

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=1811384049

Blog: THROUGH THOM TINTED LENSES: http://thomreese.wordpress.com/

Blog: THE JOURNALS OF THE DEMON BAQASH: http://demonbaqash.wordpress.com/

Speaking Volumes (publisher): http://www.speakingvolumes.us/results.asp

L &L Dreamspell (publisher): http://www.lldreamspell.com/ThomReese.htm

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ThomReese   

Thanks for dropping by, Thom, and continued success!    

Gerard de Marigny and The Watchman of Ephraim

Gerard de Marigny  has lived an eclectic life – starting off as the lead guitarist for the hard rock band AMERICADE. He's worked for and owned a few businesses but always with the secret aspiration to write novels. He tried his hand at detective mysteries twenty years ago and then put his writing ambitions to bed for two decades. In that time,  he became an avid reader of Tom Clancy and W.E.B. Griffin. Right after reading Book One of Griffin's outstanding 'The Corps' series, he knew, "THAT'S what I want to write … thrillers!" Griffin writes historical thrillers, though. Gerard wanted to deal with current and future world issues more akin to Clancy et al. There are some fantastic writers in the genre now – a whole new breed including people like Brad Thor, William Tyree, Craig Hickman, Joseph Flynn, etc. He's working very hard at being counted with this group.

Welcome, Gerard. Congratulations on the release of The Watchman of Ephraim. What will readers like about it?

I try to write books that I want to read. The Watchman of Ephraim is a fast-paced thriller based around a lead character (Cris De Niro) whom I'd like to be, who is surrounded by people I'd like to know, who is doing something I'd like to do! (grin)

I hope the reader feels transformed into the story. I hope the settings, backgrounds, details, etc. of all of my novels are perceived as real (I put lots of time into making sure they are) because those are the things I like when I read thrillers.

To me, fiction is at its best when most of it isn't fiction when it's believable because when it's believable, I care and when I care, I'm hooked. I've felt very blessed from the messages that readers of TWOE have sent telling me how they were brought to tears in the beginning and how they were cheering for my man, Cris De Niro, at the end in other words, they cared, which means I did my job.

Can you share how you name your characters?

I usually use pieces of names of real people. For instance, if the character is an Iranian terrorist, I actually find names of real Iranian terrorists and morph them in some way. For other positive characters I've used bits and pieces of names of people I know and love. I've even been known to use names from old movies – but I won't say which. (grin) I've never just fabricated a character name though – down to the most minor character. Every name has a reason and meaning to me.

What are your protagonist’s strengths? Flaws?

In The Watchman of Ephraim the protagonist's name is Cris De Niro. De Niro is guy about my age, born and raised in the same place I was born, Ridgewood, New York but while I was in a heavy metal band, De Niro was becoming one of the top hedge fund managers and one of the youngest and richest in the world. 9/11 happens and he loses his wife and unborn son and he learns the awful lesson that all the money in the world can't bring back your loved ones … so that CAN'T be the point of life.

His epiphany of faith is his biggest strength. He dedicates himself to doing his Judeo-Christian God's Will, in a way that means the most to him – protecting other Americans from the type of terrorists that murdered his wife. De Niro's other strength's include his aptitude – especially his financial savvy and his 'street smarts' from growing up in  a tough neighborhood and his affable personality. De Niro's the type of guy that could drink a cup of coffee with the President of the United States and a pint with a friend and come across with the same savoir-faire to both. His main flaw, although I'm not sure it's as much a flaw as an internal struggle is his dedication to his deceased wife. Ten years pass after chapter two when the towers fell and De Niro still can't come to terms with things like not wearing his wedding ring or becoming romantically involved with another woman.

Tell us more! Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

My debut thriller, The Watchman of Ephraim was published in January (2011). It's the first novel in 'The Watchman of Ephraim' series. The hardcover and (trade) paperback editions are available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and a host of other fine booksellers around the world. Signed copies are available on my website. It's also available in virtually every eBook format (Kindle, NOOK, iBook, Kobo, etc.) from Amazon.com, Smashwords.com, and BarnesandNoble.com.

Who are your favorite authors?

The authors that influenced me most outside my genre are Jack London (White Fang was the first novel I ever read), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and lots of pulp fiction writers, too many to mention.

My genre is thriller. The first thriller writer that knocked my socks off was Stephen Hunter and his great novel, Point of Impact. If you want to drill down to subgenre, The Watchman of Ephraim is a political thriller or geo-political thriller. In those genres, the writer who inspired me most was/is Tom Clancy. However, I'm probably most influenced by W.E.B. Griffin. I absolutely loved his The Corps series and although he writes mostly historical, war fiction WEB is/was my favorite! His son W.E.B. is now doing most of the writing, also a great writer.

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

I'm about half-way through with the sequel to TWOE. It's called Signs of War  and it will be available in September (2011) in hardcover, trade paper and all eBook formats.

I'm also developing a story outside of The Watchman of Ephraim series that I will be available in January and I'm doing two radio interviews, one on June 14th and then another on December 21st (both 5pm eastern time) with Fran Lewis and Marcia Cook on BlogTalkRadio.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events, Gerard

Here are a few places you can keep in touch with me and buy my books. I can mostly be found on my Facebook page (If you hit the “like” button, you can read 7 chapters of The Watchman of Ephraim for free) and on Twitter. My website will always have my most up-to-date info too. Thanks for this opportunity, Susan … peace everyone and hope to hear from you!

Same to you, Gerard. Best wishes on the success of your book!

You can keep up with Gerard de Marigny on his website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpace.

Purchase personalized, signed hardback and paperback editions of _TWOE_ at his website.
Paperback Available at CreateSpace, Amazon.com  and BarnesandNoble.com!

Hardcover Available at Amazon.com  and BarnesandNoble.com!

Available for most eBook platforms at Smashwords.com, for Kindle at Amazon.com , for Nook at BarnesandNoble.com!
Tune into author Gerard de Marigny's irreverent blog, 'The World According to g'

Gerard de Marigny also publishes a special blog for self-publishers called 'Self-Publisher's Diary: Author's Log' where he journals his experiences as a self-publisher.